All Chapters of The Quarry Boy: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The walk back to class appeared longer than the exit.Eli did not say anything this time... no sarcasm, no sermon. Only the quiet sound of his sneakers on the linoleum, beside mine, was silent. But the hallway wasn't silent. Not quite.Every other step or two, I saw a glance aimed in my direction. then away. Those who did not even attempt to hide it let their eyes track me as if they were marking my place in some tale they were already writing for themselves.Two girls standing by the lockers fell silent as we passed by. One tilted her head at me and whispered something that caused the second girl to furrow her eyebrows.I locked my face, thinking maybe if I didn't budge, it wouldn't stick. My skin crawled, though.Eli seemed to catch on. "Just walk," he grumbled, not looking at me."I am walking.""You're twitching.""I'm not twitching.""You are," he said and vanished down the next hall without looking back to make sure I followed him.I trailed along behind him, as I wasn't going t

Eli didn't break step, like he hadn't even noticed them. Like moving forward was the only option. I tried to stay close, but my legs were stiff, my bag tugging harder on my shoulder with every step.The lot emptied as students got on buses or rumbled off in automobiles, leaving behind the low drone of engines and the occasional ring of laughter. Darren's group stayed, shapes against the fading light, waiting.We were maybe twenty feet away when Darren pushed off from the car hood.He didn't rush, didn't preen... just stepped ahead, steady and certain, as if this was a done deal. His crew followed him, fanning out some, and suddenly there wasn't as much space between us as before. My throat parched out. I kept walking, anyway, even if each step felt more like being pulled than moving of my own volition.When we were a few feet away, Darren shifted, turning his body just enough to block the sidewalk. Eli slowed his step, not stopping, but making it clear he wasn't going around.The air

Morning air always stung, but today it felt biting, as if cold had teeth. The kind that found your weak points, the ones you didn't even know were weak. I cinched my jacket, but it made no difference. My backpack hung heavy on my shoulder, every step a reminder that I marched headlong into the same walls, the same glares, the same brewing storm.The pavement stretched out before me in big patches and cracks, a topography I knew all too well. I passed the corner shop with shutters still down, the empty bus stop where litter swirled on the breeze. Familiar images, but none of them seemed safe. Not today. Not with the memory of Darren's eyes yesterday still seared inside me.Each noise jumped out more forcefully than usual. The tread of sneakers on the pavement behind me startled me, even though I knew it was only some kid rushing to catch a bus. A car backfired down the street and I nearly tripped over a sidewalk crack. My chest kept tightening as if I were already getting ready for som

The corridor exploded with noise the instant the bell released - lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking, a hundred voices stacked up on top of each other until it was all one dense, cacophonous hum.But I only heard Darren's voice.See you around, Quarry Boy.The words lingered, hovering, like honey on the bottom of my shoe. Each step I made weighed me down, bearing the echo with me along the corridor.I pulled my books closer to myself, trying to distract me with the crowd instead - the throng of bodies, the bump of shoulders, the constant shuffle of movement. But that was also wrong. Too loud. Too close.Every laugh was tighter, every whisper warped, as if they were all meant for me.I slumped forward, pushing on. Trying to blend in, fade away in the noise.But no matter how fast I hurried, I could feel Darren's eyes still upon me.Watching.Waiting.I had not noticed him at first. The noise and press of people swallowed everything up. But then from the corner of my vision, a shoulder

The room buzzed before the bell even fell silent. Students leaned forward in their seats, their pitches higher than usual, some tossing wadded paper down the aisles. The substitute teacher stood at the front of the room on the lip of the desk, smiling like she was aware of the punch line."Okay, you know the routine," she said, sweeping a hand indifferently across the chalkboard where some half-hearted scribbles of chalk had been left. "Just. read the chapter and read the questions at the end. Easy day."Easy for her.To me, the room had lost its walls, sound pouring all over. No safety, no order. The normal teacher would've had eyes on every corner, but not this one? She was already scrolling her phone.I shifted down in my seat, trying to become invisible behind my book.That was when I realized the shift... Darren sliding into the chair behind me. Close enough that I could hear the scratch of his chair, the whispered scent of his cologne. My stomach was tightening up.And seated ju