Monday was dragging without Roman here. He took the day off to help Julius settle back in the house.

I decided I didn't like school without Roman. Considering I didn't have any classes with Val and still ate lunch in the library, things felt pretty lonely.

At least people seemed to leave me alone for the most part these days. I had that to be grateful for.

I was settled in my usual chair in the library with a book opened up and my lunch sitting on the table next to me. I couldn't concentrate though. I was wondering about Roman.

I brought my phone out, ready to send him a quick text, when his name lit up on my screen with a call. I smiled at the coincidence before answering. "Hey, Roman."

"Hey, Bear."

"How are you guys?"

"Julius is napping. I finally convinced him that going to work wasn't a good idea."

I laugh at his brothers stubbornness. "I'm glad you're there to babysit."

"He's probably going to book it tomorrow when I'm not here to watch him. Are you doing okay over there?"

"I'm bored, Roman. Boreeed. Did you know that when dinosaurs were alive, there were active volcanoes on the moon?"

It was Roman's turn to laugh, a short huff of air through the phone. "Did boredom drive you into looking up more fun facts?" Of course, he says fun like he doesn't really mean it.

"No, I knew that one already. But I learned there are no numbers under one thousand has the letter A in it."

"I thought numbers were numbers and letters were letters."

"Not if you're spelling numbers. Duh."

"Alright, genius. What are you doing tonight?"

I sigh. "I'll be working after practice later but you can always come by to keep me company."

"I was going to make you come over actually so I can still watch Julius. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

>><<>><<>><<>><<

I was used to the feeling of being watched. Especially earlier in the year when everyone was doing it. This time it sent shivers down my body and goosebumps formed on my arms.

I was in the gym after school for cheer practice running the familiar drills when I felt it. I looked around but the girls were too focused in their tasks to pay me any extra attention. Even Naomi.

Then I look to the boys and found the same thing. They were running lay up drills in two lines to practice from each side. Boys who were waiting messed around and talked with each other.

Axel, who hadn't bugged me since that conversation with Roman, was up for his lay up. I watched as he shot his ball in the rim and went back to the end of the line. He said something to the person in front of him and caught my eye as he shook his head.

Axel throws me a wink before going back to his task. A shiver runs through me as I realize I was looking for too long. If he wasn't watching me before I really hope he didn't get the wrong idea now.

I refocus on getting through practice until the feeling is long gone. I put in the energy and my energy feels gone. On top of that, I still have to get through a shift of my job before this day is over.

I had a quick shower in the dressing rooms since I didn't want to show up sweaty to my job. Val stayed to keep me company, carrying conversation with me on the other side of my shower wall.

I didn't ignore the feeling I had before and Val didn't take much convincing at all to follow me back to my school locker where I left my car keys and a few books.

Since my shower held me back on good time and Val in a were distracted from our talking, I quickly threw open my locker, loaded all my things into my bag, and shut it closed again.

"Wait Briar," Val stops me as I'm walking in the opposite direction towards the exit. I turn around to see her bent to the ground picking up a folded piece of paper from the floor. "Here, this fell out of your locker."

I frown at it but take it from her anyway. I don't remember what this paper was but I throw it in my bag.

My shift at the dinner turned out to be a shorter one since business was slow tonight. My manager let me out early and I couldn't have been more grateful.

Since Roman and I already discussed we would see each other tomorrow, I went straight home. Aunt Gina and I had dinner and we cleaned the kitchen together and talked about our days. It had become our routine when we both had nights off together. I found comfort in our growing conversations.

I in my bedroom later putting my books back into my school bag when a paper crumbled at the bottom. I dug inside and pulled the folded sheet out. I had forgotten this was in my locker until just now. I couldn't remember when I put it in my locker in the first place.

However, when I unfolded the sheet I immediately knew that this wasn't something I had placed in my locker myself. Because scrawled on the paper in heavy small letters the words...

I haven't forgotten you yet.

My blood ran cold. Every joint in my body stiffened and the air was sucked straight from my lungs.

This had to be a joke. Somebody decided that I wasn't done being messed with. I hated the idea that people only left me alone because Roman was there now, yet he's gone one day and they think it's time to squeeze what they can.

I crumble the paper into a tight ball and toss it in my bin. Axel's smug little wink played over and over again in my brain.

What an idiot. What a senseless, stupid, idiot.

What the hell is he going to gain from this? Scare me for one moment and then what? Shrivel back into his shell he's been hiding in since Roman knocked some sense into him?

I snatch the wadded paper from my bin and take another look at it, as if the words on the paper had magically disappeared. Of course, they hadn't. I toss the paper again in a fit, too angry to be impressed that it had bounced off the wall and back into my book bag.

Then, I start to pace. In short time, my blood had went from cold to boiling. It was on very rare occasion that I let anger overcome me. And now... now... I wanted to punch something.

The plushie on my book shelf fell victim to my rage. It took four pounds into his squishy plushie face until I paused and remembered how much I loved him. So instead, I shoved him into my face and let out all my rage through a scream that was muffled into his fluff.

I lay face up on my bed staring at the ceiling and contemplated what I was going to do. It took me minutes on repeat to come up with nothing.

Which is exactly what I was going to do. I wasn't going to justify this with any kind of reaction. I'll go about my life as if I had never received it in the first place.

I was going to do absolutely nothing.

A/N: schools out and I'm excited. Happy reading my shining stars <3