Part Two to “Fair on the Pier”

Earlier that Day…

If you ever get handed a hall pass that’s _already filled out_ with your name, time, and destination… run. Seriously. Sprint in the opposite direction, fake an injury, start a fire—whatever it takes. Because that’s how it started for me. One second I was zoning out in chem class, thinking about how thermodynamics is stupid and useless, and the next? I was being politely handed a one-way ticket to getting almost kidnapped in the middle of school. So consider this your warning. Not all hall passes are created equal. Some of them lead straight into the kind of mess even detention can’t fix.

“Now class, follow the directions on the lab sheet and then…” Mrs. Hendrix droned on, passing out bright green construction paper with “hip,” funky fonts sprawled across it. 

Like any normal day, I started the assignment, and like any other day, I finished it early so I could continue on reading. 

And like any other day, Liam was annoying the life out of me.

“What are you reading?”

“Little Women.”

“Haven’t you read that like, 6 billion times?”

I rolled my eyes, this time not bothering to hide my irritation. “It’s a classic for a reason, Liam. You wouldn’t get it.” 

“Stop talking, students.” Mrs. Hendrix’s voice was firm, though her eyes remained glued to the pages of her textbook.

Then a knock on the door. And then another.

Mrs. Hendrix finally stood up, sighing dramatically.

Two men walk in, looking around until their eyes meet… mine? But why me? 

“Clara Devereux, you're needed at the office.” One man hands me a pink slip, already filled out.

I look at it and shrug. “Alright.” Then I finally turn to Liam, and see the horrified look on his face. I throw his a questionable look but all he does is stand up. 

“Mrs. Hendrix, can I go to the bathroom?” He acted bored, but I could hear a quiver in his voice. 

“I don’t care, Mr. Harker, just take a pass.” She yawned and shooed us all away.

Once we were out in the hallway, Liam turned to the men. “What’s happening?” 

“Liam, we recommend you let us do our job, and this can go smoothly. You’re already in enough trouble.” One man shakes his head.

Liam’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear mixing with the defiance. “Trouble? What are you talking about?” Liam glanced at me, his face unreadable.

The other man stepped closer. “Don’t play dumb, Liam. You know exactly what we’re talking about. The… _information_ you weren’t supposed to see.” He emphasized the word “information” with a pointed look.

My mind raced. Information? What kind of information would get Liam into trouble with these… guys? They weren’t school officials. There was a coldness in their eyes, a professional detachment that sent a shiver down my spine. And why were they involving me?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam insisted, though his voice wavered slightly. He took a step back, putting a little more distance between himself and the two men.

The first man sighed, a sound of feigned weariness. “Look, Liam, we don’t want to make a scene. Just come with us, and we can sort this out.” He gestured towards the end of the hallway.

“Sort what out?” Liam challenged, his voice gaining a bit more strength. “Why can’t you just tell me here?”

“Because,” the second man interjected, his gaze now turning to me, “we believe your… friend here might also be aware of things she shouldn’t be.” His eyes were like chips of ice, assessing me.

My blood ran cold. Me? What could I possibly know? Liam and I mostly talked about school, books, and his terrible attempts at skateboarding.

“That’s ridiculous,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The first man gave a tight, humorless smile. “See, Liam? She plays innocent. Just like you did.” He turned back to Liam. “It would be much easier for everyone if you both just cooperated.”

Liam’s jaw tightened. He looked from the men to me, a dawning understanding in his eyes. “Wait a minute… you think… you think I told Clara?”

The second man’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you?”

Liam shook his head vehemently. “No! Of course not! Why would I?”

“Maybe,” the first man suggested, his voice dangerously smooth, “because you trust her. Maybe you thought she could help you understand. Or maybe…” He paused, letting the implication hang in the air, “maybe you weren’t thinking at all.”

My mind was reeling. These weren’t just random strangers. They knew Liam. They knew _of_ me. This wasn’t a misunderstanding; this was deliberate. And whatever Liam had stumbled upon, it was serious enough for them to come into our school, armed with a fake hall pass, to… what? Intimidate us? Take us somewhere?

Liam took another step closer to me, his earlier fear replaced by a protective stance. “You’re wrong. Clara doesn’t know anything. Leave her out of this.”

The second man chuckled again, that unpleasant sound echoing in the sterile hallway. “Oh, Liam. It’s too late for that, don’t you think? You talked to her, didn’t you? Even if you didn’t tell her everything, you might have said enough. And now…” He looked at me pointedly. “…now. Miss Clara here is part of the problem.”

We all just stood there, staring at one another until the second man reached for me whilst I was unawares. As I felt his grip around my waist, instincts kicked in and soon I was struggling under his hold.

“Hey! Clara’s not– She never–” Liam sputtered, incomprehensible.

“What the h–” I started to yell, but his other hand covered my mouth, the rough fabric of his glove digging into my cheeks. 

That’s when Liam moved.

Then he launched himself at the man holding me. His fist connected with a sickening thud against the man’s jaw. The grip around my waist loosened instantly, and the hand over my mouth flew away as the man staggered back, clutching his face.

Liam’s fingers knitted with mine and we ran. But it wouldn’t be the last we saw of them.

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prob gonna continue this, must admit though, my motivation for BLOODBOUND is not coming T-T