Destroying Four

Arelie Quinn is troubled. Perhaps despair was embedded into her system since her first breath, since the first time her hands grasped for something, someone, to hold onto, only to be met with air. The only thing, as destructive as it is, that she can rely on is her mind. Numbers, philosophies, equations. Who would need affection when you have logic?

Hence, her acceptance at Tommen College.

Tommen is everything BCS wasn't. Civilized. Safe. But, one thing, as constant as a shadow, as the cycling of day and night, was that good things didn't come without thorns. Maybe she was the outlier, paranoid, but the threat of disturbing her fragile peace loomed near.

And that came in the form of Tadgh Lynch.

All sharp edges and burned remains, he can't decide whether the new girl was an extinguisher or gasoline to his flame. She hurt- and, dreadfully, he relished the sting. Everyone was healing- Shannon, Ollie, Joey. But he felt as though ash was forming its own artery in his body, settling deep inside his lungs. But he needed the reminder of being alive. Maybe her bleak, dark eyes could replace midnight blue ones; ones that will forever remain covered by soot and burnt skin. Marie for Arelie.