after the night faye spent with blake the two were closer than ever, a week had passed since her dad had been infected, they still hadn't killed the burned one though. her dad was up and walking about around the training area. faye was scared they weren't gonna killed the burned one.

faye watched her father speaking to sky and riven then he continued to walk around, she just couldn't get her eyes off him in case something suddenly happened. sky and riven walked over to faye and stella, sky sat next to stella and riven sat next to faye with a smile.

"what do you two think?" sky asked.

"what?" faye questioned.

"about what?" stella asked.

"well, silva. how does he look to you?" he answered.

"fine." stella bluntly said.

faye pulled a face at stella. "yeah, stella he looks absolutely fine." she sarcastically told her.

"well, it's dr. stella for you, coming through with a zero-effort diagnosis." riven said, having a drink from his bottle.

stella turned her attention to sky. "are you training later, or are we hanging out before the party?" she asked, but all sky's attention was on silva.

"there's another party?" faye looked to riven.

riven nodded. "nice, response riv." she sarcastically smiled.

faye felt her phone buzz in her pocket, she looked at it to see a text from blake asking if she wanted to go to the party with him, of course, she said yes. riven watched her smile at the phone in her hands.

"you're still speaking to him?" riven asked with pure jealousy.

"why do you care, riv?" she asked.

"because."

"because?" she asked.

"it doesn't matter." he sighed.

stella left to go to class, sky, riven and faye were left.

riven sighed. "she must be mind-blowing, right?" he asked. "or does she do weird shit with her tongue?"

sky looked at riven, faye's face was full of disgust. "what are you talking about?" sky asked.

"i'm just trying to figure out why the fuck you started things up with her again." riven told him, shaking his head. "like, she crazy hot, yeah, but the emphasis is squarely on 'crazy'."

riven stayed silent for a few seconds. "it's butt stuff." he nodded his head proudly. "she lets you do butt stuff!"

"riv!" faye shouted, rolling her eyes.

"my bad, little miss virgin." he teased.

"if that's what you think then sure, riven." she smiled at the boy mischievously.

riven laughed. "you're kidding." he looked at her but her face was not amused in the slightest. "right?" faye just carried on looking at him. "hold on a fucking minute. you shagged blake?" he asked, he seemed pretty angry.

faye shrugged with a smile, grabbed her bag and left.

"i hate that you two just spoke about that in front of me." sky shook his head, slightly disgusted.

"she fucking shagged blake."

"why do you care, riv?" sky asked. "he's nice to her."

"yeah, for now." he scoffed. "i told her blake's, not a good guy. i've tired telling her this, but she accused me of being jealous."

"and are you jealous?" sky asked the boy.

riven stayed silent. "exactly." sky added.

...

after faye had been to class, it was lunch. she found terra and dane ordering some food so she went to join them, only getting a bottle of water.

faye watched as riven put his arm around a girl named beatrix. riven put an apple in his mouth and then leaned into the girl so she could take a bite.

"are they sharing an apple?" terra asked in slightly disgust. "that's so weird."

riven walked past the three only looking at faye, she rolled her eyes. was he seriously trying to make her jealous?

faye shook her head, paying for her water.

"i know, right?" dane replied. "apparently, she's also a huge nerd. in between bong rips, she can recite the entire history of the otherworld." he added.

terra chuckled. "riven has questionable taste."

"maybe. although i kinda think they're not terrible." dane told her. "plus they invited me to the party tonight."

"what?" terra spun around a slightly sad look on her face.

"the senior specialist's party." dane told her.

"yeah. no. i know what it is. they do it every year." she replied.

"yeah and it's always a total mess." faye added. "i'm going to terr, you should come."

"and who invited you to go?" terra asked.

"blake." faye simply said, with a smile on her face.

"so, is he your boyfriend now?" terra asked, smiling cheekily at her friend.

"i mean, i guess so." faye blushed.

faye and terra went to sit with bloom and musa. faye sat next to bloom and terra sat at the end of the table.

"so, i have a question." terra said in annoyance. "since when was it cool to be a nerd? i mean, don't get me wrong. it's great. amazing. power to the nerds. but like now it's cool to talk about fairy history?" she ranted.

"what?" bloom asked.

"well, like, you know, i- i like school. i like getting good grades and reading alone with a cup of chamomile, but you don't see anyone sharing a fricking apple with me, even though... gross." terra continued.

musa laughed. "we're gonna need so much more context."

"beatrix. i don't get what's the difference between her and me." terra replied. "whys it working for her?"

"uh, actually, i have to go." musa quickly said quicklime leaving the table and saying sorry.

"i'm gonna go too, i've got some shit to do." faye smiled leaving the table.

faye decided to go see her dad in the greenhouse. she arrived quite quickly. the girl opened the door to see sky and her dad talking, their heads turned to the girl.

"hi." she shyly smiled, walking over to her dad, gently hugging him. "how are you feeling, dad?" she asked.

her dad was breathing in and out. "i'll be okay, sweetheart." he painfully smiled.

"is professor harvey gonna up your zanbaq dose?" sky asked, silva didn't reply. "he said it'd keep the wounds at bay until-"

"until it can't anymore." silva interrupted.

faye felt her heart drop. her dad let out a groan as he stood up.

"i can run the first-year spars. and you can take it easy until the battalion gets to the burned one." sky said. "what's the status?" he asked.

silva sat down again, letting out a sigh. "uh... they've tracked it 40 kilometres north of here. they'll engage it soon."

"and when's soon? if they're gonna take the fucking piss with it i'll do it myself." faye snapped.

her father gave her a look. "i have every confidence they will complete the mission. they will kill it." he sniffed. "the only question is when."

"what do you mean?" sky asked.

"the uh... infection is spreading quickly now. when it reaches my heart." he inhaled sharply.

faye sat herself on a bench putting her head in her hands.

"how long do you have?" sky questioned.

"i don't know." silva replied. "i don't know. not long."

faye's head shot up to her father, tearing forming in her eyes, making her vision slightly blurry.

"so, what do we do?" sky yelled.

"well, i've... spoken to my seconds about the plans for both of your training, and dowling is aware of my wishes for both of your futures."

"he asked you a question, dad." faye said as her voice broke.

"and i am answering it, faye." he let out a shaky breath. "soldiers have to have these conversations with the people that matter." silva paused for a moment. "we make a plan. that's what we can do." he sighed.

"that's not a plan. i've already lost my mum, i can't lose you and neither can sky." tears began to come out of her eyes and fall down her face.

"i will keep you both updated on the battalion's progress." he told the two. "do you understand?"

"they're taking too long." faye snapped. "i'm gonna do it my fucking self." she left the greenhouse, ignoring her dad and sky calling her name.