Tord sat at the couch. Bored. Tired.  Laddi, gone.

He missed her for a moment.  She seemed to be the only person to truly understand.

Well, she was.

Atleast, it seemed so.

"tomorrow shes baking cupcakes for her friends. She'll be done before school ends, starting after lunch. "

Tord knew.

He pushed himself off the couch.

"Your insane." Tord mumbled, talking to himself., making his lazy way into the kitchen.

He walked over to the kitchen cabinets.

He knew what he was going to do. At the moment. He wasnt as hesitant as a normal person would be.

The most, for him, being still infront of the medicine cabinet.

"Is it really.." Tord asked himself with a sigh.

"I swear your always by him." Nikki scoffed. " its weird in a sense that your just-" she paused to think of a word to fit the description of Tords recent behavior.

"plain possessive. "

Tord really began to despise Nikki more than he did Avery.

He Hated her stupid black tutu and her puffy matching black sleeves and her heart locket.

and how she flipped her hair for no reason.

He thought of how nice it would be to chop off-

Tord snapped back from the memory.
His hand slowly reached to his face.

He rubbed his eyes. With a new question in his head.

He reached for his phone, turning it on and looking into the front camera.

He stared back at the red eyes. He still wasnt used to them. He didnt think he ever would be.

He stared a bit longer into the screen.

Were they glowing?

"Maybe you're seeing things."

Tord sighed. Putting away his phone and reaching back in the medicine cabinet.

'You deserve this.'  His thoughts said. His hand pushed bottles aside, moving pill bottles out his way.

He could hear his own thoughts, rambling.

'Pills would be noticeable. The point is to be hidden.'

He picked up the rubbing alchohol.

Last used for when he injured his knee as a child. It stung.

'Like your eyes, remember that?
Rubbing alcohol is used to purify cuts!
Nikki cut you pretty deep!
Why dont we purify her
And the garbage that comes out of her mouth?'

Then the defense came in, right when Tord prepared to pour in the toxic substance. It made him hesitate.

'How could you blame her? She doesnt know-'

'She is out of bounds.'  The other retaliates, Tord pouring a satisfactory amount of rubbing alcohol with no remorse.

He reached into a different shelf, Grabbing vanilla extract. The last time this was used was when his dad attempted to make cupcakes.

They will still be used for cupcakes.

'This will hide the scent of the poison. Well hidden.'

He gently unscrewed the cap, flicking it aside.

'Nikki is flawed, you know that. Are you really-'

Tord's hand slammed back on the counter after putting a few drops in the bowl.

'Shes asking for it.'

'Avery saved the two most precious beings in your life!'

Tord looked down at the bowl.
Seeing the darker liquid mix in with the clear one.

Changing it
Manipulating it.
Making it
Better

It
Looked better

But it wasnt
Better.

"Than I hope shes smart enough to spit it out." Tord said. Out loud.  Ending that altercation.

He knew that he would put this mixture into the cupcakes after they were baked.

He didnt want to experiment with rubbing alcohol and heat.

And there would be no way for him to mix it in while Nikki is baking, especially with their history.

Even if it did make its way in, Nikki would throw the batch away.

So, it was gonna go in after.

'For someone to begin vomiting due to eating a cupcake,' Tord thought.

'Thats not normal.'

He needed something to blame it on.
Something for others to blame it on.

What could go wrong during baking?
That would leave a toxic substance
Inside
The pastry?

Salmonella.

Tord walked over to the fridge, taking out an egg.

He cracked it, and poured it into the bowl infront of him.

The fumes from the bowl started to become a obstacle.  So he turned on the fan located by the stove.

After mixing the egg and the two other liquids together. He focused  on how he would put it in the pastries.

Syringe.

Back to the medicine cabinet, he found one.

Minutes later, there was a filled syringe in the fridge.

He threw out the bowl, not wanting the residue of his little 'experiment' to endanger anyone who lives in his home, and eats from his kitchen

He walked into his room, the cool blueish walls felt like a refreshing welcome

His crank lamp sat on his desk. The red bulb plugged in.

