"Oh, I hope some day I'll make it out of here. Even if it takes all night or a hundred years. Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near. Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear." —Billie Eilish ft. Khalid.

••

I was drunk.

But I was still levelheaded. Therefore, I knew what I was doing. It's just that I have no idea why I didn't stop. I am knowledgeable enough to know that such actions should be done between two people who have feelings for each other. And Blaze hasn't necessarily portrayed that he has any form of romantic feelings for me. He's charming to everyone as April says, and I have witnessed it for myself, therefore it's invalid to conclude that the reason he kissed me and did everything else that followed is that he likes me.

And what about me? Do I like him? I prefer not to dig too deep for the answer. I know that the most painful types of emotions are the ones unrequited, hence I should just leave such thoughts alone.

He was drunk. I was drunk, and we were having a great time laughing together. Such things can easily create a sexual atmosphere when two people are stuck in a room together. That's all it was. We were just mentally out of it.

I begin to gather my hair up in a bun but wince audibly when my finger grazes the jagged mark on my skin. I push my hair to the side with a grimace, inspecting the stinging area on the side of my neck through the wardrobe mirror. My face goes crimson once again when I see the small, raw bruise there. Pink and swollen.

Blaze. He did that.

I swallow and place my hair over it, deciding to leave it down for today. I grab my knapsack from the bed to head to my English class.

Truthfully, I have never had any form of a sexual encounter with a guy before Saturday night, therefore, I am not knowledgeable about how to act after it all happens. Blaze and I sit together in class, and I am dreading not being able to make it through the session without becoming a bundle of nerves.

When I get there, the room is quiet and empty, and I stroll down to my usual seat while checking the time on my wristwatch.

7:30 am.

Class doesn't start until another thirty minutes, so I sit in my chair and rest my bag in the spot Blaze normally sits in. Secretly, I am trying to secure the seat so that if someone were to come along, they wouldn't be able to take it. It's not a sign of attachment, it's just that Mr. Jones's boring lecture is a lot more bearable when Blaze is sitting next to me.

I slip my phone from the low pockets of my dress and push my earbuds in. Sliding down my playlist, I select the song 'Lovely' by Billie Eilish and Khalid before placing the cell onto my lap. Retrieving my notebook from my knapsack, I begin to revise the notes we got at the last class until it's time for today's lecture.

A hand rests down onto my notebook, and I look up to see Mr. Jones standing above my head. He's dressed in a crisp, grey suit, his briefcase clutched in his hand while he smiles down at me.

I remove the earbuds quickly. "Oh, I am sorry, has class started?" I glance at my wristwatch and notice it's only 7:45 am.

He shakes his head. "No, you're quite early, Ms. Skye." His lips drag wider while his hazel eyes crinkle under the fluorescent lights of the room.

I realize that the only time he smiles this bright is when I am not conversing with Blaze, and I automatically wonder why he hates him so much. I am aware that Blaze seldom follows rules and is a little feisty but Mr. Jones's hatred toward him seems to be stemming from something far more.

"Yeah, I try to be on time," I reply, immediately averting my eyes to my notebook.

"If you need any help you can always come to my office," he continues. "I don't normally let students in, but special treatment is only for a special person such as you."

I stiffen awkwardly. That just doesn't sound right.

I look up at him and force a smile. "I am fairly strong in this subject so I think I will be fine, thanks for the offer though, Mr. Jones." And I return my gaze to my desk, recalling what Blaze had said about him having affairs with his students.

At the corner of my eyes, I realize that he is still standing there despite my obvious disinterest in his chatter, and I jerk my legs awkwardly, hoping he'll leave soon.

"Uhm Harmony, I was wondering if we could—"

"Good morning!" A girl enters the class, and she has no idea how grateful I am to her. She scuttles down to her seat and her eyes roam between us as she pops the gum she's chewing in her mouth. "Are we not having class today?"

Gum chewing would normally annoy me on any other day, but today I thank the human that created those stringy things.

"Yes, we are about to begin." Mr. Jones fabricates a smile, but I can tell from his eyes that he's annoyed with the interruption.

He walks down to his podium, and I blow my cheeks out as I begin to prepare for class.

