chapter thrre:
❛ weird slug ❜

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!
COMMENT AND VOTE

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Scarlett and Max walked into school together, the buzz of students milling around creating a backdrop of noise. Scarlett's mind was still racing from the events of the previous night. She turned to Max, her voice low but insistent. "I think we need to find Lucas and talk to him about what happened yesterday. It was really weird, and something's off. Plus, Mike is onto me. He knows I have powers, Max. I tried to play it cool, but he's definitely onto me," Scarlett said, her eyes darting around nervously.

Max, who had been cruising along on her skateboard, came to an abrupt stop, her eyes wide with concern. "Wait, Mike knows?" she asked, disbelief lacing her voice.

Scarlett shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but there was an edge of anxiety in her posture. "Probably..." She trailed off, spotting Lucas across the courtyard as he locked up his bike at the bike rack. Without waiting for Max's response, she smacked her step-sister on the arm. "Let's talk to Lucas," Scarlett said urgently, already making her way toward him. Max groaned, slinging her skateboard under her arm as she hurried to catch up.

"Hey, Lucas!" Scarlett called out, injecting her voice with a forced brightness as they approached.

Lucas looked up from securing his bike, a smile spreading across his face when he saw them. "Hey, Scar and Max," he greeted them warmly, falling into step with the girls as they headed toward the school's entrance. He pulled open the door for them, and they slipped inside, the buzz of conversation around them dimming slightly as the heavy doors closed behind them.

Scarlett wasted no time in getting to the point. "We wanted to ask you about Will. I don't want to be insensitive and ask him directly, but I've heard some things," she said, her tone serious and her eyes searching Lucas's face for any signs of discomfort.

Max chimed in, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I don't get why they call him Zombie Boy. I mean, I get it—he got lost in the woods for a week or something—but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Lucas sighed, his expression shifting to something more guarded as they walked down the hallway. "Yeah. I mean, we had a funeral for him and everything," he explained, his tone matter-of-fact, but there was a heaviness in his words that Scarlett couldn't ignore.

Scarlett's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "After a week?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.

Lucas glanced at her, his expression careful. "Well, see, some other kid drowned at the quarry. We thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed," he elaborated, his tone casual, but there was an underlying tension in the way he spoke.

Max and Scarlett exchanged a look, their faces reflecting a mixture of horror and disbelief. "What?" they said in unison, their voices rising in pitch as they stopped in their tracks, unable to process what they had just heard.

Max shook her head, a disbelieving smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Okay, that's not funny," she said, her voice firm as she tried to dismiss the whole thing as a bad joke.

Lucas shook his head, his expression serious. "It's not a joke, all right? It's public knowledge. You can ask anybody—except Will, because he is really sensitive about it. All right?" he said, his tone growing a bit defensive as he tried to convey the seriousness of the situation.

Max and Scarlett nodded slowly, but Scarlett's mind was already racing. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on Lucas with an intensity that bordered on intrusive. Without realizing it, she began to delve into his thoughts, her powers slipping through the cracks of her control. She could hear his inner voice, and what she heard made her blood run cold.

"I don't wanna lie to them. But I can't tell them that Will got taken to the Upside Down." The thought echoed in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine. The words were loaded with meaning, but it was the mention of the *Upside Down* that truly sent her reeling.

The Upside Down. The words resonated with a deep, almost primal fear. They triggered something within her—something dark and forgotten. Scarlett's breathing became shallow, her vision tunneling as the world around her faded into the background. The hustle and bustle of the school disappeared, replaced by a cold, sterile environment.

In her mind's eye, Scarlett saw a lab—a place that felt all too familiar, yet completely alien. The air was thick with the smell of antiseptic, and the sound of distant machinery hummed ominously in the background. She saw herself as a little girl, standing in a stark, a rainbow room. Her heart pounded as she realized this was a memory—a memory she had long since buried.

In the memory, she wasn't alone. She was a small, blonde girl with a pixie cut, her face contorted in fear and pain. She was screaming, her hands clamped over her ears as if trying to block out some unbearable noise. Electricity crackled around her, wild and uncontrolled, lashing out at the walls and floor.

Across from little Scarlett stood another girl—a child with a buzzcut, her expression grim and determined. Her hands were outstretched, and she was screaming too, but it was different. Her scream was one of defiance, of raw power. Scarlett could feel the intensity of the moment, the sheer force of will emanating from this girl. It was like the air itself was charged with energy, ready to explode at any moment.

