The Lies They Tell

Dream

Inej's sleep was restless. It was Monday night, she was tired from school, but her mind was preoccupied. Images of Nina danced in her head. Across the dreamscape in her mind flashed green eyes like willow trees, soft ivory skin, brown hair like walnut trees in the winter.
Inej's eyelids hurt with tiredness. Her body felt heavy. Inej was built petite. She had lithe limbs and perfect balance, but right now she felt as if she couldn't move if she wanted too. And then she was sleeping. Dead to the world, resting on turquoise sheets in a dark room.
Inej was standing in a school room. Jesper was there, standing next to Wylan and Matthias. They were all staring at Inej. And then Nina was there. Her hair was longer now, like time had passed. She stared at Inej, who's stomach flipped. She was physically floating. Nina looked deep into Inej's eyes. The shorter girl held her breath. Then Nina leaned it.
Inej awoke with a start, her skin tingling. The dream was vivid, crystal clear in her mind.
The girl sat up. Her eyes zoned in on a cutout of Harry Styles on her wall from Primary school. Jesper used to love that cutout. Her head spun.  Inej was a calm person. She was the kind of person people went to with their problems. Inej remembered laughing a bit at Nina when she was obsessing over Matthias. Come on Nin, what's so great about him anyway? she'd joked. Oh lord, if Nina could see her now.
Who could Inej tell about this? If it'd been a boy, she'd have just told Nina. But the problem was this was Nina. Kaz would laugh at her. Wylan would just awkwardly look away. Jesper. Jesper would get it.

"Inej?" Jesper's voice on the phone was groggy and thick with sleep.
"Walk me to school?"
Ten minutes later, Inej and Jesper were walking arm in arm along the street opposite the park.
"Do you intend on telling me why you suddenly require a gentleman to accompany you to school?"
Inej rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "I'm delicate, Jes," she said, sarcasm in her voice.
"Seriously though. I'd almost think there was something you wanted to talk about...."
"Well...."
"It finally happened!" Jesper declared, grinning. "Inej Ghafa requires advice!"
"It's not a big deal," Inej said, scratching the back of her neck. She looked down the hill towards their school. "I kind of..." She hesitated. But this was Jesper, she could tell him anything. "Had a dream."
"Do tell."
"I was at school." She pulled her arm out of Jesper's to tuck her hair behind her ear. The pare were close to school now, walking at an easy pace.
"Was I there?" Jesper said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No. Well, yes. But not like that."
"Was someone else there?" Jesper asked, staring straight ahead.
Inej could feel her face heat up, even if her brown skin his it, she knew Jesper knew she was blushing. "Nina," she said quietly.
Jesper audibly gasped. "Why Inej Karen Ghafa-"
"-That's not my middle name-"
"-fallen to the wiles of Zenik. She has been known to be irresistible. You might have some competition in Matthias though."
"Can you take anything seriously?" Inej burst out. She knew as soon as she'd said it that it was cruel. She looked over and though Jesper was quick to shake it off, she could see that her words stung him. His eyebrows briefly knitted together his mouth turned down. Humour was Jesper's way of keeping things light. She was supposed to know that better than anyone. "Jes, you know I didn't mean it."
"It's fine, Inej." It wasn't. "See you after class." Jesper disappeared through the school gate, heading to his homeroom. Inej wanted to say she was sorry, sorry for everything. And she still didn't have anyone to talk to about Nina. Nina.
Nina appeared, as if conjured by Inej's subconscious. She hugged Inej, her soft body briefly pressed up against Inej. The girl couldn't help squirming. Nina noticed.
"Are you okay, Wraith?" Inej clenched her jaw and nodded tightly.
Inej allowed herself to be lead towards homegroup by Nina.

Kaz Brekker stood Infront of Wylan. He glared down at the boy, his eyes piercing like an icy polar wind. "You did what?" His voice was full of a mix of horror, shock, and outrage at what he was being asked to do.
Wylan gulped. His hands shook as he handed Jesper the piece of paper.
"So let me get this straight, kid-"
"-I'm seventeen-"
"You left a note saying this in Matthias' locker, thinking it was Jesper's?!"
Wylan nodded.
"Honestly, I kind of want to see Nina squash you like a bug beneath her doc Martin's."
Wylan's face looked as if he was going to be sick. "Please? If you won't do it for me, do it for Jesper?"
Kaz considered it. Jesper was one of his best friends.
"Just think how humiliating it'd be for him," Wylan added, apparently swallowing his own pride for the tenth time. "Everyone would find out his boyfriend leaves him notes like this, not to mention finding out we're dating. He'd be a laughing stock."
"You mean you'd be a laughing stock," Kaz interjected, his eyes Icy. But Wylan's gaze was so pleading, even Kaz couldn't say no to a face like that. "Alright then. I'll have to Jimmy Matthias' lock while he's in class. And don't think I'm not keeping this as collateral," he added, waving the paper in Wylan's face. The two were standing in the courtyard, and class had started already so there was hardly anyone around. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaz saw a blonde boy enter through the gate and head towards the water fountains.
Kaz picked Matthias' lock as easily as opening a door. He chuckled when he saw the photo of Nina in a heart frame on the inside of his locker. That boy certainly had hidden depths.
Wylan had gone to class as Kaz instructed. The less people the better. Kaz rifled through Matthias' things in search of the note Wylan had stuffed in there.
As Kaz grasped the note in his hand, he heard a door slam in the hallway. Matthias had a bottom locker, so Kaz swiveled around on his knees to see the interloper. Right there Infront of him, school bag in hand, his shirt speckled with water from the water fountain, was Matthias Helvar. Now this was going to be interesting.