A few other students start strolling in, and I turn my attention to the door, hoping to see Blaze soon. He already told me he normally arrives in class an hour in, so I am not expecting him until probably 9:00 am.

••

My head juggles between looking at the entrance door and my wristwatch through an hour and a half of Mr. Jones's lecture. It is now evident that Blaze will not be attending the class today.

And that's quite...disappointing.

I lay my head on my knuckles, deciding to stop looking out for him and listen to Mr. Jones's monotonous sermon instead. His tone of voice is similar to a lullaby, and immediately my eyes begin to get heavy from sleep. I feel myself dozing away into slumber when a bag plops down on the seat next to me.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Yes," I mumble with dim eyes.

"By whom?"

"By—" I look up to see a smiling Blaze, and my heart misses a beat without my conscious control. Today he's wearing a grey tank shirt and dark blue shorts, his silky hair unkempt but still appearing attractive.

By you.

He pulls the chair out, and I am suddenly awake as I grab my bag and rest it on my lap.

"Good morning, green eyes." He beams as he sits down, and goosebumps meet my skin at how pleasant he smells. The girls were right. Where is it that he purchases his hygienic products?

I smile. "Good morning."

I inwardly congratulate myself for not getting tongue-tied while reciprocating his greeting. The sight of him makes me nervous. I am not sure I can effectively communicate with him after what happened in his room that night.

"Thanks for keeping my seat for me," he says, and I run my palms against my dress as a nervous mechanism.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

"What did I miss in his boring lecture?" He lifts his bag from the ground, and I shrug my shoulders.

"Um, nothing really...just some notes on verb agreements. He spent half of the class talking about the restaurant he likes to eat."

Blaze laughs and rolls his eyes. "So Mr. Jones."

I chuckle and look ahead, immediately meeting a pair of cold eyes. The topic of our conversation is now watching us with a stern countenance, and I shift in discomfort and look back to Blaze as he places his notebook on the desk.

"So, did you enjoy Saturday night?" He looks over at me, and blood travels to my face instantly.

Is he talking about what we did in his room?

"H-huh?"

He notices my uneasy reaction and chuckles. "I am talking about the party. If you enjoyed the party."

"Oh." I press my lips together.

Well, that was embarrassing.

"Yeah, it was okay."

His scent engulfs me as he leans in closer, half his lips dragging up as his pupils travel between both my eyes. "What were you thinking about, Harmony?"

I blink apprehensively, and the proximity offers me no place to hide the redness on my face. "When?"

"Just." His eyes fall to my lips. "Now." His gaze returns to mine. "What were you thinking about just now?"

"Nothing..." I mumble.

He smiles at my response. "Nothing. I've learned from Saturday night that 'nothing' means something." He raises a perfect brow, his smirk still in place as he confidently maintains eye contact.

I chew on the inside of my cheek, dropping my eyes between us, and he smiles and decides to set me free, leaning back in his chair and opening his book. "You're cute, Harmony." He smiles at me.

My skin is now colored red as I look away from him and fix my gaze to my notebook, gripping my pen as I begin to take my notes.

Blaze's presence is sending my nerves sky-high, and Mr. Jones's constant glare of rebuke is only added gasoline to my flame of anxiety. I think I want this lecture to be over soon.

••

Class finally ends and Blaze and I leave the lecture theatre to head to lunch. We walk along the busy hallway with students hurrying to and fro. He shoves his hands in his pockets as we stroll in line, and I notice that every girl that passes by us keeps ogling him with admiration. He is attractive, it's not something hard to see, so I guess it is expected. It makes me slightly uncomfortable though especially since after feasting their eyes on him, they point glares of resentment toward me.

"You're going to eat lunch with us in the Caf today, right?" He asks me.

"Um, I guess." I rub my arm.

"Alright, let's go." He is about to move off in the opposite direction when I rest a hand on his bicep. He looks around at me and I point a finger behind me.

"I have to buy my sandwich and milk from the snack bar."

He smiles softly, nodding his head. "Okay, no problem. I will text April and tell her to meet us at the Caf."

