I had a dream I was locked in a room with four sets of hands grabbing at me. No bodies, just the hands as they traced around my body, I wanted to kick and scream but couldn’t. I could only feel eerie sensations all over. I thrashed about and found myself on the floor of my room wrapped in my comforter and my hair all in my face.

“Hey Babe!” Chris was standing on the porch as I opened the front door.
“I wearing this for you today,” I turned around and curtsied so he could see the red cut-off and my mini skirt. I would have to put on my flannel later so no one would get onto me about the dress code school, but until then, it was for the greatest man in my life.
“Looking good, Tai,” Tony said from the driver’s seat. Matt sat in the front passenger, allowing Chris to sit with me in the back.
Chris opened the door for me, and I had to give him a large smile.
“I bought something for you, babe. To celebrate our one-year anniversary.”
Chris reached into his jacket and handed a small case to me. I opened it to reveal a platinum bracelet engraved with a set of gold entwined hearts.
“It’s beautiful, thank you,” I replied as it fit perfectly on my wrist. “Riley’s at practice this morning?”
“Yep, he’s going to take us to state this year,” Matt replied as I climbed in. Chris closed the door and went around the car to get in on the other side,
“We should go to the game and cheer him on,” I said as I clicked my seatbelt.
“If you want to go Tai, babe, sure.”
“What about you two?”
Matt looked at Tony and Tony nodded.
“Cool,” I said as Chris took a hold of my hand.

We had been friends forever, always playing outdoors and having adventures. We remained friends after junior high when I should have pulled away from them and chosen a new crew to hang with, but I refused to leave them behind. I swatted away the queen bees and the fake guys who didn’t care to know but only wanted what I refused to ever give them. My friends were like the Fantastic Four, always there to lend me a hand.
“I’m going to take the car out of town tonight.”
“You’re going to race, Tony?” Chris asked.
“Just this once. There’s these dudes from Jefferson who think they can outrun me.”
“Be careful, Anthony,” I said.
“Thanks, Tai, I think I know how it will all turn out.”
“Just you?” I asked as Tony looked in his rearview mirror.
“Do you want to go, babe?” Chris asked.
“As long as I’m not in the car at the time. We can be your cheerleaders at the finish line, right Chris?”
Chris smiled and squeezed my hand.
Tony parked in a spot reserved especially for him. He had saved the mayor’s son from kidnappers and so to repay him, the town gave him a special spot right next to the front of the building. It worked out for all of us, so we didn’t have to park so far away. The four of us got out and walked as a group to the school.
We were friends with everyone at Liberty, but we kept ourselves as a tight-knit group. Chris was warm and inviting to everyone he encountered and had at one time talked a former wrestler named Barry from jumping off the roof of the school. He just had that calming voice that made you feel at ease.
Riley was the football team. The others were just there to keep the game official Matt made everyone smile with his silly antics and spectacular humor. We all thought he could win the trip to Hollywood on “Americas’s Got Talent.” I was on cloud nine for being their friend.

“Have a great morning, Christpher,” I whispered and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“See you at break, Tai. Love you, babe.”
“I love you too,” I replied as I walked down the hall to my first class.

There was someone sitting in my desk, but I decided to just sit next to her. It wasn’t worth it to make a scene to tell her to move. She saw me make eye contact and then got up.
“You don’t have to get up,” I said with a wave of my hand. “It’s cool.”
“Thanks. I’m Katie.”
“Tai. Welcome to Liberty,” I replied as I sat in the next desk.
“Thank you, you’re the first person to talk to me today, except for the office workers. This school is huge.”
“It is. I can help you find your classes.”
“Thanks.”
I laid my books on the desk and my bracelet made a clinking noise as I had forgotten it was my wrist.
“Is that silver?”
“Platinum.”
“Ooh, girl. There’s some coin invested in that,” Katie commented as she tapped at the bracelet.
“I don’t need fancy jewelry. My guy’s love is all for which I could ever wish.”
“He sounds like such a gentleman.”
“I’ll have to introduce you to our group, they’re all great.”
Mr. Frederickson walked into class with a bottle of Pepsi, but it was widely rumored it was spiked with Fireball, especially when he would stop in front of his desk and rattle off a bad pun.
“I saw a right triangle resting under a tree and I thought, "Wow, 90 degrees in the shade! Now, we have a new student in class. Where is Katherine, umm..Waldneedy?”
Katie smiled and raised her hand.
“Welcome to Geometry, Katie,” Mr. Frederickson said as he handed a textbook to Katie.
“Thank you, sir,” she replied with a nod.
She opened her textbook and her eyes popped out.
“Someone wrote all of the answers in this book,” she whispered.
I gave her a thumbs up. “I wish I knew it all sometimes.”
Katie nodded.