Much like his affection, it could switch from the warm, gentle, nostalgic fuzzy glow.

And a bright, sharp red light.

And the bulbs could switch back and forth.

But which would burn the most?
And which would shatter easier when it fell?

Right now, it didnt matter.

Avery, didnt matter.
Nikki, didnt matter.

Nothing mattered.
Nothing but Tom,
The kids,
his friends,
His parents,
Adoptive or not.

Nothing mattered.
Besides them.

He laid down on his bed. Tired.
Tomorrow is going to be it.
Rest is a mandatory aid.

Back in the abyss

One that Tord knew too well.
He looked around.

Nothing.

"Tom?"

Tord looked around again. Suddenly, Tom was infront of him.

He smiled, it appeared this dream would not be the same as the last.

He looked down, suddenly seeing a bridge between him and Tom

His expression dropped.

'No.'

And then suddenly someone was next to him.

Avery
And she obliviously smiled and walked down the bridge

Walking to Tom

Tord felt something snap
And suddenly he was raising an axe
And the ropes were pierced.

Still, his hands on the handle of the axe, and the axe buried in the sad remains of rope.

He looked down and watched the being fall.

And then the hand was there again
He was pulled back and now looking at Tom

Unlike before, Tom was not angry.
He was scared

"What's gotten into you?" He he asked, stuttering. scared.

"Tord? Talk to me!"

"Tell me!"

"I thought we'd be there for eachother-"

Tord had fell. He sat there on his knees, waiting for the next scene.

He looked up, surely, there she was. But older than he remembered

Her pale blonde hair poured over her shoulders. Messily.

She looked at him

His eyes narrowed

"This is your fault." He hissed.

She sighed and shook her head

And the incident replayed

But
It ended differently.

The words echoed in a familiar tune

Please know it's for the best.

Your safety is above all

I won't love you any less.

I'll hear you when you call.

Know that I'm with you

Where ever you are

I'm right here

Tord didnt wake up crying
Because he knew
What it meant.

But it hurt
He wanted to cry
The voice felt
Too close
Too familiar.

But he didnt.
He wouldnt.

What he didn't understand,

Was what the voice was.

or,

whos it was

Did it matter?

Apparently.

Tord tried to resing it.

Multiple times.

He tried when he got dressed for school. He tried again when he grabed the syringe out the fridge and put it in his bookbag. Again when he walked out the house,  just constant trying.

Trying to remember
Trying to reach that familiar tune.

Trying to reach her

Tom yawned at the stove. Banana pancakes. Again.

"Try again!" Asha cheered, quite tiredly.

Tom groaned. "Ashes, dear. I dont know. I dont wanna guess anymore. " the two kids sat behind him at the kitchen island. Tom making them the usual food children like them would eat.

"Just tell me" he whined.

Asha hummed,  lazily.

"My birthday is near!" She chirped.

Tom's voice seemed to change into a enlightened tone. Setting down plates infront of the two kids, he asked, "how old are you turning?"

"Tommy!" The girl pouted. "You dont know?"

"Asha, please-"

"9! Tommy." She said, full of pride." Im gonna be 9!"

"Upside down 6..." soke mumbled, head slumped on the table, falling asleep next to his pancakes.

Tom took the fork out of sokes hand, not wanting soke to fall asleep and somehow injure himself.  With all the things that have been happening lately, he wouldnt be surprised.

He eventually rushed them out the house into the school bus.

Upon walking down his driveway, Tom heard singing.

It reminded him of the first time he heard singing from him.

Hm.
Was it not too long ago?

Tom met up with Tord.

"Singing yet again huh?" The short one yawned. Handing over the breakfast bag.

"Nothing new." Tord shrugged. Looking into the bag. The warm aroma of breakfast spilled out into the chilly air.

"You should be my partner for the student cafe." Tom offered, a hopeful tone lingering.

Tord smiled.

"Nah." He said, dismissing the idea.

Tom's face turned to his, a questioning look. "Why not?"

Tord shrugged again, walking forward.

"I dont feeeeel like it."

