Song For Chapter- Casual Affair by Panic At The Disco

Virlon was quiet ninety percent of the time, I forgot he was even in our class half the year.

But, he was a genius and he paid attention to things.

I didn't even catch the fact that Arius said, "mom". I was too blown over the fact that he gave his life, for my happiness.

He gave his life. For Cor. For someone who took me away from him.

In a way, Cor didn't really take me away because mine and Arius's relationship was already going down hill. But I was still Cor's and Arius still cares about me.

He always would, wouldn't he?

Not if he's dead.

"Yeah... my mom." Arius says. "That's who I've been working with. She works directly with the Elders. And well... Aria's Dad." Arius says, looking at Aria.

That didn't shock anyone. We all knew Aria's Dad worked with the Elders. Not sure what he did there, but he worked with them.

Although, I hold a lot more hate for him than I did before.

How could he pay someone to mess with me like Chancler was going to do? What if it had been someone smarter? What if it had been somewhere other than a public party?

I can damn well take care of myself, but against someone strong who probably has a lot more muscle than me?

"What do you mean, you worked for your mom? I was in on this half the time and I never learned that." Aris says, glaring at Arius.

Although, Aris had been glaring at everyone since Leona left.

Me included.

We were still laid out on the sand, Cor on my left and, surprisingly, Ancer on my right. Next to him, holding his hand, was the silver eyed boy named Seas.

"My mom is the director of this whole thing. She is the one who convinced the current Elders to step down after their hundred year reign." He faced the ground and sighed. "I lied and said I fell in love Cance... and that I wanted her to be happy with Cor. I'm so sorry."

Aris stands up and sucks in a deep breath. "You did what you had to do. Half of us were gone anyways." Aris says, balling his fists up. "Just tell me if-"

Arius shakes his head. "No! I can't tell you guys who lives. The Elders will know, you know this! The new teacher will turn in that half the class is depressed, and the Elders will realize that those are the ones who are supposed to die! They'll realize who told them, I won't have saved anyone!" Arius yells.

Arius yelled at Aris.

Aris growls lowly, his nose twitching. "No! Does Leona live! I Don't care about anyone else, I don't even care about myself! Does Leona live."

"NO!" Arius breathes out, his chest raising and sinking visibly. "I can't tell you." He adds.

For a second, my heart stopped like I wish time would. I thought she was on the list.

But does it even matter? Her father took her. He's hiding her away like the princess she is. A princess I know and love like a sister.

Cor brings me closer to his side while we lay on the sand, looking up at the night skies.

It's at that moment, when Arius's phone rings.

We all look expectantly at him as he answers the call, his face showing no emotion.

"Hello? Yes... what do you mean? We can't—...... hold on, new? They've never been at school?.... of course not... no, out deal is still the same. I don't understand why we can't just have twenty four Elders.... break tradition then!..... whatever.... changed?... no ma'am.... yes ma'am.... alright... bye" hHe ends the call and chucks his phone out to sea, screaming and throwing a temper tantrum.

He scoffs, shaking his head. "They changed the damn order! Just to make sure I don't tell you guys. Funny, isn't it?"

Aris storms over to him and narrows his eyes. "Tell me whether or not Leona died on the last list."

Arius shrugs, his aqua colored eyes holding no emotions. They're empty but so so deep. "Yes. Leona lived. You? No. But I don't know now."

I shuddered in the cold night and looked up to Cor's face.

He was still heart-broken, fear stricken, pain filled. Unlike Arius, Cor's eyes held everything. You could see how he felt, but only if you know him like I do.

He was everything to me. It so funny to think that I'd care this much for someone.

From coffee dates to jumping in trashcans. To buying dog toys and wearing his t-shirt.

It seems like only yesterday I was drunk and calling him Channing Tatum.

It seems like only yesterday I was holding his hand and screaming while on The Sling with my friends.

"I love you." He says, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

My heart raced a million miles an hour as I smiled up at him, kissing his jaw line. "I love you too."

