Semua Bab Chasing Midnight Promises : Bab 71 - Bab 80

I was panicking.My heart thundered so hard I felt it in my ears. My breaths were sharp and broken, like I couldn’t get enough air. Raven was limp in my arms. Her body was so still, it scared me more than whatever was behind that locked door. And the door... it was still locked.What do I do? What do I do?My brain wasn’t working. It was like my thoughts had scattered into the air, lost in the echo of Raven’s scream. My chest tightened. My hands trembled.And then, my body did what my mind couldn’t.I screamed.A piercing, gut-wrenching sound ripped from my lungs, tearing through the silence of the school washroom. It was raw. Wild. I screamed again—louder—until I could hear my own voice bounce back at me from the tiled walls. My throat burned, but I didn’t stop. I kept screaming, hoping someone would hear. Someone had to.And then I heard it—footsteps. Voices.“Where’s it coming from?!”“The girls’ washroom!”The door burst open. A group of seniors and two teachers stumbled in, eyes

Victoria, Raven's mother, locked eyes filled with dread with her husband, James Bradford. Her breath hitched, as if something sharp had lodged between her ribs.“What’s wrong with Noah?” her voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.James drew in a long, labored breath. His eyes flicked toward the window, then back to her. The muscles in his jaw tightened.“The police are at the house,” he said quietly. “Ellen’s parents called for his arrest. He’s fighting them off.”Victoria staggered. “What?!” she gasped, the word tearing from her throat. Her hands flew to her mouth. For a moment, she just stood there, trembling. Then she turned sharply and rushed to Raven’s bedside. She kissed her daughter quickly on the forehead, whispered something none of us could hear, and spun toward the door.James stepped in front of her, calm but unyielding.“Where are you running off to?” he asked, his voice low.Victoria tried to move past him, frantic now. Her breath came in rapid bursts, fingers twitch

Raven and I stood at the front door like statues carved from suspense. The door was shut, but the glass panel let us see everything—the darkening driveway, the bruised sky glowing in shades of violet and gold, the porch lights flickering on and casting soft halos across the concrete.My fingers curled tightly around the frame while Raven shifted nervously beside me, her eyes flicking toward the driveway every few seconds. The warmth of the day had slipped away, leaving behind a tension that hummed in the air like a waiting storm.Mom had heard the sharp double honk of Dad’s car from the kitchen. She rushed in, apron still tied around her waist, streaks of flour on her cheek like forgotten war paint. The scent of cinnamon and garlic butter trailed behind her, but nobody noticed. Right now, food was the last thing on our minds.We were all waiting—for answers. For truth. For the storm we feared was rolling in behind Noah’s name.Then we heard it—the car door shutting.Dad’s footsteps cr

Noah slowly pushed himself off the ground, staggering slightly as he rose to his feet. His lip was split, blood trailing down his chin, but his eyes stayed locked on Eric—stern, cold, unreadable. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from something heavier. Pain. Hate. Disappointment he wasn’t ready to show. Eric, just a few steps away, stood with his chest heaving, fists clenched, rage carved deep into his features.The courtyard was dead silent. Not a single student moved. Even the teachers, though closer now, kept a cautious distance. No one, not even Noah’s mother, stepped forward. Her hands trembled at her sides, eyes wide with disbelief. She looked like she’d just watched her son turn into someone she didn’t recognize.Everyone was stunned. Not just at the fight, but at who had thrown the punches.Eric and Noah had always been the closest. Inseparable. They walked the halls like kings, ruled the parties, and finished each other’s sentences. They were each other’s shado

Principal Jeffery paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.“All four of you were meant to face expulsion. That was the standing decision until today. But that fight, as terrible as it was, showed us something. It showed us that someone—at least one of you—understands the weight of what happened.”He folded his arms behind his back.“So here’s what will happen. You will all be suspended for three weeks. And when you return, the three of you—Eric, Derrick, and James—will relieve every janitor in this school for one week. Bathrooms. Classrooms. Offices. No exceptions.”A few gasps moved through the hall, but no one dared speak.Then, at that exact moment, Noah began adjusting his bloodstained shirt, his shoulders relaxing slightly as if preparing to stand and walk out.Principal Jeffery’s eyes narrowed.“All three of you,” he said firmly. Then, after a beat, added, “Except Noah Bradford.”The room froze.Noah’s head snapped up, confusion flashing in his eyes as he met the pri