Chapter 4 Fourth

"Wait, so, this guy threatened you, chased you, and then went after your younger siblings?" Claire asked me again.

"Yeah, that's what happened."

"Why would he do something like that? What did you do?"

"That's the thing-I don't know what I did. It's like he's got me confused with someone else."

I grabbed a lunch tray from the line and stood in front of the lunch lady for her to plop the slop on my plate and continued down the lunch line. The food looked like it was moving, so I held it as far as possible from me as I grabbed my apple juice from the bin.

After handing the lunch lady my school ID, I waited for Claire to get her grub. She stepped from the line and gave me the same disgusted look, so we both dumped our trays, only keeping our juices. After our 'lunch' was in the trash, we went to the only private place during lunch-the math hallway.

On the way there, Claire broke the silence, "So, he didn't tell you why you were in 'trouble'?"

"No-it just, kinda-happened."

"Wow, what a nut job."

"Yeah, well, Liam is looking into it, so we shouldn't worry too much."

"Oh, well, in that case, consider him dead." She joked.

I gave her a tight smile and sat down in our usual spot in the deserted hallway.

"At least you're okay. I mean, if he got to you, I mean, really got to you, who knows what-"

"Claire, stop right there. I don't want to imagine what would have happened, and I doubt you want to, either."

Claire burst out a short laugh. When I first met Claire, Liam was still worried she would hurt me, but then she met him and totally ticked him off.

She showed him up time and time again and she was probably the only person that had ever done that. I instantly liked her even more for being the only person not afraid of my brother.

I quickly changed the subject before either of us dwelled on it too much and it gave us anxiety. I knew deep down that I needed to go to the police, but what could they do? Warn me to stay safe and not walk home? That's practically what Liam did.

It was best to deal with it and hope it went away.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom before class, 'kay? See you in sixth period?" Claire jumped up from her spot and looked down at me expectantly, the bell about to ring to continue our classes.

"You bet. See ya!" She spun, her newly dyed black hair swaying on her back.

She's just one of those people who could be friends with everyone, but I knew she was my best friend by the way she stuck to my side all the time and consistently spoke to me about all her problems.

My mother left us five years ago-right after she had my twin siblings, Shawn and Lucy. There wasn't really much warning, and she didn't leave a note.

She is the real reason we left our house in Idaho, and came here to Nevada. I felt the closest I had ever been to my brother, though, as we toughed it out and was there for our other siblings.

Not long after, my oldest brother, Johnathan, told us he wanted nothing else to do with us and cut us off.

Claire came into my life then. And was a huge help, her filling in some of the empty space left behind in my heart.

Knowing the bell will ring soon, I headed towards my locker to get my things for my next class. Turning the last corner, I got a dreadful feeling knotted in my stomach. But before I got a chance to think about it, I reached my locker.

A yellow piece of parchment stuck out of the top vent, looking like it'll turn into dust if I even breathe on it. Carefully reaching towards the paper, I plucked it from the vent with a couple fingers and opened it so gently you would have thought I was operating on a baby.

Elana,

I hope you have taken my words into consideration. I won't warn you again. If I find out that you are still a problem, I will terminate you for good. And you know what I mean.

P.S. leave my keys in your locker tonight so I can get them. Don't bother trying to find out who I am, you will never find out.

My hands trembled and the fragile parchment ripped a little in protest.

Unable to hold anything so evil anymore, I released the paper and sent it sailing to the tile.

How did he know my school? My locker? Heck-my name?!

With questions sailing through my mind faster than I could even think, I headed to the bathroom.

Splashing water on my face, trying to erase the nauscous feeling pitted deep in my stomach.

I again reviewed all the events of macho man chasing me down, once again coming in empty on how he knew me.

Not knowing what else to do, I called Liam. I would have him take me home and I could think it through later. There was no way I could make it the rest of the day and I wasn't about to walk home again after what happened yesterday.

I'm lucky my brother has study hall. I thought to myself.

Slowly coming out of the bathroom, I flipped my phone open and scrolled until I saw Liam's name. I thought he wasn't going to pick up, but then his voice sent calming waves through me.

"I know, I have my math book, I'm working on my homework as we're speaking. Now stop pestering me and get yourself to class."

"Liam, can you take me home? I don't feel too well."

I heard the sliding of a chair in the background and papers shuffling around before he spoke again. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I just have a nasty headache I haven't been able to get rid of all day and it's starting to get worse. Would you mind taking me home?"

I hated lying to my brother, but I didn't even know if it was safe to tell him what this stalker was saying. The last thing I wanted was to get him hurt.

"Yeah, of course. Meet me at the car in a few." I heard the soft click of the phone as the line went dead and I scurried my way to the parking lot.