Tom rolled his eyes and went to catch up.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?" Tom added.

"It could be ugly for all i care."

Tom sighed.
"For me?"

Tord raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder at Tom. Truly, a humorous sight to see Tom try to look intimidating.  It just wouldnt work out.

Tord sighed. "Tom im already doing a lot for you right now."

"What?"

"...nevermind."

Everything was normal.
Seemed normal
Was normal.

Would they be able to return to the same normal after today?

Would 'normal' for them
Change?

"After lunch."

"After lunch."

"After lunch. "

"Afterschool. Thats what im gonna have."

Tord listened to Tom, they sat in 2nd Mod. Working on a easy but time murdering assignment. Tom's favorite.  While Tord stated he'd rather "get shot in the gut."

In first Mod, Tord had to recollect himself. He was going to poison  someone. An act that couldnt be reversed.  The damage? Bad.

But like he knew, the situation with Avery is fragile.  Someone was on his tail. The timebomb is close to going off.

And the only way to stop a timebomb

Was to cut the wires

The right wire
In the right way.

All he needed out of this was Nikki's silence.

And hopefully
Avery's

Resistance.

He didnt want her to die.
No
god no.

Hopefully
She wouldn't.

Nonetheless,  he still felt wrong.
Guilt slowly started to curl around him. 

But

It was weak

And it seemed to slip his mind when Tom started talking.

Tom made him forget.
And that

Slowed down a different timebomb

More precisely,

Another meltdown

Tord circled a line for words. Crossing out another and drawing a line between two contradicting points. Tom rambled to him about music while also throwing in occasional directions.

"Mr. Lacamore is really nice. Hes gonna be helping me with the bass. And a little on the acoustic" Tom said,  tapping the edge of the table almost as if he was strumming an invisible string. "-transfer A or E to 17. Either will fit.

Tord nodded, as Tom began to talk about the bass and acoustic.

" Both are fine. " he said. "But I like susan better."

Tord paused, scoffing for a moment.
"You named the bass Susan?"

"Yep." Tom said, smiling.

Tord gave a questioning look, before going back to work with a playful attitude.  "Thats weird."

Tom frowned. "Your weird."

"Nuh uh."

"Yuh huh."

"Prove it. "

Tom smirked. Looking down at the worksheet Tord was working on.  "Well for one your lines are all wonky." Tom said, pointing to a connection tord drew between two words.

"Look at that." He said. "A pathetic little noodle. "

"Leave him alone." Tord said, rolling his eyes.

Tom hummed. He leaned into his hand. Elbow resting on the edge of the table. "So you admit you're weird?"

Tord shrugged. The bell rang. He stood to gather his belonings as Tom put his chair back in its place.

After a short moment of contemplation,  Tord answered, "The noodle is. Not me."

They chattered for a bit in the halls, until Laddi came running up to Tord.

"UpdateUpdateUpdate." She rambled, gasping.

"Bee are you okay?" Tom said, reaching out to hold her up by the shoulder.

She steadied her breathing. Patted his hand with a reassuring smile.

"Im fine, i was just in a rush."

Tom nodded, taking back his hand.

"I have an update on the project" laddi said.

Tom tilted his head. Confused  "what project?"

Tord quickly filled in the blank.

"Me and Laddi are working on a project." He answered fluently. Even adding a hint of a informative attitude.  Which, hopefully seemed believable. "Its a surprise. "

Tom smiled.  He shrugged walking off. "Alright. I'll notify the teacher of your 'necessary errand'."

Tord smiled, before looking down at the teen with the poofy hair.

"You lie." She said. Crossing her arms.

Tord poked her forehead. "And you dont?"

"Well played."

"Whats the real update?" Tord asked, feeling a slight impaitence growing within.

"Oh. " Laddi said, her original plan popping back into her mind. "Theres been a change of plans,"

"The cupcakes, " she started, pulling out a square piece of paper. "Nikkis almost done. She wants to give them to her friends at lunch instead of 4th mod."

