The Numbers on Our Arms

Chapter 4

"I'm not denying anything! I'm just telling it like it is!"

"John, I already know everything. New Bostin, your expulsion, how you're secretly a high-tier. I tried to tell you."

He let go off her and took a step back. He stood shaking with his fists clenched at his side.

"John?" she asked in the silence.

"WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT?" he shouted. He flung his hand out.

He's completely flipped.

"IT WAS ARLO, WASN'T IT! OR THAT FUCKING RAT, ISEN? I bet those two made you come talk to me too!"

"No. I had the soulmark, John, so I knew some of it myself already. I asked for the rest of the info myself-."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! AFTER EVERYTHING, YOU STILL CHOSE THEIR SIDE OVER MINE?"

"John, calm down! This has nothing to do with sides! I looked into this because you weren't telling me anything-!"

"SHUT UP! SO THAT'S WHY YOU IGNORED ME FOR A WEEK?! I trusted you! And you went behind my back to dig up dirt one me!"

She paused. "Ignoring you was the least I could've done. Do you have any idea what I had to go through after I found out that you lied so many times? My whole world shattered. Everything I believed in became a complete joke! I had to reflect on all the events that happened between us. Discern whether they were truths or lies then piece myself together again! So don't you dare talk about trust in front of me when you've been lying to my face this whole time! And don't you DARE accuse me for doing stuff behind your back when you've been going around the school with a whole separate identit-!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, SERA! I DON'T CARE WHAT I DID! WHAT HAPPENED IN MY PAST IS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!"

"Don't interrupt me, John. I'll say it again. I was worried for you, so I made it my business. Can't you see what you've done? You've thrown the school into panic! You've hurt so many students! You're repeating everything you did at New Bostin!

"WAKE UP, JOHN! IT'S TIME TO STOP!"

He clenched his jaw. "You don't know anything! I AM AWAKE! I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE AWAKE! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES! The Royals and every single person who has been attacked – they abused the absolute shit out of their power! THEY'RE ALL GARBAGE! THIS WHOLE SYSTEM IS GARBAGE! THEY ONLY HAVE THEMSELVES TO BLAME FOR THIS! EVERYONE GOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVED!"

"So that's what this is about? Getting a back at the Royals? Revenge on the system? If you wanted the high-tiers to exercise their power correctly then at least make their job easier! With the current state of the school, nobody knows what to do!"

"Psh! Just goes to prove how useless they all are."

She waved him off. "Great, you've proven your point! Now what? You're just gonna leave things the way they are and let Wellston collapse?"

"Not my fucking problem."

"Really, John? Do you know who has been suffering the most from this whole Joker fiasco?" She pointed to herself. "Us low-tiers and mid-tiers! The very people you wanted to help!

"We're at war with each other! Please, we're tired of fighting all the time! Just give us a break, okay?"

He grabbed her wrist. "Sera! Don't try to flip the blame onto me!" He pulled her towards him. "You've been a low-tier for how long? Quit feeling sorry for yourself."

"Oh, and what about you? Been a low-tier for most of your life, get your hands on a bit of power and you lose your damn mind." I can't even recognise him. "John, do you remember Unordinary? Remember all the times you said everything had something to offer?"