Babel Novel
Sinful: Chapter 14
I caught a glimpse of Siren for all of a moment before Cady swooped in on her. She’d barely made it across the courtyard. Weeks had passed. My heart clenched in my chest at that small glimpse. A pink hat atop her head. Her long black hair a wild tangle around her ankle-length pink puffy coat. Her mittens. Not gloves, because a girl as sweet as Siren wore mittens. The guys flanking her.
My spot empty.
I ground my teeth at the thought, hating I was having it and hating I was hating it. I wanted more than anything to go home and prove myself, but I also had self-loathing which didn’t seem to want to fuck off. I had a belief I didn’t deserve her, and it would ruin everything.
“Everything is already ruined,” Asylum said, smacking the back of his hand against my chest and taking a bite from a muffin he had. “Why not fix shit now so you can ruin it later?”
“Shut up,” I muttered, glancing at him. “And stop chewing so fucking loud.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
He took another bite from his muffin and ignored me. “Go talk to her.”
“No, Church will kill me.”
“Pussy.” He let out a laugh and stepped away from me. I caught the rest of the muffin he tossed my way and watched him saunter toward the group.
In disbelief, I shook my head. He wasn’t afraid of shit. I was once that way, but I’d been humbled a bit in the last few weeks. I’d also made that vow to Church after everything happened to her in the woods. I’d keep my distance. I was to be seen and not heard. That was my place. In the background.
I watched Asylum join the group and shove Cady aside. She was quick to shove him back, but Stitches reached out and tugged her away as Asylum completely took center stage. He produced a black rose from the inside of his jacket and handed it to her.
For a moment, she hesitated before taking it from him.
I thought Church might attack, but he simply brushed a snowflake from her nose before giving Asylum a curt nod and moving Sirena forward, the guys falling in step, Cady joining them.
Asylum watched them go, a tiny smirk on his lips.
Mirage had a point, it seemed. If Sirena wanted it, Church gave it. So I just had to get her to want me so I could go home.
Not that it would be the only reason I’d do it. I cared for her deeply. I’d admitted it as much as it sucked to do. That sort of shit wasn’t my style, but it was what it was.
Asylum came back to me and brushed his shaggy black hair away from his eyes.
“It’s easy, Sinclair. Simply walk up and say hi.”
“Untrue,” I muttered, eyeing the watchers and Sirena enter the main hall, Cady bouncing along behind them. The doors closed, leaving my heart empty.
“Suit yourself. You’ll eventually cave. I know I’m an exciting guy, but you aren’t having as much fun as you could have. You’re a grouch. An angry potato.”
“What?” I scoffed at him. “Fuck you. I’m not a potato.”
“You are. You just sit around all the time, hurting yourself. Moping. Rotting away. Like a fucking potato. You’ll start smelling soon if I don’t kick you out of the room.”
“Fuck, you drive me nuts,” I snapped at him.
“Do I?” He brightened at my words. “I do like to make people crazy. Makes my cold, dead heart twitch a little. Fucking love that for myself. Thanks.” He clapped me on the back before doing a little skip away from me like the absolute fucking lunatic he was.
I didn’t have the balls to speak to Sirena in classes. I sat in the back watching her like I always had, though. For an entire fucking week, I did it, breaking a little more each day.
It was a Friday when I sat up straighter while Sister Esther focused her attention on Sirena. I’d threatened this woman before about picking on her. Knowing she was an absolute bitch made it easy for my anger to flare whenever the old sack of shit opened her mouth.
“Answer the question, Miss Lawrence. Headmaster Sully has stated you’ve spoken since arriving here. We’ve been over this before. We do not fake disability in my classroom.”
Sirena remained quiet, her body hunched forward, her dark hair covering her face. I noted the visible tremor in her as she tried to calm herself.
“Speak, you ungrateful mutt!” Sister Esther brought her ruler down and smacked it repeatedly on Sirena’s desk. “Useless excuse for a girl! Useless! A waste. God has long forgotten you, you insolent brat. SPEAK!”
I stood at the same time Sirena grabbed the ruler and jerked it from Sister Esther’s hands. In a flash, Sirena was on her feet. I watched, horror-struck and fascinated, as Sirena brought the ruler back before swinging it forward. It connected with Sister Esther’s face, making her cry out as the blood burst from her busted nose and lip.
The older woman stumbled back, clearly shocked at what had transpired.
“Do you want to go to hell?” Sirena snarled at her, stalking forward with the ruler raised. “Because I will send you there, you old bitch.”
I dashed forward and grabbed Sirena roughly, tugging her from the room amid the gasps from the students. Sister Esther shouted for someone to call Sully for her and to get a nurse with a ward. The sound of scurrying faded away as I hauled Sirena down the hall.
I didn’t stop until we got to her locker. I tugged her jacket out and forced her into its warm confines before leading her out of the school. She came without a fight or a word. I didn’t know what to do with her, so I brought her to the forest and the only place I could think of.
The bear cave.