Unpolished

Luce nel Buio

Chapter Sixteen

Luce nel Buio

(Playlist – Sanctified by The Veronicas)

I strongly suggest listening to the playlist as you read. Maybe it's just me, but I like music while I read. 

Jade's POV:

"I didn't realize you were an expert on my life and how I should live it. Continue, while I take notes." The backhand to my face hurt like a mother fucker.

"I am going to ask you nicely one more time. Who is it?" Ugh, McCoy's breath stank. It reminded me of rotten garbage. Hendricks was sitting back in his chair enjoying every minute of this show that McCoy was putting on.

"I am telling you the truth. I didn't put it there. Check the cameras. I have been a bit out of it because of a certain person in this room." I stood up and stared McCoy down. "Go ahead and do your worst. Whether I am in this school or not, you will never hold the power in your whole body that I do in my little finger. You better lay low, McCoy. I am going to kill you." For one quick moment, there was fear in his eyes, and then it was gone. I turned and headed for the door. My whole body was shaking. I needed to get out of here, and quick.

"You are expelled, Jade. Good luck getting the student body to listen to your whims. By the way, we did check the cameras. Nice little trick you pulled. There was nothing. We looked at it over and over again. I know you don't have the skills to pull that type of hoo-doo off. But we're gonna catch you." Hendricks called after me.

Somehow I got the door unlocked and kept my head held high after closing it. Shaking, I scrolled down the list of names on my phone until I got to Vance. He picked up on the first ring. "Meet me at my locker, please. Now."

"Cosa c'è che non va?" (What's wrong?)

"Per favore, basta fretta." (Please, just hurry.) The tears were already starting to fall. My big comeback had quickly soured, and I didn't know what to do.

I hurried through the halls to my locker. It was standing wide open, all the contents strewn out on the hallway floor. I sunk down and began to gather the belongings that weren't ruined. I don't know why, but I felt the need to clean up the mess. Eventually I felt arms surround me. The smell of the Italian coast enveloping me. I sunk into Vance as the sobs wracked my body.

"Let's go. I have already called the others." He pulled me up from the floor, picking my backpack up, and throwing it over his shoulder. Then he took my purse from me.

"McCoy. H-h-he, w-w-was, h-h-here." I sniffled out.

Vance stopped in his tracks and turned me around to face him. "McCoy was here? In this school? What did he s-oh my fucking god! Did he hit you?"

I couldn't even look at him. That was all the answer he needed. He was already on the phone as he ushered me through the hallways. "Owen, McCoy was in the school. I don't know all of the details, but will have them shortly. Jade was in the office, so I assume that is where he was. He hit her as well. Fresh marks." There was a pause while he listened to whatever was being said. "Si. Six o'clock. Ciao." He put the phone in his back pocket and hurried me along. Marco and Isaac were already at the front entrance. "Owen and his team have everything under control here, let's go, quickly."

The Queen was being led out of her castle by the guards. Paparazzi surrounded them at the exit. The crowds chanting for her head. I realized I never really ruled anything. I had been played yet again. I was too distraught to put all the pieces of the puzzle together; McCoy and Hendricks, Jay and Rocky, Melissa and Jenny, and who knows who else from the school, let alone the numerous enemies I had gathered in the past four years.