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Suddenly we're in a different location before I can even blink-

"Oh, shit." Marie lets out. "This is..."

I look around the cemented walls, ceiling, and floors, the slamming sound in my head growing louder each second that passes...

My brows pull together as I feel an eerie familiarity creep up my spine. The walls are covered in a backdrop of actual woods.

"The Woods." Andre and Jordan answer in simultaneously.

"And the thing I don't get is, that was my memory, not Cate's." Jordan looks at us, panic evident on their face. "It's like her shit and our shit are bleeding together." What does that mean?

"Yeah, let's talk about your shit, actually." Andre speaks up.

"Yeah." Marie adds.

Jordan's eyes meet mine. "I'm sorry, okay? Iliana, I'm sorry." I shake my head. "I bought into all of Brink's bullshit."

"Brink can rot in hell." I snap. "And if your head wasn't so far up your fucking ass, desperate to be number one, you would've saw that." My chest feels a bit lighter- but I can't say anymore. I can't.

Their face softens and Marie and Andre's eyes dart between us.

"Well, you weren't here." Jordan says.

I scoff.

"Jordan." Andre snaps.

"Really?" Marie also jumps in.

"I'm sorry." The lower their head, regretting the words. "He was just like Shetty and I didn't want to see it."

"I fucking said it! Many times!" I shout. "Fuck this, I'm done."

I shove past everyone, not sure where I plan on going, but I can't fucking stand here anymore.

"Fuck this place." Jordan spits out, shoulder checking Andre as they go in the opposite direction of me. "I'm gonna make it right." I pause, turning back to look at them. They nod at me. "For Luke."

As they go to turn the corner they gasp. Andre and Marie glance back at me before walking ahead. I groan quietly before dragging me feet to follow them. Where the fuck was I gonna go anyway? Hopefully out of Cate's head through her ear?

A choked-gasp leaves my mouth as I Luke and Sam on metal tables, hooked up to a large IV, pumping blood. Their both unconscious as Brink, Shetty, and the Dr. Cardosa guy all stand around the IV, eyeing the screen as Dr. Cardosa watches the monitor.

"What the fuck are they doing?" Andre questions roughly.

The banging sound in my head grows louder, like it's gaining closer and closer.

The monitor starts beeping loudly.

"Wait." Dr. Cardosa says and Luke apruptly raises up.

"What the fuck are you guys doing to me?!" He screams, breathing heavily. "Sam! Illie? Illie?! Where are you? Sam, wake up! Sam!" He frantically looks around the room and just when I think I couldn't possibly have anymore tears left to fucking give-- my eyes well up with tears.

The way he yelled my name, looking for me...

"Cate..." He looks up at her and she comes forward hesitantly. My jaw twitches at the thought of her leaving him like this. She isn't going to help. "Cate. Cate, help me. Help me out of here."

My head. Ow. Fuck.

"I'm so sorry." She breathes, placing her hands on both sides of his head. "You're gonna forget this is happening."

"Cate, please." Luke wheezes.

"You're gonna forget about The Woods." She continues. "Iliana's okay. Your brother is dead. Go to sleep."

Luke pants slowly and his eyes shut as he falls back.

The room fades dark and they're gone.

"Holy shit." Andre says. "She knew everything from the fucking jump." He looks over at us.

I let out a chuckle. "Of course she fucking did." I shake my head. "Did you not see Shetty get to her before she even fucking came to this school?"

He swallows. "How many times do you think she did that to him?"

"A lot." Jordan answers. "You think that's what broke him?"

Andre and I glance at each other. I was right. She drove him to his death.

"Seems like it broke both of them." Marie comments, only making me realize the situation we're still trapped in.

Suddenly we're in Shetty's office.

"It's not working. I think it's messing with his head." Cate tells Shetty who's across from her in her chair as Brink is sitting on the desk beside her. "He keeps remembering, like... like a damn breaking."

"Oh, he seems fine to me." Brink dismisses. God, I hate that man. "He's burning hotter than ever. And Golden Girl is coming back soon." He grins, making my skin crawl. "I'm sure having her by his side will make him feel better."

"You see? You're helping him, Cate." Shetty insists with a smile. "You're doing a wonderful job." Her eyes move over to where Andre, Jordan, Marie, and I are standing. "Except..." She stands and the glass behind her starts the break. "Make them forget."

Andre quickly turns to look at us, freaked out. Thunder crashes loudly in the distance as Cate spins around in her chair, lips trembling as tears filling her eyes.

Jordan's fingers slip around my wrist and they grab Andre's hoodie and pulls us back, ushering Marie to go as we start to run.

We hurry outside, springing across campus and I massage the side of my head, a million things trying to push to the front of my mind at once.

"We're fucked." Marie exclaims.

Thunder cracks, sounding closer than inside.

