Evol

chapter thirty-one

author's note -

sorry for the late update bbies, please vote!! <33

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Friday 21st June, 2019

I blinked at Brendan, mind blank.

"What?" I hissed after a moment.

Brendan looked away. "It's ridiculous. Like a concentrated form of Stockholm syndrome! There must be something wrong with you! After everything he's done. . ."

I felt hot all over. People's heads were starting to turn around, but thankfully the Headmistress hadn't appeared for assembly yet, so conversation carried on around us.

I grabbed Brendan's arm. "What are you rambling on about, Brendan?"

"What's possessed you, Brooke?" Brendan seethed. It hit me like a punch, how much he hated Julian. "What possessed you to start fooling around with a scumbag like him?"

At his words, fury burned through me. My eyes narrowed, "what did you just call him?"

Brendan sighed. "He's a piece of--"

I straightened as a heavy gaze landed on us. My stomach flipped as I turned around; Julian sat a few rows behind, expression black with fury.

Brendan looked behind, and rolled his eyes at Julian's snarl. I gasped; how could he roll his eyes when Julian looked about ready to pounce and tear him apart?

"Stop it," I hissed, relying on Julian's heightened senses to pick it up.

His eyes locked onto mine; Julian's snarl shrunk slightly.

Then, I grabbed Brendan's wrist hard. "Don't talk about him like that," I growled quietly. "And stop assuming things."

"Then you tell me the truth." He said.

"Later," I promised, just in time for the Headmistress to arrive.

At the end of assembly, I wasn't the only one rushing out. We tore down the corridor; my feet weren't the only ones stumbling.

With a growl I pushed him up against the wall outside, by the grass.

"Don't blurt things like that," I told him. "You know he sits behind us."

Brendan's eyes were wide, and then they narrowed. "Are you scared of him? Did he force you--"

Anger bubbled inside me. "No, I'm not scared of him! I'm scared for you. Julian isn't the kind to avoid a fight." Brendan looked at his feet. "And no, he didn't force me into anything! I haven't even done anything with him!"

His blond head snapped up. "Liar. You're lying, Brooke."

My mouth was dry; I glanced around, but everyone was too busy running to class to listen.

My hands shook; I had to make this quick and convincing.

"Look, Brendan. I don't know what you saw--"

"I see him staring at you. He was at the cinema, and the diner, two places he never is, at the same time as you. You tutor him. And I see the way you look at him."

It took a moment for me to pull myself together - Brendan had been more observant than I'd anticipated.

"How do I look at him?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"Like you love him."

I inhaled sharply. "You're delusional, Brendan. I'm sorry, but I would never get involved with someone so. . ." I searched for the right word. "Barbaric."