"It's not about angels."

-Not About Angels, Birdy

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Alec offers to walk me to my dorm later that night. We don't speak, which is good because I don't know what I can say.

When we make it to my door, I turn around and eye him sceptically. Neither of us say anything for a moment, until I murmur quietly, "You're guilty about what you did to that teacher. I saw it in your eyes when Mr Jefferson was talking about it."

He presses his lips together and sighs through his nose, before meeting my gaze and smiling weakly. "Of course I feel guilty. I put a guy in a coma."

"Why'd you do it?" I ask, putting my hands into the pockets of my jacket and staring at my feet.

"The teacher, he was a horrible person. One day, he held me back after class, and started saying things about my dad. My dad didn't have much money, and he had to do things that were pretty frowned upon by our town to get money. He was a good man, though. But this teacher, he told me that my poor excuse for a life came from my dad. I couldn't take it."

He shakes his head thinking about it, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "I just want what's best for everyone, but all I end up doing is hurting people."

I slip my hand into his and open my door, gently leading him inside. Silently, I lie on one side of my bed, and motion with my eyes to the space beside me. Alec slowly lies next to me, keeping his cautious eyes on me. I rest my head on his chest, and gradually he puts his arm around my shoulders, keeping me close.

"You're a good person, Alec, whether you choose to believe it or not," I whisper as he smooths his hand over my hair and I wrap my arm around his torso.

"Even after what I did?"

"You feel guilt. It means you care. And you don't get more good than that," I murmur, closing my eyes.

"Goodnight, Liv."

"Goodnight, Alec."

***

When I wake up, the sun turns the view of my closed eyelids a rich orange colour. My eyes flutter open, and when I slowly roll over, a smile spreads across my lips. Alec is fast asleep beside me, and he's even more beautiful in this peaceful state.

And it's perfect.

Until it's not anymore.

I look down at the bed sheets and gasp. What once were plain white sheets are now stained a deep crimson. My hands are soaked in the red liquid, but they are dried in it, caked in the metallic redness.

I scream out, pushing myself further up the bed away from the blood, but I'm covered in it. Alec jumps awake beside me, and when he sees me, he shakes my shoulders and asks what's wrong. When I don't respond, his eyes follow mine until they land on the blood.

His eyes widen. Alec snaps his attention back to me again, expression filled with worry. "Liv, are you hurt?"

I shake my head, and since it's not my time of the month, I have no idea where the blood has come from.

I stare up at Alec, fear filling my eyes. "Alec, what's happened?"

"I don't know." He takes another second to look at the blood, before helping me off the bed. When we're standing, he clutches me to his chest, pressing his lips to my head. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

I nod and follow him out the door to the shower rooms. But as we're walking, a new thought comes to me. I stop and fumble around in the inside of my shoe. My knife is gone.

The bad feeling returns, but this time it's a thousand times worse.

Alec stands and turns around. "Liv? Are you alright?"

I freeze, before nodding quickly and catching up with him.

What have you done now, Olivia?

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