Wish I was happier
But I'm stuck here in the dark
The moon is getting brighter
While I'm getting higher
Than the midnight stars
And I like to be alone
I got my sister on the phone
She's the only one who understands

Unfamiliar - Kiawentiio

JAMES FOUND HIMSELF LAYING IN
bed with his eyes pinned to the ceiling. It was not long after Livia had left and the boys mind circled around what had happened.
He thought about what she had said to him, about him not even caring about her. And she was right. He didn't care about the Ashwand girl, why would he? Did he feel sorry for her?

James found himself stunned by his own actions.
He could have also just left her sitting at the party. Let her fend for herself, like Theo did.
But to James it was clear since a while, that Livia Ashwand was anything but similar to her brother.
She was like James.
And that is what scared him the most.

"James?" He heard a knock on his door.

"Yea?" He asked and the door to his room opened, revealing Lydia.

"Well you had a fun night, yesterday." She said pulling a brow up as she looked at the boy.

"What do you want?" He asked, letting his head sink back into his pillow. He then heard the noise of someone searching in his jacket and then a small click. He looked to Lydia again, seeing that she had her phone in her hand.

"Lydia! Stop ignoring me and PICK UP! Is he together with that trust fund princess?! I saw him leaving with her, yesterday."

James heard the annoying voice of Elaine coming from Lydia's phone as she played him an audio. The Audio ended and the boy groaned.

"Explain. Now." Lydia said, seemingly pissed.

"It's nothing." James said and stood up. Lydia stepped in front of him, her phone still holding up. James took a look at the screen and saw a picture that made his jaw tighten.
He saw himself, with Liv as he had stood with ber outside of his car.
He then saw that it was a text from one of Lydia's friends. She had texted to the picture.

—

Mads🤍
Is James dating the designer brat?!

Lydia
Phone call  📞  2:31
And also delete it, I'm gonna talk to him

—

"I called her. Made sure she won't send it to anyone. This doesn't look like nothing!" Lydia  said and shook her phone slightly. James closed his eyes tiredly as he walked towards his closet to get changed.

"Nothing happened." He said as he grabbed a shirt.

"You know who I had breakfast with this morning? Dad." She said and James rolled his eyes.

"He set you up to talk to me." He stated.

"The press conference is tomorrow, James!" Lydia said, her tone strict.

"You can't screw this up! This all should be over by now why does this girl have her hands on you?!" She scolded him. James shook his head, getting upset.

"She doesn't have her hands one me." He snapped back. Something about the thought that Livia Ashwand had the upper hand against him, frustrated him.

"You were supposed to ruin her! She should be out of the way by now!" Lydia hissed her tone crewing louder.

"Well her seeing you kissing your teacher didn't make things easier!" James hissed back, turning around to her.
Lydia's expression went blank.

She looked at him with shock written all over her face. Her eyes then looked down, fear shimmering in them.

"How did she-.." she wanted to ask but James interrupted her harshly.

"She saw! When I tell anything about her, she'll tell it! I can't use anything I have, against her." He said, his tone harsh and cold.

"Then find another way to suppress her. If she's getting in the way and you ruin your conference because you got distracted, dad will rip your head off. And mine!" She said as James went on in ignoring her as he changed into his school uniform.

"It's just a picture." He said, as he buttoned up his shirt.

"Is it?" Lydia asked and the boys eyes snapped up to her.
He suddenly felt exposed to his sister.
The question from before sneaked its way into his brain again.

Why had he helped Livia? Why would he help the person he was supposed to sabotage and destroy? How could he have been so mindless.

"I was drunk." He tried to find an excuse but his sister didn't look like she believed him.

"The conference tomorrow has to be perfect. Our future is dependent on it." She said and James rolled his eyes again, hearing this sentence for the 100th time now.

"It's under control, don't worry." He said as he grabbed a pair of socks and his shoes. He then walked to the door to escape the conversation.

"James!" Lydia said in a warning tone.

"Lydia!" James turned around dramatically, as he mocked her.

"If you don't listen, he won't be nice. He'll take care of you himself and make you function." She said and James could hear worry in her voice. The boy felt a thrill running down his spine.

'Make you function' as if he was some kind of robot or dog.

He looked at his sister, tilting his head forward. His eyes scanned over her features that were harsh but still showed the girls worries.

"Don't worry about me." He then said.

