ã€ŠHow to Bury Fairytalesã€‹


 0.1 Girlhood

    Her feet kicked at the edge of the planter, lip gloss smeared and mixed with blood. She didn¡¯t bother to scrub it away. With her flip phone opened, charms dangling as they clacked together, the warm rays of the sun acted as her spotlight. It was impossible to look away from her, from the dirt smeared across the white sleeves of her uniform, vest skewed and only half tucked in.

    ¡°What happened?¡± She continued typing away at a message, gaze not bothering to meet mine. I kept looking at her split lip, at how it had swollen to the point of pushing up the rest of her face. Her dark hair was a rat¡¯s nest, the opposite of the sleek shine it had been just this morning.

    After a long moment of silence, she snapped her phone shut. The noise echoed through the empty gardens at the back of our academy. When her eyes landed on me, she smiled as though I hadn¡¯t been there the entire time.

    ¡°Cinder?¡± Her voice was starlight, as it always was. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it this time.¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡± She hopped to her feet as if the scrapes on her knees weren¡¯t even there. I kept staring at her lips. I wondered if it hurt to talk. It took all my willpower not to reach out and wipe the blood away.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    She leaned forward, ¡°Find a happy ending.¡±

    ¡°But we¡­we still have all the time in the world to find one.¡± The wind came and with it the chime from the courtyard¡¯s clock. It reverberated through campus. Six dings sung the time, just loud enough to drown out her whispered reply.

    I wanted to ask her to repeat those words, but she flipped her phone back open, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to start heading home. I have some things I need to do.¡±

    ¡°How are you going to explain that to your parents? The nurse¡¯s office might still be open, we should¡ª¡±

    Her finger laid over my lips in a shushing motion. I could taste her blood and grime, ¡°You worry too much. I¡¯ll be right as rain tomorrow.¡±

    She spun away, a hop to her step. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and I felt it smear against my face. It was not as extravagant looking as hers, framed by the rest of her ruined makeup. My thoughts spun over and over again, until she was gone and I was left alone in the garden.

    ¡°A happy ending¡­¡± I mouthed the words, hooking one pinky with the other and pretending it was hers. There was a tremble in my hands, radiating down both my arms until they met in the middle. There was only one thing either of us had ever wanted. The rest of it didn¡¯t matter.

    I took a deep breath and unlocked my fingers. It was only the first day of school. Things could only look up from here. It was time to go home.

 0.2 Livlihood

    ¡°What happened to Abigail?¡± I stumbled as I was unceremoniously yanked into an empty classroom the next morning. The sunlight filtered through the windows, as well as the sun. The beam went straight into my eyes, and I immediately pulled away. The hand on my wrist slipped away, with a scattering of apologies.

    When I focused on who had kidnapped me, I found Nia looking at me. Her bright red jacket covered her uniform and drowned most her form. The color matched the beads in her braids, and contrasted against her dark skin. It was impossible to look her in the eye.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was like that after school yesterday.¡± My mumbled mess shouldn¡¯t have been understood, but we¡¯d been friends for so long she could translate anything I said.

    Her eyebrows skyrocketed, ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡±

    ¡°No. She didn¡¯t tell you?¡±

    ¡°I tried to ask her.¡± Her teeth caught and chewed her bottom lip. ¡°She kept joking around. Said she fell and got into a fight with the floor. The floor won.¡±

    It was exactly the kind of thing I¡¯d expected from her, ¡°Entre broma y broma, la verdad se asoma.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡± She gave one nod, hooped earrings bobbing along with her. It made me almost reach up to my own piercings. I¡¯m surprised they¡¯d yet to close up. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I wore any.

    Forcing myself to look at her, I translated, ¡°Between a joke and a joke, is the truth.¡±

    ¡°So she¡­really did fall?¡±

    ¡°Pushed, maybe?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine why anyone would want to harm Abigail. Her reaction hadn¡¯t been that of one being targeted, either. It was almost like nothing had happened at all. She¡¯d managed to ignore me entirely, as though I wasn¡¯t her best friend, frozen in horror at the sight of her.

    Even Nia looked unsure, ¡°Whatever happened¡­it did look like someone did it to her.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, do you think they¡¯ll hurt her again?¡± I¡¯d yet to see her this morning. Was the swelling worse? How bad were the rest of her wounds? Had she been able to clean her uniform fully?

