Miles
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I shut my eyelids close then opened them in another futile attempt to concentrate on the words that came out the mouth of my favourite pot-bellied teacher. I however still couldn't hear a thing. The words on the board dimmed leisurely like they were slowly winking at me. I rubbed my face vigorously, pressing on my closed eyes and forced myself to stay still. This had always been the crucial yet deficiency defining test for me. Sit still Skylar. Teachers would say in copious amounts of speeches that never seemed to end. If only they knew just how close to impossible their advice were.

I was born this way! I wished I could say each time, but I didn't because deep down I knew. No one truly cared. 

Mist rose from my hands, stretching my fingertips and heightening my senses. I groaned under my breath knowing this was not the time or place for such stupid transcendental occurrences, then stuffed both hands in the pocket of my hoodie, wringing them together while hoping no one had noticed anything different. Being well aware of the fact that I could never sit still in class–life with ADHD–was okay but this was worse. I could see things I thought existed but weren't really there and I hated it.

Today I felt a presence that wasn't supposed to be here. It felt heavy, like a haze or gloom. More than half of the time like now, I had no clue what it was I sensed. The only thing I could ever be sure of was what I felt.

I glanced around for a while wondering if I could notice what made me feel so uncomfortable. Nothing. Sitting up straight in my seat, I turned my head forward. The problem however remained that I still couldn't see clearly.

"Miss Skylar, can you please answer the question?" I stood up too stunned to reply to the obvious displeasure of Mr Brookes, my Greek teacher. 

"Umm... I'm sorry sir, but can you please repeat the question again?"  I asked. Some students giggled. He frowned at me, and drew his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. I gulped, hoping the question was not a hard one. I had never failed Greek before and this was mostly because I loved Greek. My parents always said it was a gift. What I yet hadn't formed a comprehension of was how the knowledge of ancient Greek and things that maybe never existed could help me.

"How many rivers are in the underworld?" My brain worked fast tumbling and toppling over piled up Greek facts. 

"Five." I answered calmly.

"Can you name them for us?" He squinted behind thick glasses, his arms folded across his chest.

"River Styx, River Acheron, River Lethe, River Phlegethon, and River Cocytus." He gave a nod of approval.

"You can have your seat now. Just try to pay more attention instead of daydreaming in class." 

I'll try. I thought, lowering myself into my seat.

As soon as I touched the chair, images came flashing through blinding light accompanying a wave of pain. People screamed, children cried, dead bodies were shoved. I saw him. Dad. I held my head with both hands, wanting to scream out loud. It went on for long and just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, fingers traced my arm lightly, attenuating the wicked visions.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He didn't seem too friendly to me. At first glance, I thought his eyes were fiery red. But after shaking my head, they were a different colour. Very dark grey.

"Yes I'm okay," I replied, picking up my books from the floor. I noted a bit apprehensively that nobody else was in the class and the doors and windows had been left wide open. A cold breeze blew through the panes and I shivered in response while gathering the strewn papers more quickly. Of all the things I wanted to do, being alone with a random guy was not one of them.

I lifted my head from my crouch and there he stood staring at me, his cold eyes taking in everything I did. It was creepy. "Umm why are you still standing there?" I asked, not really excited to know his answer.

"I think you have something of mine." He picked up a book with a dark, mysterious cover from my pile on the table. I raised an eyebrow.

"Whose book is that? And why was it here, among mine?"

His eyes glinted with humor. "I don't know." He replied. "I saw it right here among your pile and it was mine. As you can imagine, I'm even more surprised." He didn't look any surprised. I scowled.

"I didn't take it." I replied.

"I never said you did. I said I saw it here. You just concluded that part yourself." He looked down at the first book he saw on my table. "Skylar huh?" I wanted to say none of your business, but I gave him a fake smile and snatched my book away quickly.

"And you? What's your name?"

"Miles." He said, grinning at me. His name suited him. Dark hair, leather jacket, grey eyes and trainers He was really. I had to modestly crane my neck to get a good view of his face. Being 5ft 7inches gave me no advantage over him.

"You live around here?" I asked, getting interested in knowing the only mysterious guy–exceedingly handsome too–I had ever seen at my school. This was my first time seeing him and that could explain why I thought him to be interesting.

"I live everywhere." He answered like he was amused by my question. I contorted my face in confusion.

"Everywhere? How do you mean?"

"You don't want to know what I mean." He said, his eyes meeting mine. "Nice necklace." He commented.

"Thanks. It was my mother's" My voice sounded sad and I cleared my throat to cover my hurt.

"Where is she now?" He shifted his bag-pack on his shoulder.

"She's...gone." I said, not wanting to remember the details of the night she left me. I still did not understand what fully happened and labouring over it was not going to help me.

"What about your dad?" He asked another question I didn't want to think of.

"He's gone too, he's dead." My emotions were running wild now.

"I'm sorry." He sounded genuinely unhappy and sincere.

"Thanks I guess." I wiped the tears that threatened to overflow at the corner of my eyes. My head stayed bent while I pulled myself together when I suddenly noticed a mark on his right hand. It had the appearance of a tattoo. "What is that?" I asked.

"Nothing." He recoiled and drew down the sleeves of his shirt so fast that I concluded his action to be suspicious. It was in that moment that I noted I was still alone with him in class. The very exact thing I had said I wasn't going to do. The thought jerked me back to my senses.

"Well It's time for me to go." I announced hurriedly and his expression clearly asked why.