Scarlett's breath quickened, her chest tightening as she felt herself being pulled deeper into the memory. She could feel the electricity in the air, see the fear in the her younger eyes, hear the buzzcut girl's scream reverberating through her bones. It was overwhelming, suffocating. She was drowning in it.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the memory shattered. Scarlett was yanked back to reality, the sterile lab replaced by the familiar walls of Hawkins Middle School. She was no longer a little girl trapped in a terrifying memory—she was Scarlett, standing in the middle of the hallway, gasping for breath.

Max's hands were on her shoulders, her eyes wide with concern. "Scarlett, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice cutting through the haze in Scarlett's mind. Behind her, Lucas hovered, his expression a mix of confusion and worry.

Scarlett blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of the memory. "I... I remembered something," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "From before I lost my memories."

Lucas's brow furrowed in concern and confusion. "What?" he asked, not fully understanding the gravity of what Scarlett was saying.

Max turned to Lucas, her expression softening as she explained. "Scar's adopted. Her adoptive mom found her by a diner with no memories at all—only with a few things," she said, glancing back at Scarlett to make sure she was okay.

Scarlett nodded, biting her lip as she tried to regain her composure. "She's right... After I was found, I moved to California with her. My mom was here visiting," Scarlett explained, her voice still a bit shaky as she tried to push down the rising panic from her resurfacing memories.

Lucas looked at her, his mind working to piece together what he had just learned. The mention of Scarlett's lost memories, combined with Mike's suspicions and what he knew about the Upside Down, made him wonder if there was more to Scarlett than she was letting on. Maybe Mike was right—maybe Scarlett really did have powers like El. "Oh, okay..." he trailed off, not sure what to say, but his mind was racing with possibilities.

Max looked between them, her concern evident. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked Scarlett, her voice gentle.

Scarlett forced a smile, nodding even though she still felt shaken. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, but her thoughts were far from settled. The memory of that lab, of the electricity, and of the two girls—it all felt too real, too important to ignore. And the mention of the Upside Down... she knew she couldn't just brush it off. There was something big happening, and she was starting to realize she was more involved in it than she had ever imagined.

Scarlett sat in science class, her mind far away from Mr. Clarke's enthusiastic lecture about Phineas Gage. The story of a man surviving a severe brain injury should have been fascinating, but Scarlett couldn't focus. Her thoughts were consumed by the memory she'd unlocked earlier, the one that felt like a piece of a much larger puzzle.

The sterile lab, the two girls, the electricity—Scarlett couldn't shake the images from her mind. They were so vivid, so real, and they left her with more questions than answers. She needed to make sense of it all.

Without thinking, Scarlett reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook. It was a habit she'd developed ever since she was found—writing down fragments of memories, dreams, and thoughts that felt important. It was her way of trying to piece together her past, to fill in the gaps where her memories should have been.

She began to scribble furiously, recounting every detail she could remember from the flashback: the cold, sterile environment of the lab, the fear in the blonde girl's eyes, the raw power emanating from the buzzcut girl. She wrote about the way the air had crackled with electricity, how it had felt like something was about to explode.

As she wrote, Scarlett became so engrossed in her task that she didn't notice Mike glancing over at her notebook. It wasn't until she felt his eyes on her that she realized he was watching. She shifted her arm slightly, moving to cover her notebook with her elbow, and glanced at him with a sly smile.

"It's not nice to look at people's personal stuff, Freckles," she whispered, her tone light but laced with teasing.

Mike rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by the nickname. "Stop calling me that," he whispered back, his tone harsh, but there was a hint of embarrassment in his voice. He didn't like being reminded of his freckles, especially by someone who seemed to enjoy pointing them out as much as Scarlett did.

Scarlett's smirk widened, clearly enjoying how easily she could get under his skin. "No can do," she replied, her voice still low enough to avoid drawing Mr. Clarke's attention. She winked at him before turning her attention back to her journal, the smirk lingering on her lips.

Mike huffed softly, clearly annoyed, but he didn't push further. Instead, he returned his focus to the lesson, though he couldn't help but sneak a few more glances at Scarlett's notebook when he thought she wasn't looking. He was curious—Scarlett had always been a bit of a mystery to him, and the more time he spent with her, the more he felt like there was something she wasn't telling him.

