2 You might want to sit down for this

"Cel are you okay!?" I hear Leo's footsteps rush towards me. The loud ringing of the bell makes me drop the book from my hand. "Oh shit no time to waste. I'm glad you're not dead." Leo laughs as he pulls me by my hand, away from the book. I feel numb inside and feel my heart pound against my rib cage.

We make it to English lit class right before Ms. Martin. I try really hard to settle my thoughts but a million questions bubble up in my head. It could probably be a low budget writer who found my picture online and decided to use it as a cover. But then again, I have never taken a picture like that in my life.

The picture burns in my memory. I can still picture my blood shot eyes and curly hair strands falling onto my face because of the wind. I still see the cut on my lower lip and the pain in my eyes. The green material of the royal looking gown sticking to my skin.

I have an abusive father but I still manage to have determination in my eyes. No amount of cuts and bruises ever had me look this pitiful. The only reason I really believe it's me is because the girl in the picture also had a mole like me.

Without wasting a second I shoot out of my seat and walk towards the door. I can hear the voice of my English teacher call out my name but I don't look back. All I know is that I need to find that book and I need to find it now. I didn't even get to read the name of the book because I was extremely shaken up. My heart beats louder as I approach the library.

Out of no where, I collide with a wall all of a sudden. I close my eyes, expecting my back to hit the cold, hard floor but feel two strong arms wrap around me. I blink my eyes open to see the Ryan looking concerned and surprisingly, scared.

I take a step away from him, fixing my plaid skirt and dusting my top. "Don't go in there." He deadpans. I raise my head and take in his features. His scrunched eyebrows show lines and I fight the urge to trace them and relieve him of what ever pain he is going through. His deep green eyes look at me through long lashes that surround it. For a second, I completely forget my worries. There is something about this boy that makes me want to care.

I snap out of my thoughts and clear my throat. "I'm sorry Ryan but I really don't have time for this right now." I explain and try to go around him but he blocks my way again. "Look, I know that we only just met but you HAVE to trust me that you do not want to find that book again." He says looking at me dead in the eye. "What do you even know Moore!? Have you been stalking me or something? You really don't want to mess around with me right now." I say, my voice raising up a notch.

I push him out of my way and try to walk fast but he grabs my wrist and spins me around, my body held against his due to the impact. "Give me a chance to explain, Celeste. I know you're scared." He stresses and drags me along with him. I try to wiggle my wrist out of his hand. He turns to face me and stares into my soul. "Please. Trust me." He whispers exasperatedly, his eyes showing his sincerity. I nod slowly and allow myself to be taken away by him.

We somehow manage to sneak out of the school gate. He lets go of my hand when we reach a black BMW bike. "Of course you have a motorcycle." I mumble to myself. "Did you say something, luv?" He asks while handing me a helmet. "No sir." I say zipping my lips. He gives me wide smile and to say it was beautiful would be an understatement. He should really smile more often.

My body tingles in excitement as I swing my leg around and sit on the bike behind Ryan. "You might wanna hold on tight" he says before speeding ahead. I smile at the familiar feeling of being smooched by the wind. The last time I sat on a motorcycle was when my grandfather would take me around the country side in Japan. I smile at the fond memories of my late grandfather engraved into my heart.

The feeling of nostalgia soon ends as the bike comes to a halt. Ryan extends his hand to help me get down and I take it. I look around and let the beauty of my surroundings sink in. We are at an abandoned park in the middle of literally no where.

"What do you know about me? How did you know I was looking for a particular book? Have you been watching me?" I start rambling. I look at Ryan waiting for him to clarify at least something. He purses his lips together before answering me. "You won't believe what I'm about to say but trust me, I've been through the same.

He sits down on the grass and pats at the space next to him "You might want to sit down for this." I sit down, careful about not flashing at him. "Go ahead now. Don't miss a single detail please." I urge. Ryan looks at me and heaves a sigh.

"Around two months back I was forced to move in with my grandfather until my father returned from a special mission. I was completely different from what I am now. I didn't have a care in the world. My grandfather was an army officer too so he was a man who loved silence when he was off duty. He lived in an isolated area so there wasn't any Wi-Fi or any source of entertainment. Out of boredom, I came across this book with my grandfather's picture on the cover." He sighed.

Under a normal circumstance I would have told him to stop if he is uncomfortable but now that I know it is similar to my situation, I could not bring myself to stop him. I put my hand on his shoulder reassuringly and give him a nod, signaling him to continue.

He gives me a small smile and takes a deep breath. "At first I thought it was probably a biography because he was a very well known soldier. The content started with his stories of war and glory. But things started to change when it came to the present times. It was then that I realized that the book has a person's whole story written. Everything until the last five chapters. There were so many things that could've been avoided. If only I had realized the significance of the book earlier. Soon after his death, the entire book changed itself. Everything from the cover page to the contents. If you hadn't noticed earlier, the book is called The Book of the Dead." His teary eyes look at me. My breath hitches at what he says next.

"I will not let you die too, Celeste Martinez"