Page 99 of Ramsay

∞∞∞

The following days repeat themselves in a montage of images. Ramsay walking down the hall with a smirk that doesn’t reach his eyes. Students making salacious comments about cocaine and dick.

Sabrina skulks around, no doubt waiting to get her revenge. It all merges together and I’m slowly fading behind a mask of misery, because even though there are moments I claw for air, they’re short-lived.

After school, Dixie and I find somewhere to get high, although I refuse to go back to the creepy house and discourage her also. I know I’m sliding down a slippery slope, but I just don’t care.

On Friday, we meet up with Bone and the crew. Of course, these dicks pick a scary as fuck venue because what else would it be and I stare with disbelief at the same house Dixie likes to use for quiet time.

With a silent sigh, I lean over and hiss in her ear, “I thought only you knew about this place?”

“Me and a few other people,” she says slyly.

Glancing at the second story, I’m relieved to see it dark and hope whoever was there the other day was a friend.

I’m with the regular crew, Bone, Dixie, Matt, Maeve, Ghost, and a few stragglers I’ve never met, all of whom flow into the decrepit house until it’s full to the brim with at least twenty people.

Bone pulls out the goods and we immediately set about getting high. Although I feel the familiar longing for something more, I settle for a blunt and sit beside Maeve on the floor against the wall.

Since I’m feeling loose and I apparently have no filter, I ask as Matt sits beside her, “What’s the deal with Diem anyway?”

Once again, her cheeks heat and she glances at Matt with a weird smile before saying, “Nothing. I’ve known him my whole life.”

“Hm, if you say so, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you and it’s not just as a friend.”

Her wide eyes meet mine and I wink before joining Dixie on the blow-up mattress. Soon everything is a blur of sights and sounds.

The music flies through the air with symbols and crashing sparks, as lights flash before my eyes, until everything is fucking blurry. The last conscious thought I have is to wonder what was in the weed before everything goes blank.

∞∞∞

Blinking, I look around and stumble before raising my arms in front of me. Why is it so fucking dark?

With a single cautious step forward, I look to the ground when something crunches beneath my feet, but it’s pitch black, I can’t see a fucking thing, and I don’t remember how I got here.

The last thing I remember is laying on the mattress with Dixie giggling like an asshole, and with a sinking sensation, I realize I smoked more than weed tonight, which is a grim fucking reminder of why I shouldn’t be doing the shit at all.

Crunch.

Spinning around, I step back and hit something hard behind me. I run my fingers over the grooves and ridges.

Is it a tree? I’m outside. In the woods?

Laughter rings out a good distance away, and someone yells, “I’m coming!”

Holy shit, am I playing hide and seek again?

“Fuck,” I say on an exhale, sagging against the tree.

That is until I hear something nearby, and the hair on my arms stands on end.

Spinning that direction, I search the darkness even though I can’t see right in front of me and slap my hand over my mouth to cover the sounds of my heavy breathing.

When I sense a breath of movement, I crouch down at the base of the tree just as something whooshes over my head. But I can’t hold my stance and with a muffled squeak, I fall on my ass, my hands curling in the leaves. Something hard drops on top of me, and I fall back with an oomph.

“Wha—“

Warm hands slam over my mouth, and I buck instinctively.

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