AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I can be quiet when I want to," I countered, rising from my seat and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. The heavy book remained clutched in my hand as I slipped out of the cacophonous classroom, leaving the sounds of the room fading behind me. Looking back wasn't an option.
I hadn't even reached the first row of desks when Greg's voice cut through the air, a desperate shriek that reverberated through the classroom.
The entire room seemed to shift on its axis, all eyes snapping towards me like I was the main act in a twisted reality show.
Unease coiled in my gut as the weight of my mistake settled on me like a lead blanket. Game over, Skye.
If there was one thing I should have learned by now, it was to trust no one. Not even my supposed best friend, or should I say former best friend, Dax's loyal shadow, Greg. He'd earned his nickname "servant boy" for a reason. His unwavering devotion to Dax was legendary, and I didn't regret my earlier assessment. To any reader who judged my words as harsh within the pages of this book, I invite you to reconsider your judgment.
Betrayal wasn't what I felt in that moment. It was sheer, unadulterated stupidity.
Though I hadn't yet physically turned around, the thoughts racing through my mind urged me to run, to flee as if my freedom depended on it. The voice in my head, a cruel, mocking echo, taunted me, urging me to sprint like I'd never run before and deal with the fallout later. Well, that voice could go to hell for revealing the raw truth of my desperate impulse.
A primal instinct ignited within me, propelling me into a desperate sprint. Every step was fueled by a burning desire for freedom, a wild yearning to escape the confines of this gilded cage. Though the consequences loomed ominously, the doubts about Dax's supposed transformation from his tyrannical ways gnawed at me. The rekindled spark with Tresa sealed the deal, my fate seemingly sealed. Fear and uncertainty swirled around me, yet I pressed on, a lone warrior defying capture.
Reaching the entrance to the main classroom, a towering figure materialized from the shadows, perhaps one of Dax's loyal lackeys who were always lurking about. Time was a ticking bomb, demanding quick thinking.
Panic flooded my veins, my mind frantically searching for an escape route. Then, it struck me. The weighty book clutched in my hand offered a weapon. With a surge of adrenaline, I swung it with all my might, connecting with the figure's midsection with a resounding thud. The impact vibrated through my hand as the attacker crumpled to their knees, a guttural groan escaping their lips. This was unprecedented, my first act of defiance against one of Dax's minions, and I knew the battle wasn't over. More awaited me, their shadows lurking just beyond my sight.
"My apologies, whoever you are!" I choked out, seizing the fleeting opportunity and hurtling through the classroom door, leaving the stunned figure in my wake.
Chapter Thirteen
Dax
"Skyelynne," i whispered, tracing the name on the crumpled paper like a holy inscription. Each syllable, "Skye...Lynne," tasted like forbidden fruit on my tongue, a promise of something sweet and untouched. She was all angles and awkward grace, a wisp of a girl with eyes that held the blue of a summer storm. Standing next to me, she was like a moonbeam caught in a bear's paw, and the universe, it seemed, had conspired to put her right in my path for this stupid History project.
Grateful? Hell yeah, I was. This was a divine intervention, a chance to finally crack the code of Skyelynne. But the cosmic joke was the idiot scrawled on the paper below her name. Tresa. My ex. The walking embodiment of a dropped IQ test.
"Hey Dax-o," she chirped, using the nickname I loathed, the nickname that always managed to wriggle back into my life like a persistent weed. "Picked you!" she announced, her chest puffed up with the unearned victory of my presence. She brandished the paper like a trophy, oblivious to the way my jaw clenched tight enough to crack walnuts.
Dumbfounded? Maybe a little.
Surprised? Not a chance.
I'd seen the dimwit coming from a mile away, like a rogue bowling ball on a collision course with sanity.
But mentioning her by name? Nah, that felt like kicking a puppy. Besides, everyone knew who I was talking about when I said "dim-witted." No offense intended, universe, but you could've done a little better with the partner lottery this time around.
"I can see that!" I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my annoyance.
"You see, I prayed to the heavens to pick you, and now I'm here..." Tresa exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.
"Yeah, right." I scoffed. "More like a big misunderstanding." I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Why don't you just tell Mrs. Williams to exchange it for another name? I highly doubt you randomly ended up with mine!"?"
"No, I can't do it. Maybe I was just lucky!" she said.
"Lucky?" I sneered, unable to contain my disbelief.
Tresa, bless her clueless heart, chirped up like a bumblebee trapped in a bell jar. "Well, Dax-poo, maybe luck ain't always my friend, but I did choose it!"
"You did not," I countered, my voice low and dangerous. "Don't paint this as some cosmic game of Twister."
"But I did!" she insisted, her voice cracking a little. "Maybe it's… fate, Dax. You and me, back together where we belong."
I wanted to laugh, but a snarl escaped my lips instead. "Stop using that word like it's some cheap fortune cookie message. Stuck with you in this hellhole of a project doesn't change a damn thing."
"But what if it's meant to be?" she pleaded, her eyes glistening with a ridiculous hope I wanted to scrub off with steel wool. "Dax, I need you. Every step of this history nightmare, I need you by my side. I can't do this alone."