    Thoughts clouded my head, but there were no answers, ¡°Where did you run into her?¡±

    ¡°She was heading towards the Headmaster¡¯s office.¡± She placed her hands on my shoulder, keeping me in place. Unlike me, her hands were always steady. It almost made me calm down, knowing she was stable. ¡°Cinder, if she didn¡¯t answer you yesterday, I doubt she¡¯ll answer you now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t mind. I just want to be with her.¡± Nia pressed her lips together, eyes flickering up as the door opened and other students started to trickle inside. It was almost time for classes to start.

    We didn¡¯t have time, ¡°If you get anything out of her, you¡¯re telling me in English.¡±

    ¡°Promise.¡± I slipped away from her and darted out the classroom. The halls were crowded now, a sea of uniforms and unrecognizable faces. The Headmaster¡¯s office was in the middle of campus, between the high school and middle school buildings. If I ran, I could make it and not be late to class.

    Ignoring all else, I went down the halls and into the courtyard. Students milled about, gathered in various spots. Boys were kicking soccer balls to each in the fields, and the only reason I noticed was because it veered off course and right below my feet. With a hop, skip, and jump, I managed to avoid landing flat on my face.

    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± When I turned I found myself looking up at a boy. By the position of his hands, he¡¯d darted out to stop me from falling. Now they hovered anxiously in front of him. When our eyes met, he offered a half smile. Blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin. He looked like most the boys going to Aster Academy.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I pushed the ball back to him, and turned away. His face and features already being discarded from memory. I didn¡¯t have time for things to stop me. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t matter if I saw her now or later, but in my head it was important. A proof of my conviction.

    I skidded to a stop in front of the building. My head craned up, looking at the large arched windows on the second floor. For the past few years I¡¯ve gone to this school, I¡¯ve never entered this building. I¡¯ve never had a reason to. It made no sense Abigail needed to come here either.

    With another deep breath, I opened the doors. The room that greeted me was large. The floor was made of tiles that made a decorative plant design. The walls were a soft cr¨¨me, with two doors on either side. At the end of the room was a reception desk. A woman sat, head craned down towards her boxy computer.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I started, and the woman turned to me. Her eyes were a little red, like she¡¯d been looking too long and too close to the screen. She pushed aside her brown hair and squinted at me as if she couldn¡¯t quite believe I was there.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± The faux politeness dripped from her voice, so lathered on.

    My own voice mirrored the tone, ¡°I was looking for my friend. Her name was Abigail Rose?¡±

    The receptionist only stared at me. The silence filled the place to the brim. I tried my best to focus, eyes flickering towards the space behind her. There were stairs that lead upwards. It split halfway so one set of stairs went left and the other right. Above them was a large circular window of stained glass. It made the room turn into a haze of reds and blues.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first student that¡¯s shown up today.¡± That couldn¡¯t have been right. Nia wouldn¡¯t have lied to me. My eyebrows knitted together and I took stock of her. She was already returning to her computer screen. There wasn¡¯t any gate on either side of the desk, meaning I could easily move past her and towards the stairs.

    It was a split second decision, but I ran past her. She jerked to her feet, her shouts rang after me. I ignored them as I bounded up the stairs to the second floor. I glanced between the left and right, before deciding it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± As I turned sharply to the left, I caught a glance of her. She hadn¡¯t moved from her desk, only stood. Her eyes pierced into me, teeth gritted so hard they might have turned to dust. She was a stark contrast against the empty room around her.

    My feet came to a halt at the top of stairs. I took a moment to catch my breath. Sweat was starting to collect on my forehead, even in the mild temperature. The bell rang, as I wiped at my face. It reverberated through the building, as thick as a heartbeat. I lingered, listening to it denote the start of first period. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯d been late for class.

    With no one chasing me, and seeing how I was late regardless, I let myself walk leisurely down the halls. It consisted of walls lined with doors, all firmly shut. It wasn¡¯t until I reached the door at the end, where I found one cracked open. I glanced back down, over the railing. The woman was still there, still staring at me. From here, I couldn¡¯t see her expression. I doubted it was warm.

