Chapter 10

HARLEY

I nod, my eyes wide. "Yes, it's true," I say. "Jessica was being bullied by some other students, and I went to help her. That's why I was late. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break the rules."

Mr. Lee sighs. "I understand. Bullying is a very serious issue, and I commend you for stepping in to help. I'm proud of you, Harley. You did the right thing." He turns to Mrs. Taylor. "I'll think of another punishment for Harley. One that's more fitting with what she did."

"For now, Miss Harley, go join the rest of the class," he says. "And no running ahead - you're still being punished, after all."

I nod and head back to the gym, my heart feeling a little lighter. I know I still have to be punished, but at least I don't have to run fifty laps.

As I enter the gym, I see the rest of my classmates running laps, and I join in, trying to keep up. It's hard, but I push myself to keep going. I'm determined to make things right.

I'm running around the gym, trying to keep up with the others, when suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder and I'm sent sprawling to the floor. I look up, and see my stepsister, Juliet, standing over me.

"Oops, didn't see you there," she says, a smirk on her face. "You really should watch where you're going, Harley."

She turns and walks away, the sound of her laughter echoing in my ears. The rest of the class starts to laugh, and I feel my face burning with embarrassment.

I stand up, my hands shaking with anger.

"You're such a bitch, Juliet!" I yell, my voice shaking. She stops and slowly turns around, her face darkening with anger.

"You're the one who's a bitch, you little brat!" she snarls. "You think you're so special, just because you're always trying to be the goody two-shoes. Well, you can't play the hero all the time. You're just a loser."

I feel my fists clenching at my sides, my heart pounding.

Juliet lunges at me, her hands balled into fists, and I throw up my arms to block her.

But it's no use - she's stronger than me, and her punches are landing hard. I try to fight back, but her friends have joined in, and they're all ganging up on me.

They're punching and kicking, and I'm struggling to block their blows. I can feel the pain starting to overwhelm me, and I'm terrified.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream cuts through the air, and everyone freezes. I look up, and see Lauren standing in the doorway, her face pale with shock.

The others turn to look at her, their expressions turning from anger to amusement.

"Look who we have here," one of them says. "It's the new girl, Lauren!"

"What are you doing here?" another one asks, a smirk on her face. "Did you come to rescue your little friend?" They all start to laugh, and I feel my face burning with shame.

As the group starts to advance on Lauren, I notice something strange.

Lauren's breath is coming out in short, rapid bursts, and her hands are clenched into fists at her sides. Her eyes are wide, and I can see the fear in them. It's like she's on the verge of a panic attack.

Suddenly, Juliet reaches out to shove Lauren, and she flinches, letting out a small gasp. Then, something amazing happens - blood starts trickling from Juliet's nose.

"Oh my god, Juliet, your nose is bleeding!" one of the girls says, her voice high with panic. Juliet's hand flies to her nose, and she gasps, her eyes wide.

"What's happening?!" she shrieks. "Help me!" She runs out of the gym, clutching her nose. I rush over to Lauren, who's still standing there, frozen. I take her arm and lead her out of the gym, my heart pounding. She's so pale, and her eyes are glazed over.

"Are you okay?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

Suddenly, Lauren's knees buckle and she falls to the ground, unconscious. I drop to my knees beside her, my hands shaking. What's going on? I know I have to get her to the nurse's office, so I scoop her up in my arms and carry her out of the gym. I rush to the sick bay, hoping against hope that someone can help her.

I burst through the door, shouting for help. The nurse comes running, her eyes wide with alarm.

"What's going on?" she asks, her voice urgent.

I tell the nurse what happened, and she nods, telling me that Lauren just needs to rest. I step out of the sick bay, my mind reeling.

What just happened? Lauren just fainted, right in front of me.

And then there's the whole thing with Jessica, and the bullying, and... I'm overwhelmed.

I decide to head outside, hoping the fresh air will clear my head. I sit down on a bench, a drink in my hand, and close my eyes. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

As I sit there, trying to relax, I start to think back over the events of the day.

I remember the fear I felt as I got ready for school this morning, the excitement of having a new friend in Lauren. And then, everything changed.

I replay the scene in the gym in my mind, watching it like a movie, but this time, something catches my eye. It's something I didn't notice before. Something... strange.

As I raise my head, I see a figure standing at the far end of the playground, staring right at me.

My heart starts to race as I realize who it is. It's the man from earlier, the one I saved from the river the other night.

I remember the way he looked at me, the strange things he said. "You're my mate," he had said. "I need your heart."

I can't breathe. My heart is pounding so hard, I'm afraid it's going to burst. What does he want from me? Why is he here?

I brought my gaze down as I could feel my whole body shaking already. I raise my face back up, frozen in place, my whole body shaking as I stare at the place where the man was standing. But he's not there anymore.

I feel a wave of relief, and then a surge of fear. Where did he go? Why did he leave? I want to run, to get as far away from this place as possible. But something keeps me rooted to the spot. I try to calm my breathing, to slow my racing heart. Finally, I look around the playground, and there's no sign of him. He's gone. But why?