For Scarlett, the exchange was just another way to keep things light, to distract herself from the heavy weight of her newly recovered memory. But as she continued to write, she couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming, something that would force her to confront the past she had worked so hard to forget.

Just as she was getting lost in her thoughts again, the classroom door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. Scarlett's head snapped up, along with everyone else's, as Dustin stumbled into the room. His hair was a mess, and he was panting heavily as if he'd run all the way there. "I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke," Dustin gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Scarlett's eyes narrowed in curiosity. Something was off. She'd known Dustin long enough to know that while he could be late, he wasn't usually this flustered. Focusing on him, she zeroed in on his thoughts, a skill she'd honed over the years to help her navigate the world around her. It took a moment, but then she caught it—a single word reverberating in his mind: "Dart."

Dart? What's a Dart? Scarlett thought, trying to make sense of it. As she concentrated harder, trying to pull more information from his thoughts, she felt a sharp, sudden pain in her nose. Without warning, a thin trickle of blood began to drip from her left nostril. Scarlett quickly wiped it away with the back of her sleeve, hoping to go unnoticed. But Mike, always observant, caught the movement and glanced at her with a flicker of concern. He didn't say anything, but Scarlett could tell he was worried, even if he was too stubborn to admit it.

Meanwhile, Dustin, seemingly oblivious to the minor chaos he'd caused, hurried to his desk, still panting. "Really, I'm sorry. Please continue with class," he said, his words coming out in a rush as he dropped his backpack to the floor and plopped into his seat. "Don't mind me. Really, continue, please. Thanks," he added, waving his hand as if to dismiss any lingering attention.

Mr. Clarke, looking mildly irritated but accustomed to such interruptions, sighed and returned to his lecture. "As I was saying, although it wasn't a crowbar, it was a rod..." he continued, but Scarlett wasn't listening. Her attention was now focused on Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will, who were all leaning in close, whispering amongst themselves. The way they huddled together made it clear they were discussing something important, something they didn't want anyone else to hear.

Scarlett smirked, unable to resist the urge to join in. Leaning in, she spoke in a low, playful tone, "What are we talking about, boys?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and just a hint of mischief.

Dustin, who was still catching his breath, shot her a quick grin. "You! You and Max—Lunch. AV Room. I have something super cool to show everyone," he said, his excitement barely contained as he snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Scarlett's smirk widened, her interest piqued. Whatever Dustin had discovered, it had to be something big if he was this hyped about it. "Bet," she replied without hesitation, then glanced over her shoulder at Max, who was sitting a few rows back. Catching her sister's eye, Scarlett mouthed, "Lunch, AV room." Max raised her eyebrows in surprise but quickly nodded, giving Scarlett a thumbs-up to show she was in.

"Dustin, Scarlett," Mr. Clarke's voice cut through their conversation, stern and disapproving.

"Sorry," Scarlett replied automatically, straightening up in her seat and trying to look innocent.

"Mind joining the class, Dustin?" Mr. Clarke snapped, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"Yes, my lord," Dustin quipped, though his tone was respectful enough not to push their teacher too far.

Scarlett chuckled lightly at Dustin's playful response, but her mind was already elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about the word she'd pulled from Dustin's mind: Dart. What could it mean? It sounded like a name, but for what? An object? A person? A creature? Whatever it was, it had to be important if it was at the forefront of Dustin's thoughts.

"The case of Phineas Gage," Mr. Clarke continued, his voice regaining its rhythm as he delved back into the lesson.

"Phineas Gage," Dustin echoed, pulling out his textbook and flipping through the pages, though Scarlett could tell he was barely paying attention. His mind, like hers, was elsewhere.

"Page 104," Mr. Clarke directed, his eyes narrowing as he watched Dustin fumble with the pages.

"104. 104," Dustin muttered to himself, finally finding the right page and settling into his seat. "Focus," Mr. Clarke added, his tone firm.

"Focusing. Focusing," Dustin repeated, though it was clear his thoughts were still racing with whatever secret he was planning to reveal at lunch.

Scarlett couldn't help but smile to herself. She had a feeling that whatever Dustin was going to show them was going to be the key to unraveling the mystery that had been gnawing at her ever since she remembered the strange memory of the two girls and the crackling electricity. And then there was the matter of Dart—whatever it was, she was determined to find out. Lunch in the AV room couldn't come soon enough.

