A/N: From now on, chapters will have a lot more action! I'm sorry if the previous ones were boring, when I'm done I'll go over everything, edit what's needed and make it a bit better!! Thank you for the people bearing with me :)
Sophia's POV
Currently, it's Friday, and I'm sitting at the table with Natalie, Leslie and some other friends of theirs, eating lunch. The last two days were calm, and nothing bad happened. But nevertheless, since the day I got stuck in the PE room, I haven't felt at ease here, or anywhere for that matter. You know what they say about the calm before the storm...
One person occupied my mind, and that person only. I couldn't even concentrate in my classes or when people were talking to me. I mean, Cassius could be anywhere – in the school or outside my house.
I told myself it was only my mind playing tricks on me, but I kept having this remaining feeling that someone was watching me. I also – due to the lack of sleep I got – had giant bags under my eyes. At least they were blue, making 'my eyes pop out more' as Bella had put it to make me look on the bright side.
They didn't know the real reason behind my lack of sleep though. They think it's because of all the tests and assignments the teachers have been giving us, but that couldn't be more wrong. I was awake at every second because I couldn't keep the face of a certain person out of my mind.
Every second I shared with Cassius replayed itself in my head. Anytime I'd close my eyes, I'd wake up screaming and gasping for air as the image of him holding a gun to my head was clear. Whenever I saw a light, like the red back lights of a car or the orange flame inside a street lantern, I'd think of the instant I almost got my face burned off.
It is terrible. But there's nothing I can do about except wait for something else to happen. Grayson said he had it under control, but even I could tell he was lying.
I got drawn back to reality when I felt someone nudge me in the side. I looked up and saw Natalie frowning at me. "What's wrong? You're unusually quiet."
I shook my head, appreciating her concern though. "No, I'm fine, just tired," I said, letting loose a small sigh.
She chuckled, "I can see that."
When she turned back around after giving me one last glance, I slumped back in my seat lazily. I wasn't even hungry anymore.
"As you all know, yesterday the fire alarms went off. It was not a drill, but this time someone has, on accident or on purpose - we still don't know who it did – started a fire in the computer room. The glass door was broken when the firefighters got there. However, no student was supposed to be in there that hour, since none of the teachers have their classes booked for the computers then. After the firefighters put out the spreading fire, our detectors also sensed smoke coming from the girls' changing rooms in the PE hall. Whoever did this, and we will find out, please come forward. You have time until the end of the week. If that person does not present themselves at the principal's office by the end of Friday, there will be given a punishment to all."
That was the mail our principle sent to all parents and students on Wednesday morning. Remember when I said today is Friday? Yeah, well no one has taken the blame on themselves for what happened yet. Of course not, no one in this school did it. It was that insane murderer that did. The principle will probably send a mail with the given punishment to us this evening.
I suddenly locked eyes with Grayson as I watched him from the other side of the canteen. He was at his usual table, sitting in his usual seat. He winked at me before returning to the conversation between him and his friends. I'm only glad everything among us was good.
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A/N: This is a TW sign for some heavy 'abuse' and bipolar characteristics scenes!!
I walked out of the last classroom I'd be in today, not sure if I should feel relieved that I was going home or not. These holes... The burning holes I felt being bored into my skin as if someone were staring at me again.
I looked up, needing to know if my instincts were correct, but jumped back and gasped when Logan abruptly came into view. "Hey, Soph!"
I gulped and blinked a few times. I need to sort out my priorities. "We have to talk," he said humbly, and pulled me aside with him. When we were out of the other students' way, he turned to me and lowered his head, as if he were about to tell a big secret.
"You need – and I'm not simply telling you this, it's a warning – to stay away from Grayson, before it's too late." I was fully shocked by his words. He's already told me this once or twice, but I didn't really believe him. And now I know what Grayson has done in his life, the things he blames himself for, and I'm not going to ignore him because of his troubled past.
I couldn't understand Logan. Weren't they friends? I scanned his face, it seemed as if he were stressed and...apprehensive? He genuinely looked scared, and it made me shiver. The bags under his eyes were prominent, his appearance was even way worse than mine at the moment.
"Logan, are you okay? You don't look too well-" I started, but he cut me off.
"Don't ask about me!" I was taken aback by his unforeseen change in mood. His tone went from hushed to harsh. A student that passed gave us a weird look.
He closed his eyes so tightly I'd think it hurt. I didn't know what was going on with him, what he was thinking, but he needed help. "Logan, I'm worried. You should probably get some rest," I whispered, hoping to calm him down.
"I can't, I can't, I can't!" he shouted in an undertone. By now, most people were outside, and we were almost alone in these halls.
"Wh-Why not?" I asked, afraid he might lash out at me if I angered him. He gave a curt laugh, though no humour was found in it.
"Because of you, Sophia." His voice didn't sound like his. This wasn't Logan talking. He's changed, and not in a good way. "You never listen do you? I advised you to keep your distance from him, yet you fought against me."
He suddenly paused, which made me anxious. He slowly looked up at me as if he just realised something. "He touched you, didn't he?"
What's he talking about? Whatever it is, I don't like it.
"Grayson touched you, didn't he?" He took a step closer to me, I took one back. At this point, I didn't even recognise the funny, easy to be around and excited Logan I knew and who lead me to all my classes. This was a stranger.
"What do you mean?" I questioned, my voice shaking.
He groaned in exasperation. "It's too late now. Nothing can be done," he said, shaking his head violently.
"Logan, what's going on? Why can't I stay with Grayson?" I recalled Logan telling me Grayson was dangerous. Was he only trying to protect me? Did he know about the man Cassius killed? Does he know Cassius? "Why is Grayson so dangerous?"
"I lied," he mumbled, so lowly, it was hardly audible. "You idiot!" he then yelled. Was it directed to me or himself, I don't know?
