Chapter 2

Pain wrung through me as my back slammed against a locker.

“FUCK!” Amaria ran over to make sure I was okay.

I tried to stand up again as I swung at Jessie, he moved and I took a fall again.

I suppose you’re confused on how I ended up here. I should start where we left off.

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5am I awoke from a nightmare. It'd been at least 3 weeks since we first moved in and every night it was the same dream.

I’d see a girl running through the woods, she was scratched and dirty, she had shoulder length dark hair, a messed up black headband, she seemed to have an old cheer uniform. I think it had a crow on it. Like our school mascot.

She seemed to be looking behind, terrified of something, suddenly she falls and screams as someone appears. I can never see who it is, they just seem like a dark figure, it drags her into some building, and I wake up.

I don't know who she is but every night I dream of the same thing over and over. Who is she?

I decided not to think much about it anyway. Maybe I was finally losing my mind like I said I would.

I took a few deep breaths as my mom walked in “Mijo, time to-”

She looked at me concerned for a second as she walked over and sat on my bed.

“Everything okay? You seem pale?” She placed her hand on my forehead.

“Yeah, I'm fine, just another nightmare.”

“Was it the girl again?”

“Yeah. it's just so weird.”

“I know mijo, if it keeps happening then maybe i should take you to talk to someone”

“Ma, it's fine, drop it. Please.” I got out of bed and she left.

I got myself ready for school and made my way downstairs to make breakfast for my mom and me.

After a little while I grabbed my things, said goodbye, and made my way out the door. A few days ago I decided to start walking with Markus and Amaria to school.

“Ethan!” Markus waved as he waited for me. He liked to wait near the light pole. “Did you bring-”

“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you? I did” he snatched it out of my hand in record speed.

“Wicked!” he began to scarf it down in no time as we walked on our way to go get Amaria.

“Doesn’t your mom make you breakfast?”

“Oh…I don't have a mom.” he seemed unbothered when he said it.

“Oh, sorry. What about your dad?”, I felt bad asking.

“He doesn’t really have the time ya know…”, he finished the sandwich and tried to change the subject, “Look where we are!”

“Right.” 

Markus didn’t seem to like talking about his dad. It made me curious. It always made me picture his dad being satan incarnate. Maybe his dad was a horrible person. I felt bad and somehow jealous? He was lucky he still had a dad.

Amaria came bolting out her house.

“LETS GO!” she bolted past us in a hurry. “Come on! I wanna stop by the music store on our way to school!!” 

We trailed behind her trying to catch up.

“Slow down!!” I yelled and almost tripped a few times.

It took us a little while but we eventually made it to the store.

We walked in and took a look around, I looked through the cassettes while Markus and Amaria looked at records.

While looking I saw someone nearby, it was the blonde girl again. I decided to take a chance and strike up a conversation. 

“Uh, hi” I felt so nervous

“Oh, um. Hi? Do I know you?” 

“Ethan. I'm Ethan Mulberry, I'm in your first period, math I mean.”

“Oh! I do know you, sorry, hi! Im Delilah Forrow”, she shook my hand and smiled. I think my cheeks were warm.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just some old records, i'm a big Lesley Gore and Nancy Sinatra fan”

“I love them too! I was just looking at some random cassettes-” I looked past her and behind I saw one of those other jocks who hangs around Jessie.

I guess she saw the panic in my face and looked behind to see what I was looking at.

“Shit” she whispered and panicked under her breath. She put down the records and bolted out of the store.

“Nice meeting you…”, I felt so dumb and put the cassettes down before going back to Markus and Delilah.

The downer look on my face was painfully obvious.

“What's up with you space cadet?”, Markus nudged my shoulder

“I saw that blonde girl again, you know. The one who hangs around Jessie”

Amaria immediately looked at me, “Delilah? She was here? Where is she?-”

“She left, I was talking to her-”

“You talked to her? Shit.”, Amaria looked around before grabbing Markus and me while dragging us outside the store. “Let me guess, one of Jessie’s Goons was around? Did you see him?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Shit.” she sighed in an annoyed way, “Jessie has this weird thing with making sure Delilah doesn’t talk to anyone but him, especially if she's talking to a guy, so he sends his goons to follow her around sometimes.”

