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Sky's POV
"Okay, breathe, Sky. Just… breathe," I whispered, peeking around the corner. The janitor's shadow stretched across the hallway like some red-lit nightmare. And yes, he was wearing all red, glowing eyes in the dark—or maybe just the light reflecting off his creepy LED headlamp. Either way, horror movie vibes = 100%.
"Why is it always horror game mode when we're in school?!" I hissed.
Skiez pressed against my side. His presence was… frustratingly close. I mean, come on, personal space much? But also, why did it make my heart thump so fast? Focus, Sky. Janitor. Red light. Not feelings.
Charlie Nick Joe, naturally, had zero sense of fear. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK AT US, PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS! MIDNIGHT ESCAPE, RED-LIT JANITOR, AND OH YES, THE FROG-VOICE GIRL! BRAVO!"
I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain briefly. "Charlie… less screaming, more running. Or we die. Maybe both."
Skiez muttered something under his breath in Chinese. 她疯了吗? (Is she crazy?)
" you love it." I smirked, elbowing him as we slid behind a locker.
Skiez's POV
Why did she always have to crack jokes at the worst possible moment? The janitor was literally three meters away, waving his mop like some demonic red-suited overlord, and she was elbowing me and whispering I love it.
I gritted my teeth, scanning the hall. "Sky, just—stop talking, stop laughing, move!"
She smirked up at me. "Move? Skiez, you move toward me all the time anyway. I'm just… helping. Tactical distraction."
I almost growled. Why am I noticing her smirk right now?!
Charlie, of course, was laughing hysterically behind us. "OH MY GOD, THIS IS EPIC! I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FROG-VOICE GIRL IS LEADING US THROUGH A HORROR GAME! CLASSIC!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Focus. Protect. Don't get distracted by sarcasm… or feelings…
Sky's POV
We darted down a side hallway. My hair stuck to my wet face from earlier rain, snacks bouncing in my backpack like angry marbles. I tripped. Of course I tripped.
"SKYYYYY!" Charlie shrieked, probably imagining my death as a cinematic highlight. "I'M COMING! DON'T DIE, FROG QUEEN!"
I yelped and fell right into Skiez. And yes, his chest was… uncomfortably warm. Great. Horror-movie gravity just turned into heart-thumping Skiy gravity.
"Sky—are you okay?" he muttered, his voice lower than usual. Close. Way too close. I could smell… him.
"Yes. Totally fine. Just… falling into the brooding anime trope." I whispered, flopping dramatically.
Charlie, naturally, had a fit of hysterical laughter behind us. "BROOOOOOO! THIS IS LIKE THE BEST VIDEO GAME EVER! JANITOR VS. SKIEZ AND SKY! RED LIGHTS! SCREAMS! OH MY GOD!"
I muttered: "Charlie, you're making this worse. Or better. Not sure which."
Skiez ignored him, scanning the hallway. And then… he reached out and grabbed my hand.
"What—" I started, but my words were cut off as the janitor turned sharply, his mop swinging.
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Skiez's POV
Instinct took over. I yanked Sky behind me, holding her close, our hands still intertwined. My chest ached. Why is her heart beating like mine? Focus. Janitor. Danger.
Sky groaned dramatically. "Seriously, brooding anime king, you could've let me trip and die. You're… so dramatic."
"I saved you," I muttered, not meeting her eyes. Too late, I could feel my face heat up.
She smirked, leaning slightly into me. "I know. You saved me… and I might like it."
What was that? Did she just— No. Focus. Janitor. Running.
Charlie, meanwhile, had climbed a locker like some kind of chaotic monkey. "OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS! THE FROG-VOICE HERO AND THE BROODING PRINCE! EPIC! RED-LIT JANITOR? SLAY!"
I growled lowly. Focus… survive… don't die… don't…
Sky's POV
We ducked into the supply closet. Darkness. Silence. My heart still pounding from the fall, the chase, and… Skiez's chest.
Charlie's laugh echoed outside. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! BEST ESCAPE EVER! CLASS A, YOU'RE HIRING ME FOR CHAOS CONSULTANT!"
I collapsed against the wall, gasping. "Skiez… maybe… maybe I like horror games… as long as you're involved."
He muttered something sharp, his fingers brushing mine. "Don't… say that…"
Charlie, from somewhere in the hallway: "WHAT DID HE SAY, FROG GIRL? TELL ME! I NEED THE TEA! THE CHAOS!"