I nod my head as he pulls out his cell from his pocket. After sending his cousin a text, we make our way to the snack bar and I order my usual lunch. Blaze has his elbow propped on the counter while he watches me collect my food items, and when I notice the small smile on his face, I get a tad insecure.

"What?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing. Let's go."

My forehead wrinkles as I follow him to the cafeteria. As soon as we enter the crowded room, a few people call out to him, asking him to have lunch with them or throwing out party invitations. He doesn't respond to half of them as we make our way down to where April and the girls are standing in line.

April turns away from the counter and spots us as we near the group and her eyes narrow disapprovingly as they roam between us. "Why are you with her, Blaze?"

"April, Jesus. We just had a class together." He hisses and reaches over to kiss her forehead. It doesn't erase her frown, however.

"Yeah, we have the same English class." I smile a little.

She seems to prefer hearing the explanation from me because her gaze finally softens. I guess she feels as if she cannot trust her cousin's words. Can I even trust his words?

"Pat, come on! Bean stew again?" Blaze complains, walking to the front of the line and perching his elbows on the counter.

The middle-aged lady behind the table shrugs her shoulders as she continues to serve the people standing in front of us. "I am not the one who cook the lunches."

"This is why Harmony always buys her sandwiches." James rolls his eyes. "I think I am going to get diarrhea soon." He rubs his stomach with a pained face. "You people are trying to kill me."

"I am driving off campus to McDonald's." April digs into her bag for her purse, unzipping the glittering pouch to check how much cash she has. "I can't bear Homewood's menu any longer."

"Can't believe you didn't save a burger for me, Pat. Damn." Blaze eases off the counter, and I smile softly in amusement. He seems to like eating burgers.

"You guys could try the tuna sandwich," I suggest. "It isn't bad."

Yuna nods as she visually inspects the wrapped sandwich in my hand. "Mm. Yeah, I am settling for a sandwich. It doesn't look so bad."

Suddenly, a guy slides between me and Tia and grabs April's butt cheeks in his hands. I gasp as she spins around with wide eyes, angry blood rushing to her face.

I look to the guy with slack jaws, and he seems to have no remorse for his sexual assault as he grins at her cockily. His brown curly hair is tangled on his head and he's wearing yellow jersey and khaki trousers. I have never seen him around here before now.

"Seriously, Leo?! What the hell!" She shoves him away angrily, and James narrows his eyes lividly, stepping up to him.

"Did you just touch—"

"Did you just touch my cousin's butt, Leo?" Blaze pulls James back by his arm, taking his previous place with eyebrows tightly pulled together.

The guy they referred to as Leo, lifts his chin with a smug look on his face, but his height is no match for Blaze's.

"Yeah." He shrugs simply. "You can fuck my girlfriend, but I can't touch your cousin? It doesn't work like that."

April swallows nervously and hurriedly grip Blaze's bicep, attempting to pull him away. "Ignore him, Blaze."

"Ignore?!" Her manicured nails slip off his arm easily as he steps up into Leo's face. "How can I ignore him when the motherfucker is clearly looking for a beating?"

His eyes have darkened noticeably, and April looks worried as she chews on her lip. I don't blame her because I am feeling the same apprehension. The last time Blaze had a knife in his bag and was on the verge of stabbing his teacher. So, I know he won't hesitate to stab a fellow student of Homewood.

The look he gave Mr. Jones is back in full force, and I rest a hand on his arm, wanting to cool the fire that is rapidly building up.

"Blaze. Ignore him."

His nostrils flare as he eyes him venomously, and I sigh pleadingly. "Blaze?"

His chest falls as he discharges a breath and then he turns away from Leo and decides to rest the case.

I blow my cheeks out and I am positive I see April does it too.

But Leo has other plans and is probably tired of living because he lets out a snort and ruffles his hair. "Your cousin is just as slutty as your bitch of a mother!"

Oh, no.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Blaze spins around again, and I know that no one can stop him now. "Repeat that Leo!"

"Yeah, I will surely repeat it! YOUR COUSIN IS JUST AS SLUTTY AS YOUR BITCH OF A MO—"

BAP!