Tord took the paper and gave it a look, Nikki's handwriting, with the basic sentence about what Laddi just told him, a few other friends confirming they understood by signing their name next to a word like "okay!" Or "gotcha."

Tord peered at the sweetly written Avery s

His thumb started to crumple the edge of the paper.

"How did you get this?"

"I picked it out the trashcan Nikki threw it in. " she made a bland annoyed face.  "You're welcome. "

Tord looked at the paper. He put it in his pocket in case he ever needed to reference handwriting.

"Thanks."

"Do you have a plan yet?" Laddi asked, hugging her elbows, feeling worried about the amount of  time they had till Nikki could walk back to store her cupcakes away.

Tord looked at her.

"Follow me."

Laddi stood on watch as Tord opened his locker. Most of  the halls were empty now.

She looked over at Tord, she got closer and gasped.

"So the eyes do glow!" She exclaimed.

The highschooler glared at her with a confused but questioning look. "What?" He said, lost.

Laddi perked up "Your eyes!" Her eyes seemed to spark with excitement.  "Your eyes slightly glow when you're aggressive or tense!"

"Its the human equivalent of a lion when its pupils increase in size just before it pounces for an attack!" She said, having put her hands out like claws and then throwing them out in the air.

"Isnt that interesting?" She said, full of  joy, turning to Tord.

"Your so loud." He groaned.  "How havent we been caught." He asked, genuinely curious.

Laddi smiled.

"Good girls like me get hall passes."

Tord looked at her over the side of his locker door. "Wow. Cant relate."

Tord went back into shuffling around
"Im not a girl." He chuckled.

Laddi snickered and walked to the other side of his locker. "Your not good either." She said.

Tord looked up at her, his hand in his bookbag. He pouted. "I am good. "

"Not anymore." Laddi said, giving her 'brother' a knowing look.

He rolled his eyes at her. He brought out his hand, inside, a syringe.

Laddi's eyes widened.

"You're injecting Nikki with poison?!?!?" She screeched in a harsh whisper.

Tord rushed his empty palm over her mouth.  "Im injecting the cupcakes, loudmouth."

Tord then displayed a look of disgust and quickly took back his hand, Laddi stood there with her tounge out, Tied wiping the saliva off on his pants.

"Laddi thats fucking gross."  He complained.

"Yeah whatever. Lets go you germaphobe."  Laddi said, grabbing him by the sleeve. Tord had already carefully slipped the syringe up his sleeve.

"I cant believe im doing this." Tord said. In an unamused voice, almost like he was slightly disappointed in himself.

"I can." Laddi said.

She harsly paused at a corner. Tord had to be careful with his arm

"Be gentler would you? Im not trying to stab myself here!" Tord hissed.

Laddi looked back at him. "What did you even put in that thing?"

"Thats not important, is the hall clear of that rumor spilling gremlin?"

Laddi chuckled at his comment.  She looked back at him. "We can just walk in. Why dont you want her seeing you?"

"She doesnt trust me at all. " he replied. His expression annoyed. "If she sees me by her cupcakes and then she gets food poisoning two minutes later im done for."

"Is it clear?" He added.

Laddi nodded. "I think so-" she huffed out.

The two speed walked into the students kitchen,  Laddi standing at the doorway to watch out for Nikki or anyone.

"You're lucky this school is too poor to afford cameras. " she said.

Tord chuckled in agreement, quickly searching the room for the pastries.

He eventually looked inside the fridge. Where he saw the plate of 6.

He took them out, rationing the liquid in the syringe to divide equally.

He was in a moment of peace and rush. It felt fast, easy, free.

Things needed to happen quickly, and that was fine by him.

Slightly moving the cupcake liner to stab and inject.

The cupcakes were pretty. Funfetti with white frosting and sprinkles. A little chocolate chunk on each slice.

'Nikki did well with these, such a shame for them to go to waste.'

'Not really a waste.'

His moment of pure oblivion ended when Laddi frantically jabbed at his arm with her hand.

"Their coming! " she whispered.

Tord could see her face full of panic. He knew she was shaking.

