Never Alone: Her

 Chapter 5

‘Ting!!’ The school bell rang. Students rushed to their classes, running, talking, pushing. Their whispers faded as the thudding of footsteps vanished. My feet led me to my class while I tried to stay invisible.

I froze when I saw the booby trap—a disgusting mess waiting to humiliate me. My heart sank as I heard him, his wet laugh filling the air like static. The worst part wasn’t the trap; it was that I wasn’t surprised. This was how my day was going to go.

‘Yo, smelly! Watch out for your pants,’ he said, smirking.

Before I could process the sting of embarrassment, she stepped in.

‘Wow, how original,’ she said, her tone razor-sharp. I looked up to see her—a girl with fierce green eyes and a confidence that cut through the room. The way she defended me was almost surreal, like it came out of nowhere.

Why was she helping me? People like her didn’t notice people like me.

‘Nice catch on the chair,’ she said softly as she walked past me to her seat. ‘Not everyone notices things like that.’ Her voice was light, but there was weight to it—like she wasn’t just talking about the booby trap. Her eyes lingered on mine a second too long, like she was searching for something in me.

I swallowed. My mind scrambled. ‘Yeah, thanks,’ I stammered, trying to break the intensity of her gaze. But even as I sat down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her kindness wasn’t entirely innocent. It felt like there was something else in her words, something that made the air between us thick with unspoken meaning.

‘Hello, students! Oh, there she is. Elena, come up here!’

Elena.

‘Elena Hayes,’ Mrs. Carter announced, her voice bright. ‘Class, I hope you’ll make her feel welcome. She’s a transfer, and I’m expecting no disappointments.’

My attention drifted as Elena walked to the front of the room, but then something caught my eye. It was a small silver necklace around her neck, with intricate designs carved into it. I couldn’t look away.

The room suddenly felt colder. Not just the temperature—more like a shift in the air, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. My breath caught for a moment. I rubbed my arms, but the chill didn’t go away.

My stomach tightened. It couldn’t be. Could it? The necklace looked exactly like the pendant I saw on the sidewalk yesterday. The one I didn’t pick up. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about.

I stared at it, my pulse quickening. The room around me seemed to blur for a second, like I was trapped in the pull of the necklace. What were the odds? Was it just a coincidence? Or had she somehow found it?

As Mrs. Carter spoke, I noticed Elena glance at me for a split second. Her eyes, sharp and deliberate, met mine. For a brief, unsettling moment, it felt like she knew exactly what I was thinking—like she was reading me from across the room.

As the class ended, I tried to shake the thoughts of the necklace. Maybe it wasn’t the same one. Maybe I was imagining things. It didn’t make sense, after all.

But as I gathered my things and stood up to leave, I heard her voice again. She wasn’t talking to me this time. ‘I told you it’d work,’ she said softly, just loud enough for me to hear. ‘He’s already noticed.’

I turned back one last time. Elena was still standing there. She fiddled with the pendant absentmindedly, her fingers tracing its intricate design as if it were second nature. Did she notice me staring? Or was she just toying with me?

-Sheeza

Note:

Hey guys! This one was one of the hardest to write. It's not perfect yet, but you know how it is when you get bored with something and just want to get it over with. This chapter was one of those. Yes, it's exciting for you readers, and it would've been amazing for me too if I had gotten it done in one go, but it took so many redoes, undos, and attempts that my brain was totally fried and exhausted by it. Something that was supposed to be fun to write ended up giving me a headache. But when I read this, even though I know the storyline, it still hooks me, and I love it as it is, imperfections and all. I’m sure I’m the only one who notices them, though.

Blogging this story chapter by chapter, while also sharing my thoughts and gathering yours, feels genuinely amazing. It’s like my art isn’t staying hidden anymore, which used to frustrate me. Now, it’s actually being seen by people who enjoy it. I’m so glad to have such a great audience in such a short amount of time. It’s honestly fascinating! I’ll be waiting for your feedback, whether it’s through email or comments—whichever works best for you.

I’m currently writing this on January 10th at 6:35 AM, and I think I won’t be posting this one until Tuesday because I’ve already got chapters lined up for the weekend and another idea for Monday. I hope you’ve checked out all of that before reading this and left a comment. It really motivates and helps, trust me on that.

AAAND YES, whatever, and whenever I upload, whether it’s this chapter or anything else, it will always be at 12pm PKT, every day. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Elena and your ideas about her. Can't WAIT to read them! Ngl she is one of my faves 😉