Prologue
ADDIE'S POV
Dear Diary,
I've settled in quite nicely, and the room I was assigned to is much bigger than I had imagined despite the two of us being in it. I haven't met my roommate yet; she seems to be missing.
"Or maybe not," I mumbled, my gaze flickering to her bedside, which was opposite mine. It looked like it had just been laid in with the bedsheets rumpled, several books lying on it, and a sign I was only just noticing now with the words, "THIS IS LENI'S, BACKOFF!" written in block letters.
Rolling my eyes, I glanced away at my dairy and continued to scribble.
And guess what? I got the bed closest to the window, which I believe will be my favorite spot in the dormitory. I can oversee everything happening outside and enjoy a nice view of the sea, which is surprisingly close by. It's strange because, despite reading the brochure provided to me before my arrival, I had no idea we were surrounded by water.
Tomorrow marks my first day at school since it's gotten quite late. I'm hoping for something exciting to happen...
"Fuck!" A growl sounded, making me jump.
Startled, I slapped a hand over my mouth, and the pen I was holding clattered to the floor. With wide eyes, I spun around and locked eyes with a boy about my age who was panting.
His hands rested on his legs, and he bent over. I observed his shoulders rising and falling, trying to understand the situation.
"Elena?" I stammered, studying him up and down, attempting to determine his gender.
From what I could see, he didn't strike me as female. He had a baseball cap atop his blond hair and wore a face mask that made it even harder to tell. His physique didn't convey femininity either. Despite his baggy shirt, I could make out his broad shoulders, a slim waist accentuated by his leather pants, and... large feet.
Yep. They were huge. Judging by the size of his shoes, I wouldn't label him as female.
"You're not Elena," I managed to say once I could speak clearly again.
All I received in response was a grunt as he stared at me. Though I couldn't see his eyes clearly due to the dim lighting in the room, I knew he was looking at me.
"What do you want?" I began, but my statement was cut off when he smoothly dashed towards me, moved to my back, and slapped a hand over my mouth.
Fuck. He was fast.
"Don't," came the gruff response, and I shuddered. Was he going to kill me? Was he a fucking serial killer? Oh, my fucking goodness! I hadn't even spent twenty-four hours here, and I might already be facing death.
What about my parents? What would they think? Several thousand thoughts swirled in my head as I considered how my parents would react to the news of my demise.
Would they find out immediately, or would my absence be concealed until they grew concerned enough to inquire about me? I had no answers, and this intruder seemed to sense my fear because he whispered in my ear, "I can hear you breathing."
"I'm a living thing, and I'm supposed to respire," I mumbled as his hand remained over my mouth.
At least I could still speak.
"What?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
An urge to jam my foot into his shoe-clad huge feet surged within me. However, I doubted he would feel anything, and I couldn't be sure I'd survive the attempt, considering his more advantageous position.
Seconds ticked by, and the intruder and I remained locked in our tense position, my heart still pounding.
Suddenly, muffled voices sounded outside, and my ears perked up. The voices were all masculine, which was startling, given that this was a girls' only dormitory.
I had seen the sign outside that strictly prohibited boys from entering, warning of disciplinary action if caught.
How had several of them managed to breach the supposedly secure premises?
The boy holding me captive stiffened as the doorknob turned, and he whispered, "If you scream, I'll kill you."
I nodded, unsure of what to say. I had no intention of screaming, not if I wanted to survive this ordeal.
I yearned to relish my time here, not wind up in a morgue.
"Do you understand?" he pressed.
"Understood," I hurriedly agreed.
"Good. Now rush to the door and buy me some time to deal with whoever's trying to enter," he ordered, shoving me roughly and causing me to stagger.
Avoiding a direct gaze, for fear of his retaliation, I hurried to the door and pushed it closed just as it started to open.
"I-I'm..." I stumbled over my words, gathering a deep breath to steady myself. Clearing my throat, I tried again, "I'm indecent. Give me a few seconds!"
Turning the lock, I glanced back and found the room empty once again. It was as though nothing had happened, and no one had come in to threaten me.
Hurrying toward the open window, my eyes widened as I spotted a dark figure dashing toward the road. I was certain that this dark figure had to be the intruder, and what surprised me more was that he wasn't limping. Could he really be a human?
Peering downward from my vantage point, I took a deep breath. The distance below was substantial, and I couldn't fathom how he had managed to jump down without shattering a limb.
A soft rap on the door caught my attention, and I hurried over to it. Opening it slowly, I peeked out cautiously to avoid being caught off guard again.
A dark-haired beauty with stormy gray eyes stared back at me. As she entered the room, she greeted me with a smile and remarked, "I'm Elena Vasquez, and I'm guessing you're Adesewa Coker?"
"Yes, that's me. Call me Addie, please," I replied, still casting wary glances around the room, hoping to avoid a second surprise tonight.
"Addie, it is. I'd prefer Leni, too. I hope we can get along; I desperately need some sleep!" With that, she leaped onto the bed, still fully clothed, even wearing her shoes, and within seconds, she was fast asleep.
I observed her with a puzzled expression before shaking my head and moving on.
Recovering my pen from the floor, I returned to my spot by the window, hoping for another glimpse of the intruder, but the view offered nothing but pitch darkness…
