Chapter 9 CHAPTER 9
I walked faster than before, that weird instinct pushing me to a near run. The school is so big that I could scream here and no one would hear me.
Jeez, why am I thinking such sordid thoughts? It's just a three-minute walk. It's not like I'm walking through a forest filled with beasts or anything.
But still, I increased my steps, the quicker I come out to the other side, the easier I'll breathe.
But inasmuch as I didn't smell anybody down here, danger still found me.
Yes, I know how weird that sounds but I can suddenly smell people, Naomi smells like daisies. I've never smelled the flower before I just… know.
It's like something is in my gut, convincing me of things.
Or maybe I'm going crazy and don't know it yet.
I heard a crack from the roof, and I looked up immediately, pausing mid-step.
The ceiling was dusty as was the rest of the building, no cause for alarm
But I was more than alarmed and began running.
What I thought was ‘nothing’ turned out to be the building collapsing.
I screamed as the ceiling in front of me caved in, the entire thing blocking my path.
Immediately, I turned around, but the entire thing was cracking straight away, the ceiling falling.
Running was of no use, I wasn't faster than gravity but it was the panic attack that stilled me in place. I couldn't move, just stood, screaming and shaking and waiting for my end to come.
It didn't.
One second a boulder was hitting my back, the next, I was travelling through the air, hands gripping biceps and bending me sideways.
When he dropped me back, people had gathered around, and it took me a few seconds to look and see who my saviour was.
Mr. Valkori.
People swarmed me, Tori swapping away the stones that were all over my clothes and putting a wide distance between us.
He stood there, looking at me with a forlorn look in his eyes, like he'd not just pulled me out of a collapsing building, three corridors away in five seconds.
“But how…” I gasped, looking between him and the people asking me questions that I had no answers for.
He turned and walked away and I faced everyone.
The noise was driving me mad so I took an excuse and left, Edgar being so nice to drive me home.
Three days later, I still couldn't get the events of Friday off my mind.
“I heard what happened,” Naomi said as she sat near me. She'd moved her seat to the one next to me since Tuesday.
“I have no idea how or why,” I sighed, “I was just walking home and suddenly…”
“Maybe you're a witch and your powers are coming out,” she joked.
“Yeah, more like trying to kill me. Have you done your assignments?”
“Let's say I made efforts.”
I helped her through the ones she got wrong before the teacher came into class.
He was dressed so seriously, a coat very long, glasses and pants that looked so good on him.
I blinked whatever it was away, it's probably because he rescued me and now I was imagining something that wasn't there.
But regardless, I couldn't deny that the man had a certain air to him.
“Does anyone have questions from last week's class?” He began, dropping his teaching equipment on the table.
What business did he have teaching? That's a question I would rather ask.
His body was made for sinful things, a fashion designer’s dream. But here he was, teaching unruly high school kids. And he's intelligent too, it made no sense.
Just as him hearing my screams and coming there to rescue me was.
He had to have already been following me to even be able to get there in the few seconds it took for that ceiling to collapse.
Well, I still can't explain why the thing decided to fall right as I was walking that direction anyway so it's just one more unexplained phenomenon in my life at Nashville.
After the class, we all began walking out, to make it to the next one for the day when I heard my name.
“Sera?”
“Yes Mr. Valkori,” I turned immediately, leaving Naomi's hands.
“I'll see you later,” she winked at me before walking away.
She'd teased the hell out of me over the phone during the weekend, reverting to dark humour. I usually was cool with it but most times, she was right about how I felt about the man without knowing she was and I hated it.
I couldn't go out with her anymore since Aunt Kelly decided to go full mama bear on me and kept me in the house ‘for observation’.
If I'd actually been hit by the ceiling, she probably would have chained me to the bed forever.
I went back to him, and soon the class emptied out.
“How are you feeling now, Miss Voss?”
“I'm fine sir, thank you for saving my life. I don't know how… You did it but I'm happy you were there right when the roof fell.”
He looked at me, his eyes staring deep into mine as though searching for something he had lost.
“Stay away from lonely corridors and doors you don't know where they lead. You can go.”
Okay, someone is practising for a horror movie role but I'll indulge him.
I don't even need to be told, the mere thought of going anywhere that's not freshly painted or directly in the way of my classes, I avoid it like the plague.
If anyone was trying to scare me, they've succeeded.
Even though the headache from people simply walking had increased, I walked in the midst of people.
That's how frightened I am now.
The rest of the school week proceeded without incident except Kane paying me more than he agreed to for teaching him math.
But otherwise, I was settling in nicely.
But Friday rolled around and I went home earlier than usual because my head was literally splitting in two.
When I was driving into our parking lot, I felt like I was going to collapse.
But I saw cars lining the street leading up to our house, all tinted, all big SUVs.
When I opened the door, I saw three wolves standing next to Aunt Kelly and five men sitting in the living room.