The True Partizan - 4

Cornwall - Part 5

You were going to Cornwall. It had been decided. You were going home with your sister.

At first you didn't want to go, not sure you wanted to be reminded of your old life, but in the same sense it would be good to go, maybe...healthy? All you had to do was persuade the teachers to let you.

You drag a chair to your wardrobe and balance on it, reaching up and grabbing the peppermint bag containing Jamie's Pendant, catching sight of the gold ring on your finger.

You hadn't taken it off since Lottie gave it to you, and although the ring was a painful reminder of Jamie; there wasn't a time when you weren't thinking about him, so it didn't matter one way or the other.

You shove Jamie's pendant in your pocket and meet Lottie outside the house head's office, Professor Devine, and she looks nervous.

"I just really need to go home." Lottie sighs, looking wistfully at the door.

You raise your hand to knock. "Save it for Professor Devine."

Devine allows you both to have the Saturday out tomorrow as long as you return by curfew to your relief. And when the next day rolls around, you still don't feel excited to go home, but know you have to.

You don't know why you think you must, but you have a strange feeling in your gut, as if you need to be there.

You're about to step out of your dorm room with a packed rucksack ready to go when Vampy slides through the open window and drops to the floor, his yellow moon eyes mischievous and curious. He meows as if he knows you're leaving.

"Hi Vampy," you make a clicking sound and he follows you out of the room, "You need someone else to look after you for a bit."

Percy opens the door.

'Hi Percy, I'm leaving for a while. Could you look after Vampy?'

His face falls into a reassuring smile. 'Yes of course, your sign language is getting very good.'

You smile genuinely for the first time in a long while. 'Thank you Percy. You're the best.'

Vampy meows matter-of-factly and waltzes back into his old owner's room, his tail swishing up in the air.

'No problem y/n, see you soon.'

You continue on your way through the halls, your mind elsewhere, eventually you find your sister and take a car to the train station.

The journey lacks chatter.

But it's okay, you both enjoy each other's quiet company in your own thoughts.

You sit on the train and watch the passing scenery, twiddling Jamie's ring on your finger.

"Lottie, what happened between you and Ellie?"

Lottie instantly blushes. "What?"

"You know what. I don't know how it took me so long to see it, but Jamie and I, we saw the both of you in that powder room, it was cute."

Lottie's blush darkens. "We kissed again, the night that Jamie left."

A silence hangs in the air.

"And then she left, told everyone she was the real Princess and everything went wrong. I felt so alone that night, you didn't tell me you were leaving to search for Jamie, and then I lost them. I'm so glad you came back. I miss them so much."

"Do you love her Lottie?"

She doesn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Good. Hold on to it."

Another pause.

"What...happened with Jamie that night? Did you find him? You don't have to answer, I told everyone to pretend it never happened."

"I- went after him, with Vampy, I found them outside a Leviathan safe house in the woods. The rest of the Leviathan never knew I came. I had to see him, I had to tell him how they lied but he...he wouldn't listen. He looked so torn, so broken, so lost. He needed something to hang onto... and I couldn't do that for him. Haru could."

To your surprise Lottie suddenly looks angry, "Don't be ridiculous y/n, Jamie could never love Haru the way he does you, you don't see the way he looks at you, the way he did when you met him on your first day of Rosewood. I've never seen him look at anyone like that."

"What? Suspiciously? He didn't even trust me."

"No, he looked at you as if you were the most interesting and amazing thing he'd ever seen, and he was acting suspicious because he was confused at how intrigued he was by you. At least that's what he told me."

If you had a drink you would have spat it out. "I'm sorry he told you that?!"

Lottie smiles, "That is such a you reaction."

"Oh my god."

"Yes. Jamie's in love with you. Surprise surprise."

"Oh, my god."

——————————————

There's a horrible storm in Cornwall, it's cruel and merciless, chucking down rain and whipping at your clothes as you attempt to leave the train station with you sister.

"How far is it to Ollie's?!" You yell over the howling wind.

She grimaces. "Um. I don't know! Not far?!"

You drag your hood over your head and shove your hands in your pockets, shivering as the rain splatters harshly against your skin.

Perfect weather for a day trip, the sky is so cloudy it doesn't even look like day anymore.

"Let's find shelter over there!" You point to a cute little alley way close by. "We can check Google maps!"

Lottie nods and you both stumble over to the alley way, Lottie shaking her arms as an attempt of getting the rainwater off.

You pull out your phone which was returned to you before leaving school premises, and curse under your breath when you see you have no service in the area.

There's a sound from behind you and the wind has died down enough for it to no longer drown out your words. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

You stare at the area the noise came from, then gesture with your hand at Lottie. "Stay here."

"But y/n-"

"It's fine just-"

You don't finish, trailing off as you turn a corner of the alley and descend further into the shadows.

You stop.

Your whole body freezes, your heart seizes up, your mind stops buzzing, your heart stops pumping, your tense Partizan posture falls.

All you can do is stare at the person before you: his eyes burning like suns, his stance intense and strong, his clothes dark, a small scar on his chin from an awful fall.

Jamie Volk.