THREE.   still burned in the back of your mind

Kennedy and Bianca were best friends. Sleepovers, share clothes, talk about boys, sneak out of the castle, drunk with laughter kind of best friends. They told each other everything, including their frigid and poor relationships with their mothers. Daughters who are never good enough. Perhaps that's what bonded them together, the mutual feeling of betrayal from somebody who was supposed to love them most.

She wasn't sure what hurt her more: the betrayal of her mother's love or the betrayal of her best friend and boyfriend.

Xavier and Rowan sparred on one side of the fencing room, Bianca and Yoko on the other, leaving her in the middle. How ironic. She felt Presley like her chest with the end of her sword. "Stop staring."

Kennedy blinked. She scoffed in return. "I'm not staring."

Presley gave her a strict look. "That broke up she's ago, K."

"Okay?"

She was used to this level of denial. Presley sighed. "Maybe channel all of your inner anger and hatred into your fencing."

Kennedy frowned. "That's a rude insinuation." Nevertheless, she put on the helmet and raised the sword. "En guard, Elvira!"

"Elvira's not a vampire, dumbass!" Presley charged forward with her blade pointed.

The best friends swung back and forth. Kennedy flashed the tip of her sword with hers and laughed. "C'mon, Pres, you gotta do better than that!"

"Don't make me start hovering!"

Bianca watched them from across the room. It made her roll her eyes.

Kennedy spun around and knocked Presley's blade out of her hand. Sticking her chest, she started laughing. "Ha! Gotcha!"

Presley snatched off her helmet. "You're such a cheater!" She accused.

"I am not! It's not my fault you have butter fingers."

"Okay, fine. Let's go again, Stretch."

Kennedy laughed. "Oh, real creative."

She heard a loud clash. Kennedy turned her head the other direction, seeing Xavier laugh as he knocked Rowan's blade out of his hand. They started again. She narrowed her eyes and jerked her head subtly, Xavier's sword flying out of his hand and Rowan stuck him in the chest. "Whoo! Yeah!"

Presley gave her a look. Really?

Kennedy only shrugged.

"Pretty sure that's cheating, Eden!" Bianca's shrill voice sent chills down her spine.

It gained the attention of everyone in the room. "Pretty sure minding your own business isn't hard, Barclay." Presley took up for her, glaring at the siren.

Kennedy raised his hand slightly. "Like you haven't been cheating this whole time," she directed to Bianca.

I don't have to cheat to be the best."

Presley raised her eyebrows. "Who says you're the best? Yourself?"

There was a round of oohs. Coach Vlad quickly stepped in. "Okay, ladies, why don't we get back to practicing?"

Kennedy ignored him. A sudden bubble of anger formed in her stomach. "Why don't you prove it then, huh?" She challenged.

Presley frowned. "Ken—"

"That sounds like a challenge," said Bianca while smirking. "Let's do it."

From far behind them, Xavier groaned. "Oh no."

Rowan patted his back. "Must be hard, huh? Having both your ex girlfriends in the same class?"

"Shut up, Rowan."

The girls put their helmets back on in perfect sync. Their blades rose. They glared at each other through the helmets.

Coach Vlad looked between them nervously, as did everyone else. "Ready. . . en guard!"

In an instant, their blades clashed together. Kennedy grunted and shoved her body into Bianca's, making her stumble back. Bianca was fast but she was faster. She pushed her blade forward and ducked so that they were now on opposite sides of each other. Kennedy lunged forward with a cry and they moved back and forth, their movements the exact same.

Everything she did was fueled by hatred. The feeling was reciprocated.

Bianca seemed to be focusing more on her footwork. Kennedy decided to use that as an advantage. She ducked and switched their positions again. Bianca did a swift spin and while her back was turned, Kennedy lunged forward, quickly knocking the end of the fencing blade with hers and she dropped it. Kennedy stuck her chest, leaving her in shock.

Presley quietly cheered.

Bianca tore off her helmet, glaring her icy eyes into hers. Kennedy took off hers and smirked. "You think you're so clever," she spat. "Well you're nothing, Eden."

"Yeah?" Kennedy challenged once again, stepping into her space. "Well you're a bitch—"

Coach Vlad stepped between them again. "Okay, girls, okay!"

Making a move, Presley quickly grabbed Kennedy's arm and dragged her back. "Let's go, Ken."

Yoko did the same with Bianca. "This isn't over, Eden!" She proclaimed.

"It never is with you, isn't it?" Kennedy shouted back while Presley dragged her out of the room. As she passed by Xavier, their eyes met for the quickest of seconds.

"Damn, Stretch. Are you trying to get into a fight on the first day?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

Xavier chased her down the hallway. "What was that all about?" He demanded.

Kennedy rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

He grabbed the back of her arm and tugged on it. Kennedy spun around, jerking her arm back. "And using your powers on me? You've never done that before, Kennedy." Xavier accused.

She scoffed. "How'd you know it was me? You've always been clumsy."

He rolled his eyes. "I think I know what a force jerking something out of my hand feels like."

"I'm not the only one with telekinesis in this school, Xavier."

"No, but you're the only one with a personal vendetta on me."

Kennedy glared deeply. "Can you blame me? Do you honestly think it was easy for me to come back and hear that not even a month after we break up, you're dating my best friend?"

Xavier's face subtly fell.

"I didn't sleep for days, Xavier. I didn't eat. I blamed myself every day."

"It wasn't your fault—"

"No shit it wasn't my fault!" Kennedy screamed, making him go silent. "But you know how my mind works. I can't help how I think! I know I did terrible things and I'm sorry for how I treated you, but I loved you, Xavier. Why wasn't that enough?"

Fortunately, they were the only two people in the hallway. "I-It was enough, Ken."

She forced herself not to cry. "No. No, that's not what you said. You. . .You said our love wasn't enough. You said we were horrible for each other. Do you know much that hurt, Xavier? How much it hurt to know that what we had meant nothing? I loved you!" Her voice gradually grew louder the more hurt she felt.

But then Xavier looked away, and all of that hurt turned into exhaustion. "Look, I'm not doing this to get back at you, Xavier. I'm tired of telling myself that this was my fault. I'm trying to heal and move on. You were right. What we had wasn't the healthiest relationship and I see that now. I've been trying really hard to get better and I need you to let me do that. So please, just leave me alone, okay? Please." Kennedy begged.

Xavier watched her leave snd he didn't stop her. An all too familiar feeling of guilt burned in his stomach. His chest started hurting. His throat burned. It was happening all over again and once again, he was the cause of it all.