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I smile brightly at Alden, he’s such a sweet soul, but unfortunately my mind is thoroughly focused on another guy right now and how close he was to me. This unidentified man has my skin boiling, but right now I’m more concerned for my safety.
I open up the contacts on my phone as I hand it to him, letting him enter his information. It doesn’t shock me that he knows his number. I have no clue what the hell mine is.
A chime alerting us to a text message goes off on Alden’s phone, he hands mine back to me as he gives me a nod. A nod, I felt a little stir of butterflies, a very miniscule flutter, but it was there. I recognized it, that was just the sweetest thing.
Alden heads to the area with all the other football players, and I head over to the table hoping to order a cup of coffee to sit here and relax. It’ll be at least a half an hour before the rest of my friends start to pour into the cafeteria.
I thought about going back to the dorm room but I much prefer just to stay here. At least I can people watch. Our table is against the far wall by the corner, so we’re not exactly front and center for everybody to see.
I’m halfway through my cup of coffee when my phone starts to ring. At the same time, text messages start to pour through, all at once.
I open the top one which is the one from Pierce, that boy always watches the news like a hawk.
Pierce: I’m looking for you now girl, but I’d rather you find out from us before anybody else. FUCK, I wish I could find you. Is this your family?
Attached to the text message is a link. “What the fuck is going on?” I whisper to myself as I click on the link.
The link is a live broadcast of the news channel.
“I’m Dan Saratoga and I’m currently in Queens where firefighters have been battling this blaze for several hours.” Aman in a suit and wearing a news channel jacket states as the camera zooms in on Mr. Chang.
Our older next door neighbor has his hair standing up, his hands keep going through his hair as his face looks angry. He’s probably spitting out the only words that he knows in English, before he switches back to Chinese.
At the same time the camera pans out, not just showing Mr. Chang in front of his store but showing the building that’s on fire that used to be my parents’ boxing club, and our apartment right above it.
“Multiple victims are being reported. Still there is no answer on how the fire started or if there was anybody in the apartment above.” The news man puts his fingers up to his ear, lightly pressing most likely to hear whoever’s communicating to him. “This boxing club is a community icon. The police are looking into this to see if it’s arson. We will let you know when we have more information.”
My eyes are wide and my mouth is open. I feel wet on my face, maybe my chin. I can’t tell if it’s from drooling or tears. Who are the multiple victims? Is my family okay?
“Oh God,” I whisper out as I stand, ready to run my ass back to Queens if I have to.
My hand is grabbed. I almost scream in shock until I notice it’s the fancy woman from earlier that I haven’t seen since I originally got here. I don’t say anything as I let her lead me away, spotting Eden running into the cafeteria.
Eden appears out of nowhere, silently coming to my other side, looking extremely worried. A few more tears escape as the burning pressure in my eyes finally releases them. I realize that my friends were looking for me.
The cafeteria’s quiet and still as people take in the view of this gorgeous woman this morning. I don’t think that’s all that hasgrabbed their attention besides me and Eden. We are flanked by ten guards, ten freaking guards. Who the fuck is this woman?
“Follow me, everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to get through this, Taylor, we’ve got you,” Ms. X states to me as she squeezes my hands. “I’ve got people looking into this already. And I will have more answers for you straightaway, but right now, sweetie, we need to talk.”
If I said I was terrified, I wouldn’t be lying. With all the people around it feels like they’re gonna put handcuffs on me, then blame me for whatever the hell’s going on.
It’s like a light goes off as I whip out my phone and pretentiously over and over again, call my parents. No one answers. I don’t have Mac’s number or even Miles’, so stupid, I had it on my older phone. I don’t even have Mr. Chang’s number, he would only repeatedly say, ‘stupid girl.’
A group of football players are hanging out outside, enjoying the fall weather and of course the cheerleaders are standing right next to them. All of them go silent when we walk by. Cal creases his eyes at me, maybe if he gets a closer look he’ll figure out what’s going on. I know they can see all the guards around me. Alden and shockingly Logan look worried, maybe Logan looks worried because Eden’s right next to me.
All the bitch crew does is sneer at me. I take a deep breath and start ignoring the people as we pass them.
Eden grabs my hand and squeezes. “Why do you have so many guards?” We both look back at them trailing behind us. These huge armed men. “Even the president’s kid didn’t have this many.” I nod in the direction of Ms. X, letting Eden know they’re hers. There would be absolutely no reason for me to have this many guards, even if it was arson. A sob tries to break loose as I wrestle it back down.
I try to swallow the huge ball of nerves that’s threatening to choke the life right out of me. We walk for several minutes, itdoesn’t even dawn on me where we’re heading, until I look up noticing that we’re entering the admin’s building.
The Dean and the other administrators are standing outside of her office. Warily watching. Several of them look at me with pity as others look at me with agitation for most likely interrupting their work and prolonging their day.
Ms. X and Eden quietly make our way into the Dean’s office as she sits at the Dean’s desk and Eden and I take the chairs on the other side. I find it weird that even the Dean didn’t enter with us. The guards are stationed outside of this room.
“Miss…” The woman looks down at a piece of paper, “…Curran. It might be more appropriate if you’d wait outside so that I can talk to Taylor.”
Eden looks to me but I shake my head no, letting them know that I want her to stay in here with me. She’s the only little bit of comfort I have right now. Ms. X nods.
