Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️FORTY-FOUR: THE SORROW FOR SUE⚠️

You were surprised to hear him say it.

Lawrence called for a meeting in his room, the first one since you all had left the school. He said it was to talk about "serious matters," and it was your job to get everyone together.

You went to Harry's room first, knocking on the door. When he answered, you could tell he hadn't gone to bed yet.

"(Y/n)? What's the matter?" he asked.

"Meeting," you said quietly. "C'mon."

Unlike Harry, Zion was fast asleep. The knocking didn't wave him up, so you went over to him, shaking him gently.

"Ugh, what?" he groaned.

"We're having a meeting," you told him, stepping back so he could get out of bed.

"Meeting?" he repeated.

You nodded. "You and Harry, help me wake up the others."

You went to Hailey's room next, and she almost slapped you in the face out of shock when you woke her.

Harry and Zion each dragged Ethan and Jay out of bed, until the last person to get was Sue. You knocked on her door, knowing she probably wouldn't be sleeping.

But she didn't answer.

Suddenly that familiar fear came across you, and you stepped away from the door, not wanting to open it.

"She might be asleep," Harry suggested as Zion brushed past you. He didn't hesitate to pull open the door, letting it swing open.

You couldn't bear to look. You didn't want to have to go through this, not again.

"God damnit," Zion swore. "She's gone."

"I'll go get Lawrence," Ethan said, running off.

"I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna die," Hailey chanted, slapping her palms over her ears.

You mustered the courage to look up, into the room.

It was worse than Judy's.

The curtains were pulled off, torn at the bottom, and there were what looked like knife cuts all along the mattress. The dresser that had the TV on top had fallen over, and glass and pieces of wood littered the entire room.

"How could we not have heard this?" Harry said in disbelief. You put a hand over your mouth to try and stifle your sobs, but it was no use. Tears started to trickle down your face, and you didn't know if you could keep going on like this.

You heard heavy footsteps come down the hall as Ethan and Lawrence came hurrying over. As expected of Ethan, he brought his trusty bat.

"Sue's gone?" Lawrence exclaimed, pushing by Zion and Harry to take a better look in her room.

"She's dead," Hailey wailed. "We're all gonna die."

"Shut up, dude! You're not helping," Jay scowled. You could see that he was shaking.

"What do we do?" Harry asked Lawrence, looking panicked. "We can't just let this keep happening."

"I know what to do," Zion said gruffly, walking towards Felix's room. "We kick some ass."

"Zion, wait a minute," you called, starting to follow him until someone grabbed your arm. It was Lawrence.

"What's with you and Felix?" he demanded. "You two are all friendly now?"

You didn't know what to say. Too much was happening at once.

"What the hell is your problem?" came Felix's voice from down the hall, and you watched as Zion pulled him out of his room by his shirt.

"You think it's cute to attack girls in the middle of the night, huh?" Zion growled, pushing him against the wall.

"Zion-" you called, but was drowned out by Hailey's shrill voice.

"We're gonna die!" she screeched, curling into a ball on the floor. Zion pulled back his fist, and Felix braced himself for the attack.

"Everybody, shut the hell up!" you screamed as loud as you could, making your ears ring. Everybody froze, probably from shock, and you quickly dried your face.

"Felix didn't do this," you said, your voice wavering.

"Enough, (Y/n)," Lawrence said. "Stop trying to-"

"I wasn't finished," you cut him off, and his eyes flashed angrily.

"What do you mean it wasn't Felix?" Zion asked.

"It was someone else," you explained, looking at Felix. He was shaking his head. Don't tell them.

I'm sorry, you thought. I have to.

"It was them," you said. "The government."

Nobody said anything, so you went on.

"Lawrence, you were right about the Safe Zone. Everything here is run by the government, and we're just their little playthings."

"But how do you know?" Jay asked.

"Felix..." you began, but you stopped.

Felix told me.

There's no way they would believe him.

"Bullshit," Zion spat. "He must've made that up."

Lawrence didn't say anything right away. You knew that expression; it was his he's-right-but-I-don't-like-it look.

"So was Judy taken by them too?" Harry asked in a weak voice.

Felix nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything before, then?" Zion snapped.

"I couldn't," Felix said. "It's dangerous to talk about it. My life is on the line, and all of yours are too."

"That's why I was in his room," you told Lawrence. "We were making plans. It would be safer if we kept it between just us until it was absolutely necessary."

"You should have told me, (Y/n)," Lawrence said.

"This was bound to happen either way," Ethan said, putting a hand on Lawrence's shoulder. "But what should we do now?"

"I don't know if any of us are going to make it past tonight," Felix admit. "Now that you all know."

"We all need to stick together," Harry suggested.

"Strength in numbers," Lawrence agreed, slowly nodding.

"How about the dining room?" Jay suggested.

"Too many entrances," Felix said. "Our best bet is a room.

"All of us in one room?" Zion scoffed.

"I'm scared," Hailey whimpered. "I think... i-it will be safer."

"I can stay up," Ethan offered. "I'll watch the door."

"Hopefully the government hasn't come up with a teleportation device, or we're screwed," Jay said, and you couldn't tell whether it was a joke or not.

"My room is the largest," Felix said. "It should have enough space for everyone."

"Fine," Zion relented. "But I'm sleeping in the bathtub."

You gave Sue's room one last look. Your only hope was that wherever she was now, she was happier.

"Everything is going to be okay," Harry said, taking your hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

You shook your head as you followed him and the others to Felix's room. "You always say that," you sighed.

"I'll be okay," he corrected himself. "As long as you're okay."

You squeezed his hand back, feeling your tears start to fill your eyes.

He really was a lifesaver sometimes.