"At least Livia isn't a teacher." He said and venom filled his voice. He then disappeared through the door, leaving Lydia alone in his room.

🜊

"Bring those to the to the tableware, we'll set them up later." Livia told two Girls from the committee team as they started to build everything up for the donation gala.
The chatter of students filled the air and the foyer was filled with a chaos of tables being dragged around and decoration being hung up.

"Livia?" The girl got approached by Lin and Ruby.

"We've been going over the program of the evening and we thought it would be good if someone could welcome them. Would you like to say a few words?" They said, looking at her hopefully.

"Like a speech? Oh you love doing those." She heard a familiar voice beside her and turned her head to see James. She ignored him skillfully.

"Sure." She the and Ruby nodded thankfully.

"Alright the frozen stuff for the caterers will be here soon, ice cubes, meat.." Kieran said, smiling at them as he set the table he was carrying with James, down.

"Thanks Kieran!" Ruby smiled at him. The brunette boy shrugged.

"No problem. I have it well in hand." He said nervously under Livia's gaze.

"Would be great if you had the table in hand." James said mockingly, to which Kieran responded with lifting the table up by himself. James looked after him and then turned back to Ruby and Livia.

"What did you do to him?" James asked and Ruby smiled.

"Me?" She asked, innocently.

"Well he's not pulling that show for me, although I have to say that it turns me on a bit." He said which made Livia scoff and walked away. She couldn't quite describe what she was feeling when she was James flirting with Ruby, but whatever it was she chose to ignore it.

James looked after her, feeling a bit disappointed that the girl didn't intervene in the conversation. She meant it seriously when she said he should stay away from her.

"Just because a man is nice to a woman, doesn't mean he has feelings for her." Ruby said and walked towards the ladder to hang up the decoration.

"I'm not sure if we can call Rutherford a man. And yes, a man is nice to a woman if he likes her." He said but didn't seem as interested in the conversation anymore since Livia was gone.

"Is that why you stopped being rude to Livia then?" Ruby said and James felt his heart drop.
He snapped his head towards her, his eyes narrowed.

"What?!" He asked, angrily.

"Nothing." Ruby immediately said as she saw his reaction. James wanted to say something when he suddenly heard yelling. He and Ruby both turned to the gates.

"YOU COMPLETE MORON, RUTHERFORD!!"

They immediately ran toward where the voice came from and gathered at the gates. James saw a furious Lydia and a scared Kieran, stuttering.
James then recognized boxes behind them with
Living partridges in them.

"W-we could slaughter them ourselves?" The boy suggested and James had to suppress his laugh.

"We can't slaughter 150 birds in our fucking kitchen you idiot!" Livia yelled. She let her hair run through her hair.

"Ruby- I-I'm so sorry!" Kieran said as soon as he recognized her and James.
Livia impaled the boy with her eyes.

"Fix this!" She hissed and then walked to Mr. Lexington who was approaching the scene, to distract him.

When she was done, distracting Mr. Lexington, Livia walked into the castle, looking where Ruby and the others had put the birds.
She rounded the corner when she saw Lydia Beaufort and Mr. Sutton. An all too familiar scene.
Livia hid behind the corner again.

"Let's get out of here. Today." She heard Lydia say.

"We'll pack our things and start over somewhere. You'll get a new job and I'll graduate-.." She said but Mr. Sutton interrupted her.

"You don't want that! Not really. Leave your home, your family, your friends." He said and his voice sounded sad.
Livia's face kept emotionless as she listened to the conversation.

"I wanna be with you!" Lydia said.

"Not like this!" The man said, interrupting her again. His voice sounded desperate.

"I can't do that to you!" He said and Liv glanced around the corner again. She saw Lydia face.

"You have no idea what I want." she said and then walked past him.
Lydia's eyes immediately caught Liv's and she fastened her steps.
Livia stood up straight again, before she felt herself being pushed back.

"You happy now?!" Lydia hissed into her face and Liv drew her brows together.

"It's over between us. Tell whatever you want!" She said and Liv saw sadness in her eyes.

"Oh I will." She said and leaned forward. Her face close to Lydia's.

"Keep your brother from telling anything about me or I'll tell that cute little story about you and your teacher running away from your own family. I'm sure that makes a great headline." She said a smile on her face. Lydia's mask slipped for a second.

"Now get off me!" Liv snapped and pushed the Beaufort girl away a bit. She walked along the hallway, her heart sinking into her stomach.

—
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