Kapitel 7: A STORY WORTH WRITING

Cherry fled the Library, her breathing ragged, driven by a primal urge to escape. She burst into the party area, her panic momentarily forgotten in the sea of revelers. But as she slowed, her chest heaving, the fear crept back in.

Travis spotted her distress and rushed to her side. "What's wrong, Cherry?" he asked, concern etched on his face. But she couldn't articulate her terror, her words lost in ragged gasps.

Travis guided her to a seat, holding her close as she struggled to regain her composure. Finally, she managed to whisper, "Take me home, Travis." But he hesitated, "It's not even ten, the party's just getting started."

As they sat there, surrounded by the vibrant partygoers, Cherry's anxiety only intensified. She spotted Marcy entwined with her boyfriend and called out to her, desperate for a distraction from her growing unease. Marcy excused herself and hurried over, her expression inquiring. "What's going on, Cherry?" she asked, her voice low and concerned.

"Marcy, I need your help," Cherry said, her voice trembling.

"With what?" Marcy asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Can you cover the party for me?" Cherry requested, her words laced with desperation.

Marcy's eyes narrowed. "Why? You're here, you can do it yourself."

Cherry's voice cracked. "I don't feel well, Marcy. I need to go home."

Marcy's expression softened, and she nodded in understanding. "Okay, I've got this. You go take care of yourself."

Their lifelong friendship was built on mutual support, and Cherry knew she could count on Marcy to have her back. As Marcy watched Travis drive her home, she felt a mix of gratitude and fear. What was happening to her?

Once in her room, Cherry collapsed onto her bed, covering her head with her hands. "What the hell is going on?" she whispered to herself, her mind reeling with the strange events of the night. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts swirled with questions and doubts.

The next day, Marcy sent Cherry a batch of vibrant photos and videos capturing the party's essence, showcasing her talent for photography.

Cherry sat at her desk, notebook open, working on the week's paper. Her gaze fixed on the headlines she had scribbled: "SNEAK PEEK OF THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE", "12th GRADER PARTY GONE WILD", and "CHERRY'S FRESH RELATIONSHIP". Her eyes lingered on the last one, a mix of trepidation and indecision written across her face.

But it was the next headline that made her heart race: "THE MYSTERIES OF TROY RIVERS". Cherry's pen hovered over the words, her mind wrestling with the consequences of printing such a story. After five minutes of contemplation, she finally made her decision, striking out the headline with a bold stroke, as if erasing it from existence.

*****

Troy's eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed at the paper handed to him by the teacher. He had never been so shocked in his life. The school had implemented a tutorship program for all grade 12 students, pairing high-achievers with struggling peers to bolster college applications. And Troy's assigned tutee was none other than Cherry Keller.

He had only returned to school to disprove the claims in Cherry's paper from the previous week. Fortunately, she had spared him this time, but he knew he couldn't avoid her forever. The incident in his library lingered in his mind, and he urgently needed to speak with her about it. Yet, he was at a loss for words, unsure how to break the news that their lives would now be in constant peril.

Troy's presence at school was already risky, especially since he struggled to control himself in public. And Cherry's presence only made it more challenging. He was torn between his duty to protect her and the danger that came with being near her.

"Troy, I've been calling you for five minutes straight," Holland said, his voice laced with concern.

Troy's gaze snapped up, his eyes locking onto Holland with an unsettling intensity. His face twisted, revealing a hunger that made Holland's heart race. Two veins bulged from his forehead, and his lips curled back.

"is this really the right time?" Holland

Troy's eyes seemed to glaze over, and he shook his head, as if breaking free from a trance. "No, it's fine. What do you want?"

Holland hesitated, taken aback by Troy's sudden transformation. "Could you tutor Cherry at our house? I know you're not fond of people, and leaving your house might be challenging, but—"

Troy's response was curt. "I'll be there at five."

Holland's relief was palpable. "Thank you, Troy."

*****

Travis and Cherry sat together at the soccer team's table, an honor typically reserved for girls. Marcy, however, chose to sit elsewhere, despite her boyfriend being on the team. She usually skipped lunch, but today she found herself in the dining hall, observing Cherry and Travis from afar. Something felt off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

As she watched, Cherry and Travis seemed happy together, their laughter and smiles only adding to Marcy's confusion. "Maybe it's just Cherry," she thought, popping a grape into her mouth. She continued to study them for 10 minutes, but her concerns only grew. Frustrated, she decided to leave the hall.

