Chapter-2: Disobeying Orders

the second chapter, if you havent read the first please do so.

Ch.2: Disobeying Orders

For the first time in a long while, people watched Briel enter her fourth block class room with a tear stained red face. Though it didn’t last long it was something. But not soon after she entered the class and sat at her seat at the back corner of the room, did people begin to gossip once again. She heard things about her killing someone again, being a thief, and any other scenario that made her visit to Officer Crowen’s office reasonable. She sighed and looked at the papers she was given as the teacher told her what to do. Not soon after she gathered her papers and placed them in her bag did the bell ring. Her heart sang as she walked to the bus. She was going home.

Outside the wind was blowing softly and the spring air held the smells of flowers and trees that had newly blossomed. As she got on to the old white bus, the smell of leather hit her nose and she frowned. It always reminded her of Kreg. As she went to the back of the bus she opened the window next to her and smiled inwardly as the fresh air came into the old automobile. As she watched the other students board the bus she saw a couple holding hands and smiling. Her heart melted in sadness. Oh how much I would love to have that. She thought to herself as she sank back into the leather seat. She laid her head against the slightly cold window and began to think about this new student, and how maybe she could fall for him. She shook the thought away mentally. That would be ridiculous.

As the bus moved she tried to clear her mind of the possibilities of falling for the new student. But she couldn’t and with that she broke Kreg’s rules early. Her hair began to blow as the bus picked up its speed and headed out of the small town. She was the first to be dropped off and the last to be picked up. Though her house might have been first to come to out of school, she did live a good 4.5 miles away from the town. Surrounding her house was grassy land and woods. She had kept the house out of the money her parents had saved up and from the help of her relatives who still thought her mother was alive. As she sat and stared out the window watching the trees rush by in a blur, she couldn’t help but wonder, as she always did, what her life would be like if none of the murders had happened.

But she shook that off to, for it only made her sad and depressed. Soon the bus slowed to a halt and she stood to walk down the aisle and off the bus. As she stood in her front yard the bus drove off. Her house looked like it always had and sometimes she wished that she would walk through the door and see the smiling faces of her family and her one friend. But as she unlocked the door she knew it would be empty. Her mind went back just then. Back to when her brother was still alive, but the day she remembered was the day of his death.

She had come home just like today and everything seemed to be normal. But when she opened the oak door to her home, it was evident that it wasn’t going to be a normal day. Blood was stained on the part of the wall near the stair case. It was in the shape of a hand print as if someone had caught themselves falling. Things had been thrown about as if a struggle had ensued, the lamp and its table on the floor; and her brother…

She pushed opened the door to see everything neat and clean like she had kept it. She had kept it clean not only because it made it look nice, it also gave the illusion of the past. But the truth always came through alongside reality; she was alone. Since everyone she loved or had been dear to her had been murdered all she had was herself. The only thing that kept her going was the fact that once school was over she could move out and get rid of her past in the small town in Missouri and start all over again. She walked up the stairs and went into her room, her bag with her.

In her room she took out her homework and began working. She had to get focused so that she could think on her work instead of the new student or Kreg’s interrogation.

 

 

The annoying scream of the alarm clock woke her from a deep sleep. It had been going off for a while and when she finally woke she was already late for school. Quickly, but still half asleep, she got up and got dressed. She was already thirty minutes late from missing the bus and the walk to school wasn’t going to help her any. She grabbed something to eat on the way out the door and hurried to school. She didn’t run, though it would have helped her time. Instead she walked in a slow pace as she still tried to wake up. The morning held a light fog and the air was damp and hot. She didn’t think as she walked. Her mind was blank with sleep and she felt as if she was dreaming as the tall trees pasted her by slowly. Right now, she thought, I could just go off into those woods and no one would notice, or care. Kreg would notice, but I doubt he would care. It’d probably make him happy. She chuckled sadly at the truth.

She looked up at the clouds in the sky that had started to part and make the sky less cloudy. In that moment she stopped all thoughts about getting to school swept away in the majesty of the sky’s vastness. The sun’s rays pushed through the clouds and made a heavenly like shine upon a patch of trees. She smiled slightly, but not enough to cause any effect on her face. As she continued to walk again, her heart wasn’t soaking up anymore of her sadness. The scenery alone had made her happier because it reminded her of her brother.

When her mother and her best friend had died she had become a thing of anger and depression. Moping around the house and getting angry at every other thing. Her brother sat down with her one day on the green grass of the lawn and the sky resembled the same beauty.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” He said as he lay on the grass with his hands behind his blonde head.

“Yeah, whatever.” Briel said with a great distaste to anything else. She heard him move and she continued to sit in her slouched position thinking that he was getting up to leave.

But instead she felt his arms wrap around her and his legs on either side of her as he sat behind her, embracing her. “I don’t know how it feels to go through what you are going through with the way people are talking about you. But we both lost mom.”

Briel’s lip trembled and she turned around so that she cuddled against his chest as she cried. “I miss her Michel.” She sobbed.

Michel ran his hand down her soft brown hair as he comforted her. “I know. But you can’t act this way Briel. If you act on hate and sadness you’re going to end up acting like they want you to.” She sniffled as she stopped crying and she wiped her tears.

“Then what should I do?”

 He grinned and lifted her face to look up at him. “You need to be calm and collected. If you burst out in tears or in anger at everything they say you’re just doing what they would expect you to do. But above all I want you to remember one thing.”

“What?”

He let go of her chin and held her in a loose embrace. “I want you to remember that someone will always love you. Even if you think no one can or will.”

“You mean you?”

He chuckled. “No, but I will love you no matter what. Who I’m talking about is God.”

