ContamiNation

(Chapter 52) Meeting

Jolyne/Diamma

"What's this about?" Fi glared.

I was surprised it even worked, I'd thought at least one person wouldn't have showed but no, everyone was here.

The roof wasn't the greatest idea, especially if they suddenly decided to shove me off it, and it was cold up here. The only way I could get Sniper to agree to this was if it was up here, they wanted to make sure that we were guarding the school even while doing this. I talked to everyone individually but still needed to make a point, I fixed nothing until I fixed everything. And knowing the guys, even if I was on good terms with all of them (except Fi) they'd still be assholes to me simply because they wouldn't want to be the only one treating me nice. In secret they'd be cool but the "mean" face would come out anyone else came into the room, and I didn't want that.

First was Sniper, the easiest to reach, they were fine with whatever, but unless someone was on the roof (or all of us) they wouldn't be a part of the meeting. They didn't have an issue with me at all but I felt I needed to include them.

Next was Rage. The more I got to know him the more confused I got. He was calmer than Fi and Phil most times. He said he'd tell Fi and Rular and Trinket to go to the roof so I wouldn't need to deal with them but I still found them in the halls and apologized and said I wanted to right things.

Phil didn't say a word to me just listened. Still angry about my earlier fiasco no doubt.

Chris was just himself. Already over all my shit. He couldn't care less about the drama but said he'd show up anyways just for curiosity's sake.

Even after everything, and talking to everyone, and organizing my own intervention, I still felt like I missed something. Like I was missing someone. I realized, once I was on the roof waiting for everyone, that I missed Carris. I wanted my best friend to be here.

"I wanted to say sorry and ask what I could do to make things right with you guys." Now everyone was here, I felt awkward. Was I doing the right thing or making it out to be bigger deal than it should be?

Fi scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's it? Big deal, you left, we thought you died. Oh wow, you're alive." He clapped dramatically. "Great disappointment but oh well. I can't have everything can I?"

"Cool it." Rage stepped forward. Trinket shrunk back, she still hated him. "Look, she's back, and ok, and so what?"

Now Trinket found her voice. "She left, didn't tell anyone anything and then expected gratitude? I'm not giving her that." She glared right at me. "I'm alive but I'm not okay. Jo, you—"

I interrupted, "Diamma."

"What?" Trinket looked confused, and I could see her breaking little by little as she figured out what I meant. Chris swore. Phil looked away, embarrassed.

"My name is Diamma. I hate my name okay? So yes I changed it but I figured you should just know that. I want to be more honest because you don't think you can trust me. You can, and I know I can trust you, too, but it's hard." My voice cracked in the end.

Fi threw his hands up. "I give—I give up with her bullshit." He pointed at me. "This insanity is done, at least I'm done." He walked away, opened the heavy door and disappeared down the stairs.

Rage gave a pitying look and followed. "I don't care what you do but I'll just go and..." He let the sentence drag off and followed his friend, closing the door behind him.

Rular still hadn't said anything and didn't look like he was going to.

"Told you," Chris said. "Changing your name is stupid." His voice was neutral but he was smiling. He sighed and took over my defense. "I get what she did. So what? She made her choice and it was a good one. A bit reckless sure but without that, we just might die. There's no order here."

"Maybe we should make one," Trinket said. "One that protects us not run away."

"Because that won't save anyone. If you can't see this then—never mind. I see why all this is happening. Holding a grudge against something that is good? This is bullshit. No wonder she can't catch a break and move on."

I added, "And no good deed goes unpunished." Chris nodded.

Rular blew up. "Good deed!" He yelled. Sniper told him to quiet down a little and he laughed. "That was not a good deed that was torture. You got me to care for you and then used it to hurt me—us." He held Trinket. "The least you could've done was warned us."

"You wouldn't have let me go if I told you."

"Maybe! But you found a way around us the first time, you would've figure it out."

"Would that be better? If I told you, and then left anyways, you'd still worry, and you still yell at me for doing something stupid. There was no good choice. What would you have done?"

Rular ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know." Trinket looked at him, the broken look still in her eyes.

There was silence. I couldn't hear anything, not even the leaves in the trees or anyone's breathing.

"I understand." Everyone looked at Trinket, shocked. She was the one cursing my name the longest. "I understand why you did what you did. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. I just need more time. Can you understand?"

I nodded. "I can. Does that mean I don't need to aviod you?"

She nodded. Rular held the door open for her to go down into the school. He told Trinket he'd be down soon and closed the door."Don't do that again," Rular said after she left. "And, what else happened to you out there?"

I swallowed. "I just—there was a few fires I had to get myself out of."

"There's more to that story. What happened?" Everyone was looking at me and I was more scared now than I was when all eight of us were up here. "When you came through those doors you were all sorts messed up."

I told them everything but glossed heavily over the motorcyclists by making them seem like they were passing through and didn't see me and I was trying to escape a horde not humans. And glossed even more over the fire and everything around it. Barely said there were people at all and never said they started all the fires. I just said I didn't know how it happened. I don't think Sniper bought it but they didn't say anything.

By the end only Rular had one question, and it was one I was scared to think. "Is there any chance they'll come here and find us? Or you?"

"I don't know. I hope they'll head down to downtown but I have no idea what they're doing. Oh and I forgot to say, I saw a woman, she seemed to be controlling them but her boyfriend is the actual leader."

"Where did this happen?" Sniper asked.

"Before the second fire. When I was hiding in the concrete building." I knew then, by "forgetting" a part of my story, everyone was less convinced by it. It wouldn't take long before they figured out how much of my story I changed. I didn't want to lie, but now it was too late, trying to take it back would do no good and damage the little trust I'd just gotten back. I just hoped that the gang wouldn't find us, or my story would be revealed and we'd all suffer for it. Especially if they decided to burn down my—our—school to get us—or me—out.