Unhinged (Dance With My Demons, #1)

by Steph Macca

We round the corner, heading towards a line of windows and a set of double doors when a body comes flying between us. Vivian manages to launch herself out of the way in time, but I get smacked into the wall. I turn around, glaring at the back as the person keeps walking. He turns his head to peer over his shoulder, his obsidian eyes glaring at me. "Watch where the fuck you're going," he spits out before turning away and stalking down the corridor. "What the fuck is his problem?" I say loudly. Vivian watches his retreating form. "That's Theo. Ignore him — he's a psycho. He barely socializes with anyone. He's probably just pissed to be on extra work duty."

thats one of our niggas

"He put someone in the hospital three weeks ago. Broke his nose and eye socket. There's not enough anger management classes in the world to fix him. He's been given extra work as punishment."

He nods. "We can prescribe melatonin if you have any issues sleeping. Let me know if you have any medical concerns at our next appointment."

they always tryna give you sleeping meds

I twitch as I feel someone close by staring at me intently. I turn my head to the right, staring at the guy parallel to me. He shows no signs of discomfort at me having caught him watching. My eyebrows furrow with uneasiness, my eyes meeting his dark gray orbs. Something catches my gaze and they drift lower, noticing a red scar on his neck — like someone slashed open his throat. I quickly look back up, his lips breaking into a wide smile. His dark brown hair looks freshly cut and styled, making me suspicious. Surely we have access to things like haircuts and basic services, but the fact it looks like he has wax or gel in his hair confuses me, as does the black nail polish on his fingers. "Hi," he says quietly, winking at me.

is this another one?

"Leave her alone, Grey," Charmaine says, walking between us. She whacks him in the back of the head with his test before putting it in front of him. He barely reacts, his eyes still locked on me. "You're no fun," he tells her.

"What are you doing?" he asks with a grin.

im doing what youre supposed to be doing

"Ahh," he says, nodding. "You want to stab me." "What?" I hiss quietly, taken aback. "I'm not going to stab you." Grey leans back into his chair, relaxing. "But you thought about it. I like that."

you like that???

He pouts at her, making a hand gesture as he pretends to zip his lips closed. When she turns her back away from us, he winks at me, wiggling his eyebrows.

LMAO

I stay frozen for a few seconds, unsure of the procedure until I spot Grey beckon me with his index finger.

omg

Grey grabs my arm suddenly, making me yelp. The sudden movement doesn't go unnoticed as two guards surrounding us whip out their tasers. "I'm just escorting her, gentlemen. Sheesh," Grey groans. "I'm fine," I snap quietly, pulling my arm away from him. "Don't touch me." He feigns looking hurt, his stormy eyes dancing with controlled emotion. "I'm hurt, little killer."

hol onnnnn

I let out a yelp, suddenly frozen as I get stampeded by the crowd who doesn't give a shit.

girl LMAO get up

"Here," a stern voice says before a hand appears in front of my face. Looking up, I spot a tanned blonde with light green eyes staring back at me.

oh hey this is our third nigga

"Thanks," I offer bluntly. "I think I have it from here." The man peers down at me, cocking an eyebrow. "Come with me." He doesn't wait for a response, turning on his heel and heading towards the doors. I stay put, until he stops, half-turning to look at me like I have the audacity to defy him. "Now."

my head snapped to my kindke so quick

In the far right corner, I'm horrified to spot Grey standing. That damn bastard is everywhere I don't want him to be. "Absolutely not," I mutter, stopping in my tracks. Grey looks up, hearing me, giving me a big wave. "Little killer! You found a lost puppy, Damon."

heyyyy

Grey laughs in the corner — not at me, but at Damon. The latter glares at him, staring daggers but it doesn't faze the brunette. "I know. He's a big, scary man," Grey says to me. "He's okay." "I don't believe that," I mutter. "Or you." Grey's hand flings to his chest, grasping the place where his heart should be. "I'm hurt again. You need to stop doing that — I might get attached."

