Reborn Rupture Chapter 07
Mrs. Romano still didn’t trust me.
She installed a Ring doorbell camera on her front door, just to monitor what time I came and went.
She also stalked my social media daily.
If I posted an Instagram story about being out with friends, she would immediately screenshot it and text it to my mother, demanding to know if I had taken her son with me.
My mom, not wanting to disrupt my SAT prep, just kept putting up with it.
But I was done.
On Friday night, during our SAT class at school, I glanced over at Matteo’s usual seat.
It was empty again.
I’d heard he’d called in sick, but I knew that unless he was on his deathbed, Mrs. Romano would have forced him to come to school.
I didn’t believe for a second he was actually sick.
I took out my phone and snapped a wide shot of the classroom.
Matteo’s empty seat was barely visible in the corner, but I knew his mother would spot it instantly.
I posted the photo with a caption:
“Another night on the grind. Is it prom yet?”
Less than ten minutes later, frantic footsteps echoed in the hall.
Mrs. Romano burst into the classroom, out of breath.
“Where’s Matteo?”
I didn’t even look up from my practice test. “I don’t know, Mrs. Romano. ”
“You should try looking in places where there aren’t usually a lot of people.”
Something seemed to click in her head.
Her expression changed, and she turned and bolted from the room.
I walked to the window and watched her race across the campus, disappearing behind the football field bleachers.
Not long after, a piercing scream cut through the night.