He quickly stashed the plate of cupcakes in the fridge, he had a short memory of how it was placed, quickly moving it in the same position.

He directed Laddi to hide in the closet. She hesitated for a moment, concerned for him, but she quickly hid inside, knowing her word could save him if he ever got into an altercation.

Tord reached over the counter, picked out a decently sized knife and scurried into the closet with Laddi, who quickly shut the door quietly.

The two stayed quiet. Laddi silent as a feather.  Looking up at Tord,  who was peering out like a panther, or, more closely, lion, and listening to the footsteps.

Knife in one hand,
The doorknobs of the closet being clenched in the other

It was dark, and Laddi could notice the glowing of the eyes better.

Or maybe they just started to glow brighter

Finally, they heard the voices near.

Tord's grip tightened.

"I put them in the fridge. Would they get too cold?" Nikki said, turning  to one of the friends who would have a treat.

"Maybe." The friend replied. " Let them sit out in the last 3 minutes of this mod."

"Alright. I might forget though. "

"Just leave a timer with a note! Someones bound to hear it and do whats on the note."

Laddi looked at the shelf behind her.
She poked tord and frantically pointed at the littls box of kitchen timers.

His eyes remained the same, they didnt widen at all. He turned his head around, until he found a zip tie.

He tightly secured it around the necks of the doorknobs.

He took out his phone and typed something in the notes

'Dont tug or hold the door, that makes it seem obvious that someone is on the otherside.'

Laddi read it, and looked up at him. She nodded.

He mouthed  out 'you'll be okay. ' to her. She slowly nodded and looked back at the little bright line separating the two folding closet doors.

The little line of light that seperated her and Tord.

Tord, had no feelings running through him.

His top priority was protecting Laddi and erasing anyone that interfered with him or the little Bee.

Nothing mattered.

"What if someone eats it instead?" Nikki asked, a bit of accusing sass laced her sentence

Her friend hummed."Ill leave my phone well hidden and running, its not like i need it right now anyways."

"The timers are in the closet, could you get one?" Nikki asked

"Sure. "

The shadow of a girl seemed to enlarged,  growing closer.

Laddi held her breath, her chest felt heavy. Or maybe it was the hand that was slowly pushing her into the very corner of the closet.

Tord's last minute attempt to keep Laddi out of his problem.

He raised the sharp item in his other hand.

The closet door jabbed for a seccond.

The friend paused, before trying harder.

"Nikki..."

"Yeah?"

"The doors stuck."

Tord heard the footsteps nearing.  And a more fast and agressive shake of the doors.

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. It was loud.

The blade switched to his other hand.
The sharp tip lining up with the line of light.

At any moment he could willingly pierce the light and someone else.

Nikki backed away from the door.

"Its stuck. "

"Yeah. Should we just ask a teacher for a timer?"

"No. Im gonna need this door open anyways. Lets just go ask the janitor."

Tord lowered the knife.

"Smart.  I bet this is just a prank from AJ and Mallory. Those two always try to catch funny photos for the yearbook. I bet I theres a camera inside the closet with silly string or something. "

Nikki hummed in agreement. "Leave your phone running. Just incase this is a prank. We have evidence."

"Im not sure how that would help Nik..."

"Just try it."

"Alright. "

There were a few sounds of shuffling, before the friend finally announced "done!

The two left, chatting away.

Once Tord was sure the coast was clear, he took the knife and positioned it at an angle over the ziptie.

With one smooth swipe,  he grabbed it and pushed the doors open.

Laddi ran out and rushed to search the room.

She easily found the phone positioned between a short wall with a granite table ontop. The phone behind the supporting beams and a potted plant.

She ended the recording. Quickly went into the editing mode, cutting the video at what she guessed was when the closet started to jab from tord slicing the zip tie.

She took a scene right before tord jabbed at the closet, but right after the girls left.

She stretched the scene for a minute of recording time, then let that save onto the gallery.

She deleted the orginal,  than moved to the recently deleted folder to officially hide the evidence of it.

She placed the phone back in its position, turning the phone off to make it seem like the recording was cut off when the phone didnt sense activity.