    ¡°¡­Are you aware of the conditions?¡±

    I redirected my attention back towards the door. Carefully, I peered through the cracks. Inside, I caught a glimpse of black hair, shiny as ever, and Abigail sitting in a plush chair. There was a man speaking to her, and I could only assume it was the Headmaster.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do anything.¡± My eyebrows knitted together, wondering why the receptionist had told me no one else was here. As if this was such a private affair, there was a need to lie about it. ¡°I just have one question. How many tries will it take?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. Despite that, my heartrate started to pick up. A prickling sensation ghosted through my neck, arms, fingers. A warning begging me to leave. Even if I did, I couldn¡¯t leave Abigail. If something was wrong, it would affect her the most.

    It would probably result in some kind of punishment if I barged in, but I didn¡¯t see any other choice. My hands landed on the door, but before I could push it open, a hand landed on top of mine. I jerked, back hitting body. The door slid open, revealing me to Abigail and the headmaster.

    I¡¯d never seen him before, and I was surprised at his age. He was in his thirties or forties, maybe, with thick hair and equally thick glasses on his face. As Abigail jumped to her feet, he merely watched me. I worked my jaw, trying to find my voice to defend myself, only for the person behind me to talk.

    ¡°She was listening in.¡± I stumbled forward as the boy walked in front of me, wearing the academy uniform. His face was almost a replica of the headmaster. I assumed he must have been his son.

    ¡°I was looking for you.¡± I ignored both of them, reaching out for her. Her lip was still swollen and the bruises on her arms had turned a heavy purple. She stared at me, her fingers twitching away from mine. A rock fell into my stomach, and I tried to search for words. ¡°After yesterday, I was so worried about you¡ª¡±

    She turned her gaze away from me, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI know that.¡± The boy had joined the Headmaster. The prickling sensation returned, so severe to the point it was near painful. I tried to keep my eyes on Abigail. ¡°I just wanted to check up on you before class.¡±

    Maybe I should have apologized for barging in. But the words didn¡¯t occur to me. I kept trailing my eyes down her face, all the questions from the other day thick in my head. The smile she planted on her face was broken by the still painful swell of her lip.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always worried too much.¡± She fell back into the plush chair, hair falling around her. ¡°I seem fine, right? If it wasn¡¯t for these bruises you wouldn¡¯t have noticed a thing.¡±

    She was acting fine. It made the situation even more surreal then it already was. ¡°Even so we¡­we should go.¡±

    Something was wrong. Again, nothing else came out. The boy shifted and my gaze darted back to him. He¡¯d leaned against the large window that looked out towards the courtyard. His father stayed in the seat. They were so quiet. It was like they were watching a show.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t be any later to class.¡± The headmaster pulled out a sheet from a drawer and wrote his signature on it with a long, cursive, scrawl. He pushed the paper towards her, and Abigail folded it in half and pocketed it.

    ¡°Thanks for talking to me.¡± She hooked her arm with mine and gave a little wave.

    Before she could take me away, the headmaster shook his head, ¡°Can your friend stay behind? I think we need to talk about her little bout of eavesdropping.¡±

    For a moment I thought she¡¯d refused. Her smile was plastic now, repainted nails dug into the tender skin where my elbow bent. I wanted her to refuse, as my heart was loud enough to create a steady buzz in my ears. But no such thing happened. After a moment, her hand slipped away, leaving behind crescent moons. ¡°Of course, Headmaster Gnight. I¡¯ll see you at lunch, ok?¡±

    When she left, she shut the door behind her. The room became suffocating, like she took all the air with her. I lingered where I stood, rubbing at the marks left behind on my arm. There was little reason to contemplate why I was here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for eavesdropping. I was worried about my friend.¡± My voice wasn¡¯t as solid as I¡¯d wished it to be. Still, I kept my gaze directly on him. The headmaster only inclined his head towards the chair. After a moment of hesitation, I slipped into the seat Abigail had just been in.

    It was still warm. Although not uncomfortable, it only added to my spinning thoughts. I¡¯d wanted to walk with Abigail. The entire reason I¡¯d rushed here was so we could talk, but instead I was once more pulled away from her. The prick of nails had eased away, my skin clearing out the indentations. For her to hold me that tightly, there must have been something severe enough for even her to fear.

