Octoberwood

Chapter Fourteen
“Isolation”

It had been three months since coming here to Rebellion. Things ran differently here. Classes were focused mostly on combat. Both with magic and without. Any other classes were held during weekends for people who wanted to sign up. The only mandatory classes where the basics Math, History and Science. Those classes were held after dinner time on weekdays. After what happened with Brian in the hall the others were distancing themselves from me. I made sure Matt suck with them so no one asked questions. Despite his protests.

However him keeping his distance didn’t mean he wasn’t watching me like a hawk. Amanda was pissed because she thought I was into Matt thanks to Brian. And the other girls were pissed because they thought I tried to steal Matt from Amanda. And the other guys were pissed because I’d apparently hurt Brian. At this point I didn’t care anymore.

To top it all off Tyler was a hero around here. Everyone loved him including my former friends. All of them except Matt but he did put on a convincing act. I walked into the dining hall with my tray and passed by my former coven sitting down at an empty table with my back facing them. Now that we were in Rebellion covens weren’t necessary. I pushed my food around my tray while flipping through the pages of a spell book I’d taken out of the library.

“Well, don’t you look lonely”?
I looked up at Tyler as he smirked like a lion gloating about his prey. I narrowed my eyes at him but didn’t respond, I knew anything I said would just make me look worse then I already did. The last thing I needed was to fuel Tyler’s fire. Tyler crossed his arms as he stood over me.

“As the center’s daughter, you should be held to a higher standard”.
He said now loud enough for everyone to hear. All eyes were on us now. Tyler took the stands of an instructor talking to a student rather than an evil mastermind talking to the only person in the world who could stop him. I straightened up in my seat never taking my eyes off of him.

“That is why you will be running the gauntlet tonight”.
Tyler smirked at me. I looked away from him as everyone around me started to cheer. They were loving this, I couldn’t say I blamed them. I got up clearing my tray without a word and leaving the dining hall. Tyler going towards my friends all smiles and talking with them. I noticed him and Brian hug like brothers. He was dating Brian’s sister. I had no one left, I was completely alone and I knew that was what Tyler was counting on.

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans and headed down the hall. As if everything else wasn’t weighing on me enough, my father was getting married to one of the instructors here. A woman named Fayth and had yet to tell me about it. On top of that, Fayth was pregnant. He was starting a new family. A family he obviously wanted to keep separate from me. The only person in the world who truly loved me was dead. Grandma, I wished I could talk to her now. Hear some sort of wise words from her or something that would lift my spirits.

I rounded the corner and stopped as I entered a room I’d thought had been empty. It was a room that didn’t get used a lot and I spent a lot of time there. But now there was someone else in the room. His electric blue hair was pulled back from his face in a short ponytail. Strains falling loose around his wild jade eyes. He was tall and kind of built. His skin was ivory and flawless. As he stood realizing I was in the doorway a slight smirk crossed his lips.

“You lost?”
I shook my head giving an exasperated sigh. I turned to leave but his hand closed around mine. I looked back at him narrowing my eyes slightly at him.
“Wait, you don’t have to go”.
He said with a smile. He released my wrist and I looked away from him.
“I didn’t realize anyone else was in here”.
He smirked at me shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I thought this was where all the pariahs hung out”.
I laughed for the first time in weeks cracking a smile. We sat down together on the piano bench that was in the room. He sighed looking over at me.
“So, I hear mister all-star is making you run gauntlet tonight”.
I nodded folding my hands in my lap.
“Yup, his way of causing me pain without actually touching me”.
I said keeping my eyes fixed on the floor. He shook his head.
“Wouldn’t shock me. The guys an ass, by the way I’m Yuri”.

He smiled at me. I gaped at him.
“For real? The hero in my favorite video game is named Yuri, it’s not a common name”.
I said as I turned myself to face him. He laughed leaning back on his hands.
“My grandmother named me, she’s Russian. It’s a Russian name”.
I smiled at him.
“It feels good to actually talk to someone for once”.
Yuri got to his feet turning to me.
“Well, I can help you get ready for tonight. Maybe you can show mister asshole just how good you really are”.
Yuri said offering me his hand. I took it getting to my feet and following Yuri from the room. As we rounded the corner we stopped dead standing face to face with Brian. His eyes narrowed at Yuri and I.

