Sweet Delora

Chapter seven

My agreement gained me Thing as an ally on our breaking and entering. The window, sadly is still open allowing easy access.  I slip in followed by Thing and we hide in Rowan's bathroom.

"He'll be back soon." I whisper to Thing, and if on que Xavier returns from his run. Thing and I wait for Xavier bathroom door to close before sneaking out. 

"This book's gotta be somewhere." I whisper to Thing who's jumps down from my shoulder. "Look around."

Thing starts raking through Xavier's books as I walk to his drawing desk. A small grey tree propped up against a lamp.

The tree I drew this morning.

I shake my head walking over to Rowan's side of the room. I take out the UV light, shining it on the mattress, then the drawers, then the floor.

White specks line the wooden floor all around the same spot. "A hand, Thing." I whisper shout to the appendage that quickly scurries over.

He holds open a floorboard and I stick my hand right in the hole. Not finding a book but instead a mask. "What the-" I mutter standing up.

I'm cut off by a knocking at the door, making me and Thing rush under Xavier bed. We barely get under before Xavier walks out of the bathroom, turning the rooms light on.

The knocking persists until the door opens, a very nice pair of shoes being on the other side. "You're not supposed to be here." Xavier tells the person, pulling them in the room. "Nice to see you too." Bianca's voice says as the door closes behind her.

"How'd you get past the Housemaster?" Xavier asks walking over to his bed. "Use your siren powers?" He asks again, leaning against the bed frame. "Not while wearing this." Bianca says and I can only assume she means her necklace.

"Would it kill you to not think the worst of me for once?" Bianca questions, walking closer to Xavier. "What do you want Bianca?" He asks, clearly fed up. "To see how you're doing."

"I'm sorry about Rowan, I know you two were close." She tells him, holding her hands together behind her back. "Since when did you give a damn about Rowan?" Xavier asks and his feet are way too close to me right now.

"You were the one afraid he'd do something to Delora." I snap my thoughts away from his nasty feet at Bianca's words. "That's why you've been following her around right?"

"Or is something else?" She asks, the confidence in her voice slipping for merely a syllable. Xavier doesn't answer her, instead walking over to his desk. "Seriously what do you see in her?"

"Maybe cause she never tried to manipulate me." Xavier states, now leaning against his desk. "I make one mistake, and you can't forgive me." Bianca says, her voice slowly getting louder. "She doesn't even want to look at you and you can't get enough."

"Why are you so fixated on Del?"

"Because she thinks she's better than everyone." Bianca all but yells at him and I glance to Thing, rolling my eyes. "I can't wait to crush Ophelia Hall tomorrow and watch her werewolf roommate crumble."  She says, calming down and joining Xavier against his desk. "It's gonna be a Poe Cup finale to remember."

"I hate to think what you have planned." Xavier tells her, annoyance flooding his voice. "My game's already started." She brags and my eyes widen as I look to Thing. 

Enid.

"I like to win." She tries to justify her unknown crime. "Is that so wrong?"

"And you wonder why I broke up with you." Xavier nearly scoffs out as I look back to the feet, keeping my gaze on Bianca's shoes. "You used to love my killer instinct."

Movement makes my gaze rise to the two's interlocked hands. "We were good together, Xavier."

"Were we?" Xavier questions, taking his hand out of Bianca's. "Or is that just how you wanted me to feel?"

Bianca scoffs, stepping back from the boy. "Trust me, Delora Addams. She's not the girl for you." She tells him, walking to the door and leaving.

Xavier sighs before going back into the washroom. I slide out from under the bed, basically tiptoeing to the window. I hook the mask on one of Thing's fingers as I push open the window.

It creaks making me close my eyes. Thing hops out but Xavier's bathroom door open and I nod for the appendage to go.

"Delora." Xavier greets, rubbing his head with a towel. "You still keep the window open." I say, acting as if I just jumped through. "Yeah, yeah just incase you know."

"What uh- what are you doing here?" The boy asks, tossing the towel back into the bathroom. "I-um I thought I needed to talk but uh now that I'm here, I think I should-"

"I promise you, whatever you tell me, I won't tell a soul." He cuts me off, staring into my soul.  I take a deep breath, triggering my tears like my mom taught me. 

"He's gone Xavier." I mumble, a tear slipping down my check. "I know everyone saw him this morning but-" I cut myself off, getting an idea. "Come here." I tell him and in a second the boy's by my side.

I raise a hand, hovering it over his chest. I look up at him and he nods. Warmth floods through my body the second my hand touches him. Closing my eyes, I lean forward, putting my forehead on my hand.

"You feel right." I tell him, stepping away and lowering my hand. "You're warm, and you're there and you don't hurt." I say my voice cracking on it's own.

"Rowan he was dark and he- he had this coldness." I whisper, tears filling my eyes on their own. "It like- went through my whole body and there was this shock in my head." I say, briefly placing my hand on my head. "Xavier this is- that was what I think death is."

"I felt death." I sob out, my hands starting to shake. "Hey, hey." Xavier mutters, wrapping his arms around my shoulder and holding me to his chest. "I think I'm losing my mind." I whisper and he places a hand on the back of my head.

"No you aren't." He mumbles into my head. "I believe you okay." Xavier tells me, pulling away and taking my face in his hands. "I believe you." He repeats but I look down ashamed at my lack of control over my emotions. "Look at me." He says, using his thumbs to lift my chin up. 

"I believe you."

<3

I burst into our dorm's window to find Enid on her bed, her face wet and her eyes red. "Enid, are you okay?" I ask rushing over to her. "Yoko's in the infirmary." She tells me her voice horse from crying.

"Why?"

"Garlic bread incident at dinner." She mutters, sitting up. "She's out of the Poe Cup." She tells me as Yoko is deathly allergic to garlic. "It wasn't an accident. Bianca's behind it." I say and Wednesday's ears perk up.

"How do you know?" Enid asks as I grab a tissue from her nightstand. "She told Xavier that her game already started." I tell her, wiping her wet face.  "Doesn't matter, we will crush her tomorrow." 

"How? We're down a teammate-"

"I would like to join." Wednesday says from her desk, still typing away on her computer. "You want to join the black cats?" Enid asks, standing up from her bed. "You'd do that for me?"

"I want to humiliate Bianca so badly that the bitter taste of defeat burns in her throat." Wednesday says, probably not over Bianca beating her in fencing. "Tell me how she keeps winning."

"It's a real brain cramp." Enid tells her as I lay down on her bed. "The past two years no other boat has made it across and back without sinking." "Sounds like sabotage." Wednesday says and I cross my arms. "There's no rules in the Poe Cup. Plus Bianca's a siren, making her master of the water." I tell them.

"Then we just need to beat her at her own game."

Stay safe, love y'all and don't be silent readers!!!