Spencer’s return to school had been rather uneventful aside from the sympathetic smiles from her teachers that made her sick to her stomach. She hated the look in their eyes, the one that told her how badly they felt for her. It was depressing and she really didn’t need it. Yet no one else seemed to know what had happened. They all thought she had pneumonia which was perfectly fine with her. No downcast glances and no special treatment, just a few students asking about where she was and offering her get-well wishes.

Sharing a class with either Ashley or Aiden or both was also a huge advantage. The emotional support was there when she needed it. When the hustle of the hallways became too much and she started to panic, Ashley was there holding her hand and pulling her off to the side where she could have a moment to breathe and calm down. It felt claustrophobic and suffocating to point where she became dizzy. All those bodies, all those people, all those boys… her nerves were on end waiting for one of them to lunge at her. She hated the fact that her mind was still so screwed up.

“It’s ok Spence. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Ashley had said in a soothing voice, rubbing her hands up and down Spencer’s arms.

“I swear on my life.”

The conviction in her girlfriend’s words, the absolute seriousness made her feel safer. She knew Ashley would do anything for her, be her buffer, her protective shield against all the perils of life. It was nice having Dano, Aiden, and Gideon by her side to but she felt she do could anything, even school, so long as the burgeoning rock star was by her side.

Despite not seeing anything overtly abnormal at school, she still noticed something slightly odd. There seemed to be people who were always on the periphery of her vision whenever she headed to her classes. Guys mostly but a few girls as well, all at least wearing one article of black on them. She tried to brush it off as something she hadn’t noticed before, something that might have been a part of her routine before that fateful Saturday night, but it was still suspicious. They were like ghosts almost, appearing for a few moments and then vanishing as soon as she reached her next subject. It was worrying to say the least but she didn’t want to bring it up, she had enough issues to deal with without adding to her paranoia.