Not A Fan Dark Places

Students filled the corridor as most of them were just returning from their clubs. Among these students was Riley, who was just returning from his music class. Passing by some students as he approached his classroom, he heard some of them speaking about him.

"I can't believe I'm still the talk of the school." he said to himself silently.

He stepped into his class, doing his possible best at ignoring the stares he got from his classmates. Sitting down, he felt uncomfortable with the stares he got from them. He placed his head on his table and prayed Natasha returned to the class on time.

A minute after placing his head on the table, he felt the presence of someone. He opened his eyes and rose his head. How could he explain how disappointed he was when he realized that the person was not Natasha.

Standing by his desk was a boy who looked young and innocent just like him.

"You must be Riley, right?"

His voice was sweet and pure just as his face.

Riley smiled at him and replied with a nod.

"Mr Moltenore asked me to call you."

"Mr Moltenore?" Riley was sure he had never heard that name before, afterall, he didn't bother to know the names of other teachers other than the ones who taught in his department.

"He is a science teacher." the boy replied.

"Okay."

Riley got up and followed the boy. He was more than happy to finally leave the class, he really was fed up of having to hear and see them all gossiping about him, as if they had nothing better to do with their time.

*****

Natasha passed through the corridor, humming a beautiful song to herself. She stepped into her class through the front door with a big smile on her face. Stepping into the class, she noticed a group of boys at the front roll of the other end of the class staring at her. She looked at them and gave them a sweet smile.

Getting to her seat which happened to be the very last seat for that row, she was a bit surprised, seeing an empty seat beside hers.

Her surprise had a reason of course. She expected Riley to be back, since the period ended a while ago. She was only late because her instructor had asked her to stay behind.

She decided to sit for some minutes, believing he probably was busy with something or someone, sooner or later he would be back. He was not one to skip classes and the next class would be starting in the next ten minutes.

Sitting still for five good minutes, she began to feel uneasy. And different thoughts went through her mind.

'Thereʼs no way he is with someone, and just what could he be so busy with that he would be so willing to come late to class. Could he be sick? Oh! He's injured, did his injury act up? Could it be that he is being bullied? No, impossible, the only ones who bullied him were the TST girls, and it's been a while I heard about them. Just where is Riley?'

*****

After stepping out of his class, Riley followed the boy out of his classʼ building and into the gym's building.

"I thought you said he is a science teacher?"

He didn't want to be suspicious of such a boy, but he had no other option but doubt him.

The boy stopped walking, nearly making Riley bump into him. He turned to look at Riley with a cute smile on his face.

" Yes, he is a science teacher. Don't you know Mr Moltenore."

Riley looked away and scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't think I know him."

"You might, you probably just don't know him by name. Come on, you don't want to keep him waiting for long."

The boy resumed his job of leading Riley, and Riley followed behind him, all of his doubts concerning the boy completely cleared.

Stepping into the gym, Riley found the place dark, he and the boy exchanged glances, probably wondering why the place was dark.

"I don't know." the boy said even before Riley could ask.

"It wasn't like this when I left. Before I came to call you, he was right there." he said while pointing to a place in the dark room, a place Riley could not recognize, since he was not a frequent visitor of the gym.

"Why was he here anyway?" Riley asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I heard some seniors say he came to check on some faulty equipments, wanted to know if it was something he could repair."

"And just why on earth did he call me." he asked, looking a bit pissed off.

"I don't know, I was not told, all I know is that I was asked to call you."

They both stood at the door for a minute or so, then they saw a dim light coming from what they believed to be a torchlight.

"That must be him, that was where he was." the boy said and pointed to the very same place he pointed to earlier and which happened to be the same place the light was on.

"Fine, I'll be going in then." Riley replied and took a step in, but stopped just as soon as he took the very first step.

"Good bye." the boy said.

Riley looked at the boy and chuckled.

"You're not coming in?" he asked.

"No, I was leaving before, I would probably be in class as of now, if not for the fact that I was asked to call you."

"Hmm, ok then, goodbye."

"Bye."

Riley watched the back of the boy until he could no longer see him. He looked back at the dark room, wishing so badly that the lights would come on, he really was not a fan of dark places.

*****

Natasha could no longer bear sitting still without having a single idea of where Riley could be.

Good and bad thoughts kept popping up in her mind.

"He is safe, probably in the school clinic taking a nap."

"What if he bumped into the TST girls and Olivia is taking out her anger on him."

"He could be in the library, going through some research materials."

"What if what happened to Carrie happens to him?"

Natasha stood up in shock.

Her classmates all faced her when they heard the sound of her seat scratch against the tiled floor, and the sound of her sharp intake of air. They all stared at her shocked face, wondering just what could make her that shocked.

She stood still with big shocked eyes and mouth agape, but no flow of breath. She remained this way for half a minute, as Carrie's innocent face came playing in her mind. A drop of tear came out of her left eye. She wiped it off with the back o her palm. She urged her legs to move, there was no way she was going to let history repeat itself.

Her classmates watched her open the front door, watched her step out with a face which looked hurried and determined, and were very much surprised when they saw her return into the class as soon as she stepped out.

"Has anyone seen Riley return to class?"

The whole class went mute, and nearly everyone did shake their heads in the negative.

She let out a deep sigh and was about to leave the class again.

"Wait."

She heard someone say.

Looking at who spoke, she realized it was one of those boys she smiled at earlier, but this time around, there was no smile.

"I saw a boy come to call him."

"A boy?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who sent him?"

"Mr Moltenore, a science teacher."

"Oh!"

For a second, she became calm. But then her inner thoughts came up again.

"Told you he is safe, you just didn't listen to me."

"Do you seriously believe that he is safe. What is they just used that to lure him to themselves."

Her moment of peace suddenly got disrupted. She rushed out of the class, leaving her classmates puzzled.