Page 113 of Fractured Fates
I remember the woods. The thing that attacked me unseen.
I breathe in, hunting for a scent, any sign or clue, my fingers taut under the bedsheets, ready to defend myself if I need to.
But there’s only silence again. Silence and darkness.
“I know you’re here,” I whisper, but there’s no reply. No other sound until the door clicks shut and I’m left there with even more questions swirling through my mind.
When finally, the darkness retreats and the room slowly brightens, I’m still awake. Doubting that I really heard or saw anything. Still without an answer to that question.
Who am I?
* * *
I don’t particularly wantto emerge from bed when Winnie’s alarm finally sounds. But she doesn’t leave me much choice.
My friends prods me on the cheek.
“You can’t let the assholes win, Rhi. Come on, up.”
When I groan and tug the cover over my head, she dives straight for my weak spot, depositing Pip in the bed with me. My pig snuggles under the covers, licking at my face and squealing loudly.
“See, he wants you up too. You’re not setting a very good example to him by hiding away in your bed.”
“Fine,” I say as Pip grunts angrily at me as if he’s agreeing with everything Winnie is saying.
Winnie and I are halfway pulling on our uniforms when there’s a knock on our door.
We look at each other, Winnie slightly alarmed. I know what she’s thinking: another summons to Principal York.
I have a suspicion she could be right. Visiting hot teachers late in the evening is probably not allowed.
“Who is it?” I ask anyway, hopeful we have a visitor and not a note.
“It’s Andrew.”
Winnie gapes at the door. “Go away!” she says, before I can even open my mouth. “We have nothing to say to you.”
“I’d like to talk to Rhi … I’d like to apologize.”
Winnie scoffs. “Well, Rhi doesn’t want to hear your pathetic …” She trails off as I walk towards the door and reach for the handle. “What are you doing?” she whispers tersely.
“Hearing him out,” I whisper back.
Winnie shakes her head in disapproval and slams her beret on her head.
I draw the door open, finding Andrew standing outside with a large, elaborate bouquet of daisies in his arm and a very black eye on his face.
I cross my arms and glare at him.
“These are for you,” he says sheepishly. I don’t say anything. This guy spread rumors about me. I’m not going to make this easy for him. “To apologize.”
“For …” I prompt.
The look on his face grows even more sheepish and he stares down at his shoes. “I’m sorry,” he repeats. “The banter in the locker room got out of hand and–”
“Out of hand?!” Winnie hisses, coming to stand next to me. “You were bragging to all your boys. You said all that stuff about Rhi and it wasn’t true.”
Andrew shakes his head frantically. “No, that’s not how it was. They were teasing me. Someone had seen you leave my room. Everyone started jumping to conclusions, debating about what we’d been up to and–”