I groaned. "Charlie, just… survive. That's the plan. For now."
Skiez squeezed my hand—softly, protectively—and I felt my stomach flip.
Midnight in Section A. Red-light janitor. Chaotic Charlie. And me… trapped in Skiez's arms. Perfect horror movie and perfect...skiy..... moment...
Section A Hallway – Lights Out
The hallway went pitch black. One second, we were dodging mops and red lights. The next… nothing. Just silence, shadows, and the faint hum of the building settling.
My chest tightened instantly. Darkness wasn't just darkness—it was memory, a trigger I didn't want to face. My hands trembled, and my legs felt like lead.
Not again… not alone…
The memories hit me like a tidal wave. The abandoned streets. The cold, empty alleyways. The man. The blows. The screams that never left my throat. My stomach twisted, my heart thumped so loud I thought it would explode.
"Sky…?"
Skiez's voice was there, soft but firm. I could barely see him through the pitch-black, but I knew he was close.
"Sky, look at me," he said, crouching down, his hands gently gripping my shoulders. "Hey… it's me. You're not alone. I'm right here. You're okay now."
I couldn't speak. My lips quivered, my voice buried under the weight of fear. My body shook uncontrollably.
He pulled me into a hug, careful but insistent. "I've got you. Breathe with me, okay? In… out… in… out…"
I clung to him, tears soaking his shirt, my forehead pressed to his chest. I wanted to disappear, but somehow, the warmth of him, the steadiness of his voice, made it just a little easier to survive the memories clawing at me.
"Sky… you're safe. No one's going to hurt you. Not tonight. Not ever while I'm here," Skiez whispered, his breath warm against my hair.
"I… I…" My voice cracked, finally escaping. "I'm… scared… it's… it's too much…"
"I know," he murmured. "And it's okay to be scared. You don't have to be strong all the time. You're allowed to be human. Cry. Scream. Shake. I won't leave you."
I sobbed against him, letting the panic flow. And slowly, with his presence grounding me, I felt the sharp edges of my fear dull slightly.
Skiez didn't let go. He stayed pressed to me, murmuring soft reassurances, letting me bury myself in his hoodie, letting me be vulnerable. And for the first time in a long while, in the suffocating darkness, I felt… protected.
Moonlit Schoolyard – After the Escape
We finally stumbled out into the schoolyard, the chill night air hitting our damp clothes. Moonlight spilled over the empty playground, silvering the swings and cracked concrete. For the first time since the blackout, I could breathe.
Charlie flopped onto a bench, arms spread wide. "Okay, recap: we survived the janitor in red, Sky didn't scream too much, and Skiez didn't kill me. I call that a solid ten out of ten."
I rubbed my arms, shivering slightly, but my mind was elsewhere. My hands still shook—not from the cold, but from memories I hadn't wanted to revisit.
Skiez crouched beside me, his presence steady and grounding. He didn't say anything at first, just watched me with that intense, brooding gaze that made my chest thump faster than it should.
Finally, I whispered, barely audible: "I… I wasn't just scared of the dark. I… I've… I've been left alone before. On streets. People… hurt me. Badly. I… I thought I was going to die that night. And tonight… I felt it all over again."
He didn't move. Didn't flinch. Just reached out, brushing his thumb across my knuckles. "Sky… you're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you. Not here. Not ever. I've got you."
My throat tightened. Part of me wanted to hide, to run, to cry until there was nothing left. But another part—the part that had been screaming for someone to just stay—leaned into him. I let myself collapse a little against his shoulder, trembling, heart racing.
Charlie, oblivious to the tension, flopped dramatically onto the swing set. "Aw, come on! This is moonlit horror therapy time? I call dibs on sarcastic commentary. Sky, how's that frog voice holding up? Still sexy?"
I swatted his arm weakly, trying not to laugh. "Shut up, Charlie. Some of us are… processing trauma, okay?"
Skiez huffed, a faint scowl crossing his face. "Don't encourage him." But there was a softness in his eyes I couldn't miss. He shifted slightly so I could lean closer.
I let out a shaky laugh, half tears, half relief. "I… I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."
"Don't think about that," he murmured. "You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere."
I swallowed, feeling my chest tighten with a mix of gratitude, fear, and… something else. Something that fluttered when he brushed the hair from my damp forehead, when his hand rested lightly on mine.
