Escape From Wicked End Academy

"Someone's gonna get hurt in this situation, Char," Brian says sternly. "The longer you let it go on, the more pain there will be."

"You think I don't know that," I ask, clenching and unclenching my fists. "Nothing is going to help me right now. I need a way to tell him without hurting him-"

"You cheated on him with his best friend." He stares at me coldly. "It's gonna hurt him. Hell, it's gonna hurt me to know that I helped you to hurt him." I run my hands through my hair, almost ripping some out in the process.

"Can you please not tell me what I already know?" I take deep breaths before calmly walking away. Brian grabs my arm strongly enough that I can't keep walking. I try to push him away but he takes my other hand to hold me in place.

"Charlotte, I am trying to help you, okay? I really am, but you won't let me," he whispers. "Tell him before things go any further."

"Things between who? Me and him-"

"You and Matt and you and me. You need to figure out what you want."

"I can't choose, all right?! I can't!" I yank myself out of his grasp and run past the house into the woods. I hear him running after me so I run faster and faster until I trip over a tree root. I catch myself, but fall to the ground because of how exhausted I am. Only seconds later someone collapses beside me.

"Don't ever run from me again," Brian gasps as he tries to regain his breath. I don't say anything for a few minutes before his breathing is back to normal. "It is four in the fucking morning, you can't just run into the fucking woods," he murmurs, sounding pissed. "I didn't know if I would've been able to find you!" I try to stand up but Brian places both of his hands on my hips and he pulls me down. I fall on to his lap sideways and he wraps his arms all the way around me so I can't try running again.

"Let go," I demand quietly. He ignores me completely.

"Choose, right now," he says. "Me or Matt."

"I already chose-"

"No you didn't. You chose Matt because you were afraid of me. Because you thought I was capable of hurting you like Rodney or your father has." I look away as tears threaten to spill over but he turns my head back with his index finger. "I'm sorry I scared you, but you based your choice on that alone. You know I would never hurt you in any way and you have no reason whatsoever to be afraid of me. So make the choice again."

"I can't do it, Brian-"

"Yes, Charlotte, you can. I know you can. There are so many things that you can do but you never tried. You could probably beat the shit out of Rodney without any help." I smile a little, so he does the same, but it fades only a second later. "You need to. I need to know if I should just move on." I look down and bite my bottom lip.

"Can't this wait," I ask. "Just so I can think about it?" He waits about a minute. He stands and pulls me up with him.

"You have three days."