Chapter Seventeen - Don't Listen to Them

Alright guys! Here's the next update!

Evx : Hehe, a story to bash characters they hate? That would be very interesting.

andgirl12 : Nope, sadly. Teague said you'd most likely be out, unless someone was out before you. In Annalora's case, two people were already out before her. So Ever is still out.

Guest 1 : Nope. Like I said to andgirl12, it was said that the person would probably be out unless someone was out before them.

xXMADD1EXx : It does get Mina closer to winning though!

Anonymous : Pffft, Mina will be fine! Maybe. cx


Teague's POV


In The Past...

Mina sits on the log beside me. Then, I take my gaze off her for a moment, and she's gone.

"Mina?" I call, a little confused.

"Boo." Now confusion threatens to consume me, and I jump slightly at the voice, so I turn around, seeing Mina sitting in the tree.

"Mina!" I'm slightly pink now at my fear, and try to blow it off. "Don't do that!"

"Do what?" She asks it completely innocently, with big eyes and only a hint of a smile.

"Do that!"

"And what's that? Sitting in a tree?"

"No."

"I'm afraid you'll have to specify then."

"Don-Don't scare me!" I cross my arms.

"Aw, did I scare you?" She laughs. "Well, I won't make any promises on not doing it again."

I sigh. Difficult, that's what she is.


In The Present...

"Mina, what on earth is going on? You won't look at me, you're barely talking to me, and you keep fidgeting with your hands! Why won't you just explain what's wrong?" I demand, standing in her room.

She's sitting on her own bed. Her eyes are focused on her hands, which are moving around in her lap. Not once, in this entire conversation, has she looked at me. Not even when I came in. No matter how hard I try, I can hardly get any words out of her, and can't even coax her head up once.

"Mina, is it something I've done?" I try to calm myself down a little, walking over to sit beside her.

Her head still down, she shakes her head. I swear that I see a tear fall too. "No." It's a whisper, but I still catch it.

Using my hand, I lift her chin up, and she instinctively opens her eyes, causing her to look me right in the eye.. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I ca-"

"No. Don't say that you can't. Because I know - and you know - that that's not true. You can tell me, you just don't want to. Why?"

"It's something Annalora said." That's the longest sentence she's said to me this entire conversation.

I can't help it. I stiffen a little at even the slightest mention of her name. "What?"

"Actually, it's something that Annalora, Estrella, and Ever said." She closes her eyes tighter than before, and I can see the tears sliding down her cheek. "It was before the tests. I-I think Annalora heard our conversation last night. She...Well, she brought it up, and apparently told Estrella and Ever too. They were all accusing me of using a Lure, but I'd never use that!" She takes a deep breathe, as her voice goes up a little at the end. "Their words don't normally hurt, Teague. But they did! They all were against me, even Ever, and their words went right to the heart."

She looks so helpless right there, and I can't help myself. I pull her into my arms, and she ends up burying her face in my shoulder. If any other girl did this, I would probably throw a fit. But, somehow, when Mina does it, it feels right.

"Don't listen to them."

"How can I not listen?"

"Are you okay with telling me what they said?"

She hesitates. "They said I was using a Lure on you, and that I was putting everyone at risk and should be kicked out because I have the Lure. And..."

"And?" So, not only she was accused of cheating, but they've done something else?

"She said that the Lure was the only way I could be winning like this because..." She hesitates again, "Because I'm a ugly, brat with anger issues."

"Mina, don't tell me you believe them." No response. "You are not ugly. Not by a long shot. You are one of the most beautiful girls I know. You are not a brat either. Brats are what they are. They are selfish, stuck-up, and your stereo-typical princess, because princesses are always brats. But you aren't. You don't fit the stereo-type. And that's very good. Now, let me tell you, you don't have anger issues. The only time you're angry is when you have a good reason too, or when someone is trying to make you angry. You don't lose your temper at small things. You are one of the calmest people I know, and when you're upset, you become sad, not angry."

"Do you mean all that?"

"Every word." I pull her back a bit so I can look at her again. "How did you respond?"

A little bit of mischief shows up in her eyes. "Well...Uh, I may have said something along the lines of 'You're an ugly, tiny brat that not only has anger issues, but also has homicidal tendencies and a death wish' and 'If you guys all think I'm a dirty, rotten cheat, then it's probably because you're all dirty, rotten cheats.'"

"There we go." A small grin takes my face. "See? You can't let them get to you."

"Maybe." She shrugs.

"Mina, how many times do I have to tell you that you just have to trust me?"

"A lot." She replies, before going serious again. "I do. I'm just...Well, I'm just so worried that I'm going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream, and that it's going to be the first day but you won't care. I'll be left feeling hopeless, because you won't care about me at all, and I can't bear that..."

"This isn't a dream." I murmur, and kiss her for a few moments on the lips. "Did that feel real to you?"

"Yes..."

"Exactly. That is proof that you are awake. This isn't a dream. This is reality."

I cradle her in my arms in silence, and she ends up falling asleep there, her head resting against my shoulder. She looks so peaceful, and it's hard not to think of her as the small girl I met in the woods. She's grown quite a bit, both physically and mentally, and she's matured as well. But, there's a part of me that will always see her as the girl from the woods, and I'm sure there's a part of her that still sees me as the boy she met. I lay her back on the bed, letting her leave my arms. I don't really want to, but it wouldn't look good if I were found in here, and the servants will be coming in a few hours. Okay, more than a few, but still. I leave a small kiss on her forehead, and then leave.


Aww, poor Mina is so distressed by the hatred she's receiving. At least before it wasn't so open from anyone else but Annalora. :c I really loved writing this chapter though, because Teague's sweeter side has broken through yet again!

I'm going on vacation for five days tomorrow, so I probably won't be updating till I get back! I promise, I'll do some writing while I'm gone, so I'll be ready to update when I get back! ^^ It's a long car ride, so I should have plenty of time... cx In the mean time, keep reviewing and telling me what you think!

Speaking of reviews, we now need five more reviews in order to get the next chapter! So get cracking!

~ Dagger