As she walked away, someone pulled her back. "Marcy, I need to talk to you," Cherry whispered, dragging her to the bathroom. Once inside, Marcy asked, "What's wrong?" Cherry's expression was troubled. "Absolutely nothing," she replied, her voice laced with guilt. Marcy's confusion deepened. "Why do you need to talk to me then?" Cherry hesitated. "It's Travis... he's a romantic." Marcy's response was logical. "Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

"Yeah, but I'm not happy because... I don't like him," Cherry admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Marcy's eyebrow shot up in surprise, her eyes locked onto Cherry's. She sensed that there was more to Cherry's distress than a simple crush. "Well, then why did you accept his invitation in the first place?" she asked, her tone gentle but probing.

Cherry's eyes dropped, her voice laced with guilt. "I wanted to get into the party, but now he's being so nice to me, and I feel terrible about myself."

Marcy's expression remained straight. "You should feel terrible. You're leading him on, Cherry."

Cherry's desperation was palpable. "What am I going to do, Marcy? You're supposed to be making me feel better, not worse."

Marcy's response was blunt. "Tell him the truth."

Cherry's eyes widened in alarm. "But his heart is soft, he'll be heartbroken." She had always been sensitive to others' emotions, even those of strangers.

Marcy shrugged. "Then don't tell him."

Cherry's frustration was evident. "You're supposed to be helping me, Marcy. You know I've always had a problem with liking boys."

Marcy sighed, her expression hinting at a forthcoming truth that would either offer a solution or present a difficult decision. As a straightforward and honest friend, Marcy was never one to sugarcoat her words.

"Cherry, since you've already gotten yourself into this situation, why not just play along and see where it takes you? You might even start to genuinely like him," Marcy suggested, her tone measured. Though she had other thoughts on her mind - like scolding Cherry for her impulsive decision to accept Travis' invitation just to attend the party, which she ultimately ditched - Marcy chose to focus on the present issue.

While Cherry's immaturity and lack of foresight often led to problems, Marcy knew her friend struggled with authenticity and found it challenging to be fake. However, Marcy's priority at the moment was uncovering the root of Cherry's distress, rather than dwelling on her petty issues.

Troy walked down the deserted hallway, one of the few students remaining after school. As he turned a corner, a hand grasped his, and he spun around to face Marcy, her finger pressed to her lips, urging silence. She gestured for him to follow her, leading him into a nearby science lab.

"What are you doing here, Troy? You're not supposed to be in school," Marcy said, her eyes narrowing.

"I had to take care of some things," Troy replied, his expression guarded.

Marcy's gaze intensified. "Including Cherry? What happened to her?"

Troy's response was hesitant. "She touched my Ecryplis."

Marcy's face contorted in shock, worry, and anger. "Damn it, how is this possible?" she exclaimed, her frustration palpable.

* * * * *

Cherry opened the door to find Troy standing on her porch, and her heart sank. "This is awkward," she thought, her mind racing. Her brother was away at his tutorship, and her mom hadn't returned from work yet, leaving her alone with Troy in the silent house.

She rubbed her temples, trying to gather her thoughts, and opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. The silence between them grew thicker, and Cherry knew she needed to break it before things became even more uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry about Saturday," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I guess I was just too curious." The words felt inadequate, but she hoped they would suffice to ease the tension.

Troy nodded as he entered, shedding his shades and face cap once Cherry closed the door. She had set up their study area on the dining table, and as she walked back into the room, she carried a medium-sized pink box. "I baked some doughnuts as a peace offering," she said with a warm smile.

Troy's eyes lit up as he took the box from her hand, inhaling the sweet aroma before looking up at her with a playful smirk. "Strawberry, my favorite," he teased, his voice low and smooth.

Cherry laughed, sitting down beside him. "Yeah, I figured," she replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Troy's expression softened, his gaze locking onto hers. "Apology accepted," he said, his voice sincere, as he opened the box and pulled out a doughnut.

Troy didn't require an apology from Cherry; in fact, he owed her one for his negligence regarding his Ecryplis and failing to secure his home. However, he appreciated the gesture and the delicious doughnuts that came with it.

As they studied together, their focus was disrupted by a loud crash from the kitchen. Cherry rushed to investigate and found the window shattered, with plates scattered across the floor. She hastily returned to the dining table to alert Troy, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she heard a commotion upstairs and sprinted towards the sound, calling out "Troy!!"

Upon reaching the top floor, she was met with a shocking sight: Troy was engaged in a fierce battle with an intruder. His face contorted in a feral snarl, his eyes blazed with an otherworldly intensity. His nails transformed into razor-sharp claws, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The intruder crashed into the wall, which crumbled under the impact, and the fight spilled out into the night.

Troy's transformation was nothing short of terrifying, his body now a vessel for a primal, animalistic force. Cherry's heart raced as she watched, frozen in a mix of fear and awe.

Kommentar Kommentar von 0

Abstimmen

GESCHENK VERSENDEN

Load failed, please RETRY