FIRE & ICE, james beaufort

iv. playing with fire

FOUR

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"all i know since yesterday, everything has changed."

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SHE COULD NOT stand not knowing what had transpired between Ruby and James after the committee meeting but she knew that asking Ruby was not an option. Ruby would most likely make something up and not tell her the actual truth.

So with no other choice, Nia turned to the one person she had once considered her best friend. She arrived to school earlier than she usually did and waited by the common area where she knew Lydia would usually hang before school started.

To her surprise, Lydia hadn't shown up and Nia was now stuck with having to wait by Mr.Porter's class to confront the Beaufort girl. She leaned against the wooden wall and exhaled sharply as the minutes ticked by.

Just as she was about to leave, Lydia was making her way down the corridor and stopped when she noticed Nia.

Nia narrowed her eyes at Lydia. "I need you to tell me what James is doing with Ruby."

Lydia cursed under her breath and stepped closer to Nia. "I need you to know that I didn't ask-"

"What is James doing with Ruby?" Nia demanded again, her voice impatient.

"He was my only resort. You had dismissed me completely without hearing me out and I just needed for-"

"For someone to make sure your dirty, secret rendezvous never gets out?" Nia sneered.

Pain spread across Lydia's face but she glared at Nia and stood up taller, her blue eyes piercing. "I did what I had to do and if that means having my brother blackmail your little friend, so be it."

Nia clenched her jaw and glared back. "Right. Because all that really matters is making sure that you Beauforts come out unscathed, not caring about anyone but yourselves."

Lydia's gaze softened at Nia's words and she reached for Nia's hand. "Jes, I-"

Nia flinched at the usage of her old nickname and moved out of Lydia's reach. "Don't you dare use that name." She hissed. "I am not that girl anymore."

The warning bell rang, signaling that class was about to start and Nia took that as her cue to leave. She exhaled sharply and turned to look at Lydia one more time.

"Tell Jamie to back off or I will make him back off. "

Before Lydia could respond, Nia turned around, her hands shaking with a mix of anger and adrenaline. She tightened her grip on the strap of her backpack and continued down the corridor, determined to face the day head-on. Lydia had dug her own grave, and now it was time for her to lie in it.

└── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┘

Cheers echoed all behind Nia as she held onto the camera and searched for Lin. After her showdown with Lydia, Nia had felt drained but she knew that if she had skipped school, her father would have her head served on a silver platter.

So she had gone to each of her classes and then had met with Kieran for a crash course on how to use the camera, because according to him, she was only booksmart. She hadn't known whether to feel flattered or offended, but had been leaning towards the latter.