Monster

It has been a few weeks since the incident and Shiori has been around Dex more often than she thought she would be. She finally started to have feelings for this guy and suddenly Paul disappeared; he was missing school for days and that worried her. When she shared her concern with Dex he was a bit unsure that she should even worry about someone like him.

“He’s probably just has a flu or something” shrugging it off.

Shiori didn’t believe it that much, Paul never really missed school unless something big happened. She has seen Paul come in with a cold and still bullied her to no end which resulted in her getting sick from his constant poking that he does to her.

“Sure” she mumbled as she closed her locker for the day after getting all of her things out.

Ronnie was happy that Shiori has been improving in volleyball and some of the girls were more accepting of her but there were still those few that wouldn’t give her the time of day. It was that kind of close mind that she wanted to bash everyone’s face in but she refrained seeing how happy Shiori is now.

Even if some of those two face people are only being nice because she is now with one of their football players. As Shiori and Ronnie hung out at her place she crossed her legs as she looked at the many rock band posters that her blond friend had.

“Ronnie?”

“Hmm?” as she scavenged through her things to find the skirt she has been looking for.

“Do…do you really think Paul is okay?”

Ronnie paused Shiori said those words before turning around telling her that she had no reason to worry about someone like Paul. It was almost in the exact words that Dex has told her but she couldn’t help but worry.

“What if he’s really sick? Like hospital sick? What if he’s dying?” flying through all of the questions without a second through. The blond looked at her friend incredulously “Do you hear yourself right now?” pointing at her ear as she plopped down in front of her best friend.

“You are worried about the same guy that has been pushing you around since you have moved here. The same guy that humiliated you in gym class freshman year, the same one that spilled soda over your head and ruined your date, the same-”

“Okay, I get you but” she heard her blond friend groan as she banged her head on the mattress beneath her “You’re still worried aren’t you?” she nodded her head shyly as her blue eyes looked at the timid girl.

“Fine, if he doesn’t come back by tomorrow then we can go check on him. No earlier”

---

Shiori nodded as she dropped the subject and went onto something new since Ronnie was tired of talking about Paul.

“Do you see him?”

“No, for the hundredth time; take a fuckin chill pill” Ronnie muttered as they climbed out of the car and into the school where most of the kids were walking in to. Shiori has been scanning the area nonstop to find if Paul has returned back to school; biting her lip she kept looking ignoring the looks that her best friend was giving her.

Ronnie didn’t understand how compassionate and worrisome this girl was to the person that has made her life a living hell. She even thought about the impossible, Shiori having a crush on Paul and when she asked her she confidently told her that she did not. No stuttering or red face.

It was so damn annoying how soft Shiori was at the time; having people step all over her and then still worry about them if they break a leg or have a bad day. Seeing her looking around to Paul was quite painful and seeing Shiori’s boyfriend walking towards them was not a good sign especially since the young girl still hasn’t seen her boyfriend walk her way.

Even when she was looking his way.

When Dex tapped his girlfriend’s shoulder she jumped spinning around in shock, “Dex, hey” returning the hug that he gave her before pulling back. The boy gave her an award winning smile, “What are you doing?” he found her antics incredibly adorable looking around the school like a curious puppy.

“Just looking around to see if Paul is here”

Oh no, Ronnie thought.

She honestly needed to give Shiori the boyfriend 101 guideline; never ever talk about looking for another guy that isn’t your boyfriend. The only exception is that if he is your brother or some kind of relative or gay. Seeing the look on Dex’s face was more than enough evidence that he hated the fact that she has paid so much attention on Paul for no reason.

Shiori smiled when she saw the familiar boy walking across the school but she furrowed her brows when she saw how easily he towered over every person in the school grounds. “What the hell? Did he take steroids?” Ronnie mumbled before her blue eyes caught another guy around the same height as him “Looks like Jared got caught in whatever Paul did too” she mumbled to Shiori pointing at the other tall teen.

Shiori was honestly shocked that within days’ time; Paul has grown significantly taller than anyone she has ever seen. Not even growth spurts were that quick, or were they? “I want you to stay away from Paul and Jared okay? Don’t know what kind of stuff they are capable of” Dex mumbled to his girlfriend.

She didn’t say anything as her eyes were glued to the boy in front of her before they saw eye to eye across the school like he heard Dex say something. Paul just stood there staring at Shiori with this look in his eyes; Jared tried to shake him awake but he wouldn’t budge until Shiori broke contact first.

“What the hell was that?” Paul muttered to himself as he kept glancing back at Shiori wondering what the hell was going on. He just hoped that whatever this was, it wasn’t what he hoped it would be and needed to talk to Sam after school about this.

When Dex kissed her goodbye as he started to walk to his own class, Ronnie leaned in asking what that was about before school started. “What was what?” she whispered back staring at the board seeing the teacher write furiously about the quadratic formula on the board.

“The staring contest you and Paul had”

“Oh that” she mumbled.

“Yes that. What was it?”

Shiori shrugged not knowing what was going on but something seem different when she stared into his eyes. They showed something she never saw before that came from him that was directed to her; it was a soft look before he quickly hardened again masking whatever he was hiding.

She never felt more confused as she stared at the board wondering what the hell was going on with Paul.

