chapter 28: pushed in the dark

                                    

                                          
Fourth week of October, Monday
I was walking down the hallway. One of the classes' door was open. Right after passing by, the school bell rang, indicating the end of the first class of the day. 
Skipping second period would get me Saturday detention, which I didn't mind. Stan would be mad that I left him alone with Marcus, though. 
"So what are you going to do about it?"
She'd followed me? I was startled a bit by Enid's voice, but didn't let it show. I had no time for her at that moment.
"Nothing," I answered while readjusting my backpack. "Isn't your biology class the other way anyway?"
"What'd you mean 'nothing'?!" she completely ignored my comment. 
I used all the patience I had to not snap at her. 
"There's just nothing I can do for now," I calmly explained. 
"Of course there is! Tell someone or I don't know..."
"Great idea! 'Uhm, excuse me principal Medina, I know you hate me with your guts but eh, I had a bad dream last night.' That's going to work for sure."
I think I failed at not snapping at her. 
"Don't do that, come on."
We turned left at the end of the hallway.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Enid."
"Sorry, I'm just trying to make the conversation. Don't start, please."
"Sarcasm is all I have right now."
"Still—" Enid tried. 
"Do you think I am not concerned? This felt too real. And a killer might be on the loose... again."
"I'm sorry."
I sighed again and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Don't apologize, own what you do or say."
She stopped for a second.
"Is that what it's about?"
"I don't want to argue with you right now," I replied.
"We can talk, we don't have to argue," she said.
I felt her hopeful but naive gaze on me.
"You know we can't; every time we tried to talk, it turned into screaming, crying, or both at the same time."
"But—"
"Right now, I have places to go," I cut off. "And yes, of course it's about that. It's always about that."
From the corner of my eye, I saw her look around, trying to find out where we were headed.  
"Where are we going?"
Still as predictable. 
"I am going to Xavier's hut; maybe he knows something. YOU are going to biology."
"I think you need to retouch the—" Enid started, pointing to my neck and ignoring what I'd just said once again. "I have some concealer if you want—"
The waterproof make-up isn't as waterproof as they say it is, is it?
"I'm fine," I affirmed, pushing her hand away and feeling betrayed by Fenty Beauty at the same time.
"It's showing, though," she made known.
We stopped in the middle of the hallway. 
"I said I was fine."
She mouthed an 'okay'.
"Go to biology, don't you dare skip second period," I added.
And with that, I walked away.
"See you later!"
I hope I just get regular after-school detention.
There was an exit that led to the woods somewhere in that hallway. And after getting out, I didn't have to walk much because his hut or whatever wasn't that far away.
"You can get out now," I announced.
Thing got out of my backpack and sat on my shoulder as I pushed the exit door.
~~~
"Why do I always end up finding you here when we're not talking?"
Fuck. 
I placed the sketchbook I was browsing through right back where it originally lay.
"How did you get in?" Xavier laughed nervously. "I bought new locks and they're supposed to even be werewolf-proof."
Thing got out of behind some glasses full of paint water and waved hello to Xavier with his pinky.
"He got in through the window and found a spare key."
Xavier nodded in respect to Thing. "Simple, efficient."
He scraped his throat. 
"So... what do you want? What do you need? Otherwise you wouldn't come here."
I didn't want to lose a second and immediately started.
"Have you had weird dreams recently?"
"Not wasting any time, huh?" he chuckled.
Seeing how I wasn't responsive to his remark, he simply answered: "Yeah. Well, nightmares, why?"
"I ask the questions here."
He just smiled.
"What are the dreams about?" I asked.
Xavier put his tote bag down on a stool near a gigantic blank canvas and picked something out of it.
"Look for yourself," he replied, throwing me his most recent sketchbook. "Everything in here is art class related, you won't find anything personal like dreams and stuff."
"Yet the Hyde was all over the place last time I came here, didn't it come to you in a dream?"
I didn't look up from the sketchbook as I browsed through it.
"That's one lesson you taught me; don't leave your stuff for anyone snooping around to find."
"Whatever," I mumbled, originally not meaning to say that out loud.
There wasn't anything interesting, besides the technique of course, about his drawings. There was some gore, but nothing corroborating my nightmare.
"What happens in your dreams?" I asked, finally looking at Xavier.
In his eyes, I saw the thought of making a stupid joke flash through his head, but he didn't make any.
"I die."
He came closer and took the book out of my hands to turn to a specific page. Afterwards, he put it back in my hands.
"Here," he pointed with his finger. "I had this dream where it's like I'm in a huge room, plunged into the dark. And— it's like... the dark squeezes me until... I pop?"
"Mhm," I nodded, taking mental notes of what he was saying. 
"I don't know," he continued," and when I pop, I die. But I can see in something like third-person POV this light flying away from me. And as it flies further away, it's night again."
"Wow, that's some deeeep shit!"
Both of us weren't facing the entrance of his hut, and both of us turned over at the same time.
"Did you hear him come in?" Xavier asked.
"I'm sneaky like that," Stan laughed. "¡Hola, Miércoles!"
"I told you not to call—"
I sighed knowing that making the remark once again wouldn't change anything.
"What are you doing here, man?" Xavier asked, fist-bumping Stan.
"Uhm, just here to make sure Wednesday doesn't miss another class today."
I rolled my eyes.
"Come on, let's go to physics."
"Dude, if I said something like that, she'd kill me."
"Yes," I confirmed, walking over to Stan. "¿Vámonos?"
"Vámonos. Uh, see you later, Javier!"
"Bye, guys!"
I got out before they could stretch the goodbye any more. Stan followed. 
"Physics is in the H block," he said.
"I know."
I checked the time on my watch.
"¿Qué hora es?"
"We're fine, we'll get there in time."
We were already late, but a white lie once in a while couldn't hurt. Especially if it was to get him off my back.
"Do you think the teachers still buy the 'no speak inglés' act, or should I start to introduce some English vocabulary?"
"I don't care."
We walked in silence for a while.
"You're not talkative today, I mean, less than usually."
"Thanks for your observation, Sherlock. Appreciate it immensely," I replied.
We were finally back in the school building. The hallways were empty.
"You mentirosa, we're late, verdad?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Ay, Wednesday, what you got on your neck? I think a bug bit you or—"
If even the last idiot could tell, it was showing. I ran into the first bathroom, which was in the middle of the hallway on the left. 
"We're going to get detention," he protested. "What are you even doing?"
I had taken my bag of my back and took my concealer out. I looked at myself in the mirror. It only looked like I had a rash, except some parts were purple.
"Oh. My. God. Is that a hickey or som—"
"It's not," I cut off.
"What is it then?"
I sighed. Telling him couldn't hurt right?