The Good-For-Nothing Society | Completed

Chapter Fourteen

When I first arrived at the school, everyone was talking about me. When Elijah was caught hugging me in the hallway, everyone was talking about me. You would think that two weeks after my mums death, everyone would be sick of talking about me. But they're not. They stare, and they whisper and they giggle as I walk by. Not only has Elijah's jealously over the boy with the yellow backpack got everyone riled up, so has the fact that the same boy shot my mother dead.

You'd think a bunch of teenagers being taught how to be discreet for several years would be masters of it, but apparently not. You'd also hope I'd be used to the stares and the whispers by now, but I guess I'm not. If I'm brutally honest, it's taking every ounce of sanity I have not to go around throat punching people just for looking at me. I have to walk around with this fake, bored and uninterested, face on - too worried that any other look will churn out a new rumour.

The other day I heard that I was looking pissed off because Elijah had 'called things off with me', that he did it because my life is 'too messy'. Seriously, the kids here have murderers as parents and my life is considered messy. Not to mention that Elijah is Not! My! Boyfriend! And my mum Just! Died! Hence why maybe, I might not be walking around like the world is rainbows and butterflies!

"You could stage a breakup," Grace suggests.

She and I are walking towards the sports centre for our daily dose of P.E. Truthfully, today is combat training and I'm very happy I'm going to be allowed to hit things.

"Why would I stage a breakup with him?" I ask her, "We're not even together."

Grace laughs, "You could have fooled me."

"I'm serious," I insist. "We're not together."

Grace gives me a look, "Does he know that?"

"Of course he does!"

"Amelia, you're together all the time. You train together, watch films together, study together, eat, breathe, laugh together. He didn't leave your bedside for three days. He gives you forehead kisses, regularly. The only person who doesn't think you're together is you."

"And Elijah," I grumble. Grace shakes her head and I feel I have to defend myself. "I'm not denying there are feelings there - but my mum did just die, like, right in front of me. My dad was also killed nine weeks ago. It's not as easy as just giving a boy I barely know, my heart. It's not like you both didn't befriend me just because it was a mission-"

"- We didn't-" She interjects.

"- But you can't blame me for having some trust issues. Also, for Elijah's sake, people that I love keep dropping dead."

"Okay," Grace concedes. "You make a fair point. You did also just admit that you love Elijah."

I balk at her, "You're seriously taking my words out of context!"

"Am I though?" She laughs, "Because I'm pretty sure I just heard you say that with my own ears."

We reach the outside of the centre and everyone is already there, waiting to be let in. Elijah is stood on the corner, and Lily is pushed into his side, her arms wrapped around him like they've always been there. I'm shocked, surprised and then I'm pissed. Super, super pissed.

"Might want to wipe that look off your face," Grace murmurs to me. "Since you're not a thing and all."

So I do. I rearrange my face to look completely neutral like I have been for weeks. Then I turn away, ignoring the sour taste in my mouth. I didn't think I was a jealous person, turns out seeing a girl with her hands all over Elijah makes me feel more violent then watching my mums lifeless body fall to the floor. Imagine that. What a weird reaction to have.