---

“What are you thinking about and you better not tell me it’s Paul” Ronnie warned her best friend as she pointed at her friend with a threatening stare. Shiori pursed her lips as she told Ronnie that it wasn’t about Paul or Dex for that matter she was just thinking about her mother and that is more than a month away before she gives birth to her little brother.

“Oh” the blond’s defenses were down as she chewed on her gum before walking up with her to her violin practice. “Your mom will be alright. I mean everything will change with the constant crying brother will make when he comes home and you will be aggravated and wished that you could sleep but other than that it’s pretty cool to have a younger sibling”

Shiori looked at her best friend with narrowed eyes, “You are an only child”

“And that is why I love my younger imaginary siblings so much” she chirped as she walked into the room with the brunette who greeted her instructor. The Russian beauty glanced at Ronnie before she warned her not to disturb her student while she was at her lesson; the blond saluted lazily before she sat back and watched her friend play.

As the couple of hours of practice went by with Ronnie playing with her phone and listening to music Shiori finally was released from the clutches from that evil woman. “Finally! I thought she was going to take you in her talons and fly away or something” as they were far away not to have her overhear.

“She’s not that bad” she protested climbing into her car before Ronnie pleaded with her that she wanted to drive on the way back. Shiori was a bit more protective with her car since it has taken her forever to raise money for it but seeing the look on her friend’s face was more than enough to have her cave.

On their way home, Ronnie bumped up ACDC as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel shouting the lyrics to ‘TNT’. Her blue eyes glanced back at her friend as she mouthed the words,
‘I’m dirty, mean and mighty unclean
I’m a wanted man
Public enemy number one
Understand
So lock up your daughter
Lock up your wife
Lock up your back door
And run for your life
The man is back in town
Don’t you mess me ‘round’

She started to jam in the car once more before she shouted out
‘T.N.T. oi, oi, oi
T.N.T-” both girls screamed when something ran past the car in high speed making Ronnie press on the brakes hurling them forward. Shiori shouted in pain as her seatbelt restricted her from propelling forward to the windshield.

“What the fuck was that?” Ronnie shouted as she looked around.

Shiori breathed heavily as her heart sped up scanning the area with her doe brown eyes muttering, “I don’t know” but something told her to get out of the car. There was a few sounds that was outside that she wanted to check out, “I’ll be right back” she mumbled getting out of the car.

“What the hell! Shi!” Ronnie called out to her best friend seeing her walk farther down the small hill that led to the woods. The blond girl didn’t want anything happening to her so she got out of the car just as quickly before jogging to Shiori’s side. “Get back in the car” pulling her arm back.

“Not yet” she murmured as she inched closer to the cluttered forest.

Ronnie wasn’t afraid of certain things but when the sun was going down the woods would be a place that anyone would be afraid of. “Shiori, let’s go. Its dangerous being out here all alone” she crossed her arms looking around to see if anyone was here with them. Shiori paused as she continued walking in the forest.

As they kept walking, Ronnie finally had enough as she sped up to in front of her with her hands on her hips demanding her friend to get back to the car. “Please, let’s jus-” the blond teen froze as she heard a twig snap, her tough girl act soon faded even more as her heart accelerated at the sound. “What was that?”

It was a stupid question to ask since neither girl knew what it was.

“What are you doing here?” both girls screamed as they spun around seeing Jared standing there with a raised brow.

“J-Jared?” Shiori asked with furrowed brows not really grasping that he was in the middle of the forest with them.

The tall Native looked at Shiori before he smiled, “Shiori, Ronnie, you should go back. It’s pretty dangerous around here at nighttime”

“That’s what I- wait why are you shirtless?” Ronnie pointed at his bare chest.

Shiori pushed that comment out of her mind as she told Jared that they thought they saw something and wanted to check it out. Jared looked at her even more “Wouldn’t you just keep driving instead of checking it out? That is pretty stupid to get out of your car not knowing what is out here”

“Am I the only one that is curious as to how he is shirtless?” Ronnie threw her hands out but the other two ignored her as they kept talking. “Fine, we’ll go” Shiori said, giving up whatever she was trying to find.

“When did you get those abs? Last time I checked you didn’t have a four pack and now you’re here with a six pack” Shiori rolled her eyes as she grabbed her friend’s arm pulling her back mumbling how it was irrelevant to their situation.

“Wait” Ronnie paused “You need a ride or something?” she looked at Jared followed them out of the forest but he just smiled brightly shaking his head.

“Nah, just wanted to make sure you arrived to your car safely. Don’t want your boyfriend to go after us for letting you out of my sight”

Shiori furrowed her brows, “You and Dex aren’t friends…”

Jared just smirked, “I know” that just confused her even more as he waited for them to get into the car again and start driving before he let out a big sigh glancing back at the woods. “You’re a dumbass for running out in front of them like that” he saw Paul walk out of the woods with a frustrated look on his face.

“I didn’t see them”

“Sure you didn’t” shoving his hands in his pockets “Just like you were following them into the city”

Paul rolled his eyes as he grumbled, “I didn’t fucking follow them. I hate her”

“Used to” Jared reminded him as they walked further into the forest making Paul more aggravated about his feelings.