(unedited)
They want a piece of something hot,
Forget your name like they forgot.
Oh, ain't that something?
Some wanna see you crash and burn,
And criticize your every word.
I'm trying to keep from going insane.
"Roger Rabbit" - Sleeping with Sirens
"Jacen kissed you?" Vanessa asked, staring at me incredulously.
I glanced around. "Not so loud."
We were in the cafeteria, and since it was beginning of lunch, there weren't many people or much noise, which meant if we weren't quiet, everyone would hear.
"Why would he do that? I mean, you're pretty, but you're Ashton's."
I winced at the slight reminded that this wasn't completely voluntary, on both ends, but did my best to ignore the glaring fact.
Though I would never, ever, admit out loud, the members of the Elite were growing on me. Just a little bit. It wouldn't be like this forever, but until I could figure out what to do, playing along wouldn't hurt. Plus, I had a feeling walking away and pretending nothing had happened wouldn't go so well.
"I thought you might know," I said.
She raised an eyebrow. "How would I know what goes through that twisted mind of his?"
I shrugged. "You guys are close, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I guess." She looked away, chewing on her lip. "You could try asking Keira. Her and Jace don't act like it, but they're pretty close."
Yeah, I was pretty sure Keira had something against me, so I didn't want to go there. I didn't trust her enough to ask for her opinion on what had happened.
"He doesn't really tell me anything," Vanessa said, looking down.
"Who?" Nathan asked as he and Keira set their trays on the table.
"Jace kissed her," Vanessa told them. Well, so much for Keira not finding out.
Nathan blinked. "Jace? Like our Jace?"
"How many Jaces do you know?" Vanessa asked, giggling a little.
"There's more than one Jacen in this school," Keira said, sitting down beside Nathan.
"Why would he do that?" Nathan interrupted. "She's Ashton's."
"Who's mine?" I bit back a curse. Of all days he chose to show up, it had to be today. Of course. I hadn't planned on telling all of the Elite what had happened with Jacen, just Vanessa in hopes of getting some insight on what the hell Jacen had been thinking.
"Elena," Nathan replied.
I resisted the urge to slam my head down on the table, since that would hurt. "Can we stop talking about me like I'm not here? And I don't belong to Ashton, thank you very much," I said. "Can we stop saying I'm 'his'. It's disturbing."
"Ouch," Ashton said, reaching over and stealing a fry from his brother's tray. "Why are we talking about how Elena's mine?" he asked, his tone making it clear that he was saying it to annoy me. I rolled my eyes. He was in a strangely good mood today. Not that I was complaining, I guess him teasing was better than his stony looks and cryptic messages. Definitely better than cryptic messages. I've gotten too many of those lately.
"Where's Skylar?" I cut in quickly before anyone could reply to Ashton's question. I really didn't want to talk any more about how Jacen had dragged me into a closet, kissed me, said some very confusing words, then left. I had been dodging him all day, purposely leaving classes a little early so he wouldn't find me.
His questioning look told me he had caught my attempt at a distraction. "She's finishing something for English, I think," he told me as the rest of the Elite shrugged. "She says to tell you today's reason is that we're getting our own TV show and you're filming for us."
"Apparently I'm a porn star," I replied, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as they snickered. It seemed we were off of the topic of what had happened yesterday. It was awkward, but that wasn't really the reason I didn't want to talk about to Ashton. Talking about it would mean that I would have to explain what Jacen had said afterwards, which made even less sense. Because this was all a game, wasn't it?
"There's Jace," Vanessa said, looking towards the entrance of the cafeteria. "If you really want an answer, you could ask now."
I thought the topic was done for, but apparently not.
"Ask him what?" Ashton asked. No, Vanessa, don't answ-
Of course, I'm not telepathic, and Vanessa's not a mind reader, so she didn't get my silent message. "Jace kissed her yesterday."
Ashton blinked. "Why?" He didn't sound... Anything. His voice was blank, not emotionless, but sort of a controlled calm.
