C h a p t e r   1 5

"Marvelous!" Mr. Blake applauded and commended, "A, for Kevin's group!"

"Thank you, sir!" Kevin and the others from the group spoke in unison after taking a bow, earning multiple claps around the room.

"And the next group will be..." Mr. Blake spoke, randomly picking a paper in a small blue box where group names were written.

Please not us. Let it be others. I thought hopefully.

Mr. Blake slowly opened the paper and voiced out what was listed, "Chelsea's group." Phew. Glad it's not us, yet. One more group, though..

We haven't took another practice to rewind each scenes on the play, because Stacy went out on lunch time, while Chase ran another try-outs. The last practice we had was the one we did at Paul's house, that was why I had been nervous ever since we stepped in on history.

Chelsea's group walked in front of the class without any costumes or props.

"No costumes?" Mr. Blake asked.

Chelsea took a step forward and fidgeted. "Uhm, no sir."

"Then what? Don't tell me you're not ready. I already gave you enough time. I gave you all enough time." Mr. Blake retorted, casting a glance on all of us.

Uh-oh. If we were picked last to perform we'll probably be dead, now that Mr. Blake has his bad vibe.

"Sir. We... we.. lost our script just yesterday and... We hadn't had much time..." Chelsea stuttered while twiddling her thumbs.

"Time..-- Okay, I have heard enough." Mr. Stone cuts off, 

"Sir, please let us do our presentation." Chelsea begged.

"Ms. Differd, I can't just let you do the play without any props. What do you think would your audience feel?-- Bored. Pretty much everyone in this class would sleep rather than to watch. Am I right?" Mr. Blake stated, before he stared at his record book as if thinking what to do and say next.

"Sir, we understand. But with what happened, instead of making our costumes we ended up rewriting our script. If you could just give us a chance to perform our play tomorrow, please?" There was a minute of silence before Mr. Stone had spoken.

"I'm afraid I can't. But, I'll give you a very special assignment instead..-- Pass a document about mediaeval ages. I want papers not less than twenty, back and forth. Present it to me on Monday, eight sharp, in my office. Clear?"

Oh dear. I thought as I started to sweat all toxics underneath my three layers of skin. I mean who wouldn't. Linda said it herself, we aren't ready.

"Nervous?" Chase suddenly asked who was now sitting on my side, instead of his usual one or two chairs away.

"Anxious." I admitted being on a mental state of uneasiness and nervousness,

"Aren't you?"

"I don't have any reasons as to why I should feel anxious about this." He boasted.

"Wow. I'm not so sure, but I think I saw your head grow big, at the wrong turn." I insulted, rolling my eyes.

"Okay for our last group.." Mr. Blake trailed off catching our attention, just in time when Chase opened her mouth to speak.

There was a long pause, "Venice's group."

Yes! Thank God! I thought joyfully, and at the same time, I heard Chase let out a sigh of relief.

I though he said he's ready? I thought, shaking my head.

"So, only three groups remaining. Linda, Kaithlyn, and John's. I expect more from you." Mr. Blake proclaimed and started gathering his stuffs.

"Those who have failed the play, I want you to not forget about your report on Monday. Again, eight in the morning at my office, and... class dismiss. See you all tomorrow. Take extra care on your way home I bet it's about to rain." Mr. Blake smiled, leaving the room.

"Bye, Mr. Blake!" The whole class spoke in unison with different voices hitting different notes, as other students raced through the door.

"Ugh! Why now?" Stacy sighed, frustratedly.

"I think I missed the news." Paul stated, picking his phone.

I glimpsed at the window as droplets fall with a splash. The almost denuded trees simultaneously swayed in rhythm as few leaves flapped, still clinging on the branches, while some gave up wearing a brown skin, soaring down the mucky land. Raindrops got heavier and I saw the bench's feet smirched with unnecessary mud caused by the heavy drops of the rain.

"Shit." Chase muttered as he quickly fleed out of the room carrying his book with him.

"Where is he going? Won't we be practicing?" I asked, crimping my eyebrows as I took my eyes off on the outside.

"We can't.. I still have AP classes to attend." Linda stated, scooping her stuffs into the mouth of her bag.

"Thank, God. I wanna go home." Stacy sighed, grabbing her bag as she rambles off the room.

"I'll let you know when we'll be practicing. Probably, later or.. tomorrow. I don't know, just keep in touch. Bye!" Linda announced, taking her books as she scurried out of the room.

"Well, I'll be going then. Bye Paul." I waved, leaving Paul behind while fixing his notebooks in order.

I walked through the empty hallway and into my locker, slipping my books inside. Suddenly my heart started beating faster and louder and my breathing hitched for a second with some undefined reason. It felt like something bad was going to happen. But I shook it all out and tried to calm myself down.

What could happen anyways?

I sighed and walked my way outside. As I get closer to the front door, light raindrops I heard becomes heavier by a minute, while the wind whooshes, making me shiver as cold air brushed pass through me. My phone reechoed in the hallway and I grabbed it in my pocket and saw my grandma's caller ID.

"Hey, grandma." I greeted, smiling.

"Hey sweetheart, do you have an umbrella with you?"

"I don't. You know I never was a girl scout." I chuckled.

"But you tried, yeah?"

"I tried." That's all I know. I sighed, taking a step outside the building as the gray coulds greeted sadly.

"You wait for us there, okay? We're on our way."

"Okay, grandma. Goodbye and take care." I smiled before hanging up.

I slipped my phone back in my pocket and waited for my grandparents to come as I gazed at the dull picture in front of me.

Then I waited.

And waited...

One hour had passed, yet they weren't still here. I wonder what took them so long. My heart began beating with the drums and thoughts came clashing like thunder in my head. But then I thought that they must have stopped by at the market to buy some groceries.

