Chapter 21
Chapter 21 - Eleanor’s POV
The morning felt heavier than usual.
Maybe it was the gray clouds outside.
Maybe it was the weight of everything I was carrying inside.
I moved through my routine slowly — brushing my hair, packing my bag — but my mind wasn’t really focused.
It kept drifting back to the plan.
The hospital.
The old records.
Finding something real.
It was risky.
It was stupid.
But it was the only path I saw.
---
At school, the halls were buzzing with energy.
Everyone seemed louder today, more alive.
I hugged my books to my chest and kept my head down, weaving through the crowd.
Lena had a tutoring session during free period, and I didn’t want to sit in the cafeteria alone.
So I decided to walk toward the science wing.
It was quieter there.
Empty halls.
Less noise.
More space to think.
---
I cut across the side courtyard, near the back of the science building.
It was an old, forgotten part of the school — where broken benches and dead plants gathered.
I wasn’t expecting to see anyone out there.
But as I rounded the corner, I froze.
A boy stood with his back to me, near the old maintenance shed.
He was on the phone.
At first, I thought about just turning around.
But something about the way he spoke — the way his voice dropped low, almost like he was scared someone would hear — made me stop.
I ducked behind the wall and listened.
---
"I’m telling you, she’s remembering," he said urgently.
My heart thudded.
I leaned closer without thinking.
The boy — I recognized him now — he was from my Chemistry class.
The quiet one.
The one who never spoke unless forced.
He shifted on his feet, glancing around nervously before continuing.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending. She’s asking questions. She’s not backing down."
A long pause.
I strained to hear the other side of the conversation, but I couldn't.
Only his voice.
Only the words spilling out fast and scared.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, voice shaking a little.
Another pause.
I pressed myself tighter against the wall, my fingers gripping the brick.
The boy let out a breath.
"Okay. I’ll stay close. But if she finds anything... you’re going to have to step in."
He nodded, as if the person on the other end could see him.
"Got it. I’ll keep you updated."
---
He ended the call and stood there for a few seconds, running a hand through his hair.
Then he turned and walked back toward the main building, slipping into the crowd like he was just another student.
Like nothing had happened.
Like he wasn’t helping destroy me from the inside out.
---
I stayed hidden for a while longer, waiting until the courtyard was empty.
My hands were sweating.
My legs felt weak.
They were watching me.
Here.
In my school.
In my classes.
I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying not to be sick.
How long had this been going on?
Since before the dreams started?
Since the day I moved here?
Since the day I saw Alex on the street?
I didn’t know.
And now... now I couldn’t trust anyone.
Not even the faces that smiled at me in class.
Not even the boy who sat three rows behind me, pretending to be just another kid.
---
I finally forced myself to move, walking quickly back toward the main building.
My mind was racing.
I had to be more careful.
More quiet.
More invisible.
If they knew I was planning something...
If they found out I was going back to the hospital...
They would try to stop me.
Maybe worse.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
I sat through Chemistry class, my head down, my notes a mess of scribbles.
I could feel the boy's eyes on me once or twice.
But when I glanced back, he was just staring at his notebook, pretending to be bored.
Pretending to be normal.
The act was almost perfect.
Almost.
---
At lunch, I sat with Lena, nodding along to her stories about Mike and school drama.
I smiled when I had to.
Laughed when it was expected.
But inside, I was screaming.
Inside, I was counting down the hours until I could get away.
---
When the final bell rang, I rushed out of the building, pulling my hoodie up against the wind.
I didn’t even say goodbye to Lena.
I couldn’t.
I needed to think.
I needed to breathe.
---
That evening, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the notebook in my hands.
I flipped through the pages, each word heavier now.
Memory tampering.
Mr. Reed.
Rick.
Chemistry boy spying.
I grabbed my pen and added a new line:
They are watching.
Even inside the school.
Move carefully.
I tapped the pen against the page, thinking hard.
Tomorrow was Saturday.
No school.
No Chemistry class.
No spying eyes — at least not as many.
It would be my best chance.
My only chance.
---
I stuffed the notebook under my mattress and pulled out a small backpack.
Just enough room for my phone, my wallet, a flashlight.
Just in case.
I wasn't sure what I would find at the hospital.
Maybe nothing.
Maybe everything.
But I knew I had to go.
I had to try.
I had to find the missing pieces of myself.
Before they took even that away from me.
---
Outside my window, the world was dark and cold.
But somewhere beyond the trees and buildings and lies...
Somewhere...
Alex was waiting.
Maybe he didn’t know it yet.
Maybe he couldn’t even remember me fully.
But it didn’t matter.
Because I remembered him.
I remembered us.
And I wasn’t giving up.
Not now.
Not ever.
Even if they were watching.
Even if the walls were closing in.
Even if I had to walk through every lie they built around me just to touch the truth.
I would find my way back to him.
Because what we had wasn’t just love.
It was more than that.
It was real.
And no matter how far they buried it,
No matter how many times they tried to rewrite my life...
They couldn’t take that away from me.
Not truly.
I pressed my palm to the cold window glass, staring out at the sky.
"Wait for me," I whispered.
And I meant it.
Because I wasn’t just remembering anymore.
I was becoming.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Braver.
And they had no idea what was coming.