Not This Time, Love Pt 10

When closing time came, I packed my books into my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and made my way to the assembly hall to meet Mike. My heart was pounding. What “good news” was he bringing? Had he already spoken to one of the girls without my consent? Was he about to parade all three of them before me? And if that happened, how on earth would I face them? I hadn’t even exchanged a single word with her since coming to school, and I wasn’t even sure she remembered me.

I waited. And waited. And waited. But Mike was nowhere to be found. My excitement slowly turned into irritation. Sick and tired of standing there like a lost puppy, I decided to head back to the boarding house and rest.

On my way, I caught sight of someone in a classroom who looked suspiciously like Mike. Curiosity pushed me to check. I stepped into the room—and froze.

There was Mike, at the back of the classroom, sitting on a girl’s lap.

The moment he saw me, he grinned. “Close the door and join us,” he said casually.

“Close the door… and join you?” I echoed, baffled.

First of all, I had no idea what nonsense he was pulling with that girl. Secondly, I wasn’t about to drag myself into trouble. My survival instincts screamed at me to run. “I’m going to the boarding house to rest,” I said quickly. Without another word, I stepped out, closed the door, and left them to their madness.

But my mind wouldn’t rest. What on earth was Mike doing with that girl? Were they…? No, that would be too extreme. Still, the risk of being caught was huge. Then another thought hit me like a slap: Who was that girl?

I hadn’t even seen her face. Could she be one of the three I’d spotted at assembly? Was that why Mike had warned me earlier? The nameless post office girl was among those three. Could she be the one Mike had been sitting on?

The thought made my chest tighten. I couldn’t bear the idea of losing her before I’d even had a chance. I needed to know.

So I went back and stood quietly outside the classroom, waiting for them to come out. That way, I could finally see the girl’s face.

While I was standing there, Jake appeared. Jake—the same guy who’d advised me on my first day to be careful with the people I associated with. He was a decent guy, but too holy for my liking. He was always inviting me to his prayer group, always talking about Jesus, judgment day, and things that honestly put more fear in me than comfort.

“Hey, KD. I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Jake said cheerfully. “I went to your class, then the dorm, but you weren’t there. We’re having special prayers for all the first years tonight. Would you be kind enough to join us?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could say a word, a piercing scream echoed from inside the classroom.

The scream was so loud that it drew a crowd of students in seconds. My heart leapt. Without thinking, I shoved the door open with all my strength. The force sent me sprawling onto the floor. I scrambled up quickly—

—and what I saw in the room left me completely stunned.