Whew! I just survived a hellish year, guys. I know this is not enough to compensate, but I swear I will never go on such a huge hiatus again! Sorry for any typos, will correct them in 2016 ;)

Enjoy!


Amanda Archer (Girl #1) grew restless after only a few minutes. Beside the stage was scary, noticeable... she shouldn't have picked that very conspicuous theatre room in the first place.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She knew out on the corridor probably wasn't any better, but she just couldn't sit in the stage's shadow any longer.

The bathrooms were likely suicide. But let's see, maybe Classroom #7 wasn't going to be so bad? Small, not right next to the stairs... easy.

Amanda quickly slipped out of the theatre room and, silent as a shadow, slid across the corridor standing close to the wall. Once inside the really dull, and, more importantly, empty, classroom, she noticed with delight how the key was in the lock. She quickly turned it.

Amanda could not have known she had missed a friend of hers running desperetaly up the stairs by less than a minute.


Catherine, sitting beside Denise in that stupid piano room, was getting even more nervous. This was going nowhere. She never truly liked Denise, and not only because of the stupid matter of Elias' drawings – also because, well, she wasn't very clever. Yes, she liked clothes and make-up too, but Denise almost never read books and had only decent grades. Her idiot suggestions now to go and randomly look for other people cemented Catherine's opinion. Okay, she wasn't an enemy, but not fully trusted either. And there was also another thing, Denise's favourite topic of "conversation" – ha! Monologue. Catherine avoided her even at lunch because of that.

Denise rolled her silver bracelet on her wrist; even the slight tinkling made Catherine twitch. The thin metal band had a hanging letter D on it, but it didn't only stand for Denise.

Hell, if Denise hadn't mentioned Dillon about a hundred times in the past ten minutes, she didn't do so once!

Yes, Denise had that boyfriend who wasn't a big deal, just your random Hispanic guy with lighter hair and glasses. Yet she couldn't go about her day without telling everyone – maybe even random strangers in the street, though Catherine had no idea – how they were going out, how Dillon had promised to marry her one day, and how Dillon would make her prom queen. He wasn't even in their school, mind you... Then, at lunch, everyone had to know immediately what Dillon's opinion of the food served was, if he liked salad, cheese, red meat or mushrooms. Also, it was vital to share what Dillon would say to whatever topic any unfortunate soul talking to her would try and bring up. Phones? Oh, Dillon prefers talking face-to-face, but he has such a cool one and... TV shows? Dillon really loves The Simpsons, you know, and when we watch TV together... School? Dillon's favourite subject is math, he's so smart, and when he helps me studying... ad infinitum.

Sometimes Catherine thought that Denise didn't even like Dillon, and talked about him all the time just to reassure herself that she actually did. Not that Catherine cared about Denise's feelings, but she sure as hell didn't care about Dillon. Yet, somehow Denise appeared to be popular. Maybe people were really aching to know every detail about that guy?

And, worst of all, Catherine, despite being much prettier than Denise (not only in her own opinion) and certainly more intelligent, was still single. Maybe because she refused to lower her standards, but why go out with some insipid Dillon just to be able to tell she had a relationship?

Also, this constant chattering about Dillon, and pretty much nothing but Dillon... Sure, Meredith Lloyd (Girl #7) was clingy as hell and smooching with Connor Lacey (Boy #4) most of the time, but, when caught alone, she was pretty normal, and would join the other girls in their conversations. Unlike Denise, who shifted to involve her amazing boyfriend as soon as possible.

"Dillon would know what to do."

"I doubt that."

"Oh, but he would."

"Well, he's not here."

"I wish he was!"

"This doesn't help us."

"Have I told you he told me we'd go skiing in two weeks? Just the two of us?"

"No."

And the fuck I want to know.

"He'll warm me up every night while we bathe in the starlight!"

And the FUCK I want to know about your sex life! What, will I be lucky enough to learn of your favourite position next?!

"Sure..." Catherine looked away., hoping Denise would get the hint.

But no, she stayed silent only for a few seconds.

"Cathy, why are you wearing those shoes?"

What do my shoes have to anything with this?!

"It's winter, they're warm and comofortable."

Not my fault you're weating shiny high heels.

"Oh, I have at least 15 pairs. That's what defines a woman!"

No wonder I don't speak to you often, shoes for brains.

"Nisi" Catherine ran a hand through her shiny dark brown hair "I don't think this is the right time to discuss shoes."

Or ever. At least not with you.

"Oh. Okay" Denise seemed almost disappointed.

Catherine was thankful for another few seconds of silence.

"Cathy, why didn't you try and become a cheerleader?"

"I don't see myself jumping around in a short skirt and waving pompoms. It's also dangerous."

"But so pretty! Don't you envy those girls?"

