"Croy!" I screamed as his face turned pale. He crumbled to the ground and gasped for air as they dragged him towards a tree that stood nearby. "Leave him alone!" I screamed. Violet approached me and placed her nail underneath my chin. I struggled as Scaggot held me back.
"Tie her up." She hissed as she let go of my face and took a step back. Scaggot shoved me against a tree that was across from Croy, then tied my hands back. "This is how I've wanted to see you since I first laid eyes on you..." she hissed as she stepped towards me again. I shot her a venomous glare, which only seemed to amuse her further. After a few seconds, she made her way over to Croy, counting on the daggers I kept shooting her way. She pulled him in by his shirt, but Croy turned his face brusquely.
"Only Hazel can kiss me..." he snarled.
"Oh that's funny, I don't think the same rule applies to your girlfriend." She retorted before cracking her knuckles. "I want him to see this." she instructed, then motioned Randall and Tyler to move in. They walked over and held Croy's head firmly in place as Scaggot, turned to me.
"Do you really think it's so great dating pretty boy over there?" He paused as he gestured with his head in Croy's direction. "I'm much better, and I come with more...perks." He whispered as he leaned in, his grimy breath washing over my neck. I could feel my stomach churn. "If you leave him, I might be able to convince the warden to let you go." I gagged when I smelled his putrid breath.
"Leave her alone!" Croy protested. I spat on him the moment he stopped talking.
"I don't negotiate with ass-wipes like you, unsatisfactory and full of-shit." He took my face in his hand aggressively. I squirmed but didn't give him the satisfaction of crying out. Instead I held his glare.
"Stop it! You're hurting her!" A cynical smile spread across Scaggot's face as he leaned in and forced his lips onto mine. Croy cursed as he watched helplessly from his own prison. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for it to end. I tried to hide my lips by pressing them tighter together. When Scaggot realized I wouldn't kiss him back, he pulled away and slapped me hard across the face.
"You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" Croy screamed, hysterically. I swished a bit of saliva around in my mouth before spitting out some blood.
"Pathetic..." I taunted with a sneer. "You hit like a bitch." We both turned at the sound of Violet's laugh. I arched a brow when I caught sight of her expression. She was...amused.
"I like her. She's got spunk." She commented as she uncrossed her arms and placed a hand on her hip. "Let her go, I want to see how good of a fight she puts up. I want to see her beg for mercy..." she trailed off. Scaggot hesitated.
"Violet, I don't think that's a good Ideaâ" he began but was interrupted by her shout.
"Did I fucking stutter!? I said untie her!" Violet ordered.
Scaggot nodded and scrambled to do as he was told. He walked over and sliced through the ropes that bound me. As soon as I was freed, I slipped my hand in my cargos and faced her. I pulled out my knife, caressing the purple handle with my thumb before popping out the blade. "Let's see if you can put that thing to good use." She taunted as she readied her stance
A large, sadistic smile spread across Violet's face. "No Hazel! Don't do it!" Croy screamed from his confinement. Everything he taught me flooded my memory at that moment.
"This is where I get to apply all of those lessons..." I said with a weary smile.
"No, she'll kill you!" Croy protested, his tone distraught.
"Your lack of faith in me is wounding." I retorted as I turned to face Violet again.
"Ready or not..." she began with a smirk before gripping her knife and barreling towards me. I stood my ground as she charged, my attention focused on her manner of movement. She lunged forward and swiped with her knife, but I managed to dodge her attack. She recovered quickly and lunged forward again, her footwork was erratic and uncoordinated; It caused me to lose focus.
"Ah!" I hissed in pain as she managed to cut the upper part of my arm. Blood trickled from the scratch and dripped down, staining my fair skin. I went for an offensive move and swiped at her with my knife, but she ducked. I groaned as she retaliated and punched me square in the gut. I fell to my knees, my lungs refusing to expand.
"Hazel!" Croy's worried scream echoed through the meadow as Violet walked over and pulled me up by the hair.
"Aggh!" I hissed in pain as the strands tugged at my scalp.
"I have no idea what he sees in you." She began in disgust. Before I could react, she placed both her hands on my head and drove it directly into her bent knee. My nose cracked in a sickening way.
"No!" Croy's scream became distorted and garbled in my ears. I tried to stand but everything was spinning. I stood there in a daze, another blow to the jaw knocking me to the ground. Blood dripped down my face. I wiped it away with the back of my hand, my tear-filled eyes focusing on the beautiful crimson. "Please stop!" Croy begged from his confinement. After a few seconds, I managed to stand once more. I tightened the grip on my knife before lunging forward.
Violet dodged easily, then spun around and kicked my shin directly. I cried out as I lost my balance and fell again. I curled up into a ball as she approached me and began kicking my sides. "That's for thinking that you're better than me!" She hissed with every kick. "That's for stealing my boyfriend!" She continued even as blood gushed from my mouth.
