CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Legacy Day ended for the students (the adults discussed matters after the awards ceremony had ended) so they headed away from the hall, to the spot where they would have the After Party. The night had started to fall and the half-moon was rising in the sky.
Ivy walked beside Dana, and narrowed her eyes at the certificate.
"Do you think someone did this?" Ivy chewed her lip. "There's no way I could have gotten this without someone wanting me to!"
"You're crazy." Dana rolled her eyes. "You got an award! Be happy!"
Ivy scowled. "But-"

"Come on." Heather appeared beside Ivy. "If someone did do it, then we need to narrow it down, right?"
"Yeah." Ivy paused. "Who do you think?"
Heather scratched her head. "Finn?"
"No." Ivy shook her head. "He knows that I hate Brent and he does too."

"Stop filling her head with conspiracy theories." Cinder rolled her eyes. "Ivy, you got an award. Just focus on that and not for what its for."
Ivy nodded. "Alright, you do have a point."

Finn met them just as they were about to enter the little woodland area, where they would have the After Party.
"Hey." He scratched his neck. "What happened?"
Ivy waved her certificate in his face. "I got an award. But Brent got the same one; we got it for being partners in Science."
"But you two set the classroom on fire." He raised an eyebrow. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know." Ivy shook her head and walked beside Finn. "All I know is that I'm going to try and enjoy myself and not think about someone meddling with the awards. Oh, and you got one."
"Did I?" Finn grinned and sniggered. "Figures, huh?"
Ivy stared at him. "You managed to get yourself a Maths award?"
"Yep." He puffed his chest out proudly. "I'm epic like that."

Ivy playfully punched him in the arm. "Don't get cocky."
"That hurt." Finn pouted.
"Baby." Ivy sniggered.

"I hate being blind sometimes, you know? It makes me different but sometimes being different makes you feel like an outcast. Feeling like an outcast is horrible. But then again, it means that some of my other senses are a lot better and people underestimate me - and it's great when I get to prove them wrong..."

Cinder comes to halt further ahead. "Jace? Isn't that Jace's voice?"
Lionel glanced to his brother. "Jace? What's going on? Why..."
"That's personal." His voice cracks slightly. "Who did this? Finn?"

"What?" Finn finds everyone focused on him. "What did I apparently do?"
Ivy points in the air, waiting for Jace's voice to start again. "Did you do that?"
"No." Finn shakes his head. "I swear I didn't. I think I would remember doing it."

Lionel crossed his arms. "You were the only one out here."
"Yeah, but I wasn't in this area." Finn points out. "And why would I even want to prank Jace? I got beat up for him, unless you had forgotten."
"You have a funny way of showing your affection for someone." Hazel grumbled.

The voice was carried away in the wind and Ivy held her arms close to her body. Bushes rustled nearby and she sought out the source of the sound.
"Guys, what's that?" Ivy pointed in the direction.
"A mountain lion?" Dana hissed.
Ivy rolled her eyes. "Dana, we don't get mountain lions."
"Then what is it?"

"Less of an 'it' and more of a 'he'." Lionel had disappeared in the bushes and then dragged out a familiar face. Brent.
The boy kicked and squirmed, trying to get away, but Lionel pushed him against a tree, holding him still.
"Did you do this?" Lionel demanded. "Did you think it would be a good idea to target my brother again? I swear-"

Cinder rushed forward and grabbed Lionel's arm. "Hey, slow down. We don't know if it was him for sure."
"I didn't do it." Brent blurted. "I don't even know what you're talking about."
Lionel gestured at the boy, staring at Cinder. "How do we know he's even telling the truth?"
"We'll know, Lionel." Cinder reassured him and forcefully stared at the other boy. "We'll know."

Thanks so much for reading!
So, my Easter holidays are here which means I have two weeks off. I'm going to try and update as much as I can.
I'm going to try and write at least five chapters per week, which will be about ten chapters all together. Hopefully!
Not all in one day, though, haha.

I hope you have a good day!
(:;) (:;) (:;)