"Call me calloused, call me cold."

-COPYCAT, Billie Eilish

________________________________

I spend the next two lessons fretting about detention. I'm not worried about detention itself- after the incident I was in detention a lot for lack of homework and being late for class and my horrific attendance record- but I am worried about Alec and Jasper and me. Alone together. I know they both have a strong dislike for each other, and I kissed them both. But I also like them both.

Why do you get yourself into these sorts of predicaments?

"That's a good question," I murmur to myself as I walk through the main entrance out the door where Alec said he'd wait for me after our meeting with Rosa.

And just as promised, Alec is waiting there, hands in pockets. When he sees me approaching, he grins. "Ready for this?" he asks once I make it to him.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I say through a pathetic laugh. We walk alongside each other straight ahead, following the gravel drive that my dad's car rolled down just a few days ago. Feels like a million years ago.

"So, you and Jasper in the woods together," he muses, watching the trees that surround the path, tall and silent. The wind isn't strong today, but a sheet of grey clouds covers the sky, stopping the sun's light from reaching the ground and sending cool chills through the air.

I throw him an unimpressed look, and roll my eyes. "You're coming across kinda jealous, you know that, right?"

"You kissed me, I'm allowed to be," he replies blankly, not meeting my gaze.

"I was proving a point," I counter as we turn down a narrow path that stems from the main gravel drive. It leads into the woods, which is too silent for my liking.

He steps over a thick tree root that obstructs the path and mutters, "Is that all it was then? A point you needed to prove?"

"No," I murmur, "it meant more than that."

"I've been thinking."

"Oh no."

Alec ignores my feeble attempt at a joke and continues, "I like you, Liv. And if you're into Jasper, then fine. I won't bring it up again. But I figured you should know."

I'm silent for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?"

He spins around abruptly, stopping me dead in my tracks. His hands grip my shoulders, as if he's trying to shake some sense into me. I don't blame him for trying. "Liv, the kiss may have meant nothing to you, but it sure meant something to me. And if you don't like me, then you shouldn't have kissed me. You can't go around kissing people when you don't like them because they'll think they've done something wrong."

I shake my head. "No, Alec, it meant something to me, I swear."

He stops, and frowns. "It did?"

"Yes, because I do like you." I lean in and wrap my arms around his neck, resting my chin on his shoulder. "Now, we better go," I say, leaning back, "detention isn't going to serve itself."

He chuckles, and exposes the smile I love, before nodding and following the narrow path once more.

***

We make it to Mr Jefferson's cottage a few minutes later, which sits in the heart of the woods with a wooden door and splintered windows. Smoke is coming out the chimney, and when we arrive, only Jasper is present.

He's standing in front of the groundkeeper's front door, expression agitated. When he sees us approaching, his agitation turns to relief. "It's about time."

"What's happening?" I ask, shooting a look at the front door.

"He's not opening up. I've been here for about ten minutes knocking, but there's no response," Jasper mutters, flashing uncertain looks at Alec, who is stood beside me.

"Maybe he just doesn't respond to sociopaths," Alec grunts, eyeing the closed door.

Jasper scowls. "He could probably smell a Fighter coming from a mile away. Good enough reason to keep that door closed."

Before Alec can shoot something back, I consider, "What if he's not in?"

"Then he left his fire on," Jasper remarks, gesturing to the smoke coming from the chimney. "He wouldn't do that."

"Okay, then we need to keep knocking, I'd rather not spend any more of my social times in detention," I say, scooting past them both and heading for the door. I knock on a few times, and when there's no answer, I call, "Mr Jefferson? We're here for detention."

When there's no respond, I spin around again and shrug. "Yep, he's just ignoring us."

"All the curtains are drawn, I bet the poor guy is in mourning," Alec observes, motioning to the windows.

Jasper scoffs. "He wouldn't be if you Fighters knew when you were crossing the line."

Alec takes an aggressive step towards Jasper and growls, "A Fighter didn't do this, assclown."

Jasper takes a step towards Alec until they're only inches apart. Both are frowning. Both extremely angry. "Oh yeah? Then who did? Because it definitely wasn't a Socio. We're too busy for that child's play."

"Really? Because this whole thing screams sociopath," Alec snaps, their torsos bumping against each other.

I worm my way between them and push them off each other. "Stop it, both of you."

Jasper and Alec look at me with the same look of astonishment mixed with frustration. But as soon as the expressions appear, they disappear from both of their faces.

"Two grown boys shouldn't fall so easily for one girl," a voice nearby says.

All three of us turn to the house to see Mr Jefferson standing there. He's an old man with a crooked chin and small eyes. There's a rugged look about him, but there's a spec in his baby blue eyes that make it seem like he has the answers to the universe. Which maybe he does. But right now, he's frowning.

"I heard you all bickering out here, woke me from my nap," he scolds.

None of us know quite what to say, so instead of letting us find the words to reply, he spins around and grunts over his shoulder, "Follow me. You've got a lot of work to do."