Saints (SAINTS #1) | ✓

21

Thompson Mall was crowded. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, seeing as how reknown the Thompsons were, but Jasmina still had to suppress threats at how many people were in her way. The irritation simmering under her veins was growing with the minute and she was getting very close to contacting the Thompsons themselves to close the whole mall off, so she could walk in peace.

She spotted an escape then, the elevator towards the other floors seeming blissfully empty for some reason. As she escaped the crowd and entered it, she let out a relieved sigh when the doors closed. She pressed the button for the second floor, glad when it took off.

"Jasmina?"

She turned around, eyes freezing over when she spotted the girl who was in the elevator with her.

"What the hell are you doing here, Lena?" she said.

And then the elevator stopped.

Jasmina used her hand to steady herself, Lena stumbling too as the lift halted mid-air. The girl paled as Jasmina sighed, looking out of the glass walls of the elevator, only to lock eyes with a smiling Lucy who gave her a thumbs up.

"Knew it," she whispered," I'll fucking kill -"

"What?" Lena said.

"Did I tell you to speak?" Jasmina said.

A blush consumed Lena's face as she ducked her head and Jasmina rolled her eyes. She didn't care for being nice nor was she prone to forgiveness. Betrayal was betrayal and even though she and Lena never had been real friends, the statement still stood.

"I'm sorry, Jasmina."

She looked up then, eyebrows raised at the shaky apology.

"And you think I care?" she said," apologies mean nothing. Some things you just shouldn't do."

"It was just - I don't know," Lena began, voice faltering," I've always had a crush on Alan, but I never acted on it out of respect for you -"

"How big of you," Jasmina said," not to kiss the guy I was dating. I'm sure that was such a hard thing to do, your troubles must be awarded."

"Come on, Jas," she said as she looked at her," it's not like that."

"Don't call me Jas," Jasmina said, bored already as she leaned against the wall of the elevator and folded her arms over each other.

"But -"

"That wasn't a request, that was a threat."

"I'm sorry," Lena said, looking helpless as her eyes widened.

"I don't know why you think that the fact that you're sorry means anything to me."

"I didn't mean to do anything!" Lena said," but Alan came onto me and I - please, Jasmina, don't be angry, I just want to be friends again."

"You're both at fault here," Jasmina said," it takes two to tango. I'm not angry at you, Lena, you're not worth that emotion. Now Alan, however -"

Something flickered into her eyes and Lena winced at the sheer deadliness of it. Although she had just simply thrown Lena out of her life, Alan's family was very close with hers. She had known him since childhood, had braided his hair against his will, had played checkers with rubies on fields they owned. His betrayal was the worst of all and for that, she wanted to ruin him.

"It's not too late for you yet."

The sins hadn't been right though. It was. You can't change people, just manipulate them. And as soon as she survived this ordeal she would go right back to her normal ways. And oh, what she had in store for everyone who had wronged her then...

"Jasmina," Lena pleaded.

Jasmina looked at the girl then. Lena hadn't been all that bad, always there whenever she needed her, someone she had thought to be unwaveringly loyal to the point of being foolish. But then again, no one was loyal in this world, so she should have known better.

Especially when she had never given her anything to be loyal for.

"You know what," she said then," it's fine."

"What?" Lena stammered, unsure if she heard her right," you forgive me?"

The bags under her eyes weren't covered up, her hair a curly mess, a haunted look in what used to be a girl who was bustling with life. The betrayal seemed to have taken more of a toll on her than on Jasmina to be honest.

She had even sat by her hospital bed in guilt-fueled visits.

Jasmina knew exactly what her worst punishment would be.

"No," she said," and I never will." Her voice was shaky as she breathed out then, blinking fast as to make her eyes appear teary. "You once were my best friend, Lena, and I trusted you more than anyone in this world. Now -"

She looked out of the elevator, melancholy coloring her voice as she placed her hand against the glass.

"I'm not sure if I can ever trust again," she said softly, before turning to her and emphasizing," thanks to you."

She breathed in, closing her eyes, before opening them as a single tear fell down her cheek, smile watery.

"But it's fine," she said," our friendship meant a lot to me, more than you could know, so I could never truly want to hurt you, but I love myself too much to ever want to see you again. So please, Lena, if just for what we used to be, transfer."

She looked down then, a curtain of midnight silk falling in front of her face as she covered her face with her hands. "If just to let the good memories of our friendship be the only things left."

"O my God, Jasmina," Lena said, tears streaming down her cheeks," I never knew you used to feel that way - I- I always used to think you didn't see me as a friend. But to know this, I am so, so sorry. I will hate myself for this for the rest of my life, even if you're too good a person to want that."

She nodded then, voice shaky but her smile steady as she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said again," I'll transfer."

Jasmina knocked on the elevator wall then, gesturing up with her hand without Lena noticing, face still buried in her other hand. As the elevator slowly started moving, she looked up at Lena again, eyes sincere.

"Thank you," she said," and goodbye."

When the lift stopped back at the first floor, Jasmina stepped out, not looking back as she walked straight at the sins.

"You are evil, you know that?" Ari said amusedly.

Lucy just raised her eyebrows at her as Jasmina shook her hair out, usual smirk back on her face as she took a mirror out of her bag to check on her make up.

"I know," she said pleasedly.