Blaze's fist collides with Leo's nose and the impact sends him flying to the ground. Everyone gasps in shock, quickly moving away as red, warm blood spumes from the boy's nostrils. He touches his nose and looks at his fingers but has no time to recover before Blaze pulls a metal lunch tray off the counter and hits him in the face with it. Pat screams and covers her mouth, stepping back with quivering hands as Blaze continues to smash Leo in the head repeatedly.

"Oh my God, Blaze, stop it!" April tries to grab his bicep, but he shrugs her arm away and sits over the injured boy, striking him with the hard object over and over again with death in his eyes.

Oh, God. He's not sane. I stand there frozen and shaking, and people are screaming and yelling, none having the courage to stop him. Leo has curled into a ball, shielding his face with his arms and crying out at each hit, and James and April are trying to stop Blaze, but he keeps resisting as he continues to assault a bleeding Leo.

...the tray is now bent in half and when he realizes his weapon is no longer sturdy, he gets up and grabs an iron fork from a tray behind the counter. Pat backs away uttering Jesus's name as Blaze propels toward the wailing male.

People rush from their seats, now crowding around the scene as April buries her hands in her hair, stamping her feet in a panic. "Oh God, stop him, James! You know he will kill him!"

"I am trying as you can see April!" James reaches out to Blaze's arm, but his hold slips away when Blaze sits over Leo to stab him with the fork.

The look in his eyes is so scary and I know that perhaps he will kill Leo. Right here, in this very cafeteria.

"Blaze!" I scream. "Stop it! Please!"

He grabs the boy by his neck, squeezing the life out of him as he raises the fork above his head. I can't allow him to ruin himself. I run over and crouch down, putting my hand between Leo and the pointed utensil in hopes that it'll cease his movements.

"Blaze, don't do this. Stop it, please." I feel my eyes stinging with tears. "You'll get in serious trouble for this. You will ruin yourself if you do this."

He's fuming, his eyes now a pit of absolute darkness.

"Look at me, Blaze."

I grip the side of his face and turn it toward me, but his gaze is still fixed on Leo, the fork still raised above his head. I take hold of his wrist, trying to catch his eyesight. "Stop. Please stop..."

And then a tear leaves my eye and slaps his arm, and he drops his gaze to the wet splotch on his skin before finally looking up at me.

His forehead puckers, and I plead silently, liquids of fear and desperation sparkling in my eyes. He stares at me for a while as if battling with himself and then he throws the fork down and gets up, walking out of the cafeteria.

April puts her face in her hands and Tia and Yuna are still awestricken about what just happened. I am too, but I try to snap out of it and quickly chase out behind him.

"Blaze wait!"

He doesn't halt his footsteps as he prowls out onto the parking lot, hot, raging fury emanating off his figure.

"Blaze wait!" I repeat.

He opens his car door and gets in, and I decide that I won't let him drive alone this angry.

I run over and stand with widely open arms in front of his Mercedes which is doubtlessly unwise, but I can't allow him to leave like this.

I see when he exhales in frustration through the windshield mirror, before winding his window down and sticking his head out. "Get out the way Harmony, I really will run you over."

I shake my head. "I need to talk to you."

"About what? The fact that you didn't know I was such a bad guy again?"

I sigh, and he rolls his eyes. "Get out of the way, I don't want to talk right now."

"No, Blaze—"

"Fuck, just get out of the way, Harmony. Do you want me to run you over?"

"You...wouldn't." I swallow.

He wouldn't, right? But judging from how he almost stabbed someone with a fork, I can't be so sure.

He said at the party that he treats me differently than everyone else; that he cares for my feelings, so with that thought as my defense, I stand my ground.

He wouldn't run me over. As crazy as he is.

"Harmony, move."

"No."

He sighs and lowers his head for a while, seeming annoyed, before getting out of his car in a quick motion. He slams the door so hard that I wince and step back as he angrily saunters toward me.

I resist the urge to run as he nears my shaking figure, and when he towers above my short stature, I peer up at him with big, fearful eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I gulp silently.

"You trust me that much to stand in front of my car?" His tone is low and demanding, his eyelids raised in an expectant glare.

I sigh, putting my hands at my side.

"Yeah...I trust you, Blaze. I know you won't hurt me."