CHAPTER TEN:
❝Screwed Up ❞︎

SHE STAYED LOCKED UP IN HER ROOM. For almost a week, leaving only when she had to take a shower and eat. She didn't bother going to the classes that she had Josie with, those classes Hope would catch her up on what they learned about. Hope still hadn't learned of what had taken place, and neither had Harper's girlfriend. Harper had been trying to pick up the phone, but every time she did she started to feel guilty and would start panicking causing her to ultimately place the phone back on the hook.

Today was what was known as remembrance day, the day in which they wrote letters to the dead. But Harper never participated in it. Why would she want to write to the only two people who practically ruined her life? She had considered at least writing to her mother before deciding against it and claiming it to be a stupid idea. She had been the one to kill them, so this day always reminded her of what it was that she had truly done. And why she was truly at this school.

Apparently someone called the necromancer had a run in with Alaric and Dorian and was currently trapped in the cells below, and as she was sitting there staring at her hands, Rafael was reuniting with his dead girlfriend. It was something that seemed to not bother Harper whatsoever. And that simple fact was what bothered her. It was just a kiss, that's all it was. Nothing more. So why was she freaking out over it like she had committed such an awful crime?

Her cell phone rang, causing the girl to numbly turn her head only to sharply sit up when she saw who it was that was calling her. It was Scarlett. Harper's hands almost immediately started shaking, but this was the fifth call that she had missed and she was scared Scarlett was going to march up to the school and find out what was truly wrong with her. She clenched her jaw and swallowed thickly before picking the phone up and hesitantly answering it.

"H-" She cleared her throat. "Hello?"

"Thank God!" Scarlett sighed. "You haven't talked to me all week, I was getting worried that something happened. Everything alright over there?"

No, she wanted to say. But she didn't. "Yeah. Just a lot has been happening and I haven't had the chance to sit down until today so I've just been relaxing." Lies. Not only had she cheated on Scarlett, but now she was lying to the woman? What was she doing? This wasn't her. "Scarlett, I need to talk to you. Today. Can we meet up?"

"O-oh okay." Scarlett sounded surprised. "Yeah. Milkshake place. Five o'clock sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." Harper whispered. "See you then."

"See you then." Scarlett agreed before hanging up the phone. She checked the time, it was already growing closer to the afternoon, so it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and start getting ready. The female sighed before standing up and pulling her shoes off along with her socks before grabbing a towel and exiting the room. She made her way down the hall towards the showers and stopped in her tracks when she saw Josie making her way down the hall. Their eyes met and they both stopped.

They stood there, staring at one another for a moment before Harper swallowed and quickly made her way into the bathroom. Josie watched her go with a deep frown, closing her eyes and silently cursing herself. Why did she have to initiate that kiss? She made a mental note that she was going to talk to Harper once the girl got out of the shower. The Saltzman twin swallowed before continuing down the hallway.

Harper stood under the scalding water, scrubbing at her skin as if trying to remove the memories of the kiss from her body. But the more she thought about the kiss, the more pissed she got at herself. Because she liked the kiss. And that was so wrong of her. She didn't like Josie, or at least that was something she hadn't admitted to herself. But she knew for a fact that she liked Scarlett, and she was going to meet up with Scarlett and tell her everything.

She got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body before quickly making her way back to her room and pulling on some clothes. She brushed through her wet hair, staring at herself through the mirror, and it almost hurt her to look at the person staring back at her. A knock came on the door and the person didn't wait before popping their head in before allowing their body inside the room along with it. Harper looked at the person through her mirror, freezing when she saw Josie standing there.

"Josie." Harper softly called the girl's name, placing her hairbrush down before standing up and turning to look at the girl, silently nodding her head as if to tell Josie it was okay. Josie closed the door behind her before standing there and staring at Harper.

"Harper. . ."

"Can we make this quick?" Harper asked. "I have to meet Scarlett within the hour."

Josie nodded her head. "I just want to talk."

"Then talk." Harper nodded. "I'm just going to finish getting ready whilst you do so."

Josie swallowed thickly before starting. "Harper, what happened between us shouldn't have happened. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't even realize it was happening until we were less than an inch apart and we were. . . kissing. And maybe it happened because of what happened between myself and Penelope and I was just trying to distract myself o-or something. But I don't want this to ruin us. What we have."

"You kissed me as a distraction?" Harper asked, hurt in her voice. "You didn't kiss me because you liked me or something, you kissed me because you wanted to use me to feel better about yourself. Wow."

"No, that's not what I meant―︎"

"I blame myself as much as you blame yourself for what happened. But knowing that you were kissing me because of the she-devil her goddamn self?" Harper clenched her jaw in disbelief. "That kiss was a mistake. And maybe so was this friendship. I can't be friends with someone who uses my feelings to distract themselves from their own. I should've done what Hope has, I should've just kept to myself like I had originally planned. So that shit like this didn't happen."

