CHAPTER 6 - Orders

I'm walking down the street after school to my apartment. I no longer live at home due to recent events. The image of Ben snapping his bone back in place sent a shiver down my spine. This past week is driving me crazy.

From the letters to my stepfather's death and now a high school student snaps his bone back in place without a sign of pain.

I'm brought back to reality when I notice someone has been following me. The person's footsteps echoed alongside mine. Luckily for me, I could still state the difference. I stopped by a shop as they displayed their sales through the window. I stood in front of the window as if admiring the products, I stylishly looked back but found no one there.

I continued walking and the footsteps resumed. I entered an alley as quickly as possible to leave as much gap between the stalker and me. I hid behind a large trash can as the shadow of the person cast towards my direction as they came closer.

Once he or she was close enough, I jumped out and lunged at the person, swinging my hand for a punch. The person easily dodged my attack and diverted my fist from his face.

"Wow. Slow down amigo", a familiar voice said. I recognized it immediately.

"Simon? What the fuck man? You scared the crap out of me", my tense body relaxed instantly.

"Good to see you too", he looks around as if just noticing his surroundings. "What are you doing in the alley Cedric?"

"Trying to ambush you", I stated as I walked out of the place.

"And how did that work out for you?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"Terrific", I replied sarcastically.

We continue our walk down the street silently. Why was this guy following me again? It's not as if I have known him for a long time and we were now best of friends. His presence seems weird.

"What are you doing here Simon?" I finally ask him with a serious voice.

"Hanging out", he says sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" I stopped in front of the building I was currently living in. Simon stopped too.

"Trying to help?" He says more of a question than an answer.

"With what exactly?"

"Your problems".

"You know about my problems? That's just great". I enter the building and climb up the stairs to room 30. Simon walks in after me and closes the door. "And what exactly are my problems?" I ask after dropping my bag on the couch.

"Your stepfather's death, the letters, what's happening to you..." he pauses for a while, "...Ben".

My head shoots up to look at him, "You know about that?" I ask completely surprised that someone else apart from me saw what had happened.

"Well... yeah. I was watching the game during practice and saw the sliding tackle you gave him- great skill by the way- then Ben snaps his bone in place, it was quite hard to miss". When he finished talking, he had a bottle of water in his hand.

"I still don't understand what is going on", I drop down to the couch behind me exhausted.

"I do", I hear Simon mutter.

"You do?" I ask shocked.

"Well..." he stretches dropping the water on the center table. "...I do know but I was instructed not to say".

"What do you mean you were instructed not to say?" I ask slightly annoyed.

He raises his hands in surrender. "Orders. I'm just following orders".

I exhale slowly calming my nerves. "When do I get my answers then?" I ask looking at him.

"Soon enough", he grins at me. Then he stands and stretches, "Well would you look at the time. Don't want to be late now, do I?" He smiles and in a twinkle of an eye, he is gone.