Chapter 2 Eyes on me

Someone is watching me.

I can feel it all the way down to my bones, but every time I look around me, I see nothing out of the ordinary.

I can't seem to stop thinking of the man in the cafe yesterday. I slept like a baby last night, and this morning when I woke up, I felt even better than when he touched my hand.

I must be imagining things. How could a stranger's touch make me feel energized? There has to be another explanation, like my reserve energy or something kicked in.

And who tips someone ninety dollars? I heard that rich people aren't that generous, and that man is definitely rich based off of the clothes that he wore.

I ride my bike to school, literally cycling the fastest I ever had, arriving ten minutes earlier than usual.

"Oh look, it's the pretty nerd." One of the jackass jocks comments when they walk past me while I lock my bike up. "I would be down if you ever wanted to, nerd."

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

High school is so fucking petty, and I'm happy that I'm out of here very soon.

I get bombarded at my locker again, by the girl who has been trying to surpass my grades since freshman year, to no avail.

"Nevaeh." Grace smiles at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes. If she could squash me under her sneaker, she would. "I just wanted to make sure you were still okay with me doing the valedictorian speech and all. I don't want to prepare, and then you decide you want to do it after all, leaving me in the dust."

Grace hates that I'm better than her at every single subject we share. She can also not understand why I don't want to be in the spotlight for my academic prowess. I just want to get out of here, and start a life far away from this town and school, and my foster home. I've already bagged the only thing I needed, which was a full ride to a university. My mission here is completed.

"I've told you countless times, I don't want to give a speech, so be my guest." I slam my locker closed, hoping the girl would disappear and just leave me the hell alone.

"I just don't understand." This must be my lucky day, because she falls into step next to me. "You missed prom, and that boy who sits with you at lunch actually asked you to go, now you don't want to make a speech when you are first in the grade. It doesn't make sense to me."

Of course she knows that Braydon asked me to go to prom with him. He's my semi-friend. We eat lunch togteher, but he hardly says a word. He did ask me to prom, though, because his parents thought it was a rite of passage, but I declined. I wasn't going to spend any of the money I worked so hard for on a stupid dress.

"Maybe I'm just not interested in all the pretense, Grace." I don't understand when this girl will get the memo that those things just don't matter to me.

"You're really weird, Nevaeh."

Her words don't offend me, I've heard it countless times. I don't make friends with anyone, only talking to my classmates when I absolutely have to participate in a group project. I know I can't go through life like this, but in university people don't know I'm a foster kid and pity me or think less of me.

Sometimes I yearn for something.... More.

When that feeling comes, I just shove it right back where it belongs, in the recesses of my mind. I'm here to survive, and that's all that matters right now.

A gust of wind flies by me in the hallway, the movement so strong that it blows my hair in my face, and I have to stand still to keep my balance.

What the hell was that?

I look around me, but it seems like the other students didn't notice anything. But how could they not? It's strange for wind that strong to blow through the hallway.

I shake my head, and continue walking to my first class of the day. I'm definitely starting to go mad, maybe it's from working too much at the cafe. Maybe my brain is fried from finals and stressing over being in that house where I don't want to be all summer. I don't have much choice though, I already told Shannon that I would be working the whole summer until I have to leave for orientation week at the university.

Graduation is in two weeks. Ironically, it's the same day I turn eighteen.

I will finally be free from a foster system that shoved me around. How I came out physically unscathed is some sort of miracle in and of

itself.

"How was the maths paper?" Braydon asks me at lunch. This will be the only words he talks to me for the whole lunch period.

"I'll probably get around ninety-nine." I shrug. I could've gotten a one hundred, but that would be weird, right? I have been keeping my maths skills under wraps. If you're a little too smart, people usually pay attention to something like that.

Braydon blinks at me, just like he always does before he shoves his head back down into his phone. He's really the perfect lunch companion.

As usual, the cafe is extremely busy when I get there after school, the girl working in front not being able to keep up with the customers, and she's grateful when I arrive to help her. Shannon really has to hire more people. I'm worried about what she's going to do when I'm no longer here.

It starts to slow down just before closing time, and my eyes zone in on the door when it opens, and in walks the gentleman from the day before, looking as polished as yesterday, a kind smile on his face.

"I had to come back for those croissants." He winks at me while taking out his wallet. "Can I get a dozen, please?"

"I'm sorry, we're all out." Almost all the baked goods are sold already.

"Then I'll be adventurous and have a piece of chocolate cake." His smile is calming, and I quickly box the last slice of chocolate cake. Again, he holds out a one hundred bill. "Keep the change."

I shake my head hesitantly. "Sorry sir, but I can't accept that."

"Don't worry, I have lots where that came from." He takes the box from me, his hand touching mine again, and that same peace from yesterday washes over me. "Have a good night, Nevaeh."

I watch in awe as he walks out, the bill burning in my palm.

Am I imaginaing things? What the hell is this feeling in my chest?

Wait.

He called me by my name.

I never told him my name, and I don't wear a name tag either.

So how the hell did he know?