As the bell for lunch rang, the group eagerly gathered in the AV room, a safe haven where they could talk without being overheard. The room was tucked away in a quiet corner of the school, filled with outdated equipment that hadn't been used in years. The walls were lined with old posters of past school events, and a slight musty smell hung in the air, adding to the room's forgotten charm. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly above them, casting a faint glow on the table where they all sat.

Dustin was the last to arrive, and he entered with a burst of energy, carrying something that was carefully wrapped in a trap he'd made for his Ghostbusters costume. His eyes were bright with excitement, and a grin was plastered across his face as he approached the table.

"Okay, you guys, check this out," Dustin announced, his voice full of anticipation. He set the trap down on the table with a flourish and began to open it carefully. Everyone leaned in, curious to see what was inside. Scarlett, in particular, felt a surge of anticipation, remembering the word she'd inadvertently pulled from Dustin's mind—Dart.

As Dustin opened the trap, they all peered inside, and there it was—a small, slimy creature that looked like a slug, its body a mottled greenish-brown with faint, almost iridescent patterns across its back. It moved slightly, the texture of its skin glistening under the dim lights.

Scarlett's reaction was immediate. Her eyes lit up, and she let out a soft, delighted gasp. "He is so cute!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine affection for the strange little creature. Her tone was almost maternal, like she was looking at a lost puppy.

Max, sitting next to her, gave her a look that screamed, "Are you serious?" It was clear she didn't share Scarlett's enthusiasm. The creature looked anything but cute to her—it was slimy, and its movements were almost too alien. But Scarlett was undeterred, her eyes locked onto the little slug-like being with pure fascination.

Dustin grinned, clearly pleased that at least someone appreciated Dart. "This is Dart," he said proudly, his voice brimming with the excitement of discovery. "His full name is d'Artagnan."

Scarlett looked up at Dustin with a broad grin, the pieces clicking into place. "Dart," she repeated, almost tasting the word. "Adorbs." Her tone was playful, but there was a hint of awe in her voice, as if she were acknowledging that there was something special about this creature.

Dustin giggled, a sound filled with pride, as he carefully reached into the trap to pick up Dart. The creature made a series of strange, otherworldly noises as it wriggled in Dustin's hand, its small body undulating in a way that was both fascinating and unsettling. The noises it made were unlike anything Scarlett had heard before—soft, almost like a low hum that seemed to resonate in her bones.

"D'Artagnan?" Mike questioned, his voice laced with skepticism. He clearly wasn't as sold on the creature as Dustin and Scarlett were.

"Dart for short," Dustin confirmed, nodding enthusiastically.

"And he was in your trash?" Max asked, her tone still filled with doubt. She looked at Dart with a mixture of curiosity and revulsion.

Dustin nodded, his grin widening. "Yeah, foraging for food," he explained, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Max grimaced, clearly not thrilled at the idea of touching something that had been digging through garbage. "You wanna hold him?" Dustin offered, extending Dart toward her.

Max recoiled slightly, shaking her head firmly. "No, no," she said quickly, holding her hands up as if to ward off the slimy creature.

But Scarlett's hand shot up before anyone else could react. "I will!" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable. She held out her hand eagerly, her eyes wide with anticipation.

Dustin carefully placed Dart into Scarlett's open palm, but the moment the creature made contact with her skin, something strange happened. Dart let out a sharp, high-pitched screech, its body twisting in what appeared to be pain. Scarlett's smile faded, replaced by a look of concern and confusion. She quickly realized what was happening—it was her powers. Dart was reacting to the energy that naturally emanated from her, the same energy that made her '007' tattoo glow.

Startled, Scarlett quickly handed Dart over to Max, who reluctantly took the creature. "Oh, God, he's slimy!" Max exclaimed, her face scrunching up in disgust. She held Dart as if he were a live grenade, her fingers barely touching his slippery skin. It didn't take long for her to pass him off to Lucas.

Lucas took Dart with a grimace, holding him at arm's length. "Ugh, he's like a living booger," Lucas groaned, clearly not thrilled to be holding the creature. He quickly handed Dart to Will, who also looked disgusted.

"Ugh, oh, God!" Will exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch as he held the slimy creature. He turned to Mike, his face twisted in discomfort, and quickly thrust Dart into Mike's hands.

