Page 60 of Caged in Flames

Chapter Twenty Seven

Sophomore Year:

It's been months of dating Diana. Even though she's been seeing Sawyer too, I don't care. With our time limited, I'm grateful for every moment I get with her.

She's different with us. Occasionally, we get together as a group, even Charlie. He isn't kind to her. He takes his verbal shots, but Blue lets each one roll right off of her with grace. I know it takes effort not to respond because I find myself fighting the urge. I think she thinks she's helping keep the peace between all of us.

There’s no point in calling him on it anyways. Setting him off would put an end to things before I’m ready.

Her voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "Hey Judeeeeee, what are you thinking about?" I love the way she sings out my name. My mouth curves up into a small smile.

"You, as always, Blue." She asked me a couple weeks ago why I call her Blue. I told her.

Her eyes are the most magnificent shade of blue I’ve ever seen. Nothing on a canvas or in print can compare. I should know. I’ve spent hours searching and trying to mix paints to replicate it.

Now every time I say it, she gives me a shy smile. Each one stops my world and lights up my heart for a short moment. I'd give up painting to live in those moments with her.

We are sitting underneath the trees in the common yard on a blanket, reading together. I pull her into me and rest my chin on top of her head. "How is your practice coming along for the end of year ceremony?"

I ask because that's our ending. Charlie told us his plan this morning. I nodded along, ignoring the knot it created in my stomach.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my friend. Even destroying the best part of my world.

She sighs and closes her book. "It's coming along fine. Violin is one of the only things I can feel sure about regardless of everything else in the world."

That I get completely. "That's how I feel with a canvas in front of me."

Diana nods. "When I'm playing, it's as if I belong to that moment. I don't need to think about anything else. Music is the only place I can truly exist."

Fuck. I hope she hangs on to that. When we're done with her, I hope wherever she goes after allows her that opportunity. She deserves to belong somewhere where monsters like me aren't waiting to hurt her.

She deserves a chance at her dreams, even if that can’t be here at Blisshaven.

"Well, I can't wait to hear you play then." I say it with a smile even if I can feel my own heart cracking a small bit inside my chest.

Now:

The first thing I do when I leave Nix’s room is send a group text to the guys, including Gunner, and Jane. If I’m going to pull this off, I’m going to need some help.

And we all need to accept our places, right beside Nix. She’s ours and I am going to start making sure we all know it.

Charlie meets me at his car, while the others work on the tasks I have given them. “What could you possibly need to go and get an inflatable pool for?”

I smile. “You’ll see.”

It takes over an hour to gather everything I need, but I don’t care. Charlie asks question after question but gives up when he realizes I’m not telling him shit. I’m not trying to be an asshole to him. Pissing him off is just a bonus.

When we make it down to the Academy’s pool, Sawyer meets us there with the keys he swiped freshman year and the projector from his room. “The fuck are you doing with all this shit?”

“I’d also like the answer to this question.” I turn to find my cousin carrying a stack of pillows and blankets that I texted her to bring with Gunner right behind her.

“I’m going to get this all set up, you two go and grab Nix from her room. Give us about thirty minutes to have it ready.” I’m moving before they can even respond. “Sawyer, set up the projector to that wall over there. Charlie, get to blowing up those pools, buddy.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He huffs it out, but there’s the ever-present curiosity in his voice. When he tears open the box and starts puffing slow breaths into the inflatable plastic, Sawyer and I both laugh. We let him get about halfway through before helping him out.

“There’s an air pump in the supply closet, dumbass.”

He gives us the signature dark look that has all these other clowns running scared, but that shit hasn’t ever worked on us. I’ve seen the kid naked before puberty for Christ sake. And vice versa.

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