His smile could make angels swoon, and demons blush.

"We are clearly missing the point." Aria says, sitting up from her position of laying on Sage.

Arius sighs heavily. "And what is that, Aria?" He asks, tired.

Aria smiles. "They can't kill us. Right? So if we all chimed in, we could get away with anything."

I groan. "Spit it out, Aria. What are you going on about?"

Aria smirks at me, playing with the tips of her hair. "We... should all go do something crazy. Something illegal. Something fun."

Last time I heard a sentence like that, I landed myself in the hospital bleeding and dying of hypothermia.

No thank you.

Cor pulled me tighter to him, as if he knew what I was thinking.

"We could all go break into car lot and steal a la—" Aria says.

"No. Not happening." Cor growls.

We sit in silence for five minutes, just watching the stars twinkle. They each remind me of a Pisces's eyes.

"Let's break into the roller-skate rink." Virlon says, surprising us all with not only a good idea, but an illegal one. "I guess it wouldn't be quite breaking in, since I have the keys." He adds.

"I'm down." Aria says, standing up and pulling Sage up after her.

"Yeah, lets go." I say, standing up after Aria and pulling Cor up along side me.

He shakes his head, holding back a laugh. "I guess I need to get my mind off things."

I kiss his cheek and run my hand through his hair. "It's okay, my parents have it covered. Ginny will be okay."

He nods and soon, we're all standing up to go to the Skating Rink.

Everything is more fun when you're not supposed to be doing it.

***

Taria's POV

After Leo said what he said, my first thought was to be angry.

But... he was right. And as much as the truth is heartbreaking, it needs to be said.

He should dump me.

Why am I such an idiot!?

Why have so many things gone wrong.

Why can't I just be in a normal class with normal kids.

I enter in a number on my new phone. A number I know by heart.

I close my eyes, not daring to let tears drop. It goes immediately to voice mail.

Leo.

While the rest of the class headed somewhere, I walked aimlessly until I found myself sitting at the edge of a very familiar pond, after buying a crappy new phone of course.

I was there that night.

When the car crashed into this very same frozen pond.

It was only a year ago, but it seems like it happened such a long time ago.

When that car crashed, I was there. Of course I was there. Cora is one of my best friends, and I went with her.

She was the one who dared Gem to do it after all.

Steal a Lamborghini, drive it for an hour, return it. That's all that was supposed to happen.

But no. Cora crashed the car, almost killing herself and three other people. Four if you count Arius.

She's so reckless, Gem. She doesn't get that sometimes you have to stop and think.

Do I really want to do this? Or does someone else want me to do this?

I'm hands down for a fun time. But dying? That's not fun.

They say the car is still in the bottom of the lake, sitting there.

Nobody ever pulled it out. It's just a memory now.

I've always wanted to swim down and see what could have also been a grave.

But I never have.

The pond isn't even that deep. Only like fourteen feet deep where the car hit the ground.

My phone rings and I don't even glance at the number. It's Leo. It has to be. Nobody else has this number.

"Taria?" He asks, his voice sweet like honey and smooth like silk.

"Yeah... it's me." I respond, watching as geese flew above me, heading south for winter.

He sighs. "I'd never dump you. You know that."

Tears start streaming down my face, as I nod. "I know. But maybe you should."

I can hear him rustle around on the other end of the phone. "Taria, what are you talking about?"

I wipe my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. "You still love her? Don't you? Leona."

He sighs, and he's probably running his hand through his gloriously soft hair, stressed.

It's what he does when he's stressed or scared.

"Yeah, Taria. I do. And I'm sorry, you don't deserve this." He breaths out. "Some love just never dies. But that doesn't mean I don't love you too. You're funny and smart, and fun to be around."

I roll my eyes. "Not really. Leona's prettier. Probably not as smart, but definitely more fun to be around."

Leo scoffs into the phone and I watch as a nice car pulls up into the car lot.

"Everyone is unique. You're just as beautiful as the next person. Can I ask you why you hate Gem so much?"

