Marci Wellington's POV

Since my dance with death, I've been acting weird. Giá's words, not mine.

I haven't had this much power at my fingertips since when Jacob begged me not to post the video of him singing in his knickers in an airport.

It was like an adrenaline rush I never knew I craved. And the rush continued to pick up every day, especially since a recent session resumed.

"Care to explain yourself, Wellington?" the principal asks.

He looks at me with anger and disappointment from behind his desk. His impeccable posture reminds me of a police officer trying to interrogate a criminal. I think someone should warn this man that I've upped my game in the lying field. And if he wishes to catch me; it's going to take more than physical intimidation.

One new habit I picked after Danny left is the ability to keep my face neutral. It was a battle at first, but it was useful every bloody time.

I cross my arms against my torso and school my facials. "Heath spoke rudely to my boyfriend and me. The least I could do was stand up for the two of us. After all, Nathan is still recovering. Or do you promote bullying in your school?"

I raise my chin and look the old man in the eye. My gaze remains unwavering as sweat builds in between his brows. His chest rises and falls in an unrhythmic pattern and his fingers drum on the table. My principal remains unsettled as he chews his lips and thinks over his words.

He sighs. "Breaking his nose wasn't the answer."

"So is global warming, but you don't hear the endangered animal's complaints. I just wanted to pass on a message. If he comes near my boyfriend, a damaged nose would be the least of his worries."

He tilts his head to the side. "Violent tendencies aren't your thing, Marcella. I expected that from Stuart."

"You know that birds of the same feather flock together?" I wave my hand dismissively to hide my irritation.

"I need you to apologise to Heath." He shifts deeper into his chair as he notices my annoyance.

"Is it okay if I send a fruit basket as well?" I smile sweetly.

Having RBF isn't easy after all.

My principal eyes me. "You can't graduate as valedictorian if you don't drop your new attitude."

I narrow my eyes. "Fine, I'll offer the school's new star athlete an apology."

I roughly get up from my chair and head to the door.

"And hopefully a new missing body part," I mutter before walking out of the office and slamming the door behind me.

The empty halls echo how quiet the place is. How quiet I wish my head could be when I fall asleep, but a new demon rests in my head and it's come to stay.

My boots click along the tiles as I walk to the gym for the pep rally that I'm late for courtesy of Heath.

Heath fucking Brims.

The boy's been getting on my nerve since we resumed. Since he's the school's new star player, under the Stuart scholarship program and a senior, he's under a lot of protection.

But so am I.

This is why when he tried to break Nate's glasses at lunch, I broke his nose. Ironically, my boyfriend kicked his balls at the same time. While Nate was getting a lecture from the Coach, I was getting mine from the Principal.

As I pass the staffroom, Nate comes out and joins me on the journey to the pep rally.

"How'd it go?" he asks with a huff.

"They threatened my spot as valedictorian. What do you think?" I reply with an eye roll.

He places his glasses on top of his hair. "You want more revenge or you're going to wait?"

"I'm sure we've passed on the message. The coach can't bench you for long because as far as outstanding players go after you is Heath. I'll talk to the principal after I've calmed down."

He slips his hand around my waist to pull me closer. This year has been rough on both of us, so our change in character still comes as a shock to the student body.

Nate became a shell because of his stepdad and now that the son of a bitch is six feet under, he can build his confidence back. And what better way than to start at home base?

I stop walking as we stop at the doors of the gym. Turning to each other, we share a quick kiss and pass a silent message to one another.

We will always have each other's backs.

We push the doors open into a noisy gym. The gym goes quiet as we walk in, all eyes on us as we make our way to the middle of the basketball court.

I eye Heath with the basketball lackeys at the end of the gym. Our eyes connect, and he glares at me as I offer him a smug smile.

I better call Santa, I think I've found one of his reindeer.

Since it was the first pep rally of the session, the school went all out. Brown streamers adorn black poles at the corner of the gym. The bleachers have confetti and multicoloured stage lights adorn the floors, giving an effect of a party.

