^ ;) ^

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H o l l o w s I n
T I M E
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I stared.

But it wasn't long before I felt an overwhelming rush of pure hatred.

I threw him a glare before ripping my box off of the side and stalking off.

"Look, I know you don't exactly want to talk to me–"

"I don't exactly want to see you, either." I snapped back as I exited the warehouse with Jace hot on my heels.

"Okay, I deserve that–"

"Yes, yes you do." As much as I was enjoying back-chatting him, I just wish that he would go away.

"–what I did, I was a coward. I never should have ran." He said next, seeming to be quite able at catching up to me—despite my mad rush to get away.

I stopped in my tracks, making Jace screech to a halt.

"You kissed me." I spat, making sure to lower my voice since it was suddenly dinner rush; there were a lot of people breezing past who could hear our conversation.

Jace sucked in a breath. "I did."

"Why?" I demanded, my eyes piercing into his. He blanched. I stepped forward, placing myself just inches away from him, a trait which I had probably picked up from Alexi—spending nearly half of your life with someone will do that to you.

"Why did you run?" I asked next. "Do you have any idea how that felt?" I shot at him, my voice raising, catching the attention of some by-passers.

Jace didn't say anything. But maybe that had something to do with my proximity.

So, I reached out, swung, and slapped him right in the face.

I don't exactly know why I did it, but it felt good. I felt as it released that pent up anger. Though, Jace wasn't in a very good position. His experience was a lot less thrilling. A red mark soon appeared on his cheek, and I suspected that it was stinging with pain, much like my numbed palm was.

"Ow." Jace muttered, pressing his hand to the side of his face.

I stepped back and took in what I had just done, glancing between my hand and Jace's face feeling dumbfounded and shocked. But then a large grin broke out on my face.

"Wow," I breathed. "Can I do that again?" I gushed.

Jace's head snapped up, his eyes wide with panic. He shook his head, "I don't think that'd be healthy." He told me.

I scoffed. "You're only saying that because you're a coward." I threw his own words back at him with great satisfaction before swivelling around and sauntering off. I think my ego was also boosted, but we won't talk about that.

Jace caught up to me. "Okay, I deserved that too–"

"–yes, you did—would you like another one?" I offered, turning my head to see Jace staring at me as if I were delusional.

We entered the dorm corridors and silence fell. I respected that Jace would willingly let it stay that way, and I wanted to keep my pride, but Jace was the only one who could have information at this time.

"So, do you have any idea what's going on?" I asked Jace. I felt him glance at me, but I didn't meet his gaze.

"Not really, Alexi called me and told me to meet you and take you back your dorm–"

"So that you can look after me?" I asked, not happy that Lexi thought that I needed a babysitter.

"I'm actually not too sure. I think she wants to talk to me."

I scoffed. Jace shot me a questioning glance, which I shook my head at. "Lexi doesn't 'want' to talk to anyone, you have to be the one to talk to her." I told him, a small, amused smile on my lips.

"Well, then maybe it's important." He told me. I pondered this for a while. That could be entirely possible, especially with Jameson involved.

Silence followed our conversation, once more, and as we neared my dorm, it became apparent that I'd probably have to talk to him. All I knew was that if the door wasn't left unlocked for us, we were screwed—I didn't have a spare key on me.

Jace looked at me expectantly as we reached the dorm. When I didn't do anything, a look of sudden realisation washed over his features. "Please tell me you have the keys, and that this is just a momentary delay." He almost pleaded. I shook my head slowly.

Then I got a text.

I frowned as I saw who it was from—Alexi. Is she psychic?

'Keys make great pizza toppings. P.S. Sorry we ruined the spare key. Xoxo'

I took one look at the text and let out a frustrated sigh. I balanced the pizza box on my left arm so that I could pull up the lift. And lo and behold, just beside the pizza crust, was the spare key. I glared at it for a few seconds, attracting Jace's attention so that he shifted to look over my shoulder. He laughed, so I turned to focus my glare on him. When he backed away, I plucked the key from the box with a sigh.

"Clever." Jace commented. I rolled my eyes as I unlocked the door.

"Don't touch anything." I warned him. Jace didn't reply, but I felt the tension coat the room.

Then I heard him suck in a breath. I was midway through setting down my pizza on the window seat, and so had a delayed reaction.

