CHAPTER 10 : Walking Through The Fire

Adrian was throwing pebbles at the glass pane of my bay window thirty minutes later. It had been enough time for me to regain my composure and enough time to regret calling him. I was still freaked out, of course. But more than that I was dying of embarrassment, I shouldn't have called him.

I stuck my head out into the night, where I whisper shouted to him that I was coming down. The house was quiet as I made my way through the empty hall and down the stairs.

Adrian was standing just below my bedroom window, the same spot he was standing last time. I walked up to him, fidgeting with the hem of my hoodie. The temperature had dropped as we neared winter, the days were still temperate however the nights called for warmer clothing.

I had changed out of my pajamas, and slipped into a pair of sweatpants, a long sleeve t-shirt and an oversized hoodie.

"I'm sorry for calling you so late," I slid my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, "you didn't have to come, I really shouldn't have called you." I said the last part mainly to myself. My cheeks were tinted a nice shade of red, but under the cover of night my blush went unnoticed.

"I was just freaking out and I really didn't want to be alone. I'm silly. You really don't have to be here, it's really late and you—" he interrupted my rambling as he placed his hand over my mouth. Caught off guard I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Let's take a walk," He suggested, blinking twice I simply nodded and he dropped his hand.

I inhaled the pine scented air, it filled my lungs and I let it out with a heavy sigh before I followed after him. He led the way into the woods, taking the same route he did last time. And just like last time I followed closely behind. We didn't say anything, we just walked in silence. I calmed down even further, every ounce of dread seeping out of me. I felt safer knowing I wasn't alone.

We landed right where I suspected we were going. At the small clearing. He plopped down onto the grass and patted the spot next to him and I settled down, without a word. We mirrored every move we made the first time we were here, until I was laying on my back staring at the sky. Unlike the first time the sky was shrouded in a thick layer of foreboding storm clouds. I didn't like the looks of them. I closed my eyes taking in a deep breath. The silence between us continued until I broke it.

"I had a nightmare," I opened my eyes staring straight up at the sky. "But it felt so real, I was so scared and alone. I felt so... weak." I shut my eyes again to stop the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I'm being silly," I shot up, sitting upright, "it was a just a dream. You probably think I'm being a baby."

He sat up and faced me. His eyes captured mine. With the lack of lighting, his eyes appeared darker but they captivated me just the same. "You're not weak," he stated.

"It's okay to be scared, we all get scared sometimes. But you can't let that fear consume you. You're not weak. You have to face your fears."

"I'm not sure I can," I said sheepishly folding my hands onto my lap.

"You're stronger than you think," He said and I shied away from the conviction in his words, dropping my eyes to my lap. He clasped my shoulder with both hands forcing me to look up. "And if you ever need a little extra strength, I'm right here."

My eyes widened as I stared at him and my cheeks burned hotter, I was thankful for the lack of light. My cheeks were surely fire engine red by now. I didn't know what to say, my mouth failed me as I muttered an incoherent thank you. Adrian just spotted me a smug grin and a wink, and I blushed even more, if that was even possible. He was too close to me, it ignited a flurry of butterflies in my stomach.

"We should head back," he said a moment later as he got up to his feet. He put out his hand for me and I grasped it. My hand fit perfectly in his, and that very thought had my body tingling. His hand was soft and warm. He held my hand in his longer than he should have, before he hoisted me up to my feet. I stepped back dusting the glass blades off my sweatpants.

We walked back in silence, it wasn't awkward, on the contrary it was very comfortable. I was feeling worlds better. I loved that Adrian had that effect on me. The woods were quite, with the occasional owl hoot, and the chirping of crickets.

I suddenly felt something weigh over me. An inexplicable sense that something was watching us. The dread flared back up, just for a second as I turned around. There was nothing there. Of course there was nothing there, I was being paranoid.

"Are you okay?" Adrian placed his hand over my shoulder and I nodded.

"Yeah, just thought I heard something," I shrugged away the residual fear.

I turned back towards the house and we continued our walk. He led me up to the patio doors, just like last time.

He stood mere inches from me and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I gathered up all the courage I could muster, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for coming,"

My cheeks turned crimson as he smiled at me and said, "anytime." He took a few steps back, "I'll see you later."

"Y-Yeah." I said lamely. I then watched him mount his bike. I didn't go inside until his bike was out of sight.

It was nearly three am when I got back to my room. I was yawning, but opted not to return to bed. I didn't think I could handle another nightmare. Instead I curled up by my bay window and read a book.

I didn't stay up long, eventually sleep overwhelmed me I drifted off to a dreamless slumber. The rising sun woke me up a few hours later. It washed into my room, casting everything in morning light. I stretched my weary limbs as I got up from the bay window and got ready for school.