“Do you think he’ll do something?” I was so scared, I was really holding out for hope on that meteor again.

Markus and Amaria exchanged a glance for a second.

“Knowing Jessie, probably”, Markus put his hand on my shoulder, “Hey we’ll stick by you okay, if he tries anything then we’ll be there for you.”

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We finally continued on our way to school. My mind went over every possible thing Jessie could plan. 

Was he going to kidnap me, kill me, and leave me in the woods? Was he going to get me in the passing period and knock me out cold in the bathroom? Would he make sure my existence is forgotten? I was terrified. All of this because I decided to talk to one cute girl.

“Hey, Ethan?” Amaria pulled me back for a second while Markus walked a few paces ahead. “I need to tell you something, and i need you to promise you won’t say anything, or be weird about it, or panic”

“What's going on? Everything alright?”

“Yeah I just, I just think you should know, I mean, if you're gonna be friends with Markus and me.”

“Oh, I mean, whatever it is, it's fine, you can tell me I promise.”

“Do you wanna know why I know so much about Delilah?”

“I mean, sure?”

She hesitated for a second with a look in her eyes. I knew she was doubting herself but decided to go with it anyway.

“Back when Delilah and I were in middle school we used to be so close, we did everything together, practically inseparable. We were always with each other, we’d hold hands sometimes, obviously no one every thought anything of it, why would they”

Autumn leaves fell from the tree as she talked, everything felt so somber.

“One day, after school Delilah and I were in the woods, we were laying down on a blanket just laughing telling each other silly jokes, making fun of boys and I don’t know when it happened but…” she paused again “I kissed her.”

She looked at me almost afraid that I'd say something but I only looked at her with Empathy.

“It was nice.. For a moment, till she shoved me and said she couldn’t do it” “she said it was wrong, and never talked to me again” “I still care for her, and i know it seems selfish of me to ask you,”

“Ask me what?” 

“Do you…like Delilah?”, she seemed almost hurt by the idea

“Not exactly. She's pretty and nice, but if you really care about her I won't make any moves, I promise”, I reassured her to the best of my ability.

Amaria gave me a hug, “Ethan you’re too sweet”

Soon enough we made it to school, and decided that considering Jessie’s presence in my first period, maybe I should skip it. So we skipped together behind the bleachers.

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After that we went to our next 3 classes and tried our best to survive till lunch.

I  got my lunch tray and expected smooth sailing from here on out until I felt someone put their arm around my neck.

“Hey, buddy! Ethan right? First period math?” “Jessie Carter.”

“Oh, Hey” I never felt more fear in my life,

“I was wondering if you’d want to sit with my friends and I for lunch,” He had a smug smile that made my stomach churn “come on, we won’t bite”

“Oh, no, I'm good.” I managed to get out of his grasp. “How about another time?”, I was trying to mask my shaky tone. As I walked away, I felt him staring daggers at me.

“Oh sweet meteor please come soon.” 

I walked over and sat down with Markus and Amaria.

“Guys, he tried to get me to sit with him”

They exchanged glances “I don’t know what he’s planning but I don't like it” Markus seemed pissed off but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it.

“He's gone completely mental”, I put my head down on the table. “I’ve basically just signed my death warrant”

“Hey everything will be fine, you have us remember”, he placed his hand on my head.

“I just don’t get why Delilah hangs around him when he treats her so horribly.” Amaria had such an annoyed expression on her face, she wanted badly to understand her reasoning. “She should leave him”

“Maybe she can't?” I raised my head up again and slouched back into the seat, “Maybe she’s too scared to?”

We decided to drop the subject and finish up lunch before getting up to get to class.

We made our way through the hallway. We didn't take much notice of our surroundings.

