𝖋𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗 𝖕𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗 ⋆ 𝕶𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖓 𝖉𝖆𝖞

𝖘𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

╔═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╗

For the first time since the inception of the Palmetto State Foxes, the bus is completely silent. Kevin sits up front with Abby, almost mirroring the first night that he ran away from the Ravens after Riko demolished his hand. There's an empty row between them and Dan and Matt, and behind them sits Renee. Behind Renee is Daisy, her knees drawn into her chest with her lifeless stare trained out of the window. Neil sits behind her, with Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky taking up the last couple of rows. What seemed like an excruciatingly long journey this morning seems to go by in a flash, and Fox Tower rises on the horizon like their saviour.

Everybody escapes the bus quicker than Coach can even warn them to be safe. Everybody except Daisy.

Oh, she knows they're back on campus. She's been far too alert, far too wired onto every sound and movement on the bus to not know what's going on. Her senses are on red alert, she's been suppressing a panic attack since she was hauled onto the bus, and her limbs have only just stopped shaking. She's too full of adrenaline and fear to even move. That deep pit of darkness within her has swallowed her whole, and she's not even trying to fight it anymore.

Coach falls into the seat beside her, lights up a cigarette. Daisy rolls her head over to watch him smoke it right down to the filter, then stub it out on the top of the pack and put the butt into the box.

He says finally, "That was fucked up. Don't expect me to sugar coat it." When Daisy makes no sound, he adds, "Why'd you do it? You know how dangerous the Moriyamas are."

Daisy pulls in a deep breath that feels like it's going to rip her in half. "I'm not much of anything anymore, but I'm not a coward. I won't let people talk to the ones I -- the ones I care about like that."

Wymack sighs. "Fair game. But, no matter how many times I've fantasised about it, you can't just put a fist through Riko's teeth like that."

"I can," she says flatly. "I just did. Nobody stopped me. I'd do it again if I had the chance."

"You're a real piece of work," Wymack chuckles, reaches out to clap Daisy's shoulder. "Get off my bus before I lock you in here 'til Friday."

It takes her a moment to stand and walk down the aisle, but once she starts going she doesn't think she'll ever stop. Instead of heading into the tower, she aims her trajectory towards the gym. But somebody rounds the corner at the same time she does, and she almost collides into them.

"You're not going to the gym," says Kevin. She scowls at him, reaches out to shove him out of her way. "I'm not kidding. All you've eaten in the last twelve hours is a protein bar and a couple slices of pizza, you've barely slept, and you're not gonna kill yourself on my watch."

"Fuck you," she grumbles, but lets him grab her shoulder and steer her back towards the doors to the tower.

"Andrew is going to ask you to come to Columbia tonight," he says as they're climbing the stairs. Daisy's brows drop low over her eyes and she stops in her tracks; he stops a few ahead of her and looks down at her face. "He won't let you say no."

"Did he not just see what I did to Moriyama?"

Kevin scowls right back at her. "I didn't ask you to do that for me. You don't know how bad you just made things."