Not Ready To Change

Chapter 6: Thoughts

Wellston Private High School:

Same Night-

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John and Seraphina arrived on campus from their trip to the boba shop. Walking together, someone would never picture that they were not friends anymore at a distance. However, upon closer inspection, the expression of John was one of complete anger, per usual.

Seraphina felt the trip to be a success with the amount John spoke and that he was showing interest in things other than beating down the former royals or ignoring her.

She desired to change the topic from Rowden and leave that for later, she had a plan for that.

"So John, I still want to know about New Bostin... Can you at least tell me why you won't explain from your perspective?" She asked.

John didn't look at her, but was internally annoyed and could not figure out why she cared so much. His mind kept doting to the fact that she must have some sort of inside information.

He could not pinpoint how though. How would she have figured out someone from New Bostin and then contacted them. He knew that she most likely had read a file on him found by Isen of course, but that doesn't explain it all.

John countered.

"None of your business," he uttered sternly.

"Whose Claire?"

Freeze.

It felt like ice had filled John's veins, holding him in place as his eyes widened. Seraphina immediately took notice and decided to press further anticipating a bad reaction.

"You called me Claire when I confronted you about being Joker," she began. "Do you not remember?"

'What!' John was even more bewildered.

Before he could respond, she kept going.

"You even said that you had 'kicked my ass before and was not afraid to do it again,'" she added.

John's eyes could not get more wide. His fists were clenched tight and he was unresponsive as a whole.

'How... How could I have been so stupid!' He thought to himself. 'I gave myself away without even realizing it?! And, she figured it out from there!'

John turned his attention to Seraphina having connected the dots. She knew he would be upset when she revealed this, but it was her gamble to see if he would reveal more.

Just as he was about to explode, Blyke rounded a nearby corner and made himself visible without realizing what he had just walked in to.

Seraphina realized this and spoke up as John and Blyke locked eyes.

"Seraphina, is this asshole bothering you!" He called.

"John..." She warned.

John gritted his teeth and activated his ability.

Blyke took notice and decided to do the same, a fatal mistake but his only chance at decent survival.

John copied, and prepared to strike, but Seraphina was not going to sit by and watch this time.

She stepped in front of John, blocking his way. He walked up to her, face-to-face as a threat.

"Get out of my way," he demanded.

Seraphina, not activated, stood there unwavering.

"Think about what you are about to do, John... I can figure out what the headmaster told you without you telling me," she began. "I know don't want to get kicked out, so stop this, now."

Seraphina met John with her own demand and he peered up at Blyke.

He deactivated.

"She won't save you next time," he threatened Blyke.

Seraphina sighed a breath of relief and Blyke flipped him off and walked on.

"I don't know where you got this 'give a shit' complex from," John scoffed.

Seraphina smiled.

"You," she responded.

Crack.

That, hit John hard.

"Claire betrayed me in New Bostin..." John revealed. This caught Seraphina's interest.

"We were close... She used me, threw me out, and paid the price," John continued. "You remind me of her, this whole school is fake like her, and this whole school is mine like New Bostin."

"I know you don't believe that," Seraphina responded. "I know that you are forcing yourself to live like this, I saw and lived the real John."

"This real John you think you saw let everyone walk all over him!" John countered. "Arlo, Blyke, Isen... you wonder why I 'change' so drastically... LOOK AROUND!" John was angry now.

"You people... I let my guard down, and got exactly what I deserved because of it," John continued. "I won't make that mistake twice."

"Then why, John, why not just reveal your ability instead of putting on a mask and beating everyone?!" Seraphina was angry, too.

"Because-" John caught himself. Flooded with memories of readjustment, he froze.

Seraphina noticed, but her phone rang at the same time.

This broke the argument and Seraphina looked to John.

"I have to take this..." She walked off.

John, stood silent, relieved the encounter was over, but it had left him in a dark place.

He opted to walk back to his dorm and take the rest of the night off.

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John was laying on his bed, beat from the day. It was the first time in a long time that he was tired from something other than a fight.

He was ready to be done with it all and pick it up tomorrow.

Until his phone rang.

Shocked, John looked to see who it was, groaning when he saw the familiar face of a certain purple-haired girl appear.

He quickly decided a blunt 'fuck no' and cancelled the call. Only for it to ring again.

John was not upset by the fact his phone was ringing, he wasn't sure if it actually could anymore. But, he was annoyed by the fact it was Seraphina calling him.

Giving up, he answered.

"What," he muttered.

"Good thing you picked up! I was coming over next," she answered.

John was even more annoyed.

"Get to the point," he demanded.

"Let's talk about Rowden."

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