"My cat–I mean my dog–I mean my aunt is waiting for me at home." He remained silent and I caught sight of all the windows and doors. They were closed like they had never been open and I expressed my puzzlement by knitting my eyebrows tightly. I wondered if he had done anything, but decided against asking and walked quickly to the door and pulled it open. Stuck.

I turned back to confirm Miles was still in the position I had left him. He was. I shook the door twice, then thrice, then I was banging on the door like someone deranged. Yet it just wouldn't budge.

"What did you do to the door?" I asked after exhausting my well of patience. My suspect only shrugged in response like he had never heard of a door before.

"I suppose we'll have to stay here till they find a way to open the door." He grinned at me. I didn't trust him and if there were many things I never wanted to do at all, staying alone with him in the same room would top my list.

"No I can't and I won't." He found that really funny as he yielded to a generous round of laughter.

"Sure. I'm sure you won't like that. So try opening the door again." He sat at my desk and crossed his legs on the table with a smug smile that I wanted to wash off with a toilet brush. I glared at him just to be sure he was aware of my feelings and returned back to struggling with my arch-nemesis.

What seemed to annoy me most was how he seemed so happy and carefree about the whole situation. If only I could beat him up or... Suddenly, I had an idea. I could call my aunt and tell her to come over and help us with the door. I pulled out my cellphone, proud of ny brilliant plan only to be greeted by a 'battery low' announcement. The battery was dead and the power was all out.

"Stupid phone." I hissed furiously. The phone was charged at the beginning of today and I hadn't made use of it in class at all but here it was exanimate as a dead doornail. "Yay for technology!" I exclaimed sarcastically as I tossed the phone back in my bag. "Miles do you have a cellphone?" I asked reluctantly.

"Yeah." Figures.

"May I have it? I need to call my aunt so she can come help with the door problem."

"Sure." He tossed his phone to me and I noted how dark it was. It was just as dark as the leather jacket he had on, but even more creepy was the response it evoked from my 'psychic' side.

"Wow." I muttered then dialled my aunt's number with a tinge of grudging. "Pick up the call." I muttered under my breath.

"Hello, please who is this?" I heaved a sigh of relief as soon as I heard her voice.

"Hello aunt, we are in school. The door of our class got stuck and we can't get out."

"We? What do you mean we? Who is the person with you?" My aunt demanded. I glanced at Miles with his eyes closed as he rocked gently on the chair. I was sure she wouldn't be pleased to know the details of who he was right now.

"I'll tell you later aunt, just call the school and tell them..." The call ended. "What the?" I almost swore. His battery had also gotten drained. "This is frustrating." I groaned as the phone went dead.

Miles sat up straight and stared at me. "What did she say?" 

"The phone went off." I said with a long sigh. He again did not seem surprised as he leaned his head back on his chair and closed his eyes again. I tried the door once more and almost immediately the room went pitch-black.

It was shocking and I found it unfathomable as to why a blackout would happen. There could be two reasons; either the lights had been turned off, or we were having a power failure; which were both impossible as Miles couldn't have put off the lights. I knew because I had seen him sitting on the chair just a few minutes ago. And secondly we never ever have power failure.

What is going on? I cried inside, starting to feel a pinch in my chest. I truly hated the dark and everything associated with it and this was the utmost reason I slept with my lights on. I just couldn't stand dark places.

My palms were sweaty, I couldn't see anything and my brain was becoming foggy. I shivered as I remembered the same scenes replaying themselves over and over again. It was dark and cold and it was choking me. "Miles?" I called out, my voice all coarse and shaky. I slumped to my knees, trembling.

The air stirred behind me and I felt Miles kneel beside me. "Skylar?" I was shaking violently now. "Are you okay?" He sounded worried. I tried to say something, but my lips failed me. I felt a firm grip on my waist. Miles pulled me up and set me on a close table.

I sat straight and took deep breaths, compelling myself to calm down. I forced myself to remember I was only having a panic attack and I was in control of myself. Don't let it control you.

The lessons my aunt forced me to take were proving to be useful. I took in more deep breaths with Miles looking straight at my face. His hands were still on my waist, firm and strong.

I enjoyed the feeling of warmth from his body for a few moments more and when I felt good enough, pulled myself away, leaped down from the table and headed towards the door.

Something about Miles made me nervous. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't human like the Greek myths Mr. Brookes always told in class. If they existed.

I was so deep in my thoughts, that I didn't notice Miles had already moved. I twirled around only to be trapped between his arms and against the wall. He smirked at me. He did that a lot.

"Wha...what are you doing?" I stuttered. His smirk only grew wider and he leaned down like he was about to kiss me. In the short instant of trepidation, I reached out to the door knob. Closing my eyes, I willed all my strength, then turned it. The door opened instantly and I ducked under Miles' arms and raced out of the room, breathless.

I turned back to see if he was coming after me, even though I kind of wished he was. He however stood at the door and grinned at me. He had been making a fool of me. The darkness from the room sheathed almost all of his body, and with the rays of light from the hallway; he looked, surreal and sort of evil.

Shut up Skylar.

Sprinting out of the school towards the road leading to my house, my head rattled in a complete mess. My thoughts comprised of how possible it would be for me to get home by foot.

It was still a better choice anyways, at least I was far away from any sort of darkness, and most certainly far away from Miles...

P.S.: The next chapters will most definitely not be as long as this. Thank you for reading!

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