Heaven ── TOM HOLLAND

10. Betrayal

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TW: BRIEF MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND BLOOD

      Kelsey and Mateo Garcia passed away just minutes after one another, and awoke in the same house, their hands still clasped like when they were alive. They were just teenagers, two sixteen years olds who got taken away from the world too soon. Luckily, they were assigned to Orion, the three immediately bonding.

      One thing Orion would always love about the twins was the way they died. It was a morbid statement, but she held so much respect for the two, just based off the stories she heard of them. There were whispers around the sector of the two, some saying how heroic their actions had been for such young people, while others deemed it idiotic and unnecessary. She never believed what they said, not until Mateo shared the story with her, his hand tightly clasped in Kelsey's as he relived the details of his last minutes on Earth.

      The two had shielded their Mother from their Father, despite being afraid of the weapon he held in his hand. Mateo was the first to be hit, Kelsey letting out a scream as she watched her brother hit the floor, his blood pooling at her feet. Yet she held her ground, shielding her Mother from the ruthless man for another few seconds, before she too fell to the ground.

      Their Mother escaped that day, they were informed of that not long after their arrival, but she lived with the guilt of her only two kids giving away their lives for her. If only she knew they now lived together in heaven, as happy as one could be after dying.

      Orion held a great amount of respect for the two, the story only bringing them closer. And when she grew comfortable enough to share her story of death, she knew they were friends she intended to keep. But, she was beginning to question that decision when she agreed to meet Tom somewhere, just to find Kelsey already there with him.

      The girls had knocked heads plenty of times, their personalities differing greatly, but never had Orion considered ending their friendship. Though recently, the girl's advances were bothering her to the point where she didn't even want to speak to her, despite her constant warnings. Kelsey was notorious for going after anything with a pulse, but just once, once, Orion wanted her to lay off, but she couldn't.

      Tom was leant against the wall, eyebrows knitted together as he listened to Kelsey speak. He'd been waiting all of two minutes when she showed up, her usual red stained lips curled into a smirk as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "A party?" He repeated.

      Orion couldn't help but roll her eyes, though she didn't dare to reveal herself, wanting to see how the situation would play out.

      Kelsey nodded eagerly, shifting her weight from one leg to another. "It's for this... group I'm apart of. You should definitely come."

      Tom frowned, "I don't think Orion would want me to go to a party for your group."

      Orion couldn't help but smile at his attempt to shut down Kelsey's offer, and when a few seconds of silence passed, she thought Kelsey accepted his rejection. But who was she kidding? This was Kelsey, she never accepted rejection.

      Kelsey's smirk faltered for a moment, but she was quick to recover from it, the hand that was resting on his shoulder now twirling one of his curls around her finger. Tom visibly tensed up at the contact, eyes darting between hers in uncertainty. "C'mon, it'll be fun," She insisted with a tilt of her head, dark locks falling forward. "Orion can't control your every move."

      Orion's fingers curled into fists as she listened in, feeling nothing but anger coursing through her veins. Yet she remained silent, waiting for his response.

      Tom hesitated, eyes darting around the room to avoid her alluring eyes. "Didn't you tell me I should tread carefully around her now? I really don't want her to be upset with me again. She's finally trying with me."

      Her throat tightened at his words, and for a moment, Kelsey felt guilty. But she made a promise, and she knew it wouldn't go down lightly if she didn't follow through. As a last resort, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to the boy's cheek. Tom's face instantly heated up when Kelsey stepped away, amused smile on her lips. "Look, I can't force you to come, but I really wanted you there," She shrugged, prepared to walk away. Three. Two. A hand grabbed onto her wrist, a smug smile making it's way onto her lips.

      She turned back to Tom with an eyebrow raised, eyes darting down to his hand that held her. "I'll, um, I'll be there," He choked out, a smile instantly lighting up her face. His eyes widened in shock as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and he slowly hugged her back.

      Orion was glaring at the back of Kelsey's head at this point, and she released a shaky breathe as she put on a false smile. Making an effort to step heavily, she made her way into the room, Kelsey already walking away by the time she reached Tom. Her eyes scanned over his rosy cheeks, a faint lipstick mark on his right cheek, though she chose to ignore it.

      "Was that Kels?" She asked nonchalantly, glancing from the flustered boy to her friend.

      Tom cleared his throat, nodding, "Yeah, it was... she was just saying hi." For a moment, she thought he was going to mention the party to her, but he quickly averted his eyes from hers, in shame almost. "Right, I called you here, didn't I? Uhm, change of plans actually. I think I'm just gonna head back to my house."

      Orion narrowed her eyes at him, but nodded anyways. "That's fine, see you tomorrow?" Tom nodded quickly before scurrying away, Orion watching him flee with a glare. She waited until he left the building before tugging her phone out. "Mateo, we're going to a party–What, no, I'm not trying to get laid–ugh, just get ready."