THE FACADE

CHAPTER 23

Author's note:

Spotify song list for this chapter:

1. Zachy- untitled

2. Radiohead- Exit Music (For A Film)

3. Big Thief- Mary

4. Matthew Hall- Home

5. Flume, kai Skin- Never Be Like You 

6. The Magnetic Sould- The Book of Love

Warnings:

cursing, lying, violence, manipulation, toxic behavior 

Ivy's POV

"What are you doing here?" Bruce walked into the lab.

"Bruce!" I fake smiled because of the internal panic. "What are YOU doing here this late?"

" I saw the lights and came back to check them out. I wasn't sure if I forgot to turn it off or something else..."

"Yeah, it's just me." I laughed nervously, trying to come up with the excuse why I was here. I fiddled the papers in my hand, rolling them into a tube.

"Is everything ok?" He walked up to the desk and noticed the machine behind me being lit up.

"What?" I looked over my shoulder. 'Fuck!' I didn't turn it off. Despite me being drunk, my thoughts sped through my mind quickly enough to bring me salvation from this suspicious situation.

"What were you doing?" He looked at me concerned.

"Oh, well, you see..." I rubbed the back of my neck, chuckling nervously. "After dinner, some of you went back to the compound, and the rest of us went to the nightclub. And we, and by we I mean me, got ourselves into a bit of trouble. I kinda put myself, Tony, and James into a sticky situation. I took advantage of drunk Tony by tanking him into the bet, which escalated into a fight between me and James."

"Wow..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But it still doesn't explain why you are here and why you turn on the machine?"

"I needed to go somewhere quiet, where no one would find me to talk some sense into me. I know I fucked up, ok? You don't have to remind me of that. So I came here to think and to maybe give myself a boost to sober up before I talk to James about what exactly happened in the club. But before I did anything you came in."

I was so proud of myself for coming up with maybe the stupidest excuse ever, but I think it worked because I saw a glimpse of understanding in Bruce's eyes. I forced a smile when he shook his head and went to the cabinet. I quickly folded the papers into four and hid them in my bra cup. I took a piece of paper from the nearest stack and rolled it, so Bruce wouldn't notice the missing paper tube in my hands. I sighed heavily with relief when he didn't turn around right away as I did the sneaky switch. He took out some vials and a syringe and placed it on the tray.

"What's that?" I asked when he put a sterile tray in front of me.

"A vitamin boost cocktail. It'll bring you up on your feet right away. You'll omit the hangover too. It's my new recipe."

"I didn't know you were working on such stuff. I didn't even know you like chemistry and all that."

"Yeah, it's not my genre but I like learning new stuff and right now I'm into chemistry more than ever."

I walked up to the cabinet and opened it.

"So what else do you have here?"

"Not much I'd say." He looked over my shoulder to the cabinet, putting on the gloves. "Mostly mild painkillers, vitamin boosts."