Our previous actions are at the top of the gossip chain among the student body and it explains the mixed signals I'm getting from them. As expected, some girls are glaring at me for touching their new obsession. The guys look at me as if they possess X-ray vision while they look at Nate as if they want to beat the crap out of him and give him a bro hug.

Guys are weird.

With our eyes facing the crowd, we ignore the glares and stares and put on a show. Nate and I stretch out our hands and part our legs as a soft melody flows from the speaker. A piece from Batch chokes my system, too calm for my liking as Nate and I dance synchronised.

The piece reminds me of a child's lullaby. I keep dancing despite the pain in my soul, hoping to one day find joy.

But I was wrong.

In the middle of our routine, Giá stands in the middle of the audience with a megaphone in hand.

Her voice is sharp and cuts the music off. She shouts. "Let's go, Grizzlies! Let's go." The crowd claps.

"Let's go, Grizzlies! Let's go." The crowd claps.

Lucas shouts from a corner of the court, "I want to hear you growl, Grizzlies!"

Everyone shouts as both Lucas and Gia do flips to join us on the court. Once they land with us, they give us brown paws and bear ears and the music changes to an electric drum solo. The lights flash and the crowd burst into shouts of admiration as we bust our asses off.

At least something good came out of the first week of school.

-

"So, are you two going to tell us what's going on or do we have to shake it out of you guys?" Gia asks from her spot on the floor.

"It's no biggie, Gia. Just a character growth." Nate answers flippantly.

She sits up and glares at the redhead. "So, you call getting into a street fight with the rival school, getting yelled at by school authority and almost losing your head to Abuela is acting out?! Debes pensar que soy estúpida."

Translation: You must think I'm stupid in Spanish.

She scoffs and lies back down.

Silence envelopes my bedroom as we look at each other. Lucas sits at my table and burns holes into my head.

"Out with it, Stuart." I finally say when his gaze becomes unbearable.

"I have no words, Wellington. I'm willing to bet that you aren't valedictorian material, as the principal said." He smirks.

I raise a brow and approach him, ready to show him just how Valedictory I can be, but Giá blocks my path.

"Since when did you resort to violence?"

I sidestep her without an answer, but she stops me again.

"Ink, I need you to calm down."

Again, I walk past her as if she's thin air and finally reach my target.

Lucas Stuart.

My second-best friend and my supposed rival according to the presses. I ought to smack that cocky smirk off his face, but I know what he's doing, and I fell right into his trap. He wants me to get pissed and reveal why my sudden bitch attitude if I gave Nate a sip from it.

I go toe to toe with him and say to his face, "Nice try." I grin.

I walk away and sit on my bed indie style as his smirk drops. Raising both brows, I look at the two of them, waiting for their next course of action.

Giá walks to me. She drags me off the bed and pulls me out of the room wordlessly. We walk to the rooftop and she locks the door after us.

"Marcella Freya Wellington, if you don't tell me why you're so bitchy, I will push you off this roof and blame your black shoelaces."

I glare at her and say. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Ink and paper are love stories used to write others. So, what happens when the two fall out of love?

I know she's bluffing, but there's only so much a person could take before they can snap. And I've already snapped, so why is everyone surprised?

Do I need to tattoo it on my forehead that I've had enough? My attitude is justified. It is. What more could they expect me to do? I can't go drunk driving like Mateo and Diego. Dancing doesn't make me feel better, so I'm as lost as a soul in Bermuda.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Giá. This year has been rough for me, so I returned a favour to the world." I humour her and go to the ledge and look down.

Giá remains behind me as I observe a dog walking across the road without a collar or owner. No one would want anything from him and he wouldn't live up to expectations that aren't necessary.

Guess I'm in the wrong species.

Paper rests on the railing beside me and angles her chin to me. The setting sun hits her face just right and makes her caramel skin glow along with her coca eyes. Her curly hair is in a rough bun on her head, some stubborn curls cling to the sides of her face. The frown on her face looks unnatural, and underneath the beauty I see, I know she's worried.

