Whispers

Chapter Nine

9

"Miss Thompson!!"

With a jolt I bolted up, nearly falling out of my desk. Mr. Lance stood above me, arms folded over his chest, a small frown spread across his lips. I quickly worked to right myself in my chair once more, the sounds of my classmate's snickers and giggles filling my ears. "Y-Yes?"

"Did we have a nice nap?" he inquired, obviously not at all amused.

I hung my head. "I'm sorry."

After a moment, Mr. Lance's small frown flattened into a something a little less angry. "This is the third time this week, Miss Thompson," he stated, his voice a touch warmer.

I would have believed him if he had said it was the ninth. Two other teachers already chewed me out for doing the same thing in their classes. I was surprised I hadn't gotten more than a simple reprimand at this point. "I know."

There was a small beat of silence before he uncrossed his arms and gestured toward the door. "Why don't you go wait for me outside, I'll be meet you in a minute."

Nearby I heard the soft whispers of "Ooooh" and "Someone's in trouble!"

I was too tired to even bother arguing at this point. Mr. Lance had been lenient with me until now. Whatever punishment he was ready to dish out to me, I would take. "Yes, sir..." Grabbing my bag out from under my desk, I shuffled out of the classroom. Once the door had shut behind me I seated myself on the floor and buried my head in my hands, letting loose a long, tired sigh.

Ever since that dream, I hadn't been able to sleep right. Every time I tried I felt as though I could hear the window creep open, feel him laying next to me, playing with my hair, watching me. But when I opened my eyes again nothing was there. I was always alone, everything exactly how I left it before. Everywhere I went, no matter what I did all I could see were sharp pointed teeth and those ethereal blue eyes. I couldn't even look at the statue in the courtyard anymore without feeling as though he were staring at me through it. Sirus, the fallen angel turned monster. The same monster I saw in my window so many nights ago.

Knock it off! I commanded, smacking my hands against my cheeks in an effort to pull me out of my delusions. It was just a nightmare. There's no such thing as monsters! It just wasn't possible.

Right?

But the way his breath washed over my skin whenever he spoke, the chill of his hands and the near searing heat of his body when he pulled me in... It had all felt so real. 

"Why the long face, Thompson?" When I looked up, Daren was making his way down the hall toward me, a small square of blue paper in his hands. As the distance between us closed I watched that mocking smirk on his face flatten into a frown.  "What the hell happened to you?" he grimaced. "You look like absolute shit."

"Gee whiz, Hawthorne, you know exactly how to make a girl feel nice!" I replied, my voice thick with sarcasm.

"I do," he agreed. "It's a good thing there's none around. Wouldn't want to waste all that charm."

"Asshole."

His lips twitched. "Bitch." Peeling off the backpack he was carrying, he let it drop to the floor as he took a seat next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Admiring the linoleum."

I opened my mouth to snap at him but, not having the energy, slumped back against the wall instead. I was just too tired to put up any real fight today. "What's that?" I gestured to the paper in his hands.