CH #6 - Crazy, Crazier, Craziest

"Come on Abigail! You promised you'd help us with the biology homework!"

"That's right! We were even looking forward for that and all! I had prepared myself to come here and study with you today, and studying is something I never do!"

"So you can't just shoo us away for some bullshit reason. You have to help us get through. You're committed to this, aren't you?"

"Eh… I really did commit… Sorry for going against what we agreed! I'm really sorry!" The girl replied, hiding as she could from the judging eyes of those three.

She had agreed to help these guys pass the discipline, taking a little too much leeway to offer her support. The three of them were in a horrible situation in their studies, and with that, no one would be better off to volunteer.

The reason for the choice? She was competent and smart enough - in fact, quite a bit more than only enough.

But at the same time, Abigail made more commitments than she could keep, and that created problems. In addition to helping the guys out, she also agreed to go out with her friends at the same time.

The teachers entrusted her with the task of looking after these three. It wasn't something she could just deny and get away with it later. That would have big repercussions.

But on the other hand, her friendship with those girls in class was also important. In the end, her entire context boiled down to the situation in which she had included herself.

Now a dilemma had been established. Abigail was forced to choose between the two commitments, and chose to prioritize meeting her friends, since she hasn't been with them for some time.

The only problem with this issue turned out to be the revolt that arose on the other side, which, committed and with results to deliver urgently, did not like the young woman's choice of priorities.

"We need to pass Biology, and you've been assigned to help us." One of the guys who approached her in the hallway moved a little closer, somehow threatening her. The same young man started to intimidate the girl, to the point of making her retreat.

"So what? What are you planning to do about it?! How do you think you'll fix your mistake with us, or would you rather have us tell Morrison that you didn't honor what you agreed to?!"

The Biology professor's name in the middle of the discussion sent a shock through her body, which reminded her of the whole deal that had taken place. Abigail thought of Morrison's smug face when seeing he had such a competent student in his class.

She should comply with what happened. It was accepted in the classroom. No piece of all her helpful demeanor could be a lie.

And after all, it wasn't like she wanted any part to be unsatisfied. Abigail really wanted those students to get through their difficulties.

The young woman - a true pearl of beauty - somewhat embarrassedly arranged her long straight strands, which although originally black, were for years coated by a thin, brilliant layer of violet shine, which reflected the impact of any minimal lighting with twice its potency.

The opening of her sheepish eyes revealed the glittering blue jewels, visceral like the radiant sky on a summer's day, where you could almost fly by looking too long at them.

Clear, almost pale skin, where any grasp endowed with less than the absolute delicacy would leave great marks on its subtle surface.

All these factors together, added to her perfect selfless personality, were what created the eighteen-year-old girl named Abigail Halsey.

The student in the Junior classes was, without a doubt, one of the most trustworthy and helpful people, and in addition to being very beautiful, was widely known just for being who she was.

There were those who said that she could directly beat the current most popular girl in the subject of popularity.

The fact was, however, that Abigail never cared about that sort of thing. As a truly kind person, she just wanted to help - including meaning to do too much and taking on more responsibility than she should.

"Will just apologizing be enough, though?! We've already lost a precious day, and the test is the day after tomorrow! What are you planning to do about it?!" The first one asked, clearly in rage.

He stomped on the floor, making a sharp smack run down the hall. The fright suffered by Abigail was enough to press her toward the lockers.

She collided backwards with the metal frame, unable to react to the unnecessary excess of violence.

"Apologizing won't solve anything!" The second joined the provocation.

And then, before she even knew it, she had been surrounded by the three in all directions.

"What… What do you want me to do…?" Afraid of the situation, she retreated as best she could into the small space.

"You'll have to make it up to us in a better way, Abigail… And for each one of us."

The three of them moved even closer, their faces locking closer and closer to look - she knew where that was going.

"You… You are scaring me…!" She tried to struggle. "Please, stop...!"

The one on the right grabbed the girl's corresponding left arm, generating a significant amount of redness on her delicate skin. The handprint, in bright red, would stay on the surface for a few hours.

"Please, let me go...!"

"Too late. You can't let us down and then run away without offering us anything in exchange. We have to at least get something to fill the void you left!"

This was heading towards a dangerous situation. Given the time and the fact most already went home by then, no one would hear her as the corridors were as empty as they could ever possibly be.

And it wasn't like she could fight it anyway. Those three would end up dominating her and doing whatever they wanted. There was no hope for Abigail.

… The girl didn't mind that fact, though. Taking advantage of a minimal open spot in the posture of the three, the young woman applied a powerful stomp on the left toe of the boy on the right.

"AHHH! Why, you… Little bitch…!" He cried out, in pain, eventually releasing her.