Hell, who isn't?

The girl they all knew me to be died and I don't think I can tell them. I mean, how do you walk up to people who are your own and tell them I'm not who they think I am? I've become worse.

Any pointers?

Giá rests her hand on mine and says. "I can't say I know how you feel, because I've never gone through half of what you've been through this year. Handling everything made you strong and seeing you fall to pieces breaks my heart. I want you to know that it's okay to act out. It's okay to behave differently from how you usually are, but you need to know when to draw limits. Lucas and I aren't the enemy here, and I know you and Nate connect deeper now because of trauma, but you two need to realise that you can't let the trauma define you. It's happened, it's happened. You can either allow it to break you like an earthquake or flow through you like a flood."

We stand there and at stare each other. And I see my reflection in her eyes; a broken girl fighting to stay whole.

I throw my head backwards and sigh loudly.

Falling, but flying, they say. The question is, where do I go from here? Most would expect me to be happy, but I'm far from it.

My parents are getting back together. Xena and her multi-coloured hair are out of my school life. No one I know of is after my life, so why is seeing my reflection through Giá's eyes bringing tears to mine?

Before I can wipe them off, she tackles me to the ground in a bone-crushing hug. The floor is softer and warmer than my bed. I didn't even think it was possible, but I cry silently into her shoulder as she holds me.

"I just don't get it, Gia. I'm supposed to be happy, but I can't find even a spark of joy in my soul. All I feel is cold and an emptiness that I never knew was within me." I hiccup.

She shushes me and tightens her hold. "I'm listening."

"I don't know what you want to hear, Giá. No words can describe how I feel right now, and the last I want to do is destroy the remaining form of happiness around me."

She remains silent as I continue to cry the pain in my heart. The pain of losing a part of myself I wished would stay forever.

Marcella Freya Wellington.

The luckiest girl alive to put up with bullshit. And in the end, she fell. She fell hard and fast, and there was no one to catch her this time. Telling her loved ones what's eating her alive would put them in danger so it was her cross to carry.

All Dealers have their crosses waiting for them the moment they make their first deal.

All I wanted was a simple year. A year was spent with my loved ones, and the only problem on my radar would be to remain top of my class. That was child's play to what I've seen this year.

"Paper, does the pain ever go away?" my muffled words reach her ears.

She sighs and rubs my back. "It does with time."

"How long are we talking here?"

"I don't know, Ink. I don't know."

I lie there stiff in her arms and enjoy the comfort she offers me. Fighting the urge to tell her I'm now part of a ruthless band of killers isn't an easy feat, but I'd rather keep it to myself than see Giá's lifeless eyes.

Never again!

Giá stands when my growling stomach keeps interrupting our moment. She helps me to my feet and pulls me out the door. Before I leave, I turn around to look at the stray dog one more time and see him wagging his tail as he eats from a trash can, with not a care in the world.

Yup, the wrong species.

We cross the halls and go down the stairs. Entering the dining room, Giá and I take our seats across from Lucas and Nate as we watch Abuela beat the stuffing out of Diego.

From the dining room, you could see the kitchen if you sat in the right chair through a door at the other end of the room.

"Abuela, I'm going as fast as I can," Diego groans as he cuts the vegetables at lightning speed.

Abuela stands over him in drill Sergeant mode and observes his work. She taps the paper on his elbows and his lower spine.

"Correct your posture or the vegetables won't be the only thing bent out of shape."

Diego huffs and takes her correction. Once he finishes, he dumps the chopping board of vegetables into a pot and stirs it.

"So, Girls," Lucas grabs our attention, "Are we going to discuss the elephant in the room?"

"What elephant?" I ask.

"The dance we did just moments ago. Heath doesn't want us to post it because he's in the background competing with the red stage light." Nate says with a laugh.

Giá chuckles, "Not gonna lie. I'm surprised you two did that to him."

