Dangerous »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

FIFTEEN

FIFTEEN [Blade "Zero" Kiren]

It was Monday. A school day. But what freaked me out most was that I wanted to go. Because of Madisyn? That should have been a reason not to go. So that I wouldn't talk to her, so that I could leave her alone. Leaving her alone was probably the best thing I could do, but I didn't want to. I wanted to hear her talk again. And was it bad that I missed her? Two days without seeing her and I missed her, it was a bad sign. I knew it. But it didn't stop me from going.

Nor did it stop my gut from clenching when I saw her seat empty in Tutor time. I looked to where Lucy was sat, chatting with some girls. She didn't look guilty. Turning to Ryan I knew he knew what I was going to ask before I even said it. "Where is she?"

Ryan sighed heavily, letting the chair that he'd been balancing on it's two back legs rock back onto all four. "Haven't seen her."

And that answer was supposed to be satisfying? I wondered. Shaking my head, I stared at Madisyn's desk as though it would make her appear out of thin air. I knew she wouldn't, but it didn't stop me from staring. It was only as our Tutor entered the room did my stomach hit me again along with the want to leave this room and find her. I stared at the door for a moment before I turned back to Ryan.

"How often is she late?" I demanded.

Ryan clenched his jaw and crossed his arms. "Leave her, Blade."

I felt my eyes narrow on my friend, knowing that he knew my answer. But just as I was about to stand and leave the room to find her, I heard her.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she muttered, dragging in a breath of air.

Hearing snickers around the room, I turned to look at Madisyn. She was dressed in her usual baggy clothes, but instead of having her hair all down, it was in and out of a messy ponytail with... did she have paint in her hair and on her face?

"It's all right, take a seat Miss. Simms," our Tutor responded.

Madisyn did as she was told, still huffing and puffing as she sat in her seat next to me. I could help the smile with how innocent she looked rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hands with paint in her hair and dashed on her face.

"What were doing before you came here?" I wondered out loud.

Madisyn blinked up at me as though she suddenly remembered that I was sat next to her. "I... Um... I was painting last night... then I fell asleep and woke up really late this morning."

I chuckled at that. "What did you do, sleep on the painting? Looks like you've got half of it covering you."

As she flushed red and looked down, I realised that she'd done exactly that. The classroom turned to stare at me as I burst out with laugher. But I mean, come on, how many people fall asleep on a painting that's drying? Shaking my head, I ignored my scolding Tutor and grabbed Madisyn's hand. "Come on."

Grabbing her bag, she followed as I tugged her hand. Pulling her into the same bathroom's we'd come in before, I grabbed some towels and got them damp, telling her to sit on the counter. When she just stood there looked at anything but me, I wrapped an arm around her waist and put her on the counter. Standing in front of her, I started to wipe the paint off, and I tried, I desperately tried not to get distracted by the faint freckles I could see. But with each swipe, I discovered more.

"Um... Blade?"

I blinked as I heard her voice, surprised that she was starting a conversation. And there was a problem, I noticed, I liked her saying my name far too much for it to be normal. "Yeah?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"What did I tell you before?" I almost wanted to kiss her as she frowned– Whoa. Rein in the horse, stamp of the brakes. What. The. Hell. Was. That! Kiss her? Am I kidding? Moving away slightly, I continued. "It only makes you look more vulnerable. Makes people want to hurt you more because they know they'll win."