    Headmaster Gnight folded his hands on top of the table, and my eyes darted to the boy behind him. He wasn¡¯t looking at me. Instead his gaze stayed on the window and that beyond it. At this point, there were no students left, but I knew if I kept looking I¡¯d see Abigail crossing the courtyard to get to class.

    ¡°Cinder Ch¨¢vez.¡± My back straightened as he spoke my full name unprompted. When my eyes returned to him, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. ¡°Is Abigail Rose so important to you that you¡¯d be willing to get in trouble for her?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± The words came easy. He didn¡¯t react to this, but for a second I thought I¡¯d caught his son¡¯s attention. But when I looked back at him, he was still turned away.

    ¡°I see.¡± He took out a slip of paper, the same one he gave to Abigail. His signature graced the paper, along with my name on top. ¡°Regardless, let¡¯s not make it a habit to do this. I¡¯m sure your friend wouldn¡¯t care to have someone listening in on her.¡±

    It was true. Despite knowing so, my heart leapt into my throat in want of protest. He slipped the paper over to me, and I toyed with it for a moment, ¡°I know her. I know she won¡¯t mind so¡­Sorry again.¡±

    With the slip safely in my hands, I stood and headed towards the door. When I slipped through, I heard the boy murmur something to the headmaster. My eyes only caught them for a second before the door slipped shut behind me.

 0.3 Childhood

    ¡°Even after all that, I still couldn¡¯t talk to her.¡± I groaned into my desk, head buried between my arms. The teacher eyed me, and I tried to remember his name. It normally took a week before I could recall any teachers¡¯ names. To me, he was just a faceless, middle aged man. Even with the hint of disapproval flickering across his face, I kept my position.

    Nia jammed her pen into my side, charms and all, ¡°You should be glad you got a note. Could you imagine if your parents got a call that on the second day back you were already late?¡±

    ¡°Mam¨¢ wouldn¡¯t care. Dad¡­might.¡± I didn¡¯t linger on that thought. ¡°I just wish I knew what was going on. She never hides things from me, you know?¡±

    She jammed her pen into my side again, and I finally forced myself into a sitting position. Hair haloed my face and I let it stay there. When I looked over at Nia, she was pretending to take notes on whatever was on the screen. It was a lot of basics and going over what to expect from class. Typical first week material.

    My whispers weren¡¯t appreciated, but my head was alight with so many different things. When the headmaster had asked me to stay behind, I¡¯d expected some kind of anger. Everything was so sudden, nothing had been processed in the moment. Looking back on it, I could puzzle out that he¡¯d been studying me. A cool indifference.

    There must have been something else he wanted from me. It was a silly thought, for he would have just told me there. But it lingered, an itch that wouldn¡¯t leave no matter how much I scratched. Even when I¡¯d left, the woman at the front desk hadn¡¯t looked my way again. She¡¯d returned to her computer, and her eyes hadn¡¯t met mine.

    When I¡¯d left the building, I realized suddenly I could breathe again. I glanced back, only to find the boy still at the window. My feet had stalled, waiting for something. His lips moved, likely talking to the headmaster. I¡¯d had to rip myself away and head to class.

    I kept my mouth shut, despite the urge to say more. Nia kept scribbling away, and I tried to focus on the screen in front of me. Everything kept bleeding together, and my mind kept wandering. Before I knew it, the bell rang. I blinked, like waking up from a dream. Nia was already standing, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at me, motioning towards my binder and writing utensils still scattered along its surface.

    ¡°Earth to Cinder? Anyone home?¡±

    I shoved everything into my bag, not caring if it would turn into a mess, ¡°Yeah, sorry. Let¡¯s go to lunch.¡±

    We slipped out the classroom, the teacher¡¯s eyes burning into my back. It took all my willpower not to turn around and apologize for my previous behavior. It was almost a relief to be out in the hallway mayhem.