"That's what we're trying to figure out," Nathan said.
"Can we stop talking about it? He probably thought I was someone else," I interrupted in a desperate attempt to end the conversation. Jacen was heading towards us, more than two thirds of the way here.
Vanessa blinked. "But you said he-" Screw subtlety. Before she could finish, I elbowed her. This time, she got the message and clamped her mouth shut.
But it was a little too late.
"What the hell?" I yelled as Ashton slammed his fist in Jacen's jaw when he arrived at our table. Keira, Nathan and Vanessa all didn't look very concerned.
"Don't mind them. They go off on each other every chance they get," Nathan told me, dipping a fry in ketchup and eating it. So his twin, and his girlfriend's younger brother are currently having a fight in the middle of the cafeteria and he's eating. Jeez, I thought he was the nice, peacekeeping one.
"Yeah, it's not your fault, Elena," Vanessa chimed in.
"Why?" I watched as Ashton pulled Jacen off the ground and started yanking him towards the cafeteria doors. I wasn't the only one. Pretty much every eye was glued to them. It wasn't often that the Elite fought.
"Personality clash or something?" Keira said with a shrug.
"Are none of you going to stop it?" I demanded as Ashton dragged Jacen out of the cafeteria.
Nathan shrugged. "Ash always wins."
Keira smirked. "Jace usually deserves it."
â¡ the trouble with love â¡
Both Vanessa and Jenna weren't in English fifth period.
Not that I could've really talked to either of them since we were having a test.
Halfway through last period, someone knocked at the door. Mr. Sullivan gave us a wave to continue as he walked to the door, but it was no use, most people were watching him, hoping for some distraction from the essay-answer needed questions. They got a distraction that came in the form of Ashton Sinclair.
"I need to pull Elena out of class," Ashton said. Instantly all eyes turned to me. Like clockwork. Creepy.
Mr. Sullivan frowned. "Right now Ashton? We're in the middle of a test."
"Yes," was his hard reply. "It's urgent."
Mr. Sullivan turned to me. "Elena?"
He was giving me the choice. I glanced at the test, then at Ashton, who was shooting me a somewhat impatient look. I really shouldn't let the Elite affect my work in school, but the expression on Ashton's face... It didn't look like he was doing it for fun, or because he could, but because it was actually important.
I sighed. "It's alright, I finished it anyway. Mr. Sullivan, may I be excused?"
He nodded. "Of course."
I packed up my things and dropped off my test at Mr. Sullivan's desk, then stepped out of the room. "What's wrong?" I asked Ashton.
"We need to go," he said, grabbing my arm and dragging me down the hall. He paused after a couple steps. "Where's your locker?"
I raised an eyebrow. "The other way." I winced as he began pulling me back down the other way. I squirmed, trying to pull my arm from his tight grip. "What the hell is going on?" I asked. He didn't say anything until we got to my locker, and even then, he didn't reply.
"Get your stuff, we're going," he said. Evidently, the more easy-going version of Ashton from earlier today was gone. Did he switch like this for fun, or had something happened?
I turned the lock on my locker, keeping an eye on his blank expression. I grabbed my stuff, hurrying a little when he glared. I'm not easily intimidated, but Ashton was completely out of it right now, and I had no idea why. When I finished, he grabbed my arm again, steering me down the hall, to the front parking lot of the school. He stopped at his car and gestured for me to get in. I almost laughed. So he looked like he wanted to kill me, but he still opened the door for me.
I didn't get in, though. "Tell me where we're going."
"Get in," he ordered, his tone pure steel. "We're going to the hospital."
What the hell? I complied this time, sliding in and fastening the seatbelt around me. "Why are we going to the hospital?" I asked, after Ashton started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He was going way over the speed limit, but I doubt he cared.
"Skylar," was his tense reply.
Skylar? "What happened?" And maybe it was a mean thought, but why did I have to be there?
