Chapter 5 – The One I Was Avoiding
It had been ten minutes since the bell rang, and our classroom had grown louder with every passing second. People were talking, throwing paper planes, and Ariana was already in the middle of a new scandal, whispering something to two girls beside her with wide eyes and dramatic hand gestures. I sat slumped in my chair, chewing on my pen cap and staring blankly at the board when the classroom door creaked open.
Silence fell like a wave crashing against the coast.
He walked in.
Tall, mid-20s maybe, and he looked like he walked out of a fashion magazine. Tousled dark hair, sharp jawline, ocean-deep eyes. He wore a black fitted shirt tucked into grey slacks, sleeves rolled up just enough to show the veins running down his arms. The moment he stepped in, it was like the air shifted. Girls straightened up, guys stopped throwing things and Ariana? Ariana looked like she'd just swallowed a glitter bomb. She sat up straight, flipping her hair and licking her glossed lips as if she were preparing for a magazine shoot.
"Morning, class," he said, his voice smooth, deep, and oddly soothing. "I'm Mr. Hale. I'll be filling in for your science teacher for the next few weeks."
The murmurs began again, mostly from the girls. Ariana raised her hand immediately, fake concern etched on her perfectly made-up face. "Mr. Hale, will you be teaching all our classes?" she asked, batting her lashes.
He gave a polite smile. "Only science and lab work."
Of course.
Just my luck.
"Now, grab your things. We're heading to the lab."
The entire class scrambled. On the way, Ariana tried to walk beside Mr. Hale, tossing her hair and smiling too hard. I rolled my eyes, walking slower on purpose, wanting to fade into the background.
And then the worst happened.
"Pair up with one partner," Mr. Hale said once we were in the lab.
I looked around, trying to find Rayan or Oliver, but they were both already taken.
That's when I felt it a presence beside me.
I turned.
Raven.
Seriously? I sighed internally. Out of twenty-five students, how did I end up with him? The same person I was trying to avoid ever since that weird dream and the incident in the hallway?
He smirked, probably sensing my irritation. "Guess it's fate," he said, standing beside me like he'd always belonged there.
"I'd say bad luck," I mumbled, pulling on my gloves.
The tray in front of us held a frog. Pale, cold, and lifeless.
"That frog kinda looks like Ariana," I muttered under my breath.
To my horror and lowkey amusement Raven burst out laughing. A full, deep laugh that filled the lab and made Mr. Hale glance in our direction.
"Wow," Raven chuckled, wiping a tear. "You're funny when you want to be."
I tried to fight the grin tugging at my lips.
We started working. Raven surprisingly knew what he was doing, steady hands, confident cuts, and a weird sense of calm. I watched him quietly, trying not to be obvious. He had this serious yet soft energy, like he had been through a storm and came out scarred but stronger.
"So," he said while cutting. "Tell me something no one knows about you."
I glanced up. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I just told you something," he said simply.
"You didn't"
"My mom's dead," he said flatly, but his eyes stayed on the frog. "Died when I was eight. I live with my dad and two younger siblings. I'm the eldest."
I blinked. That wasn't what I expected.
"Oh…" I said quietly. "I'm… sorry."
He shrugged. "It was a long time ago."
But I could tell it still haunted him.
That moment softened something in me.
"My favorite color's silver," I offered, not knowing what else to say. "It reminds me of the moon."
He smiled a little. "Fits you."
When the class ended, I peeled off my gloves and tried to shake off the strange warmth in my chest. I didn't want to like Raven, but he was making it too hard not to.
Outside the lab, I spotted Rayan and Oliver waiting by the lockers. Rayan immediately raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Lab partners with the broody prince, huh?"
"Did you two share a candlelit moment over frog guts?" Oliver added, eyes twinkling.
"Shut up," I groaned, but I couldn't help laughing.
It felt good to be around them. They were my safe zone.
But then the bell rang again.
P.E.
I hated P.E.
Mostly because I was uncoordinated, and also because every embarrassing moment I ever had in school happened during this period.
Today was no different.
We were split into teams for dodgeball. As luck would have it, Raven ended up on the opposing team and Rayan and Oliver, my supposed friends, ditched me mid-round to gang up with him.
"Traitors!" I yelled.
Rayan just grinned and threw the ball.
It missed, barely.
The gym filled with yells, laughs, and chaos.
That's when it happened.
A loud screech echoed through the school so loud it made everyone freeze.
Like nails on a chalkboard… but deeper, darker.
The gym lights flickered.
And for a moment… just a moment… the air changed. Heavy. Cold. Electric.
Then everything went black.
Screams erupted. Students tripped over each other in the dark. A girl started crying. Someone turned on their phone flashlight.
I looked around frantically. Something didn't feel right.
And then I saw it by the gym doors.
A flicker of movement. A shadow with glowing red eyes.8
No one else saw.
But I did.
And those eyes were looking right at me.
The darkness wasn't just a power outage.
Something was coming.
And it wanted me.