    Before I knew what was happening, Nia pinched my cheeks, ¡°Hey, lighten up. Abigail can¡¯t avoid us during lunch! We¡¯ll corner her and she¡¯ll spill everything then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­She¡¯s been acting weird since yesterday too.¡± I tried to figure out how to describe what it was that I was seeing. ¡°It¡¯s like, she isn¡¯t all there, you know?¡±

    ¡°Kinda like you right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all here!¡± My protest landed on deaf ears. No matter what I said, Nia only nodded her head in the most unconvinced way possible. I had to stop myself from puffing out my cheeks. ¡°I just worry about my friends, is all.¡±

    She offered a hum, ¡°Our selfless friend as always.¡±

    Sometimes, Nia would recede into her red jacket, as though being swallowed alive. There were times where I understood why, like when she was miserable or in the clutches of embarrassment. But other times, I found I just couldn¡¯t quite fathom the reason. This was one of those times.

    I tilted my head, a question perched on my tongue, but there were a series of shouts in front of us. Despite myself, we both turned to find the source of noise that somehow outclassed the usual hallway din.

    Nia linked an arm with me as a semi-circle started to form in front of us. A fight. My eyebrows pinched together, wondering how my second day of school had already spiraled to such a degree. At least it wasn¡¯t my fight, but as Nia scooted me across the outskirts of the circle to get passed, I caught sight of the two boys.

    One was a stranger with black hair and olive skin, and the other was the boy I¡¯d assumed to be the Headmaster¡¯s son. My legs went rigid, almost forcing Nia to jerk back. A stone fell right into my stomach, as though I¡¯d entered another realm. Even though it was logical he was a student, seeing him outside the strange realm of the main office distorted everything around me.

    ¡°Cinder? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Even if I knew how to explain, all words failed me. Instead, I caught glimpses of movement and fury between the gaps of student bodies. Almost captivated, almost desperate, I slipped my arm away from Nia¡¯s and shoved my way forward.

    It was more I was on a string, a marionette being danced towards the front. Strings I wish had guided me yesterday. Heads turned towards me, but I barely even registered them. As I stumbled towards the front, I yelled, ¡°Knock it off!¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    To my, and perhaps everyone¡¯s, surprise, they did. Their hands were suspended in mid-air with their bodies splayed on the ground. Fists frozen around shirts, and punches hanging in the air. Confusion snaked through both their expressions, and I realized this unknown boy had the same feeling as the Headmaster¡¯s son. The same kind of wrongness that I couldn¡¯t quite grasp.

    They pulled themselves away, although neither gaze left me. Without thinking, I took a step back, trying to push my way back into the midst of the crowd. Teachers were shouting down the hall now, telling everyone to scatter. Arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I half expected it to be Nia until I noticed the pale skin.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been worrying over me, but you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been getting into trouble all day.¡± Abigail¡¯s body was warm against my back. When I glanced up, her eyes were narrowed at the two in front of us, venom dripping through her body. ¡°We should go before we get mixed up in their punishment, yeah?¡±

    Her arms fell away, and instead she grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, weaving through the students scattering. Somehow, she danced through them all to Nia, and the next thing I knew, we were all hand-in-hand, rushing down the halls. As my feet stumbled to keep up, I couldn¡¯t help but glance behind me. The teachers had arrived, and were likely lecturing them before dragging them away to be punished. Would the Headmaster¡¯s son be punished?

    He wasn¡¯t looking at me, but the unknown boy was. He smiled when I turned back, and it made me immediately focus back up front. Questions weighed heavier and heavier as the day went by. At the very least, Abigail was here, and maybe she¡¯d finally tell us what was going on.

    //

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t catch either of those boys¡¯ attention.¡± Abigail¡¯s words were barely comprehensible around the large amounts of chips she was digging in to. The courtyard around us had a softer air than inside, and where we sat was far enough away from the main office. The warm air glided over my arms as I sat on the grass, trying to process what she¡¯d just said.

    ¡°Not even the Headmaster¡¯s son?¡±

    ¡°One of the boys¡¯ fighting was who now?¡± Nia frowned at both of us as she snuck a few chips from Abigail¡¯s bag. Despite Abigail¡¯s quick swipe, Nia was faster as she tossed it into her mouth.

