♧chapter fourteen

"Oh shit that's Vella!" Audra shots as she runs to the side of her bed to get the gun.

"Woah , Audra where did you get a gun?" Ballele says a smile growing on her face.

"Who's Vella?" Margot says standing up and looking at Audra, getting territorial.

Audra dodges the questions as she opens the window with her handgun and steps out, looking for Vella. Margot, Regan, Chelle, Jared and Ballele follow her as the rest of the group stays back incase anything happens. Audra runs as fast as she can to the screaming she hears must be Vella. She finds her being held by someone very tall and with a gun to her head. Audra points the gun to the person holding Vella.

"Let her go or I'll shoot you, right now!" She says circling the person.

"She's not needed, she's just a girl who lives in the walls! You should be pointing that gun at he-" The figure says just as Audra shoots them.

Audra looks at Vella who has Blood on her face and helps her up. Vella looks at Audra who looks just as terrified as she does. Vella takes the gun out of her hand and hugs her.Audra is paralyzed as to what she's just done. She just killed someone one, their life is over.

"I owe you my life, Audra. I can't thank you enough." She says still hugging her.

'I dont know why I did that. I just-" Audra searches for other words to use besides 'i just killed someone'

"Saved my life, I will be forever grateful." Vella says loosening her grip on her. She looks up at Audra who is speechless. Audra looks at her with a blank face.

"We should get you checked out, who knows what bruises you might have." Audra says but cuts herself off when she sees Vella shifting her body.

"In the academy? Are you crazy?" She says her eyes widening in fear.

"No, You might be hurt and-" Vella interrupts her by touching underneath her nose. She looks at her own fingers and her faces shows sympathy

"Audra you're bleeding!" Vella says showing her the blood from her nose. Audra looks at Vella's fingers swearing she almost saw two fingers. She stumbles on a tree as she tries to catch herself. She starts shaking and sweating at once.

"I'm gonna help you there, alright?" Vella says as she puts her arms around her and picks up Audra. She walks to her group of friends "She needs help!"

Jared takes Audra out of Vella's arms and puts her in his arms and starts jogging to the infirmary. As soon as he gets there he bursts through the door and lays her down on a wheelie. A few nurses come in and start checking her pulse as Jared steps back. In three minutes the whole group is in the infirmary trying to check on Audra. A nurse comes to talk to the group.

"She's alright, her breath is stabilizing and she's not shaking anymore and her sweats are slowing down." The nurse says looking at Jared.

"What's going on with her she's not sick right?" Regan asks shaking himself to stay calm

"No, she just seems to have a lot of anxiety and stress, her letting it build up-" Margot interrupts the nurse.

"She has no control over whether it builds up or not. It's this academy and it's ways that make her like this. It's not her fault." She says screaming at the nurse Regan pulls her into the hallway and talks to her.

"Um, Young man, if you want to see her you can go now.She'll be discharged in the morning." The nurse says looking at Jared.

Jared walks to the little divided room that Audra is in. She's sitting up with tears on her cheek.

"Do you feel alright, you're not still like-" Jared says looking at her like he's been through intense pain.

"I'm good, just tired,I think I'm gonna go to sleep." Audra says fake closing her eyes and laying back.

"Why are you lying? You know you don't want to go to sleep, because you'll be more scared than you are now." Jared says crossing his arms

"Maybe my life has gotten to the point where It's scarier than my dreams." Audra says turning to her side.

"Well, you can figure that one out by yourself. I think other people want to see you, I'll go." Jared says flicking the divider and letting in Margot and Regan, who are holding hands.

Margot comes by Audra's side, as Regan lets go of her hand. Audra looks at her and then back at Regan. Margot shakes her head as Regan gets closer.

"Audra why are you stressed out? Actually I know the answer. It's because you're taking on everything for yourself. Let us take some of the problems." Regan says trying to smile at her.

"The day I do that is probably because their little problems like having to do my chores for a week." Audra says chuckling and letting out a fake yawn

"Alright. I think you should get some rest, you'll be out and annoying us in the morning." Margot says fixing Audra's hair while turning to leave.

"I will, see you then." Audra says closing her eyes as if she's going to sleep.

Margot and Regan leave the room. Audra opens her eyes and looks around her. How the hell did she end up here? What was this academy doing to her?

"Great Audra, now everyone won't be off your back about this. How the hell did I get myself into this one?" She says talking to herself in a low voice.

Audra turns to her side and tries to think of other things but all she can think about is Jared being mad at her. Why was he mad at her? Could he tell that she was pushing him away? It's not like she was doing it to be a bitch, she's gonna have to do it to all of them. Bringing them into this when they have perfectly good lives is wrong. Why did she even have this stupid idea in the first place? Audra closes her eyes. In a perfect life she could have been with her mom, dad, Regan and her little sister. Happy, alive and together. But in a perfect world she would have never met Margot or the twins or anyone here at the academy. The sooner she can get them away from this problem and from her the better. Maybe she can get them out of the academy, of course that would be a very hard ball to pitch but it could work. Get them out and safe with their families. Audra hears thudding coming from the outside of her space. Not only thudding but something dropping, something like bodies.