Raising my hands in mock surrender, I say. "The boy had it coming. If you ask me, I don't see why we can't post it."

"Yes, a human spotlight is what every dance video performance needs." Lucas gives us jazz hands to go along with his statement.

I throw my napkin at his face the moment Diego walks in with bowls of soup.

Abuela smacks her newspaper on the door. "No throwing napkins at the table."

Lucas removes my napkin and hands it to me with a smirk. I roll my eyes at him and thank Diego as he places the food on the table.

Abuela smiles, pleased at her work, and sashays out of the room with her trusty roll of newspaper tucked into her waistband.

Diego checks the hallway to make sure she's gone before saying, "Hermana et Prima, mind helping me with the dishes?"

Gia and I chorus as we drink the soup, "No problemo."

He smiles relieved and dashes out of the room while calling over his shoulder, "Gracias."

"Anyway," Lucas blows on his spoon and sips it. "Heath says if we don't cut him out, he'll report to the school. Talk about a crybaby."

"I wanna get back at him," Nate says.

Giá uses her spoon to point at Nate. "You want revenge for the bullying?"

Nate nods. I reach across the table and grip his hand in affection.

"Okay, we'll cut him out only because I'm too young to be sued. As for Nate's revenge, I have a plan."

-

I ignore the body odour and enter the room full of basketball jocks. My timing is accurate as I notice the absence of a familiar head of red curls. The shirtless guys eye my lone figure and make to stop me from my destination, but a member of the security detail that tails me blocks their view.

He glares at them and they back off sheepishly. Another woman in a suit steps into the room and hands me a handkerchief to cover my nose. One guy catcalls and she gifts him a black eye and rearranged organs.

Stepping over the groaning athlete, I approach the new captain of the basketball team with a neutral face.

He eyes me before speaking. "You have some nerve to enter here and leave casualties, Wellington."

I eyeball the boy at my feet and resist the urge to smirk. "Then you should learn how to control your lackeys."

His red nose was fading to purple, but it lit up at my insult.

"If you came here to talk, then do it quickly."

I examine the guys around him and inhale. Were it not for the men and women paid to protect me, I could bet that these guys wanted a piece of action. Little do they know that it's not a fragile girl standing before them.

"You lot need to learn boundaries-"

"And who made you our teacher?" he interrupts me as he pushes himself off the wall and approaches me.

The guys snicker at his comment as he walks to me. He's about to enter my personal space when the lady in the suit steps into his path. She looks down at him through her black shade and her jaw clenches.

I hold her shoulder and say, "It's cool. I can handle him."

She raises a brow in question but drops it when I raise mine. Stepping from behind her back, I step into Heath's personal space.

"You could lose your spot as valedictorian if you follow through with what you have in mind."

His threat doesn't faze me as we circle each other. If the principal meant his word, he would have taken back my spot, but he knew I'm the brightest student in my set. Even if I didn't tattoo it on my forehead, they posted the scores on the board for the full school to see.

"I'll chance it." I shrug. "Besides, you're the one who has more to lose than me."

"Explain Marci."

"Well, you've already lost your pride, so that's off the table. I believe Stuart's scholarship is still valuable to you, isn't it?"

"What do you want, Marci?"

"Let's play a one-on-one game, shall we? If I win, you and your cohorts leave me and my boyfriend."

Stepping closer, his breath mingles with mine. His blue eyes stare into my chocolate ones and they hold tints of malice hidden beneath them. An emotion I know isn't directed towards me, but Nate.

I always knew Heath had it out for Nate, especially when he wanted to continue bullying him even after Ian told him to back off.

I believe it's time to show these athletes how they play the game.

"If I win, you'll put on one of the cheerleader's uniforms and be my cheerleader for the session." His eyes drop to my lips. "And I want a kiss at the end of every game."

The guys holler at the captain, and some even slap his back, offering moral support.

Resisting the urge to give him a black eye with his nose, I reply. "Deal. Wear a shirt and come to the court, if you've still got some balls on you."