LMAO

"Grey, shut the fuck up," Damon snaps, before turning back to me.

i-

My eyes widen when I spot Grey pulling out a candy bar from his pocket, the plastic wrapper making too much noise in the quiet space. He looks at me, breaking off a piece. "Want some?"

where you get that from

When we say jump, you say…" "Off a bridge?" I murmur, sarcastically. I expect some snide remark, but Damon just laughs. "Exactly. If people need to be taken care of, then we'll do that too."

period

Grey finishes his candy bar, throwing the wrapper on the ground carelessly, as he walks towards us. "Why, my Darling, we are."

my darling <3

"You're three." I jump, turning towards the voice. Grey stares at me intensely, like he's waiting for me to thank him for this information which means absolutely nothing to me. "What does three mean?" "Group three." "And how exactly do I fit into group three?" He grins, tapping his nose with his middle finger, the black nail drawing my attention. "We say so."

what

me, dark eyes boring holes into everyone's skulls. I can't help but stare at Theo, the darkness that emits from him is volatile. Vivian might be full of shit, but I believe her when she says he's dangerous. You could be blind and deaf, and still feel that presence from him. He pays no attention to me, disappearing through the doors with the others. Grey follows my line of vision, whistling low. "Ooh, girl. He's trouble. A fat no." "Everyone here is trouble," I mutter, embarrassed that he's caught me. Grey laughs. "True. But Theo is off-limits."

mm

"We'll see, little killer. Everyone has urges."

i love that nickname

There's half a dozen stalls lined up, with small partitions that hide us from our collarbones to knees. At least I don't have to be concerned about getting a finger in the ass while picking up soap.

WHAT

I turn to inspect the seating options, realizing there's no free tables left. I'd have to sit at an occupied table, and judging by the glares, no one is eager to volunteer. The only table that's mostly vacant has a single sole occupant. Theo. I weigh up my options, looking at Vivian in the corner with her crew, to Grey over with his.

i wanna go sit with grey

"… Can I sit here?" I ask quietly, trying to think of a back up plan if I'm ejected from my spot. That's if I survive long enough. Theo glares at me, his own fork poised between his fingers as he twirls it around. "I don't know. Can you?" he spits out sarcastically.

ok smartass

If I have to deal with this for years to come, I'm either going to end up dead or even more mentally insane than I am now.

"Okay, let's try this," he interjects when I don't respond. "What do you hate about this fucking place?" The use of his curse words grabs my attention, shocking me. Obviously this was the desired effect, a tactic to break down my barriers. "What do I hate about this place?" I repeat slowly, now wondering if this is a fucking hallucination. "Everything." "The people? The staff? The building?" I laugh. "The goddamn fucking flowers."

As usual I'm stuck next to Grey in Charmaine's class, his relaxed posture looking out of place as he watches her pace the front of the class. His eyes follow her movements, a faint smile on his face like life is great.

greyyyy

Chapter 8 Grey

AHHH *squeals* i didnt know you get a pov

Hallman gives me a pitiful look of hope. "Buddy, come on. I got you those cigarettes last month." "Eh, they were stale," I moan dramatically.

LMAO NOT STALE

"Urges? When we say no fucking without permission, we mean it. You don't just bring your little girlfriend into our space. Your dick is not our concern. Shove it into a blender for all I care. Wait a minute," I pause, turning to Damon. "Can we get hold of a blender?" He shrugs. "I can't see why not." "WAIT!" Hallman gasps. "Look, I was high and horny. Please don't touch my dick."

LMAO yall hold on

"I think you should kiss my foot," I tell him, watching as horror crosses his face, followed by coerced consideration. Damon rubs his forehead, not impressed. Hallman shakily gets onto his knees, shuffling towards me. "No, no," I say, waving my finger at him like I'm scolding a child. "On your hands and knees, like the good little boy you are." "Grey," Damon grumbles. "Don't make me lose my appetite." I grab a chair, swinging it around. I sit down, slapping my knee like I'm summoning a dog. "Here, boy."

