The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 29

I had my last class of the day next to the gym where the exit to the school was, so I was waiting at the car before any of the other boys got there.

When Damon arrived, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses and had headphones in. He pulled one out when he reached the car and unlocked it for us.

"Guess you get shotgun, kid." He said, as the other boys had yet to arrive.

I smiled excitedly and hopped in the front, bouncing a little in my seat.

Damon started the car and let the air cool us as we waited for the others.

"How was your first day?" I asked, trying to be friendly.

He shrugged.

"Did you like your classes?" I tried again.

"Yeah." He replied casually. I sighed and gave up, waiting for Brooklyn and Caleb to come and rescue us from this awkwardness. Within seconds they were getting in the backseat and glaring at me playfully.

"I got here first," I said, snobbishly.

They laughed as we began to drive, and I watched the school in my peripheral vision. It didn't look nearly as scary as it had seemed the first time I'd come.

As I saw the students spill out of the gates laughing and talking, I smiled. Maybe I would like it here.

When we got home, I immediately ran to Dominic's room. I wasn't exactly sure why, and I knew I'd be in a lot of trouble if I woke him up from a nap or something, but I couldn't help it.

I knocked on the closed door three times and waited patiently.

"Yes?" he asked.

I took that as my go ahead, so I opened the door and shot into the room. He was sitting at his desk and spun in his swivel chair to face me as I launched myself into the air and then curled up under his covers. His room was cold, so I wrapped the blankets around me like a nest and then smiled at him.

"Did you need something?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nope." I said with a smile.

He gave me an expectant look, but I just smiled, refusing to give in.

Finally, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "How was your day, Maya?" he asked.

My grin stretched across my face and I shot into a detailed description of the office lady I met and not knowing anyone as well as classes with Caleb and one class I even shared with Valerie.

"I didn't know where to sit at lunch though, so I just went to the library." I said, as I wrapped up my story. "That was pretty lame, but I don't think anyone noticed."

He chuckled and said "I doubt anybody noticed. People are way too concerned with themselves in high school."

I nodded in agreement and a slight twinge of awe. It's funny how regardless of the amount of age difference, people who are older than you can seem so cool.

"How was your day?" I asked politely. He smiled and told me that he mostly worked (he worked online for some company that needed help with statistics and coding) and was out in the garage most of the day.

"The garage?" I asked, wrinkling my nose. I might have walked through the large room in passing on the way to the car, but I didn't see what could've held his attention in there.

"Have I not shown you...?" he asked, in surprise.

I shook my head, without a clue of what he was talking about.

"Tell me if you ever get really bored and want to see something cool." He suggested wryly with a smirk. I nodded, giving him a contemplative look. I wondered what it could be...

I left my room to start working on the no doubt boring and arduous math homework that had already been assigned. Only minutes later, I fell deep in my own thoughts. I remembered what school was like at the junior high I had gone to, and the elementary school. I hadn't liked either of them. I was starting to think I just didn't like school.

But that wasn't quite it.

It was more so that I didn't like who I had to be at school. I couldn't let attention be drawn to me, for fear of the repercussions. If my uncle knew any boys liked me or wanted to hang out, I couldn't fathom how mad he would be.

And the girls at my schools, since forever, had always been so... dull. They talked about clothes, they talked about people at our school, they talked about everything except what truly mattered. Did none of them know that we were all faking it? Locking our fears and insecurities behind inauthenticity?

I wanted to be real, and genuine, and not be afraid. I could not be any of those things, so I settled for being quiet.

Maybe I didn't have to be quiet anymore.

I vowed to be myself as the school year went on. I would tell people what I liked and didn't like, I would dress in a way that made me happy regardless of what people said, and I would be loud if I wanted to be loud and quiet if I wanted to be quiet. I would be me.

He wasn't here to stop that anymore.