And It’s Infuriating …

I got to class late, as usual. “Welcome to class, Ervin.” Mr. Truman said handing me a math book. I silently head to my desk and open to the last page we were assigned. There was a low whisper throughout the class. Everyone was watching me. I was unsettled, but tried not to think about it. “Basic, there’s something on your back.” A guy, who doesn’t matter, said slapping my back as hard as he could. I gritted my teeth and looked back at him. “Thank, Rick…” I say with a huff. I pulled out my notebook and pencil case and started working on some of the assignment. I didn’t have time to do homework at home. After about twenty problems, I got bored and started drawing on the edge of my paper. Before I knew it class was almost over. For the first time, nobody bothered me all class period. I felt a wave of relief. “Ervin…” a soft voice whispered behind me. I turned my head to see who was calling me. The usually empty seat behind me was occupied by a body. I turned halfway to get a better view. Cameron? “What?” I asked blinking a few times to see if I was imagining him. “Can you help me with problem thirteen?” Cameron was replaced by Ashley. I pulled my notebook onto her desk to show her my work. She copied it down.

“How did you get that?” I explained it to her and she nodded and moved back to her seat. A piercing alarm rang through the building, shaking me from the inside out. “This is just a drill; please evacuate the build as instructed.” Benson’s voice boomed over the screaming alarm. My class began to file out the door before turning into a big mob in the hall. I fell back packing up all my things carefully before following behind Mr. Truman. Once I left the classroom, my class had vanished to the nearest exit. I forced myself down the hall. The lights flickered like slow strobe lights. The halls were littered with papers and the building was still. It was peaceful. I liked it, so instead of exiting the building I snuck off to the hall near the pool and pulled out my notebook. In my beat up old notebook covered with sketches of anything I could imagine, I jotted down my feelings about today and about everything that went on this week. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move past the hall. An unsettling chill moved slowly down my spine. I wrote that down, too. I read over my unconscious writings. Everything I wrote was about Cameron. 

He pops out of nowhere, he stays too close to me and he’s standing right beside me right now. “Why aren’t you outside?” I asked him without making eye contact. There was a chilling silence and a light laugh. “Why aren’t you?” he asked with a sarcastic tinge to it. I close my notebook as he slides down the wall to sit beside me. “What are you writing?” he asked reaching for my book. I snatched away from him; this was none of his business. “What does it matter?” I asked tucking the book into my backpack and putting it on my back. It got quiet, too quiet. He was looking down the hallway out the window and at the students coming back to their classes. I looked in the opposite direction. “Cameron…” I called turning to the boy, only to find him gone. Heaving a deep sigh and getting up to hurry to math class. The day seemed to go by in slow motion, or rather I did. Everyone around me seemed to go at full speed while I was stuck in slow motion. The time in class seemed to pass in seconds and then the dismissal bell rang. I stood outside the building waiting, for something. I didn’t know what and I didn’t understand why. I watched the students clear out of the area while I stood in the same place.

After what felt like hours of mind control had broken, I tightened my backpack straps and began to march forward towards my house. A vibration in my pocket startled me. I grabbed my phone, looking to see what was happening. 20 missed calls and 5 new messages. They were all from my mom. I redialed her number only to be met with a familiar voice. “Hello?” It was Cameron. So many thoughts went through my head. Like how the hell did he get to my mom and why was anywhere near my house? “Who is this?” I asked just to be sure it wasn’t Cameron. The line got silent for a while. “Hello?” I asked. “It’s Cameron.” He said in a whisper.  Everything was becoming so weird in my life and it was upsetting. “What do you want?” I asked very annoyed by his call. “I found your notebook; you left it in the gym. So I brought it to your house.” He said before the line went dead. I screamed to myself about how I couldn’t stand this guy. He makes me feel so weird and I don’t like it. Trudging myself to my house, I swung the door open to see the house empty. There was no Cameron or mom, her car wasn’t in the driveway now that I think about it. I walked over to the computer desk to see my notebook.

I shook off the nervous feeling in my stomach and headed to my room, I could use a relaxing shower after today. As I climbed the stairs I noticed a shadow moving in the hall. My pace slowed a little as I made my way to the scene. The shadow was being casted from a figure moving around my bedroom. “Mom?” I called my heart pounding like a million drums in my ears. I crept up to the door and pushed it slowly. It creaked open to reveal the shadow maker. “What the hell are you doing in my room?!” I yelled my heart dropping to my stomach as I made eye contact with the person. He was looking at me with an apologetic stare. I was furious, he had me terrified! “I’m sorry if I scared you man, but there’s no reason to be mad.” He said sitting down on my bed. Gritting my teeth, I moved through the room and to the closet. Filing through the mess of clothes, I found an outfit to throw on. “Can you leave?” I asked without turning to the boy. The bed creaked and the room door closed, but the stairs made no sound. I left my room to see him sitting on the stairs. There’s something with this kid, it’s odd and it’s infuriating…