"So instead of not choosing between Riley and me and just stepping away from the situation so we could sort it out ourselves," I continue, feeling the urge to slap her hotly across the face rise within me swiftly, almost overwhelming any other swirling emotions inside me but I reign it in, gathering all of them close to my chest and stuffing them deep inside of the darkest parts of the blood pumping organ.

I curl my fingers into my palm, numb pain distracting me from committing the tempting crime as my bails embed themselves deep inside. "You still decide to so anyway. You-" I cut myself off again as angry tears well up in my eyes and mistreatment to spill over as they blur my vision.

I choke back an angry sob.

"You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust." I whisper into the air now, sad, tired and defeated, as hot angry tears slide down my cheek and land on my clavicle, making a soft plop upon harsh contact. I flinch against the strange sensation.

I don't wait for her to respond, I'm not even sure I want any sort of response from her, not sure I will believe it, not sure if I want to listen to her, and hope out of the car.

Slamming the car door roughly in her stupid teary-eyed face that I catch a glimpse of through the mirror, I turn my head to the front gate of the high school.

Riled up, I decided to walk my anger that still sparks off and stay as far away as possible from my two friends.

Gritting my teeth in anger though, I let the hot air of Durrës warm up my wet cheeks and shiver as it runs cold fingers across my skin. I wrap my arms around myself as I walk onwards.

I flick my eyes towards the gate as I inch closer to it then briefly glance in the direction of the car again, my heart lurching in my chest once I see the heartbroken but angry expression on my 17-year-old best friend, and flick my gaze back to the gate as I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

I take my phone out of my picket, an easy distraction from my conflicting feelings starting to overwhelm me, to take a look at the time and know if I should be taking my ass into school grounds any time soon.

6:35 it reads, glaring at me in the face like disappointed parents, a reminder rod my now angry best friend. I sigh and stuff it back into my pocket with a gentle shove.

Might as get going since it's more than officially morning.

Or am I running away from my problems like I always do?

The morning sun follows me like a protective family relative shielding me from the harsh and brutal evil truth of the world as I grudge onwards to the school gate, casting off a dark representation of myself off the handle and more than half of the floor as I reach forward.

Another shadow of disembodied parts of a human being, as regarding their movement which isn't as fluid as one would like, swaying in the wind as if it were moving behind me.

Alarmed, I bite my lips in a concentrated frown so I don't scream and shift my eyes behind me while my heart leaps in my chest like a scared horse. A lump of bile is swallowed down my throat thickly.

Hand movement in the air easily floats into my vision. Startled by the sudden appearance, I jerk my head up with wide eyes.

“Hi," she whispers into the soft air swirling around, black eyes shining brighter than the sun itself as they locked onto mine.

I'm too tired to force a smile into my sad lips, but her mood this early morning is too dazzling and delighted that I can't stand the thought of making it drop. So I lock my problems in a box, throw away the key that was going to be lost for the time being, and carve my lips into a bright smile as a response.

I part my lips. "Hi. How's your morning so far?" I ask, my voice echoing too much sugary sweet to my ears, so much so that I was starting to doubt if that truly was my voice, as the words flew out of my mouth, not quite thinking them through I pour them out. I frown inside myself.

Probably better than mine anyway.

Her smile widens, filling her face with unbridled joy, as if that was even possible, as the question echoes out in the air between us. "It's been great so far. More so now that im with you again. What about you?" And just as expected, my dreaded questions backfires on me.

I try to retain my composure and maintain my sane mind whilst struggling to find common ground between both. "It's been fine so far too. Com'on, let's get to class." I answer and quickly change the subject in a seamless motion that I feel proud of if I do say so myself.

I hope she doesn't notice it though. I don't want to be the one that ruins her mood.

Her eyes dim noticeably for a split second but then brighten back up again so fast that im not quite of what even sure of what I saw. Surely I can't be losing my mind this early. But could I have seen what I thought I just saw? I didn't know.

I eye her suspiciously but her quaint smile on her small face and her eyebrows raised in joyful apprehension looks so genuine and feel so contagious that I can't help but be a little bit happier with her, letting my suspicions fade away into nothing and leave me worry-free.

Maybe she didn't actually just look suspicious or worried right now. Maybe I imagined it. Yeah, I think I imagined the slight crease of worry in her forehead.

I hope.

We walk into school together our measured steps in sequence with the other, our elbows interlocked with each other, the quiet squeaks of our shoes against the polished tile floor being the only sound in the whole school. It feels comforting, serene in the chaotic noise that was my mind, and I liked it. I allow myself to get lost in it.

"Your locker or mine first?" She asks, voice as soft as a fluffy cloud on a rainy day, jolting me out of my thoughts. I raise my head up and peak at her with unfocused eyes.

"Hm? Oh, yours. I mean, if you want to." I say, adding an afterthought after a beat of silence, giving her a small smile.

Quiet contemplation crossed over her features before she sent me a measured look. Our eyes met and I stare into them, putting to memory the way her eyes fascinatingly glimmer faintly and sparkle at the same time in the span of a few seconds. "How about we go to both of ours? It's close anyway." She shrugs as she tells me what she thinks about my suggestion.

I blindly nod and blink, quickly snapping out of my daze. Her eyes pick up on it but she says nothing about it still.

"Kay."

We continue to walk together in the patient comfortable silence that stretched up and over the mere existence of time between us, cloaking me in its protective warmth. Sharp wetness prickles at my eyes and I blink back the deep sudden urge to let out tears, stubbornly refusing to cry now of all times.

And in front of her too. I didn't want her to have to comfort me just because I was crying. Not if she didn't want to of her own accord, at least. Besides, I felt that it was still too early into our relationship to seek comfort or be comforted.