“Wow, you don’t miss a beat do you?”
Brian said in a cold tone. I cringed inwardly, why did this keep happening?
“I come to make sure you’re alright, but it looks like yet another guy beat me to it”.
Yuri narrowed his eyes at Brian.
“Wow, big talk for the ass fuck who abandoned her”.
I looked at Yuri but he didn’t stop there as he got in Brian’s face.
“What fucking right do you have to accuse her of anything when you and your slutty whores have been giving her the cold shoulder? And just how many girls have you fucked in your life time Haner?”

Brian got red in the face as he glared at Yuri.
“You wanna come down hard on someone for being a “slut” take a look in the mirror asshole, because nothing happened between Krissi and I. we just fucking met and I offered to help her get ready tonight. Next thing you know we run into your manwhore ass and your fucking asshole crew complete with your own personal whores!”
Yuri sneered at him.

I grabbed onto Yuri’s arm but his eyes remained narrowed at the girls.
“And you, fucking written off by the government, tortured and forced to be slaves until this girl pulled you out of it. And this is how you repay her? You’re all fucking ungrateful but that’s ok, because she actually has a friend now that won’t turn their back on her no matter what. Which is more then what I can say for you pathetic excuses”.

Then taking my hand in his Yuri led met away from the group before any of them could attempt a half assed apology. I gaped at him for a moment as he led me forwards confidently. No one had ever actually stood up for me like that before. Yuri smiled at me as we entered the training room.
“You ok? Sorry about all that, but I saw what they were doing to you”.
I nodded to him.

“I know, no one has ever done anything like that for me before”.
I said hugging myself as I looked around. Yuri grabbed me a uniform.
“Here, he’s probably going to force you to take the hardest gauntlet. That involves mythical beings”.
I nodded moving behind the change screen.
“Monsters and stuff right?”
Yuri sighed as he sat down on one of the benches.

“Yeah, but just remember, you’re in control no matter what happens. As long as you don’t lose faith in that, you’ll be ok”.
Yuri said. I changed and emerged facing Yuri who smiled at me.
“And I’ll be in your corner tonight. It’s the least I can do”.
Yuri said as the room started to fill with people. Tyler smirked as he approached us.
“Well well, I charge one reject with slacking off and I get two instead”.
Yuri smirked at Tyler.
“Go fuck your mom”.
I looked at Yuri he wasn’t scared of anything. Everyone around us glaring at him. Tyler smirked at me.
“No matter how many lame ass friends you think you have. You’re alone, and that isn’t going to change”.
He whispered so only I could hear him. My eyes found Matt’s, Matt shook his head letting go of Amanda’s hand.
“No she isn’t”.

Tyler looked back towards Matt and he pushed through the group. He took his place at my side and put his hand on my shoulder. I smiled up at him.
“Krissi is never going to be alone, because she is my center”.
Matt announced causing collective gasps all around. Tyler narrowed his eyes to slits at Matt.
“I hope you realize what you’re doing Shadows”.
Matt kept his eyes narrowed at Tyler.
“Oh I do. And I have no regrets”.
Yuri smirked looking back to Tyler.
“Looks like someone just shit themselves”.
Yuri said, Matt snickered shaking his head. Tyler pulled himself out of the state of shock he was in and turned back to the doors the led to my challenge.
“You have 14 seconds to reach the end”.
Tyler smirked besting me again.

“That’s not fucking possible!”
Matt argued. Tyler grinned at him as he punched in the key code.
“Then I guess she’s going to fail isn’t she?”
Matt and Yuri tensed up but I shook my head silencing them. I didn’t care at this point. I couldn’t win and I knew it. As I approached the doors opening, Tyler smirked at me.
“Be careful those are real vampires and their starving”.
He said with a sly grin. I looked towards the empty room. As I stepped across the threshold I heard a voice call out to me.
“Krissi?”
I looked back at my father who looked shocked.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Dad demanded, Tyler turned to him and sighed.

“Thank god you’re here I tried to talk her out of this!”
Tyler said changing his story, of course the other students went along with it. Yuri narrowed his eyes opening his mouth to argue with Tyler when I noticed a girl from the crowd moving forwards like she was under some kind of spell. She moved quickly and pressed the release button. As she did the floor under my feet gave out. I shut my eyes tightly as I plunged into ice cold water and everything around me went dark.