    All of Abigail¡¯s pouts were hard for anyone to resist. Except Nia, ¡°Firstly, rude. Secondly, yeah, that¡¯s him. He¡¯s got that whole ¡®mopey asshole academic¡¯ thing going on, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    Nia broke off a piece of my cookie, but I shoved the other half towards her as well as she said, ¡°An academic? Based on that fight, I¡¯d say he¡¯d fall more into the bad boy category wouldn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°So he still sucks regardless?¡± I poked at my food.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Abigail popped the ¡®p¡¯ without a care in the world, ¡°At least we don¡¯t have classes with him right?¡± My eyes burned into her, desperate to unleash a flood of questions. But she breezed on, almost knowingly cutting me off. ¡°But anyway, back on topic. What were you thinking, Cinder?¡±

    There was still a buzzing in my hands from what I¡¯d done. Half of this day had felt closer to a dream than reality. Even my own actions felt like I was an outsider watching the life of a stranger. If I tried to explain it to myself, I couldn¡¯t, and I doubt I could explain to them either. ¡°It was¡­annoying?¡±

    Nia and Abigail exchange glances, and I put my full attention on consuming my sandwich. Although I didn¡¯t glance back up, I could feel Abigail scoot closer to me, ¡°There are a lot of things that¡¯re annoying. And a lot easier to deal with then two strangers having a fight.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I wanted to ask again what this morning was all about. I peaked up, her face blurred by my shroud of bangs, a reminder for a haircut I wouldn¡¯t get. Her expression was so carefully painted on, that for a moment even I thought the pinch of her eyebrows was genuine concern. I swallowed, and the food went down hard. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°Either way, don¡¯t do that again. I¡¯m surprised they listened to you in the first place.¡± At Nia¡¯s words, Abigail eased away again. My shoulders dropped, and I kept my gaze low. For a moment, I wondered when I¡¯d feel like I¡¯d returned to reality. With a heavy sigh, I noted Nia drumming in fingers against the grass. ¡°Speaking of, what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°Still won¡¯t let that go? I told you, I fell.¡± Disinterested now, Abigail went on to eat, and I once more rehearsed in my mind everything it was that I wanted to say to her. She¡¯d have to listen if we cornered her, right?

    When I glanced at Nia, she only shrugged, leaving the decision to me. I steadied my breath, ¡°And why were you meeting with the Headmaster this morning? You know, even the receptionist wouldn¡¯t tell me you were there.¡±

    ¡°Probably to maintain my privacy.¡± I flinched as she plucked another chip from Nia¡¯s bag. The crinkling of the bag set off a wave of jitters through my fingers. I curled them into fists. ¡°There was no reason to do that, you know.¡±

    ¡°I was just worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Just give me a few days to recover and I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    A wall. I was talking to a wall. Every jab of rejection mad it harder to speak, and maybe I shouldn¡¯t push her on this anyway. All I could do was look at her and fish for words or a new conversation starter.

    Nia¡¯s harsh sigh nearly made me jump, ¡°At least be honest with us. Did someone do that to you or not? Simple yes or no.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Abigail¡ª¡± Nia raised a hand, cutting off any protest.

    ¡°Alright, and was your meeting with the Headmaster related to your accident in any way?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I leaned forward as Nia¡¯s eyebrows raised. Abigail still wasn¡¯t looking at us, her posture as casual as it always was. ¡°And I¡¯m not elaborating on any of that. Can we move on?¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t want to, I didn¡¯t see another choice. It was easy for Nia, to go on to the next thing as though that conversation hadn¡¯t happened at all. They belonged to their own little world, and I was still stuck miles away from them. As they drifted off into endless chatter, I looked towards the direction of the main building. There must have been a reason it didn¡¯t feel right.

    By the time lunch was over, my mind was utterly detached from my body. Abigail took my hand and pulled me up, fingers sticky still from food. As I stumbled to my feet, I looked up at her, and it must have been the first time that day I¡¯d managed to stare directly at her.

    Nia bounded ahead, but Abigail kept me in place. My eyes traced over the bruises and the split on her lip and her gaze remained steady. Again, I was thrown from one unreality to another. The world blurred at its edges.

    ¡°Be careful.¡± I blinked, not sure how to take the warning as her grip on my hand tightened. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get involved with them.¡±

    Before I could ask what she meant, she pulled me forward, and my steps stumbled after her as she rushed towards Nia. Her arm looped together with hers, voice full of cheer as she said, ¡°Wait up!¡±

    Despite the strange warning and how the off the day had been, I forced myself to settle again. I let Abigail keep my hand just like Nia let their arms stayed hooked together, and pretended everything was normal.

