The Day Love Betrayed Me and Never the Plan 35

Jason stared, totally shocked. His face went pale, and for a second, he couldn’t even speak. 

Emily finally eased up on her spirit power, sweating and looking even paler herself. She leaned against the bed to steady 

herself. 

She held her head high, looking at the guys with pride and confidence, a far cry from the timid, naive Emily she used to be. “This is my power,” she said.. 

Everyone stared at the guy still rolling on the floor in pain. 

Jason walked over, cracking a grin. “Emily, you really held out on us. If we’d known you were this badass, we wouldn’t have messed with you back in the cafeteria.” 

He was laying it on thick, and Emily took a step back without answering. 

Another guy jumped up, eyes wide. “Seriously, Emily, you’re scary. Why act so weak before?” 

He waved his hands dramatically. “Were you just playing nice so you could take us out later?” 

The others chimed in, one after another, suddenly all compliments. “With Emily here, that mutant cat doesn’t stand a 

chance.” 

If this were her first time meeting them, Emily might’ve eaten it up. But she knew exactly what they were capable of. If she hadn’t been so scrawny and unremarkable back then, things might’ve ended badly for her. 

Chloe cut in at just the right moment. “Alright, enough talk. Let’s figure out how we’re taking down that cat.” If the kitten was already trouble, the grown one would be a real nightmare. 

After the discussion, Chloe and Jason would handle close combat. The others‘ powers were weak and they were good for little more than distractions. 

Chloe had a few crossbows stashed away, but she wasn’t handing those over to anyone. “Emily, you’re on ranged duty. Load up on bolts. Hit the cat with a spiritual strike first, then we move in.” 

She glanced at the guys‘ so–called weapons–a stool leg, a chunk of wood, and a spatula. Only one had an actual knife. She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “You planning to tickle that thing to death?” 

One guy flushed red. “It’s all we’ve got.” 

Without another word, Chloe dragged a wooden box from under the bed, turned away, and quietly pulled a few machetes from her spiritual space. “Here. Everyone take one.” 

The guys‘ eyes lit up at the sight of the cold, sharp blades. Suddenly, armed properly, they looked way more confident. 

Chloe crossed her arms and warned, “Listen up. This is temporary. Anyone tries anything shady while we’re fighting that cat, you’ll regret it.” 

Jason grinned nervously. “Yeah, of course. We’ll deal with old issues later. Right now, it’s all about the cat.” Then he gave Chloe a curious look. “Aren’t you freezing?” 

Chloe was dressed in a black tracksuit with a pair of white sneakers on her feet. She looked sharp and full of energy, but her outfit was way too light for below–zero weather. 

“I’m an ice–powered human,” Chloe said simply. 

A few looks of envy passed around the room. 

14:32 Tue, Dec 23 OM 

Chapter 35 

Later, Chloe actually did something she almost never did. She handed out the roasted potatoes from the two stoves to Jason and his guys. Everyone’s stomachs were growling, and if they didn’t eat up, taking on the mutant cat would be way too risky. 

Simone reached out her hand, but Chloe smacked it hard with the back of her knife. Simone snatched her hand back, a nasty red mark swelling up, tears stinging her eyes from the pain. “What the hell are you doing?” she cried. 

“What are you doing?” Chloe shot back. 

“You said we need to eat before fighting the cat,” Simone sobbed. 

Before Chloe could reply, Emily stepped in, hands on her hips. “Are you stupid or what? We need food so we can fight. You’re not even part of this.” 

Simone shrank back, clutching her hand. “I’m not a powered human.” 

“Exactly. So why should you get our food?” Emily snapped. 

Tears streamed down Simone’s face. “I haven’t eaten in days. Please, just a little something.” She looked desperately at Jason. 

Jason frowned, looking at the two potatoes in his hands. 

He thought, ‘Simone’s the only woman left in the group. If she starves to death, the guys won’t have anyone to vent their urges on. So he broke off half a potato and handed it to her. “Don’t eat it all at once.” 

Simone’s arrogance from the past few days was nowhere to be seen; she nodded gratefully. 

Jason then turned to Chloe, rubbing his hands. “Uh, everyone is pretty thirsty, too. Any chance we could get some water?” He kept glancing at the large jug out on the balcony. The water froze solid in the cold. 

Chloe nodded. “Take it to the next room and thaw it out yourselves. We’re getting some sleep.” 

Jason looked relieved and signaled his guys to haul the frozen jag away. 

That left Simone standing there awkwardly, not sure whether to go or stay. 

“Why are you still here?” Emily asked. 

“T–They’re all guys. Where am I supposed to sleep?” Simone stammered. Before all this, dorms were for four people, but with that mutant cat out there, no way the guys are splitting up. 

Staying alone was too dangerous. Simone eyed the two stoves and the empty bed, clearly hoping to stay put. 

This dorm was cold, sure, but compared to the icebox conditions everywhere else, it was way better. ‘It’s not like it matters if it’s two or three people in here. They can’t kick me out,‘ she thought. “I’m staying here,” she declared. 

Emily let out a mocking laugh, making no effort to conceal her scorn, The girl who once bullied her was now squirming. Since Emily had discovered her power, the tables had turned. Now, she was in control, and Simone was just another vulnerable target. 

Emily sneered, “Simone, weren’t all those guys practically your boyfriends? You used to share rooms with them all the time. What’s holding you back now?” 

Chapter 36