I turned just as he said, "Wow. That's a nice dress." I frowned at him, before following his gaze over to the red garment that still hung—beautifully untouched—on my wardrobe.

It reminded me blissfully of the moments that had occurred beforehand. Jameson's lips on mine. The belonging within our souls. The way we just fit.

"..for the Ball—either one of them? Did you buy it yourself, or did someone else get it for you as a gift?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by Jace, and it took me a moment to comprehend what was happening, or what Jace was asking me. I realised then that I had been tracing my lips with my index finger, thinking back to my earlier solace with Jameson.

It seemed so far away now.

But Jace didn't know any of that. So I cleared my throat and tried to act normal.

"I'm wearing it for the Crystal Ball," I told Jace, but when he gave me a confused glance, I had to correct myself. "The Christmas Ball." I told him, watching as understanding clouded the glass of his Northern Lights eyes. They were a sky of blue and green colours.

But Jameson's were a galaxy. A deep blue galaxy, full of glittering stars when they caught the light, or when he was in a certain mood.

"What do you think of my eyes?" I suddenly asked. I could have asked anyone the question, but I stupidly asked Jace.

Jace frowned. "What?"

"I've been thinking of eyes lately, the colours and stuff—what do you think of my eyes?" I asked him. We weren't at all close, but Jace had started to walk over to me whilst I had been in my Jameson trance. We were about a metre apart.

Jace ever-so-casually closed the gap to put his pizza order down on the seat, but when he looked back up, we were inches from touching.

Suddenly, Jameson didn't exist.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, he was there. But Jace was all-consuming. Too consuming.

The edges of Jace's lips rose as his eyes met mine. "Your eyes are very beautiful," my breath caught. "I think they're kind of similar to mine, but mine aren't half as good to look at as yours are." I could have disagreed, but I suddenly didn't know how to talk. All I knew was his Northern Lights eyes.

"They're a deep midnight blue, but with a gold centre that almost appears as emerald. A light emerald." He took a step back. "They're very beautiful." I had a feeling he had stepped back in respect of my personal space, but I had to wonder if it was for his own restraint. He had kissed me.

With nothing else to say, I apparently decided it would be best to speak in tongues. "Jameson bought me the dress." The wonder and light in Jace's eyes soon faded, as if someone had cast a shadow in them.

He admired the dress for a few seconds. "It's nice—are you going to the Ball with him?" He asked next.

I froze.

I shouldn't have told him that Jameson bought the dress. What if he tells the authorities about us when he figures it out? Like Bria said she would.

I shook my head quickly. "I don't have a date." I told him. The light didn't return to his eyes, but the edges of his lips did upturn again.

"Maybe I'll see you there." He said, moving his pizza box so that he could sit down.

I stared. "You're going?" I asked. "Wait," I watched him open his pizza box. "Did you just ask me to be your date?" I asked him. Midway through biting into his pizza, Jace stared up at me in shock and panic.

I laughed and sat down, opening up my box and breaking off a slice.

"I guess I'll see you there." I told him, watching his face relax, and his eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips, and then back again, as if they couldn't decide which was more worthy of his attention.

And that's when the door swung open. I jumped away from Jace as it hit the wall with a great force. And there stood Alexi and Jameson, gasping for breath as they almost stumbled into the room.

Lexi beckoned us over, whilst Jameson frowned at mine and Jace's seating arrangement. Or maybe he had caught us gazing at each other moments before. A look of hurt suddenly flashed over his face. But then he turned away and walked into his room.

"We need to have one last meeting." Lexi said, still beckoning us into Jameson's room.

"Last?" I repeated with confusion, throwing Jace a questioning glance, who looked just as puzzled as I felt.

We stood up and met Lexi at the threshold of Jameson's room.

"Welcome to our last ever meeting in this meeting room."

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...

Yeah basically they're doing DIY SOS on the Academy so like please get the fuck out

K angry much

Okay let's just

Assess

So

1) we have Jace back
2) SKYSON ARE ZE THING but jealousy and Sky forgets about him ?? Casual
3) Lexi is a frickin icon
4) pizza
5) they have meetings in Jameson's room with the map/investigation board
6) but they're having one last meeting ??
7) what say

-I wrote too much ^^

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Next update: MONDAY BECAUSE ANNIVERSARY
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CHAPTER NINETY-THREE SPOILER:

It's here.

The revolution is starting.

THE FINAL CHAPTER IS:
10 chapters away