"You're intertwining your soul with somebody else."

-Somebody Else, The 1975

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Alec's grip on my arm is becoming painful, and so when we stop in the corridor outside the dining hall, I abruptly pull my arm away.

"What were you thinking?" he snaps, folding his arms across his chest and standing over me condescendingly.

I scowl and clench my jaw, crossing my own arms. "I'm trying to find out who killed Jacob. That way, you, me and Jasper are in the clear. Not to mention no more fights between Fighters and Socios. I'm trying to protect you."

His face looks like he doesn't know if he heard me correctly. Alec raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Protect me?" He shakes his head in disbelief, looking away. When he draws level again, he hisses in a hushed voice, "Why are you trying to protect me?"

"Because I care! Whether you want to believe it or not, Alec, people do care about you."

"This is a suicide mission. You don't get in a fight with Naomi and leave unharmed," he grunts frustratedly.

"Oh yeah? Well I just did it about five minutes ago," I reply bluntly, to which he rolls his eyes.

"Because I stopped her from crushing your trachea! She won't challenge me," he says firmly, turning to glance at the other students passing us in the corridor, shooting us uncertain or amused looks.

"It doesn't matter," I say, his attention falling back onto me again. "I can win this. And if I don't, stealing something from Rosa's office will be a piece of cake."

"Piece of cake, she says." He scoffs and moves away from me, shaking his head. When he spins around again, he snaps, "Do you want to be expelled?"

"I want to know what happened to a boy who I know shouldn't have died the other night. And if the only way to find out is by Naomi, then so be it."

I turn around and only stop a few meters in front of the stairs when he speaks again, "Don't expect me to come to the fight. I don't want to watch you get hurt."

"Come to the fight or don't. It doesn't matter. In the end, I'm going to find out who murdered Jacob, even if I get my whole body snapped in half by Naomi in the process."

***

"You did what?"

Jasper is reacting a lot like Alec did. Not surprisingly. "Your friend is dead, Jasper. And I'm going to find out who did it, even if it's the last thing I do."

"But it's not up to you to find out," he says, sitting up from his bed but wincing again.

I ease him back down and explain more gently, "It's not choice to make, Jasper."

He sighs frustratedly and grunts, "Well, I'm coming with you tonight."

I shake my head. "It's a party they're having in the woods. Meaning only Fighters are invited. In other words, strictly no Socios allowed."

Jasper huffs. "If anything happens to you-"

"Then so what? I'll be hurt. If it means I can find out who is framing me-"

And just like I'd interrupted him, he interrupts me, "I'm not going to sit and be perfectly okay with you putting yourself in danger."

"Alec will be there with me," I say. I know he will, even if he says he won't be. "I'll be okay."

***

The party, I've been told, is after curfew, and everyone attending is required to sneak out of their dorms. The teachers must be pretty stupid if they don't know that a third of the student population is sneaking out, but I'm not complaining. I don't want Rosa finding me before I get what I went to the party for.

I spent most of my lesson-less Saturday thinking about my tactics in my dorm, but it was useless. I've got nothing. But I do have faith, and that must count for something.

I climb out my window and slide down the pipe like Alec had shown me the day we'd sneaked out on his motorbike. Landing on my feet, I'm about to head around the school and try to find the party since I have no definite clue of where it is, when someone mumbles from behind me, "You're getting better at sneaking out."

I jump and spin around to see Alec watching me intently, leaning one shoulder against the wall with his arms crossed.

"I had a good teacher," I reply, eager to get to the party. If I'm going to get beaten by Naomi, I want to get it over and done with.

I turn around and begin walking, but when I feel a hand on my bicep, I meet Alec's hard gaze once more. "What?"

"If you get hurt-"

I yank my arm away and sigh. "You sound just like Jasper."

We begin to walk side-by side, since he knows he can't stop me. I'm too stubborn for that. "What if Naomi is lying? What if she doesn't know anything about Jacob's death?"

"I'm willing to take my chances."

"You're not thinking clearly."

"Actually, Alec, my mind hasn't been this clear in...forever. Now, are you gonna continue scolding me, or are you gonna help me?"

He doesn't say anything for a while, just looks away in defeat, so I know what his answer is.

I begin to walk again, when he says, "Wait, I have something for you."

I turn to him, a questioning look in my eyes. I haven't been given a gift in a long time, maybe before my life was thrown upside down and my family and friends could actually tolerate me.

He rummages in his pocket before pulling out a thin gold chain.

"Alec," I begin to protest, before he interrupts.

"Liv, I know you won't take it. But it was my mum's. My dad gave it to me when she died a while back. It's for good luck. I want you to have it."

I stare up at him, and murmur, "I don't know what to say."

"How about you just let me put it on you and we can start from there?"

I smile and nod, turning around and lifting my hair. His soft fingers brush across my neck as he loops the necklace around it.

His hands linger on my skin for a moment, before they drop and I turn around again. I lean in and press my lips to his cheek, leaning back and smiling. "Thank you."

One corner of his mouth pulls up in a cute smile, before we walk again.

We trek for what feels like hours, through the darkness of the woods. Alec seems to know the path like the back of his hand though, so he has no problem leading the way to the party.

I can hear the music from quite a while away, the sound of Heart on Fire by Indiana pounding through speakers. And then I see the fire torches, flickering in the darkness.

Eventually, when the music is at its loudest, we approach a large clearing, but it's more like a ditch as it slopes inwards. Nevertheless, it is completely devoid of trees or shrubs. There's a huge fire pit in the centre, flames burning high into the air. Torches have been lit and sit here and there, and the area is filled to the brim with boys and girls talking and laughing.

I notice that the ground is made of stone, and there is the remains of stone walls here and there. The sky above us is completely clear is trees. Something was built here, and by the singe marks on the crumbling remains of walls, I assume that whatever was built here burnt down.

The pressure is high, that's for sure, and when I see Naomi by the fire, cracking her knuckles, I know the pressure is about to go through the roof. Well, if the roof hadn't burnt down.

"What is this place?" I ask, gazing around me.

"It used to be the building where they kept the proper basket cases in the 1900s. But then the police found some of the students being mistreated, and told them to destroy it or the school would be closed for good. So they burnt it down," Alec explains.

"Eerie," I mumble.

"No kidding." Pause. "Are you sure about this?" Alec asks uncertainly.

I don't answer, and instead make my way into the ditch.

I grip the gold chain around my neck.

Let it begin.

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