Whispers in the Dark (Being Rewritten)

Chapter 5

5

It'd been three days since the incident with Daren and his friends and I hadn't seen him since. Though, it's not like I wanted to see him. He could drop dead for all I cared. I wouldn't care if I never saw him again in my entire life!

And then I saw him.

Friends walking away, their arms around a pretty girl each, Daren lounged against a large oak tree. My blood boiled at the mere sight of him. I didn't stop until I was standing directly in front of him and he looked up at me. Turn away! My mind ordered. Just keep your mouth shut and turn away!

His eyes fell on me and I could swear I saw shock, and something else... Sympathy? It didn't matter, it was gone as soon as it'd come.

"What do you want?" he demanded, standing up and brushing some invisible dirt from his pants.

What do I want?!

"How about an apology, for starters," I growled.

"An apology?" he scoffed.

"That's the least you can do, don't you think?" I crossed my arms over my chest, staring up at him angrily.

He stared back, narrowing his eyes down at me. "I have nothing to apologize for."

"Nothing to apologize for?" I shrieked, catching the attention of passing students. I lowered my voice. "You and your buddies locked me in a shed and practically beat me senseless! Helloooo, does this ring a bell?" I lifted the side of my shirt high enough to reveal a large purple and yellow bruise spreading across my ribs.

"I had nothing to do with that," he said simply and moved to walk around me. I grabbed his wrist, keeping him in place.

"You led it! Nothing to do with it my ass! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had to stay in bed for the last couple days because I was too sore to move. I had to lie to my mom about why I was 'sick'." I put air quotes around the last word and glared daggers into the back of his head. He had yet to turn to face me again.

"I didn't touch you," Daren growled, glowering at me over one broad shoulder. "What my buddies do is none of my concern. Take it up with them if you're so pissy about it. Take it up with anybody else, actually. Because frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. Now if you'll excuse me," he ripped his arm from my grip, "I have to go meet my girlfriend for lunch." He grabbed his backpack up from its' place on the grass. He paused. "Oh, and don't worry about Danny hitting on you. It was more of a joke than anything else. He has a girlfriend anyway." He sauntered off toward the lunch room.

What kind of joke was that supposed to be? What kind of person would date him or even Daren for that matter?

"Jerk!" I cried after him, my fists tight balls at my sides. What an asshole. I hoped I would never have to speak to him again.

But obviously, that wish was in vain. I had him for 8th period.

Just before second period, out of the blue, a crackle screeched through the school's intercom and a young girl's voice echoed throughout the classrooms.

"Dear students and faculty, there will be a school assembly located in the auditorium in roughly fifteen minutes." The girl sounded just as confused as I was. "Attendance is mandatory. All students who are not accounted for will be labeled off as absent for the rest of the day. Teachers, if you will, please begin escorting your students to the auditorium. Thank you." And the PA system clicked off.