"Ooo." The guys' mocking sounds are music to my ears as I turn on my heel and strut out of the locker room, with the security detail trailing me.

I open the door and walk straight into Nate. His glasses rest on top of his head as he gives me a knowing look.

He whispers into my ear, "Got it done?"

"It's a done deal."

I wrap my hands around his neck and peck him. "Ready to humiliate, Heath?"

Nate grins and lands a deep kiss on my lips. "I'm up for it."

The doors to the locker room open and the team steps out and boo. Heath steps away from them and says. "You're right on time, Pierce. I'm about to sleep with that pretty girlfriend of yours."

Nate's hands flex as he restrains himself from doing anything drastic. I kiss his cheek and turn to the athletes.

"I said we'll play, but I never said that I'll be the one playing." I grin.

"So, your boyfriend is also your bitch?" Heath spites me. "I'm not surprised. Nate's never had balls."

Again, Nate inhales deeply to calm himself down and says, "At least I know why I play the game. I think we all know that I can play better than you. So, if you claim to have bigger balls than Marci and I; I suggest you get your ass here and let's play."

The smug look falls off Heath's face as he hands his jacket to one of his lackeys and I take Nate's from around his shoulders. They pick their sides of the court and have a quick warm-up.

"Remember Nate, you got this," I tell him as he throws the jump rope to the side of the court.

"Trust me, I've been wanting to shut this loud mouth for a long time now," Nate says and walks to the middle of the court where Heath and another member of the team stand.

They discuss for a bit before the team member throws the ball in the air and blows a whistle. Nate grabs the ball before Heath and lands a shot without even moving.

Heath glares at me and I smirk and blow him a kiss.

This should be an interesting game.

The game ends with Nate winning Heath by fifty points to twenty-five, even with an extended time for a penalty, Heath didn't win.

I amble to the boy, whose nose looks as if it's a red-light bulb, and extend my right hand. He eyes it and takes it. He tries to squeeze it to exert pain, and it makes me grin. I apply pressure and break his hand.

He falls to his knees and cries out in pain. His cries are music to my ears as I get up in his face and whisper.

"I suggest you think twice if you try to come after me for revenge. Barking and biting are two different things and by now you should know which one of us is better at doing both."

I fling his hand away and rearranged Nate's jack on my body. Nate grabs my hand and interwinds our fingers, and together we walk out of the gym.

-

Wellington Records was like another haven to me before my parents called it quits. I used to come here with Caleb and guilt-trip him into teaching me their routines.

Good times.

I stiffen my shoulders, let out a shaky breath, and enter the building. The workers stop in their tracks and regard me with puzzled looks. I wouldn't blame though, it's been months since I came here. I offer them a small wave in greeting, not trusting my words, and head to the elevator.

I press the top floor and head to my dad's office. The gold records that adorn the corridor as I get off the elevator make me smile. My dad has always been successful in the music industry because it's his dream. It's something that gives him the ability to provide for my mom and me and still allows him to be happy. Now that's something worth doing.

I approach the office with his name written in gold and stop when I hear voices.

"So, when are you coming?" An older voice asks.

"I can't say. My daughter is smarter than I give her credit for, so I can't lie about my journey." I hear my dad say and narrow my eyes.

I restrain myself from entering the office to demand answers.

A patient Dealer can turn the tables in their favour.

"You better decide because the ceremony is happening in the last month of the year. I advise you to tell her the truth so that she'll keep her guard up." The mockery in the voice makes me glare at the door.

"I don't see why we can't leave Maleficent out of this," Shane's voice comes through the door.

How many people are in here?

"She's already been through enough and you want to rip apart her family that's trying to sew itself back together. For someone who claims empathy, you're full of bull, Sam."

"Calm down Shane. It's tradition. It's what our forefathers have been doing way before any of us came into the world." My dad says.

A belly laugh comes out of the room.

