MASTERMIND | ajax petropolis

- three

"I've gotta go." I spoke, my voice barely audible as I quite literally shoved Ajax off of me.

He tumbled to the floor, groaning from the impact, while I stumbled to my feet. I needed to get out of here.

I ran through the school. Enid. Xavier. Yoko. Hell, any of the Sirens. I just needed someone.

Eventually, I stumbled out of the doors of the school and out into the rain. Except when I did, I saw Xavier tackling Wednesday out of the way as a gargoyle crashed into the ground next to them. My heart dropped into my stomach.

What the hell?

I rushed over to the two, my interaction with Ajax now being the least of my worries. I dropped to my knees on the stone next to my best friend. The water on the ground seeped into my clothes, probably staining my fencing uniform beyond belief.

"Xav?" I questioned, my eyes not leaving Wednesday's motionless body.

His hand shakily reached for mine, pulling me into his side quickly. "She's fine, she's fine." I think he was reassuring himself a tad more than he was me. "Let's get her back to the infirmary."

Xavier stood up first, helping me up shortly after. My whole body shook as I watched him pick her up from the ground. I couldn't help but stare at my roommate. The fact that she didn't even look like she was breathing was freaking me out.

I don't do injuries. I don't do death. I don't do unconsciousness. Nothing close.

"Hey." Xavier's voice was sharp.

My eyes tore away from my roommate and locked onto his.

I could tell he was worried, but his eyes were on mine. "She's going to be fine. Ok? I need you to open doors for me. Then you go find Enid, got it? You're not sticking around to wait for her to wake up." He was being bossy. But bossy was needed in this instance.

"Got it."

Xavier's eyes softened.

He knew I wasn't okay. He knew I didn't like stuff like this.

"Woah, what happened?" Ajax walked out the door I had just exited.

He was out of breath. Had he run after me?

He must've been. There's no way that Ajax would be that out of breath if he hadn't.

Xavier looked at me, Wednesday, and then the shattered gargoyle behind us. "Not totally sure, but I've gotta take Wednesday back to the infirmary. Mind walking Cai back to her dorm?"

My stomach dropped.

He did not just suggest that.

"I'm fin-"

"Sure can, Xav." Ajax reassured our best friend, holding the door open to help him back into the main building.

I groaned knowing that there was no way I was going to be allowed to walk back to my dorm by myself now. I followed the boys, somewhat like a puppy, Xavier would know if I snuck away and I didn't want to upset him. He tended to be overprotective at times, so I let him. Even though I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

"Aj." Xavier called out once more after we reached the infirmary.

The gorgon raised an eyebrow, ready for Xavier to say more.

"If Enid isn't there, can you stay with Cai til she is? Kind of don't want her to be by herself at the moment."

You've got to be kidding me.

Ajax assured Xavier he would and I immediately turned around to start the walk back. Yeah, yeah, maybe it wouldn't be the best idea for me to be by myself after seeing what I had just seen. But, Ajax? Why couldn't Xavier just drop Wednesday off and come with me?

"Why're you walking so fast, Caleigh?" Ajax complained.

So, I slowed down.

"I don't want to be here," I gestured vaguely to the area around us, "anymore." Infirmaries and hospitals made me sick.

"Yeah, that's why Xavier asked me to walk you back to your room."

This boy.

"You don't have to stay with me if Enid isn't there." I blurted.

I could see him shrug out of the corner of my eye, "Got nothing else to do."

Of course.

We walked in silence back to my dorm room. And, much to my dismay, Enid was nowhere around.

"So, this is your room." He was quiet, almost as if he were mesmerized.

I ignored him, grabbing sweatpants and a shirt I think used to belong to Xavier, before walking into my bathroom to change. My clothes were soaked from being out in the rain, so not even Ajax being in the middle of my room was going to stop me from getting out of them.

When I rejoined the boy, he was staring at our giant window. The one that was basically half Enid and half Wednesday.

"This is dope." he chuckled. Ajax turned to face me as I struggled with my tangled hair. "Want me to braid it for you?"

I cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"Your hair. My sisters taught me how to french braid their dolls' hair when we were younger and I haven't forgotten. Need help?"

Every part of me screamed to say no.

"Sure."

What could it harm? "Alright, sit down on the floor. Shouldn't take all too long." And so I sat, Ajax on my bed behind me.

This isn't weird, right?

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