And too early to tell if she would let me do the same thing for her.

That thought sent a jilt of hurt into my heart and through my head, attacking me in both defences. Eye liquid threatened to spill over and coat my cheeks once more with their damp presence.

Not now, I hiss at them forcing them to obey my command whether they liked it or not. My eyes dry up once more, leaving me faintly red-eyed in their uncaring wake. I sigh, momentarily forgetting to do it in my head so Daisy doesn't get worried about me.

It bites me back in the ass though, as expected. I almost groan out loud but that would mean making her worry more about me so I clamp my lips shut.

That’s more than enough people I need worrying about me. Even she's becoming overwhelming.

I pause and really wonder, I hate to say it, if Eberlyn even would still be worried about me right now after what just happened in the car. I mean sure, she might be angry at me for the things I’ve said to her-ok, no who tf am I fooling? She’s furious- but surely she won’t be that angry for her to start hating me just because of that right?

Right?

She hesitates, almost looking downright opposing to airing out her thoughts and concerns, and I'm glad that she doesn't ignore it instead.

"You okay? You seem like you have a lot on your plate today." She asks, taking my hand in hers as she shares deeply unto my eyes, startling me out of my jumbled thoughts of regret and wishful thinking about turning back time so I could take back the words I’ve said or, better yet, prevent me from saying them in the first place.

A motherly gesture that I more than appreciated and more than she’ll ever know. I feel my eyes prickle again with silent promise and this time I let the tears flow down my cheeks. Her eyes soften and she takes me into her arms.

I wail quietly into her shirt as her arms subtly tighten around me when my shoulders start to shake with each silent but heartbroken whimper that comes of my throat. She starts to stroke my hair and says nothing, a gesture that reminds me of the last person I want to be thinking about right now, in comforting me as I let out all my tiredness, sadness and some other emotion I can't quite place onto her.

I squeeze my eyes shut against the onslaught of tears that spill down my cheeks.

For endless minutes, we both stand there in the middle of the empty hallway not really saying anything to each other but holding onto each other the only noise being the steady and unsteady beating of two hearts for two different reasons. I sniffle and slowly raise my head up only to find her looking down at me already, her face not too far from mine. Shock jolts me through my insider but then I realize that she's plainly worried about me.

"Want to talk about it now? Or when we can be alone?" She asks, eyebrows furrowed inwards in her forehead as she looks searching into my eyes, a deep worry frown on her lips. I open my mouth to give her a yes to the former option but then look surreptitiously at the silver door handle.

Daisy, for whatever reason, glances in the direction I'm looking at and soon detached her hold in me, leaving me somewhat colder than before and missing her warm arms around me in her embrace.

I look at her and notice that, to my amazement, her cheeks are slightly flushed although I can't tell what with. Embarrassment? That can't be it.

Her fear of Adena? Who could arrive at school at any one time and witness our hug? Maybe. Maybe not. But why?

She clears her throat loudly and, not very discreetly, shift her gaze towards the other end of the hall like eyes avoiding my eyes now. I narrow my eyes but don't make any comment in it. Instead, I make my decision and although impulsive, I know it's the right one to make.

"Later. Classes will start in just a few minutes anyway so we better not be late."

I say letting out an audible sigh afterwards. Slightly, ever so slightly, her gaze wanders back to mine for a few seconds before it snaps back to its original concentration spot. It happens way too fast for me to register it and for that, I'm left blinking rapidly in confusion and curiosity.

I see her chew her lip as she contemplates her next words very carefully before she speaks. “Okay. I’ll see you at lunch then.” She says shrugging, all the while not back around once to look at me or anything and that, that simple gesture that probably has nothing to do with me, makes me want to cry all over again.

Although this time, im not so sure I’ll have her comforting arms around me or her presence. I wrap my arms around myself and close my eyes. “Okay, see you then,” I reply.

Maybe it has nothing to do with me. But maybe it does.

Footsteps distance themselves from me and seem to hesitate for a few seconds of dead silence to go further. A sigh and suddenly I feel her hug me again which feels me with much hope and positivity that I feel like sharing this feeling with everyone.

Her hug only lasts for a brief second, a brief second that that said what needed to be said in just a simple action. “It’s not you. I just-something just occured to me and I'm not sure how to go about it.” She says squeezing my hands in a silent apology.

I nod, still closing my eyes, feel my eyes glisten with tears again, and faintly smile.

I let out a breath of relief in a slow stream. “Okay.”

She smiles, although it doesn’t shine in her eyes as much as it did a few seconds to minutes ago.

Her hand squeezes mine in a reassuring hold, telling ne that she would still be my friend after she'd sorted out what was going on with her which I hoped she wouldn't betray her silent promise to me, once hers gently but firmly grasps it briefly before letting go.

She waves at me and turns back toward her destination, not looking back once as she walks down the hallway, taking the better part of my heart with her.

I watch her go, heart in throat, fearful yet believing in her words all the same, and soon hear a quiet hateful scoff behind me. It's so quiet that I almost don't hear it but because of my human heightened abilities, I hear the sound as clear as day. In times like these, I'm indeed grateful for my werewolf blood.

I almost groan out loud as I spin around, as I recognize that voice from anywhere.

Even within a ten-mile radius and in another country, to make eye contact with the pissed off Auburn-haired Adena who about looks ready to stranger me with her bare hands. Nothing new there really.

Her purple irises starting to make a faint appearance as they flickered to and for between her original colour and her wolf eyes, as almost every single emotion from anger, shock, mild disbelief mingled with stupefied curiosity and last but not least, deep hatred that ran through her veins like blood shifted through her cold penetrative stare.

Her arms lay across her abdomen in a restless tight clinch. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"