A rough fix, but she didnt have her laptop.

Tord had put the knife in the inner pocket of his jacket. Nobody would miss it and his fingerprints were all over it. He didnt care if it would take weeks for people to match his to the knife, he still didnt want to risk it.

The two finally ran out. Running down the left hall into the stairwell .

Laddi laid against the wall, slowly sliding down onto. The floor.

Tord looked out the window.

"I cant believe we just did that." Laddi huffed.

Tord looked at her.

"I can."

She looked up at him.

She threw out her hand.

Tord helped her up, patting her back when she finally stood.

"Did you get them all filled?" Laddi asked in a low whisper, acknowledging that their hiding hasnt ended.

Tord shook his head.

"I left 1 without any to cause confusion. "

"In case they dont blame it on the raw egg i put in there, if everyone but 1 person vomits, whos gonna get fingers pointed at them?" He said, smoothly.

Laddi nodded. "Clever." She said, though she seemed distracted.

It was silent between the two. Until laddi asked.

"Tord?" She started, looking up at him.

"Had they opened the closet..."

"Would you have..."

"Would you have done it?"

The silence was sharp.
Laddi looked at him,  not in fear.
Well

Maybe slight fear.
But she was mostly,
Interested.

Tord blinked.

"Nah."

He shrugged. Walking away like nothing happened.

"Thanks sis." He said with a smile, before exiting past the doorway and taking a different route to his class.

Laddi stood there.
She hugged herself, let out a huff of air.

She believed him

For now.

Tom smiled when Tord walked in. Asking and trying to pry answers out of his friend, but Tord wouldnt slip out anything.

They finally made it to lunch. Tord felt like he had something to look forward to.

He enjoyed a soft conversation with Tom, Edd, and Matt.

Tom expressing his excitement for Asha's birthday. Officially inviting Matt and Edd.

"You'll help her ride her bike without training wheels for the first time?" Tom asked Tord.  "Right?"

Tord smiled. "I'd be an idiot not to."

"You'd also be a dead man." Edd added with a snort.

"Tom loves that little girl more than anything."

Tom felt his face redden. But he wasnt ashamed. He did really love her. Soke too.

"Why wouldnt you do it for her Tom?" Matt asked.

Tom shrugged.

"She wanted Tord to." He said

Tord smirked. "Jealous?"

Tom shook his head, smiling.

"I get to interrogate whoever she marries." He said, crossing his arms proudly.

"Oh we'll both be doing that Tom." Tord challenged.

Edd perked up.

"Wait."

"Both of you."

"Interrogating whoever Asha marries."

"Doesnt that sound a little-"

Tom froze, knowing what Edd meant.

Tord slammed his fist on the table. He wasnt as intimidating as he'd like to be due to the large blush on his face.

"Finish that fucking sentence and ill kick you into the sun."

Edd smiled guiltily, raising his hands up in the defense.  "Sorry." He said.

Laddi strolled over as Tord crossed his arms in an awkward pout.

She wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, who complained she was ruining his hair again.

"Matt, im showing you love. Suck it up or shut up." She mumbled.

Matt whined. But stayed still for his sister to lean and on him for a strange amount of time.

"You alright laddi?" Tord asked.

She tilted just enough to look at him.

"Yeah." She confirmed,  yawning. "You?"

"Tired. Much like you are."

"I just wanna nap with this fuzball here." She said, referring to her brother.

"Me and him used to cuddle all the time when we slept." She said, recalling the sweet memory.

"But now hes a picky bastard who cares about his hair more than me." She added, passive aggressively squeezing her brother, tightening her arms around his neck.

He whined, knowing she only did it to make him feel uncomfortable.  She wasnt choking him, never. But she liked making him uncomfortable.

He swatted away her arms, to which she said "fuck you and your protectiveness for your nonexistent beauty you ginger fuck-."

Matt gasped loudly. Jumping up to chase after his sister that was now running away in a fit of giggles.

Tord shook his head at the two.

Edd rolled an apple at Tord. "Do you think Asha and Soke will grow up to act like them?"

