Graverobber (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Eight-Helena

I stare at my torn up palm, with stitches sealing the skin together. It turns out Alex called 911 after Zaina was knocked out, Susan and Willow were being beaten half to death, and Ali had informed him of my situation. We don't usually use the hospital unless we actually need it. After a night in the hospital and we were all fine, but our parents had to offer a generous 'donation' to Everstole Children's Hospital in order to get it covered up. This stuff happens once in a while, but my parents were surprisingly mad at the whole ordeal. They typically don't care.

I got to take a day off of school, and got to sleep in all day. This didn't make me nearly as happy as I thought it would. Just bitter. I should have led them better, I should have done something else. In the back of my mind, it occurs to me that it's not my fault, that there's something else going on.

Resurrection generally has a fair reputation. As long as it's not Holy Sepulchre, we don't try to beat you up, unless you attack first. Most Graveyards have strong moral codes. I'd always thought Ludicrous was one of them. Until now. Especially that little bitch Emmeline. She's even worse than anyone else of the actual Ludicrous members. She seemed innocent at first, but the way she cruelly grabbed my injuries. She ended up hospitalized as well, it seems. Karma bitch. She got her shoulder nicked by the axe at the last minute. I haven't seen her yet. Which is all for the better. Grave-Defenders and normal kids just don't mix.

But even through the rest of this, the fact that I haven't retrieved the corpse hangs over me. Punity is imminent.

I pace around anxiously. What's going to happen? I know something will.

I pause as I stare out of my rainbow stained window. I laugh. Anxiety. I was momentarily not depressed. Look at me actually giving a shit about life.

"Solution 2 of depression: Be anxious as fuck."

I shake my head as I climb back in bed.

It doesn't matter.

But it does. I know it will be Zaina who's punished not me. I can take anything but Zaina doesn't deserve it. I was the one who failed. As always. But the Contribute thinks it's her who's the leader.

I'm worried. No big event has occurred, but Zaina doesn't seem to be doing well. She still looks tired all the time and constantly complains of wanting to go to sleep. She reminds me of myself from last year—before I got better at hiding it. No wonder everyone was worried for me. But the counselors have learnt to back the hell off when it comes to Grave-Defenders. I used to view that as a good thing, but now I wonder if that's really the case. I repeatedly ask Zaina about the punishment but she brushes me off every time.

Gym is the only class that Zaina and I share. Since my hand still isn't healed yet, and she says she's bruised, we both sit on the bleachers during class.

"I think I understand what you feel now," Zaina tells me one day.

"I wish you didn't," I reply. I look at her slumped f

We head to lunch, and the school is back with the whispers.

"What is it today?" I ask my table.

"The new girl—Emmeline. She's left. She's not in our highschool anymore."

"Good riddance," I say.

"Excuse me?" A low voice says behind me. I spy the pink cat ears. I feel my gang stiffen behind me. I throw them a glance telling them to stay seated.

"Do you need something, Renault." I say rather sharply. The entire Ludicrous gang stands in front of me, with their leader Kyle in the front.

"Bittencourt," the twins shake their heads.