I Let Her Ruin Herself Chapter 03
“Adrian, wake up. A classmate of yours is here.”
When I opened my eyes, an IV was taped to the back of my hand. I was in an observation room at the local hospital, with Mom sitting beside the bed.
Hannah stood in the doorway holding a folder, hovering uncertainly.
“Hello, Mrs. Bell. I’m Hannah Walker,” she said. “Adrian texted me that he was sick and asked if I could turn in his history paper for him.”
After all those years, I was seeing eighteen-year-old Hannah again. She hadn’t yet been doxed for testifying on my behalf. She hadn’t yet been forced to transfer schools.
“Come in,” Mom said, getting to her feet. “Do you want an apple? I can slice one for you. Thanks so much for making a special trip.”
“No, thank you.” Hannah shook her head quickly. “I need to get to school or I’ll be late for first period.”
Hannah lived north of our neighborhood. Normally, she cut through the woods on the greenway, too. It was a lot faster than taking the main road.
Today, Taylor would meet Derek there.
In my last life, Hannah happened to pass by. She hid, called 911, and used her phone to record Derek and his friends beating me.
There were no cameras on the greenway. That video was the only reason Derek couldn’t pass the whole thing off as just another school fight.
But she paid a steep price for it.
Derek’s friends posted her address online and harassed her relentlessly. His grandmother threatened to sue her. By the time I woke up, Hannah had been forced to transfer and leave Pennsylvania with her mother. We lost contact after that.
Getting sick had been partly about keeping Hannah off that trail.
Once she got my message, she would have to come to the hospital. From here, she would take the main road to school. There would be no reason to cut back through the neighborhood and the woods.
Hannah slipped the folder back into her backpack.
“Get some rest. I’ll let the teacher know you’re really sick.”
“Thanks,” I said, looking at her. “Take the main road. The path might be icy today.”
She nodded and turned to leave.
I sank back against the pillow.
This time, neither of us would be anywhere near those woods.