Charlie's chaotic voice interrupted the quiet: "Ugh! Gross! Are you two going to start a soap opera here or what? Moonlight, trauma, protective brooding guy, and sarcastic frog-voice girl… seriously, Section A deserves an award for dramatic energy."
I giggled through tears. "Shut up, Charlie. You're impossible."
Skiez muttered something under his breath, a string of Chinese curses that I had no idea about—but my mind decided they were probably insults directed at me, and it made me shiver and smirk at the same time. "Yeah, sure, keep cursing me, mysterious guy," I whispered.
He glared, but there was a twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
For the first time in a long while, I felt a tiny spark of calm, surrounded by chaos. Charlie was ridiculous, Skiez was impossibly intense, but here, under the silver glow of the moon, I realized I wasn't alone.
Not for the first time, I thought: maybe danger, trauma, and chaos weren't all that bad when you had someone by your side to face it with you.
And maybe… just maybe… I didn't want him to let go.
Dawn – Walking out of School
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, painting the sky in bruised purples and soft oranges. My shoes slapped against the pavement as Skiez walked beside me, silent but present, his long shadow occasionally merging with mine. I kept glancing at him, trying to figure out if he was annoyed, tired, or just… calculating something—probably all three.
"Hey," I whispered, mostly to break the silence. "You didn't scream at me once back there. Impressive."
He gave a faint snort, eyes forward. "I don't scream at people I'm trying not to crush accidentally."
I blinked. "Accidentally crush me? Uh… that's reassuring."
He didn't answer, just shifted his jacket slightly so our shoulders brushed. My chest skipped a beat, and I had to swallow before speaking again. "You know… you're kind of terrifying sometimes. But… not in a bad way. Well… mostly."
He glanced at me, one eyebrow twitching, and muttered something under his breath in Chinese. I had no clue what he said, but my mind immediately assumed it was "stupid frog-voice girl," and I smirked. "Yep. Definitely me."
We walked in silence for a bit longer, the only sounds being our steps and the distant chirping of birds. I finally broke again. "So… midnight horror game, almost trapped by a red-light janitor, chaos incarnate Charlie… would you call that a normal Section A night?"
Skiez's lips twitched as if holding back a smirk. "Normal is subjective. For you, maybe. For me… not so much."
I elbowed him lightly. "Oh, come on. Admit it. You liked it."
He didn't answer immediately, but his gaze softened, just for a moment. "You're… infuriating."
"Infuriating?" I grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. You're… terrifying. But I like it. Mostly."
His hand brushed mine as we stepped onto the school grounds. I froze, heart hammering. He didn't pull away. Didn't even flinch. Just kept walking beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I swallowed, thinking: maybe the terrifying, brooding Skiez is… secretly soft. And maybe—just maybe—I'm starting to like the idea of finding out exactly how soft he is.
We entered the empty classroom only charlie was there ofc it's midnight dumbass!!!!, damp clothes clinging to us, hair sticking out in wild spikes. Charlie immediately noticed us and flopped into his usual chaos mode.
"SKYYYYY! SKIEZYYY! You survived! The janitor! The dark! The trauma! Section A is officially blessed!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Charlie. Very heroic of us. Can we please… not announce my personal near-death experience to the class?"
Charlie grinned mischievously. "Nah. That's the best part! Also… you two looked cute. Almost romantic! Moonlight horror vibes! I ship it!"
I groaned. Skiez muttered another Chinese curse, probably telling Charlie to shut up. I raised an eyebrow. "Yep. Definitely me he's cursing."
Skiez muttered again, this time slightly louder. "你…真…烦!" (Rough translation: "You… are… annoying!")
I gasped dramatically. "Wow! That's exactly what I thought. Finally, some acknowledgment of my brilliance."
Charlie laughed hysterically, slapping his knees. "You two are perfect. Chaos, trauma, sarcasm, brooding… it's the ultimate Section A ship."
Skiez threw me a side glare, but there was a twitch in his lips, almost like a smile. "Shut up, Charlie."
I whispered to him: "You're smiling. Admit it."
He looked away, muttering: "Maybe."
I smirked, heart doing that weird fluttering thing, and muttered under my breath: "Perfect. Just perfect."
The bell rang. Chaos resumed. But somehow… I didn't feel quite so alone anymore. Skiez was there. Charlie was… chaotic. And maybe, just maybe, this insane Section A life had some small moments that weren't completely terrible.
And, of course… I was already planning sarcastic commentary for the next midnight adventure.