Episode 2

Putting her backpack in her locker, Miah smiled at the collage of photos on the inside of her locker door. A picture of her and Ben and their whole group of friends at summer camp, a strip of photo booth pictures with her and Ben’s silly faces, and a photo of their bare feet standing on the sand of the Gulf coast.

These precious moments were few and far between, and she clung to all her long-distance friendships with all that she had in her. Sometimes, the most amazing people weren’t ones she found nearby, but ones she had to devote hard work and time to discover and retain.

After depositing the backpack, she headed down the hall and down the stairs to the gym, where she walked down the squeaky floor to the girls’ locker room. Changing into her P.E. t-shirt and shorts, she felt something in the pocket of her jeans. She pulled out a folded-up sheet of paper. Thinking it was some forgotten homework, she opened it up to see. It was a handwritten note.

Be careful.
Not everything is as it seems.
Someone’s after you.
I’ll be watching.

She peered at the small letters, and then looked around. Who could have put it into my pocket without me noticing? How long has it been in there? It could be an old message. But my jeans were just washed yesterday. A chill came over her and she stepped back against the wall. Who is after me?
Then, the bell rang, shaking her out of her frightened stupor. The girls were pulling folding chairs into a circle. Miah stuffed the note into her locker and dashed over to a seat, hastily tying her shoelaces. Caught up in the present, the mystery of the note faded from her thoughts, for the moment.

Later, while running a mile on the track, the boys’ P.E. class came out to the football field and began practicing throwing a football. Miah thought of Ben and wondered how he was doing. She then wondered if he had written the note. Maybe he’d written it too fast to remember to write his name. He could have easily slipped it into her pocket without her feeling it. But why not warn me in person? Miah continued in her mile run, pushing her speed and taking some more intentional breaths.

He did express his concern for her when she arrived later than he expected. But it wasn’t like this. Not with some creepy message that could freak me out. This isn’t like him. He wouldn’t write something without thinking; he’s always so methodical. Why would he forget something as simple as writing his name, if he even did write it in the first place?

If it was someone else, then I really am in trouble.

What if he’s in trouble right now?

Miah suddenly tripped on a rock and flew forward onto her knees, putting her hands out in reflex and skidding across the gravel. She cried out as she hit the ground, gasping from the shock. Breathing hard and wincing, she gingerly pushed herself up to sit at the edge of the track, looking at her badly skinned hands and the torn skin of her knees. Her stomach felt sick.

“Miah!” a passing classmate gasped. The girl ran over to her. “Are you alright?”

She helped Miah to her feet, and she stood trembling. Nausea was beginning to overwhelm her senses, but she took deeper breaths and closed her eyes. Her friend put her arm out to steady her. “I’ll be alright,” she managed to say. “I just tripped. I’m fine.”

“Can I see?” the girl asked.

Miah sat up straighter and looked up at her, revealing bloodied knees that went beyond a skinned knee.

“Oh my gosh!” she cried, covering her mouth. “No, you’re not fine,” she replied, wincing at the sight. “I can almost see the bone. You need to go to the nurse’s office, or something. That’s bad.”

Sighing, Miah nodded. Her friend pulled her to her feet and helped her hobble back to the nurse’s office.

The nurse bandaged her badly injured knees and smiled, asking, “Why did you fall? Were you running too fast?”

“No,” Miah answered. “Well…maybe. But I wasn’t really watching what I was doing. Just thinking too hard, I guess. I’m fine.”

“Well,” the nurse gave a laugh, “I hope you won’t think too hard while running again. These scrapes will take over a week to heal.”

“I’ll try not to,” Miah replied, smiling. Standing, she looked down at her white-bandaged knees and took a deep breath. Walking toward the door, she turned. “It doesn’t hurt as much now. Thanks.”

“Anytime, sweetie,” the woman waved.

Miah waved back. “Bye!”