I Will (Not) Hurt You

His name is Nicholas Hart, and he has become my headache. He’s also the one I’m absolutely terrified of—and who drives me crazy. Nick is a chronic truant. Finally, the teachers start paying attention to him, threatening to expel him if he doesn’t begin attending classes. Also, Nick wears black, gives me gloomy looks, and mocks me as if he can feel how strong my fear of him is. Inside me, there’s a real battle. One part of me screams to run far away from Nick without looking back—while the other part behaves strangely. First, I freeze in Hart’s presence. Then, when the fear goes away, I start hissing and biting like a wounded animal, trying to protect myself. And even after everything I have to endure, I still rush to the police station to save Nick from a crime he didn’t commit. But is that really all, or is there something else I completely forgot—something that may turn my attempt to protect the innocent into a real nightmare?