Chapter 10 - Cause We're Young and We're Reckless

You'll pull through, Mina. You always do. You're the perfect Grimm. You will be the one to break the curse. I just know it.

Grimorie

I stare at the page, my heart pounding fast in my chest. I can hear the rapid thumping. The Grimorie just responded. That's only happened once before, when I was communicating to one of the Fae princes. Which means...could it be? Could Jared still be out there somewhere? He always said he was connected to the Grimorie. This could be proof that he's out there.

That's when the awful truth sinks in. Even if he's out there, he's been combined with Teague, two halves made whole. He'd be writing this from Teague's form. Or maybe even Teague wrote it. I consider ripping the page out, but something stops me.

It's a small speck of hope. This message has ignited a tiny flicker of hope in me. That maybe I can beat this impossible task. That maybe I can deal with Teague. That maybe I do have a happily ever after. But that's not all that it's installed in me. It's installed in me one more hope. That Jared might still be out there. That's probably the smallest bit, mainly because I'm still so guilty.

I'm ready to tackle the world. Throw whatever you've got at me, Story. I'm ready.

Teague's POV

Tuesday. An interesting day. Not the middle child, like Wednesday, but still generally ignored. It's a shame, really. Tuesday may just be my favorite day.

I'm about to use the Seam Ripper to leave and pick up Mina before school, when I hear a tapping noise. I turn around, and there's the mirror that I looked at before. I walk over, and the world seems to be in slow motion as I do. When I finally reach it, I freeze. The mirror has a large crack running through it.

On the other side is Jared, and he's grinning. It's breaking.

My heart stops cold. I forgot that sometimes Jared could still talk to me through thoughts whenever I looked at him in this special form of a prison. After all, where else would I put him when the combining Mina attempted to do broke because she wanted to stop it? I couldn't have him getting in the way. That's not possible. There's no way that she could have found out you're still out here.

Someone has given her hope. She won't fall for your charades anymore.

That makes me smirk slightly. Trust me, Jared. She is definitely falling for them.

He snorts. She's smarter than that. She has to know you could never possibly love her.

But maybe I'm the closest thing she's got to you.

She's not a plaything. Besides, sooner or later she'll detect that you don't love her back. She'll get over you, and never trust you again.

And what's to say I can't grow to love someone?

That really makes him laugh. You? Love someone? You've got to be kidding me. With the black heart you have, you could never possibly love her.

He's right. I don't love her. But, I want her to love me. Partly to pour salt on the wound for Jared, partly because I want to prove him wrong, and partly because it could be a perfect way to find a chance to get revenge on her.

Well, I'm having all the perfect opportunities to prove you wrong. And on that note, I take the Seam Ripper, open a hole between planes, and step through.

I nearly miss Mina at the normal spot I pick her up at. But, I manage to get her, and she let's out a resigned sigh, opening the door and stepping inside. I'm about to make a left turn and go towards Kennedy High, but then, I pause. And I turn right.

"Teague? What are you doing?" She asks it hesitantly.

"We're skipping school today."

"What?!" She's outraged. "Teague, I can't skip school! My mother will kill me!"

"Well, that's just a chance you'll have to take."

"No kidding." She crosses her arms. "Let me out of this car right now!"

"I don't think so." I flash my signature grin at her.

"Teagggguuuueeee!"

"Still no."

She attempts to open the door - as if to jump out of the car as it moves, which is a stupid and totally not Mina move - but I've already locked them with my magic. "Unlock the doors right now, Teague Dark Fate!"

I snort. "That is not my name."

"Would you prefer Teague Evil Fate? Or Teague Stupid Fate?"

"None of those are my middle name, and 'Fate' is nowhere near my last name. Where on earth are you conjuring up these names from?"

"Just let me out of the car!"

"Hm...Still a nope."

She slumps down in the seat. "I am so dead."

"Calm down. Everything is going to be fine."

"No, it's not! I'm skipping school! And even worse, with you!"

I wrinkle my nose. "I'm not that bad." She doesn't respond, muttering something under her breath. "Wilhelmina Beautiful Grimm," She freezes, and I grin wider. The intended effect, "stop muttering. It's bad for your health."

"Why won't you just let me out of the car? Skipping school is bad for my grades. Do you not care about that?"

"Pft, does anyone ever care about grades?"

"Yes, people do!"

"Mina, you need to live your life a little." I cross my arms. "You're young, and you need to enjoy it while you can."

"And this is how I'm supposed to be 'enjoying' it?"

"Well, trouble definitely lets you enjoy it." I watch her carefully. "Care to have a bit of fun, Mina?"

"Not if it involves hanging out with you. You have a sick sense of enjoyment. It probably includes torturing innocents."

"Oh, Mina, I thought we were getting along." I pout. "Besides, you surely can't be trying to say that you dislike amusement parks?"

She stares at me, confused. Obviously that was way off mark in her mind. But, I'm not interested in going anywhere too big yet.

"So, let's have ourselves a good time, alright?"

Got this little idea from the Ferris wheel behind Forever. Plus, these two need to do something fun while they skip school!

Also, we are officially caught up to where I'd written to, so now every chapter I write will be freshly written!

~Dagger