Thomas listens to everything the principal said, every single hatred word Layla and Constance said to each other. It angered him how Constance treated Layla, how cruel she was.
 
  But isn't it his fault after all? Isn't it because of his egoism and stupidity, his careless attitude towards other people's feelings that Constance ended up hurt and is now hurting Layla?

  He sees Layla getting out when the principal tells her to do so and follows her, feeling guilty because I didn't stay with her after the fight. It's ridiculous how he feels guilty for that considering that even if he was right at her side it would be the same. After all he is dead, Layla can't see him even if he can see everything and everyone.

  He waits outside, deciding that's not a good idea to enter in the girls' bathroom even if he is dead. But it doesn't stop him from listening to Layla's conversation with Diane.

  He listens to her asking Diane to go to the entrance and he immediately knows what she will ask her - to help her finding the guilty. She didn't give up yet, she still wants justice. He closes his eyes, sighing. How much he desires that she could stops, that she could give up. But she's Layla Knight, his best friend, the girl he always loved. And the girl he loves would never give up until she gets what she wanted. Never. But it still pains him to know she could end up dead if she doesn't stop, if she keeps searching. Because the assassins are dangerous, cold blood people that clearly have no problem killing. Or at least one of them is that way. The other he is not that sure, he can't even understand what made the second assassin help the first one.

  Layla finally gets out of the bathroom, the blood finally gone from her hands. He follows her, his paces making no sound. He plans on following her, understand where she is going and what she discovers.

  But then he sees Vincent and Jaden, both of them with enraged expressions. Thomas doesn't know Jaden that well but Vincent was his best friend, he knows him as well as he knows himself, and he can easily recognize when Vincent is pissed off and preparing himself to fight. What the hell is going on between the two of them?

  Layla doesn't notice them, keeping walking to the entrance, oblivious at the discussion between the guys. So now Thomas needs to choose - go with Layla or stay and find out what's happening. He bites his lips, understanding that he can't go with Layla and get a new burden because he doesn't know what's happening between his best friend and Jaden.

  Layla will be fine, she'll be with Diane, Diane can keep her safe. At least, that's what Thomas says to himself while he starts walking away from Layla, in the direction of the two boys.

  "You'll not do that, Jaden!" Vincent's enraged voice is the first thing Thomas hears when he gets close.

  "Why not? He is not here anymore. I respected his request even if it was selfish because I respected him. But now he is gone, I have my opportunity!"

  "You respected his request because you were afraid of him!"

  "Whatever, dude. He is gone, I have my opportunity."

  "Can't you see that it is not how it works?" Vincent asks, desperate, losing the fighting posture. It is now clear that the only thing Vincent wants is to make Jaden see he is wrong. About what? Thomas couldn't quite understand it yet. "Thomas loved Layla and Layla loved him and now you're trying to use her pain to get her love, to make her like you and fall in love with you!"

  The reference to Layla makes Thomas freezes and a strange sensation grow inside his chest. Jaden likes Layla and is trying to make her fall in love with him? He can't do that! Layla is his, the love of his life!

  "As if you didn't want to do the same thing, Vincent! You also like her or do you think we didn't notice how you looked at her, how mad you were every time Thomas had a new girlfriend, knowing that not even that way you could ask Layla out because she was who Thomas truly wanted and you were his best friend?"

  "I am not stupid, Jaden. But I'll not take advantage of Layla's pain. I'll not use it to make her like me. And will not do it because she deserves time to heal herself. And because Thomas..." Vincent's gulps, fighting tears, "because Thomas loved her and start talking to Layla right now only because I like her seems like a betrayal."

  "Then it's a good thing I don't care about that betrayal thing," Jaden says shrugging. "And about using her pain to get her love, haven't you ever heard that all is fair in war and love?"

  "You're sick!" Vincent says, not bothering to hide how much Jaden is disgusting him right now.

  "At least, I'll have an opportunity to get the girl I love," Jaden replies, starting to get away. "You, in the other hand, will not even give yourself one opportunity because you will feel like you're betraying your best friend. Dude, face the reality! He is dead and will not come back. And if he killed himself then he didn't care for Layla that much."

  Vincent lets him go, leaning against the closest wall and sliding down until he ends up sitting and burying his face in his hands, low sobs of pain escaping from his mouth.

  Thomas stays still, staring at his best friend crying because of him but unable to come close. To try to comfort him even if it would be fruitless. And all because of the burning sensation he is feeling inside his chest, that burning sensation that's making him want to kill both Vincent and Jaden.

  They like Layla, they always did. But they can't. Layla is his, his best friend, his love. Layla should be his. The only thing Thomas wants now is to rip their throats, to ruin their faces, to kill them so they can't talk to Layla anymore, just like he can't.

  The feeling he is experiencing is stronger than any other feeling, even stronger than rage. And deep inside he knows what it is - jealousy.

  He obliges himself to fight it, to come closer to Vincent. He fought his feelings, never saying a word about them, always staying by his side. Even now when Thomas is dead, when Vincent could try to finally show her feelings to Kayla, he keeps fighting them so he doesn't betray him. The last thing Thomas can do is stay by his side too, fight the jealousy to support him.

  He leans against the wall near Vincent, placing an arm around his friend shoulders, knowing Vincent doesn't feel it, just like Thomas can't feel Vincent, wondering how could Vincent fight during all this time such powerful emotion as jealously. Admiring him by doing that, especially because he did that for him.

  But it doesn't make the jealousy go away. Thomas still wants to make what Jaden and Vincent feel disappears. He wonders how could other people live with that feeling eating them alive. Anger is a terrible feeling. But it is nothing compared to the burning sensation of wanting to destroy our best friend just because he loves the same person we do.

  Nothing can compare to the jealousy.