"No. Not at all."

"That's stupid."

Who are you calling stupid?!

Catherine found it better not to say anything.

"I mean, it's so cool!"

Catherine didn't respond again. She felt close to snapping.

I must stay calm. I must stay calm...

"Even Dillon says cheerleaders are the prettiest!"

Fantastic! So if this Demigod Dillon leaves you for a cheerleader, will you have ANY topics of conversation AT ALL?!

"But oh, when we get out, Dillon and I..."

"Shut the fuck up, Denise!" her outburst slightly surprised even Catherine herself "only one survives anyway."

Denise's pretty dark eyes widened.

"But Dillon!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're the stuff dreams are made of, but he's not here, so shut up!"

"But I must get back to him!

"Oh yeah? Your only reason is to fuck all night long at a ski resort?!"

"Cathy!"

"Shut. Up."

"How could you?!"

"I said. SHUT. UP."

"No wonder you're still single!" Denise's voice rose an octave higher.

Catherine's stare darkened. Yes, she was. And even if I wasn't, I would not tell everyone about it. Or if I would, I'd also have other topics of conversation…

"Dillon w-"

That precise moment, Catherine snapped.

"Shut the fuck up!" she yelled.

It was only a split second. A split second while Denise stared dumbfounded, and Catherine stood up fast as lightning.

Catherine kicked Denise in the side, which was enough to make her hit the floor and loosen her grip on her weapon. Next thing Denise knew, Catherine hit her hard with the whip. It stung even through her clothes – which, admittedly, were quite thin, as she relied on her coat in wintertime.

Denise tried to stand up, to crawl away, anything – but whenever she did, a shoe kicked her back down again.

"Help-"

"Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up?!" Catherine kicked her again, harder this time, into the stomach.

At least that would surely take her voice away – ha!

Another whack with the whip on her side. Denise only whined pathetically.

Even that part of her voice failed when Catherine dug her shoe in her back.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Catherine wasn't yelling any more, just repeating the words over and over again.

And... were those tears in the corners of her eyes?! A blink later, they were gone.

Denise turned her head up for a second, her own eyes surely watering, both from pain and fear.

"Cath-"

Whack!

A bloody gash opened on Denise's left cheek as Catherine showed no mercy hitting her right there.

Some catchphrase like Ooh, will Dillon still like you now? might have been effective and believable in a movie or some idiot teen drama, but this was no such situation.

"Shut up..." and Catherine hit her again.

And again. And again...

She didn't know how much time had passed. Probably it was less than a minute, but suddenly Catherine seemed to realize the situation as blood sprayed on her hand.

Denise writhed in pain, blood spattering on the floor, her clothes torn, her skin turned to a bloody mess at places, her body shaking with sobs.

"Nisi..."

A pained whine, then silence, just a choked sob.

It was too much.

Catherine dropped that cursed whip, and, holding on only to her sickle, leaving even her backpack as she failed to think clearly, dashed out of the cursed piano room, down tthe corridor and to the stairs.

On the second floor, she instantly spotted a door to her right.

A door! A door! Peace!

She collapsed onto a chair in the theatre room, staring blankly at the stage, the sickle hanging in her limp hand. Suddenly, a figure appeared on the stage.

"Eli..." she didn't even care any more, and stayed where she was. Her hand was bloody, her azure top had red blotches too. Who cared, honestly? She had gone too far this time.

"Oh. Cathy" Elias stated, slightly taken aback, costumes laid across his arms.


Denise whined, dragging herself across the floor. Each movement caused searing pain shooting across her back, her arms, her face... the gash was still bleeding.

Dillon...

Her silver bracelet tinkled again.

Dillon! I must get back to him!

Mustering all her strength, and groaning from the pain, tears streaking her face, she struggled to sit up. Finally, she managed, and laid her right side – the one which escaped most of the blows – against the piano.

A few seconds later, she shivered as the door opened, but she couldn't look in her direction without – she thought – fainting from the pain.

"Denise...?"

A boy's gruff voice came next, and the sound of an arrow being cocked.

"Ah whatever, let's put her out of her misery... let me go, pretty little thing!"


Darren Nelson (Boy #5), having ran up to the top floor and now back to the ground one since the Training had begun, found himself shivering from fear in the corner of the gym, behind the three stacks of dumbbelss, from 25 kg to 0,5 kg ones. He knew Antonio Ruggeri (Boy #7) and Miguel Bereda (Boy #2), the legendary best friends, were there too, as he heard them talking. Sure, they were on quite good terms, but after Bradford Thompson (Boy #8) threatening him with the taser, and the mess in the infirmary with Meredith and Connor, he was not going to take any risks.

Quiet... quiet...quiet... oh, please, Tony, Mickey! Leave soon!