Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER THREE: FULL BLAST ( trigger warning; mentions of a panic attack )
■■ ■ ■ ■
A WEEK AFTER CARSON died, Maggie had gone back to school. Despite her aunt and uncle's concern, she insisted on it, wanting to return back to normalcy, hating the feeling of being trapped at home, alone and desperately sad.
She knew there would be stares. There would be whispers. But she hoped getting back into the swing of things might chase away the looming nightmares, the mourning in her heart.
She was wrong.
The day had started out fine. Well, as fine as it could be when one's best friend had died and they had been the one to find him. Carson's funeral had been held the weekend prior, so everyone had him on their minds as they went about their mornings. Maggie did her best to ignore it, taking up distractions anywhere she could find them. From Hayden, who came to school with puffy but determined eyes. From Zeke, who was by her side at every spare second, cracking the lamest jokes in a weak attempt to keep a smile on her face. From Dakota, who death stared anyone who looked at her little sister for too long.
But she couldn't hide behind Hayden, Zeke and Dakota forever.
It was her third class of the day. She'd almost made it to lunch. But no one else was in Maths with her. She had no one to block out the whispers, the looks, the suffocation.
"I heard she killed him," the girl sitting behind Maggie had whispered to her friend, eyes staring daggers into the back of Maggie's head.
"Oh, yeah?" her friend had challenged, voice thick with disgust. "Wouldn't surprise me. Isn't she the psycho who said her mum was murdered by a monster?"
Their harsh words hurt more than they should have. Maggie sat in her seat, staring up at the board as the tears in her eyes blurred away the formulas.
Her heart was pumping a mile a minute.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Every beat echoed in her ears, blocking out the laughter as their words repeated over and over and over again, taunting her with their wickedness.
