The Flames that Engulfed Us

Chapter 22: Snitches Get Stitches

Kassidy smiled at us. "Well, I've got to go. I'll see you guys later."

I nodded, watching as she moved happily through the door. Lincoln's arm was still around me, and I wasn't about to change that. I needed him to be with me. His mother sat on the other side of him, all of us facing Gary.

"Why," she looked up at him. "I know you're not human, so you don't have human empathy, but why?"

It's not personal, he tried to placate, it's just a job.

"And it's not me. It's just my son." She spat sarcastically. "I don't care. Why?"

I'm not human, as you already said. I'm designed for one thing, and I really don't understand the need to try to make me feel guilty. I'm physically unable to.

I put my arm up and did a fake cough thing. I was planning to use it to mask a blatant statement about what a load of crap that was, but when his blankness turned on me, I just kind of sputtered out.

"Allergies," I excused myself weakly.

No one said anything after that for a while, until I looked up again. "You said you have a boss. Who?"

I believe you've already met him. He's the one who runs everything, including introducing the dead. He's even spoken directly to you, multiple times. I believe you call him Mr. Devil.

I nodded. That made sense, but hadn't he introduced Gary? That didn't change anything.

"You said you were breaking the rules. Where they his rules?" Lincoln asked.

They were, but I don't see how it matters to you. You do realize how slim the chances are that he'd even care about my transgressions.

I smiled. We had the upper hand. "Mr. Devil," I called into the air, "appear out of thin air or whatever it is you do."

Gary didn't make a move to do anything. "Sky," Lincoln's mother whispered, "I don't think that's the way it works."

"It actually is the way it works," the familiar voice echoed from the back of the room. 

I turned my head. "Mr. Devil!"

He tipped his head. "Good morning, Skylar."

Lincoln didn't seem so happy to see him again. "You lied." he stated, "You lied when you told me nothing would hurt her. Why would you lie about that?"

"Lie?" He asked looking genuinely confused. "No one's allowed to harm any Angel, but who would be stupid enough to hurt Skylar? And if anyone did, she has multiple people who would make that person's life miserable for their deed."

The Devil met my glance. "Who? Who would do such a thing?"

Gary didn't look the least bit concerned. That was disturbing. And Gary still scared the crap out of me. I didn't look at anyone anymore, just sinking into Lincoln.

"What good is anything I say going to do?" I groaned.

"Tell me," Mr. Devil insisted.

Snitches get stitches.

I had rightfully earned myself a reputation of goody two shoes, and it'd made me a favorite of the teachers, but not too popular with many of the other kids. In grade school, only the other girls, the teacher's pets, would even dream of talking to me. By middle school, I figured out that if I was funny and not hideous, the boys would laugh and not shun me. I wasn't unpopular then, but I wasn't the most visible person either. I was always the nice girl. Even in high school, I tried to do the right things, but I couldn't be really that bad. I wasn't mean. I didn't break rules for no reason. And then there was Lincoln. He was the complete opposite, and somehow, we had a conversation that led to another conversation. The whole thing just had a domino effect that left me with the boyfriend I never really dreamed I'd ever have. He took me out for ice cream in the summer, all the way until the shops closed. I was suddenly a part of his friend group, the people that had always made me uneasy and scared. We talked, and they thought I was funny.

Naturally, I always studied what they deemed to be too much, but when they needed help academically, and I was the only thing standing between them and a big fat F, they didn't complain. I started to fit naturally, something I don't think anyone expected from me really.

That was my sophomore year. It didn't really start until the start of senior year that they all went to parties and got drunk. Naturally, they wanted me, their sweet little friend to tag along. Once or twice, Lincoln and I drove the whole drunk lot of them home. Drunk people are not made more pleasant by close quarters and increased number. I started doing schoolwork and going on dates instead.

In all honesty, I don't think they really cared that I never went. They knew me, and they knew I'd only ruin their fun. What they did care about was how Lincoln and I always had a date at the exact same time. Sometimes they made messes. The next day they'd tell me about it, and I'd just listen and give them advice they almost exclusively ignored.

All throughout the time I knew them, they all got into trouble. At least one of them always had detention that they didn't show up for. Even Lincoln. But he was the best thing I had, and I never once told anyone. Part of it was because of that understanding that snitches get stitches. But part of it was because I needed them all to like me. They were my friends. And if I scared them away, I would be back to laughing at every single word, whether it was a joke or not, alone.

Now, however, I wasn't afraid of that. I was afraid of Gary, and the old habit of silence didn't feel like it needed broken. And I got the feeling that the stitches wouldn't only be for me, and they wouldn't be as healing as stitches.

"Skylar?"

"Yeah. I know. I, I." The words were stuck. Maybe he would really make it all go away. Or maybe he would make it all so much worse.

Lincoln leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Do you want me to say it?"

I shook my head. Snitches get stitches.

"Sky," he soothed, "I can say whatever you want for you. No one here will let him hurt you again. Do you hear me? None of us."

"Skylar, it's alright. You can say it."

But that's the thing. It wasn't alright, and I couldn't really say it. The words wouldn't come out.

"The Faceless One." It wasn't me that said it. It wasn't Lincoln. All that left was his mother.

The Devil spoke angerly, but I didn't hear as a wave of pain hit me. The Devil and Lincoln's mother had all their attention on Gary and didn't notice me, but Lincoln's arms were around me.

I couldn't see. I let my eyes roll up into the back of my head and slumped into his arms. The world disappeared. It went mute, so all that proved that it existed was Lincoln cradling me. Then, even that faded.