"We were so concerned about keeping our secret safe that we almost forgot that we weren't the only ones in possession of it."
—me again ha
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H o l l o w s I n
T I M E
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I was completing and utterly shocked. If by 'relationship' Toby meant my past heart-shattering love for my Guardian, then surely it wouldn't be such a big deal right now? I don't love Jameson. Not anymore.

"Surely if the council knew, Jameson would be long gone by now." I raised an eyebrow at Toby, as if testing the viability of his information.

"That's the problem. Zack was under the impression that Owen and those two others know about the secrets, and that they went to the authorities about them, but we aren't sure which secrets they told and which they kept." Toby explained.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Just what I needed, for those secrets in my back garden to be dug up.

"It depends what side they're on." I said, eyes still closed.

"Eden's, or yours." Toby responded.

I shook my head, "Eden's, ours, or the law—and it's impossible to be on the side of all three of those." I laid my chin in the palm of my hands and considered the mess that Jameson and I had created. The mess that we would now have to clean up, one more willingly than the other.

"Three sides for three people." Toby said. "There's a chance that they could all pick different sides."

I nodded, "but that still leaves us with at least one person on our side." Toby looked at me as if I was insane as I suddenly became optimistic.

"See, if someone sides with Eden, it just means more jump scares for me, but how on earth would they work with Eden through the bars of her jail cell?" Toby waved his hand around as if he was crediting me for my reasoning.

"The only side that would have us screwed would be the side of the law. Jameson and I have known from the start what would happen to us if we.." I tiptoed around my words, "got involved."

Toby raised his eyebrows, "so then why did you do it?" He asked.

I shrugged. "We are uneducated fools?" I offered as an answer.

Toby scoffed, "that, I can believe." I gasped and slapped his arm mockingly. As I went to pull my arm away, Toby grabbed onto my hand. I froze.

"Sky, I know you." He began, looking deep into my eyes, "if what you did for me today doesn't justify that then I don't know what will." Flashes of me holding him just moments ago came to mind.

"You are so compassionate, that I think that if there were ever anyone that you found hard to love—then there must be something very wrong." I listened intently, hoping that he could provide me with more answers than my own self could provide.

"Maybe it's just something to think about." I nodded. "You aren't the person to hate someone without a reason." I was baffled by Toby's sudden understanding of me.

"Do you hate him?" Toby asked. I blinked.

"I don't know." I told him honestly.

Toby nodded, "I'm sure you'll figure it out." He reassured me. I smiled.

"That or you'll both get horny and figure it out that way." I snatched my arm out of his grasp as my eyes widened at his repulsive comment. I slapped his arm again as he cackled unashamedly.

"Right," I announced, scooting out of my chair. "I'm leaving before I'm either infected by the dust or infected by you." I retorted and Toby laughed, unless he never stopped laughing in the first place.

And so we set off, leaving the abandoned library with a ton of tears and laughter to admire whilst we were gone. I'd bet the library had never seen such a good day.

Once we neared my dorm room, we started to slow down; I think that it was obvious that I wouldn't be walking Toby to his dorm. I pulled Toby to a stop just outside Bria and Jonah's room. He gave me a curious look.

"Does Jameson know about these secrets leaking?" I asked him in a hushed tone, conscious that we had Guardians enclosed in rooms, always listening for any sign of an intrusion, like eagles circling their prey.

Toby shrugged, "that's a question that you'll have to ask him." He told me in an equally as a hushed tone. I nodded and we continued to walk. As we reached my room, he turned to give me a wave. I reached out to grab his wrist.

I looked into his eyes, "it will get better." I promised. Toby stared back at me. "Remember that I'm always here." I assured him with a reassuring glance, and Toby nodded. I smiled at him and he turned around and left.

I sighed.
Back to complications.

I turned the door handle and stepped into the room. Jameson wasn't in my room. That means that he either isn't tense, or that he isn't stalking me anymore.

I closed the door behind me, shed my coat and slid off my shoes. I pattered over to Jameson's room, of which was closed off by his door as it stood ajar. I pushed it open slowly. Jameson was facing the investigation board, but—despite the fact that I made no noise—he was no longer as he turned to face me. He was holding a sticky note and a black pin.

"Sky." He spoke and I smiled, inviting myself into his room, looking at the investigation board, which seemed to be growing infinitely.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, almost nervously.

"I wanted to tell you something." I told him without looking at him, my gaze still fixated on the board. I looked from the note in his hands to the board.

"What's going on?" I asked. Jameson sighed and looked at the board.

"I'm trying to solve a well-embedded mystery." He leaned into his desk.

I came to his side, arms crossed over my chest, "on your own?" I asked. Jameson smiled, his eyes flicking up to mine.

He straightened up, "I'm used to doing things on my own."

I pulled a face, "that's not a very nice thing to get used to." I commented, when, really, I was a hypocrite. I have gotten used to much worse stuff.

"Well, I need a break." He ignored my comment, placing the pin and the note on the desk.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" He asked, something flashing in his eyes as he offered me a seat. I sat on his desk chair whilst he pulled over a stool from the corner of the room. I sighed.

"Do you know what Eden did before she left?" I asked. Jameson frowned.

"Said a prayer because she knew she was going to hell?" I choked on my laughter, but managed calm down enough to shake my head at him.

Jameson smiled at me as I sobered up. "She unleashed some secrets. And now the Guardian council may or may not know about our previous.." I trailed off. "..relationship."

Jameson's eyes burst out of their sockets.

"What?" He spluttered. So I explained.

One whole story later, Jameson was pacing around his room like he was preparing for some fifty kilometre marathon.

"So they know about our relationship?" He asked, completing another lap.

"Possibly." Jameson cast me a strange look but continued to pace around.

"And who were the three?" He asked. I pulled out the random receipt, which had the three names scrawled down in my handwriting, and handed it to Jameson. He stopped momentarily to read it.

"Mel?" He asked, glancing up at me.

"What?" I frowned, shifting so that I was reading over Jameson's shoulder. He pointed to the name 'Amelia Brown'.

"Mel, Avery's Guardian." He told.

"You have got to be kidding me." I muttered under my breath.

"Well maybe it's a good thing, perhaps Mel will take our side since–"

Jameson's voice broke off terribly.

"–Jonah?" His voice was quiet and gruff. I took a few steps back cautiously. And as his fist clenched, I knew that there would be no stopping the storm that was my war-glorified Guardian.

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I

SHIP

SKYSON

SM

F ME

OKAY

ME READING THIS AND SOBBING BC JAMESON MADE A JOKE WHAT EVEN IS LIFE

But skyson is still dead

Rip

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Next update: see you later
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO SPOILER:

Missing the action?

No problem.

Shouts, shoves and punches await you on the other side.

But who's your opponent, again?