Gruesome Twosome

chapter one

            "Shit," It's the only thing running through my mind as I try to move quicker and quicker through the barely crowded hallway. She's getting dauntingly closer to me.

            Okay, so pissing off a girl on the cross-country team wasn't my smartest idea, but what was I supposed to do, let the toilet paper continue to hang from her bra? Someone needed to tell her.

            And you would think she'd be grateful that I spared her the embarrassment of walking along with that. I mean, I may have drawn a little attention towards it, but that didn't mean she needed to chase me. But apparently she didn't have that outlook.

            I'm beginning to run out of places to turn. Quickly, I dash through the door to the staircase beside me. Stairs slow people down, right? Let's just hope I go quicker on them.

            I begin to skip steps, and maybe a bit too many, because the next thing I know, I'm toppling down the steps. And, man, is it painful. It's like a somersault of death.

            I land at the bottom, my breathing rugged and a sharp pain throbbing in my leg. Falling has given me a bit of an advantage in distance, but she'd be here to give my ribs a nice kick soon enough, and now I'm weak and defenseless.

            But there's someone standing in the doorway, staring at me with an amused smile. I squint my eyes in an attempt to recognize him, but quickly give up. I just can't put the face to a name, but I don't have any time to put in effort.

            "Are you going to help me up or what?" I impatiently say, sticking my hand out for him to grab. His eyebrows quirk up, but he does walk over and hoist me back onto my feet. A shooting pain spreads through my leg, and I hiss.

            But at this point, she's about to round the corner, and I have no time to spare. I hobble through the door and hide just beside the doorway. Maybe if she doesn't see me, she'll give up. It's a fat chance, but a risk I have to take.

            "Where the hell is she?" Miss. Track and Field snaps at the guy. I sigh slowly.

            "Who?" he dumbly asks. My eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. Surely he wasn't that stupid. Was he covering for me? "Katherine? She left, but I hope you'll stay," Holy shit, he's flirting to cover my ass. I don't even notice how he used my full name.

            "What?" she says. The annoyance is still evident in her tone. He chuckles.

            "Taylor Bridges," he says.

            That's his name! I knew it, but I couldn't quite remember whom it belonged to.

            "Can you just tell me where she went?" she snaps. He chuckles again.

            "Give me your number, and I'll tell you exactly where she went," he says. I quietly gasp. I bite my lip in anticipation. I swear if he gives me up, I'll kick his ass.

            "Fine," she mutters. I hear her pen click and she tears off a piece of paper. Moments later, the pen clicks again.

            "She went back upstairs, other stairs," he quickly explained. I blew out a breath of relief. The gullible girl was running back up the stairs by this point and Taylor strolled out with a smirk.

            "Where are your manners, Katherine?" he says after a moment. I don't respond; only close my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall. "If it weren't for me you'd be sitting here with a bruised face and a broken leg,"