Dreamer - Chapter 20

Disclaimer: This story has multiple parts. To read the previous part, you can click here.

"Sorry," He repeated again, probably just assuming I didn't hear him before from the lack of response coming from me.

"It's alright."

He leaned over my desk and glared at Gilbert before giving off a smirk. He whispered something into Gilbert's ear that I was barely able to hear, but it sounded like he had asked to meet with him somewhere after school.

"Can you move?" I asked, shifting my body towards the side in a pretty uncomfortable way.

He leaned up to face me so that his arm veins were pulsing as they held his body up from the desk, "Excuse me?"

"I said can you-"

"Liam," Mr. Criank was now standing in front of my desk, facing him, "Have you finished your assignment yet?"

"As a matter of fact I have." He turned around to face the teacher. I couldn't help but notice how he had his fingers crossed behind his back.

"Oh, you have?"

"Yes."

"Is it your name?"

The class stifled a giggle, but Liam remained quiet.

"Show me your assignment." The teacher added.

"Why do only I have to?"

"So that you can prove to me that you are worthy enough for this class."

I bit my lip to stop myself from letting out a chuckle at Mr. Criank's line. I didn't know who this teacher was, or how he was as a person, but I'm pretty sure nobody ever talked like that; even when he was our age.

"Worthy of what; not being a dumb teacher with a horrible love life who couldn't even speak properly without sounding like such a huge fucking dork?"

"How do y-" He looked down at his feet before facing the rest of the class, "How many of you actually did the assignment I assigned?"

Almost the entire class rose their hand. I looked behind me to see Jess raise her hand with a smile plastered across her face, while Gilbert just slumped into his seat with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared off into the distance.

Mr. Criank's eyes fell back onto Liam, "and what is your excuse?"

"Did I not just say I did it?"

"If you have done it, why are you having an issue showing me your work?"

"If no one else has to show you, why should I? How do you know that everyone else who raised their hand aren't just saying that to look good for you?" I was fascinated by the way Liam was using words to try and outsmart this teacher.. I actually gained a small bit of respect for him in this moment. A small bit.

He walked over to where Liam was sitting before and looked over his desk. "What is this?" He held up a sheet of paper.

"Haven't your parents ever told you to never rummage through other people's belongings?"

"What is this?" He asked once more.

"Nothing," Liam replied, "Just give it back."

He walked back up towards his desk, "It's one thing to not do your work.. but to do this instead. This thing deserves a referral."

A small part of me was kind of curious of what it was that he had found on Liam's desk. What had to be so bad that even Mr. Criank was pissed about it?

"Fine. Give me one. See what I care."

"That's the thing," Mr. Criank looked back at him, "You don't care. That's why I'm not going to give you one."

I sighed quietly to myself. Thank god. I did not want to spend detention with him after school. My eyes parted ways from the two of them, only to fall back onto them as Liam said his next set of words.

"I'll kill you one day, you piece of shit."

My eyes widened and I found myself jumping out of my seat; my legs felt as if they were walking themselves over towards Ace.

"Sit back down, Alexis Kiele." Mr. Criank said sternly. He sounded more exhausted than annoyed, which after watching him and Liam go at it.. I'd be exhausted as well.

"Why are you being such a pain in the fucking ass?" I asked Liam, defying the teacher's orders.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Criank looked over at me as if I had been speaking to him instead of Liam.

"I was asking h-"

"Would you like for me to ignore the earlier incident and just give you a detention anyway?"

"No." Not that I'd really care anyway. I already have a detention. What's wrong with another?

"Then go sit back down, Alexis."

"Yes sir." I said as I slid back down into my seat.

"As for you, Liam, go down to the office. They will be expecting you."

"Sure thing." He grabbed his binder and began walking, almost running, out the door, but the teacher blocked his way between the door and Liam himself.

"Like I said.. the office will be expecting you," He said to Liam, "That means that they will be notified of you being on your merry way, and you will not be able to leave this room to skip class."

Liam rushed out of the room, practically shoving the teacher into the wall in the process. Mr. Criank soon after walked over to his desk, punching his fingers against the buttons before speaking into the phone. Once he had hung up, he looked back at the class once again, "Now who wants to share what they wrote for the class?"

My eyes kept trying to see what he put down on his desk from Liam's desk. What had been written on that sheet of paper that had been so bad for the teacher to immediately take it away and threaten a referral? My thoughts urged me to want to know more, even if I'd never be able to find out. I couldn't help but come up with more questions the more I thought about it. What if Liam was about of the circle that Ace and Rev have mentioned? What if Liam had seen Rev in the halls before? What if Liam knew about Rev locking me up in the closet for the past two periods?"

"Alexis?"

I looked up, "Yes, sir?"

"Would you like to share your work?"

"No thank you." I looked down at my paper, gliding my wrist over to cover the page as best as I could.

"Why not?"

"I'll read mine." Jess blurted out before I had a chance to answer. I turned to face her, giving off a shy smile as a thank you.

"Alright Jessica.. go right ahead."

