SIXTEEN

| dedication: cosmo_lights - for the fab cover |

SIXTEEN

I shot up to my feet, knowing that if he loomed over me he would somehow have an advantage over me. It took me several seconds to regather my poise, and when I did, I took a massive step back

Trying to keep a fair distance away from him, I took in his whole appearance. His hair was styled backwards and he wore a dark long sleeved shirt that was pushed up to his elbow. His dark washed-out jeans hung slightly low and he had black combat boots on.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked him slowly, keeping my eyes firmly on him.

Link arched one dark eyebrow at me. He acted as though it was perfectly normal to stroll inside my room with no invitation and pretended my hostile behaviour was a rude welcoming.

Link ignored my question and instead flicked his gaze towards my bed and then started to look around the entirety of my room, taking it in like an art exhibition. When he finished, he averted his gaze back to me, focusing on my attire this time.

"You're not planning to come to school today." He commented, shooting his eyes to my face.

Perhaps it was the dawning anxiety of having him near me or the fact that was alone with him - and this time in my own space - that caused me to inwardly crumble at his look. I started to shake, maybe out of anger or fear, but it caused a rush of wild emotions. I clenched my fist down my side and glared up at him.

"Don't you dare stand in my room and act as though you didn't do anything wrong you heartless human," I spat out at him, my voice dropping close to a slithering sneer. I could only imagine the crazed look in my eyes but it didn't faze him at all.

Link furrowed his eyebrows at my words, looking confused and it angered me further how he thought it was funny to act oblivious to everything. He looked around the room again, this time his gaze lingered more around the areas where there was the most blood.

He was probably thinking how I managed to clean it all in one night.

"Heartless?" Link finally echoed after me. When he turned to look at me again, I saw the coldness appear back in his eyes and then I started shaking, this time out of fear. An involuntary shiver coursed through me and I nearly fainted because the sudden change of demeanour was frightening.

"Get out of my house," I said in a small weak voice, managing to hold onto the last speck of courage.

"Heartless did you say?" He repeated. I knew he was fishing for some ammunition, to use anything else I say for him to strike out again.

"Please get out my room before I call-"

Link shoot me an icy look, almost daring me to finish the sentence but I couldn't. I held in my tears, realising that with every turn I took, he would always have the upper hand.

I cowered away, hoping that he could sense the defeat washing through me. He could take that as a prize and strut right out of here, but knowing Link, he wasn't going to settle on my crippled emotions.

He took a step in my direction before he paused and looked around the room again, this time, tilting his head upwards and eyeing the ceiling. I dared a quick glance up at the ceiling and saw that there was no blood there, only a faint hint of a red tint - but you could only see it if you were searching for it.

"Come to school today." Link said after a while, before he walked to the door.

"I'm not coming," I said after him. I regretted the words instantly because it invited for more conversation when all I wanted was to get rid of him.

Link looked at me over his shoulder. "Why?"

"You know why." I fired back, starting to hate how he was acting. And everything related to Link Dane.

Link didn't answer to that but instead, glanced around my room one last time, his eyes hard and truly focused. He had an agenda and it was working out for him. And everything was finalised in my head when he lifted his hand and pointed at the side wall.

"You missed a spot to the right."

And then he walked out.

_

_

_

I don't know whether it was the fear of staying in my room any second longer or thinking about Link coming back that drove me straight to school the following hour.

I had managed to avoid a lot of people ever since I came to school, including my friends and now it was lunch. I knew I couldn't dodge everyone so I walked inside the canteen with a bright smile plastered on my face, inwardly praising myself for pulling off this facade.

I was still shaken up with everything that happened in the space of six hours and the lack of sleep was starting to work its toll on me. I felt like I was carrying dead weight on my shoulder and every now and then, I would remind myself to catch my breath and to exhale to manage my erratic heart.

I scanned around, searching for Versa until my vision was blocked. I looked up and nearly lost my breath at the sight of Brandon.

He was looking at me with a watchful eye, until they turned their usual soft and then he reached his hand towards me. I flinched back causing him to drop his hand instantly.

"Are you okay?" he asked me in his soft voice. I nearly threw up, wondering why I always fell for his soft voice. Not seeing him often felt strange and we still hadn't talked about what happened. Maybe it was my fault, how I kept running away from him only to run into other problems.

He seemed well, at least, much better than I was doing.

I swallowed down the massive lump in my throat before opening my mouth. "Why wouldn't I be?" I replied sweetly, trying my best to hide the anger that still lingered around. I should be treating him the same as my Mother, giving him the cold shoulder or something. But this was Brandon, the same Brandon who I once loved.

The canteen was full, and from every corner there came loud yells which should have made catching Brandon's words harder. Yet, like old times, as soon as we found each other it was as though everyone around us was soaked into the ground and only leaving us two to each other. "You don't look like you've slept, like, at all."

I tried to hide how close to home that blow was but I kept smiling up at him. "Plentiful, slept like a newborn baby last night after watching reruns of Game of Thrones."

"What episode?" he pressed, seeming excited that I was making conversation with him and not blowing him off.

I blurted out a random episode from the top of my head. I couldn't really tell him that my night consisted of rubbing blood of my walls. "The Red Wedding." I filled him in.

