Page 24 of The Order

Chapter seven

Forest

Ispentthirtyminutestryingto wash the mud away from my shoes in the school bathroom closest to the back door. For reasons beyond my understanding, I thought hitting my head against the wall outside would stop the noise. I only managed to give myself nothing but a good-sized cut, easily fixable if I had my Cure-All. I had managed to get the bleeding to stop, hiding it with my hair in a less-than-functional hairstyle. The brown locks coat the side of my face, forced forward with a few straggling bobby pins.

After the incident outside the school, avoiding class seemed like my best option. Either I stay outside and face Fallan, Valerie, and the mess around me, or force myself into a seat next to Kai, who will only pry. The knob on the door jiggles. I stop the running water, gathering myself in the mirror’s reflection.

“I’m almost done!” I yell, fixing my uniform as best I can while cramming multiple paper towels in the overflowing bin.

I grab my bag, hearing the automated chime of the last bell of the day. With a quick drag of the lock, the door swings open, nearly making the Untouchable girl leaning on the door fall inside and onto me. I quickly move past her, not giving her enough time to examine my face too closely. I keep my head lowered, avoiding direct eye contact with anyone who passes by. The eyes of those around me seem to linger. Glances now feel like full-fledged stares. I move closer to reception, then past the scanners with the next wave of students making their way out of the building. My hands shove open the glass doors, pushing me closer to my group’s usual waiting spot.

Multiple people crowd around the side of the school, observing the destroyed ponds and dying fish. Officials stop students from getting a closer look at the carnage, giving students little to no reason about what caused the mess in the first place. My throat feels dry. The blame toward Unfortunates instantly finds people’s mouths, only adding to the hatred of them in this sector.

But what really happened? What happened in those fleeting moments in which I let the noise become too loud? All I could do was harm myself to silence it. The meds were supposed to stop the blackouts. They were supposed to stop those moments of the unknown.

“I’ve been wondering where you went off to.”

Kai works his way from the front of the curious, growing group. Raegan and Max pull away from the swarm, noticing us the moment Kai’s mouth opens. He looks perplexed at the sight, throwing me a questioning look that only motivates me to move toward the tram.

“You pissed me off. I needed some time alone,” I say, feeling the twins’ growing presence as we all begin to move away from the busy schoolyard.

“They’re saying some Unfortunates trashed the lawn. The worst part is they somehow fried the cameras in the process. They can’t recover the footage,” Raegan says, moving close to my brother, who eagerly awaits her presence.

“Give them anything nice, and they ruin it,” Kai says. I can’t help but scoff at his crude words after the ones he chose to share with me in programming class.

“Bold of you to assume it was an Unfortunate knowing Josh and Colton live and breathe for a thrill like destroying property,” Max mutters, filling me with relief. I know he says it to please me, but still. I allow my hand to trail behind me, reaching for his grasp with a squeeze. He lets his hand land on my own. Any tension between us earlier melts away with the touch.

Students gather near the stopped tram, clamoring to get on with shoves. Many linger by the empty ponds, slowly dragging along to catch the tram. Colton and Josh are leaning outside the tram, eyeing down all the women while they work their way up the steps. I keep my head lowered, pulling Max along with me, wanting nothing more than for them to be silent. Colton’s hand reaches out, stopping my march toward the tram steps. The bus driver and I make eye contact. Our heads raise simultaneously.

“You think after what you pulled this morning, you can just get on that easily?” Colton questions. His face grows uncomfortably close. Max grabs his collar, shoving him back into the tram with a grin.

“Why don’t you go and fess up for the mess you two assholes made so we can all go home?” Max questions. Josh audibly laughs at the comment.

“Still following her around like a lost puppy, hoping you get a chance to get past that horrid uniform blouse-”

“Open your mouth one more time, and I will make what you did to that Unfortunate this morning look tame,” Max spits, pointing his finger at Josh’s chest. All three men surround each other like rabid dogs. Kai balls his fist, waiting in anticipation for Max’s next move. I glance again at the bus driver, feeling his worries increase about this new delay. It’s his ass if we keep holding up his routes.

“Max, let it go,” I begin, motioning Kai and Rae to help me pull him away from Josh and Colton. With a release of Colton’s collar, he backs down, moving backward and into my touch, even making it up a few steps of the stairs, beginning the flow of movement once more.

“Go on and follow your dirty, Unfortunate loving whore-”

My hands meet Josh’s arms, shoving him back into the tram as hard as possible. He stumbles, almost falling over, only to be dragged back up by my hand. I grab his face, holding his sharp jawline in my hand, forcing him to look at me. My hair slips away from its pinned position. The cut burns as the cool breeze moves past it. I hold Josh still, pinning his tall figure with my leg. I made sure to keep my knee in the one place he would rather not feel pressure. Colton moves, ready to pull me away from his idiotic companion. I put more pressure on Josh’s crotch with my knee, watching the arrogance leave his expression.

“Make him back off,” I hiss. Josh pounds the side of the vehicle, stopping his friend’s movements. Kai’s hands hold the back of his head, his eyes wide at the exchange. Max stands still, unsure of what to do. Rae tries her best to deal with crowd control but only meets dead ends as people begin to cheer at the sight of aggression.

“You have absolutely no idea who I am. None!” I press down harder, watching his expression shift to pain. My lips move closer to his ear. His heartbeat pounds beneath my touch. “If you would like to see how dirty I’m willing to get my hands to prove to everyone here how much of a bitch you are, please, allow me. Call me an Unfortunate loving whore again, and I will make sure you look as fucked up as every Unfortunate who’s received a violation. I suggest you stop mistaking me for the first year you tormented and back off,” I finish, pulling my mouth away from his ear, only to meet his angered face.

Pulling my knee away, I let him go. His body slumps forward, exhibiting the strength of the hold I had on him. I motion Max up the steps, playing off the whole interaction as if it’d never happened. Josh grabs my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks. His fingers wrap around my wrist, squeezing with all he has.

“Don’t forget what I have on you-”

“Tell them. Maybe we can both get some fucking answers,” I hiss, looking over the crowd with anger.

“Show's over,” I spit with rage.

In the back of the crowd, his blue eyes look at me with something other than a scowl. A small smirk lines his face, eating up his expression like a mask. Unlike all the other times he has hatefully watched over me, he allows his amusement to show this time. His arms are crossed over his chest. His head cocks, and he looks as if he’s challenging me to prove something to him. I feel my body move forward, bowing toward the crowd while only looking at him. I keep my lowered gaze on him, letting my hate consume my vision, before following behind Max.

I expected that smirk to leave his face at my posturing.

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