"Let's go!" Jordan encourages, pushing forward as we round the corner.

We all come to a halt as a door starts piecing together in front of us and I raise a brow, ughhh what the fuck?

"Oh, no." Marie utters. "I know that door." She sounds terrified as she steps forward and I glance at her face, her eyes watering.

This is one of her memories. And any one of us could be next.

As she goes to turn the knob I notice blood splattered on the door.

Oh, my God, wait- is this? I push through the boys to go next and she creaks the door open. My foot splashes in what I presume to be water as I hear dripping, but when I look down it's red.

When I raise my head up my mouth falls open at a bathroom covered in blood and two dead bodies.

"I killed my parents." Marie's words ring in my head.

A younger girl on the opposite side of the bathroom is on her knees, facing the wall sobbing.

"Is that you?" Jordan asks and I glare at them. Now why would you ask that?

I bite the inside of my cheek, looking at blood coating everything. I can't even begin to imagine how Marie must fucking feel right now.

And Cate's making her relive it. Fucking bitch.

Marie slowly steps forward into the room and I warily turn to Andre and Jordan as they glance at each other before looking at me.

Marie stops a bit behind the young girl, squatting down. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth?

The girl turns around before moving her gaze to the bodies. "You killed them."

My eyes widen. This isn't Marie. This is her sister.

"I... I'm not..." Marie struggles. "I-I didn't... I didn't mean to, I..." She starts crying.

"You tell everyone you lost control, but you didn't." Annabeth tells her. "You were angry that they barged in, and-and everything that happened happened because you wanted it to." The little girl starts breathing heavily. "No matter how hard you try to be a hero... you'll always be a murderer to me. I'll never forgive you." She shakes her head. "And you shouldn't either."

Marie lowers her head before looking back up. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I ruined everything." She chokes out. "I-I didn't understand my powers, I..."

Marie doesn't deserve this. Jordan and Andre are the fucking ones who should be crying and feeling guilty, not Marie.

I take a deep breath, stepping forward... once again finding myself defending Marie Moreau.

"Huh-uh, mm-mm. No." I shake my head. "Nope, nope, nope." Marie turns to look at me confused. "We're not gonna do this, okay?" I rub my lips together looking up with a chuckle. "Okay!" I scream. "You hear that, Cate? You fucking bitch!" I look back down at Marie, swallowing harshly at my next words. "I may not have liked you at first." I admit, suddenly regretting speaking up at all, feeling Andre and Jordan's eyes on my back.

"I just thought after- after Luke- that you just wanted the attention. The money, the clothes, the five seconds of fame. I thought that you came here at an God-awful time. And I needed someone to blame, for Luke. For me. And I thought you didn't give a fuck about Luke." Another chuckle escapes my lips. "By why would you? Two of people that were closest to him, that spent every day with him, that he trusted," My voice raises as I stab my finger behind me in Andre and Jordan direction. "Didn't even give a fuck about him! So why should you have, right?"

The room falls awkwardly silent, tension filling the air, making it almost impossible to breathe. Or think.

"I-" Marie goes to say something but I stop her.

"And Cate knows what she's fucking doing." I say firmly, pausing in thought as everything washes over me all at once. "She knows what she's doing." I repeat slowly, turning to look at Andre and Jordan. I'm still fucking furious at them, but Cate knows. She can see everything inside our heads. And if she's out of control, it's real damn funny those are the memories that are picked.

My face contorts. "Ah." I grunt, one hand flying up to my head and I stumble forward.

"Iliana?" Jordan asks.

"Goldie, what's wrong?" Andre asks worriedly.

The slamming noise grows so loud in my head I plug my ears, whispers filling my head as flashes strike my mind.

Is my mind coming undone?

"Goldie?" Andre shouts and my arms reach out beside me to him as my eyes roll to the back of my head. "Goldie?!"

"Fuck." I hear Jordan say... off in the distance.

I feel like I'm falling... spinning...

"What's happening?" Marie rushes out and that's the last thing I hear before gasping as my eyes open—

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𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hey, heyyy!! Happy 9 months to Golden Facadeee!!

ANDDD... yesterday we hit 16k READS!!! WHATTT!! I literally cannot even comprehend that omg... I cannot thank y'all enough!!! <3333

Whewww... what a chapter... Ilordan angst for a brief moment... bc I apparently can't write anything...

Jordan is gonna be SO sick when they find out what Brink did to Iliana... and ugh Andre still caring even tho she's mad at him, my heart </3

ALSOOO MARIE & ILIANA🥹 okay but I'm living for their friendshippp & ugh Illie sticking up for her againnn!! THE God U Girls>>>

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapterrr!! Next chapter y'all may or may not be getting Iliana memories... so stay tuned!! Until next time, mwah!!!