Crazed Minds | ✔️

thirty three

"Love's strange."
-Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds
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"If you do this-"

I spin around and glare. "You'll do what, Alec? Try to stop me? Try to protect me? We've already gathered that neither you nor Jasper can do that."

The crowd of Fighters are heading out of the library, muttering and laughing and pointing at me. Bailey passes us and salutes with two fingers, before chuckling and disappearing into the crowd.

I scowl at her fading figure while Alec pulls me to the side of the corridor so we don't get trampled on. When I finally have enough courage to draw level with him, he frowns and hisses, "It's not your place to do this!"

"Yes it is! You're having your leader position stripped from you because of me! The least I can do is help you get it back."

"By getting yourself beaten up and putting yourself at risk of expulsion."

I shrug. I've been through worse.

Just as he's about to say something else- which is pointless since I'm not wavering from my decision- Seth approaches us.

He pats me on the shoulder and says with a lopsided smile. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

I shoot Alec a pointed look and thank Seth quickly, before excusing myself and heading to my room to contemplate what the hell just happened.

***

I sit with Sky and her friends at lunch. They know about what's going to happen; it seems like the entire school does. Which means Jasper must know, and it's only a matter of time before he'll confront me.

One thing I'm sure: he's going to be pissed off.

Everyone stares at me while I try to focus on my lunch. I know that Bailey is going to find me when the time is right. But if she doesn't come soon, I fear my nerves might eat me alive.

"I just don't understand why you'd do that, Olivia," Thomas says, frowning at his lunch.

I shrug and take a swig of my soda. Maybe if I try to act relaxed, I might actually feel relaxed.

"You're crazy, that's for sure," Louise says with a humourless chuckle.

"Tell me something I don't know."

Sky remains silent, staring at her food. Her bottom lip quivers and her eyes look like they're watering.

I sigh and put my soda down, turning to face her. "Sky. What's wrong?"

She hesitates before murmuring, "You're brave. You're so brave. And I'm upset because I would never be able to do what you're going to do."

Daniel is looking at her sadly. She's wrong. I'm not brave. I'm just as terrified as everyone else.

"Olivia. What. The. Hell."

I frown and spin around to the voice, and immediately regret turning around at all. Jasper is charging straight at me, blue eyes practically burning through my body.

I stand as the others all share concerned looks. The cafeteria is quietening down.

"Jasper, I knew you'd be pissed so I didn't want to tell you-"