"Really, Rob?" I tilted my head at him, "That's really not how you work a microwave." I stated, shoving myself next to him, trying to get closer to the microwave as I leant over the counter and pressed the undo button.
I laughed at his baffled expression, and took the wrapped waffles from his hands. He cocked his head to the side, "It said on the instructions that--"
"--that you're meant to cook them after removing the packaging!" I interrupted, throwing my hands in the air, to make a more prominent point. "Check your glasses prescription, Robby." I chuckled, ripping the waffles from the wrappers and placing them into the microwave.
"Ooh, well sorry I don't live here." He challenged back, jokingly. Cheekily grinning at me.
"You may not live here, it still doesn't mean that you can work a microwave without burning a house to the ground!" I turned to him, a giant smile on my face, "Let alone mine."
He laughed, and hobbled to the kitchen's island, and plonked down onto a stool. "When will they be ready?" He whined, glance at me, "I am a growing boy, Gabby, I need sustenance."
I rolled my eyes at his little antics, checking the timer in the microwave, "Two minutes. Calm yourself." I mocked.
It had been a few days since the while ordeal with Adam, and since then the whole of the student body have been totally puzzled to why he's been here so often. And so suddenly as well.
But I knew.
He kept turning up at the school, watching me at every glance. It was unsettling to say the least. He wouldn't do anything, nor make any move to talk to me, just stand there.
Just stand and stare.
The timer on the microwave binged, which caused Rob to burst into a grin, "Yay." He exclaimed quietly more to himself than to me.
I grinned, and put the two on a plate, in front of Rob, who demolished the first one in ten seconds flat. "It's hot, you know." I stated, watching his face contort into pain. He nodded, unable to speak with the amount of waffle in him mouth.
I let mine cool down first.
After finishing our breakfast, I followed him out the house, thankful that he offered to drive me into school, not thankful for the breakfast carnage he left in my kitchen after the waffles.
In first period, everything was going so smoothly, until through the silence that had surrounded me, I heard the muttered gossip, and shocked gasps.
"Why do you think Adam Valentino is back in school?" Someone whispered, and the scratching of pens on paper quickly deceased.
A new voice joined the conversation, as the teacher kept bellowing words in German to the class, "I heard that he came to finish what was started with Jayden--"
"I'll bet 20 that Jayden gets knocked on his ass again." The whispered rose.
"Nah!" Someone else scoffed, "I bet 25 that Jayden's had enough of Valentino's bull, he's not gonna let it happen again."
"Be real. Adam didn't even try last time. Jayden's gonna get murdered like the last ones." A female spoke.
"Oh, come on, Kathy, you know that's just bullshit rumours, Valentino probably started to make himself sound hard."
"Oh yea? So where is he then?" The girl spoke again.
I heard a murmured sigh, "Where's who Kathy?"
"You know, the one Adam used to hang around with all the time."
"Kathy, it's just rumours. No one's died. So shut up, God help me you're so annoying."
Someone yelped quietly, "Fuck sake, Kathy what was that for?"
I tuned out by then, trying to regain some sense on what the teacher was saying, but I was never so great at German, I gave up easily, and started doodling on my page.
My stomach churned with anxiety at all the newfound gossip, gossip traveled at the speed of light in this school and it was no wonder people were saying so many different things, it was like playing Chinese whispers.
At lunch, the gossip was all over the school and I heard things whispered from Adam planning to fight Jayden to Adam looking for a potential girlfriend.
Both thoughts were equally nightmarish.
My head scanned around the Lunch Hall, taking in every different face, people were somewhat used to Adam appearing every now and then, so they didn't make such a big fuss out of it like the first time Adam turned up at school after weeks of him being M.I.A. Adam was able to blend into the crowd easily , and watch me from afar.
I felt so trapped most of the time, I felt suffocated in school, I didn't want to be stalked but that's how it felt.
It was horrific.
"Gabby?"
I snapped my head back to Rob, who stared at me with concern. "Are you okay?"
I nodded.
"Are you sure, because you've been acting like this for days now and it's worrying..." he drawled.
I threw him a convincing smile, and nodded again,"Don't worry about me, I've just been feeling weird, is all." I then returned back to my searching.
But today I didn't see him.
And somehow that worried me more than anything else.
Rob glanced back over at me from the corner of his eyes, his lips pressed together tightly as he nodded. I shut my eyes, and let myself listen to the sound of the Lunch Hall, my ears trying to pinpoint any whispers. Mainly focusing on the gossip.
The rest of the day flew surprisingly quickly; regrettably, I had zoned-out in most of my lessons, which definitely wasn't my smartest move. I caught the bus home, glancing over my shoulder every now and then, yet was greeted with no sign of Adam.
The whole intensity of the situation had me sick to my stomach with a dreaded anticipation.
I rushed into my house, locking the door behind me. I dumped my bag onto the side, sighing and rolling my eyes at the mess Rob left in the kitchen.
The darkness of the night fell quickly, more so as winter drew closer, and I hadn't even peeked at the time until I realised it was scarily late.
I yawned, crawling into bed, my mind swirling with worries.
Subconsciously, I thought back to Adam, and really wished that I hadn't. I didn't understand his sudden uninterested in me, a part of me was over-the-moon and undoubtedly relieved, but another part of me was panicked, and paranoid.
It certainly didn't help when there was a chorus of taps at my window.
I shuddered, ignoring the sound, and shuffled further under my blankets. But the sound wouldn't stop.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
I clenched my eyes shut, daring sleep to yank me from reality.
I wrapped the blanket around my body and over my head, because of my short height the purple, fluffy blanket still dragged along the floor as I glided cautiously toward the window, where the sound was intensifying.
I attempted to convince myself to stop, completely dead in my tracks, knowing the outcome of what had happened last time I let curiosity get the best of me.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
But I couldn't stop, the noise infuriated me, and if it was a branch I would simply move it away from the window.
There was nothing else it could be. That's what I convinced myself, at least.
Slowly, I pulled the curtain inches back.
Peeking through the small gap, I was shocked when the window reverberated as a minuscule pebble slammed against it pinged off it again.
I flinched away as another one flung where my face was. I frowned, looking where the small rocks where coming from.
And as always, I was greeted with the same sight.
Adam stood below, wearing his classic annoyed expression, as he stopped chucking pebbles and crossed his arms over his chest, I could barely make it out that it was him, his black attire camouflaged into the darkness of the outside.
He raised his eyebrows, and shifted his head in a motion to beckon me down there.
I shut the curtain once more.
Breathing heavily, I contemplated on what to do. Nothing good could come from going with him, best case scenario would be the police actually find my lifeless corpse somewhat soon after tonight.
Finding no other option I really hoped the police were good at what they do.
I urged my feet to stop moving; to act rationally and truly think about what I was doing.
But somehow I couldn't.
A newfound curiosity within me had been spiked, it was like a shot of heroin, I didn't understand my sudden fascination toward Adam, I was absolutely terrified of him that was a no-brainier. But more and more, that intense feeling just seemed to urge me on, and it wasn't healthy.
I cautiously opened the door, praying it was silent, as my dad had come home early, peeking my head out I squinted through the darkness to meet Adam's rich brown eyes.
He was dressed in all black, which had him practically melting into the night. On his shoulders, he supported his usual leather jacket.
Our eyes made contact, and I wondered what he was doing here, I raised my eyebrows, questioningly and hoped that he could make it out through the darkness.
"I know a way that I can trust you."