OUT OF MIND² ━━ Bellamy Blake

𝐗: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

     Well. . . thinks Lyra awkwardly, blowing air between her lips as her cheeks puff up. She wonders if the two siblings are aware of the fact that everyone can hear them right now. If they are, Octavia doesn't seem to care. Roughly shoving her way past Lyra, Octavia storms towards the entrance of the cave and into the looming darkness. Then she halts mid-step, pivoting to fix her brother with a frustrated glare.

     "Turning Pike in doesn't make you one of the good guys, Bellamy!" Octavia exclaims sharply. "You did that to save me. Not because what you thought what Pike was doing to the Grounders was wrong."

     Bellamy turns to face her swiftly. "The Grounders were starving us out."

     "Because you massacred an army that was sent to protect us."

     "That army could've attacked us at any time and you know it!"

     "But they didn't attack. You did that," Octavia says lowly. She seems to have softened slightly, as if understanding where her brother had drawn his reasoning, but it is painfully obvious that she hasn't forgiven him. "You were hurting and you lashed out because that's what you do. There are consequences Bell, people get hurt. People die. Your people. Monroe's dead. Lincoln is dead. Lyra was next."

     Um, thinks Lyra, a little alarmed. She'd really rather not get involved in their argument.

     "Don't bring Lyra into this," Bellamy says darkly.

     "Why? Does it bother you, that you almost got your girlfriend shot?" Octavia taunts. Bellamy's jaw clenches and she rolls her icy eyes. "Whatever. If Lyra died, then at least you'd know what it feels like."

     OK. Lyra really wishes they hadn't brought her up ━━ and why does she have to die in this scenario?

With that, Octavia whirls around, marching into the night.

"Octavia!" Lyra calls, pushing past Monty and Sinclair. She scrambles after Octavia and into the bitter night air. "Octavia, wait!"

"What?" Octavia spins around to fix Lyra with an icy look. If it had been anyone else, Lyra might have been afraid. But Octavia is her oldest friend. "If you're here to defend him, then forget it. What he did almost killed you."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten," Lyra mutters. "I'm not here to defend him."

"Then what do you want?" Octavia demands.

"You're not the only one who left someone behind in Arkadia," Lyra says tonelessly. "In case you don't remember, my dad is there. And he's chipped."

    "Fine." Something has shifted in Octavia's expression, her tone less crude now. She turns slowly and then Lyra can no longer make out her features as she faces the forest darkly. "Let's move."

Footsteps thunder in the foliage behind them and then she hears, "Lyra, wait, you can't just leave — "

Bristling at the sound of Bellamy's voice, Lyra starts to walk faster. But before she can get much further, there is a distant rumble that reverberates through the darkness. Her head snaps up. Somewhere among the dark blur of trees is a near-blinding white light. It draws closer and closer. Squinting, Lyra makes out the mountainous shadow as it pulls between two trees ━━ it's the rover.