Crazed Minds | ✔️

twenty nine

"You're intertwining your soul with somebody else."
-Somebody Else, The 1975
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Alec's grip on my arm is becoming painful, and so when we stop in the corridor outside the dining hall, I abruptly pull my arm away.

"What were you thinking?" he snaps, folding his arms across his chest and standing over me condescendingly.

I scowl and clench my jaw, crossing my own arms. "I'm trying to find out who killed Jacob. That way, you, me and Jasper are in the clear. Not to mention no more fights between Fighters and Socios. I'm trying to protect you."

His face looks like he doesn't know if he heard me correctly. Alec raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Protect me?" He shakes his head in disbelief, looking away. When he draws level again, he hisses in a hushed voice, "Why are you trying to protect me?"

"Because I care! Whether you want to believe it or not, Alec, people do care about you."

"This is a suicide mission. You don't get in a fight with Naomi and leave unharmed," he grunts frustratedly.

"Oh yeah? Well I just did it about five minutes ago," I reply bluntly, to which he rolls his eyes.

"Because I stopped her from crushing your trachea! She won't challenge me," he says firmly, turning to glance at the other students passing us in the corridor, shooting us uncertain or amused looks.

"It doesn't matter," I say, his attention falling back onto me again. "I can win this. And if I don't, stealing something from Rosa's office will be a piece of cake."

"Piece of cake, she says." He scoffs and moves away from me, shaking his head. When he spins around again, he snaps, "Do you want to be expelled?"

"I want to know what happened to a boy who I know shouldn't have died the other night. And if the only way to find out is by Naomi, then so be it."

I turn around and only stop a few meters in front of the stairs when he speaks again, "Don't expect me to come to the fight. I don't want to watch you get hurt."

"Come to the fight or don't. It doesn't matter. In the end, I'm going to find out who murdered Jacob, even if I get my whole body snapped in half by Naomi in the process."

***

"You did what?"

Jasper is reacting a lot like Alec did. Not surprisingly. "Your friend is dead, Jasper. And I'm going to find out who did it, even if it's the last thing I do."

"But it's not up to you to find out," he says, sitting up from his bed but wincing again.

I ease him back down and explain more gently, "It's not choice to make, Jasper."

He sighs frustratedly and grunts, "Well, I'm coming with you tonight."

I shake my head. "It's a party they're having in the woods. Meaning only Fighters are invited. In other words, strictly no Socios allowed."

Jasper huffs. "If anything happens to you-"

"Then so what? I'll be hurt. If it means I can find out who is framing me-"