PRANKS and KISSES | 1 ✔️

Chapter 3: Deals and Conditions

Subject: The walls we built

Being invisible, there is one thing I learned, people can only hurt you if you let them inside your world. As long as they're outside, they don't have the power to hurt you.

So over the years, I built these walls around me where only few people can enter, people like my parents and Shawn whom I'm sure will never hurt me even if I give them the power to.

I was happy with my walls. But lately, I started noticing things I haven't noticed before, like how high the walls are now, how they constantly keep expanding endlessly, enveloping my life in a suffocating embrace.

I started feeling concerned. The walls I built are starting to block the light from entering, slowly making my world a little darker, colder, and somewhat... lonelier.

And now I am terrified that the very walls I built to keep people out will be the very same thing that will trap me inside.

***

It took me three days to finally convince myself that Hunter wouldn't kill me on my sleep. I knew it was crazy bordering on paranoia, but it was Hunter we were talking about here; no one really knew what made that guy tick.

My neck still felt stiff for keeping my head low in Physics for three consecutive days so that Hunter wouldn't notice that I was in the same class. I had to pretend that I had throat surgery just so I wouldn't have to answer any of Mr. Charleston's questions, and I also had to wear my hood up all day in order to hide my face, which wasn't that big of a deal except for the fact that it was scorching hot these past few days.

Thank God, it seemed like all of my effort worked because Hunter never gave an indication that he was aware of my existence. Or maybe he was just busy with his one week detention as the result of going all Incredible Hulk on Rush that was why he wasn't able to deal with me yet.

Nevertheless, I started to loosen up a bit so that I could concentrate on more important things, like Kenji's blossoming romance with Queen Sophie. I knew I didn't have the right to feel jealous but all I could think of was that I could have been her if I wasn't such a big coward.

"Sky? Are you still there?" my thoughts were interrupted when I heard Shawn's voice on the other line.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Can you repeat that for me?" I adjusted my cell phone so I could clearly hear what he was saying. I felt guilty for drifting off again and not listening to my one and only friend.

It was Friday, and I decided to go home early after school. I didn't feel like going anywhere, not like I had somewhere to go to. I'd never been invited to any parties. Just some perks of being invisible.

Shawn said he had a date with a girl he met online. He was really excited about it and I felt the same for him. Sadly, the girl turned out to be a creepy thirty year old man in a drag.

Shawn wasn't homophobic but he was still creeped out when he realized that he had been flirting with a gay guy for almost a month.

"I was almost half-inlove with her, I mean, him! How sick is that?"

He sounded so miserable that I wanted to go wherever he was and give him a nice bear hug.

"I think I need to see a shrink or something. She was my dreamgirl, goddammit!"

"I'm so sorry, Shawn. Do you want me to come and get you?" I offered.

I heard him sigh.

"Nah, I'm on my way home now so no need."