I found it hard to concentrate during second period. The words in my textbook were incomprehensible gibberish, I couldn’t write anything that made grammatical sense, and the area where my bracelet was clicked on itched like crazy. I released the clasp on bracelet and took it off to see if I had a rash or maybe the metal was poisoning me. I placed it to the side of my desk and examined my arm. There was a slight red line, but maybe that was because I had it on too tight. I glanced at my textbook, and I could once again see the words on the page and read my handwriting.
“Where did you get that bracelet?” Shelley Whitman whispered. Shelley was my unofficial BFF. Unofficial, as my best friend was Chris, but I would talk with Shelley, compare notes and get to know of any rumors in the air.
“Christopher,” I replied.
“Nice. Can I see it?”
I nodded as I handed it over to Shelley and she placed it on her wrist and admired it.
“It’s very pretty. Kind of heavy.”
“Yeah, it was hurting my wrist for a moment, and I had a mark…”
The red lines on my arm were gone and my skin no longer itched. I glanced at my textbook, I could once again read it, and I was able to decipher my handwriting. I had been writing a note to Chris during the entire hour of class. I’d have to give it to him to read later.
“I’m feeling something from this. It’s like I want one too.”
“A bracelet or Chris?”
“Both, maybe,” she replied and then took it off and handed it back to me.
“I’m kidding with you, Tai. But the dual hearts etching, that means something, you know.”
I nodded as I placed the bracelet closer to my wrist and left the clasp open.

“Tai! Chris called out as I walked out of my second period class at the sound of the bell..
“Hello, Chris.”
“I bought you a donut. A bear claw, your favorite.”
He offered up the pasty with both hands. I saw a bead of sweat fall from his temple.
“Are you alright, Chris?”
“Oh yeah, had to do a speech in Spanish. It was brutal.”
I nodded as I took the donut, broke it in half and handed half of it to him.
“Did you still want to go see Tony’s race?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it. Those guys from Jefferson won’t know what hit them.”
“It sounds so exciting,” I replied, “it will be my first race to see in person.”
“It’s kind of loud. There was this one guy who tech-ed out his ride with some nitrous-oxide.”
“Well, Tony won’t need anything like that,” I said as I saw Matt wave at us. His nose appeared bloody, and he had a paper towel on it. I broke away from Chris and ran over to him.
“Matt, what happened?”
“I don’t know. I just had a large headache,” he replied as he looked towards Chris.
“Mr. Henry’s chemistry test?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t think straight during it.”
“How long has your nose been bleeding?”
“A few minutes.”
“You should go to the nurse.”
“I should be okay, Tai. Chris, can you come with me to look at this?”
“Yeah, sure,”
“I’ll see you at lunch, Tai,” Chris said.
“You got it,” I replied as I kissed him on the lips, leaving a bit of donut glaze on his face.
“I shall see you later,” Chris replied as he walked with Matt to the restroom.
I finished eating the donut as I walked to my locker.

