Troublemaker

15. SELF-TORTURE

Happy, happier, happiest. Levels of happiness. But at each level, you still feel joy. Sad, sadder, saddest. Levels of sadness. In each level, you get sadder. Neutral? More neutral? Mixed? What's the name of that feeling? That feeling that doesn't have levels and you're just flat. You're just breathing and existing. What is that feeling? It's not numbness, it's not excitement, it's not even classified as neutral. A feeling that you can't explain, because you happen to just exist.

But something. Something caught his attention. Black smoke, behind Nadia. He flustered.

The smoke would get less and smaller when it meant that death was close, and Nadia's black smoke was quite small compared to that of Eric's. He nearly missed it.

Ashton froze instantly, unable to say a word. But his mind was running, he thought, and he might not have felt what Jayce felt, but he could help her prevent this woman from triggering her. He decided to not talk about the black smoke.

"I'm sorry who?" he asked, confused, "I don't know a Jayce or Amber Brooks here,"

"Really? This is Syville Boarding School, right?" Nadia asked softly, "My daughter told me that they both should be here,"

Ashton raised a brow, confused, "Your daughter-?"

"Mom!" a voice exclaimed from behind Nadia.

Ashton flinched at the voice. Amber.

She bolted from behind and hugged Nadia, "I missed you so much,"

Nadia hugged her daughter back tightly, "I missed you so much," her face was a mix of guilt and worry.

"Amber-" Ashton was staggered. She did it.

Amber gave Ashton a look, then turned into a smile, "Where's Jayce?" she immediately asked.

Ashton glared at her, "I'm sorry, I don't know who that is. And I have class, excuse me," he turned around and used the same janitor stairs to follow Jayce.

"Hold on," Amber broke in, Ashton scowled and sighed in reply. Amber looked back to her mother first, "Mom, go to the canteen first, we have class, I'll bring Jayce when it's over, it won't be long," she smiled sweetly and Nadia left to the canteen.

"Why?" Ashton immediately asked.

"Why what?" Amber asked back.

"You brought your mother here?" he asked, "Even though you knew Jayce had trauma because of her?"

"Get rid of that word 'trauma'. It's just a painful memory," Amber said.

"What?"

"I enjoy seeing Jayce suffer after what happened these few weeks," she said, "I don't care, I miss my mother,"

"I know you do, but you didn't have to bring her here," Ashton said, "Jayce never prevented you from seeing your mother,"

"But she made me live the lie that my mother was Izzie Brooks. She neglected our birth mother,"

"Jayce had a reason, Jayce protected you, Jayce loved you and with that love for you, she did everything for you. The day of the paired-lab worksheet, she could've gotten plus points for her scores that were going low but she chose to give it to you. She knew that if she didn't let your mother abuse her instead of you, you would be traumatized which she didn't want. She knew that she didn't want you to get hurt by anyone's actions and now that she's just trying to do something for herself, she can't do that because of you?" Ashton yelled, "She loves you and you've been ungrateful for that. Jayce loves you so much and you keep acting as if all her mistakes can't be forgiven over a boy you can't have. How selfish are you for that, for goodness sake?" he groaned, picking up the papers that fell.