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I walk down the hallway to get to Astrix's locker. It's right after the lunch period on a drizzling Monday morning, the weekend after the big revelation.

I've been blatantly ignoring Jack all day, only communicating in short exchanged texts, and of course I've been keeping Astrix up to date with everything going on.

As soon as she spots me standing in front of her locker, Astrix spins around, accidentally hitting me with a wave of long, blond hair.

"Oaklyn! Oh my goodness, are you okay?"

I sigh deeply. "I'm fine. A little shaken up, but there's no bodily harm."

Astrix puts a hand on my shoulder and pulls me over to the side. "I would never have guessed that Jack...Oh my goodness...Should we even be on speaking terms with him?"

I shake my head. "My brain is just as messed up as your feels. I don't know what to think anymore, but I do know I'm going to have to look past that if I want to stay safe from her."

Astrix groans in distress. "That must be terrible though. To see him every day, knowing you have to work with him and be constantly reminded of her and...That night..."

I shake my head. "Not really. Jack is very different from Delilah. They look nothing alike...Having a hard time believing they're related."

"It's because we're not."

Both me and Astrix jump at the low voice and inch away down the hall. I look up and see Jack, standing at the entrance with his arms crossed and a smile playing at his lips.

He steps forward and corners the two of us. "I didn't know you had someone else in on this whole thing?"

I nod to Astrix and she straightens up. "Of course I'd have Astrix know. She's my best friend, we don't keep anything from each other."

At that, Jack's entire posture changes and he immediately looks uncomfortable. I question why for a second, before I remember what he'd revealed to me. About his abusive father, and what I overheard that last time.

I shake my head, trying to silently communicate that I never shared any of that to Astrix, but then she steps forward. Her hands find her hips and her expression changes, fully heated.

"About what I do and do not know...How do we know that you don't still harbor any love or loyalty for your dear aunt Delilah? What if you really are working for her? Trying to goad information from my friend? Trying to take advantage?"

Jack raises an eyebrow at me. "All my love and loyalty belongs to Oaklyn, until the trial and court case which we will undoubtedly win. You don't need to worry your pretty little head about my intentions. I thought I made my feelings towards my father and his family, very clear."

I purse my lips. He's right. From what I saw, he hates his father and rightfully so. Such feelings would also apply to his father's sister, especially since he knows what she's done to me and my family. I should be a little more trusting.

"What do you mean by you're not related to Delilah?" Astrix asks, snapping me out of my reverie.

Jack runs a hand through his hair, and my eyes follow the slick movement.

"What I mean is that my father is adopted. That may explain why he's such a terrible person...Maybe he had a rough life? But it still doesn't excuse him and his actions. In theory though, Delilah is not my blood relative. So she's not my real aunt and I have no emotions towards her whatsoever."

Astrix crosses her arms. "Are you sure about that?"

I pull on her arm and she ducks down a little. Jack laughs out loud and starts to back away.

"Of course I'm sure. It's up to Oaklyn now, whether or not she believes me."

"I don't even have an option anymore, do I? I'm going to have to believe you."

I raise my eyes and realize that Jack's not there anymore. He's already taken off down the hallway.

I sigh and make to move forward, but suddenly Paige materializes before me. Her skirt rides up higher than socially acceptable, and her face is as pinched up as always. How...Cliché.

"What happened? Having a threesome with loverboy?"

Astrix turns to me, her face reflecting the very word 'horror.'

"Loverboy?"

Paige innocently shuffles her feet. "Yeah. Don't you do that often? Love?"

Astrix buries her face in her hands.

"You're still...You haven't...You're a virgin. Right?"

I wince at the reminder, but Astrix is so flustered, she doesn't even realize it. Paige smiles, happy to have hit a nerve. I growl at her.

"Fuck off already. Don't you have anything other to do than harass other pedestrians? It's because of people like you that...Global warming exists!"

Paige surveys me pityingly, her eyes roaming up and down. After a minute she sighs disgustedly and then turns her back to go waltz off in the opposite direction.

Let her go away and think whatever she wants about me. All I care about is this court case. Anything in between is an irrelevancy. 

Little did I know how just how mistaken that thought turned out to be.