Let The Games Begin // Billie Eilish

Chapter 16

The mood in the cafeteria during breakfast this morning was unbearably low. Particularly for my group of friends, as Matthew's empty seat remains untouched at our table. James's eyes were still red and puffy from crying last night, Billie hadn't taken her hood down since she heard the news, I couldn't find it in me to participate in any conversation and Audrey was still in her bed, crying her heart out.

I can't imagine what she's feeling right now. Matthew was her fellow block member, if I had lost James like that I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

I tune out all of the sound around me as I think about the last time I saw Matthew. It was such a normal encounter. Had I known it would be the last time I saw him, I would've stayed with him for longer. A feeling of guilt fills the pit in my stomach and I feel a stray tear slide down my cheek as I rest my head in my hands.

"Hey, you good?" Billie asks quietly from her chair beside me.

I just nod back at her as I wipe away the tear with the sleeve of my hoodie.

"Do they know who did it?" I hear Milaus comment from the table beside ours.

"Nah, but my bet is on Peter the psycho." Nikki responds.

"Hmmm, I don't think so. I feel like if he was going to kill someone, he would've killed Cove. Did you see the way he looked at her during training the other day? Dude is insane." Milaus interjects.

I shuffle around in discomfort, embarrassed by the fact that Billie and James can obviously hear this conversation too.

"Bro, did you not hear about the note that was left beside his body though?" Nikki questions lowly, her voice barely scraping above a whisper.

"No? What note?"

"It said 'I'm imagining this is you' on it. Rumour has it that he said that to Cove before body slamming poor Klaus.

I go numb for a moment, before I feel bile rapidly rising to my throat. I leap out of my seat and leg it to the bathroom. Thankfully I make it just in time, and harshly empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

I hear the door open and someone come up behind me while I'm still getting sick into the toilet bowl.

"You're ok, I've got you." Billie's soft voice says as she crouches down behind me and holds my hair back for me.

Once I'm sure I've finished, I reach up to flush the toilet and sit with my back against the wall of the stall in defeat.

"Sorry you had to see that." I chuckle as I wipe the corners of my mouth.

"Don't worry about it." She says gently.

"So, did you hear what Nikki said? About the note?" I question quietly.

"Yeah, I did. But I don't think he's actually gonna touch you." She replies, sounding confident in her opinion and leans back to sit opposite me.

"What do you mean?"

"He's just trying to scare you. I mean, clearly he's clinically insane, but he just likes playing with you. He's not gonna come near you."

"And how are you so sure of this?" I ask, cocking a brow at her.

"Because I know guys like Peter. He's an attention seeker, he likes that people don't know his next move. But at the end of the day, he's just a coward who only knows how to pick on the weaker, quiet people."

"But...I am a weak, quiet person." I half-joke.

"Nah, he knows that you're stronger than you seem. And he knows that you also have me and Audrey on your side, so believe me, he's not gonna hurt you."