"Someone choked her and pushed her down the stairs. Nate found her and took her to the hospital," he replied. He paused. "He said I needed to bring you."
Well, nice to know you were doing it on your free will. Though I had wondered why Ashton was taking me. I cared about Skylar, I guess, but I wasn't as close to her as the Elite.
I choked as my seatbelt dug into me when Ashton screeched to a stop in front of the hospital. We got out, and Ashton decided he needed to employ the dragging technique again because I wasn't moving fast enough. He only stopped to ask a passing nurse what room Skylar was in. Keira and Nathan were already in the room when we got there.
"What'd the doctors say?" Ashton asked Nathan.
"Concussion, and a couple bruises. They said she'll be released when she wakes up," Nathan replied.
Ashton nodded slowly, relaxing a bit. "Did you call her parents?"
It was Keira who answered this time. "They'll be back tomorrow morning."
"Okay, why's she here?" Ashton asked, nodded at me.
"Ash-" Nathan started.
I cut him off. "No, it's okay. I'm wondering that too." Why was I here before Vanessa, or Jacen, who were probably closer to Skylar than I was?
"They left a note with her. It was addressed to you." Nathan pulled a slip of paper and handed it to me. Ashton shot up, and before I could grab it, stole the paper from Nathan's hand.
His eyes quickly scanned over the sheet before turning to Nathan. "You never mentioned this."
"Because it was for Elena," Nathan said, pulling the paper out of his hands and giving it to me.
The note was a little crumpled, but still readable, though I kind wish it hadn't been. The message chilled me to the bone.
Elena, the less secrets you keep,
the more punished you'll be.
"What the hell does this even mean?" I blurted out. I didn't have any secrets. None that would warrant a typed note and a push down the stairs. And what did it mean by me not keeping the secrets? What secret did I have that I hadn't kept?
"You tell us. What secrets have you been telling?" Ashton asked.
"None! I don't even have any secrets in the first place!" I shot back.
"Everyone has secrets," Ashton said.
I dug my nails into my palm. "I'll wait outside." Before waiting for any of them to respond, I walked out. I heard someone coming after me, Ashton probably, then Nathan stopping him. I walked to the waiting room and took a seat.
The only secrets I could think of were the ones I had guessed about the people at Blaire Academy through observation. But those were just guesses, and they were petty things, like crushes, or secret hatred. Unless...
The only thing I could think of was that whoever had sent this to me, was almost issuing a warning. That I would find something out, some big secret, or multiple secrets, that I couldn't tell.
As I traced over the letters, I considered giving it to the police or Kaden, to look for fingerprints. But I doubted that they'd be there. If whoever had sent this was daring enough to push Skylar Blaire down the stairs in her family's own school, they were probably smart enough to not leave fingerprints.
"What room is Skylar Blaire in?" A familiar voice demanded. But not familiar, like a friend. No, I heard that voice almost every day, explaining the mechanics of writing and old stories.
I looked up. "Mr. Sullivan?"
"Ms. Evans," he said, looking awkward. A figure stepped out from behind him, surprising me even more.
"Daniel?"
"Elena." Kaden's partner nodded and flashed me a quick smile.
"What are you guys doing here?" True, Mr. Sullivan was a lot less scared of the Elite than the other teachers, but I didn't think they were close. And even then, a bouquet of flowers would suffice, not coming to the hospital- my eyes drifted to the clock- right after school ended.
The Sullivan brothers exchanged a look. Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, Skylar's my girlfriend." What? Before I had time to voice the question, both of them disappeared down the hall, almost crashing into a nurse pushing a cart full of needles.
Talk about hasty exit.
A couple minutes later Daniel came back and took a seat next to me.
"Is Mr. Sullivan with Skylar right now?" I asked.
He shot me an amused look. "You can call him Cameron, you know. But yeah, he is," he said with a shrug. "Skylar and him are close."
"And that doesn't bother you?" I asked.
He turned to look at me. "Should it?"
