I'm not a person who chases other people. I mean sure, I may look like it but I'm not. I don't want to waste my time on someone who doesn't want it.

But when I finally found Cor and he tried dodging me, I made sure he knew I wasn't giving up.

"Cor!" I yelled in the lunchroom, causing everyone to twist in their seats and look at me.

He flinched and turned to look at me. "What?" He snapped, setting his food down at an empty table. I sat down next to him.

The other people in the lunchroom minded their own business once again.

"You're in danger." I said evenly, straight forward.

He shrugged. "Really now? You're just now realizing that? Congrats on figuring out the obvious."

"The Elders might kill you Cor. You're not a perfect Scorpio." I whispered lowly. "And no amount of your Dad's money will save you."

He yawned, bored of the situation already. "I'm tired of this, Gem. Everything. I have no clue if Ginny is safe, I have no idea what's happening, half my friends are going to be executed, and my father is a royal asshole. Leave me alone. Please." He was trying to hide how he was feeling,  trying to shield himself from his own mind.

I wasn't biting his bait. I knew him too well. I knew the look in his eyes. "I will not sit here while you lie to yourself. You're scared, stop hiding it! You can't just buckle down all your problems."

"Yes. I can!" He shifted his body so we were face to face, looking into each other's eyes for the first time in what feels like forever. "You don't know what it's like being me. Stop acting like I'm not scared. Stop acting like you know what's going on." He stood up, leaving his lunch on the table.

"COR LISTEN TO ME!" I ran after him, tugging on his shirt and trying to get him to look at me. "Please." My voice broke like shattered glass.

He stopped in his walk. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm listening. You have two sentences."

"I don't know everything that's happening, I just know that there's people here who need you and you not caring whether you live or die is selfish. You can escape that, but you don't have a lot of time." I hoped those two sentences changed him even in the slightest.

"Sure people want me, but no one needs me." He stalked out of the cafeteria, not a single pair of eyes not on him.

I stood defeated in the cafeteria, waiting for the moment that I'd finally crack. I could chase him again, but what would that do for him? He had to realize that there were people who loved him here on his own.

Someone grabbed my arm and I turned to see Leona, nearly crying. "We need to do something. He can't just walk around like this."

"I can help with that." Leona and I looked over to see Philip, standing cockily and holding a pair of keys in his hand.

Leona gasped.

"The name's Philip, and you are?" He aimed towards Leona, giving her a flirtatious smile.

"ARIS!" She screamed and elbowed Philip on her way to a guy who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Aris dropped his trey and ran to her, catching her in his arms.

"I thought I lost you." He cried, running a hand through her hair. He kissed her forehead and cried into her shoulder.

Philip sighed. "Every girl I like, likes someone else." He looked through the doors that Cor exited through. "I can help him."

I rolled my eyes, breaking my gaze away from the wonder couple. "Oh really? And how's that?"

"Me and my sister each save a person. When we become Elders, we can save a person to take with us." It was a good idea, but at that moment I had never hated him more.

They can take people with them!? It made no sense why we couldn't. Anger froze inside of me, cooling my entire body to the point of absolute zero. "Oh and you're going to save Cor? At what cost?"

He shook his head. "Not me. My sister, Ophelia can."

"At what cost?" I pleaded.

"Stay with me after high school." He said.

It was only 6 words. But in this world it was the equivalent to a hundred years ago when people asked you to marry them.

"I already said I would with Cor." It was a lame excuse. "Is there another—"

"Really? Cor is done with you." He narrowed his eyes. "C'mon, Gem. Make a deal with the devil."

I gulped down all the nasty words I had (there were a lot of them) and stomped my foot. I pushed him back lightly, moving closer to him.

The cafeteria was still quieter than I had ever heard it before. "I'll make a deal with the Devil when I know he can keep his side of the bargain." I pushed him again and walked away, moving to find the other person I knew I had to talk too.

***

I found him sitting alone outside, bundled up in layers of shirts and jackets. It was cold outside. Cold enough to feel like you were freezing, but not cold enough for the ground to have snow on it. It was a blessing. I hated the snow.

I sat down next to Arius and breathed in a deep breath. I didn't talk, I didn't move. I just sat there, thinking about everything I could've changed. About how things would've gone differently if I had never fell for Cor.

Would I still be in love with Arius? Was I ever really in love with him at all?

I closed my eyes and leaned back, the cold air whipping around me. It was peaceful outside.

I may have ruined his solidity, but he didn't seem to care.

"Do you remember... months ago... when I took you to the fields. We saw the lightning bugs?" He asked, breaking the stillness.

I nodded. "Yeah."

I also remembered taking Cor there. I remembered sitting on the hood of my car. I remember kissing him and telling him I loved him.

"I understand you don't love me. And I can never force that for you. But just... where did I go wrong? I'm gunna be executed anyways so just tell me... what made you not love me?" He was trying not to cry. His time was running out.

I grabbed his hand. "I do love you. I love you, Arius. But just... not that way. We hurt each other. We cheated on each other. We always came back though. We love each other, but I don't think it's how we originally thought." The snow falling gave the scene an almost magical appeal. But what was happening was nothing close to magical.

"Just what every guy wants to hear. The truth." He turned and smiled sadly at me. "I love you too Gem. But I know you're not here to hang out with me. What's up?"

I blew air out my mouth, making a frozen cloud come up. "Leona's back."

He smiled. "That's great! I saw. How is she?"

"Cor is gunna die. She's seen the list. No amount of money or funding is going to save him. I think... their dad, Lucas... has no idea what's happening. The Elders are just pleasing him until the execution." I swallowed my spit. "So you might not die because you're not saving anyone."

He got happy for a small second before faltering. "Great."

I nodded in return. "I just... thought you should know."

"Talk to Virlon." He said, furrowing his brows and pointing at me. "He might be able to help you."

I tilted my head in curiosity and confusion. How would Virlon be able to help me? He's just a kid.

Arius stood up next to me. "I'm serious. Talk to Virlon."

I wanted to tell him about Phillip's deal. But... I couldn't. Not until I knew his sister would do what I needed her to do.

I won't make a deal that wouldn't help me.

"Okay. I will." I promised. "Hey, Arius." It was a last thought.

He bit his lip. "Yeah, Gem."

I smiled at him softly, nearly sadly. "Thank you. For being a friend even when you shouldn't be."

He threw his arms around me and brought me into a hug. "Of course. I'll alway— I'm here for you until I die."

"If." I corrected.

Arius shook his head. "Everyone dies." He kissed my cheek, his lips lingering like a ghost, as he leaned back. "I do love you as a friend, don't I?"

I shrugged. "I love you as a friend."

He smirked. "Friends it is. Goodbye, Gem."

I smirked back. "Goodbye, Arius."

He turned and walked away from the tree, leaving me to my own accords.

And in that moment... I finally understood why Cor feared death. I understood why Cor thought the scariest thing was death.

I don't think it was the actual fear of not knowing what was coming, or the fear of letting go. I think it was what his death would bring others. What it would mean for his family.

And I guess in a way, my fear of becoming too attached was just like his. Maybe I was never scared of my feelings. Maybe I was scared of how others would feel.

I blinked my eyes. If I had anything to do with it... Cor wouldn't have to face his fear anytime soon.