The Trouble with Love

❝ if my life is mine what shouldn't i do ❞

"Methanonel is a calming drug, right?" I think Raine and Kaden were completely against it for some reason, but I had never gotten hurt enough to really need it.

She snorted. "Yeah, but no one needs that much."

"And the cameras never caught anything unusual," I muttered.

It had to be someone in the Elite who drugged Skylar. And I was pretty sure Skylar hadn't killed someone too. I don't think she would drug herself and fall down the stairs to make herself seem innocent, or whatever it was that could've possibly been accomplished with her actions. That is, if whoever had hurt Skylar and whoever Ashton believed had killed someone was the same person.

"Do you know who pushed you down the stairs?"

Was maybe what had happened to me at Vanessa's house also related? But that didn't make much sense. I hadn't known the Elite for very long. I didn't have anything to do with any of them, not really. Was it just some kind of twisted prank to make me paranoid? Or was it related to the note I had gotten? Like a warning?

Skylar laughed bitterly. "If I did, do you think they'd be walking free right now? They shoved a plastic bag over my head and choked me with it then shoved me down the stairs before I even noticed them."

A plastic bag, over the head. Like what happened with me. Only I wasn't choked. I was shoved into a pool and left to drown.

"Look Elena, I appreciate the effort, but my parents, the police, Ashton, and our private detective have all gone over this," Skylar said, interrupting my thoughts. "As much as we all hate it, it's doubtful that we'll ever find out who did this."

Something in the way she said everything made me wonder if she knew, or had a feeling that one of her friends, someone she trusted, might've done this to her. But before I could even decide whether or not I should ask, the door swung open and Cameron walked in, a plastic takeout bag in his hand.

"Hey babe," Skylar said. The almost scandalized look Cameron gave her was comical. "She know."

He gave me a cautious look, but approached Skylar and gave her the food, as well as a quick, and thankfully chaste kiss on the lips. "Hi. Miss me?"

She grinned. "Of course."

Weird didn't even begin to describe watching their relationship. I didn't really mind it, it was none of my business, and it was nowhere near the worst thing I possibly dealing with, but it was still strange. "I'm gonna go," I said.

It was doubtful that I would get anything else out of Skylar if Cameron was in the room. I could wait until he was gone, but I had no idea how long that would be. The couple ignored me as I slipped out of the room and headed back to the waiting area. As I turned the corner, I heard two very familiar voices, arguing.

"-car's here," Ashton was saying.

"How do you know what her car looks like?" Jacen demanded.

"What are you guys talking about?" I interrupted. The receptionist, as well as the guards, let out quiet sighs of relief as the guys stopped and turned to look at me.

"Why are you here?" Jacen asked.

"Visiting Skylar," I replied.

Ashton glanced at the guards. "How'd you get in?"

"Cameron got them to let me in."

They stared at me blankly.

Correction, fake blankly.

"You know, Skylar's boyfriend," I said pointedly.

"You know?" Ashton asked. Jacen, apparently having lost interest in the conversation, wandered away.

I raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't exactly hard." I glanced at Jacen, who had taken a seat in the corner. "I thought you hated him." Even though you guys are freakishly alike.

"I'm supposed to babysit him for Keira," Ashton grumbled. "Is Cameron still with Skylar?"

I nodded. "They were making out when I left."

"Go sit beside Jacen," he said, with a slight grimace. "I still need to talk to you." Then, without waiting for my reply, walked down the hall. The guards didn't try to stop him, apparently already knowing who he was.

I chewed on my lip, debating whether or not I should actually listen to Ashton and stay, or just go. I wanted to know what he wanted to talk about, but I didn't particularly feel like sitting with Jacen until he got back. In the end, curiosity won out.

Like it usually does.

I sighed and took a seat next to Jacen, who was tapping away on his phone. He looked up. "Talk, huh? Looks like things are getting serious."

And just my luck. Jacen was being the jackass version of himself, and his mocking tone was seriously making me reconsider my decision to stay.

"Shut up." I didn't have the energy to think of anything more creative. "At least I don't need to be babysat."

He snorted, the comment not affecting him like I thought it would, and didn't reply. For once, I wasn't really bothered by the lack of response; I was too busy wondering whether or not the boy sitting next to me had possibly killed someone. And almost killed Skylar. And tried to drown me.

I studied him for a moment. He didn't look capable of murder, but I didn't know Jacen that well. Maybe not even at all. Some days, he was nice, and I almost even liked him. Other days, he was just a complete and total ass.

A flurry of commotion at the entrance made me stop and look away. A group of doctors wheeling a stretcher, and several machines and trays walked into the room, most of them shouting at each other.

"She's not responding," one of the doctors yelled. "She's comatose."

Jacen looked up from his phone. "I know her," he said, then looked back down, as if someone being comatose was no big deal.

I stood, trying to look past the doctors to see who was on the stretcher. I got glimpses of pale skin and light hair. The girl looked familiar, but I couldn't place her with a mask over her face and a multitude of doctors and machines around her.

"Who was that?" I asked Jacen, sitting back down.

He didn't look up. "Olivia Tunclet. Ashton's old girl."

-- ♡ --

Cameron Sullivan ---->

Teaser: "Jenna Tunclet's one of your patients, right?" I asked. He gave me a suspicious look, but nodded slowly. "Do you know what happened to her sister?"

PS. This chapter's awful, but I promised I'd update early. I'll edit this later. :3

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