Welcome To The Circus (COMPLETE)

Life finds a way

I can't sit around and wait for Dylan to come back anymore, I have to do something productive. I make my way outside, double checking the screens to see if the coast is clear first of course. I considered taking a gun, but in the end, I couldn't handle the weight on my conscience. I sprint toward the dining hall at top speed, before crawling back through the vent from whence I came. I feel a little guilty for not telling anyone I was going, but they would have just tried to stop me anyway. I push them out of my mind and focus on crawling towards the light, eventually I make it to the vent, and sure enough, Tiger is leaning against it. "Hey." I hiss, making her whip around in disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" She says in a monotone, trying not to draw attention to herself.
"Come with me." I respond.
"Why are you still even in the school?" She scoffs.
"How could I abandon everyone and just sprint out of here like a frightened gazelle? I want to help."
"That's why I sent you out in the first place, you won't be much help if you're dead."
There's a silence as I process what she's said. "You think you're going to die?" I mumble in a low tone.
She doesn't respond for a moment, and I begin to think she didn't hear me, when she sighs. "Look, I won't lie to you, I have no clue what's going to happen. But if worst comes to worst, I'd prefer you were far away."
"Come with me." I plead again, this time more urgently.
She shakes her head. "No Maggie, I need to be here to get as many people out as possible. It's our best chance."
"Don't be so selfless!" I growl desperately. "How could I live if you didn't?"
"Life finds a way." She replies calmly, but she must sense my panic, because she sticks a finger through the vent, which I grab. "I doubt it'll get that far, there are some important people's kids in this room, they won't take any chances, I bet they just pay the ransom."
My gaze drifts a window, where Ingrid is, "Oh, would you mind getting her out? Evan is stressed as hell about her, and she looks like she'll have PTSD if she's here any longer."
Tiger wrinkles her nose. "Really? She's such a brat though!"
"I'll make sure she behaves." I giggle, knowing how much she would fuck things up for me. There's a pause, and I exhale. "Please, just come with me."
She shakes her head vigorously. "No. You get out here."
It's seems we're at a standoff. "Compromise. You stay put, but so do I." She goes to protest but I cut her off. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Mags-"

"Listen, I have a plan, but I need your help."

................................................

As I make my way back across campus, I'm intercepted by Dylan, who charges toward me like a bull. "What are you-" I manage to say before I'm slammed into the wall of the hospital building. I openly wince, confused at his anger. "What the hell was that for?"
"Where the hell have you been?" He hisses through clenched teeth.

"I could say the same for you." I glare back. He grabs me by the wrist and drags me inside the building, before again pinning me against the wall.

"I got back to the control room and you weren't there! No one knew where you were!"

"Yeah, I went to check on Tiger, she's helping me with-" I try to explain.

"You went back to the dining hall?" His eyes widen in horror.

"I was only in the vent-" Once again, I'm interupted.

"How fucking selfish can you be?!" He growls, awaking my own anger.
"I'm selfish?!" It seems he struck a nerve. "You're the one who was willing to put lives at stake just for some easy cash!"
He seems more angry than taken aback. "I changed! You don't know the things I had to do to survive."

"No you're right. Because you won't tell me, you wouldn't even warn me about this until it was already happening! I went out on a limb to trust you, even after you pointed a gun at my face! Even after you didn't bother showing up to my own birthday!" It all pours out, like hot lava, the resentment that he missed the one day he should be there for.

Finally, he gets it. "I know, I hate myself for missing it. I was buying guns. which was incredibly easy to do by the way." Dylan gulps, "No, you're right, about all of it. But maybe if I can get you out alive, that will make up for it."

I frown at his choice of words. "You will live too."
"That's not my top priority anymore." It hits me for the first time what life will be like after this, he's gonna have a mafia on his tail for the rest of his life, and I understand why he's doubtful. There's a pause, until he remembers why he was angry. "Did you even think about what would happen when the others woke up? Because I can tell you, Laci was crying, Evan was desperately scanning monitors, to no avail, and Levi was a nervous wreak. All because you thought it was a great idea to go prancing around during a life or death situation."
"I'm sorry-" I try to backtrack, confused at his change of emotion.

"What about me? Did you think about how I would feel? How I could never live with myself if something happened to you?" His voice cracks, I stare deep into his eyes, tears welling up in them, and I've never felt more guilty in my life.
I reach out to stroke his cheek, finally feeling the weight of the responsibility of my own life, how it affects others, not just me, how reckless I am with it.

"I was so fucking scared, Marnie." He whispers, placing his hand over mine.

"I'm so sorry, Dyl. From now on, we work together, okay?" He nods breathlessly. "Let's go get these fuckers." I mutter, making him chuckle.
"Don't do that again." He mumbles against my ear. "-And happy belated birthday." He pulls something out of his pocket sheepishly. "it's been in my pocket for two days, thank god you reminded me."
He hops impatiently from one foot to the other as I open the little box, and can't help but burst out laughing at the contents. "Are you kidding me?" I smile, lifting the little necklace.
"Well, you did say I smelled like apples." He winks, making me punch his arm lightly.
I groan. "I was high, are you ever gonna let me live that down?"

"Nope." He grins, taking it from me, and fastening the clasp around my neck. "It's not much, but I thought I'd get you something meaningful." He shrugs, slightly embarrassed. "Is it alright?"

I look from his hopeful face to the necklace, which is a silver chain with a charm, an apple. "It's perfect." I reassure him, reveling in the way his smile lights up, like a little kid. "Thank you." I stand on my tip-toes to kiss him, and for a moment, we aren't in a time sensitive situation, and it's just me and him. That is, until we are interrupted by the sound of someone gagging. We break apart, Dylan whipping out his gun like lightning, and aiming it at the source, I'm a little impressed. Lydia jumps back, shocked. "Dylan! Stop!" I command him, he lowers the gun. "Are you alright, Lydia?"

She gulps, pale as a ghost. "Yeah, I uh, did you just kiss your brother?"

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The necklace Dylan gave her is in the external link xx