"I'M SORRY... I'M SO SORRY... I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS POINTING... I'M SO SORRY."
I let out another loud sob. Every part of me hurt, especially my heart. The door to my room was locked and for the last hour, I've been crying my eyes out as I laid in bed. Mom had multiple attempts to get in, but each time, she failed. At least the chair prevented her from coming in.
I didn't know who I was talking to at this point. My mom didn't want to hear me cry, ordering me to stop the second I started. Auston didn't give a damn about his daughter being gone. He didn't care. Not at all. Maybe I was telling everything to Alyssa - maybe she was hearing me from wherever she was, wondering why... why this all happened.
I was clearly at the wrong place at the wrong time when I heard the news. Maybe if I didn't hear it directly from Alyssa's sobbing mother, I'd feel slightly better. Maybe if I didn't hear Mr. Miller's unemotional response - if I could see him be as heartbroken as how I felt at the moment, even now, maybe I'd feel like I could control myself.
But no. I had to be right there, in Auston's office, at 12:40 AM just to hear the phone in his office ring, and on speaker phone, hear Alyssa's mother spill the news.
"How could you... how could you let Lauren shoot at her? You could've stopped her, you ungrateful git. One daughter, that's all I wanted. Ever. And this is how you take her away from me."
She made it sound like it was entirely my fault.
Her sobs were so full of pain. Her voice cracked with every word. My heart sunk at the sound of her voice and the news.
And all Auston responded with was; "Everything has a purpose in life, my dear. Yes, she was taken from us, but Alyssa was only one person. We have to focus of the greater good."
And he hung up.
"None of this was my fault. I didn't kill her. I'm not a... murderer," I found myself saying. After he hung up. I knew the words on my lips were not true - technically I am, and a mass murderer for that case.
"I didn't kill her," I said again, this time in the privacy of my camera filled room. I know that they could see the tears drip down my face.
It would be more Aidan's fault for her death. He grabbed me too quickly, before I could aim properly. At least, that's how I remember it going.
Why would I blame him on something so horrible?
"Lauren, that's enough," I heard my mom's voice call from the other side of the door.
I didn't respond.
"Lauren Elizabeth Jessica Olsen, if you don't open this door right this instant, you will stay by my side from sunrise to midnight."
I raised my hand. The chair flew across the room, then I twisted the lock and let her in. God, why am I so weak?
She walks into my room, a frown on her face. "You're a mess. Take a shower."
"My best friend is dead."
"If her dad isn't suffering, you shouldn't."
"He's a freaking robot with no emotions at all."
I continued to stare at the ceiling, tears still in my eyes. Mom's words just wanted me to cry even more.
Mom walked over and took a seat on my bed. She pushed gently on my shoulder, wanting me to sit up. I did what she said, expecting her to tell me to go to some place that was not here.
That was not the case.
"Oh sweetie." She put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. She combed my hair back with her fingers so they didn't get wet with tears and then kissed my forehead. I never payed attention when she showed me affection like that - usually it was when I was near passing out. Her lips were gentle and I felt like I could actually call her my mother. "I know how you feel, Lauren. I know what it feels like to lose someone so close to you."
"When? Who?"
She pursed her lips. "My parents, when I was sixteen. Tyson's mother, my own best friend, when both you kids were just twelve. And at the same time..." Her voice faltered. She didn't try to continue.
"Who?"
"No one, sweetie. Its just..." She sighed. "My parents' death were understandable. It was in the middle of a bad time in our kingdom's history. They were just innocent victims. Lilly's death hit me more... she left so much behind. Four kids, and no one really knew the cause of her death. Either way, it happened. You can't do anything about it now, sweetie."
"She wouldn't have died if I didn't shoot. Her death is on me. It wasn't like that for you."
Mom kissed me on the forehead again, just as soft and comforting as the last. "Shower, Lauren. It'll make you feel somewhat better. We have plans for tomorrow."
"Which is...?"
She gives me a look, almost looking sorry for me. "You're going back to the palace."
