JORDAN

Rᴇʙᴇᴋᴀʜ'ᴤ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴠɪᴇᴡ

I hum a song from, the melody, as I walk to my school.

A car beeps behind me but I don't mind it, I am already walking on the sidewalk—I'm not in its way. It beeps again and this time I can't help but look. It's a red Ferrari, exactly like the one I saw at the tuck shop yesterday, but I can't see the person properly. Either way, whoever it is, its non of my business. I continue walking. The car drives beside me, and the person slowly rolls down the window. My eyes widen.

"You!?" I irritatedly say and he smiles

"Yep, me," he confirms with a smirk and his seductive light brown eyes.

What does this guy want? Maybe he wants his money back...

"I'll give you your money," I take my backpack off.

"No, I was just being generous yesterday," he clarifies

"Then what are you doing here?" I ask

"I just want to give you a lift," he says

He can't think of me getting into a strangers car, can he? I'm not that stupid. I put my bag back on my back.

"Nop, I'm good, thanks for the offer," I turn him down and proceed walking forward.

"come on, get in. I won't hurt you," he assures in a sweet voice, with his car following behind me.

Doesn't this guy understand English or something? He must be one of those guys who think they can get what they want.

"you know, I can do this all day," he says, but I keep my mouth shut. "never mind, the view from here is just perfect" he laughs

My eyes widen and I gulp as I think of all the things he might be staring at right now. I walk faster.

***

He follows me until I get to school and parks his car on the side of the road. I can't believe this. I run to Sera who's sitting on the school bench, she's the only one I spot.

"Sera! Sera!" I shout her name as I approach her

"what's wrong?" she looks up at me with concern and her Samsung A50 in her hands

"There's-there's this guy I met at a shop last time," I catch some breaths. "And now he is following me, he just parked his car outside!" I explain to her quaveringly.

"I know you're playing with me," she looks down to her phone

"I'm serious," I say, but she still looks at me with disbelief. "Alright, come with me and I'll show you,"

"very well, let's go, but if you make me walk in vain, you will buy me ice cream during the break," she stands up from the bench and puts her phone in her school bag

"Okay-okay," I immediately grab her hand.

I lead Sera away from the school and I show her where he is.

"See I was not lying after all," I look at her, but she does not say anything. She has this peering look on her face with her eyes fixed on Mr. pie, I think she knows him or something.

Mr. pie spots us and looks back at Sera. This is getting awkward.

"Does he look familiar?" I ask her, but she still does not answer. After some moments of staring, Mr. pie gets in his car and drives away.

"what just happened?

Sera's eyes land on me with her arms folded.

"Do you know him?" she questions with curiousity and her arms folded.

"No, I thought you knew him by how you two looked at each other," I suspiciously say to her.

" I don't know him," she shakes her head while looking away in thought.

"Oh, okay then, but you do believe me now, right?" I clarify

"Yeah…how does he know you though?" she looks up at me with a little less suspicion

"I met him in a shop when I was buying a pie. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," she says, but deep down, I know she's hiding something, I just don't know whether I should worry or not. I've never seen strangers look at each other the way they did.

The bell rings before we can go back to sit down on the bench, so we immediately head to class. I still see no sign of Micah, Sera looks lost in her thoughts, and Mr. Brown, our teacher is talking about the history of psychology.

***

G͜͡U͜͡A͜͡N͜͡, E͜͡L͜͡P͜͡H͜͡I͜͡A͜͡,M͜͡E͜͡L͜͡D͜͡A͜͡

E͠L͠P͠H͠I͠A͠ S͠C͠H͠O͠O͠L͠ F͠O͠R͠ A͠L͠L͠

(Another world)

Rᴇᴤᴇᴅᴀ'ᴤ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴠɪᴇᴡ:

"Are you sure he has gone to Harmony?" I ask Liam as we are all in his room, watching him pack his clothes.

"I'm sure. He also ordered a 2021 Ferrari from Tesnore which are the new cars on earth. Here in Melda it's the year 3021, nobody barely uses those cars," he say as he closes his pure white suitcase.

"I can't believe Max is really going to do this," Tecno says

"I don't understand him. Why does he always want to hurt me, or get me in trouble?" Liam complains

"So you are going after him?" Michael clarifies

"yeah, I know why he is going there, I'll handle my brother," Liam assures.

***

C͜͡O͜͡L͜͡U͜͡M͜͡B͜͡U͜͡S͜͡, O͜͡H͜͡I͜͡O͜͡, E͜͡A͜͡R͜͡T͜͡H͜͡

R͠I͠V͠E͠R͠V͠I͠E͠W͠ U͠N͠I͠V͠E͠R͠S͠I͠T͠Y͠

Rᴇʙᴇᴋᴀʜ'ᴤ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴠɪᴇᴡ:

It's after school, at last, we made it.

Sera and I are outside the school waiting for her mom. I don't want to leave her alone, this is a dangerous world.

"Which book is that!" she asks me as I'm holding the book in my hands close to my chest.

"It's Shakespeare's book, Hamlet," I respond

"Oh that book," she remembers, "It's an interesting book, I just don't like the way it ends, I wish there was part two, where Hamlet comes back to life," she comments

"Me too, it really left me broken, but I think it's Hamlet's fault because of his procrastination," I say

"I think it's Ophelia's brother's fault, he let his emotions get to him," Sera says

"Yeah, it's both of their faults," I chuckle.