The Elderly man I know as Sam says, "See, even Wellington understands the twisted story. If they do that ceremony without Marcel, it won't go down well. The Empire members still hold respect for you, Marcel boy, they-"

"Let's get something straight. If I come back and take my place as the third in command, you ensure my family's safety is on top of your priority list. I don't want my daughter anywhere near that land."

The glee in his voice is unmistakable as Sam says, "Deal. But what happens when you're old and the Empire demands your daughter?"

"They'd have to kill me first."

That statement alone is my breaking point. I've already seen my dad lifeless, and I'd be damned if I let it happen again.

Giving it no more thought, I kick the door open and walk in.

"I believe my presence is needed for this meeting," I say and slam the door behind me.

My dad looks at me jaw-slacked while Shane mutters something in Chinese and slams his fist on a table. Sam Griffin smiles at me from a computer screen. His silver eyes take me in like it's the first time he's seen me.

"Hello, Wellington spawn." He smiles at me.

I restrain my facial muscles and lean on the door with one of my legs placed on it.

"Hello, Griffin." I appraise him rudely.

The room remains silent as we observe each other. Shane looks from me to Sam with a glare that gets darker as the minutes go by. I know he's pissed that I'm involved in the British Empire because he fought hard to keep me out of it.

Another person I know who fought hard, if not harder, is my dad, but you can't stop fate. It's one thing I've learned this year. What's meant to happen will happen no matter how much you fight it. All you can do is brace yourself for the earthquake and swim through the flood like an Olympic swimmer.

"Now onto the business at hand," I say and keep eye contact. "I'll take over my father when I grow older, but if he dies before then, I'll come for you, old man."

I narrow my eyes and muster a murderous look. "I'll make you suffer far worse than what you put my father through."

Sam laughs, "Little girls shouldn't try to run with wild animals. They never live to tell the stories of their adventures. No matter, your father will live long enough to see you take over."

Sam's eyes turn to my dad, who has remained rigid since I walk in.

"Shane, be a dear and end the call on behalf of Marcel. I think I've spooked him enough for one day." He laughs as he speaks.

Shane walks up to the computer and turns it off.

He observes the two of us and approaches me. Hugging me, he says, "Don't be too hard on your dad. Remember that everything we do is to keep our loved ones safe."

He ruffles my hair. I step out of his way and he leaves the room for my dad and me.

My dad continues to glare at the floor and I muster the courage to walk to him and hug him. He returns the hug tightly and sniffs.

I see where I get my tear-holding ability from.

My dad continues to hold me to his chest as he says, "I wanted to protect you. To keep you from the life I once live. I didn't want my past to be your future, but I forgot that the option was never in my power."

"It's okay, Dad. I'm more than aware of how fate can be a bitch to us every once in a while." I humour him.

"When I leave, you must promise to take care of your mother, and no matter what happens, you stay alive for her. Okay?"

He pulls me out of his hold to examine my face. Recognition dawns on his face as he sees the Dealer in me take the primary seat of my subconsciousness.

When two dark souls meet and they originate from the same place, they have another form of connection that isn't meant for this world. His darkness acknowledges mine, and he nods in understanding.

"I'll stay alive if you stay alive."

"Marci, it's not that simple."

I sigh, "It's not, but who says we can't make it simple? Look, I've danced with death many times this year. I'm very sure that the only thing taking me from this world is old age or disease, depending on which one comes first."

He laughs at my statement, and I smile.

"Meanwhile, you're still holding a secret away from me. I know it and you know I know. Mind sharing it with me, Dad?"

"Trust me, you've already uncovered it."

He swings his hand over my shoulders and leads me to the door. "Now that we know what's happening in the next few months, let's go plan what's happening this month."

"What's happening this month?"

"Your mom and I are getting married again."

The news should make me happy, or at least make me smile, but it didn't.

"You guys will get married and live separate lives till the day one of you dies," I state.

My dad sighs and turns to me to look at him.

"Let me let you in on a secret as a Dealer. Our moments of true happiness will always be limited and in between. In your best interest, you must enjoy them because your last dance death with dance could happen before the next peaceful one."