His eyebrows puckered at my response. He knew how much I hated that episode but I guess it was the most fitting one, with all the gore and the blood, and the death that happened in that episode. It nearly replicated the event that unfolded in my bedroom last night.

"You hate that episode." Brandon told me something I was quite aware of.

"Trust me when I say, it was like I was living through it." I said on a sigh, finding myself too tired of faking a conversation with him.

So I slipped away from Brandon, ignoring his questioning gaze. He was fishing for conversation, and afterwards, he would ask to talk about what happened and I wasn't going to talk about it. After last night, I didn't need him to talk anything through. I needed therapy after last night - and after this morning.

I spotted Versa and Ryan sitting in the far corner, their heads lowered close to each other. I almost felt bad for intruding as I walked towards them.

They didn't see me until I put my bag down on the table and sat down next to Versa. They jumped back, Versa's face instantly turning red whilst Ryan ran his hand through his blond hair awkwardly.

"You guys are hitting it off, don't have to hide it from me." I waved them off.

"Ori-"

I cut Versa short with another wave of my hand. "Honestly, Versa, leave it." I grinned at my best friend.

"How was yesterday?" I asked, holding back a laugh at both their expressions. They didn't get the chance to answer the question as someone plummeted themselves on the empty seat next to me.

I looked over to my side and tried my best to cover up anything that my face held. Because if there was one person who could sniff out any bullshit coming from me it was Thomas - especially with the recent events that unfolded.

"I just want to put out a disclaimer before you guys hear anything." Thomas started to say, his hands flat on the table whilst trying to get his point clear and out in the open. "It did not happen."

I looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

He leaned in further, capturing all our attention instantly. "I didn't shag the girl in the year below us. She fell asleep before we even did anything but she is telling everyone I know that we did it."

I reared my head back, not sure whether I should just laugh or roll my eyes at everything that was Thomas.

Versa shot Thomas a confused look. For her, someone who had a massive crush on Thomas, to hear this news should have sent her running into the fields singing and dancing but she was sporting a look of confusion. And I could see, behind everything, she really wasn't bothered about it. And I guessed the fact that Ryan's hand was in hers was a massive indication that she moved on.

"But if she fell asleep then does that not make people think that your company was anything but entertaining?" Versa questioned.

Thomas stared at her for a few seconds before he narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you trying to say?"

Ryan cut it to the chase. "You didn't pull through did you mate?"

And that's when I just let it out and laughed at Thomas. He shot me an annoyed glare. "What's funny?"

"You didn't pull through." I told him, repeating Ryan's words.

"Yeah but that's because she fell asleep-"

"Mate, just go along with her and safe yourself the embarrassment."

Thomas slapped his hands down on the table, looking at all of us like we lost it. "Guys! For real?" he exclaimed, not impressed by our lack of support.

We finished eating, where I just nibbled on a fruit bar. I had General Studies as my last lesson and just the thought of sitting down, listening to a random teacher going on about the political views our country seemed to favour, made me want to shed a tear. But I had just come in, since I missed my morning class and if I didn't go to my last lesson, then today would have been wasted.

"Is anyone free?" I found myself asking regardless. I knew Versa wasn't free, she had Chemistry to get to. I looked between the two boys and saw Ryan shake his head at me.

"I've got some coursework to catch up with." Ryan told me.

I turned to Thomas, my last hope of escaping General Studies. "I'm not free," he started to say and I had no control over the disappointed sigh that came out of me. "-but I'll skip if you want me to," he quickly added.

Being past selfish but not giving a toss, I stood up and motioned for Thomas to follow me. I waved goodbye to Ryan and Versa, but not before catching Versa giving me an odd look. She made me promise to text her late tonight before Thomas and I scurried out of the canteen.

We walked side by side silently, both of us engrossed in our own thoughts. I wasn't that far gone to block out the whispers and the looks people were shooting our way. I sank my teeth in my lower lip and slowly walked closer to Thomas.

Taking me by surprise, he threw his arm over my shoulder and tugged me into his side. I glanced up at him with questioning eyes. He didn't look down when he opened his mouth.

"They'll be talking," he said in a low voice. "So let's give them something good to talk about."

_

_

_

I was following Thomas to an unknown place.

Every time I opened my mouth to question where we were heading, he'd shut me down and tell me to wait. Until a warehouse looking building started to appear in front of us and I could see Thomas heading in that direction.

There was a sign on top and just by the intricate words and the way it looked, I had a faint idea where we were. What with hearing so many boys and girls alike at my college buzzing about it.

Thomas walked towards the entrance and a massive, bulky guy nodded at him, letting him through. He shot me one look and stopped Thomas by sticking out his arm.

Thomas looked back at me before he answered. "She's with me."

The big guy grunted in response and let us both through. We walked through a darkened hallway, faint music playing in the background but as we got closer to the set of heavy doors in front of us, the music became louder. Thomas held the door open for me and I walked inside a massive darkened room, with red light shining from each corner. And then there were a few people, standing on a stage, dressed in tight yoga pants and just their bra, huddled together. A girl, with the longest hair I've ever seen and with the massive heels, stepped back from the group and grabbed hold of a guy's neck.

I watched, my mouth falling open as she snaked her body down his, her sultry eyes aimed on his face.

"You brought me to a strip club?" I managed to wheeze out.

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> if you have a cover, or a banner, or anything fancy, do send it me! I'll dedicate a chapter to you <3