Gift Academy (Book One in the Gifted Series)

Chapter Twenty

Hailey

I hear the worst sound I have ever heard in my entire life at that moment.

"NO!" I hear someone shout from behind me. I whip around and see a sight so horrifying I wish I could become blind so I don't have to witness it. Veronica has a huge chunk of sharp glass shoved into her chest, put there by an unknown Extra, but I know who it is. Long black hair, coal black eyes, looks extremely young. That's Mariah Smith, the girl Fay described to us on our way to the dorm hallways.

And she just murdered Veronica.

Mariah looks horrified, like she couldn't believe what she just did, but I know what she really intended to do. I know what really happened. She tried to kill Fay from behind, but Veronica jumped in the way to save her.

Mariah pulls the bloody piece of glass out of Veronicas chest and runs away, rushing down the steps before anyone can process anything. Veronica falls to the ground, lifeless, her bright yellow shirt symbolizing her loving and caring nature, stained with dark red blood that's going to haunt me worse than this whole stupid war itself.

I peek a glance at Fay, who looks absolutely horrified and depressed, and definitely angry. Wait, scratch that, she looks furious. She looks about ready to kill everyone and demolish every state in the U.S.

Fay falls to her knees in front of Veronica, her eyes still wide open but crystal clear and lifeless. Fay then emits a horrible, blood-curdling scream that causes hundreds of thick green vines to erupt from the ground and knock down everyone- and I mean everyone, including me- in the whole hallway to the ground. Fays scream makes my blood run cold, and she looks so scared and so lost and depressed just the look of her screaming brings tears to my eyes. She looks terrified and completely hopeless.

"Veronica! VERONICA!" Fay cries out to the dead Veronica, shaking her violently, but we all know that she's long gone. But Fay just keeps on trying to wake her up, like she's just sleeping, as hundreds of tears fall down her face. Her cries of agony are enough to make me cover my ears and wish I could be anywhere but here now. I would rather be in hell than hear Fays agonizing cries ever again.

Finally, Flora comes to her senses and jumps to her feet, grabbing Fay by her arms and dragging her away from Veronica. Fay doesn't stop screaming and crying, and I wish I could help her, but I know I can't.

I look back down at Veronica, our ally, our best friend. The sweetest person to ever live. The nice, amazing, kind, and generous Veronica, who was always there for us, and who always helped us, no matter what the task was.

Veronica, lying on the cold, hard ground, blood dripping from her chest and seeping through her shirt, slowly falling to the ground. It's almost impossible to believe it, but we all know it's true.        

Veronica Kylen.

Dead

---

We hold a funeral for Veronica the next weekend. We all showed up in black of course, just like a regular funeral, and we all brought Veronicas favorite flowers: roses, lilies, and poppies.

We all circle her black coffin, slightly decorated with a beaming yellow sun in the center, symbolizing her gift of light, and her amazingly bright personality. She always loved to tell jokes to cheer people up. Not to mention that her last words were a joke. Literally. After we found her, the very last thing she said to us was, 'God it's so dark and dreary over here. You mind stepping away for a second, Hailey?' Her last words were directed towards me. And I feel guilty about that. Her last words should've been to Fay, the girl she sacrificed her life for, not me.

Of course, nobody every brings that up. If anyone brings up Veronicas death at all, Fay would excuse herself and walk away. I followed her once and she led herself into what seemed like an empty hallway, where she silently cried to herself and came back acting as if nothing happened. I told everybody what happened and ordered them to never bring up Veronica in front of Fay every again, let alone blame her for Veronica dying in the first place.

I watch as Fay walks up to Veronicas coffin to give a speech about her. I'm barely listening to it, though, cause I know soon enough that she's going to start crying, and I can't stand to see Fay cry. All I really hear is Fay telling everyone how much of an amazing ally, roommate, and friend Veronica was to her. How she was always so bright, happy, and funny, which is why she seemed like the last one of us to die, but now she's the first. The only part I really listen to is when Fay confesses that it's 'her fault' Veronica died because Veronica sacrificed herself to save her. Before I know it, I catch Fay slipping Veronicas dorm room key right into the flowers on her coffin. The she fast-walks to her seat, right next to Flora, who soothingly rubs her back.

I look down, fiddling with the black dress I wore today. It's a simple yet beautiful knee-length dress along with a pair of black flats. I specifically wore the dress and flats Veronica bought me when we went into town together before Fay and Flora arrived. It seemed like a hundred years ago, but it was just a few months ago we were walking down store and café-lined streets, not a care in the world whatsoever.

I sigh and look back up and realizing that everyone's standing up. The whole academy is here, all the students/Gifted and even the teachers. Veronica is- or was- really popular. I stand up along with them and follow everyone to the Gift Cemetery, which is basically a cemetery about two miles away from Gift Academy, created specifically for the Gifted. When we get there, Fay is the first one to pour dirt when they lower Veronicas coffin into the ground. I sadly watch as I pour some dirt into Veronicas grave as well. All of her close friends and family do it as well, and they finish the job, shoveling dirt into her grave until it's filled up all the way to the top. Veronicas stone is slightly bigger than all the others. It's filled with memories like clothing, jewelry, and small boxes filled with who-knows-what. Everyone else leaves, but I stick around and spot Fay sitting right in front of Veronicas stone. It reads exactly what she wanted it to read. 'Veronica Kylen- Gifted with light, close friend, close family member, and happily Gifted.'

"It's not your fault, you know. It was that Mariah girls fault. She killed Veronica, not you," I try to comfort Fay, sitting down right next to her. She's staring sadly at Veronicas stone, reading it over and over again. Fay nods her head, but she doesn't look at all convinced. I purse my lips and look around. It's a great day weather-wise. Not a cloud in the sky, it's warm and sunny, there's a soft, cool breeze, and the birds are all chirping happily despite the depressing atmosphere. Veronica would've loved it. It's beautiful for a February day.

"Her birthday is tomorrow," Fay suddenly blurts out, surprising me.

"Whose birthday?" I ask her, confused. Fay looks even sadder now.

"Veronicas," she answers, slightly nodding her head to Veronicas stone. It reads her birthday- 'February 13th'. Today is February 12th. Her birthday is tomorrow. Her death day was one week ago- February 6th.

I sigh and stand up, slowly and silently walking back to the academy. I turn back to Fay, who's still sitting on the ground, staring deeply and hopelessly at Veronicas grave- at her stone and at the letters, pictures, and other memories left for her on the dirt covering her.

"You coming?" I ask her softly. Without looking at me, she shakes her head no.

"I'll be there in a minute," she replies. I nod my head, then turn back and continue my slow trek to Gift Academy.

"Don't stay out too late," I tell Fay.

Hopefully she won't.