Helanie:
After Kaye checked on , he noticed that the seniors and nosy juniors had started coming out, probably to see why a professor was talking to a student alone without involving others.
"Take care and apply sothing on it. I’ll ask you to send a picture of this injury in a few hours," he warned , gesturing slightly with his finger as he pointed at .
Just as he was about to turn around and walk away, soone called out to him.
"Professor Kaye!"
I stepped aside to let her pass as she ca running like a headless chicken. It was the senior, Sage.
She approached with a prideful expression on her face, wearing her best attire—a new tracksuit and headphones—as if she were all set for a fun run.
"Yes?" Kaye asked. He already seed to know her. I an, she was a top senior, so he definitely knew of her.
"I, um—wanted to—ask for a favor," she said, her tone far gentler than it usually was when she spoke to Kaye.
"Go ahead," Kaye replied, and she stretched out her hand to give him sothing.
"Can you give this to Professor Emt for ?" she asked softly, trying to fake a gentle and kind tone.
It felt odd standing next to her. I probably should have left since I was done talking, but I didn’t know what kept there.
Kaye stared at the package and shook it lightly. I realized it wasn’t just a piece of paper inside but sothing else moving too.
"It’s a chocolate bar," she explained again. "I wanted to thank him for teaching us with so much passion."
She was trying so hard to sound cute as she asked Kaye to give her gift to his brother. I didn’t even realize how intently I had been watching her until my eyes shifted to Kaye. I found him staring at with intent.
He seed a little lost or maybe just observing —I couldn’t tell.
"Sure. You’re his favorite student, and I’m sure he’ll be very happy to receive this," Kaye said, his tone changing as he agreed to her request.
She moved her shoulders happily, almost smugly. I didn’t know she was Emt’s favorite student.
"I am?" she said, equally shocked, while Kaye nodded his head to confirm.
"Thank you so much, sir. It truly ans a lot to ," she exclaid. Of course, she was ecstatic, and why the heck was I so jealous?
I shouldn’t be.
This wasn’t what my life was going to revolve around.
"Make sure you finish your run before evening, Sage. No one is allowed to stay outside late tonight," I heard Kaye tell her.
"I’ll leave now, sir," I said, giving him a faint nod before turning around and walking steadily back inside. I entered the elevator and pressed the button, but sohow, my eyes kept darting to the panel, hoping the tenth floor would appear magically.
"If it shows up, I’ll send this Sage to the tenth floor," I hissed under my breath, almost like a brat, before catching myself and biting my tongue.
Once I got back to my room, I realized how lonely it was without Lamar and Lucy. Even though Lamar irritated the heck out of , I’d been realizing he was a little less insufferable lately. But what about Lucy?
So many thoughts swirled in my mind as I tried to focus, even though I didn’t want to. I hadn’t eaten anything and was feeling incredibly sick. I managed to take a quick shower, but as soon as I got into bed, I couldn’t resist the pull of exhaustion and fell asleep.
I jolted awake when the door opened.
"I’m so sorry for bothering you like this," Lamar said as he stepped in, noticing he had woken up. He quickly apologized, but I couldn’t help noticing dried blood on his face.
It instantly made realize sothing was wrong. It wasn’t long before mories of the tension between Gavin and Lucy ca flooding back, and I sat upright.
"Where’s Lucy?" I asked groggily, guilt bubbling up inside for having fallen asleep while my friends were out dealing with so much.
"I don’t know," Lamar replied, sitting down on the bed and pulling his bag out from underneath. He unzipped it, and my stomach churned when I saw what he was doing.
He had drugs in his bag.
"What the heck are you doing?" I nearly shouted, rushing over to lock the door. He was so reckless sotis, and I felt imdiate guilt for thinking he was "less insufferable" just a few minutes ago.
"I don’t know shit, okay? Your friend Gavin tried to pick a fight with , so we—" He paused before yelling, "And that other insecure friend of yours ran into the woods crying like a baby!"
His sudden change in tone and behavior stunned . I instinctively stepped back, putting so distance between us.
This side of him—the unpredictable, erratic side—was startling, though not entirely unfamiliar. I had glimpsed it before, in the kitchen with Sydney that night. But this wasn’t the sa cocky deanor. No, this version of Lamar looked genuinely bothered.
"Insecure?" I shook my head at him in disbelief as he injected himself with sothing from his bag.
"Screw you, Lamar!" I hissed, determined to go after Lucy and Gavin—whichever of them I could find first.
"You probably shouldn’t go after them. You’re not well yourself. Put yourself first for once, because no one else ever will—not even your mate. Look at what happened between the two of them," Lamar had the nerve to lecture , his voice slurred and intoxicated as he lay sprawled on the bed.
I slamd the door shut behind , ignoring his words. The fact that he had praised Lucy so much earlier but was now calling her insecure just proved how fake he was. And that fake person held my secret. I had to keep that in mind.
But for now, I was focused on finding my friends. It was getting dark, and the woods were no place for anyone—apart from the top seniors and alpha students who could defend themselves.
Just as I stepped out of the elevator, I spotted Gavin walking toward the staircase, alone and bloodied.
If he was here, where was Lucy?
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