Tord hummed,  ignoring the question,  kind of, Tom answered instead, Edd and him started talking about which would be Asha and which would be soke.

Tord turned around when he heard Matt quiet down.

He was smothering Laddi in a hug who hissed "Its too late!" Every five seconds .

It appeared she was wrong though,  because she eventually caved in to the affection.

Thats when he noticed a sound of distress.

Edd looked right at Tord. He could see the look on his face, Edd, just like many other people, were still not used to Tords eyes, but they made no comments, they never said a word.

But Edd saw something else in those eyes.

He wasnt sure what.

Fear?

Or

What?

That was beyond the point.

Laddi heard it too.
She looked behind her. She saw it all unfold.

One
Simple
Cough.

Then it was multiple
And they were all erupting in coughs
Chokes

Teens began to gasp and call out for help

Here
It was unfolding.
This is it.

This may be the last time any of these people are seen alive

'Look at what you've done! Half of those girls didnt do anything!'

'They dont matter.'

Someone tried to help one of the girls by wrapping there arms around her waste to help her cough out the pastry.

She quickly shoved them off, muttering "tainted." Over and over.

Nikki seemed to have the worst of it. Coughing up everything in her system on the floor.

Avery got up and ran out to the bathroom.

Tom was going to run after her, she seemed on the verge of puking her guts out.

But his arm was held down.

Laddi grabbed him, pulled him close into the dissolving hug with matt and her.

"Dont get involved." She warned.

"It will not help you or your friend."

"Someone is already going after her."

But tom couldnt hear her over the screams from those who were witnessing it all.

One girl, the one who went to the kitchen with Nikki earlier.

Tord recognized her voice as she panicked that nothing was wrong with her cupcake

"Is this a prank?" She screeched.

Everyone was panicking. Crying, screaming.

Only one thought came to mind for Tord.

'They'll blame her.'

'She was one of the lasts ones in that kitchen.'

For a moment.
He couldnt help but feel better.

Eventually ambulances arrived to escort everyone.

Tord knew they would find traces of rubbing alcohol.

But no trace of him.

He sat outside in the yard with Tom, the kids playing infront of them with pebbles and stones.

Tom hugged his knees.

"I hope shes okay." He had said

"Who?" Tord responded, doodling with a stick in the dirt.

"Avery. She was nice. I knew her for a bit.  I just hope shes okay." Tom said. Picking up a little yellow dandelion.

Tord nodded.

"It was a strange and horrific sight wasnt it?"

"Yeah." Tom said.

Now, they were quiet. Tord still drawing in the dirt, with a new stick though, the last one snapped when tord processed that Avery got into Tom's life.

the kids were still playing, the wind gently blowing leafs, birds singing.

Tom spoke

"Tord, im, confused."

"How so?"

"Well, first day of school. We panicked that i got lost in the halls, than, my eyes, we cried .we joked around with our emotions and flirted Than, you got hurt. We cried. You broke down. We lost the kids. I left you home once and we were so anxious to see each other that we fell on the ground."

Tom sighed. Feeling lost.

"What is this?" He said. Looking to Tord.

"Im, so confused."

Tord hadnt looked at him. The effects of guilt started to slowly cave.
He could feel it inching it way on.

Tord picked  something up.

"What is this?"

"This is a dandelion." Tord said, showing it to Tom, not looking at him, but the flower.

"Its yellow. And theres little petals on it."

"Just removing one petal, " he continued, plucking one off. "one, Tiny petal,  makes the whole flower look off.

"Little things affect the big thing."

"A single drop of rain. "
"A skittering leaf."
"A gust of wind."
"A ray from the sun."

"So whats the big thing?" Tom asked. Tilting his head.

"The big thing?" Tord restated.

"The dandelion is the big thing." He answered.

Tom show a look of confusion.  "I thought it was a little thing."

"It is. And was. And is going to be. It switches. It does what seems right at the moment." Tord said, rubbing a finger against the petals.

"And at the moment, " he said, looking up at Tom, "it feels right to say,"

"I have no fucking clue what we're doing."

