CHAPTER 4

I am currently taking the steps at the corridor. Since the day Josh had protected me, no one seems to bother me now. Every step I take is now careless for I know no one's going to provoke me again here. I don't know but they seem so scared with Josh.

Honestly, I noticed he has no friends here except me and Rain, if ever he considered calling us “friends”. I usually come to school late. I don't know but I hate schooling at all. But I have to payback mom Kelly's kindness to me, I have no choice. I don't want her to feel it's a disappointment for her that she adopted me.

I went inside without the professor knowing it for she was busy lecturing in front. I sat down and noticed Rain's not in her seat beside me. Is she absent?

I then focused on my seat and noticed a note on my table. Is this from Rain or what?

"Look around you, I am your 'access denied'.", I smirked but carefully looked around me.

Who made this? Is someone stalking me? And what access denied? The last time I heard those words, I think it was my father who said it but it has a different context.

I shook my head and focused in front, and it seems like my teacher's mumbling for I can't understand what she's saying. Forgive me prof; fear's slowly consuming my body. I feel like a stiffed post here. Rain, can you come right away? I need someone to slap me.

"Ouch!"

I immediately covered my mouth with my palm for I screwed up when someone slapped me. It was Rain and she seated beside me. Thankfully, the teacher didn't hear the commotion in the back of her class since Rain and I are sitting on the last row.

"You're out of the blue sis. What happened?", she asked.

I just handed her the yellow, sticky note that was plastered in my table a while ago. The handwriting was so neat and bold. You can clearly understand the text and that's even creepier.

"Do you have a stalker? Do you think it's the same guy from last week, the one with a blue hair, a nose and lip piercing?", she asked as if I already know the answer.

"I don't even know who that is. It's getting scary here."

"Aside from this, did something happen before I came?"

"Nothing."

"Well don't take the corridor or the streets alone. We have to make sure no one's following you."

"Should I be threatened?"

"Calm down Lucy. If you notice something suspicious, then we're going to report it."

"Yeah, I think I should stop over thinking."

And the boring, unproductive day continued. I spent my whole day staring at the moving lips of my professors and follow their orders even if my brain's not really working well. Still, this note I was still holding bothers me. Whoever posted this on my table is a jerk, scaring and pulling a prank or maybe stalking someone's detestable. I never expected people are really this bad.

"Lucy, I'll be returning this book in the library. Do you want to come with me?", I heard Rain who is already standing.

"I'm really not in the mood Rain. You should come back here and we'll go home together."

Classes are already over and it became pretty boring.

"You told me you're scared?"

"I am but I am lazier."

"Okay you wait for me here. I'll come back as fast as I could. No one's here except us so you should be Argus-eyed."

I nodded and she left. I pushed my chair away from the table, enough for me to lean my head on the table, placing the books underneath my head so it'll serve as my pillow. I closed my eyes and patiently waited for Rain.

I was awakened by a cold breeze, gently touching my skin. I slowly opened my eyes and saw someone's staring at me while I was sleeping. I violently reacted to it which caused all my books including my bag to fall down and the guy; about 6'3 ran away from the room. Who is he? What is he doing while I was sleeping?

I stood up and ran towards the door, I should chase him or else, I would be doomed. Maybe he was taking pictures of me while I was sleeping. What if he's going to post it on his social media account?

I was about to go the left when Rain suddenly appeared in front of me and the both of us stopped ourselves from taking a step.

"Lucy! What's with you?", she asked after seeing me.

"Who else is in the hallway?"

"What? No one."

"No one?"

"Are you alright?"

"I think someone just took pictures of me while I was sleeping."

"Jeez, you can sleep right here? So where's your photographer?"

"I don't know. I saw him running to this side."

"I haven't met someone going back here. Lucy, are you dreaming?"

"Of course not, that was very vivid, clear and real."

"Let's just go home. You may be just tired. No one's really around here."

She held my hand and that comforted me and we both walked inside the room. I even looked sideways hoping I can see someone, leading me to who took pictures of me.

I picked up my bag from Rain's seat and was about to leave when Rain caught my attention by brushing my wrist.

"What?", I asked, looking back at her.

"There's another note posted on your table."

My eyes widened when I saw the same kind of notepad on my desk. I looked at my hand, and the paper I was still holding is now crumpled. Did someone paste it here as I was sleeping?

I reached for it and grabbed it and Rain submitted on my shoulder, wanting to read the note as well.

"Your dad's not dead Lucy.", my eyes even widened after reading it.

It was when a strong wind caused the door on our back to shut. I heard Rain screamed but I was stiffed right there, don't even know what I should do.

"Lucy, let's go. It's not safe here.", she said and grabbed me.

We ran and took the other door in front to go out. She is gripping onto my hand, pulling me away from that place. I was crushing the paper in my left hand, feeling my hand's becoming wet of the pressure and the trauma it caused me.

I was brought back to my senses when I heard someone called my name. The next thing I knew, we are already in somebody's car. I was in the back with Rain, and someone's driving in the front seat.

"Lucy. Breathe in, relax.", it was Josh's voice.

How did we end up here? Is this car his?

"Josh's going to take us to our house."

"I was about to go back for I forgot something but Rain caught my attention and the both of you are running. What happened?", Josh asked.

"We feel someone's stalking Lucy. And that person seems to know something about her past and it's creepy.", Rain answered.

"Is she traumatized? We should bring her to the nearest hospital Rain."

"Don't worry about me. I am okay. Just take me home I guess."

Rain brushes my hair while Josh's busy driving. I released a deep sigh and let go of the force I was giving to my hand for the papers are still in it.

Who is that person? And what about my father? Mom and I were strangers in this place. No one knows me except Rain, or maybe I told a minimal details about myself to Josh but he only knows that someone killed my father and he has no idea about it in the first place.

"It'll be alright Lucy.", I heard Rain saying.

I leaned and put my head on her shoulder, closed my eyes for they were heavier from the start.