I expected to be able to read a book through third period, but things were strange the moment I stepped through the threshold: everyone was frozen in time. The shock of my statue-ish looking classmates was more than I could handle so I ran out of the room and back into the hall.
“Someone help!” I yelled, but everyone else in the hall were also immobile. It was like I was in a high school exhibit at Madame Tussaud’s.
I ran to the stairwell and started to climb up to find Chris but Matt stood at the middle landing.
“Are you okay, Tai?”
“No, Matt, everyone is a statue or something. Do you know what’s going on?”
“No, but we’ll figure it out together. Come on.”
I nodded and followed Chris to the second floor. The hallway was empty, and it looked like everyone was in class.
“Weird,” I replied as I peered into Mrs. Witzski’s room and barely saw her five-foot one frame across the room. I almost opened the door, but Chris tapped on my shoulder.
“Let’s check another room and see if more people are affected.”
“You’re so calm, Chris. This is high on my “X-files” list.”
“Everything will be okay, come on.”
He reached his hand out to me, and I took it.
Chris was being brave indeed during this craziness and as much as I should have been freaking out more and more, I felt reassured as we walked over to a classroom across the hallway. Chris opened the door, walked in and turned on the lights. It was a storage room.
“What’s in here?”
“We are,” he replied.
“Yeah, I can see that, Chris, but why?”
“It’s a safe space from whatever is going on.”
“How?”
“Tai, there’s something you need to know,” Chris stated as he took both of my hands.
“What?”
“There’s someone who is controlling you.”
“Controlling me? Like how? Subliminal messages? Radio signals?” I asked as I took off my flannel shirt and threw it onto the counter next to an old paper cutter.
“They have powers they’re using them on you, but you have to fight them. You can break away.”
“Who?” I asked as I removed my belt.
“If I speak their name, then we’ll be located, and we can’t let that happen.”
I nodded as Chris moved closer and kissed me, a deep and passionate kiss and I immediately reciprocated.
“You’re beautiful,” he said as he ran his hands down my arms.
“I can be more beautiful if you can help me with this skirt.”
“I would be happy to,” Chris replied as he unclipped two buttons and my Abbey Dawn skirt fell to the floor. I stood in a torn crop-top, and a VS pink thong. I should have been freezing but all I could do was wonder what we were going to do next.
Chris picked me up, sat me on the counter and kissed my neck. It felt serene and like it was always meant to feel. Chris raised my hands and took off the crop top.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m whatever you want me to be, Christopher Newsom,” I whispered as I jumped down and into his awaiting arms. We kissed again and I felt his hands squeeze my breasts. I wanted him to keep going but there was a thought in my head. It was the same thought I had the day before. My hands went to his jeans, and I felt his hardness longing to be free from its denim and cotton prison.
I looked up to his eyes for permission and Chris nodded so I pulled at the button, causing the zipper to rip apart and his jeans to fall. He moved my hands in a position to lower his underwear and I giggled at the thought of doing this for the first time, but I was in presence of someone who was protecting me from a dark force. I had my own dark force within me as I took a hold of his erect manhood and moved my lips close to it.
I heard a “dripping noise” and then felt something on my hand, blood. I looked to see Chris’ nose bleeding profusely.
“Chris, are you okay?”
“Yea, yea, keep going, please,” he pleaded. “He can’t find us just yet.”
“Who? I…What the hell?” I yelled as I stepped back and covered myself with my hands.
“It’s okay, Tai, it’s okay.”
“No, no it is not okay. Why am I standing here like this?”
“You wanted to”
I shook my head as I grabbed my clothes and tried to quickly get dressed. Chris’ bloody nose was dripping faster, like he was hemorrhaging from his brain.
“Let’s get dressed and take you to the nurse.”
“I’m fine, Tai, could you please continue, I would love it if you would.”
I stopped getting dressed. I had my top and flannel on, but my skirt and belt were still on the floor.
“If I do this, then you’ll go get help?”
“It’s getting better, right?”
“Yes,” I replied as I kneeled. “Where were we?”
Chris moved my face closer to his hardening erection and I reached my tongue out.

A door exploded open behind us.
“You!” Matt’s voice boomed.
“It’s not what it looked like, Matt.”
“What’s it supposed to look like, Chris? Of all the stupidest shit you could say!”
May face moved closer but then I felt another hand on my shoulder.
“Go on and get dressed, Tai.”
“Why” I asked, but I obeyed and started to gather my clothes.
Both of them stared at me as I got dressed, but Matt then slapped Chris across the face.
I casually got dressed and then turned to Chris.
“I’ll see you at lunch. We have just got to discuss a few things,” Chris said as he leaped from the edge of the counter and pulled his jeans back up.
“Okay, I’ll see you at lunch. Matt, are you feeling better?”
“I will be in a few minutes.”
“Bye, Chris,” I turned and walked out of the room.

The clock on the wall showed it was almost time for third period. I couldn’t figure out why I was on the second floor.