Unlike the others, Mike didn't seem repulsed. Instead, he was intrigued. He looked at Dart closely, his brow furrowing as he studied the creature. "What is he?" Mike asked, his tone filled with genuine curiosity.

Dustin grinned, clearly pleased with the question. "My question exactly," he replied, his excitement only growing.

Scarlett, who had been watching the exchange, couldn't resist throwing in a joke. "Maybe he's from an alternate dimension," she quipped, her voice light and teasing.

The boys all turned to look at her, their expressions serious. Scarlett's smile faltered as she realized they weren't taking it as a joke. She raised her hands defensively. "Guys, I was joking. I wasn't serious."

But Dustin was too focused on Dart to care about the joke. He pulled out a stack of books from his backpack and dropped them onto the table with a thud. The sound echoed in the quiet room as he began flipping through the pages. "At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog," he explained, his voice filled with the thrill of discovery.

"Pollywog?" Scarlett repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion. The word sounded odd, like something out of a fairy tale.

"It's another word for tadpole. A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad," Dustin elaborated, showing a diagram of a pollywog in one of the books. The creature in the illustration looked similar to Dart, but not quite the same.

Scarlett nodded slowly, trying to absorb the information. "Ahh, okay."

"But most tadpoles are aquatic," Dustin continued, his finger tracing the lines of text in the book. "Well, Dart, he isn't. He doesn't need water."

Lucas looked up, his skepticism returning. "Yeah, but aren't there non-aquatic pollywogs?" he asked, still not convinced.

Dustin flipped to another book, quickly finding the relevant page. "Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two to be exact. Indirana semipalmata and the Adenomera andreae. One's from India, the other's from South America," he explained, showing the corresponding pages in the books.

Scarlett's eyebrows shot up. "So how did one end up in your trash?" she asked, her tone skeptical.

Max, still watching Dart with a mix of fascination and revulsion, offered a theory. "Maybe some scientists brought it here, and it escaped?" she suggested.

Before anyone could ponder that idea, Mike interrupted, his eyes widening as he stared at Dart. "Do you guys see that?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Everyone turned to look at Dart, who was now sitting on the table, his small body convulsing slightly. "It looks like something's moving inside of it," Mike observed, leaning in closer.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, unable to resist a sarcastic remark. "Oh, we couldn't tell, Freckles. Thanks for stating the obvious," she quipped, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

Mike shot her a glare, clearly irritated. "Why are you here again?" he snapped, his tone sharp.

Scarlett smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You do remember that I saved your ass from my brother, right? He almost ran over you!" she retorted, throwing her arms up in exaggerated frustration. But in her agitation, she accidentally knocked the lamp on the table, causing it to crash onto Dart.

The creature let out an ear-piercing screech, writhing in pain as the light hit it. Scarlett gasped, fear and guilt washing over her. She instinctively backed away, her eyes flickering with blue electricity as her powers flared up in defense. She hadn't meant to hurt Dart, but the reaction was instantaneous, her abilities triggering as they often did in moments of stress.

Dart, still shrieking, crawled off the table, but before he could hit the ground, Dustin grabbed him, cradling the creature in his hands. "It's okay, I got you, little guy," Dustin murmured soothingly, stroking Dart's slimy skin. But Scarlett was already backing away, her heart pounding.

Her '007' tattoo began to glow faintly on her wrist, the blue electricity crackling softly as her powers reacted to her heightened emotions. Max noticed immediately and quickly reached out, covering Scarlett's wrist with her hand to shield the glowing tattoo from view. "Scar, you're sparking," Max whispered urgently, her voice filled with concern.

Scarlett looked down at her wrist, her eyes widening as she realized what was happening. "Shit," she muttered under her breath, trying to calm herself down. She took a few deep breaths, willing the electricity to fade. The last thing she wanted was to lose control and accidentally hurt someone—again.

Dustin was too focused on Dart to notice the exchange between Scarlett and Max. "I'm gonna make sure you're okay," he said softly, holding Dart close to his chest as he headed for the door. The creature had calmed down somewhat, its screeches reduced to soft whimpers as Dustin gently stroked its back.

The room was silent for a few moments after Dustin left, the air thick with tension. Scarlett could feel the eyes of the others on her, but she didn't dare look up. She knew they must have noticed the glow from her tattoo, and she was too embarrassed to face them.