Taking advantage of the space that had been opened up, she began to run as fast as she could through the long corridors of the place, which seemed to have no end. It would not be that day, or any other, that she would let that happen.

It didn't take long for the other two to pursue her, and while that was happening, Abigail was thinking.

Everything always happened that way, somehow. It was as if a simple rendering of favors couldn't happen between her and any boy, as they always ended up getting some kind of weird idea about what should be happening between them.

She never understood this, but it was something that always haunted her since she understood herself as a person. During her life, Abigail Halsey was always a person who never lived through a semblance of peace.

Confessions and notes from boys in the locker were frequent, and they're long past anything any girl would like to read. Most don't even make an effort, and what ends up coming out is always too crude and vulgar, and she never accepted any of them just for that reason.

Even knowing the consequences that were already made so clear, her personality forced the girl to provide support whenever others needed it, and that's how things ended.

She turned a corridor to the left, at full speed. That should be the place that would lead her to the exit. The young woman didn't even want to look back, for sheer fear of what she would see.

Abigail kept running, until, hampered by something unseen, she was forced to stop.

"No…!"

She had slipped into an area of ​​the hallway that had been just mopped. In her haste to flee, the wet, glistening stain that stretched across the surface was not seen.

"It didn't do any good to run away, huh?!"

"Oh no…" Fear gnawed at her mind.

The two were already there, indicating that for the entire time they had been in immense proximity, and that even without the slip, the three would have caught up with their superior speeds.

"I wonder what Morrison will think if he finds out about this… Favorite and most competent student, stomping someone's foot like that?"

Those two were certainly no ordinary students, and that was when Abigail's eyes told her the truth. It was right at the ends of their hair strands.

This wasn't lightening or just luminosity as she had previously thought. Those yellowish bits were actually hair dye.

That is, those two were delinquents. Their hair just mostly lacked the usual way of identifying themselves.

She had just gotten involved with the worst kind of person.

Unlike those that came before, that threat was concrete, as the delinquents were actually able to do whatever they wanted, which was different from the empty words that claimed of "stealing a kiss" from her or something.

These managed to do whatever they wanted, and the results of the actions would not be promising.

The popular school rumor crossed her mind in that second; that a girl had been the victim of a delinquent attack and as a result left Elderlog never to return, overwhelmed by the shame of having to remain in a space where her abusers would never be punished.

They, step by step, made their way to her, towering their colossal statures before the small, helpless girl, who could barely dream of getting up.

That was a nightmare. Fear coursed through her veins like an intravenous solution given to someone who needed it due to sickness, and that feeling clawed at her insides.

No one would save her, as even the theoretically responsible adults at the school choose to avoid the delinquents out for fear of the repercussions that dealing with them would generate. It is said that a single offender managed to beat up several coordinators when they had the chance. She didn't know how legitimate that second rumor was, but she decided not to bet on it being fake.

It wasn't like she could do anything after all.

They took her by the arm, lifting the girl's body, pressing the desperate Halsey against the wall at the intersection with the hallway that would lead to the stairs. Just a few steps and she could have reached the exit.

"I love how your hair smells, Abigail… Is it strawberry shampoo? You know, I like that smell… I really like it!" The first delinquent forced himself on her.

That felt like being the very end of her life. Abigail couldn't live with that feeling of shame that would come with it, nor with the feeling of being so dirty. Tears immediately began to form as she felt the rush of warm air hit her neck, signaling the arrival of the second one.

Restrained, she also tried hard to think about how to contain her tears. In her mind, it was already a fact that the rumors were not only real, nor all that impossible to happen. She, the person who offered to try and maybe fix it, if only for a little while, was the very victim of it.

Abigail was already mentally preparing herself for the moment when one of them would grab her breast with excessive force or something, and swallowed the mixture of saliva and mucus, trembling like a newborn gazelle cub, under the gaze of the leopards.

Deep down, she could only start begging for it to pass quickly.

"Please... Please... Someone help me..."

It could be anyone from a coordinator to a mere elderly janitor who occasionally cleaned the place. Anything would do.

"Please..."

Anyone who could show up and do something – no, not even that was necessary. Just talking was enough, saying something that could make their intentions at least diminish.

"Please...!"

Someone who could make her feel less dirty, less rotten inside. It could be anyone, as long as they were real.

"Where should we start...?" The third of them ran his index finger across her lips.

But nobody came. They wouldn't come.

Dispelling the illusions from her mind, she resigned herself to suffering from that fate, letting the tears fall free.

"Now would you look at that! She's crying!" Spoke the first, in mockery. "Are you really that happy right now?"

... ... ...

A low, dry noise of something hard hitting a hollow object ran across the space, and then a second sound of the same kind was heard.

"Come with me. Let's get away from here."

