Ding! Ding! Ding!
The bell had just rung, marking the end of another school day.
"Hey Ari! You wanna grab some food? Maybe at that new cafe that just opened up."
A brunette boy with fuzzy hair and a backpack hastily slung over his shoulder approached me. I looked him up and down, judging his wrinkly white button up and black dress pants.
'Nope.'
Although he was following the dress code, his style seemed lacking compared to every other student in the school.
After an awkward silence, I replied, "I'm good, thanks though."
"Don't be such a Debbie downer, c'mon!"
"I'm just not feeling it today."
"Uh… alright, see ya tomorrow then."
With a swift gesture the boy, named Ryan, waved goodbye and turned into the corridor, all giddily.
'What a weirdo. We've never even talked before.'
The classroom was now empty, and I myself was just about to leave.
"Hey, you sure you're not dating anyone? Hehe."
From behind, someone with a cheeky tone tapped on my shoulder. It was my long time friend, Emari.
"Of course not. I'm just, saving myself for someone better… y'know? How about you huh? You must have dozens of boys fawning over you."
"Haha, I'm not that popular." Emari shyly stated.
Except she was.
Her luscious blonde hair looked even softer than her huge chest, her gorgeous face card put others around her to shame, and her dazzling blue eyes sparkled like the stars. On top of that, her kind and cheerful attitude, as if she was an angel, brought in gifts of all kinds from boys.
I looked down at my own chest pathetically.
'What a succubus.'
"Welp, I'm heading home."
"Let me come with you!"
We left the school grounds, heading towards the same direction to our homes.
The day was awfully gloomy today. Clouds blocked out the sun and painted the town gray, whispering breezes eerily swept through the empty alleys, and something else around was unsettling, keeping me uncomfortable.
"You know… Emari… I've wanted to ask you for a while now, but…"
…
"You see those eyestoo, don't you?"
'I must seem crazy asking this.'
"Huh? What're you talking about? What eyes?"
"Oh… haha, just me rambling about some nonsense, y'know?."
"Oh, ok."
We continued our walk in silence.
However, those eyes are real.
Eyes. Human eyes. All around me. They blink, watch, and stare, giving me chills as they tail me.
"See you tomorrow!"
Emari left my side once we reached a split in the road.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
I was now alone.
I sped up, my pace getting faster and faster until I reached my front door. I barely managed to insert the key as I tried to get in with shaking hands. The eyes still surrounded me, following my every move.
"Mom!" I shouted once I entered.
No reply came.
She was out for the day.
I sprinted to my room as fast as I could, weaving in between the seemlessly endless hallway and doorframes. The eyes still followed.
I chucked my belongings across the wooden floor and curled up into bed, covering my head with a blanket. The eyes still followed.
"Leave me alone!"
"Just begone!"
I kept on yelling, shutting my eyelids tight for an unbearably long moment.
Soon enough, with a little peek from under the blanket, those eyes slowly disappeared one by one.
My trembling settled down and I sighed in relief.
'I must be schizophrenic.'
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit and I drifted off into a deep slumber.