-Two years ago-

I knew that he wouldn't like it.

And that was the greatest understatement of my life.

"Uh, Vain...."

"Yes, Maddison." Vain gave me his attention...

Well actually, he continued walking with his nose buried in a book, but he also let me know that he had included me in his multitasking.

"I've... been thinking..." I started, feeling breathless. I couldn't look at Vain as we spoke, knowing that if I saw his reaction, I wouldn't be able to get the words out. "...you know... about....challenging Jack."

Over the last couple of months, I had been approached by members of the Hill about defeating the current Jack.

It was only after I witnessed for myself what the Jack of the Hill was capable of, that I considered doing as they asked.

Considered going back on my word to Vain.

It took a few steps for me to realise that Vain had stopped walking beside me. I turned nervously, cringing when I found him frozen behind me.

Silently, he stood in the middle of the sidewalk, forgotten book lowered to his side. He looked at me, waiting for me to continue with an expression that could only be considered numb.

Taking a deep breath, I rushed to justify myself.

"He has to be stopped...Right? Jack's hurting people way beyond what is sane!" I shook my head in frustration. "And if it wasn't all part of some stupid game, I wouldn't have hesitated to kick his ass before now."

I bit my lip.

"If I wasn't afraid of being dragged into the game, I would have done something to stop him."

Finally, I breathed out, feeling myself tremble.

"That's why I think I need to do this. I can't keep letting the King of the Hill stop me from doing what's right."

To be honest, what I feared most about making this decision was not the prospect of facing Jack again. Or joining the Hill.

It was confronting Vain.

I only found the courage to tell him because I knew, I could always count on Vain to take things calmly. To listen and use logic.

I wasn't wrong.

He listened.

Then with utterly calm logic,

He tore me apart.

"You need to do this?" He asked softly, his voice flat.

"The same way you needed to fight my bullies for me? The way you need to fight anyone who upsets you or does something you consider wrong?"

He took a step forward as his voice gained a sharp edge.

"Tell me, Maddison, did being born talented and strong give you the right to judge others and make you responsible for looking, after all, us innocent weaklings?"

I stood frozen, unable to even breathe as he closed the distance between us.

"I don't think so, because the hard truth here, Maddison, is that They don't need your help. They challenge Jack willingly. They know exactly what they are getting into. Every single one of them. The way I see it, you don't have any real reason to interfere at all."

He stood inches away, glaring down at me in ice-cold fury.

"But you're right about one thing Maddison. You need this. Because nothing else makes you feel special."

It had only been in the last couple of months, but Vain had finally managed to gain a few inches on me.

I hadn't really noticed the height difference, not until he bent down to glare directly into my eyes.

"You value that feeling of superiority over everything else. Watching you ignore your own safety, our fears and concerns, just to chase that twisted sense of self-worth, do you know what that makes me believe?"

He was so close, our lips nearly brushed as he rasped the last pained words.

"That all I've ever been to you was something you could protect and use to make you feel better about yourself."

The shock of the words, the sudden heartbreak, made me do the one thing I thought I would never be capable of.

I hit Vain.

The sharp sound of the slap shouldn't have been so loud. Not with the rush hour traffic going on around us.

Perhaps it was just the frozen look of shock on his face that made the sound echo in my head, made my hand burn more than the slap could have possibly hurt him.

I would have run away then if a new voice hadn't spoken up in the sudden silence between us.

"What a pitiful pair of lonely brats you are."

Vain and I were startled out of our private world as Alexander Floid strolled nonchalantly past us.

I had only met the red-head a few times, but none of those interactions had prepared me for what he had to say next.

"Willing to cripple her just to keep her from leaving you. Desperately fighting the losing battle for his approval. Any fool can see, you two are destined to destroy each other."

Not even looking at us, Alex walked right on by, leaving only those harsh words.

He barely knew us, had no reason to even care, but somehow still saw something we had been trying to ignore ourselves.

I don't know if it was my slap or Alex commentary, but it was obvious from the growing panic in Vain's eyes that he had realised that he had gone too far this time.

"Maddison... Wait!"

I didn't wait. I ran.

Because I couldn't help wondering if what Vain had said was right.

I ignored him, running the entire way home. I told myself that I would fix it in the morning.

Just tonight. I just can't handle it now.

But the next time I saw Vain wasn't in the morning.

It was at eleven o'clock that same night.

At the hospital.

Sitting in the chair next to his hospital bed, I stared at my unconscious, beaten best friend, and tried to tell myself that it was wasn't my fault.

I couldn't have known that Jack had lost his patience. That he had decided to give me a little push.

That he had been willing to do this.

No matter what I said to try and lessen the guilt, it all sounded false in my head.

Because the one time I let Vain walk home alone, the person trying to hurt me had used him to do so.

"Maddison."

For the second time that day, Alexander Floid's voice spoke from behind me.

"That was one of your so-called rules, wasn't it?" I asked, my voice sounding strangely far away in my own ears.,

"That you can't attack people not involved in the Hill. That you can't attack people outside of school grounds."

I spun on him, my eyes wild with anger. "So what the Hell happened?"

Alex stood in the doorway, his eyes tired.

"Well, the most obvious loop-hole Jack has exploited is that he wasn't caught." Alex shook his head. "He has not admitted to the crime, there is no evidence. The only thing we have is a motive. The Hill will do nothing to punish him."

I bit my lip so hard, I tasted blood.

"Why are you even here, then?" I snarled, turning back to Vain.

There came quiet footsteps, then suddenly, Alex was at my side.

"We have called a meeting on the Hill," Alex said quietly. "Every one of the cardholders are gathering there now."

"What does that have to do with me?" I gripped Vain's hand, ignoring the little voice inside me that told me that I didn't have the right to.

"Jack is going to be there. On school grounds. If anything were to happen to him, as part of a challenge..."

I looked up at Alex then, seeing the well-hidden fury in his eyes as he met my own.

"....well then, it would completely 'legal', wouldn't it?"

I understood what he was saying. I let out a trembling breath, looking once more at Vain. Remembering the time I had nearly drowned. Had woken to find him at my bedside.

I would probably regret it for the rest of my life, that when it was his turn to wake up, I wouldn't be the one at his side waiting for him.