The Inceptive Flame⎪✓

❨25❩

♀︎

"So what you're saying is that you fell down the stairs and scratched yourself?" Dani recites in confusion she clearly doesn't believe me for a second, it's so obvious in her stare and scrunched eyebrows. 

I nod, "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying."

"Then you're lying to me."

"I really am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not, Dani."

"Dakota," She uses my full name. "You cannot expect me to believe that a faded black eye and a fresh cut came from the same evening."

Sometimes her constant need to observe is annoying as shit, I can't lie my way out of anything. Not if she can see that my words contradict the evidence, "Okay, fine. They came from two separate nights, I fell down the stairs twice."

"And yet another lie," She states in frustration throwing her hands up in the air. "What is it you're keeping from me?"

We are currently eating lunch and she has been staring at my face all day, throughout all the classes, it has been absolute torture. But that's also why she is so certain that something must have happened to me. She is right, but I don't want to be the 'girl with a toxic family'. It's difficult enough to deal with when I'm the only one who knows, it will be even worse if the entire school knows. 

My eyes scan the cafeteria and almost immediately I spot Elijah, he is already looking at me, anger visible on his face. He is clutching his fork tightly, his knuckles turning white. The butterflies in my stomach evaporate instantly, he now knows why I wore sunglasses to our study date. Not a second later he leaves his table roughly and barges out of the room completely, making me frown.

My eyes find my best friend's again and I shake my head, "Dani, will you drop it, please?"

Her usual happy expression is pulled by a visible sadness, "Fuck no, something is going on that you're not telling me. I can't sit around and do nothing while my best friend slips through my fingers. You have changed, Dakota, your happiness is completely gone, you're violent, you show up at school with bruises. This is more than your dad being sick and do not lie to me again, I will find out what is going on, one way or the other."

I feel horrible for not telling her, but spilling all the secrets literally won't do me or her any good. She will be forced to feel bad and offer me a place to stay and I can't leave my dad, either way, it isn't the best option right now, it will only stress her out and make her sad. My life can't be the cause for yet another person's sorrow. 

"Dani, it's not like I want any of this to happen to me. My life is spiraling and there is nothing any of us can do about it," My explanation is as shallow as possible, to ensure that she won't dig anymore. 

"Guys!" Relly screams through the cafeteria, as she reaches our table she is completely out of breath. "They're fighting."

"Who is fighting?" Dani asks and tilts her head to the side. 

"A group of guys, I don't know!" She exasperates and urges us to follow, Dani eagerly does and after debating if it's worth leaving my fries for, I follow along begrudgingly. This better be worth it dammit. 

A large crowd has already formed and Dani grabs my hand to tug me in between them, reaching the front I spot Leo immediately. His flaming red hair is hard to miss and as he punches Alec, a shock runs through my body. Alec is a part of the group of guys you don't mess with. There are three others in that group, Rocco, Joshua, and Lewis, all of which are participating in this fighting orgy currently. 

It's hard to see body from body since they're punching and bleeding all of them. The jocks know not to mess with these guys, so I really don't know why they are out here like this. Searching out Caspar, he's standing in the back with a bandage over his nose, my fault. His fist flies backward before raging forward where a bigger hand grabs it, the hand belongs to none other than Elijah and I'm shocked that he is a part of this. 

His eyes are almost black with rage and I decide to sneak up next to them, if the principal comes I'll grab Elijah and get his ass away from here. This will not mess up the assignment we are halfway done with, no way in hell. 

"It suits her sexy freckles with a little black eye, don't you think?" I hear Caspar taunt as Elijah punches him straight in the face, making Caspar slam down onto the ground. There was a hell of a lot of power behind that punch, holy shit. 

I know Caspar is talking shit about me, my freckles are like an obsession to him and it's getting very bothersome by now. Of course, he doesn't truly believe that a black eye suits me, but he wants a reaction from Elijah and he unquestionably got one. Those two are like apes in a cage at times, but don't we all have that one person we just can't stand?

"That all you got, Black? Thought you were getting ready to kill me after last time," He taunts once again and my suspicion about them fighting at the party is officially confirmed. Not that it is any of my business really.  

Spotting the principal walking in large and very quick strides along with a group of teachers, I hurry into the middle of the fight and push at Elijah's bulgy chest. He refuses to budge and gently guides me aside before he punches again, I'm quick to grab his arm and tug him with all my might. 

"Dakota, don't get in the middle of this," He says in annoyance, the attitude is not appreciated right now. 

"I'm saving your ass from expulsion, even more so, I don't want our assignment to be ruined, now move!" 

He is quick to see the principal nearing and grabs my hand in his larger one, running, I try to keep up with his large strides. It's hard to focus on running while I'm literally holding hands with him, the flutters are all my mind wants to focus on, but damn. 

He suddenly stops and guides me into a restroom, locking the door behind us. I look up at him and his bloodied face, "You really are annoying."

His smirk is all I can see, "Likewise, love."