"Stop it, you're killing her! VIOLET!!" Croy thrashed around desperately, his worried face began to fade as my vision blurred. My body started feeling colder and my joints stiffer as she continued. "Why?! Why the hell should I stop?! She's just a lowly maggot like the rest of us! What makes her so fucking special!?" Violet screamed, her eyes deranged.
"Just stop Violet, please!" His eyes began to water.
"Why?! Why the hell should I stop!?" She asked again.
"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" Croy's voice echoed loudly. I felt the blood in my limp body begin to boil at the sound of his frantic confession. Violet stared at Croy with wide eyes as tears rolled down his freckled cheeks. "I love her. I don't know what I would do without her. I need her, so please..." he trailed off, his voice nearly a whisper. My heart raced as his words echoed in my head. "Croy loves me. He loves me!" I thought happily to myself as blood continued to drip from my mouth.
"Please don't hurt her anymore..." Croy begged. Violet balled her fists until they turned white.
"That's more of a reason for me to KILL her!" Violet screamed as she pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at me. I looked up and noticed the sky was clear like yesterday. Birds marked the sky with their formation as they flew away. I wiped my bloody mouth and nose as I forced myself back on my feet; my scraped knees buckled beneath my weight. Croy's words had given me courage.
I glanced at his agonized expression. His eyes full of worry and tears stained his cheeks. I gathered all my strength and firmly planted my feet in the soil as I faced the barrel of her loaded gun. A cynical smile spread across her lips as she pulled the trigger. A deafening gunshot engulfing the silence.
"Violet!" A scream rang through the meadow. Scaggot slapped her hand away, causing the bullet to fly into the soil by their feet. I stood there, stunned.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She hissed angrily at Scaggot.
"It's not worth it, I think you're going too far." He admitted as he took the gun from her hand. Violet glared at him quietly for a few seconds. "Let's get out of here." The Sargent urged as he pulled Violet's hand and began leading her away. I turned to make my way towards Croy, but a loud, hysterical scream made me turn.
"I'm not going to let you live!" Violet shrieked as she tackled me. I stopped her just in time, holding her knife back with my own. "Why the hell does he love you?! What makes you so special?! He never told me that he loved me, never!" She screamed, her obsession driving her towards the edge.
"He loves me...and I love him too." I hissed through blood drenched teeth. Croy's eyes widened as my words reached him. "I love him more than anything and if I have to kill you in order to protect him, then so be it!" I snarled as I shoved her off me with a burst of strength. Adrenaline coursed through me as I punched her, knocking her down. She tried to get up, but I over-powered her and held her down. I got in multiple hits on her face before taking her knife away and flinging it into the woods.
I stopped when I was out of breath. Violet's head swayed back and forth; the barrage of blows I had delivered had left her disoriented. I looked at her with pitying eyes. "Your blood isn't worthy to stain my hands with. I feel sorry for you, obsessed with someone who doesn't love you. Do you really think that killing me will make him love you!?" I asked in a shout. She glared at me, her mouth dripping blood.
"It won't make him love you, it'll just make him hate you even more!" I hissed as I spit blood on the floor next to her. "Have a little dignity." I muttered as I turned to walk away. After a few steps, I stopped and glanced back at her. "If you ever try to pull this shit again, I won't hesitate to end you!" I huffed as I made my way back towards Croy.
Randall and Tyler took off running when they saw me approaching. That kid who looked like Chad from Malcolm in the middle, stood behind the tree with his knife pointed at Croy. When he saw me approach, Croy thrashed upwards, hitting the ginger under his chin and causing him to stagger back.
"Hazel, your knife!" Croy shouted. I reacted quickly and began cutting through the ropes just as Scaggot tackled me down. I dropped the knife by Croy's feet as we rolled away.
"If Violet can't be happy, you can't be either!" Scaggot hissed as he clasped his arms around my neck. I began feeling dizzy as I gasped for air. With a quick snap, Croy finished cutting through his own ropes.
"Back the fuck off, asshole." He growled, pressing the knife against his throat. Scaggot let go and backed away nervously, finally allowing me to breathe. "Are you okay?" Croy asked anxiously as he helped me up. I nodded just as someone hit Scaggot on the head with a rock, knocking him out.
"Hey! Are you guys ok!?" Jason asked, discarding the stone shortly after. Allison and Myra ran toward us from across the field. I was about to turn and greet them, but Croy pulled me in by the arm and crushed me to his chest. I hugged him back tightly, savoring his sweet scent
"Did you mean what you said?" He asked in a soft voice. I pulled away for a second, shooting him a smirk before gripping him by his collar and kissing him deeply. He reciprocated. When I pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine. "Of course, you dork." I whispered.
"Heh, me too." He admitted as he leaned in to kiss me again.
"Hazel, look out!" Jason's scream made me turn. My heart sank as I stared straight into the barrel of Violet's gun again.
"I'll put you in your place you maggot!" She screamed as she removed the safety. "Violet No!" I pushed Croy out of the way just as Violet pulled the trigger and another gunshot echoed throughout the woods.