Chapter Eleven
~A Visit~
The next day at school, Laura sat idly beside her friend Kelly. They were in second period science class, and the teacher was doing attendance. As names were being called out, followed by answers of “Yes” or “Here” by the students, Kelly was telling Laura about a new boy she had met. But Laura was only listening with half a mind. Mostly, she was thinking about what happened yesterday. About everything that happened yesterday.
From learning about the dream world, to experiencing its wonders with Logan, to that strangely quiet drive home – all the events swirled in her head. Mostly, though, her thoughts kept wandering back to what happened at the very end. After she saw that mysterious man, and Logan pulled them out of the dream world so very quickly. There was definitely something there… something he wasn’t telling her.
“Miss Cubus?”
Laura looked up, and saw that her teacher was looking right at her. Everyone else in the class was staring at her, too. Suddenly she realized that the teacher had said her name three or four times without it registering, and blushed.
“Yes?” she asked meekly.
“I’ve been told by the secretary that you’ve been requested in the principal’s office.”
“Really?” Laura was confused. She’d never been in trouble before. What could this be about? “Do you know why?”
Her teacher frowned. “They don’t tell me why, Miss Cubus, and I don’t concern myself with it either way. Get going, now, so you can be back before you miss all of today’s lecture.”
“Yes, Mrs. Donnelley.” Laura looked at Kelly before she left, who shrugged at her, and then walked out the classroom into the hall.
As she walked towards the office, questions popped into her head. What was this about? Could it be something to do with the detention she’d received in math? No, that had already been dealt with. Maybe it was something to do with what happened with Brady? She hoped not. She knew Logan wouldn’t say anything, but could one of those guys have told on him? She might be in trouble, then.
Deciding not to take any chances, Laura decided she would peek through the glass panel doors of the office before walking in. If any of the guys from Brady’s group were there, she would turn away and go straight back to class. She didn’t want to deal with them, now.
As she got closer to the office doors, she pressed herself against a wall and looked around the corner. She immediately recognized Principal Cole leaning against the counter, talking to two men. Their attention was diverted off to the side, so their heads were turned. But Laura could have recognized one of them from anywhere. It was the man from the dream.
Laura’s vision blurred, and she became dizzy. She pulled back so she wouldn’t be seen, and leaned heavily against the wall. The same man from the dream. She was certain of it; he wore the same dark clothes, had the same milky pale skin.
She became acutely aware of her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Her breaths had become short; ragged. And adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her entire body was signaling danger, danger to her.
She didn’t know what to do. Slowly, panic started to set in. What was that man doing here? How did he get here? She started to walk away. Slowly, at first, but then her pace quickened, until she broke out in a run. She had to find Logan. He would know what to do.
But she didn’t know where he was. She knew he’d be in class – she just didn’t know which one. She ran through the halls. How many classrooms were there? Dozens, at least. But she knew the teachers, knew what subjects were being taught in which rooms for students in her grade. But she didn’t know Logan’s schedule.
Picking at random, she flung the doors open to one classroom, interrupting the teacher mid-sentence. Everybody stared at her. She quickly scanned the faces, and, on not seeing Logan, ran back out.
She burst into another class. Logan wasn’t there either. The teacher yelled, and followed her into the hallway as she backed out. Laura ran on, leaving the cries of obscenity behind. Another classroom. Quickly, she opened the doors and scanned the faces. Logan wasn’t there.
Desperate, she ran to another class. Still, Logan was not there. Dammit, but he was taking the same subjects as her! All the students in her grade were, everybody was taught by the same teachers, so he had to be in one of these classrooms.
She ran into another room. No Logan. Another room. Still, no Logan. The man’s presence in the office was weighing heavily on her. She was getting more and more scared. She ran, as fast as her legs could carry her, into a room at the far end of the hall. She was already panting, and her hair was a disheveled mess. She had to catch her breath before looking up. When she did – she saw that everybody was gaping at her.
“Laura?”
It was Logan’s voice. Logan’s voice, from the back. She rushed over to him, not caring what anyone saw or said. He stood from his desk, and she jumped up to embrace him in a tight hug.
“Laura, what’s wrong?” He sounded concerned.
“I saw him,” she said quickly, the words rushing out.
“Saw who?”
“They called for me in the office. Two men. One…” She gulped. “…one was the man I saw yesterday.”