Briel’s heart faltered at the thought. “But Michel I don’t believe-“

Michel sighed. “Whether or not you do or don’t believe he still loves you. And he will always be there for you in your heart. He will always love you and he will always forgive you. Remember that.”

 

Briel was in higher spirits by the time she came upon the school. Before she entered the school she said a quiet thank you to her brother and then went inside to go to the office. By the time she got into the office second block was just starting. Others were in the office and she noticed someone new. Her heart thudded but she ignored the tall red head and got her note for second block. As she turned to walk out she heard one of the girls behind the desk already stirring up rumors to the new student. She walked out and was determined to get to class. Though it bothered her to know that the new student probably didn’t want to even get near her, it was most likely for the best for both of them if he stayed away from her.

She hadn’t walked but a few feet into the hallway when she heard the office door close and footsteps coming her direction. Her heart began to speed up, was it him? Was it the new student? She wanted to turn around to see if she was right but she couldn’t. Not only would it be embarrassing if it wasn’t him, but Kreg could be watching and she didn’t want to have another encounter with him like she had before.

“Your name is Briel right? That is your name isn’t it, or did they make that up to?” Asked a deep and curious voice.

Briel blushed deeply upon hearing his voice and from him even speaking to her. She longed to answer his questions but she kept quiet.

“Not speaking, eh? Then I will see you later.” With that she saw him turn in her peripheral vision just as she was to turn to her class in the opposite direction. Her heart was beating quickly with excitement and at the same time it hurt from the knowledge that she wouldn’t be able to speak with him. Even though part of her liked the idea that the new student talked to her, the other part of her had wished that he had gone on the rumors of the others so that he’d stay away from her.

But things were never so easy. The day seemed to lag on and drag its feet. Through second and third block she couldn’t help but think about the tall red head. She thought about his voice and how it sounded so sweet and pleasing to her ears. She couldn’t help but think about what he said and by lunch she was analyzing it. He had asked her name that was sure. But it was when he said “Or did they make that up to.” That confused her. Why would he say that they had made things up about her? Did he already know they rumors weren’t real? No. How would he know that? Even the people who lived close to her and knew her family believed the rumors.

By the end of lunch she was still trying to comprehend what he had been meaning by what he had said. Briel brushed it aside. Maybe they had said something that was obviously not true. Something even a stranger could pick out from her. She walked into her fourth block and sat in the back corner of the room. All the other desks were pushed away from her for obvious reasons. But she didn’t mind. Now she thought it was kind of nice to have the window seat all to herself. Briel leaned over to the side to dig out her note book and pencil that lay in her backpack when she heard the screeching of a desk scooting closer to her.

Her heart skipped a beat and her face became red. It had to be him, who else could it be? She asked herself. As she sat up and placed the note book and pencil on the desk she made the mistake of looking over to see who it was. It was him. It was the new student. Her heart hammered as she found her eyes glued to his handsome features. His jaw length red hair fell over his light colored face in a gentle curtain; and his green emerald eyes seemed to stare at her with an intense curiosity.

“Hey.” He stated simply and Briel quickly turned away, fully aware of the blush that lay on her cheeks.

The teacher turned off the lights as the class movie turned on. Briel was glad to have a distraction at the moment. She turned to the movie as she pretended to write notes. She noticed that he too took out a sheet of paper and began writing. She was almost relieved that he had started to ignore her, but then he handed the paper to her. She looked down at the folded piece of paper and took it in her hand. Unfolding it she found that he had written something to her.

Why won’t you talk to me? The note asked.

Briel bit her lip. How was she suppose to answer to that? Sure she could write and say that she wasn’t suppose to talk with him or even be near him because of the threat Kreg gave her. But then she would only look like a coward and she didn’t’ even know if he’d believe her. She wrote back to him.

It’s complicated, but it would be best if you stayed away from me. Briel folded the note and handed it over to the new student’s desk. Her heart was racing. Was this going to make him think she did kill her family? Just as he handed the note back the door opened to the class room and they both looked back to the door. There stood Kreg. He nodded at the teacher for her to carry on as he walked to her side of the class.

She hid the note in her pocket and continued to pretend to write notes. With the way the class room was organized it was obvious that the new student was paying more attention to Briel than he wanted him to. Kreg walked over to the two students and knelt down between the two desks. He placed his hands on Briel’s shoulder then the new students. He turned to the red head and asked,” How has your day been so far, Mr.Fearon?”’

Briel didn’t turn to look at either of the men as she tried to stay focused on the somewhat not important school work. Her shoulder stung with the weight of Kreg’s hand on her shoulder and she longed to shove the hand off of her. But she staid still and waited for the new students answer.

“It has gone well so far, officer.” He answered as he stared at his paper. In the tone that he answered Briel could tell that she wasn’t the only one bothered by Kreg’s presents at this moment. Kreg’s hands tightened on the teens’ shoulders.

“I see you have met Briel.” Kreg said in an almost threatening voice. Briel was worried at this moment and she could feel a nervous sickness come as she realized that this might cause another visit to his office.

“Yes.” The new student turned his gaze to Kreg, “but she doesn’t seem to want to talk to me for some reason.” The new student said this with a tone of voice that stated that he knew what was going on. But that was ridiculous, thought Briel, how could he know? That was, unless it was just that obvious to an outsider. She blushed at the thought of him trying to help her, but she was also a bit angry that he wouldn’t leave her alone. The more he tried to help her the more she would get into trouble.

The new student at this point did not seem happy that Kreg was going to get in his way. He was practically telling the officer that he was far more superior than he was with just his tone and body language.