Her mom's car finally arrives as the conversation about Hamlet just got better, but before she goes, Sera turns and looks at me.

"Do not trust that guy from earlier, I don't feel good about him," she advises me

"I won't, you know I don't trust strangers," I assure her.

"good "she smiles then I escort her to the car.

" Hello, Mrs. Davis" I greet

"Hey Rebekah,", she responds, how's your mom?"

"she's fine," I say as Sera enters the car.

"Good to hear my dear,"

"I will see you tomorrow Rebekah" Sera smiles

"See you" I wave and they drive off to the left, the opposite direction of where I am going.

I now journey home, but surprisingly, as I'm about to pass the school corner, he shows up again, leaning his back on his car, his hands in his pockets looking at me like he wants to eat me up. He does not have to say anything, I already know what he wants.

"I know why you are here," I say to him loud and clear.

He just keeps on staring at me, leaving me in wonder what he could be thinking.

"I'm not going with you," I say to him but he just keeps on staring at me and I'm starting to get nervous. He moves from his car and walks closer to me—a little too close. He puts his hand at the back of my neck and leans closer to my left ear.

"you owe me," he whispers. I'm sure he can hear my heart beating so fast like it's going to jump out of my chest.

I promised Sera I wouldn't trust him, but this is probably the only way he can leave me alone—for good.

"Fine, what do you want?" I give in

"Let me take you home," he offers, but I have to think about it for a minute.

"Okay," I permit, " now let me go,"

"Why do you get nervous every time I am close to you, but when I'm far from you, then you have all the confidence in the world?" he asks as he lets go of me.

"Are you taking me home or not?" I ask, looking into his eyes. He studies me for a while.

"I seriously just want to avoid answering that question,"

"Let's go then," he turns around and heads down to his car. The doors automatically open up after he presses a button on the small remote in his right hand. I follow him to the front passenger seat, there's only two seats in here anyways.

I don't want to say anything, I just want to get this over and done with, but it looks like he has other plans in mind as he stares at me from head to toe.

"My name is Jordan and don't worry... I don't bite," he starts the car

"Rebekah," I tell him mine without a glimpse at him just to show him that I'm not happy going with him.

"You have a beautiful name," he compliments, but isn't that what all guys say though?

He takes his left hand off the gear and squeezes my thigh. I gasp.

Is he going to hurt me?

"Are you scared of me?" he asks

"No, I'm not" I gulp and try to put on a bold look

"good," he says.

"Is he forcing me not to be scared of him?"

He takes his hand off my thigh and starts driving.

"Are you always this quiet?" he asks me while his eyes are focused on the road.

"I don't talk to strangers," I say to him

"Well maybe we're not strangers as you think" I say

"what do you mean? I don't know you"

He looks at me from the side of his face

"What's my name?" he asks

"Jordan," I respond

"See…you know me,"

I roll my eyes and look out the window.

He does not say anything else after— until we arrive at my house. The most surprising thing for me is that he did not even ask me for directions.

"how does he know where I stay?" I look at him with wonder.

"Thanks for the ride," I say with a fake smile on my face and my hand on the door knob. He looks at me.

"My pleasure," he responds, "I could have dropped you at school if you had just listened"

"Maybe next time, I have to go," I say to him— knowing there won't be a next time. I don't owe him anything now. I open the car door and get out, but then he also gets out. I look at him in confusion.

"Hey, can I come inside for a drink," he asks, "my parents took the keys for our house,"

This is how people get chopped into pieces and end up in the woods, Rebekah. I warn myself

"Don't you have friends somewhere around?" I inquire

"No, I actually just moved to Columbus,"

"yes," he innocently answers

"Okay…uhm…," I nod, doubting my decision immediately, "but my mom comes home soon," I insist

"I won't take long, my mom is coming soon also" he assures.

I let him inside the house. He down the dining room to the pictures of me and my mom on the wall, while I close the door. He stands there for a few minutes, I walk behind him. He turns around and walks towards me but as he slowly walks closer to me, I move two steps back, he continues walking closer, and I move more steps back until I can't move back any more.

Leaning his hand on the wall, he stares at me up and down, and I have no where to turn.

"You know, you should not invite strangers into the house," he advices me, and I start to regret as slides the back of his hand on my cheek—his hands are so warm, it's like he just got off a heater.

"you look much better in real life," he says in admiration.

"What do you mean?" I ask in fear. But then the moment is cut short when the door opens and he quickly moves away.

My mom is back home early again and at the wrong time. She does not look surprised to see a stranger in the house though, instead, she walks towards Jordan with a grin.

"I did not know you'd come so early," she hugs him, "Where is your mom?" she searches the house, "Is she coming?"

"Yes, she's coming," he confirms with a bright smile that he has never showed me before.

"He should smile more often,"

At this moment I am clueless. My mom turns to me.

"This is Jordan, he is my co-worker's son," she introduces him, " I can't believe you've already met, they just moved here" she says looking at both of us.

" I still don't understand what's going Mom,"

"This is the person I wanted you to meet," she says

"What!!!" I speechlessly stare at her with lips slightly parted, then I slowly turn my head looking up at Jordan. All these thoughts begin to occupy my mind, starting from the first time I met him, to what in the world I just heard. He knew all of this. He knew me.