She stood up, holding her paper in her hand as a big smile spread across her face. I turned around and stared at the wall in front of me, leaning back in my chair.

"I am that courageous girl who is always right up in the front. I am always smiling. I am always energetic. But who am I, really? Have I always been this peppy? Have I always been this happy? How do I always have a way to keep on smiling? Why am I always this energetic? Feeling happy helps me to stay energized. Staying positive keeps me energized. I love that feeling. Always have." She gave off a light giggle, "But I have not always been so strong. No one is. No matter who we are, or what we do, we all have these little secrets tucked deep inside all of us. We all hide things. It's normal but-"

"Can I stop you right there, Jessica?"

She looked up from her paper and let off a small nod.

"It's good. I love your sense of writing, I do, and you seem to have a great technique, but.. you're getting off topic. It's supposed to be about you and now you're talking about everyone else?"

"It is about me. That was just an example I had used, Mr. Criank. I needed to give emphasis on what-"

"Just look it over," he stopped her mid-sentence, "You can share it again later if you'd like."

She sat back down at her desk, looking somewhat disappointed yet still happy and energetic for what's to come. I couldn't help but notice how she did look strong.. like she was able to take anything from anybody, even Rev. Unlike Mr. Criank, I didn't think she needed to change what she wrote. It seemed pretty good.. pretty relatable.. and honestly, I got a small hint of me through the words she said about herself. I'm pretty happy I had a chance to meet Jess today. She seems like the one person here who I could actually trust to have as a friend.

"Anyone else?'

No one spoke up.

"Nobody?"

Silence filled the room. I glanced around the room at all the sleeping bodies and zoned out minds sitting all around me. Blank faces were everywhere.

"Alright," Mr. Criank sat back down at his desk, "You can-"

I slowly began to drift off myself, much like everyone else in the class.

"Alright." Mr. Criank walked back over to his desk, sitting down in his chair and looked up at the class once more. "You can-"

I began to drift off, much like everybody else in the room.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his face all torn up as if he had been in a fight. Blood had dripped from his nose and his eyes were all swollen. His bottom lip was puffy, as blood dripped down his chin. Just looking at him sent chills down my spine.

"I just wanted to go for a walk," I said softly, "What happened to you?"

"Nothing you need to know."

"Your face does not look like it was nothing." I brushed my fingers against his cheek to wipe away some of the blood.

"Lex, I promise. It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Rev," My eyes moved down to his stomach to see his hand completely covered in blood.

"What?" He asked.

"Tell me." I felt myself edge closer to him, moving my hand down to his chest till it was cupped over his bloody hand, "Just tell me what happened."

"You can't know the truth."

"Why not?"

"You just can't."

"I need to know the truth."

"No. You want to know the truth. You don't need to know anything."

"You were the one who dragged me into all of this."

"You dragged yourself into this. I never forced you to stay. I never forced you to keep coming back."

"You kind of sort of did." I replied back, "You kept me trapped inside this little bubble where I wasn't allowed to do anything. I wasn't even allowed to tell you no."

He stayed silent.

"Please," My eyes fell onto his stomach, "Please tell me who did this to you."

"Ace."

"Wake up," Someone whispered into my ear as the palm of their hand shook my shoulder. I turned to find Gilbert standing next to me.

"What did I miss?"

"Mr. Criache said the class can use this time to either work on some dumb shitty assignment he gave the class or do nothing."

"Don't you mean to say Mr. Criank?"

"Whatever."

I turned my body around in my chair to face him, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." He leaned back into his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"Is Liam your best friend?"

"What?"

"Is Liam actually a friend of yours?"

"Why did you want to know that?"

"Just wondering.. you don't seem like the same kind of person he seems to be."

"What kind of person would that be?"

My eyes fell down to my thighs, "Nothing."

"Mean? Cruel? Disrespectful?"

I slowly nodded.

"You don't fucking know me," His tone of response surprised me, "You don't even know anything about me."

"I just asked a question."

"We just connected with each other and became friends, like everyone else."

"Connected?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

The school bell rang and everyone rushed out of their seats, nearly running out the door except for Gilbert, who just stayed seated and stared at me packing my belongings into my bag.

"Did you want to tell me something?"

"Yeah," He leaned over to me, "Don't be such a bitch." With that, he left.

I quickly stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder and leaving the classroom. I'll be whatever the hell I want to be.

I took the small detention slip I had shoved into my pocket earlier today and glanced down at it. Room 213.. 213.. room.. 213.. room.. two.. one.. three.. 213. I looked around as each step I took sounded more hollowed out than the previous. The crowds slowly began to die down as I walked through the halls. Other students soon began to disappear and the lights became softer.

"You thought you were able to escape me?'

I turned around to find nobody.

"You thought I would leave?"

"Who are you?"

"No-o-o-obody." the voice sang out.

"Rev?"

"Why'd you think I'd be him?"

I turned around, my eyes widening. My arms dropped which caused my bag to smack against the floor. He grabbed ahod of me, his hands wrapped around my neck tightly.

"Now what do you think of me."