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I march down the hallway, with every determined step I take I wonder if I'm making a huge mistake. Doubt and anxiety claw at my chest.

I can't— I can't breathe.

Struggling for air, I grip the wall beside me.

"Iliana?" I hear my voice being called out... sounding like I'm underwater. "Iliana? Ilia—"

I swallow, memories of Jordan racing through my mind, and—

"Iliana?" I hand grips my shoulder and I blink, shaking my head I find Marie standing in front of me. "Are you okay?" She looks at me, super concerned.

I clear my throat, quickly straightening up, and she lets go. "Yes, I'm fine— wait, what are you doing here?" I raise a brow, looking at her confused. She was not here a second ago.

"I-uh, I was coming to find you." She breathes out, her voice a bit shaky, putting me on edge. "I was heading to your room, but I found you here. I-I need to talk to you." She's on the verge of tears.

I nod, trying to follow along, until my eyes widen at her neck. "Woah... what- I- oh, so many things are running through my brain at once." My hand shoots up to my temple, and I feel a dull pain near my collarbone, okay, ow.

"Can we talk in your room?" She rushes out, glancing around us... at an empty hall.

"What the hell is wrong?" I snap at her, needing answers asap.

"I'll explain everything— well, what I can, I swear. I just, not out here." She says.

I sigh, arguing with myself over whether or not to take her to my room before letting out a groan. "Okay, fine. This better be good."

I click my tongue as I turn back around... thankfully for an out that my conversation with somebody can wait.

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I quickly shut my door, turning around to face Marie. She still looks panicked and her forehead is covered in a sheet of sweat.

Did she find Rufus??? I kinda forgot about him after my bender and convo with Magnet but...

"Okay, Marie, the floor is yours." I sigh, stepping over, and on, shards of all sorts of glass I move over to shut the blinds, missing the warmth of the daylight already. "And please make it quick, because you're kinda scaring the hell out of me."

I raise my hand up to the strings, once again feeling this small pain. What the hell did I do? Was this while I was drunk or maybe during sex... or--

"I-I found this in my neck." Marie says and I turn around to see her holding her hand out.

"Is that what that is from?" I point to the spot I saw moments ago.

"Yes!" She exasperates.

I step closer to her and see a tiny piece of something covered in blood in her palm.

"Uh, what is that?" I point.

"T-this is all so fucked." She shakes her head. "I-they-"

"Marie!" I raise my voice. "WHAT is that?!"

"This sounds crazy, okay, I know. But they put trackers inside of us." She stresses, her watery eyes meeting mine. "Emma thinks this is bigger than Rufus, she-she thinks it's the school, and-"

"Wait, wait." I stop her, my head spinning so fast I think I'm gonna throw up. "Slow down and rewind please."

She takes a deep breath. "Emma found this t-shirt of a drive-in that guy that ran up to us this morning said they went to together."

"Okay..." I nod slowly, trying to piece everything together.

"And she remembered him saying they made us forget. And she said it this has to bigger than just Rufus, that it has to be the school or something, and-"

"Oh my, God, take a breath." My eyes widen as she says all of that without so much as blinking,

"I'm sorry." She exhales, taking a minute. "I felt something above my collarbone, and I shot this," She holds it up, "In my neck." Her brows knit together. "They put trackers in us, Iliana." Her voice cracks, well crap. "And you were the first person I thought to come to."

"Me?" I look at her oddly. "Why?"

"Because I trust you." She looks at me serious. "I know so much has happened and we don't remember everything, but I do."

I rake my tongue across my teeth. Well, I haven't exactly been the nicest person to Marie since she got here... but the bitch has grown on me. And she's powerful. Cute. But most importantly, she hasn't pissed me off today, and that's quite something.

My head starts to strain as I try my fucking hardest to remember the conversation we had outside of class.

I see us in class, walking in and parting ways- ow, FUCK!

I chuckle. "Well, I can't say I've been the most delightful person on campus since we started." I look down at me feet, tracing a circle with my shoe on the carpet.

"It doesn't matter. You've... lost a lot." She says. "I could learn to be more sensitive." She clears her throat.

I let another laugh. "Admitting things isn't a stronger suit of ours, huh?" I look up at her and she cracks a smile.

"Yeah..." She lets out a small laugh.

"Well, Rufus was talking to Shetty when we found him." I think out loud. "And I haven't trusted her since I started here."

Marie nods. "Yeah. I-I don't trust her either." She frowns in thought. "I can't remember why..."

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "No matter." I wave it off. "Glad we're in agreement." I pause, narrowing my eyes at her neck once again. "You said you felt that above you collarbone?"

"Yeah." She answers.

"I been feeling this dull, annoying pain in that very spot all day." Hmm. I click my tongue, walking over to my full length mirror on my door, one of the only things still in tact in here actually.

"Do you want me to..." Marie trails off as I walk past her.

"No, I got it." I tell her, lost in thought. I ignore the horrible image staring back at me as I move my hair, focusing on just my neck. I push the skin around every which way until finally feeling a tiny piece of something that shouldn't be there. "Son of a--"

My nostrils flare as I spread my fingers out, hovering my palm just above the skin. I breathe in sharply through my nose, pin pointing the tracker inside me and begin cupping my fingers as I squeeze.

I feel my blood start to bubble and before it boils I throw my hand towards the mirror and the tracker shoots out, splattering on the mirror, the glass melts a tiny bit... oops.

"Shit." Marie speaks up, causing me to jolt slightly as I forgot she was there for a minute. She blinks at me through the mirror, looking at the blood and the slightly melted tracker.

"Tried not to melt it into my bloodstream entirely." I tell her, reaching up to pinch it between my fingers I turn to face Marie. "We need to find Cate." I determine, knowing I have no fucking clue what to do now. "She'll know what to do, she always does."

"Oh- okay." Marie nods, mashing her lips together. "Led the way."

Wow, she really does trust me.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I reach for the door, leaving once again with too fucking much on my mind.

This fucking school put goddamn trackers in us?!

Oh, Cate. Please have a plan before I burn this entire school to the ground...

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𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Sigh... Iliana didn't get to have her talk with Jordan... ugh😫

I've been SO excited for this part, & have had it planned for ever, for Marie to go to Iliana first about the tracker!! I just love how far they've came & that Marie trusts Iliana enough!! (But she did cockblock/serious talk block her lmao)

Anddd I wanted Iliana to get out her own tracker, what a queen 😌

Anyways... we all know what happens next so... ugh... prepare yourselves....

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!! I love how confused & frustrated Iliana is lmao. Don't forget to comment your thoughts, reactions, & questions!! See you in the next part, mwauh!