For the second morning in a row, I sat in Martin’s car. He insisted on giving me a ride even though he was missing a class just to drive me to school.
“I’d rather miss a class than lose my baby sister,” he said.
I stayed silent not wanting to argue with him. After all, our bickering wasn’t helping either one of us. I wanted us to be closer and I hoped that in time we would be able to adjust to each other’s moods.
I reached for my backpack as we pulled up to the campus. His driving me to school made me nervous. But today, I was a bit more apprehensive than usual because I needed to find Roland. I had some questions regarding our last conversation and I hoped to find him alone.
I got out of the car and waved goodbye to Martin. As I strolled past the quad, I could see him out of the corner of my eye, lingering. After my encounter with Todd the day before, I knew he didn’t want to take any chances of leaving me alone.
I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t alone. I was surrounded by about five hundred students, but I knew he wouldn’t listen to me. I shrugged and walked into the building.
I didn’t know where I would be able to find Roland, but I wanted to check to see if he was at his locker. Most of my other classmates were at theirs, grabbing books for first period.
I had English with Roland so I knew that he would have to stop at his locker before the bell rang. I hoped that he hadn’t stopped there earlier because I didn’t know where else to find him.
I tried to think the way Jaycee would. She thought that searching for a boy was a waste of time unless you did it the correct way. First, you had to remember who he hung out with and his interests. If you didn’t know those two details, the search was pointless.
I tried to remember his interests and I remembered that he liked video games. But I didn’t think that would help me because there were no video games at the school. Not to mention, I knew close to nothing about new age games. I’d played a few with Martin but to be honest, I couldn’t get into them.
After that, I tried to think of who I’d seen Roland with since school started. That didn’t help me either because the only person I’d seen him with was Elizabeth.
I scanned the hallway hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The bell was about to ring and there was no sign of him. Even if I did find him, it would be no use. I doubted that we would be able to have a serious conversation in a minute and a half.
Right before I turned in the opposite direction, someone from behind tapped me on the shoulder. Expecting to see Roland, I spun around to find Todd smiling down at me.
“Hey,” he said.
I tried to disguise my displeasure but I think he caught it. I wondered how long he’d been lingering behind me. I didn’t even hear him approach.
“Hi,” I said trying to seem enthusiastic. “How are you?”
“Great,” he replied, the smile glued to his face. For some reason, it seemed like he was also trying to hide his emotions. “I need a favor.”
I felt as if a cold hand had reached into my chest and grabbed onto my heart. “W-What kind of favor?” I hadn’t meant to stutter but his response had taken me by surprise.
“I need help getting some supplies from my car for shop class. I have a project to present first thing this morning.” He gestured me to follow him.
“I’d be glad to help but the bell’s about to ring and Mr. Henderson throws a fit whenever somebody’s late.”
“Oh, let the old biddy have his fit. This will only take a second.” We were standing on the outskirts of campus where I spotted quite a few students milling around.
Todd seemed persistent on having me help him but I didn’t have any intentions of being alone with him.
However, I couldn’t think of an excuse to say no. And I didn’t want him to realize I knew his true identity. I would just have to keep up my gleeful act for as long as I could.
“Okay but let’s hurry,” I said. I looked around for Roland and even Liz. But the bell had rung and students were scrambling to their classes. The courtyard was filling out and the parking lot was deserted.
The further we drifted from campus, the more nervous I became. I wondered which car was his. I tried to picture the car that Jaycee had described yesterday based on her findings.
We passed car after car and I had been expecting him to stop at any moment but he kept going. He didn’t stop until we were almost out of the parking lot. His car was a dark blue Toyota, not something I imagined him driving. If I pictured him with a car at all, it was the rusted clunker from the film Christine.
He pressed a button on his keychain and the car came unlocked. “My project’s in the back seat,” he said.
I hurried to the passenger side. But when I opened the door the back seat was empty. Before I had the chance to turn around, Todd aggressively shoved me into the car.
I fell onto the seat face first. I didn’t even have time to react before he leaned against me with his torso, leaving me breathless. He thrust an old rag into my mouth. I guessed he had used the rag to wax his car. The fumes on it were intoxicating. Then, he grabbed me by the wrists and tied them behind my back with a piece of twine.
I heard rustling behind me. I thought he might have been looking for something in his pocket. Without warning, I felt a needle prick on the back of my arm. I flinched.
When he was finished, he eased off me, pushing my feet into the vehicle. With that, he slammed the door and walked around to the driver’s side of the car.
I was still lying face first on the cushion and could just make out Todd’s movements. My surroundings were becoming fuzzy. The morning was silent except for a few birds chirping in the distance. Not a single sign of life was in hearing range and I guessed that everyone was in class.
I lay there paralyzed with fear. Besides, I was so drowsy that I wouldn’t have been able to move if I had tried. Whatever he had pricked me with was starting to kick in.
He slipped the key into the ignition. The rumble of the car’s engine startled me and I winced.
“How about some music for the road?” he sneered. His tone resembled the hiss of a snake.
When I didn’t answer he said, “No? That’s all right. I prefer the quiet. It helps me think.”
I moaned in protest and he snickered.
“Don’t worry,” he soothed. “It won’t be long now.”