Almost an hour and a half passed, students from AP classes as well as Linda, other jocks and cheerleaders from their practice had gone home. The rain subsided and I was still here sitting on the porch steps. I tried contacting my grandparents but no one was picking up their phone.

Should I worry now? I breathe slowly and closed my eyes. They'll be here any minute by now.

A honk made me quickly jolt my eyes open, imagining my grandparents in front of me. But this was the part where my expectation fails me.

"What are you still doing here?" Chase asked, after sliding down the passenger's seat window.

"Nothing." I simply retorted, casting a glance on the gateway.

"Don't you need a ride?" Chase asked. His question got me thinking for a minute.

"Well, I guess I might need someone to--" I stopped halfway then continued. "..drop me somewhere."

Chase chuckled, "Nicolas had to leave for two weeks and I have not much stuffs to do so.." I nodded and took my phone out of my pocket while walking over to Chase's car.

I swiped my phone open and hoped for a text message from my grandparents but found nothing. I sighed and hoped they were fine, leaving them a text that I got a ride home, just in case.

We caught on a heavy traffic, which made our twenty to twenty five minute ride a fourthy to fifty. Maybe my grandparents detoured or something. Ten more minutes passed and we made it close to the root of the traffic.

"Car accident." Chase announced while peeking at the scene.

"Is there a... blood?" I asked terrified. Chase looked at me while raising his eyebrow.

"Blood? Probably no, because it's just a car accident." Chase answered, sarcastically.

My stomach churned in the vision of blood spilled everywhere and looked intently to the ambulance as it drove its way passed us. As we approached the place where the accident held, I looked away not until a familiar car caught my eye. It was stumbled across the road, its hood across the fender was wrecked, the windshield was broken and its glasses scattered everywhere.

I wanted to convince myself that I was wrong on what I thought, but as I scanned the area, I gasped, seeing my grandparents laying flat on the road, lifeless.

My eyes widen and I felt like the whole world froze and everything crashed on me.

"Stop the car." I ordered as my eyes started to dank not taking my eyes away from my grandparents.

"I said stop the f*cking car!" I hollered with my shaky voice and my insides vibrated in fear.

Once the car halted, Chase started babbling things but I didn't pay attention, instead I swiftly hopped out and ran towards my grandparents.

"No no no no no no.." I weeped, covering my mouth with my hands feeling my heart plummeted.

Police officers started pulling me away as the nurses went near to check my grandparents. What is happening? Why did this even happen? Please tell me this isn't real. Jesus, please tell me they're not dead. TELL ME THIS IS JUST A DREAM! I screeched in my head, staring at them as tears streamed like a waterfall.

"Let me go!" I wailed, feeling the policeman's firm grip on my wrists.

"Lady, it can't be done." The cop spoke with his strong African accent.

"No! You don't understand, please!--"

"Okay, but do obey us on the second time." He said, freeing me as I bolted to where my grandma was.

"No, please wake up..---" I sobbed, brushing my grandma's bloody forehead.

"Please, don't leave me."

"Remember, you still have to make me a lunch for tomorrow, right? Right? Grandma...." I sniffled, and cried out until it felt like my nose got stuffy.

"--Please, wake up. I need you.."

What is happening? I asked myself staring at my grandparent's cold body, the blood on the concrete floor just told me how much strong the impact collapsed into them.

The road was wet, people who passed by in cars squinched in disgust, while others stopped to meddle, creating a much larger crowds and completely blocking the way.

I dizzily looked around for Chase and saw him being huddled up by policemen. One has been grappling him from his neck down to his hands, as the other locked him up with handcuffs, escorting Chase inside the police car. His eyes never left the floor nor took a glance on me while he was being viciously pulled inside. At the same moment a tow truck appeared, hooking Chase's car then dragging it along with the police car where he was.

I slowly looked back around at the nurses surrounding my grandpa in position to moving him on the stretcher, and covering him with a white clothe.

"Where are you taking them?" Was the only thing I asked before someone pulled me up and took my grandparents away.

I struggled. But what more can I do? I feel so empty inside. I was distraught. Devastated.

I walked back home because my Aunt Crissa told me so. She left me a message and asked me to stay home and let her ran the papers and stuffs needed.

Funny how your long-gone-relatives only shows up or cared when one of their relatives died, when they could even hardly join a family reunion. I remembered the last time I felt the same ache in my heart. That time when I lost my mom. I looked up at the gloomy sky and pondered...

"Is this what life is?" I whispered foolishly, waiting for an answer.

My legs ached, while I walked with my wobbly feet. I quivered as cool wind struck me. The sunshine shirt I wore became grim, soaked and halfly blood covered. People passing by cringed at me in disgust. I embraced myself and bowed down then continued walking. Everything in my vision was a blur, mostly black. And the only thing I saw were my grandparents which slowly turning into blob.

Truly, nobody can ever say when's the last goodbye.

Back home, the creaking sound of the door welcomed me. Looking around the living room where my grandpa would be sitting with his newspaper, asking me how was school; the kitchen where my grandma would be cooking her favourite recipe for dinner, I just couldn't help myself from weeping. My lips quivered as tears began to fall on my face.

After a moment, I wiped my tears off, hearing a knock on the door. Stiffly, I came to look at my reflection on the mirror. I look like a mess.

Opening the door, was Hailey with her bagpack. "Hailey.." I trailed off as tears streamed.

"I know.. I know.. I'm sorry." Hailey hushed, giving me a comforting embrace.

A/N: I'm sorry for doing that, guys.. It did break my heart in pieces but it already happened and just to let you know, this is also one of the part of Nikki's"Falling" in fall...

Anywayssss, before you move on to the next chapter you might want to leave a comment or vote!! :)

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