'𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭...

... 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠.'

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟹ʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴘᴏᴠ

While Iliana was dealing with the Rufus situation, Andre went to Cate's dorm to apologize.

"You like high as fuck." Cate's brows knit together as she opens the door.

"What, me? No, not at all." Andre dismisses her, lying of course. He was, indeed, high as fuck. He backs up into Cate's bed, laughing as he plops down. "Woah, hey. Sorry." He inhales sharply once he's lied down. "You're, uh..." He pinches the bridge of his nose, regretting not going with Iliana. He's sure that would've been easier. "You're right. And I'm sorry. We, I, should have listened. Goldie was just going with my plan, it isn't her fault." He defends his partner in crime, always. No matter what.

Cate sighs, staring down at him with her gloved-hands on her hips.

"I don't know where Emma is, Goldie's falling apart, and I don't know what to do." He continues. "And I... I might also be a tiny bit high as fuck." He admits.

He then tells Cate about his dad, filling her in on what he had already told Iliana when suddenly he's interrupted by his phone buzzing. He quickly dives for it, thinking it may be Iliana with an update.

"Sorry-" He tells Cate, bringing his phone up to his face. She looks down, giving him space. "Fuck me." He lets out and Cate snaps her head back to look at him.

He got a notification about Tek Knight, #TheWholeTruth on Vought+, and immediately texts Iliana.

Tek Knight is on campus....

Which means they're all royally fucked.

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Iliana angrily rips off the last thread and needle as she finishes her outfit and gets dressed for her Tek Knight interview.

Her mandatory Tek Knight interview.

The only thing not making her completely lose her shit about is she's not the only one being interviewed.

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As she shows up to the interview she wants to make a b-line for Andre, but knows he's with his dad so she opts out of that. As she rolls her neck around Jordan approaches her, of course also having to be interviewed.

She chooses to remain silent, their argument from earlier being enough to last her for— well, all time she would like.

They clear their throat beside her. "Can't wait to hear all the lies you have to tell in this interview." They chime. "Thankfully Tek Knight can call you out for a change."

Iliana laughs to herself, raking her tongue across her teeth as she whips her head back to look at Jordan.

"Well, Jordan, if you're so confident now in switching all the time, why are you in your female for this interview right now?" She pops off, digging the knife even deeper than it already was.

Buried it actually.

But there's only so much a girl can take before she bites back.

And of course she's choosing to ignore how fucking good they look in their plain black long sleeve with their chain on full displace, and their hair looking even better than the days prior. Fluffier, how she likes it best.

"You're a bitch." Jordan finally manages out, swallowing any sign of her comment bothering them. Fuck, Jordan, they curse to themselves, furious she can still whip out an insult about them just like that and get right under their skin.

Even after a year apart, Iliana Riordan still has them in a chokehold they can't seem to breathe in, and can't manage to escape. Jordan's jaw tightens as they repeatedly try to push Iliana's comment out of their mind.

She's nothing. She doesn't matter to you, Jordan.

But that would all be a lie...

"And you're a cunt." Iliana effortlessly slams right back. She flicks her hair back over her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me." She moves beyond backstage to move on deck, where she would go after Andre.

She would be going first, but, Polarity requested the slot and she did not mind at all. She felt more comforted in watching Andre's interview first, as she's entirely on edge.

She takes a deep breath as Tek Knight gives the signal and the lights turn off.

Here we go...

ɪʟɪᴀɴᴀ's ᴘᴏᴠ

I stand off to the side, listening intently as Tek Knight begins.

"To understand Golden Boy's carnage, we first must understand the man." I narrow my eyes at his words, clenching my hands together before I light his ass up. "And who knew him better, other than his twin sister, Golden Girl, who we will hear from next, than his best friend Andre Anderson?" He introduces. "Andre and his father, superhero and God U trustee Polarity, join us now." I roll my eyes.

He nods to both of them before continuing on. "Well, let me start with the big question: Why did he do it, Andre?"

I see Andre glance over at me before shaking his head. "I don't know."

"I think it's obvious." His dad speaks up. "He couldn't hack it."

"Excuse me?" I snap quietly, crossing my arms.

"Just wasn't strong enough to handle the pressure."

"That's not it." Andre rushes out, quick to defend. I smile. Love you, Magnet. "He was stronger than all of us."

Hell yeah he was.

My smile grows wider as I think about him.

Throwing me in the pool when we were kids because he was stronger than the diving board, giving me a piggy back ride across any bridge or mud because those were just too scary for little Iliana to handle. Making a fort in the living room when it would storm and I couldn't sleep...

I don't even realize I'm crying at all the fond memories until a tear drop hits my shoe.

Luke was the best of us. Of me. God, Luke, you fucking jerk, why did you have to leave me?!

"What did he say to you just before he died?" Tek moves right along, jerking me back to the interview at hand.

I raise my head back up just as Andre glances over at me again. I nod encouragingly

"That, um... That he loved me." Andre answers.

"Mm." Tek eyes him before sniffing the air. What the— "How long have you been eating Golden Boy's girlfriend's hole?" What?! I look completely taken aback by the question, snapping my gaze from him to Andre. "Is that why he blew himself up?"

Andre's brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"You wanted what Golden Boy had." Tek states. What?! That's ridiculous! "His girlfriend. The number one spot. He found out about you and Cate, cracked, am I right?" Knight spills out all once. Andre's breathing picks up as his dad's turns to look at him.

"No, no, no. That didn't happen until..." Andre tries.

Until?!

"So it did happen." Tek confirms.

I shake my head, blinking rapidly as my ears begin to ring.

"I think we should take five." Polarity speaks up.

Luke hasn't even been gone what a week?! And they've been fucking? While I've been miserable? While I've been dying every. single. day?!

"You're a fucking hack." Andre snaps at Tek.

"Andre." His dad warns.

"No, no, no, no camera can hide the fact that you're just, you're just a small man playing fucking hero because you've never been one." Andre spits out before standing. "No, you get treated like a god here." He looks at his dad as he begins ripping off his mic.

I can't breath- I—

My chest feels like it's caving in on me.

"But what kind of hero is too fucking chickenshit to do anything heroic? Fuck this!" Andre yells. "Fuck you! I'm done." He looks over at me and I shake my head, backing further and further away. "No, no, Goldie. Goldie, wait!" He hurries after me but I'm out the door in an instant.

I wouldn't even give all that much of damn, I swear, if they would've just told me. Instead keeping it a secret and fucking behind my back.

I mean, shit, when did they even have time to do that?! Andre's been with me—

That night after we showed Cate the picture of Sam. I left... Today when Andre went to apologize probably...

I rush to the back of one of the buildings, dropping down to my knees on the grass before letting out a scream, sun beams bursting out of body as the sun brightens blindly above...

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!