The Shrink Program

Chapter 47

Jack was the catalyst.

The reason why I had joined the Hill in the first place.

The King of the Hill was a violent game by nature, but Jack took it way too far.

He was the sort of person who liked to play with his food.

The first time I had met him, crouched over his latest victim, I had run away. I hadn't been ready to confront him, and by the time I did, it was too late.

Jack was a monster.

And he was coming back.

"Maddison?"

I blinked, looking up, and up, tilting my head back to see Nigel's worried expression.

"What?"

He flinched, slightly, but still.

"Are you... Okay?"

His words drew me out of my daze.

"Of course I am, Stupid." I scowled at him, getting to my feet. "It's gonna take more than the return of one murderous psychopath to get me down!"

I'm probably going to be tortured to death by the end of the day, but that Okay!

"Can you say the same for..." Nigel murmured, looking at the empty doorway.

No. The fact that he had left meant Vain was not taking this well at all.

"Enough." I chastened, waving Nigel's concern away. "It's going to be fine.

It's so not going to be fine.

"Jack is back because he took the challenge, yes?"

Nigel nodded, and I sighed.

After being defeated, previous cardholders were immediately expelled from the school. The only way one could come back was to challenge the person who defeated them. They only got one chance, and they would have a week to complete the task.

"So as long as I managed to avoid him, Jack will be sent away this time next week," I said cheerfully.

"... Even I don't think that's realistic Maddison." Nigel said pityingly.

Even the most positive guy I know thinks I'm doomed. Awesome.

"Silence Nigel," I said, hands on hips. "I'm trying to force the Universe to bow down to the strength of my optimism. How else do you think I'm going to survive this?"

Nigel smiled a little, but it was fleeting and half-hearted. After a moment of watching my standoffish behaviour, he opened his mouth to express some sort of concern.... only to have someone else speak first

"Maddison is right. We have no choice but to try and avoid Jack, at least until we can sort out this mess with Apollo." Vain murmured from the door.

"Oh! Ah... back already?" Nigel asked innocently, doing his best to openly stare at the elephant in the room.

He should just take a picture.

"Yes." Vain didn't elaborate.

In the following silence, it became obvious...

Nigel and Vain had no idea how to interact with each other.

"So... You, um... seem kind of calm about things..." Nigel began hesitantly. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't be... But... Considering what Jack did to you..."

"It's fine." Vain interrupted, glaring warningly at Nigel. "Maddison and I have to get going now, or we'll be late."

Polite Conversation: Failed.

"Ah... Okay... Well then... Bye..."

Vain did his best to be friendly and acknowledged the farewell with a small nod.

It was like watching two polar opposites collide and cancel each other out.

"Maddison...." Nigel trailed off when I didn't react.

I was staring intently up at Vain, feeling very uneasy.

It was unusual for him to be so dismissive about something like this.

Underneath his calm exterior, he was a worrier, and a realist, so there was no way he would settle with 'trying to avoid Jack' as a solution.

In the time that he had left the room, Vain had come up with something.

He had a plan, but he didn't want me to know. My stubborn nature urged me to press him to find out what he was thinking. To make him share his troubles with me.

But that was never something Vain and I did. Ever since we were children, we faced our problems alone.

Suddenly, the space between us seemed much bigger.

But I smiled and did what I always do.

I ignored the problem.

"Let's go then." I grinned up at Nigel. "Try not to do anything stupid for a couple of days, Okay?"

"I've lasted this long, right?" He smiled hopefully.

"Barely." I glowered, indicating the hospital bed he was currently lying in.

"...I'm severely injured you know. " He sulked. "The nurses always tell me to be nice to people who are in pain."

I've seen you beat people up with a dislocated shoulder. You get no sympathy. Ever.

"Don't listen to the nurses Nigel. They're biased." I muttered, climbing up onto Vain's hand as he placed it in front of me. "Since they are ones who have to deal with the fallout when you're insensitive to the other patients."

"I've been on my best behaviour!" Nigel defended his honour.

"How many times have they threatened you with the restraints this time?"

"Only once..." He mumbled, staring down at his lap. " If sedation doesn't count... "

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

It's too early in the morning to be dealing with this.

"Just hurry up and get back to school moron."

"Yes, ma'am." Nigel brightened up, winking at me as we turned to leave.

I fumed, cheeks warming.

Idiot.