- - -
Get Sofia, return back. Get Sofia, return back.Get Sofia, return back.Get Sofia, return back.
I repeated that over and over again. There was no need to run into any of the guards and get myself thrown into the dungeon. There was no need to scare anyone who knew I'm with the Institute. There was no need to see anyone I knew already, besides Sofia, if she was awake. No need to get myself killed.
I stood at the edge of the forest, running here from the Institute. Yes, teleportation was helpful and quick but I like to stretch my legs occasionally. And besides, super speed is more of my strength than teleporting. Any of us Evolutians can do that as a safety precaution, also known as when we're in between a rock and a hard place.
It's only going to take a minute. Max. Don't make it take more than a minute, Lauren. Teleport into her room and back.
One problem: I didn't know which room was hers.
I did, however, know Taylor and Tyson's rooms. But did I really want to risk it?
And who's room?
Taylor would probably scream if I pop into her room in the middle of the night. Someone would probably come in seconds after to see what's going on. Tyson also seemed to be the deeper sleeper, so maybe I won't wake him if he was already asleep.
I closed my eyes, only reopening when I was standing on Tyson's balcony, looking out onto the lake.
The sound that introduced me was a scream.
I turned around quickly to see who else was in the room. Technically, I wasn't actually in the room, but still. Tyson was standing there, shirtless.
I screamed too.
A knock echoed through the room. I clasped my hands over mouth, hiding behind the wall beside the balcony window.
"Prince Tyson, is everything okay in there?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." He's covering for me. "I just knocked something over. It spooked me."
"Alright, Prince Tyson."
"Stop with the "prince thing"," I heard him mutter in response.
My throat closed up. I closed my eyes. Why am I here? Why am I here? Take me away from here.
Nope, that didn't happen. I felt someone grab a hold of my jacket. I already knew who it was there - there was only one other person here. I open my eyes.
His face was so close.
"Why in the world are you here?" Tyson said, his tone furious. "How do you have the nerve to show your face after what you did to her? She was one of my closest friends, even a sister. And you-" His grip on me tightened. "- you took her away. How could you? She was your best friend."
Leave... Leave. It wasn't only me who told myself that but also Mom. I knew it was a bad idea to send you without controls. Give me a second, I'll turn them on.
"No," I said, firmly aloud.
Tyson looked an me confused. "No? She didn't mean anything to you?"
"No, I didn't mean that. I wasn't talking to you. It was..."
Hold your tongue, Lauren.
He seemed to understand. Did I tell him that I had Mom's voice in my head? Did Spencer tell him? I couldn't remember. His grip didn't loosen on me though.
"Your shirt is on backwards," I said, immediately wanting to slap myself.
"What do you want, Lauren? Why are you here?"
Why am I here? Why am I here? I don't want to be here.
I broke down crying. His arms moved quickly, going from nearly strangling me to holding me close to his chest. I sobbed into his white t-shirt - which was still on backwards - and his fingers ran through my hair. It felt good to have someone there as I cried.
I have you, continue the mission.
Of course Mom had to ruin the moment.
I pulled away moments later, my hand in the shape of a fist. I went for the punch. Tyson dodged into his room. I followed him in.
"Prince Tyson, are you okay in there?" The same voice asked.
I expected him to respond, saying that I was in here. But no. "I'm fine." He goes to lock the door.
I go for another punch, against my will. He acts fast, a force pushing me backwards. He kicks me in my shin, and I wince.
It looked like he didn't want to hurt me. I figured than already when I first got here.
I looked around his room, looking for what I could use. Right next to me sat an old weapon.
A sword.
I grabbed it, swinging it in his direction. He dodged once again, grabbing something from under his bed; a sword of his own.
The two metal blades collided with each other, multiple times.
"Your Highness, it doesn't sound like you're okay. Who are you talking to? Why do I hear the clash of swords?"
"Just... practicing my sword fight," He said as I swung below him. He jumped high enough so I missed.
"This late at night?"
"Never-" He swung at my side. "- too late to practice."
"Your brother is trying to sleep in the other room."
His brother. He'd work too.
