• Smooth Criminal • Sebastian Smythe-BOOK ONE✔

t h i r t y - s i x

-This chapter deserves a trigger warning-

Blaine had invited Kurt, Marina, and Arabella to the auditorium to sing a song he had thought they could use at Regionals. "You okay? You seemed upset. And if Sebastian thinks..." Kurt had begun, but Blaine cut him off.

"Forget about Sebastian!" Blaine breathed out, confusing the three for a second. "I'm not mad at you. I just don't want to waste any more time on him. I-I want to focus on winning. I've got a new song I want to try out. The theme for Regionals is 'Inspiration,' and I think this fits the bill. You want to hear it?"

The trio sat down as Blaine stood at the microphone, beginning to sing softly.

During Blaine's performance, Marina's phone buzzed. Marina curiously looked at her phone, her eyes widening at the message.

BEAR CUB: I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry.

Marina nudged Arabella, showing her the message before the blonde told her to go. So, Marina rushed out of the auditorium, ringing Dave's house phone repeatedly, it going to voicemail every time. She sighed, ringing it once more. It answered. "Hello, this is Paul Karofsky." Marina breathed hastily.

"I think Dave's about to commit suicide." Marina rushed out, "He just sent me a message saying he can't take anything anymore. I'll ring an ambulance." The boy's father breathed out before hanging up, rushing to his son as Marina looked at the message before ringing an ambulance.

She then looked at the boy's Facebook page. Marina gasped, a tear falling down her cheek at all of the hateful comments on the boy's page. She checked the profiles, seeing that they were all boys from the same school. Marina assumed Dave went there too.

Marina wouldn't regret her next move. Calling Sebastian, the boy who had drove the girls to school that morning. Telling her about Dave, before telling him to get his arse to McKinley. Marina was waiting in the parking lot, practically running into his car when he arrived and giving him the location of the school.

When Marina arrived in the school, she told Sebastian to stay in the car before walking in, going to the locker room where she knew the boys would be. Marina stretched her arms before walking in, going straight to a blonde named Nick. "You know Karofsky?" She asked. The boy nodded, smirking.

"Yeah." He laughed. "I know him."

Marina hissed. "Well, I hope you know what you've caused him to do." She then looked to all the boys in the room. "I hope you all know what you've caused him to do!" Marina then darted towards Nick, immediately swinging her fist, hitting the boy in the jaw. The force was so violent his face swung to the side. He regained his bearings before lunging towards Marina.

Marina dodged, grabbing the boy's arm, and twirling him around before pushing him into the lockers behind him. She didn't stop punching him, the boy's face red and bruised. Marina's knuckles were red raw, blood surrounding them. He was on the floor in pain, but Marina didn't stop until a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her away from the cowering boy.

"Reenie, stop." Sebastian whispered.

"Why? Why should I stop? He didn't!" Marina shrieked as Nick ever so slightly raised his head.

"I'm pressing charges."

"Do it!" Marina yelled as Sebastian dragged the now-sobbing girl into the car, holding the girl in his embrace and whispering calming words into her ear. Marina had eventually cried herself to sleep, not waking up until the next day.

Nick had somehow already managed to press charges, so Marina sat in a room with her uncles, Sebastian's mother, and Thad's father. "We can get him to drop everything." Mrs. Smythe said kindly to the girl whose eyes were red and puffy, lips still trembling. Alongside the array of scars on her face were now the beginnings of scars on her knuckles.

"He deserved it, Mrs. Smythe, Mr. Hardwood. Seriously, Bobby, Edward." Marina said to the group.

"What did he do?" Mr. Hardwood asked, calmly looking to the girl.

"He was the main cause of Dave Karofsky's attempted suicide." All four adults in the room exchanged wide-eyed glances. Nearly everyone knew about the boy, less knowing it was Marina who helped find him. The adults did, though. The boy's attempt also hit hard with the four adults. Mrs. Smythe had Sebastian, her gay son, Mr. Hardwood had Thad, his bi-curious son, Bobby had both Marina and Scandals, and Edward had Marina and all of them had the students of Dalton in mind.

"We're getting him to drop everything, Marina." Mr. Hardwood said sternly.

Sebastian had brought Marina and Arabella to the Lima Bean, telling the pair they were meeting with Santana, Brittany, Kurt, and Blaine. Arabella was sat on the chair beside Sebastian, helping the boy quickly study before they came as Marina sat on Sebastian's lap, her arms around his neck as she held onto her anchor, the boy keeping her from breaking down.

When the four came, Santana sat down and looked at Sebastian. "Let me break it down for you, from one bitch to another. All this vicious, underhanded crap has got to stop."

"Exactly." Sebastian gently ran his fingers through Marina's hair as he spoke. "That's why I called you here. First of all, Blaine, I am sorry about your eye."

Blaine shook his head. "That means nothing to me."

Sebastian continued. "Just give me a chance. I have no excuses, other than a lame prank got completely out of control. Second, the Finn photos have all been destroyed."

Marina weakly raised her head, her voice raspy. "Sebby only made one and destroyed it before he even handed it to Rachel."

Sebastian nodded. "I want the Warblers to win fair and square. And we're gonna take donations for Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation. Win, lose, or draw, we're gonna dedicate our performance to Dave Karofsky. I thought you might want to join us."

"Wait for the punch, you know it's coming." Kurt whispered to Blaine.

Sebastian shook his head. "No, not this time. For too long I have treated everything like a big joke." Sebastian held Marina tighter. "It's all fun and games until it's not."