Chapter 2 The substitute teacher

Rita POV

Cassie, Rachel, Daniel, and I had gotten pretty close since that day at the fountain. For the past three weeks, we'd eaten lunch together almost every day, and honestly, it felt nice to have people who understood what it meant to be... well, cursed.

Weird incidents still happened-sometimes to all of us, sometimes just one. Thankfully, nothing too serious. Just enough to keep life interesting... or annoying.

Like the time Daniel's sportswear got switched with a sparkly pink crop top and matching shorts. He wore it-he actually wore it-before realizing. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard.

Or when Cassie's pen stopped working during a pop quiz. She shook it aggressively, trying to force it back to life, and the ink exploded all over her plain white blouse. She looked like an abstract painting gone rogue.

Rachel had her moment too-let's just say she ran out of toilet paper in the school restroom. I won't get into the details, but let's just say it involved a hoodie and some creative thinking.

And then there was me. I spent hours on my math homework-hours. The next day? Gone. Vanished like it never existed. I told the teacher, and of course, she gave me an F. A whole week later, I found the paper neatly folded between the pages of my science textbook. Of all places.

Arrgh. I hate being cursed.

Well, I hope today goes better. Ring. Oh, that's the bell. I'd better head to class.

First period is History. Daniel's in the same class, which makes it a little easier. I walked into the room with a small smile. I quickly found my seat, landing next to a group of girls chatting about makeup.

Since I started at this school, the only people I've really connected with are Cassie, Daniel, and Rachel. I just haven't quite fit in with the rest of the crowd.

"Good morning, class," I heard a woman's voice say.

Wait. That's strange.

Our history teacher is an old man... so who's this lady?

"Well, I'm Crystal Lemiere, and I'll be your substitute teacher," the lady said.

I blinked. Substitute? That was unexpected. Mr. Grayson didn't mention anything about being absent.

She walked to the front of the class with smooth, graceful steps. Her heels made a soft clicking sound on the floor-too soft to match the hard tile. She wore a long black skirt and a violet blouse that shimmered slightly under the lights. Her hair was thick and dark, coiled neatly behind her shoulders.Something about her presence filled the room in an odd way-like when you walk into a place that smells just a little too clean, or when the silence feels heavier than normal.

Daniel looked at me from across the room. His expression was unreadable, but I could tell he found it strange too.

"Mr. Grayson had a sudden emergency," Ms. Lemiere explained, her voice light and even. "I'll be with you for the rest of the semester."

She turned to the board and wrote her name in the most beautiful handwriting I'd ever seen-sharp, smooth cursive, like it belonged in an old, leather-bound book. Something about it made my skin prickle.

"Let's talk about storytelling," she said. "The kind that isn't written down. The kind passed on through whispers, warnings, and old memories."

She moved between the desks, her steps quiet now, as if the floor had softened for her. The girls beside me whispered something about her outfit. Someone behind me yawned. But I couldn't shake this odd, still feeling in the air.

"Do you ever wonder where your family's stories come from?" she asked, almost casually. "Whether the past can cling to us in ways we don't see?"

Daniel scribbled something in his notebook. I just kept staring at my open book, pretending to read.

"I've always found it fascinating," she continued, pausing near the window. "The idea that some things run deeper than blood. That history-true history-lives in our bones."

"here was something in the way she said it. Not dramatic. Not eerie. Just... certain. Like it wasn't up for debate.

The lights flickered once.

A few people chuckled nervously, thinking it was just a power thing. But I saw the way Ms. Lemiere didn't react. Like she was expecting it.

She moved on like nothing happened.

The rest of the class passed in a strange, quiet rhythm. She spoke about myths and symbols, oral tradition, and how stories change over time. It was interesting, but her voice made it feel like she wasn't just teaching-like she was remembering.

When the bell finally rang, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

slung my bag over one shoulder and stepped into the hallway. Before I could take two steps, Daniel appeared beside me.

"You saw that, right?" he asked quietly.

"If you mean the lights flickering, or the fact that she talks like she's from the 1800s, then yeah," I said, arching a brow. "I saw it."

He gave me a look. "She gave me goosebumps. And I don't even believe in weird stuff."