Still unable to open her eyes, Abigail felt herself being pulled elsewhere. Was it that other delinquent, who planned to do the same things?

She felt her body bend to the left in what was, according to her memories, a hallway, and then there was the sound of a door opening. The change in the feel of the atmosphere on her skin was an indication that she was somewhere else entirely. There was no wind or any draft there, which made the place a little warmer and quiet.

"Open your eyes. You're already safe." Spoke once more that same voice.

With some residual fear, she allowed herself to see the afternoon sunlight again. It soon became clear that she was no longer in a hallway, but in a classroom.

"I…" She tried to speak, but the residual fear and trembling still stopped her.

"No need to force yourself to speak. You can take your time to recover. That must've been traumatic, after all."

She then looked forward for the first time, seeing the person who, perhaps, had saved her.

"Hello. Do you feel better yet?"

He, friendly as a morning sunbeam, waved at her, smiling at the end.

He was a boy with black hair, brown eyes and a tall build, somewhat robust, but nothing excessive. It could be said that he was slightly above average in these parameters. He was wearing a white coat, the sleeves of which had certain finesse, with circular, fluffy ends. Everything about him screamed to being a good person.

As he was much taller, she had to look up a little, answering the smile.

"Thank you so much for helping me... Thank you so much! I don't know what I would do if it weren't for you showing up!" She quickly thanked him. "How... How can I pay for this...?"

"It was nothing, so don't mind it! No need to bring yourself to that. No need to thank me for anything! Just seeing that you're okay is great." He smiled once more. "My name is Jacob. It was a pleasure meeting, and uhm… Saving you."

The stranger's warm humor drew her closer to its source immediately. The much smaller girl smiled more contentedly, feeling the weight completely slip from her shoulders.

"I am Abigail. Once again, I appreciate it. If I have something I can do for you, don't hesitate to talk to me, okay? I would be more than happy to do something in exchange for your kindness."

Jacob seemed to give the proposal some thought, but soon dashed any expectation of saying something, simply waving his hand and laughing a little.

"As I said, it was nothing! But I'll think about your proposal, okay? Take care on these hallways, okay? We are right next to the stairs, so it should be fine for you to go. Again, it was nice meeting you!"

"Oh…" It was undeniable that Abigail was surprised by the thoughtfulness of that stranger. "I see. Thank you. It was my pleasure too, Jacob!"

The two exchanged one last smile, and Abigail waved a warm good-bye, quickly running toward the stairs to the left of that hallway.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Ah, I finally found out her name...!"

The sensation that ran through every inch of her body could not be described with any other word or term that was not "the most absolute ecstasy". For Jacob, it beat even being ascended away to heaven.

"So her name is Abigail... Her name is Abigail...! What a beautiful name... What a perfect name! I couldn't ask for a better name...!"

His heart beat as fast as a runaway train raced, leaping over all the tracks that were his blood vessels, and nearly breaking through the barriers, named "ribcage" and "sternum". He felt as if the organ would take on a life of its own by any second.

There was no denying how good it felt to know that one fact.

He took a small object from his pocket. Unfolding, it turned out to be a photograph, but not one of the more common types.

"Ah, Abigail…! Your hair smells so good... I don't think I can stop thinking about your smooth skin, too...!"

Jacob, leaning against one of the walls of the empty classroom, gazed with pride and satisfaction at his photograph as he sniffed heartily at the hand that not so long ago had touched the girl's silky-smooth hair.

That photo featured Abigail and a bunch of other girls. In the registered moment, she chatted happily with the small group of people. The young woman's face had been circled with red pen, indicating that she was the sole target. The placement point of the person who took the record indicated that the photo was taken from behind a staircase, where he could not be seen.

"My Abigail...! Everyday I dream of the two of us, getting married and having a big family! I think that since the moment I saw you! I want to be able to hold your hand, love you, and spend the rest of our days living as one...! Oh, it's too much for me to think of everything! If only I could take you all to myself, how things should be! If I could make you listen to me..."

Jacob placed the image against the wall, and passionately licked Abigail's face in the photo.

"Ah, Abigail... I can't get my mind off of you... How are you going to help me with that...?"

... ... ...

"You know, it's the first time I've seen someone so crazy, and I see crazy individuals quite often, I must tell you... Oh, apologies for being offensive. I think I should use 'people with alternative mentality' instead, isn't that correct?"

Jacob was startled to hear that second voice within the room. He was supposed to be alone, and the doors of the place were so loud that there was no possible way to open them without making a sound.

So how did that strange student get there?

"You're 'peculiar', if you get what I mean by that, but I like your aspect and we could say your kind, too. You're the kind of person I'm looking for, one could say."

"Who are you?! And where the hell you came from?!"

