TMSN - Chapter 7

I sat there frozen, eyes wide, unsure on what was happening, after a few moments, Drew pulled away.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that," He said, moving back into his chair, putting space between us.

"No, no it's okay, I was just shocked," I replied, shaking my head, still trying to wrap my head around what happened.

"Well, have you thought about your answer to my question; what do you think about me?" He asked, repeating the dreaded question I still don't quite know the meaning of.

Then it hit me, his meaning, what do I think of him as a person, an individual, not just the teacher. My eyes widened as I finally figured out the answer.

"Honestly, I like you, I don't know what I'm exactly feeling, I've never felt this before, it's scary," I answer, as honestly as I could.

"That's okay, thank you Shadow" Drew replied nodding, giving me a soft smile.

As he was about to say something the bell rang, signalling the end of class and the beginning of the second break, I sighed, moving to stand up on the crutches.

"I'll be back soon, I have to meet Joy at our lockers," I say, hooking my bag straps over my shoulders, and made my way to the door.

"See you later then," he replied just before I closed the door behind me, heading towards my locker to meet Joy.

When I turned down into the hallway that our lockers were I was Joy already there, waiting for me.

"Hey, sorry I took so long," I say, as I stood next to her, opening my locker.

"It's okay, I haven't been here long," she replied as I put my bag into my locker, shutting and locking it after I do so.

"How was music?" I asked, watching her put her stuff away before shutting her locker.

"Good, good. What are we going to do for lunch? Where are we going to go?" She asked.

"Mr White said we can sit in his office if we like, and just get the usual," I answered as we started walking to the canteen.

"Alright, if he said it was okay then so be it." Joy said, going into the canteen to grab our food while I waited outside, avoiding the massive crowd that has already built to fill the place.

As I was waiting, Janette decided to walk past me, trying to hide into her hoodie.

"Hey Janette," I say, giving a small wave to show it was me when Janette saw me she smiled.

"Hey, Shadow, what's been going on," She asked as she leant against the wall beside me.

"Nothing much, been pretty boring actually, you know can't do much with a busted ankle," I reply, tapping my cast. "What about you?"

"About the same, without the ankle thing, just been the little old loner I am," She answered laughing, making me crack a smile.

"Of course," I say, looking around, not completely knowing what to say next, "How's the photography going?"

"Good, almost finished actually, you?" She smiled.

"About halfway myself," I responded just as Joy decided to join us, carrying our food.

"Oh hey, I'm Joy, Shadow's sister," Joy said, introducing herself to Janette.

Janette looked between Joy and I, before I spoke up, "adopted, but sisters nonetheless."

"Oh, well I'm Janette, I'm in Shadows' photography class," Janette said, giving a small nod in recognition.

"Well, we have to go now, thank you, Janette, for chatting," I said, moving to put all my weight on the crutches before taking a step from the wall to stand by myself.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, nice meeting you Joy," Janette said before leaving and walking into the canteen.

Joy gave her a big smile before we finally made our way to Mr White's office.

When we got there, I knocked on the door in warning before I opened and Joy and I walked in. Mr White looked up from his computer as we entered, giving both of us a small smile and nodding in acceptance, saying it was okay to be here.

"Hello Joy, how have you been?" He asked as he sent an email off before turning around and giving us his undivided attention.

"Good, Mr White," Joy answered as she started eating her wedges that were covered in sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, one of her favourites.

"That's good to hear, so I wanted to say that you are a good sister, sticking up for Shadow," Mr White said, "But next time it happens come to me and I'll help."

"Anything for family, and of course," Joy said, blushing, making me smile.

After that we sat in comfortable silence, Mr White sneaking glances at me while I did the same as we all ate our lunches.

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At the sound of the bell, signally the end of Lunch and the start of the last lesson, Joy and I hoped up from our seats, Joy helping me with my crutches as I stabilised myself.

"See you in geography girls," Mr White said as he started collecting all the things he needed for the class.

"Let's go Shadow, we need to go to our lockers first," Joy said, throwing out our rubbish as I nod in agreeance.

"See you in class Mr White," I said, smiling at him as Joy and I left his office and made our way to our lockers.

As we got to our lockers, I grabbed my bag with my laptop and textbook inside before turning to Joy who got her stuff too, smiling at me as we closed our lockers, locking them before heading towards our class, weaving through the crowd as I followed on my crutches.

As we reached our class, Mr White just walked in. When I sat down I noticed that only half the class was here, and the tardy bell just went off.