"Harper. . ." Tears were in the brunette's eyes. She couldn't lose Harper.

"It's alright, Josette." Harper swallowed thickly, trying to keep herself from crying.

"No, it's not, Harper." Josie denied. "You're right. The kiss was a mistake, but I still care about you. And I don't want to lose you over something so stupid, I can't lose you."

"Maybe you should've thought about that before kissing me." Her words were harsh, and Harper didn't even know what she was saying until the sound of a crack could be heard, causing both girl's to jump, turning to look at the giant crack that now ran through Harper's mirror. Harper closed her eyes. "The kiss was both of our faults. Let's just not talk about it anymore. I have to go meet Scarlett."

Harper grabbed her coat before quickly walking past Josie, but Josie was quick to follow after her. "Harp, maybe that isn't the best idea. You're angry and upset, something could happen."

"I have perfect control over myself, Josie. I can protect myself." Harper lightly snapped, making it outside with Josie still following her.

Josie grabbed Harper's wrist, and out of automatic reflex she flinched and her hand shot out, sending Josie flying backwards. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. Josie carefully stood up, and noticed the horror that had crossed Harper's face. She knew the girl was remembering what she had done to her parents.

"I'm sorry." Harper whispered.

"No, hey, I'm okay." Josie assured her, carefully coming towards the girl. But Harper went backwards each time she went forwards.

"I'm sorry." She repeated the apology before quickly turning on her heels, a bracelet dropping from her hand. Josie watched as the female quickly got into one of the cars and drove away. Josie stood there, watching her go before she looked down at the ground, kneeling down towards the bracelet Harper had dropped. Josie picked it up and closed her eyes when she saw it was their friendship bracelet.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"HEY," SCARLETT SMILED WHEN SHE SAW HARPER. Her smile fell when she saw the distraught look on Harper's face. Scarlett frowned and stood up, meeting Harper halfway and immediately pulled the girl into a hug. "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay."

"No it's not." Harper sobbed. "No it's not."

"Come on, let's go for a walk, huh?" Harper nodded and Scarlett grabbed her hand before grabbing her stuff and started to walk. The two walked in silence, Scarlett waiting for the girl to calm down before asking her questions. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Everything." Harper whispered, and she sounded so broken. "I've screwed up so bad within this past week." Harper stopped and turned towards Scarlett. Scarlett frowned as she turned towards the girl, tucking a strand of hair behind Harper's ear and watching as the girl shied away from her touch.

"Harper, what's going on?"

"I. . . kissed another girl." Harper ripped the band aid off. "It was Josie's sixteenth birthday, and a lot had happened to her and I just wanted to brighten up her night so I took her out to the gazebo that I had decorated. We danced, a-and we talked, and we-we―︎it just happened and I didn't stop myself from kissing her back. But when I realized what was happening I pulled away because I couldn't hurt you because I like you a lot and I am not someone who cheats, this is my first relationship after all and I know I've screwed it up. The kiss didn't mean anything, I don't like Josie like that, but I liked the kiss. And I don't know why. And I'm sorry. I know you hate me. And I know I've ruined this entire thing that's only lasted for literally a week. I'm the worst person in the world and I understand if you hate me―︎"

"Harper!" This had been the third time Scarlett had called the girl's name. Harper stopped speaking and looked towards Scarlett with tears in her eyes. Scarlett offered her a gentle smile before placing a hand on her cheek. "It was just a kiss, Harper. It wasn't like you had sex with her or anything. I'm not mad. I understand that shit like that just happens sometimes and you don't know how to explain it. I'm just glad that you actually told me instead of hiding it from me. That's the most respectful thing someone who has cheated on me has done. I didn't have to find out from someone else like the other times, you told me directly, and I respect you for that."

"So. . . I didn't completely sabotage our relationship?" Harper questioned.

Scarlett chuckled and shook her head before softly saying, "No, you didn't."

"Oh thank God." Harper breathed, her shoulders relaxing. "I really am sorry."

"Apology accepted." Scarlett smiled. "Or at least it will be as long as I know that this kiss was better than that Josie girl's." Harper smiled at the girl before the two shared a kiss with one another, one that Harper enjoyed and loved very much, kissing the girl a few more times even. But she couldn't help but feel like something was off, she just didn't know what it was.

She came back late, with half of the school already asleep. She carefully made it to her room and opened the door, closing it behind her only to stop in surprise when she saw Hope sitting on her bed with tears in her eyes. Harper immediately went over to the girl, not making her explain anything before she wrapped Hope in an embrace and just let the girl sob until she couldn't any more.