Tyson ran to his dresser, pulling out one of the drawers. I couldn't see what he now had in his hand, but it looked like a bracelet of sorts.
At the next strike, Tyson put the object around my free hand, then pushed me against one of the pillars of his fourposter bed. The bracelet wrapped around my wrist was attached to it, and I couldn't move.
Mom, what do I do?
You can't doing anything, was her response. I felt her control on me dissolve.
Tyson unwrapped my fingers off of the handle of his sword, putting it away where I found it. "It was my mother's. She liked to sword fight, even if it was an old way of fighting."
"What's this?" I asked, shaking my caged wrist. If it was normal, I'd be able to pull my wrist out in a second. Heck, I wouldn't even be cuffed to this pillar. With it, I felt weaker. I suspected it was one of those power-blocking bracelets that slowly drains the energy out of me.
"It disables your powers in the way that if you use them, it'll attack you back or drain you of strength," Tyson explained. I guess I was correct. "As long as you don't try to use your abilities, you'll be fine."
"Why do you have them?"
He looked down at his wrists, rubbing the two lines that wrapped around each one. "It got me in the habit of not using my powers too often. To make sure no one found out."
I looked down at my own wrists - or, my free one - which had the same markings as him. He read my confused face, answering the question. "You had your own set, too. Your parents told us it was a medical bracelet. I knew better."
That's where the markings came, but I can't help but think it means more.
"What do you want?" Tyson asked me again. "Why are you here?"
"Sofia," I paused. "Hayden. One of them. I need one of them."
"Why?"
"Don't ask me why."
"You know, I could easily get someone to take you and lock you up in prison," He said, calmer than he should've.
"You know you wouldn't," I stated.
"You don't know me." He took a seat on the bed next to me. "You don't know what I can do."
"Yes, I do. I know you," I said firmly. "I know you don't have the nerve to throw me in jail and watch as I suffer in there. Or else, you would've done that already."
A quiet knock came from the door. It creaked open before Tyson could say anything.
"Tyson, can you help me?" The girl walked in, her eyes focused on her hands. When she looked up, her gaze focused on me first. "I thought you said she was evil?"
Tyson shut the door with his telekinesis, hoping that no one outside saw or heard me. "What do you need, Sof? Why are you here this late?"
"I want to learn how to do that." She pointed to the door. "I can't figure it out."
"You don't need to learn how to do that, Sof," Tyson said.
"She has to," I stated.
"Why does she have to?"
"Can you teach me?" Sofia asked.
I shook my other wrist, signalling that I'm kind of stuck. "She'll lose control and the secret will be out."
"The secret is already out."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"I know that."
"Then why'd you say it?" He asked.
"Your father hasn't confirmed yet," I told him. "No one has actual proof."
The silence in the air continued. Sofia just looked at us, confused.
Tyson walked over to the poster and took the device off my wrist. "Sof, you're going with Lauren. Lauren-" He looks at me straight in the eye. "- I swear to god, if anything happens to her, you will pay for it. Understand?"
No, this isn't supposed to be like this. He can't just give her away.
"Why?" Sofia asked. We ignored her.
I nod silently. "But-"
"I'll cover for you, don't worry."
He can't be doing this. He can't. "Tyson..."
He plants a kiss on my cheek. "Just do it, Lauren. This is why you're here, right?"
I don't want to be here.
"OPEN UP!" A voice boomed from the other side. "THERE'S SOMEONE IN THERE THAT CAN HURT YOU."
"Go, Lauren," Tyson told me.
I grabbed a hold of Sofia's hand, who was still unsure about being around me. I looked back at Tyson as the door swung open, at the same time, the two of us turning into dust.
I couldn't believe it. Why would he give Sofia away so easily? He loved her, didn't he? Was it something I said, maybe about how people would find out about her powers?
"Finally, sending you out there was worth it," Auston said when we appeared at the Institute. Sofia's fingers were pried out of my hand. "You got two jobs done at once. We have the girl, and the Prince will do anything for you... even at his own will."
Tyson, what did you do?