Free The Locket by K J Bell

“I’m okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
    Releasing me, she ran a hand down the side of my hair lovingly, the way my parents used to do. She lay with me until I drifted off to sleep again.
    When I awoke, Maggie was gone. It was 5:30am and my alarm would not go off for another half hour but I was not able to go back to sleep. Deciding to get out of bed, I went over and curled up in the window seat. It was foggy outside which was how I felt. My mind wandered to Brent. Without success, I tried to pin point what it was about him that kept drawing me in. My feelings were more than a first crush. I was certain about that. Could I really be falling for him after one day?
    Falling for him? You’re in love with him.
    Remembering my awful nightmare, I curled my fingers around my neck trying to forget how it felt with Logan’s fingers pressing into my Adams apple, spitting hatred at me. Logan didn’t actually attack me but the pain in my neck felt real and I cringed at the thought of seeing him today, having to look in those cold black eyes, so full of hate. How could he hate me so much when we’ve never even met? I felt a twinge of sadness for Logan remembering that Layken said Logan was always angry. He must be very unhappy to get so much pleasure from others’ pain.
    Resting against the window, gazing into the woods, I dozed off. When I finally woke, I was late for school. I rushed to the closet, throwing on the first thing I found to wear – jeans and a blue t-shirt. O riginal, Claire . I quickly ran a comb through my hair and hastily bushed my teeth.
    When I went downstairs I called for Maggie. She didn’t answer and I guessed that she was still sleeping. I scoured the kitchen for something to eat, deciding to go with a Pop Tart again, given anything else took time that I didn’t have. I found a note from Maggie on the counter.
    Claire,
    I had a few things to do this morning and I will be home late. Have a good day.
    Love, Mags.
    Thankfully, the drive to school was uneventful. No more hallucinations about running over strange men. I arrived to chemistry just before the bell. The haste of my morning was a perfect distraction from my thoughts.
    The morning went by quickly and I had yet to see Logan. Sadly, I had yet to see Brent either.
    Eating lunch with Layken, she introduced me to some of her friends. Riley was a friendly red-haired girl with a round face and dimples. She was warm and funny, reminding me in a way of Maggie. I liked her immediately.
    “So, how do you like it here so far?” Riley asked me, twirling a lock of fiery hair in her fingers.
    I pursed my lips before answering.
    “Oh, um, it’s great,” I shrugged, smiling embarrassed by my thoughts.
    Great because of one beautiful blue-eyed creature in my next class.
    “You moved here from San Diego, right?” she asked, still twirling her hair.
    “Yes, at the beginning of summer,” I answered.
    “Then how is this place great? I would love to live in San Diego. What the heck made you come back here?”
    “The weather,” I replied, my tone laced with sarcasm.
    “Huh?” she asked, drawing in her eyebrows.
    My dry humor was obviously lost on her but at least Layken chuckled.
    “Whatever,” Riley sang, rolling her eyes, biting into a chip and crunching loudly.
    Layken’s other friend Brooke was beautiful, with long straight black hair and large brown eyes. Her olive skin glowed without any teenage flaws. She could easily have been a model. She was not as friendly as the others, regarding me warily, using one word responses to address the group. It seemed she was annoyed with my presence, but I wasn’t positive.
    Stop being so insecure, Claire. She could have had a bad morning.
    Reese was the lone boy of the group. His hair was close in color to my own, resting just below his ears, framing his strong jaw. He was handsome with grey eyes and long lashes. He seemed nervous, refraining from most of the conversation. Looking around the room