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A few weeks have passed since Hayzel found my sketchbook and learned the things I had spent years hiding from her. People always say that the truth sets you free somehow. I don’t know if I’d go that far. What happened still hurts, and knowing it doesn’t make any of it disappear.

But the exhaustion of hiding it is gone. I don’t have to pretend anymore with her. I don’t have to lie about why I hate going back home, why I’m so over protective with Milo. I don’t have to choose my words carefully or wonder if she’ll notice when the voices get too loud and mean again.

And somehow that makes me feel closer to her than I’ve ever felt.

Life at St. Ellesta hasn’t slowed down for any of that.

We’ve been keeping up with training, classes, and every assignment our professors have thrown at us before the last exams. Graduation is only a few weeks away now, and we’re too close to the finish line to start losing the marks. Exams, and exams, every day. Evaluation, then physical test, then whatever they have in mind to break us before the end.

Damien and I have been getting closer too.

He’s still my professor. I’m still his student. We still sit in the same classroom surrounded by everyone else, and act like there isn’t an entire world between us that nobody knows about.

But outside of these walls, he has become part of the ordinary parts of my life. He helps me when I need him, keeps an eye on me during my self defense classes even if he’s not my assigned professor. He drives Hayzel, Blue and I back home on weekends so that I can spend some time with Edna and Milo now that my father is out of the town for another long assignment.

Somehow, Blue has decided that Damien was his second favorite person. He comes by my dorm every night, bringing me food because he knows I can forget necessary things like eating. Sometimes he stays over because he can tell I’m having a bad night.

He knows I’m still fighting. The cravings haven’t disappeared nor the nightmares. Neither has the need to hurt myself. There are days where I still feel the pull toward old bad habits, when my mind turns against me.

And he does notice the new scars, but he never made me feel ashamed of them, never made me feel stupid for struggling. He sits beside me, makes me laugh, or kisses me to prove that he’s still there. He’s always there.

He’s teaching me slowly that one bad day doesn’t erase every day I’ve fought to get better.

Good memories. New ones.

We’ve been working on the case too. The storm inside me hasn’t quieted since I learned the truth about my mother’s death and her killer. The Chained Poet. If anything, knowing only offered more anger and rage to cover the painful part of the grief.

We know the common denominator is St. Ellesta. We also know that our headmaster, Mister Spencer Porter, is involved somehow. We know a lot, but the name is still a question mark. Damien never says if we find him. He always says when we find him. It’s such a small and stupid detail. But every time he did it, I’d kiss him to thank him for being so confident about this.

We have a plan to find more about the killer.

The academy has been preparing for a huge charity fundraiser that they hold every year. It’s been nonstop decorating and deep cleaning. The facility has been shape-shifted from a modern gothic building to something so luxurious it would be fit enough for a prince.

We need to get our hands on that donor’s list. And once that is done, we’ll be closer than ever to finding out who this bastard is once and for all.

“Earth to Ms Vitelli,” I hear someone say suddenly which causes me to blink rapidly as my vision is slightly blurred from daydreaming.

My vision clears and I now see who’s standing in front of me.

Professor Green.

“Oh. Sorry Ms Green, I didn’t sleep well last night apparently,” I reply standing up from the bench I was sitting on outside of her class.

“It’s perfectly fine. I was just asking if you were alright?”

I return her smile with one of my own before nodding. “Yeah, of course… I’m okay, thank you for asking.”

She nods her head once, “Well, if you ever need anything you know where to find me,” she says gesturing towards the classroom behind us.

“Thank you, again. Ms Green, I really appreciate it,” I give a lame wave before walking further down the semi-empty hallway.

There’s a few students lingering nearby and also a couple of janitors. Like I said, cleaning is at an all time high.

My bag drops off my shoulders as I feel myself being dragged into a room. “Hey—” I say loudly before my back is slammed against the wall.

“Shhh,” Damien whispers and I instantly breathe out a sigh in relief.

His mouth finds mine as a few voices walk by the classroom as if to silence me. And when he pulls back, a faint smile appears on his lips. “Intercourse activity,” he says in a low voice. “Making sure you’re training well enough before the final exams.”