The Materialists | Book 1 + 2 ✔

15 | scared of the crown

Looking in the mirror, I looked worse than I realize. I was frowning, but I didn't even notice I was. My cheeks were red, and not the red from the blush I put on. And my eyes looked tired. Do I always look this tired or is that just a today thing?

Before I processed doing it, I slapped myself, and rather hard too. "Pull yourself together. Laura Strathen does not break character, ever."

Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my school blazer and hair and opened the door to the bathroom, exiting. And standing right outside waiting, was Isaia.

"Oh," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Hi?"

"What's wrong with you?" He asked though it sounded more aggressive than concerned.

"Nothing."

He scoffed, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning back against the wall. "Why are you nervous? What's there to be nervous about? Unless you know something and you're not telling us."

"I don't know anything which is why I'm nervous," I snapped quietly.

"That doesn't make much sense," He shrugged.

"To you, it doesn't. But how am I supposed to know what to expect from Tao? What to prepare for if I don't even have a semi-good idea of what she's going to do," I said, and it sounded like I was talking to myself. How was I going to prepare tomorrow?

Then did something I wasn't expecting, at all. He hugged me. Don't get me wrong, it was a very stiff, awkward, and forced hug. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know," He admitted, laughing slightly. "Trying to calm you down. It worked today when Reece did it."

I laughed, a very light laugh that was more like an airy breath. "I must say," I hugged him back slightly, wrapping my arms around his waist and putting my head on his chest. "You don't completely suck at comforting people. That's surprising."

"Whoever told you I did?" He questioned, and I could see his expression even though I wasn't looking.

"It was assumed."

"You assume a lot," He murmured. "If you think about it, if you weren't always trying to think about what Tao's plan is before she even had one, you wouldn't be as stressed. It's like your planning a plan for her and then waiting for her to go through with yours."

"That's the point, though," I said quietly. "I don't know what I would do if I wasn't always one step ahead of her."

"You might not be one step ahead of her, Laura. But you're not one step behind either. You're smart, whatever she does you can counter," Isaia said, relaxing a bit with the hug. "You didn't expect her to hook up with Reece, but you got back at her within a day. You didn't expect her to try to bring Savien into this when we all told her no. You didn't expect her to try to destroy you at all but look at you now. You don't always have to be one step ahead. You don't even have to be taking steps forward at all."

For some reason, I was calm. Or calmer, than before. He was right. I wasn't expecting her to do half the things she did, but I always came back greater than that. Even if I don't know what she's planning. I have the resources and people to help me with her.

Even though I want to, I don't have to fight the war by myself. Tao probably isn't. She probably is already trying to find ways that Brandy and Zia could befriend us again, thinking I only hate her. Wait a minute... what if that's exactly what Tao's planning to do.

She barely ever did the work herself.

She always sent her little thing 1 and thing 2 to do the begging, prying, faking. They were always nice to me, excusing Tao's behavior despite the fact they were in with her, to begin with.