We decided to go to our fifth period classes and Halfway through leave so we could meet up and discuss it again outside by the front of the school. 

We didn’t realize it at that moment but one of Jessie’s lackeys heard us discussing our plan.

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I managed to get out of class by faking sick and made my way through the empty hall to find Markus and Amaria, passing the lockers near the front of the school, already near the exits where I could see Markus and Amaria waiting for me outside when I felt a hand grip my shoulder, spin me around and punch me in the face.

I felt my blood run cold as soon as my back hit a locker, it was just quiet enough to keep anyone from checking up on the hallway. Pain wrung through my body, Amaria rushed in from outside.

“FUCK!” she was looking me over to make sure I was okay, he had managed to miss my nose and hit me on the forehead.

Behind her I saw Markus and Jessie fighting, they dragged each other outside, Markus was on top of him, punching him over and over, but Jessie hit a clean swing. Knocking markus down again. He stood up ready to kick him. I stood up and rushed out to swing at him, he dodged and fell.

Amaria jumped at him from behind and was on his back. He swung her off causing her to fall onto the school stairs.

Markus had enough time to get back up and I saw him reach into his pocket. What did he have?

Amaria went wide-eyed, “Markus don’t- it’s not worth it, don't do anything stupid you'll regret.”

I stood up from the ground and held eye contact with jessie.

“I know this is about Delilah-”

“SHUT UP, YOU FAGGOT, DON'T TALK ABOUT HER” he rushed twords me, Markus shoved him from the side. “GET OFF ME.” They started scrapping again.

I grabbed Markus by wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him back, Amaria did the same to Jessie. He shoved her again. He stood there and wiped his bleeding broken nose.

Markus had a purple eye and a busted lip. I felt horrible. All of this happened because I talked to Delilah, I felt like such an idiot.

I let Markus go as he stood behind me and Jessie walked right up to me.

“Delilah left me because of your fairy ass, I don't want you anywhere near her, you fucking faggot. All three of you are dead” 

he spit blood onto my face as he shoved me again and walked back into the school.

Markus took a few hard steps ready to walk in after him for a second round of bloodshed.

“We should go.” Amaria seemed completely out of it but she was right.

“NO! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HE SPITS IN ETHANS FACE, HE SHOVED YOU, AND FOUGHT ME, I'M GOING AFTER HIM HE CAN’T-” he looked over at me.

I shook my head, “Markus please…”

I could tell he seemed hurt at the fact that we were letting him go but eventually he gave in.

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Amaria put her arm around his neck and on his shoulder and I did the same on the other side to help him walk.

We walked together unsure of where we were even going. We didn’t say a single word. It seemed like we were just gonna have to ditch for the rest of the day.

“Jessie's last name is Carter right.” it felt wrong to speak over the silence but I had remembered something.

“Yeah, why?” Amaria looked a little confused.

“The town mayor’s last name is Carter too. By any chance are they related?”

“Yeah, Jessie’s mayor Carter’s son.”

“Then can’t we tell him?”

Markus let go of me and looked at me in a disgruntled way “are you kidding me, he wouldn’t do anything. He knows his son is a piece of shit, you know why? Because he's a piece of shit as well.”

“Well have you tried?-”

“I DON’T NEED TO TRY, he already hates me and my dad, he thinks we're low lives and he says we're nothing but punks who bring ‘unsavory’ people into town” “He’s the reason the cops know who I am. He’s the reason I have a record while his son gets off scot free” “Fuck!” he gripped his knee from the pain.

I put his arm back around my neck to help alleviate the pain.

“Sorry.”

“It's not your fault, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lashed out at you.”

We went back to being silent for a short while.

“Where are we gonna go?”

Amaria looked at Markus for a second, he stared at her for a second before glaring.

“No,no,nope, not happening, we are NOT going there.”

“Yes, we are so shut up narbo” “Ethan just follow me, okay? I know a place we can go.”

I nodded and followed her lead, I was confused on where we were heading and why Markus was so opposed to the idea.