I sighed as I got everything prepared for class, waiting for Mr White to do the roll call and start the lesson.

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The entire time during class, Mr White and I kept sneaking little glances at each other. The heat rising to my cheeks when we caught each other doing so.

As the bell rang signalling the end of class and the school day Joy packed up her stuff before moving to my desk as I did the same, grabbing and holding my crutches up to help assist me standing, while the rest of the class and students from other classrooms filed out of the room in a hurry, excited to get home or whatever they had after school.

As I stood up, taking the crutches from Joy one at a time and found a perfect balance, I quickly threw my bag onto my bag before moving with Joy, giving a small wave and smile to Mr White as we left for our lockers.

While Joy started humming some random song, I kept on thinking back of my kiss with Mr White and how it would change everything. Not realising because of the kiss I haven't thought about my birth parents, something that is a rarity to even be a thing for me.

When we reached our lockers, the hallways were empty bar the teachers and janitors, as well as Joy and I, it was oddly quiet for school, but it was good. Opening our lockers, I just put back my books as I wouldn't need them, everything I needed for homework is on my laptop. While Joy grabbed her bag, placing her laptop and some books into it. We shut our lockers, locking them before moving to leave the building to where Joe would be waiting.

As Joe saw us he waved at us, making Joy laugh before giving him a wave bag, running to the car excited to tell Joe about the day, as I make my way slowly, but giving Joe a nod in recognition.

Joy quickly opened the passenger door for me before taking my crutches and bag and putting them into the back with her stuff before getting into the car, shutting her door behind her while I maneuvered my leg to get in comfortably before shutting the door behind me. Giving Joe a fist bump before he pulled away from the school and drove us home.

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When we reached home, I went straight to the couch with a sigh as I straighten my leg with the cast, hearing my knee crack.

I plugged my laptop into the charger before turning it on and logging into facebook while Joy put the TV onto Netflix and switched it to Teen Wolf. and sat collapsed onto the other end of the couch, putting her feet underneath her.

As I switched my tabs over to wattpad I decided that I needed to satisfy the craving that was building up inside. So I quickly grabbed my crutches before heading towards the bathroom.

I closed the door behind me, locking it before moving to find the razor blade before I sat down, lifting my shirt to where it sat right under my chest. Before finding a clean part of my shin, where if there were any scares, they were basically invisible amongst the fresher one and the ones that haven't quite healed completely.

I took a newer blade, one that was sharper before moving to slice up my torso, even more, I sighed as I did so, feeling release and better. I repeated this until I felt better, then I grabbed some toilet paper and wiped away the blood, watching as more would flow out of the wounds.

I heard a knock at the door, making me jump.

"Hey, Shadow how long you going to be? I need to go," Joy said, just loud enough for me to hear her.

"Almost done," I replied, and started to clean up my mess before grabbing more toilet paper and pressed it to my torso, getting the last of the blood as the wounds started to heal, not realising I've been in here for over five minutes.

As I flushed the bloody toilet paper I hid my blade back where I found it. I checked to make sure all the toilet paper was gone and that there was no other mess before unlocking and leaving the bathroom, smiling at Joy as she went in.

I sighed as I sat on my armchair, wrapping a blanket around myself and putting my computer on the armchair as the wounds continued to sting, a feeling I quite like, making me feel alive once again and that I could feel.

I heard my phones text tone go off, before I reached for it, grabbing it off the coffee table to see who texted me

*Hey, Shadow it's Drew W.*

It took me a quick second before it hit me. It's from Mr White, smiling I texted back but not before I added his number into my contacts.

*Hey Drew, how'd you get my number? - S*

Not before long, he texted back.

*School records, what are you doing - D*

I laugh at the short answer - of course, that's how he got my number.

*By the smell of it, I'm about to eat dinner, you? - S*

I hit sent, smelling what I hoped was fried rice, one of my favourites.

*Marking some homework and tests, I'll let you go - D*

I smile looking at my screen before swiping away the notification before anyone could see it and question.

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After we all had dinner, and I was right it was fried rice, we all went on our own, me on the couch, in my makeshift bed ready to call it an early night, Joe in his office and Joy in her room.

Before I was about to fall asleep my phone went off, signalling a new text.

*Goodnight Shadow x - D*

I smiled before sending a quick response.

*Night x - S*

I felt a little giddy at sending an 'x' but it felt right. I sighed as the pain meds kicked in again and numbed my leg, helping fall to a dreamless sleep.