Page 15 of Eternal

She balls her hands into fists and shakes them like she’s cheering for me, and I wish I shared her enthusiasm.

“Can’t wait.” I clutch the folder to my chest.

“I have an appointment to get to, but how exciting you’ll have a friend with you for the summer. I hope you have fun.”

Fun. Not the word I would use.

“Mm-hmm.” I grit my teeth, turning to leave.

The hallway is tighter this time as I walk through it. The walls feel like they’re closing in. I can barely breathe as I make my way through the lobby, stepping out into the courtyard and fighting for a breath.

Declan Pierce, Congratulations.

He’s up to something, and there’s no more avoiding it. As much as I’d like to ignore him until he loses interest, that’s not going to happen anytime soon if we’re attending the same summer program.

That is unless I strangle him or stab him to death with a paintbrush first.

Better yet, maybe I’ll drown him in paint.

Whatever game he thinks he’s playing, he won’t win. He might know my secrets, but I also know a few of his. This isn’t over.

Far from it.

5

You Got My Message

Declan

The smell of paintfills the air.

Music drowns out all other sounds.

Teal’s studio is as disorderly as she is, and I’m sure that’s how she prefers it. She strikes me as someone who surrounds herself in overstimulation to avoid what she’ll have to face if it’s silent.

As I walk through the door, I spot her phone hooked up to a speaker, so I tug the cord to cut the music.

The moment I do, Teal spins around to find out what happened.

Her wide green eyes slowly narrow when she sees me, her rage melting any hint of fear from her face. Her cheeks tint a shade warmer than her naturally pale complexion, and I’m curious what her skin would look like decorated from me marking her.

Her multicolored hair is half tied up in a messy bun, with the rest falling around her shoulders. Bubblegum-pink and baby-blue strands fall around her face. Her hair is more blonde than anything else lately, but there are a few fresh strands of purple throughout.

The silence in her studio gives away the hitch of her breath when she spots me. A decibel that has me wondering what it would take to make her scream.

I can’t help it.

It’s comforting causing other people pain. And Teal drives me so fucking wild I’d like to chain her up in the Sigma House basement and see what it would take to make her officially break.

Most people don’t give much thought to Tealene Donovan. In grade school, they used her quirks as an excuse to pick on her, but here at Briar, she manages to remain mostly invisible. Apart from her sporadic meltdowns when someone annoys her or pisses her off, she stays under the radar.

She’s quiet.

A shut-in.

She isolates herself on a daily basis.

I’ve often wondered if that’s why she’s always dyeing her hair a hundred different colors. Hoping someday she’ll become part of the art she creates.