He prepared to fight, raising both fists to face level. Jacob was quite trustful of his skill, and situation not so long ago kind of applied an extra "ego boost" to that. There was no way he could lose, especially to such a skinny guy.

Without even hesitating, Jacob started toward the strange person sitting on one of the tables. He aimed a punch that would be perfect, and when he was about to hit...

"He disappeared...?!"

"Like I said, I don't dislike that kind of posture, and we can say I'm here to help you."

Jacob's entire body trembled in dread as he heard the voice coming from behind him. Glancing quickly back, he saw that the same boy was there, sitting on the teacher's desk.

"But how... How the hell did you even…"

"Relax, Jacob Egan." He spoke, revealing knowledge about things that were not even mentioned. "I'm not here to fight you. In fact, what I most want is to help you reach your goals."

He jumped off the table, arranging his black hair that fell over his left eye, covering it completely. A surprising fact made itself clear in that instant, as even though his eyes were black as coal, both shone like blue flashlights.

"As I said, I liked you, and I saw potential in you… And in particular, in your desire."

"Who are you...? Just say it already, you bastard!"

"Let's keep calm, shall we? One step at a time." He said, smiling. "You can call me a 'friend', after all, friends like to help others, don't they? And Jacob, here between us… I know you need help with something, and that 'something' is a thing I can assist you with. I just need your cooperation in return."

"Like hell I need an emo freak's help for anything...!"

He raised an eyebrow to that comment, seemingly amused.

"A 'freak', you say? That's perfect! Freak-to-freak! I wouldn't have it any other way, Jacob Egan!" He smiled in an elongated fashion. "After all, It is easy to see you aren't really 'normal' either!"

Jacob once again tried to hit that strange and enigmatic guy, but just as before, he simply vanished into thin air.

He then once more appeared, grasping Jacob's right hand in a specific way – one that made him shake in fear.

"Listen, Jacob… I want to talk. That is all there is, really. But for that, you need to cooperate."

The way he held Jacob's hand caused constant jolts of pain to rush through muscle and bone. It wasn't that the skinny, mysterious guy was much stronger than he seemed to be or anything – it was the way the gesture was being done.

"What the?! This shit... It hurts…!"

"I did say I like your crude, cruel and mean style, but I still prefer my 'friends' cooperative, you see?"

He pressed even more. The shady boy kept a not so firm, but precise grip on his index finger, or rather, on a nerve that crossed the exact region, pressing it with his nail, as if intending to chop it in half.

"So, what do you say? Are we going to hold a civic conversation here, or what?"

If the growing pain wasn't enough, a movement and he could also snap his finger. In such situation…

"I… Okay…! I give up!"

"Great! Glad to see I have rational and understanding friends."

He once again disappeared, only to make himself seen a few meters away.

"As I said…" Again, he appeared behind him. "You want the girl, don't you? I know you do, as I've been watching this entire time. I mean, the way you started admiring this photo you so diligently took the care to produce while sniffing her hair at the same time was very... Let's name it 'quirky', shall we?"

He moved closer to Jacob, letting his voice be heard as a sigh.

"You want to be heard, don't you? You want to have her for yourself only, and make her understand everything you feel, everything you hold inside. That's what you want, isn't it? You want to see an end result to all this admiring, the chance to convey these pent-up feelings."

A brief sound of something made of paper being pulled out of a pocket was heard.

"What if I told you that, luckily, I know how to help you?"

He held the paper out to Jacob. Trembling, the boy took in his hands the white envelope without sender or recipient, or any other information that would identify it. It was no different from a white paper, nothing special about it.

"If you consider my proposal, I ask you to open this envelope. Think about the chance I'm giving you, Jacob. Open that envelope, and you can have everything you ever wanted."

Jacob stared at the envelope for a moment, still somewhat startled by the boy's seeming supernatural ability to just disappear and materialize elsewhere. His mind raced with the thought of having Abigail, of conquering the girl he always had in mind that he loved.

Would it really help with this dream?

"When you feel ready, open the letter. Oh, and you don't have to worry too much about what favor I want from you. It's a pretty easy thing, which I'm sure you can do without even breaking a sweat."

He took his distance from Jacob, walking towards the classroom entrance door.

"Your happiness with the girl depends only on your choice, Jacob Egan. I'm sure you don't just want to live the rest of your life reminiscing distant memories of her hair's scent, or do you? That's why I ask you to make your choice."

He covered his face with the hood, sending the boy one last venomous smile.

"See you, for I hope our deal will be fruitful."

And with that, the figure spontaneously disappeared once, making the place go back to what it used to be, leaving him alone.

An opportunity to have everything he ever wanted. There was no reason not to try, was there?

Even if the guy was suspicious, even if he seemed to know much more than he had any right to… Thinking about his entire future with Abigail coming true was enough to make him accept twenty times in a row.