"Well, she's your girlfriend." And he had only been in there for a couple minutes. A lot shorter than how long Mr. Sullivan had been in there.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to be jealous of my own brother," he said. I raised an eyebrow. Daniel Sullivan was a very laid-back boyfriend. Almost to the point where it seemed like he didn't care much about her...
Before I could respond, someone called Daniel's name. We looked up simultaneously to see Ashton standing across from us. "We need to talk," he said. He kept his eyes on Daniel, as if I wasn't there.
Daniel stood up, shot me a somewhat apologetic look and followed Ashton down the hall.
I sighed and leaned forward, resting my head against my hands. I really needed to stop spending time around people who could hide everything better than I could. They had too many secrets to count. I felt someone drop into the seat Daniel had vacated, but I didn't look up.
"Hey," a familiar voice greeted. When had he gotten here?
I shot up. "I don't want to talk to you."
Jacen rolled his eyes. "Come on, Elena, I'm sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all.
"You're an asshole."
Another eye roll. "Yeah, so I've been told."
I shot him one last glare before leaving the room. I swear, every member of the Elite was double-sided. I didn't know them well enough to be able to tell which side was the real side. And with the Elite being who they were, that was dangerous. I was finally starting to understand Jenna's warning.
I stopped when I heard hushed voices. Ashton and Daniel. I considered walking away, then froze when I heard Kaden's name. They were around the corner from where I was standing, so I could only make out small bits of their conversation.
"...Has to know if there's a new..." Daniel was saying. I strained to hear more, but I didn't want to get closer in case they spotted me.
"...I know... Don't tell him yet..."
"But-"
"We're close, we can't mess it up now." I heard this loud and clear, since Ashton's voice rose above a whisper when he said it. I heard Daniel shush him, then they returned to whispering, now even quieter than before.
I backed up. What the hell had that all been about? And why had Kaden been mentioned? Right now, I wanted to go home and sort this out, best as I could, but Ashton had been my ride here. Going back to the waiting room was out of question, I didn't want to talk to Jacen. I decided to go to Skylar's room.
Maybe she had woken up.
I don't know what I would talk to her about, but an awkward silence was preferable to my other options. Maybe she'd even be able to give me a hint on who had pushed her down the stairs and sent me the note. Though, I wasn't sure if it would be really appropriate to ask.
Worrying about those things turned out to be pointless because Skylar was still sleeping when I walked in. Keira and Nathan must have left some time ago because other Skylar, Mr. Sullivan was the only one in the room.
He looked up as I walked in. "Elena," was his relatively flat greeting.
"Mr. Sul- Are you okay?" He looked like he had aged five years since the last time I saw him.
Which had been fifteen minutes ago. I watched him watch Skylar for a moment. There was something about the look in his tired eyes that didn't quite make sense...
"I'm fine," he said abruptly. He glanced at Skylar one last time, then turned to me. "I'll see you Monday."
Did that mean he wouldn't be at school tomorrow?
Before I had the chance to ask, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with Skylar's still body. I glanced at the bed, then at the empty doorway. Yeah, that definitely hadn't been how someone looked at a friend, no matter how close you were to them. And it definitely hadn't been the way someone should look at their brother's girlfriend.
Either the three of them were in a pretty twisted love triangle or they had lied about which brother was dating Skylar. And considering how little worry Daniel had shown for Skylar, especially compared to how worried Mr. Sullivan- Cameron- had been, I was betting on the latter.
Skylar Blaire was dating our English teacher. That was one secret the Elite had kept tightly under wraps. Then there was whispered conversation between Ashton and Daniel, and Jacen's cryptic words yesterday, in the closet. There was the note, and Jenna's message.
I couldn't deny it, part of me was curious about the group everyone knew, but knew next to nothing about.
I just hope that curiosity doesn't get me killed.
-- â¡ --
Skylar ---->
Teaser: "Just be careful," he said with a slight smirk. "Or else you could get hurt."