Flowers For Terra & Flowers With Thorns

| Chapter Eleven |

A hand closed around my wrist, loose but strong enough to stop me as I walked. I knew that hand though. Even above the odorous stench that permeated the school thanks to poor hygiene from a terrifying amount of people, I recognized the cologne. It was a dark spiciness hinted with something sweet. It was expensive and had been worn by one person ever since they became friends with a certain someone.

And I was sure that it was this certain someone who would be the topic of conversation with Matt.

"Well this is a shock." I sounded sarcastic even to my own ears but he deserved it. I hadn't actually spoken to him in a while because he was so busy being on Amber's side and it wasn't going to change any time soon apparently. "I'm guessing this isn't because you've fallen from grace?"

Matt dropped his hand, crossing his arms over his chest. I didn't blame him putting his guard up, I hadn't exactly given him a friends welcoming. The circles under his eyes were noticeably darker than the last time she'd seen him, an ugly shade of bruised violet, faint but distinct. It didn't seem that Amber was putting off her social schedule for me and of course, Matt was being dragged along in my place.

"No, it's because Nico wouldn't talk to me and you know what that means." Matt raised an eyebrow and if Nico had have been there, I probably would have hit him.

"Nico never says anything of importance, what would him not talking to you even mean?" This play wasn't going to work with Matt.

"That's not gonna work."

I was right.

Matt narrowed his eyes at me, a copy of Amber's devastating look in an attempt to make her talk. It was nowhere near as good as Amber's but I could appreciate the effort.

"So you know that Nico's terrible at lying and so avoids people in an attempt to not do so," I admitted with a sigh, to let Matt believe that I was letting him in. I certainly wasn't about to tell him my plan but if he thought that I was, maybe Amber would be on the lookout for the wrong thing.

"What are you planning, Terra?" There was a somberness that I didn't like. Matt had always been the one emotionally in tune, intelligent enough to understand that games that were planned, but he'd always kept that optimism. It was getting to him and I didn't like it.

I started walking towards the cafeteria once more, glancing up at Matt when he fell into step with me. Apparently he'd decided he wasn't giving up. He was more cleaned up than when they'd first met, his hair still that longish messy but his clothes sharper, clearly more expensive. It seemed Amber had taken him on a shopping spree. It was one of her moves when she wanted someone to feel owed to her or to get them under her spell.

She showered them in gifts, brought them on shopping sprees and let them peak into her world. She gave them a glance and let them think she was doing something nice for them when in fact, Amber and I had gone on shopping trips to Paris for a weekend just because Amber felt like it. A little shopping trip in LA was nothing.

But of course they didn't know that.

"Why would I even be planning something?" I asked, feigning distraction as I weaved around someone who hadn't moved out of my way.

"Because Amber targeted your brother," Matt deadpanned, falling back into step with me after my weak attempt to maneuver away. "I didn't agree with that, by the way. I told her not to do it. She said she was going to but I told her it was too bad. She did it anyway. So yeah, I know you're planning something. What is it?"

Sure, that I believed. He probably questioned Amber's plan once and then shut up like her obedient little lap dog as soon as she gave him some excuse like 'she deserves it'. That I would agree with, I did deserve retaliation for what I'd done to her but Alex didn't.