"It's not Grayson you should worry about. Grayson isn't the dangerous one here. I lied because I wanted to keep you safe. If only you listened to me and stayed away, none of this would be happening." I think he might have gone insane. His eyes were wide and red, he barely blinked. His fingers were tugging at his hair so hard; I was scared he'd pull it all out.
"Please, Logan, I don't understand," I whispered again, tears close to spilling out. Seeing him like this made me emotional, plus I couldn't handle people yelling at me well.
He stepped forward until I bumped into some lockers with my back. I groaned in pain and he slammed his two hands on each side of my head. I flinched and desperately looked around. We're alone here...
"Of course you don't fucking understand, Sophia! When do you ever?!" A tear slipped down my cheek as I let out a sob. No one has ever acted this way towards me, I didn't know what to do. Even though the real Logan would never do such a thing, I was afraid that he might punch me. I couldn't even stand up for myself when Carrie bullied me, never mind now.
"At least you know who Cassius is, right?" His voice sounded furious, and I nodded hastily, but that wasn't enough. "Right?!" he shouted.
"Y-Yes," I sputtered out. I couldn't look him in the eye anymore.
"Cassius is supposed to be in jail, I bailed him out." I grimaced on the inside. Why on earth would you do that? "He said he'd help me find someone if I bailed him out. That someone is my old friend who went missing about a year ago. It was the only way I could get information about him." I kept silent, not wanting to say something wrong.
"Every time I did something for Cassius, he'd give me a hint about the disappearance. The things I had to do for him...it was all about Grayson. He told me he wanted to take revenge on him."
"And you did those things anyway?" I asked bewildered.
"Wouldn't you if you were in my position?"
"Grayson was your friend, wasn't he?" That was a mistake.
He slammed his palms against the locker and grabbed a fistful of my hair, making me gawk up at him. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" he spat in my face. "Because I already Goddamn do, okay?" I nodded my head rapidly.
"So, as I was saying," his voice went back to normal. "He hated Grayson for some reason, I still don't know why though. But I heard all the plans he made to torture him – ha talks to himself a lot. One of his sick ideas was kill people he loved in front of him." My eyes widened at the thought. This is all just so horrifying!
"I told him that he and his family weren't that close, I didn't lie. After Grayson's sister died, he changed. He never opened up to anyone, he was never at home, always went to parties and smoked and did drugs." I stopped listening the moment he said 'sister'.
Grayson has-had a sister? How didn't I know about this? What happened to her?
"So, the only option left was killing friends of his. And the first on Cassius' list was..." he raised his brows at me. "Guess," he said. What twisted game is this? My silence enraged him even more.
"I said fucking guess!" He slammed my head into the lockers. A sudden wave of dizziness overcame me, and I stumbled a little.
"I-I don't kn-know," I sobbed as my hands reached up to my head. He just freaking did that! I can't believe it; this is not real!
"Oh, come on! It's an easy one – the answer is Josephine!" he smiled sadistically.
"Oh my God," I whispered out loud. So, Josephine didn't commit suicide...she was murdered! By the man right in front of me!
"Killing Josephine was my first task. He told me exactly what to do and how to cover it up." It made my stomach churn when he sounded proud of himself. "He wanted to kill every single individual Grayson cared for. Do you now understand why I said what I said, why I taped hat post-it note with a threat in your French handbook?"
My eyes widened. So, he was the one who placed that note in there... I still remember exactly what it said: 'Bad things will happen to you if you don't do what you're told '.
"Everything I warned you about was to keep you away from Grayson, because if he saw how close you two were, he'd want me to kill you, and I can't do that. But Cassius knows everything. He's a pro at stalking, and if he finds out that Grayson touched you..."
He pushed himself away from me and the lockers. "You're dead. Because if I don't do it, he sure will." And with that, he strode out of the school building, leaving me all alone in the empty halls.
My lip was quivering and as the adrenaline washed out of me, non-stop tears spilled over the edge. I slid down the lockers onto the ground and hugged my body close to me. I almost couldn't breathe, and I felt as if I were suffocating.
I buried my face between my knees and let out another sob, my sniffles echoing through the cold halls. What the hell just happened?
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Grayson's POV
"Okay, so let's go over out plan one last time," I said, knowing the others were annoyed by me, but if one single thing went wrong, it could mess everything up.
"Fine," I heard Jake groan. "But after this I have to meet up with my team. This is the second time I've skipped practice this week, they'll kick me off the team with no hesitation." I nodded.
"First, we go to that party and act as if we're only there to get laid or whatever. Me and Kyle search the house for Cassius," Jake said his and Kyle's duty for tomorrow night.
"And we look for Logan," Anderson followed, motioning between me and himself.
"We lead him outside to do drugs or something and then we make out move. We have to be outside and where people don't see us," I said sternly.
Once I was 100% certain everyone knew their places, I let them go. I was freaking out right now, anyone could see it.
I just can't fucking believe Logan works against us. Not only that, but with Cassius! Why for fuck's sake would you do that? Well, it's what we're going to confront him about when we 'borrow' him at the party.
The reason we knew - well, think - it is him being Cassius' spy, is because whenever we talk about it, he gets nervous and avoids the subject. I asked him what his deal was, and he simply said he had to go and left, not answering the question. It was just way too suspicious.
Plus, when Anderson, Jake, Kyle and I figured he told Sophia to stay away from me, we initially thought he was jealous. But then Anderson came to me one day after school, telling me he overheard Sophia' conversation with Logan about a certain pink post-it note. He acted bizarre - as if he were hiding something - Anderson had said.
I grabbed the almost empty beer can and swallowed the last bit down in one go.
Tomorrow's going to be a long day...
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A/N: Please VOTE! Until next timeee :)