Sinful (WICKED #2) | ✓

10

"SIR, I OBJECT," LEVI stated.

"I did not ask whether anyone was objecting, Levi, but thanks for your contribution." The teacher gestured for her and Isis to move along. "Now, before he continues on with arguments, I'd like to have my chalk, please."

"I'll go in Isis' place," Levi said, ignoring him completely.

"It's fine, Levi," Ella chuckled at him, squeezing his hand reassuringly before she stood up.

"You're overreacting, Levi," Isis smiled sweetly, hooking her arm through Ella's as she joined her," El and I are going to be right back."

Ella blinked at the sudden friendliness, but didn't protest it. Though it was a hundred percent fake, this was no time to cause a scene in the middle of the classroom, especially with Levi being on edge already. So she mirrored Isis' expression and followed her to the door, Levi watching them intensely all the way there. Alex and Will both looked confused, Ava mouthing 'good luck' at her.

As soon as they were out of sight of everyone in the classroom Isis let her go, her smile growing far colder. She didn't speak as they headed down floor after floor, Ella wondering if she was just going to ignore her all the way to the janitor and back. It wasn't like she would mind that much, but if she was planning on doing only that it made no sense for her to have offered herself as a guide. Still, they were roommates, so in an attempt to clear the air Ella scraped her throat, Isis' stormy eyes flicking to her.

"So," she said," have you been sleeping outside? I haven't seen you in our room for a while now."

"Not that it concerns you," Isis replied," but I've been with a friend. The same one you screwed over."

"You mean the one who cut Levi or the others who tried to held me back to beat me up?" Ella mused.

At the mention of Levi the snow in her eyes melted, a conflicted expression briefly flashing across.

"I never meant for him to get hurt," she said quietly.

"So you did mean for me to get hurt?" Ella commented, eyebrows raised.

Isis didn't reply, gaze trained back on the front again. She walked down some stairs at the end of the hallway and Ella paused for a moment, staring as the girl headed down to what she presumed to be the basement. Once Isis noticed she wasn't following she turned back to her, voice amused.

"If I wanted to corner you, I wouldn't need to have you alone in the basement," she said," we live together, you know."

"Forgive me for being hesitant with the girl who sent her friends after me with a knife," Ella said," I'm genuinely tired of your bullshit."

It was brief annoyance that had washed over her, but apparently enough to push Isis over the edge. The girl ran back upstairs, accusingly pointing her finger at her as she spoke, eyes wide with anger.

"You are tired of me?" Isis hissed," I am not the reason your friend is being bullied all across this school. I am not the reason the only person who truly understood you is turned against you now."

"I didn't know Alex wasn't exaggerating about Levi's influence here," Ella frowned," I mean, I'm new, how could I have known she was going to get bullied? I'll put a stop to it." She grabbed Isis' wrist then, forcing her to lower it. "But you can't avoid taking responsibility for being the one who turned Levi against yourself. I had no part in that, that was fully you when you decided to send your friends after any problem in your way."

"Me?" Isis snapped," I never even told Yelena to -" She stopped talking immediately, breathing in as she collected herself. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Besides, you're talking all big about putting a stop to things, but you really can't do anything. As you said, you are new and even if Levi said something now, the people in this school all enjoy a fight too much to let it go this easily."

"Wait," Ella blinked," so Yelena did that on her own? Why didn't you tell me?"

"No," Isis said, any sign of earlier vulnerability gone," I did tell her to do it. Paint me to be the villain here, Ella, because I am. So don't you dare tell Levi anything else." Her voice trailed off, eyes far away for a moment. "We all know how much he hates liars."

This was all getting way too complicated. Whatever, Isis was right, this wasn't her business, so she would stay out of it. After all, it seemed like her roommate would kill her if she interfered any more, so Ella simply nodded in response. Knowing Levi it didn't matter either way, because Isis was right - even if she wasn't the perpetrator, the fact that she hadn't said so immediately and let him think she was would count as lying to him already. Before she could leave the whole matter be though she had one question left to ask, breaking the tense silence in the hall as she did so.

"Why did you want to get me alone, Isis?" she said," you keep talking about how this isn't my business and blaming me, but yet keep involving me."

"I do blame you, still," she said as she walked up to Ella," because before Levi left to that camp, somewhere I still knew we would end up together, and now he won't even talk to me anymore. I should have gone with, even if -" She shook the thought out of her head, scoffing. "It was supposed to be me and him against the world, but you stole the one person who I would die for."

"Okay, first of all, what the fuck," Ella said," why are you talking about dying for people? We are in high school, calm down."

"You wouldn't understand," Isis said," your world has always been perfect, hasn't it, Ella? Your family has been loving, your home warm, the worst thing you probably experienced was a small fight with your parents about your curfew. You already have everything and yet, you took the only thing I had."

Ella swallowed all her words, the thought of her father dying, the way it had affected her family. Isis was so far in her own worldview it didn't matter what she said, but more importantly, she would rather have them fight than get sympathy. So even if she was sorry for Isis, she knew if she uttered those words alone the girl would probably start a fight right here and then. Not that she would mind, but they really were straying from the topic.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Ella frowned," apologize? Besides, you didn't answer my question. If you called me down here just to complain, you should really start paying me, I'm not your therapist."

Isis didn't say anything for a moment, face unreadable as she stared at Ella. When she did speak, her voice was bored, a mask of indifference on her face.

"It was just an impulse," she said," if you were scared of me beating you up, I wouldn't. Not when it can be traced back to me so easily."

"Why are you acting like you're even capable of beating me up?" Ella said with a raised eyebrow.

Isis parted her lips, but before she could say anything they heard a splash of water, the both of them turning towards the sound. Through the windows of the ground floor they could see Yelena, who had been walking by, and who had gotten a bucket of water emptied on her. Curses Ella never even had heard before left the girl's lips as she looked up, shouting profanity after profanity at the person who had done it.

Even without looking at Isis, Ella knew that any faint hope they had of resolving this with words was gone then. Her roommate's hands were clenched into fists so tightly her knuckles had become white, eyes absolutely livid. She stormed towards the windows, opening it and shouting at Yelena to wait there, before she looked up and threatened the person above. Ella was left standing there, wondering if she should have just taken up Levi's offer to come with.

"Hey, Martinez," Isis suddenly said," I remember you had an ex here. Stephen, was it? Or no, wait, Sam?" Her lips curled in a cold smile as she looked at her. "You two seem far closer than exes should be. I know Levi quite well and I wonder how long he can hold back his jealousy, but more importantly, what he would do if he saw exactly how much you care for him still."

She climbed over the window then, Ella frowning at her back.

"What does that even mean?" she called out after her.

Isis looked over her shoulder, a smile on her face that meant no good.

"You'll find out soon enough."