I found Adrian waiting for me in the parking lot when I got to school. He was learning against his bike. I waited for Harrod to drive away before I approached him.

"Hey," I greeted. He pushed off his bike and stood in front of me.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" I shrugged as we walked together towards the entrance.

"Better," I said honestly as I ducked into the school. Adrian followed close behind. He walked me all the way to my first class. I hesitated when we reached the door to my World history class.

"I wanted to thank you again," I said, my cheeks threatening to blush when he smiled at me. "I really appreciated it."

"Don't sweat it," he stepped away from me,"I'll see at lunch?" He asked and I simply nodded. Satisfied with that, he turned and headed down the hall to his class.

The day dragged on and by the time it was time to go home, I was more than relieved. I had no idea how I was supposed to make it through the party. I honestly just wanted to curl up in my blankets and sleep.

The moment I got home, I informed Harrod that I wasn't feeling well, so I was going to bed early. It was the best excuse I could come up with. I was a terrible liar, so I decided to keep it simple.

I plopped onto my bed the moment I entered my room. I still had a few hours before the party so I opted to spend that time catching up on some much needed sleep. I woke feeling worlds better.

The party was due to start at seven that night. By that time I was almost ready. I fretted over what I should wear but eventually I settled on tight black jeans, a navy blue dress shirt and a black jacket. Styling my hair was a struggle on its own. My hair was always a tousled mess, I had long since given up on trying to tame it. But I wanted to try something, which was a regrettable choice.

Thirty minutes and I had accomplished nothing. There was no point in trying to manage the chaotic mess on top my head. With a frustrated huff I tossed the comb into the sink and stepped away from the mirror. I ran my hand through my hair one last time as I pulled out my ringing phone from my back pocket.

"Hi Abby," I greeted as I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hi, I'm here," she informed, I picked my wallet from the bedside table and slipped it into my pocket.

"I'll be there in five minutes," I hung up. Fully dressed, I was ready. I was still incredibly nervous. I wasn't a fan of crowds, they always made me nervous. I was terrified of making a complete fool of myself. I was honestly dreading the whole event, but it was too late to bail now. Abby was outside waiting for me, I had to go.

I stepped towards the door when my phone buzzed in my hand. It was another text message from the unknown number.

Unknown : Don't go to the party.

I felt a stone drop into my stomach, how'd did they know about the party.

Marcus : Why not?

Unknown : You're not safe.

Marcus : What do you mean?

Marcus : How would you know?

They didn't reply. I stood by my door staring at my screen, dread coiling up inside me. Who ever this person was, was starting to freak me out.

But I couldn't let them control me. Odds were this was just a prank. I had been pranked enough to at least recognize one. It wasn't funny. I huffed in annoyance slipping my phone into my back pocket. I really didn't appreciate this person's humor.

With my mind settled on that I creeped out of my room, shutting the door behind me, ever so quietly. I checked the hallway first before I moved any further. It was all clear. I walked down the hall towards the stairs. But the voices coming from my father's study had me stopping in my tracks. I was fairly certain I had just heard my name.

"He seems to be settling well here, sir" Harrod spoke, as I pressed my back against the wall bedside the study door.

"Yes, but I'm still worried. He was safer at the school. I don't trust them to protect him. There must be other measures we can take?" My father responded.

"The council is his best hope. They have the means and motive to protect him."

"We have no other choice, do we?" My father huffed.

"No sir."

The floorboards creaked under the weight of someone moving towards the door. I hurried away from the side of the door and hid in the corner. I caught a glimpse of Harrod before he shut the door. Letting out a breath I had been holding in. Slowly I backed away from the study, heading down the stairs.

They were talking about me, but why? Why was father so overprotective of me? He spoke as if I was in imminent danger. Which was silly, this was West Chapel. This was a small town basically in the middle of nowhere. The only thing I had to worry about was probably something like an animal attack.

And who were the council? This was the second time I had heard my father speak of them. Why were they so interested in my safety? This was all so confusing. I really didn't want to think about this.

I wasn't in danger, right? Why would anyone want to hurt me. I was nobody. Just another kid in the crowd. I was no one important. I was probably reading the whole conversation out of context. I shrugged off the worrying thoughts.

I slipped out the patio doors in the dining room, softly clicking the door shut. My shoes crunched the gravel as I walked down the long driveway. Abby was parked right by the gate. I got into the car, and she started the engine and we were on our way. With the text messages and the conversation I overheard, on my mind I couldn't help but feel like something bad was coming. I was suddenly dreading this party for a whole other reason.