"She's... intense," I muttered, glancing back at the classroom. "The way she moved, the way she talked about bones and blood-it was creepy."

Daniel nodded. "And she didn't even flinch when the lights blinked."

"Exactly," I said. "Normal people at least look up when that happens."

We walked together, shoulder to shoulder, through the crowded hallway. Students brushed past us, some laughing, some shouting. I barely noticed.

"But the weirdest part," I said, lowering my voice, "was how familiar she felt. Like she already knew us."

Daniel paused. "You think she does?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it. But there's something about her... she feels old. Not in age. In spirit."

He let out a breath. "I know this sounds dumb, but when she talked about memory in our bones, I felt something. Like she was talking directly to me."

"Same," I admitted. "Like a weight dropped on my chest. Like maybe... our families have stories we don't even know."

We reached the stairwell. He rested his hand on the rail while I hesitated on the top step.

"You think she's gonna be here all week?" he asked.

"Probably," I sighed. "Lucky us."

He smirked, but I could tell it didn't come from a place of comfort.

Neither did mine.

I walked into the science lab and headed straight for the seat I usually shared with Cassie and Rachel. The familiar hum of the ceiling fan did little to calm the strange feeling still crawling up my spine from History class.

Cassie was already flipping through her notes, neat as always. Rachel was tapping her pen against her desk, a sign she was already bored.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," Rachel said, tilting her head at me.

"More like I sat through a lecture from one," I muttered, sliding into my seat.

Cassie looked up. "Crystal Lemiere?"

"Yep," I said. "She's... different."

"Daniel texted me about her during lunch," Cassie added. "Said she's got some creepy vibes."

I nodded. "She does. She talks like she's from another time. And the way she looked at people-like she already knew our names, our stories. Everything."

Rachel made a face. "That's dramatic."

"You weren't there," I replied. "She started talking about how stories pass through bloodlines. About remembering things in our bones. Tell me that's normal teacher talk."

Cassie's brow furrowed. "She said that?"

"Exactly that," I said. "It felt like she was staring right through me."

Rachel was quiet for a moment, her pen finally still. "Do you think she's like... psychic or something?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But something about her felt off. Not dangerous, just... strange. Familiar, even."

Cassie exchanged a look with Rachel. "Well, we've had our fair share of weird this year."

I forced a laugh. "Yeah. And something tells me it's only just beginning."

Our teacher walked in a moment later, forcing us all to settle down and open our textbooks. But the thought of Crystal Lemiere still sat heavy in the back of my mind, like a shadow I couldn't shake

*****

School finally ended, but the feeling in my chest hadn't left. If anything, it had grown heavier. As I stepped outside, the sky had already shifted into that dull grey, the kind that promised rain but never followed through.

Cassie, Rachel, and Daniel were waiting by the front gate. I joined them without saying a word, and for a while, none of us spoke.

Then Rachel broke the silence. "So... is it just me, or was today super weird?"

"It wasn't just you," Daniel said. "It's like she brought something with her. The air's been off since first period."

"I kept thinking about what she said," I murmured. "Like our blood remembering things. Who even says stuff like that in a history class?"

Cassie glanced back toward the school building. "Do you think she's still inside?"

Before anyone could answer, the front doors creaked open behind us.

We turned.

It was her.

Crystal Lemiere stood in the doorway, a folder clutched in one hand, her long coat fluttering in the wind even though there wasn't any. Her eyes scanned the courtyard-and landed on us.

"Do not linger too long," she said, voice oddly calm. "Storms may not always be loud, but they come."

She turned and walked back inside, the doors shutting behind her with a strange, muffled thud.

None of us moved.

"What... what was that supposed to mean?" Rachel whispered.

I had no idea. But something in her words-something in her tone-felt directed at us, and only us.

"She knew we were out here," Daniel said slowly. "She couldn't have seen us from inside."

Cassie wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't like this."

Neither did I. There was a coldness in the air now that hadn't been there moments ago. A stillness, like the world was holding its breath.

"We need to find out who she really is," I said.

Because one thing was certain now-Crystal Lemiere wasn't just a substitute teacher.

And somehow, we were part of whatever story she'd walked into our lives to tell..

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