Max squeezed Scarlett's wrist gently, giving her a reassuring smile. "You're okay," she whispered, her voice soothing.

Scarlett nodded, though she didn't feel okay. She was still shaken by how easily her powers had flared up, and the guilt of hurting Dart gnawed at her. "I didn't mean to hurt him," Scarlett murmured, her voice barely audible.

Max's smile widened, and she gently nudged Scarlett with her shoulder. "I know. And Dustin knows too. Don't worry, Scar, everything's going to be fine."

But as much as Scarlett wanted to believe that, a part of her couldn't shake the feeling that things were far from fine. Dart wasn't just a strange creature—he was something else, something that didn't belong in their world. And if her powers were reacting to him, that meant there was more to this creature than any of them realized.

Scarlett couldn't help but wonder what secrets Dart was hiding—and how dangerous those secrets might be.

As the tension in the room hung thick in the air, Mike's eyes lingered on Scarlett's wrist where he had caught a faint blue glow before Max covered it. His brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion. He had seen strange things before—things that didn't have easy explanations—but this was different. This was something Scarlett was clearly trying to hide.

"Scarlett, what was that?" Mike asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. He wasn't the type to let things slide, especially not when they involved something as bizarre as a glowing tattoo.

Scarlett glanced at him, her face quickly hardening into a defensive mask. "What was what, Freckles?" she shot back, her tone sharp and dismissive. She didn't like where this was going and had no intention of being interrogated.

Mike pointed to her wrist, his eyes narrowing. "Your tattoo. It was glowing. What's going on with you?"

Max stiffened beside Scarlett, her protective instincts kicking in. "Mike, drop it," she warned, her voice low and serious. She could sense that Scarlett was already on edge, and pushing her further wasn't going to end well.

But Mike wasn't deterred. He stepped closer, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "No, seriously. We're all dealing with crazy stuff, and if something's going on with you, we need to know."

Scarlett's eyes flashed with irritation, the blue electricity in her tattoo sparking up briefly before she forced it down. "It's none of your business, Mike," she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She felt cornered, like a caged animal, and her temper was flaring in response. "I don't owe you an explanation."

Mike's frustration mounted. "You don't just get to brush this off! If you're hiding something that could put us in danger—"

Scarlett cut him off, stepping forward so they were almost nose to nose. "Oh, because you're the expert on danger, right?" she hissed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You don't know a damn thing about what I'm dealing with, so stop acting like you're the leader of this little group just because you've faced some freaky shit!"

The tension between them was palpable, and Max quickly placed a hand on Scarlett's arm, trying to de-escalate the situation. "Scar, calm down—"

But Scarlett wasn't listening. "Why don't you worry about your own issues instead of sticking your nose in mine?" she continued, her anger getting the better of her. "Maybe if you weren't so obsessed with controlling everything, you'd see that not everything is about you!"

Mike's face flushed with anger, but before he could respond, the shrill sound of the bell rang through the school, signaling the end of lunch. The abrupt noise startled them both, cutting the argument short.

Scarlett took the opportunity to break away, her emotions still running high. Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the AV room, her heart pounding in her chest. The hallway was already beginning to fill with students, but Scarlett ignored them all as she pushed her way through, her mind racing.

She could feel the prickling sensation of her powers simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over if she didn't get a grip. The last thing she needed was to lose control in the middle of the school, where everyone could see.

Scarlett made a beeline for the nearest bathroom, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. As she shoved the door open and stumbled inside, she was grateful to find it empty. She quickly locked herself in a stall and leaned against the cool tile wall, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing.

The blue electricity in her tattoo flickered weakly, a reminder of how close she had come to letting everything spiral out of control. She clenched her fists, willing the energy to dissipate, but it clung to her stubbornly, refusing to fade entirely.

Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut, her frustration giving way to a deep, gnawing fear. She hadn't meant to lose her temper with Mike, but his questioning had struck a nerve. He didn't understand—no one did—how hard it was to keep everything under control, how much effort it took to keep the darkness at bay.

And now, with Dart in the picture, things were only going to get more complicated.

As Scarlett leaned against the stall, trying to pull herself together, she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was coming next, she wasn't ready for it. But one thing was certain—she had to keep her powers a secret, no matter what. She couldn't afford to let anyone, not even her friends, see how truly dangerous she was.