We passed by a few shops, some people stopped and stared at us, it's like we had a sign on us saying: “Hey look at us! We’re three beaten up teenagers out of school!”

We just decided to carry on and ignore them.

After a while we stopped in front of that scary looking bar I saw when I first moved in.

The bar was mostly painted black with deep red accents from the outside, there were a couple old cars and motorcycles outside in the parking lot. Everything about the place seemed intimidating, just not so much the name. The place has a sign that says The Black Cat: Spirits and Food.

We walked into the bar, I won't lie I was slightly terrified.

“Where are we?” I looked around taking in the surroundings

  It was beautifully decorated. The color scheme was black and red. Despite the large amount of Gothic and vampiric decorations, the building seemed to be playing pop music.

The bar was dimly lit by red lights along the walls. There was one big light at the end of the bar above a small stage where it seemed people did performances almost like karaoke.

“we’re here to see Markus’s dad,” Amaria replied after a little while.

I turned to look at Markus, “Is that why you didn’t wanna come here?”

“What? No. Well, yeah. it's just that if my dad sees me he’s gonna put me to work and berate me with questions.” he groaned.

In the 3 weeks I had known Markus I rarely ever heard him talk about his dad. I assumed he really didn’t like him or was just a deadbeat.

“Wait, your dad works here?”

“No. He owns the bar” he chuckled. “I need to talk about my spazz of a dad more often”

“Who’s a spazz?” A very tall man stood behind Markus as spoke in a deep voice.

Markus turned around immediately and looked up at him.

“NO ONE SORRY DAD”, he looked nervous and slowly inched away. “We were just about to leave, right guys-”

“No you're not.” he grasped his shoulder firmly, stopping him dead in his tracks. “What are you doing out of school?”

“Uhhhh-” Markus looked at us expecting an excuse.

I didn't realize that Markus was looking at us. I was looking at his father. He seemed intimidating but friendly. He had somewhat long salt and pepper colored hair with a beard.

 He was quite tall, you could tell where Markus got his height from but he didn’t seem like a bad person at all. I felt bad for assuming he was.

“Who are you?” his dad asked me and raised a brow.

“Oh, um, im Ethan, a friend of Markus’s” I shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you Ethan, it's nice to see that Markus can make more than one friend. Im Vincent.”

He looked back to Markus and seemed to study him for a minute. A sudden understanding came to him as he let out an agitated sigh.

“There’s ice in the bar,” he placed a hand on Amaría’s shoulder, “you did right bringing him here”

He walked off pinching his bridge in disappointment.

Amaria and I sat at the bar while Markus threw ice in a towel to place over his black eye.

“You should've let me do it.” He looked at Amaria almost annoyed but understood why she had told him not to.

I snapped out of my daze, “do what..I mean what exactly were you planning on doing..”

Markus pulled the same annoyed face his dad had as he reached into his pocket and placed a pocket knife on the counter.

“Oh, yeah wouldn’t have been a good idea…” All three of us stayed quiet for a few minutes, “so are we really just gonna play hooky the rest of the day?” 

“It’s better than going against that asshole again” Amaria used a wet towel to clean off her scratches. “Let's just stay here and head home once school lets out.”

We tried our best to forget the situation in the meantime and make small talk. 

I point at an old photograph on the wall that had Markus’s dad in it, “What’s that?”

“My dad and his old friends, they used to be really into ghost hunting in the 70’s, that's why he still has his old equipment” “Hey maybe I can convince my dad to lend us his gear, we can go into the the forest behind your house” 

“The one behind it? I haven’t really thought about it, I mean is it even haunted”

“Some people think it is, I think some chick went missing In the 60’s but it’s probably some urban myth people made up so teens won’t go in and do weird hippie drugs,” 

“Well what kinds of gear does he have?”

“Pretty sure he has some dowsing rods and an EMF reader, i’d have to look for them”

We had decided to stay for a little while longer in the bar before we went our separate ways. Markus stayed at the bar due to his father ordering him to stay put. I felt like this was all my fault.