The Young and Gifted

66. catastrophic

MG was running through the field, trying to improve his supernatural stamina. He also found it as a way to push out the negative, to feel the air slap his face, to see time zoom past him. It was moments like these that he didn't have to worry about his unsatiated hunger or the people in his life betraying him, he could just feel the exhilarating feeling of being in the sun. He didn't have to see Lizzie's face, Lizzie's eyes looking at Raf. Didn't have to see the two couple love each other in a way he wanted to love someone. 

He could breathe freely. But the period didn't last long when he noticed another set of speed match along with his. MG stopped shortly and Jade emerged beside him. "MG. Just the dude I was looking for."

"Jade, how did you--" he glanced behind him but cut himself off. "Yeah, what do you need?"

"Nothing much, just checking up on you. It must be hard having the three people you care about hide shit behind your back," she shrugged carelessly. 

"Yeah, exactly what I was thinking," MG said as they walked at a mundane, steady pace. Then his head snapped to her immediately. "Three? It was just Raf and Lizzie."

"Right, I guess you forgave Kaleb."

"Forgave Kaleb? Why would I need to forgive Kaleb?"

"What do you mean? He knew about the two of them sneaking behind your back. I just walked past Lizzie's room and I overheard that he walked in on them or something. I honestly give it to you, MG, I would not have handled the situation so calmly," Jade mumbled. Deep down, she didn't care. She just wanted to cause a rift between the two friends. 

But MG shook his head. "No. Kaleb would have told me. He--no. He's my best friend and he would have known to tell me so I don't believe you."

She shrugged, flipping her hair to the other side of her shoulder. "Why don't you ask him then?" Jade pointed to the vampire himself making his way towards them. 

MG followed her train of sight but when he turned back, she was already gone. Kaleb had arrived. "Wassup, my guy. I've been looking everywhere for you. Reese and a couple of the guys want us to hang by Old Mill to chill--" he stopped when he spotted MG's face. "What's wrong?"

He took a beat to form the sentence before he looked up at the vampire. "Did you know that Raf and Lizzie were sneaking around before I knew?" Kaleb's mouth opened but no words came out. MG chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Why am I shocked right now? The people closest to me always end up hurting me."

"MG. It's not what you think it is--"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know what to do in that position so I didn't involve myself!"

"So you let me look like a fool?"

"I--"

"Just drop it," he scoffed, shouldering past Kaleb. "And stay away from me. I don't need any more backstabbers in my life."

*

By the time he reached his room, Jade was already there, twirling herself on his desk chair. "Hate to say I told you so but I told you so." She was playing with a pencil when she turned to him.

MG slammed the door behind him with anger. He stomped to his bed and sank down on it with fury. "They were supposed to be my best friends. I don't understand why I'm always the second option, why people always think it's okay to hurt me."

"It's because you're a sweet guy, MG," Jade scoffed. "They know you'll always forgive them because you look for the best in people. It hurts, doesn't it? To be mistreated for the kindness you give people. It's never going to be enough, people will always find reasons to break you. When are you going to see that for yourself? Aren't you tired of the bullshit? You don't deserve it. Nobody deserves it." His eyes began to crackle with anger and hunger at the same time. "Turn it off, MG. Flip the switch, feel better about yourself. Nice guys always finish last but you're done with that, aren't you? Prove to Lizzie that you're not a boy who hides in the corner after his feelings are hurt. Prove to Raf that you are twice the man he will ever be after what he did, prove to Kaleb that your friendship was worth the fight."

MG panted, his lips wavering. "I'm not supposed to flip the switch. We were told a lot of innocent people would get hurt."

"You're an innocent person, MG. You were nothing but nice and sweet to your friends and what did they do? They hurt you. Push out all those emotions and let your raw instincts take over," she said softly. "They'll protect you. Trust me."

MG wanted it. He wanted it so bad because he was over having people walk on top of him. He was over having people dismiss him as the little golden retriever that would do what its master asked and at that moment, there didn't seem like another option. So he flipped the switch. The vampire opened his eyes and Jade grinned in front of him. 

"Good boy," she smirked. "You ready for some fun? Because I hear there's a human party in town." Jade loved chaos. It was what she did in her free time, it was what she saw as pure entertainment. But she didn't realize what she just unleashed into the town of Mystic Falls. Because a Ripper flipping his humanity switch...it was catastrophic. 

~

"We survive here because we follow the rules. We can't get sloppy about it."

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