Scarlett splashed cold water on her face, hoping to erase the tension that had built up since her heated exchange with Mike. She watched herself in the mirror, noticing the last traces of blue electricity fade from her eyes. Her pulse still pounded in her ears, but she took a deep breath, steadying herself before she stepped out of the bathroom.

As she walked down the hallway, Scarlett heard distant banging and muffled shouts echoing through the school. Her curiosity piqued, she quickened her pace, following the noise. Rounding a corner, she found Max frantically jiggling the handle of the AV room door, trying to force it open with a bobby pin. The door rattled under her attempts, but it stubbornly refused to give way.

Max let out a frustrated grunt, kicking the door lightly in a final attempt. "Come on!" she muttered under her breath.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips as she approached. "Need some help there?"

Max looked up, her face a mixture of relief and exasperation. "Scar! These idiots locked me out! I can't get this stupid door open!"

Scarlett chuckled softly, stepping closer. "Here, let me take care of it."

She scanned the hallway, ensuring they were alone before turning her attention to the lock. Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the electric currents in the air like threads she could weave together. Holding out her hand, she focused on the metal inside the door, willing it to unlock. A small spark of blue light flickered at her fingertips, and with a barely audible click, the lock disengaged.

Max's face lit up with a wide grin as the door creaked open. "Thanks, Scar. You're a lifesaver."

Scarlett wiped the small trickle of blood from her nose with her sleeve, trying to ignore the dull throb building behind her eyes. "Anytime," she replied, though her voice was softer, tinged with the effort it had taken.

But as soon as the door swung open, both girls froze, their earlier relief replaced by shock. Dart was no longer the small, slug-like creature they'd seen before. He had grown significantly, now sprouting small legs and emitting a strange, otherworldly screech that reverberated through the room.

Before Scarlett could process what she was seeing, Dustin and Lucas lunged forward. Dustin tackled Max to the ground, and Lucas slammed into Scarlett, knocking her off her feet. The sudden impact knocked the wind out of her, and she struggled to push Lucas off her.

"Ugh, get off me!" Scarlett grunted, managing to shove Lucas away with a strength that surprised even her. She quickly scrambled to her feet, her eyes narrowing as she took in the chaotic scene before her.

Mike, who had been standing near Dart, turned on Scarlett, his face twisted in frustration and fear. "What the hell, Freckles!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise in the room. Without warning, he shoved her, his anger boiling over.

Scarlett's temper flared instantly. She shoved him back, hard, not caring that it only escalated the tension between them. "What's your problem? You're the one who let him get away!"

Mike's eyes blazed with anger as he shot back, "If you hadn't been messing around with your powers, we might have had a chance to keep him contained!"

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat, her eyes flickering with blue electricity again as her emotions surged. She felt a cold wave of panic wash over her, but she forced herself to stay composed. "I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped, her voice tight with denial. "I don't have powers, Mike. Stop making stuff up."

Mike wasn't buying it. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze narrowing as he scrutinized her. "Then explain what I saw. Your wrist was glowing, Scarlett. Your eyes—" he broke off, clearly frustrated that she was still denying it.

Scarlett's heart pounded in her chest, but she wasn't ready to admit the truth, not now, not like this. "You're imagining things. Maybe you're just freaked out by Dart, and you're seeing stuff that isn't there," she retorted, though even she knew how flimsy her excuse sounded.

Mike opened his mouth to argue further, but before he could say anything, the school bell rang loudly, cutting through the tension. The sudden noise seemed to snap them both back to reality, and Scarlett took the opportunity to escape the situation.

"Whatever," she muttered, turning on her heel. "Let's just find Dart before he causes any more trouble." She stormed out of the AV room, not waiting for a response, her heart pounding as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Max quickly disentangled herself from Dustin, shooting him an exasperated look before hurrying after Scarlett. The boys followed suit, their earlier argument momentarily forgotten as they all focused on the task at hand.

As they searched the school for Dart, Scarlett couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at her insides. Her powers were growing stronger, more unpredictable, and now they seemed to be tied to whatever Dart was. And if Mike had noticed, how long before the others started asking questions she wasn't ready to answer? Scarlett's thoughts raced as they scoured the school, the tension between her and Mike still simmering beneath the surface, unresolved and dangerously close to boiling over again.

ASH SPEAKS!

the way i prewrote this book within two days is crazy to me

scarlett continues to deny she has powers to mike but oh well

leaving you guys on cliffhanger sorry not sorry