Never Let Me Go

High Enough

I headed down the halls to where April, Hamilton and I agreed to meet. 

My legs carried me too eagerly as I gained on the classroom a few feet over from the library. 

Arriving at the ajar door, Hamiton and April stood pacing, a phone among them on an emptied desk. 

"Everything all ready?" I asked closing my jacket around me. 

Hamilton gave me a sobered nod and April bit her fingernails. 

"Are you sure we should do this? I mean I'm curious but- I dunno." she asked. 

I turned to her and pulled her to my side.

"We won't involve you if you don't want to be involved. You don't have to listen to this." I said softly. 

She took a deep breath and set her feet.

"Unmute it." she said firmly. 

Hamilton gave her a soft smile and unmuted the call on the phone he planted in the library close to their location. 

Angry voices rang through the second he pressed the muted button.

I listened intently. 

"You are a fucking class act Soren. I hope you know that." Auden's voice boomed out of the phone. 

Soren scoffed. "Please, I was just man enough to do what needed to be done." 

Footsteps sounded and the voices became clearer. 

"What needed to be done Soren?! You are fucking insane the way you use people as pawns in your little games. I got to give it to you though, you really had me fooled." 

"A fucking ingrate is what you are Auden. All of this research, getting you the top slut of the season, all of it! WAS FOR YOU." Soren yelled.

A boom crashed through the phone. It sounded like a piece of furniture.

"Call her a fucking slut again-" Auden threatened.

Soren snickered. "Ah, I understand what this is all about now." 

Footsteps sounded as I imagined Soren circling Auden. 

"You're pussy whipped" he laughed deeply.

"I'll kill you" Auden growled. 

That made Soren laugh harder. "I don't know what kind of charm she put on you, but that little girl is nothing but a tease. Aubriella Clark is a toy. You are not a boy Auden. I gave you a chance, I gave you your little toy to play with, something that might get you out of that funk you were in-" 

My heart raced in my chest. My lungs squeezed tightly, knocking all the air out of me.

"Your toy wasn't as useless as she seemed though, was she?" he chuckled.

My brain was racing to try and piece together everything they were saying. 

"She's a person you sick fuck." Auden yelled.

Soren continued.

"I finally realized how useful she might be after that little trip. She had that look in her eye, like the one you used to." he explained.

Auden went silent.

"You see Auden. You were amazing, you could've been just as successful if not more than I was at your age. But you couldn't do it, could you? You're not strong enough." 

I could hear Auden heaving through the phone. His blood must've been running as red-hot as mine. 

"You know I told all of those donors that the research was yours right?"