To Know

Chapter 22

The next day, Seraphina walked outside along a path in an empty courtyard and moved along slowly to her next class – which was in the period after this.

When her eyes snapped up, her heart skipped a beat. Arlo stood ahead in her path at the corner of one of the buildings.

What was he doing here?

She shrugged and began to walk past him, refusing to look at him.

"Seraphina, do you have a minute-?" He waved at her.

"No." She turned away and walked off. She could go another way. Time wasn't precious in this hour.

Footsteps pattered behind her, but she quickened her pace to escape him.

"Hey, wait!" Arlo shouted. He grabbed her shoulder and held her back from going any further. "This is important!"

"Arlo." She glanced back to him. "I don't know what you're tyring to pull, but it's not funny. And I already told you a long time ago that I don't want anything to do with you or the other Royals." She pushed his hand off her shoulder and turned to face him, so she was at a side to him. "There's nothing I can do to help, especially now that I'm powerless.

"Please," she begged. "Just leave me alone."

She turned away and walked ahead. Put enough distance between him and her. Get away.

He didn't follow her.

"John is Joker."

Her eyes snapped open.

He knew that too. Of course he did. John probably lied about Arlo beating him up.

"I need you to talk to him."

"Arlo," she said. She took in a deep breath. John didn't lie that Arlo did take him to the Turf Wars location, but that didn't mean John was entirely honest about events. However, she knew how John was afterwards. She knew it hurt him – that it stabbed deep. "Why did you drag John in to this?"

Her hair swished around her as she turned back and marched up to him. "I'm sick of your games, Arlo! You should have kept John out of this. You've been trying to destroy our friendship as long as I can remember. I get it. You didn't want me to hang out with him. You don't like how I abandoned my title because of him. But even after everything you've done; after all your lies and manipulation; after getting me suspended; then dragging him out to a field and ambushing him; you assume I would agree with whatever you want me to do!"

His eyes went wide.

"He was just minding his own business! What did he do to you that you needed to drag him out to that field to ambush him? You're the King! You're supposed to be above all that!"

He removed silent as a beat of silence passed.

"You didn't help John earlier. Why do you expect me to help you?" she asked.

She looked up, so their eyes met, shinning blue. He continued his silence, a drop of sweat running down his jaw. He was thinking. She didn't care.

She began to turn away from him when he spoke up again. She rested back on her heel and remained in place.

"You knew John had an ability."

"Oh, wow, how did you gather that?" she sarcastically replied.

"You... You... The way you spoke, it sounded like you already knew," he replied. "I realise you would – well, should – not believe me if you didn't suspect something before, or had known about his ability."