YALLL MY FACE

Hallman crawls towards me, eyes burning hesitantly into my filthy feet. I may or may not have planned this, deliberately walking around barefoot to collect some delicious bacteria from the floors. This place never gets cleaned, so God knows what has grown in the cracks in the floor. Holding out my right foot, I wiggle my toes in front of his face. "Right here. Suck my toes." I burst out laughing when he puts my big toe into his mouth, gagging.

LMAOOOOOOO GREY STOP

I don't give him a chance to form a coherent sentence, my foot connecting with his throat as I kick him backwards. I have to give myself credit — that was a pretty good kick.

good job bae

His head turns to the side, and I notice he freezes, just for a split second — maybe less, before looking back up at the roof quickly. Hmm. Interesting. Something down that aisle caught his attention. He's tried hard to hide it, but the tensing of his torso coupled with the brief pause is enough for anyone to pick up on if they know how to read body language.

darn

Walking over to Hallman, I lean down, trailing my fingers along his chest. I really need to repaint my nails, they are getting chipped. Perhaps I should try red next time with a more natural substance.

"How many seconds do you think it takes for a human heart to stop beating after it's cut out with a carving knife?" I ask him. Hallman trembles, eyes glassy as the wimp fights back tears. "I…I don't know." "We're going to find out if you don't leave the library in the next five seconds," I grin at him.

Standing up, I stalk my way down the aisle slowly, watching as the feet scramble to hide, sensing the predator approaching. There's no room though — the feminine legs flailing in panic. Reaching down, I grab the two ankles, dragging the body out from the tiny space in between the wall and the books. I stand over the now paralyzed body, my eyebrows raising in surprise. "Well, hello little killer. Have you been attending private meetings?"

AYOOO DRAGGING HER IS CRAZY

She's always so timid and frightened, and honestly, it makes my little black heart hurt a little. Who would be afraid of little old me?

And just when I think I have her all figured out, the feisty little thing kicks me square in the gut. "Ooft!" I groan, stumbling back. It's unexpected but frankly, I think I might be fucking in love with her.

this is my kind of carrying on loll

"Take one step towards me and I'll saw your fucking balls off!" My eyes dance with delight hearing her tiny threat. I step towards her, watching as she freezes before moving backwards. It only takes three baby steps before her back is against the wall, her fingers pressing into it like she's trying to find something to clutch on to. "I mean it!" she says, but her voice trembles with empty promises. "I hope so," I tell her, resting my hand next to her head as I cage her in.

"I heard nothing," she mutters quietly. "I saw nothing." I tsk at her, shaking my head. "Now, now, my darling. We both know that's not true."

I bring my hand up to her leg, my fingers brushing against her pale skin. She stills, terror flashing from behind her eyes. Interesting. Holding my hand still, showing her I'm not going any higher, I merely stroke her skin softly with my fingertips.

"Besides, you've been a good girl, right?"

had to look at a invisable camera

Leaning forward, I breathe in her scent. The faint smell of roses from this God forsaken place lingers on her skin, along with dust from the shelves next to us. She shivers when my breath touches her ear, my nose brushing against her earlobe. "I bet you're a really, really … good girl." I wait for it, a sense of victory rolling through me when she jolts ever so slightly against me. There it is I think to myself, smirking. My girl likes a little praise. My guess is no one ever gave her any positive encouragement, so now, she has no idea what to do with it, even though she obviously craves it.

There's no point rushing into these things — as much as I want to chase, the build up and anticipation is so much better.

SEEE YK THE VIBES

Avery stills against me once more, back on guard so I slowly pull back against my better judgment. She'll come to me when she's ready, and I'll be waiting.

"You should be good for the remainder of free time in here today. Maybe just delay your visits to the library next time to make sure the coast is clear. But if you want to chat, you know where to find me."

He's not as forgiving as I am. And I'd hate to have to explain to him that I'm claiming her.

However, I do keep sitting with Theo at meal breaks, testing the waters. We never speak to each other, but I'm yet to be told I can't eat with him and frankly, it's better company than the other options.

good for you