Tom showed a look of expectations that werent met. He opened his mouth,  but Tord shut him up before he spoke

"I dont know what we're gonna do in the future,  or what we'll go through."

"We arent gonna try to prevent them. Never.  "

"But i know we'll go through them together."

"Little things like getting lost in halls or streets."

"And big things like identity and eyes."

"They switch back and forth. "

"We'll be ready for them."

Tom smiled. A soft look on his face.

"Alright."

"Alright whats your point?" Laddi whined. Laying on the floor of Tord's room."

"I didnt want you to get involved." Tord groaned, sticking up the little photo of Nikki Laddi gave him.

He took a red marker and marked an dot at the corner of the photo to symbolize that he did something to get rid of her

"Look, " Laddi said, sitting up on the floor. "i was just caught off guard.  I didnt expect for you to jump so, quickly. "

"Neither did i" tord huffed out.

He turned from his board, and looked at his partner in crime.

"Dont you feel guilty?"

"Like hell I do! But she bullied Matt last year so not as much as I should be."

"She what?" Tord screeched

"Yep."

"I should have fucking stabbed her!" He hissed. Stomping around his room

"Too late on that. " laddi mumbled. Getting off the floor completely.

Tord slumped into his bed. Feeling cold, he hid under the warm blankets.

Laddi felt a sad Aurora around him, she sat at the edge, looking at him.

"Laddi i dont know how things are going with Tom." He said,  quietly. Worried.

"I flirted to his face once!" He exclaimed,  throwing out his hands.

Laddi gave a small childish giggle. 

"I made a kissing joke.!" He added.

Tord pulled the covers farther over his shoulder, snuggling his face into the pillow

"What the hell was wrong with me?" He said, a muffled question that laddi managed to hear.

He preferred to answer it himself.

"Im a mess."

"Im scared."

"Of losing him?" Laddi asked.

"Im scared him letting go."

"Do i make him happy Laddi?"

"Do i?"

"You should see him tomorrow. " laddi reccomended,  standing up off the bed.

"Spend time with him."

"I bet you just feel a bit guilty."

"Ive seen Tom,  and i can see you have both helped each other in meaningful ways.

"Both of you are just uncomfortable right now. " she said, walking over and placing a hand on her 'brother's shoulder.

"Spend time with him,regain your sanity."

"Ill be out with Connor today and tomorrow, ill try to get what info i can." She said, walking back to his room door.

"Just, spend time with those you love." She added, a loving and fond tone. She wanted him to feel better.

Her hand flicked the switch on his roomwall, turning off the lights.

"For now,  sleep. Ill lock your door. "

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Notes
I know the moon reflects the sun its called deeper meaning.

Anyways i was gonna upload earlier but my school didnt cancel the afterschool program they have which i thought they were gonna do-

Its a lot of explaining anyways here and thank u for your paitence uwu

I don't have much news actually,  but heres a contest im holding:

☆☆☆☆☆CONTEST☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆For Artists and Writers☆☆

Alrightly why not
Heres a concept i find g r e a t
gods/godesses

☆For the Artists:
Design a god/godess, (colored please) give a description, what their "power" is, what their the god of, and their personality

+ a 3 panel minimum sketch (or colored if you want,, ) comic strip with them in it!

☆For the Writers:
Give a character sheet of your god/godess, (please be descriptive), tell me their "power" , personality,  etc,

+a short story using them!

☆1st Place: a drawing of the god/godess you made (thats why i asked for a good description) + a drawing of a character of your choice

(The god/godess will be drawn fullbody and the character of choice will be from the waist up )

(Both are digital uwu)

☆2nd Place: a drawing of the god/godess you made, (fullbody.) Sketch of your character of choice (waist up)

(Digital)

☆3rd place: drawing of your god/godess, fullbody sketch

☆☆IMPORTANT ☆☆

When turning in your submission please tag me in the chapter AND message me

This will be due the 9th of February uwu

Have fun with it!

Thats all dudes

Thank you for reading and following the development of "For Him"!
Cya next chapter!
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