Chapter 05

I came back to get dressed for the carnival, and didn't expect to see Logan at my door, leaning on it with his hands behind him.

I glanced around to see if there was anyone in sight, but it was just him.

And me.

I rubbed my neck anxiously.

“I came to apologize.” He moved away from the door.

“I’m sorry about this earlier, I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” He lowered his head at me.

“I’m sorry too.”

He lifted his head. “You don’t have to be.”

“I was wrong, and I should apologize for it too, just got annoyed at what you did,” I said, leaning on the wall close to him, staring blankly at the door of the room that was right across.

I might not have known everything about Kaius after all.

He stretched out his hand towards me. “See you at the carnival.”

I nodded and took his hand. “Yeah.”

I entered my room when he was gone. Aimes was writing on a note. He looked dressed in navy blue pants, a striped shirt that had pink on it.

I wasn’t going to dress with him in the room, I had to wait till he was gone, and he was supposed to be out of the room in ten minutes.

I figured he always leaves the room around that time.

He didn’t look up from his notes even when I entered.

Was he ignoring me now?

I sat on the bed quietly with my hands on my knees.

Still, he said nothing to me.

Was he annoyed with me?

I forgot that he was supposed to be my biggest hater. I grumbled under my breath, grabbed my bathing kit, and a towel, stormed out of the room, I made sure I slammed the door, hard.

The bathroom was empty when I got there, and I had to quickly have my bath, and dress up before anyone came in.

I was done before I heard loud voices making their way down to the bathroom, I gathered my stuff, placed them in my kits, the door flung open.

“Who the fuck closes this door?” Someone asked.

I chuckled nervously when they all came in. “What’s up, brothers?”

“Brothers? You almost got Logan expelled.”

I guess that wasn’t the way it was supposed to go, I let out a dry laugh. “Never. I was not going to do that, we are brothers, right?”

I heard someone chuckling among them. “Of course.”

Elijah. He shoved past the other and lazily threw his hand around my shoulder. “Our munchball here, didn’t mean that.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“We can’t trust Kaius.”

“Trust me. Right, Munchball?”

“Yes,” I said with a smile on my face, I stared at Elijah, and he looked down at me. I shrugged his hands off my shoulders, and walked out of the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear like I was happy to be here which I wasn’t.

I sighed when I came out, I just needed to get to the room and get dressed.

Aimes was there when I came back, I thought he was gone.

Was he mad because I wore his jersey?

I wanted to get my baggy jeans, and jersey, which was his, because I was going to wear it again.

But I couldn’t do that with his eyes following me.

“Privacy?”

“What?” He asked, dropping the book he was writing on. “What are you hiding, freckles?”

I bit the side of my cheek.

“I mean you had your eyes on me?”

“I never did.”

“You did.”

“Okay, it was fine for you to watch me each time I get dressed and I can’t do the same?”

I scoffed. “Unbelievable.”

“And don’t fucking wear my jersey again.”

“What are you going to do, that’s what I want to wear tonight.”

He rubbed his hand over his mouth, I knew I had left him speechless, he simply wagged his finger at me, a call came through his phone, and I noticed that it was saved with a heart.

His countenance changed, he got up from the bed immediately, and walked briskly out of the room.

He left me wondering what that was about.

Cameron waited for me, but I didn’t come out to meet me, I went with Elijah and the other guys, tagging behind them. I sent him a text that I was already at the carnival.

The carnival blazed with color and sound, with pulsing music, swirling lights, and laughter that danced on the night air. And beneath those shimmering glows of strings of light and neon sign, the energy from them was electricifying and their spirits uncontained.

Booths lined the midway, offering everything from sugary funnel cakes to rigged ring toss games. I watched some college students with their jackets clutched giant stuffed animals, and slushie cups, their jeans and sneakers dusting the grit of the fairground.

Elijah and the rest of the boys split, drawn by games, flirtations, and dares, and Cameron, alongside Aimes, was trying to win a plush bear in the glittery boots.

There was tension, thrill, and a subtle recklessness that hung in the air. Kaius was right, I have never been to a carnival before, it wasn’t something I enjoyed.

I stood by myself while I tried to avoid getting into any contact with Lydia, I had seen her earlier with her friends and ducked away.

The laughter around the pool echoed, bouncing off the string-lit tents and cotton candy stands nearby. Music thudded faintly in the background, mixing with the scent of fried dough and chlorine.

I felt a presence behind me and quickly turned.

Logan stood there with a smirk on his face.

Then, without warning, he stepped forward.

A light shove.

My eyes widened.

A half-second gasp.

And then.

Splash.

Water erupted as I hit the pool, arms flailing before I sank under, the cold shocking the breath from my lungs. The crowd that gathered around burst into hoots and cheers, some recording on their phones.

I surfaced with a gasp, my clothes sticking to my body, terror flashed across my face, my makeup, the binder on my chest, and my wig.

Before I could react, someone jumped into the pool.