DEVIATE X / / AN UNORDINARY FANFICTION

XVIII.

The tenacious atmosphere only grew thicker as the ride progressed, making the weight in my stomach more and more unsettling.

Delta ordered her driver, Dane, to drive me back to my apartment, but I had a sense that he probably wanted to stab me and dump my body in the dumpster first. Why? I don't know. The guy didn't radiate a friendly vibe to me, at least.

A pensive look animated his facial expression as I heard the gears in the car shift. It was much different from his previously apathetic face. I was trying to work up a way to spark small talk that would lift the haze of tension between us, but he didn't seem like the type that'd be too keen on talking about the weather.

I cleared my throat.

"Thanks for driving me back." I said, attempting to broaden my voice to mask the nervous edge away.

"No problem." He replied brusquely as I watched him move the stick. "Look, Delta's......something else."

So much for clearing the awkward haze.

"W-what do you mean?" I finally turned my head to face him, but he kept his eyes glued on the road.

"I'm glad she made a friend and all, but you don't know what you're getting yourself into. So it's best you tuck away your bit of infatuation and let it fade away."

I widened my eyes.

"I don't know what—"

He pulled up to my complex before abruptly halting to a stop in front of my door, shifting the stick back to neutral as he turned to face me. Under the silvery moonlight, his crimson irises were foreboding, heeding somewhat of a warning as he spoke.

"Look kid, Delta's not.....just some regular kid. She's not in the best state, and she has other things she's gotta take care of at the moment. She's pretty smitten by you too, and you seem like an alright kid, but the family she was brought into aren't some rural happy town types from a sitcom." He said.

"Are you saying I can't see her anymore?" I challenged.

"No." He simply replied. "But you had two choices: to cross paths or not cross paths with her. And, unfortunately for you, you put yourself in a situation where you probably would've regret both."

:;

Delta.
The next day.

"Uh....Del, are you okay?"

Between my clenched hands, the satin surface of the paper crinkled as my gripped tightened. My eyes scanned the red mark at the top of my paper, only fueling the disappointment threatening to rage uncontrollably inside me.

I couldn't remember the last time I've gotten a low B on any assignment.

"I got.....an eighty-two percent...." I exhaled and stowed my AP Language test into a folder, avoiding Blyke's excellent scored paper.

"Are you okay?" Blyke asked suddenly, noting the conflicting expression contorting my face. "You've seemed distracted lately."

Distracted? I guess so. Everything's been so disheveled lately that I hadn't taken the time to sort it out properly and tackle each task one at a time. Irel.....John....my family....Arlo....this school—all of it was a jumbled mess in my head, and for once I just wanted to stash it away in the back of mind and sleep.

Life used to be so simple for me. Just like the laws of gravity, whatever comes up, comes back down. But now, ever since the unexpected tribulations I've encountered this school, the silver spoon that's been in my mouth wasn't a viable crutch anymore. And now, I've relied on it so much that I have no idea how to sort this mess out.