At that point, my vision was so bleary it was as if I were underwater with my eyes open. In one more second, I lost consciousness.
“I’d rather miss a class than lose my baby sister,” he said.
I stayed silent not wanting to argue with him. After all, our bickering wasn’t helping either one of us. I wanted us to be closer and I hoped that in time we would be able to adjust to each other’s moods.
I reached for my backpack as we pulled up to the campus. His driving me to school made me nervous. But today, I was a bit more apprehensive than usual because I needed to find Roland. I had some questions regarding our last conversation and I hoped to find him alone.
I got out of the car and waved goodbye to Martin. As I strolled past the quad, I could see him out of the corner of my eye, lingering. After my encounter with Todd the day before, I knew he didn’t want to take any chances of leaving me alone.
I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t alone. I was surrounded by about five hundred students, but I knew he wouldn’t listen to me. I shrugged and walked into the building.
I didn’t know where I would be able to find Roland, but I wanted to check to see if he was at his locker. Most of my other classmates were at theirs, grabbing books for first period.
I had English with Roland so I knew that he would have to stop at his locker before the bell rang. I hoped that he hadn’t stopped there earlier because I didn’t know where else to find him.
I tried to think the way Jaycee would. She thought that searching for a boy was a waste of time unless you did it the correct way. First, you had to remember who he hung out with and his interests. If you didn’t know those two details, the search was pointless.
I tried to remember his interests and I remembered that he liked video games. But I didn’t think that would help me because there were no video games at the school. Not to mention, I knew close to nothing about new age games. I’d played a few with Martin but to be honest, I couldn’t get into them.
After that, I tried to think of who I’d seen Roland with since school started. That didn’t help me either because the only person I’d seen him with was Elizabeth.
I scanned the hallway hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The bell was about to ring and there was no sign of him. Even if I did find him, it would be no use. I doubted that we would be able to have a serious conversation in a minute and a half.
Right before I turned in the opposite direction, someone from behind tapped me on the shoulder. Expecting to see Roland, I spun around to find Todd smiling down at me.
“Hey,” he said.
I tried to disguise my displeasure but I think he caught it. I wondered how long he’d been lingering behind me. I didn’t even hear him approach.
“Hi,” I said trying to seem enthusiastic. “How are you?”
“Great,” he replied, the smile glued to his face. For some reason, it seemed like he was also trying to hide his emotions. “I need a favor.”
I felt as if a cold hand had reached into my chest and grabbed onto my heart. “W-What kind of favor?” I hadn’t meant to stutter but his response had taken me by surprise.
“I need help getting some supplies from my car for shop class. I have a project to present first thing this morning.” He gestured me to follow him.
“I’d be glad to help but the bell’s about to ring and Mr. Henderson throws a fit whenever somebody’s late.”
“Oh, let the old biddy have his fit. This will only take a second.” We were standing on the outskirts of campus where I spotted quite a few students milling around.
Todd seemed persistent on having me help him but I didn’t have any intentions of being alone with him.
However, I couldn’t think of an excuse to say no. And I didn’t want him to realize I knew his true identity. I would just have to keep up my gleeful act for as long as I could.
“Okay but let’s hurry,” I said. I looked around for Roland and even Liz. But the bell had rung and students were scrambling to their classes. The courtyard was filling out and the parking lot was deserted.
The further we drifted from campus, the more nervous I became. I wondered which car was his. I tried to picture the car that Jaycee had described yesterday based on her findings.
We passed car after car and I had been expecting him to stop at any moment but he kept going. He didn’t stop until we were almost out of the parking lot. His car was a dark blue Toyota, not something I imagined him driving. If I pictured him with a car at all, it was the rusted clunker from the film Christine.
He pressed a button on his keychain and the car came unlocked. “My project’s in the back seat,” he said.
I hurried to the passenger side. But when I opened the door the back seat was empty. Before I had the chance to turn around, Todd aggressively shoved me into the car.
I fell onto the seat face first. I didn’t even have time to react before he leaned against me with his torso, leaving me breathless. He thrust an old rag into my mouth. I guessed he had used the rag to wax his car. The fumes on it were intoxicating. Then, he grabbed me by the wrists and tied them behind my back with a piece of twine.
I heard rustling behind me. I thought he might have been looking for something in his pocket. Without warning, I felt a needle prick on the back of my arm. I flinched.
When he was finished, he eased off me, pushing my feet into the vehicle. With that, he slammed the door and walked around to the driver’s side of the car.
I was still lying face first on the cushion and could just make out Todd’s movements. My surroundings were becoming fuzzy. The morning was silent except for a few birds chirping in the distance. Not a single sign of life was in hearing range and I guessed that everyone was in class.
I lay there paralyzed with fear. Besides, I was so drowsy that I wouldn’t have been able to move if I had tried. Whatever he had pricked me with was starting to kick in.
He slipped the key into the ignition. The rumble of the car’s engine startled me and I winced.
“How about some music for the road?” he sneered. His tone resembled the hiss of a snake.
When I didn’t answer he said, “No? That’s all right. I prefer the quiet. It helps me think.”
I moaned in protest and he snickered.
“Don’t worry,” he soothed. “It won’t be long now.”
At that point, my vision was so bleary it was as if I were underwater with my eyes open. In one more second, I lost consciousness.