"She almost killed my best friend. Wouldn't you hate her if Leona died in that crash?" I say, glaring at the still pond.

"But she wasn't driving... Cora was." Leo says.

"Who stole the car in the first place? Who let Cora drive? Who drove the car first!? Leo, that was all Gem. And then she just walks free? She leaves Arius after he almost dies to save her life! Then she gets with an illegal match and doesn't get in trouble for that, while my BEST FRIEND is somewhere probably being hurt just like Leona was! And to top it off, she got my dad fired!" I yell, breathing heavily and screaming as tears poured down my face.

We all know what being fired meant. Prison if you didn't do something important and execution if you did.

And considering kids stole a Lamborghini on his watch, causing four kids to almost die.

Well prison wasn't good enough.

And now I'm becoming the exact same thing that executed my father.

An Elder.

And Gem gets to live to see that day too. There's 2 Gemini Elders.

I don't know if the rest of the class has realized this, but there's only thirteen Elders. Half of our class is going have the same fate as my father.

"Taria... I'm sorry... why haven't you ever told me this?" Leo ask, his voice soft and gentle.

And that's when I hear it. In the car lot, a girl's screaming voice.

I turn around and I see a tall girl with long blonde hair and royal purple eyes.

And next to her is a much younger girl with orange eyes and brown hair.

Who... is that?

I stay low to the ground as I walk to the fence. "I'll call you back, I need a moment." I tell Leo and hang up.

Lucas Osbourne holds Leona in handcuffs, as she struggles to get away.

"Leona, please, this is for your own good." Leona cries as she begs her dad to just let her go.

I pull up my camera on my phone and start to video everything.

I watch intently as three men step out of a van to meet Lucas halfway.

The little Gemini girl following obediently behind.

"Ginny, these are the men that are going to take care of you." Lucas says, as Leona stops yelling.

Ginny's face widens as she turns to run from the men.

But before she makes it too far, one of the men grab her and hold her.

They're closer to me now, and I can make out the Elder uniforms.

They work for the Elders.

Her eyes spot mine and my entire body goes still. She silently begs me to help as men drag her back to the van.

I have to help her. Help Leona. I don't know what's going on, but none of this looks good.

"You've held up your end of the deal, we'll keep your daughter safe." One of the men say.

Lucas scoffs with a look of disgust on his face. He leans down to Ginny's level, looking her deep in her eyes.

"When half of the class is dead. Remember that you died for a good cause Ginny. With you dead and Cora breaking the rules, there's no reason why they wouldn't let Cor live." He smiles at her.

"Dad... what do you mean? They still will have a reason to not pick Cor. To not pick me! I'm his sister!" She yells, and I suck in a deep breath.

She's his sister?

That means that Lucas is his dad. And that little girl is Cor's other sister.

Big family.

"That's why you're away. Nobody will be able to have proof that you're his sister and that is therefor saving you both." He looks at the ground holding no remorse.

"He still has an illegal relationship." Leona snarls, her fear completely drained from her system.

Lucas raises his eyebrows. "You can't have a relationship with a dead person, Leona. And trust me... Gem isn't going to be there for much longer." He looks to the men and nods. "Take em' away."

Ginny kicks the man in the shin, and runs up to Lucas, kicking him where the sun doesn't shine.

"Maybe now you'll stop having kids." She hisses, spitting on his crumpled form.

He stands up and back hands her, causing her to crash onto the ground.

I blink back my scream and my anger.

Lucas climbs into his own car as the others do as well.

I back up into the bushes and power off my phone.

Gem might be the reason my father is gone, but even she doesn't deserve death. I knew that when I sent that picture of her and Cor kissing at the dance to the Elders. Leona and Leo didn't die because they were soon to be Elders.

I just wanted Gem to loose someone important to her. And even then, Cor would still be around.

Gem doesn't deserve to die.

I didn't have a car though, and I was far from wherever they were.

I looked at my phone and sent the video I took to everyone in our class.