manipulate // enoch o'connor

15 // confused

   JACOB WAS STARTING TO FEEL DIFFERENT WITH CLARA. He sure know it wasn't love, no, it was something much different. The information she was asking was more and more classified each day. While away from the children's home with Emma, he had asked her, "What do you think of Clara, Emma?"

It seemed as if Emma tensed up, "She's alright. Better if she's out of my way." She told him. She looked at him and said, "Why'd you ask?"

I think she's up to something, he thought, but he remembered his promise to her. To keep giving her information and to keep it a secret to everyone. "Nothing. I just thought she's a pretty great peculiar, you know?" 

"You like her then?" Emma asked, making him flustered, "N-no, not like that." He answered. 

"We should get back," He changed the subject, erasing the thought that Clara is up to something bad. He knows she won't do anything that would hurt him or the rest of the peculiars. He hoped he actually knew.

✧ ✧ ✧

  HE COULDN'T HELP BUT STARE AT CLARA WITH DOUBT IN HIS EYES. It didn't feel good, doubting her. They were supposed to be friends, yet it suddenly felt like a crime trusting her. Jacob gulped, but an idea popped up inside his head. 

Jacob looked for Horace, and luckily he quickly found her. "Horace, do you have a minute to spare?" He asked. Horace was with Millard and Hugh. He bid them a temporary goodbye and went with Jacob, "What is it?"

"Is there any chance you've dreamed of Clara and she did something bad...?" He asked quietly. Horace seemed to have misunderstood him, with the doubtful look he was giving him.

"Tell me, Jake, what exactly are you trying to do? Did Emma include you to thinking she was evil?" Horace asked him, Jacob shook his head, "But to answer your question, no. I haven't dreamed of her nor her wrong-doings. It's like, her future is something I can't get a glimpse of." 

Her future is something I can't get a glimpse of. Horace's words repeated to his mind. "Okay. Thank you, Horace. If there's anything about her, tell me please. She's starting to be different, I'm afraid Emma might be right..."

"Maybe you're just really hoping she's different." Horace said, and he had a point. "I should go. See you around, Jake." He left him and went back to play with the others. Jacob thought about what he said, and he was starting to see he was wrong. She did nothing but to be kind to him, and this is how he thinks of her? He felt disgusted at himself. Starting today, I will trust her.

✧ ✧ ✧

    ENOCH WAS STARTING TO GET IRRITATED BY PORTMAN MORE AND MORE. As time pass by, he kept glancing over Clara and looking away-- he's been doing so since the past hour. It was getting into his nerves. He despise his need to be the center of attention all the time. 

"Clara, does Portman seem suspicious to you?" Enoch asked while they were taking a break in the living room. Clara's head placed over his shoulder, while his arm stretched over hers. 

Clara let out a chuckle, "No, not really."

"He's been looking at you and looking away the whole day." He pointed out. Clara sat up and looked at him with a smile he couldn't quite get. "Are you jealous?" 

Enoch flustered, "Maybe. Maybe not." He groaned and buried his face over his hands, "I don't know, don't make fun of me." He heard Clara say, "Aw, that's adorable, babe." 

"I noticed him staring really," Clara told him, "But I kept my eyes on you anyway." That line made him sit up straight and look at her, "If he does have romantic feelings for me, in which I doubt, I'll let him know that you're the only one for me. How does that sound?" 

Enoch pulled her closer to him and kissed her. Fuck, I think I'm in love with you. He thought. When he pulled away, he only felt in awe looking at her. She was gorgeous. She smiled at him, "That means it sounds good then." Clara said, making him chuckle, "Although, we should go before someone else sees us like this." 

Clara was standing up but he pulled her hand, making her sit back beside him, "Hey!" She protested, "Enoch." She said, pouting at him, "Let go please." She looked adorable but he tried to resist that charm of hers, "I think you've forgotten something, Clara." 

✧ ✧ ✧

  "WHICH IS?" Clara pretended not to know. It was their usual goodbye kiss, where she kisses him by the cheek before getting in their ways. Enoch raised an eyebrow knowingly that she was pretending.

She sighed in defeat, and leaned to kiss him by the cheek. "Happy now?" She asked jokingly. He smiled at her, "Yes, very much." Looking at him, she felt nothing but happiness entangled with pain. Remembering she first met him emotionless, and looking at him now filled with emotions makes her heart ache even more. She couldn't help but wonder, What will happen to him after he realizes he had fallen with a girl that had nothing but bad intentions to the people he treated family?

Enoch finally let her hand go, "See you at dinner then, Clara." He stood up, and left before she could have. When he shut the living room's doors, she fell onto her knees, hands covering up her face. She was trying not to sob so loud. All of this was slowly getting into her conscience. She knew well enough that she's come this far-- this far to only betray the plan? She felt horrible following all of Barron's plans but at the same time she was determined. Determined to outsmart him. To fight for those who died for her righteously. 

Clara stopped crying, now that she knew what to do. She just has to pull the strings correctly in order to succeed. I'm going to succeed, and when I do, you're dead. 

author's note

back again after being MIA for like a few weeks (?)
online school sucks, and i've been busy with that.
prewriting more and publishing more tomorrow. see ya!