 0.4 Godhood

    If any logic still remained in my world, then both boys would have found themselves sent away to the Headmaster¡¯s office or gone to be disciplined. Perhaps because one of the offenders was the Headmaster¡¯s son, he would have gotten off lightly, while the other would have been dealt with heavily. There would be no reason for me to walk into class and find that my assigned seat would be right in front of one of the offenders.

    I sat rigid, trying to figure out how this could have happened. When I thought about it, the seat had been empty yesterday. But I figured it was just because there weren¡¯t enough students in class to fill up all the seats. But no, one of the resident fighters of today had apparently not shown up for the first day, and there he was, behind me.

    Despite myself, I had half a mind to send an ¡®SOS¡¯ text to Abigail, but my phone had too many charms hanging off it to be quiet enough to sneak one out. Besides, it was quite possible the boy behind me could just read over my shoulder, since I swore he¡¯d been eyeing me the entire class.

    Part of me wanted to turn around and ask why he¡¯d gotten into a fight with the headmaster¡¯s son anyway. The other part wanted to feign sick and get out of there until I was mentally prepared to handle such a situation. Instead, I let the clock tick down and tried to keep my focus on the teacher in front of me. It was the end of school, and I was convinced I could get through this. What was another weird thing on top of a multitude of weird things?

    The minute the bell rang I¡¯d bolted to my feet with little care for subtly. As I collected my things, ready for my escape, his voice rang over the din of students, ¡°I¡¯m surprised the Headmaster left you alone.¡±

    A bolt of static went through my synapses, enough to make me pause and look at him. A bruise had blossomed on his left cheek, but there wasn¡¯t any further discernable damage. A surprise considering how I¡¯d witness the two go at it. There was no expression on his face, except a faint tilt of his lips.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± I slipped down the aisle, towards the door. His footsteps followed, and I didn¡¯t dare look back again. I couldn¡¯t recall seeing him when I was in the office building. With a steady breath, I made sure to keep my shoulders relaxed.

    ¡°Fox Carreras.¡±

    For a moment, I was tempted to look at him again. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound real.¡±

    ¡°And Cinder Ch¨¢vez is so much better?¡± The more he spoke, the more dread unfurled in my stomach. Even as we slipped out into the halls, it was like he was the only one there. Knowing my name was easier to explain away, at least. He¡¯d seen it on my binder or the handout I¡¯d written my name on. It didn¡¯t change how he was keeping tabs on me.

    With a furtive look around and finding a lack of familiar faces, I continued on. I wonder how my locker could feel like half a world away, ¡°Ok. Ok sure. So how¡­¡± I hoped he didn¡¯t hear the waver in my voice. ¡°How did you know I met with the Headmaster?¡±

    ¡°You caused quite a ruckus. People aren¡¯t supposed to enter that building unless invited in.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a vampire, I can enter whatever public place I please.¡± My locker was a beacon. A sign that once I gathered my things, I was one step closer to getting away from this boy. As I moved towards it, I tried to note his appearance from the corner of my eye. His eyes were sharp now, the moving bodies around us casting shadows across his features. I didn¡¯t want to decipher it.

    ¡°And why did you go?¡±

    ¡°My friend.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± I¡¯d gathered my items in record time and snapped my locker shut. Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I finally turned to look at him fully. Face to face, he was taller than me¡ªmost boys were¡ªbut not by much. Most of his intimidation points came from what I¡¯d witnessed and not from his actual build. He¡¯d now found it in himself to smile. ¡°She must mean a lot to you.¡±

    My grip on my backpack straps tightened, ¡°What do you want? If this is about earlier¡­¡±

    His eyebrows raised, and his smile grew once more, ¡°Oh, you think that since I tried to beat the shit out of Fable I¡¯d do something to you too?¡±

    My brain was the equivalent of a damaged VHS tape, ¡°¡­His name is Fable.¡± And his and the Headmaster¡¯s last name was ¡®Gnight.¡¯ A collection of names that were so coincidental they circled back around to being almost believable.

    ¡°As pretentious as the name implies, too¡± I had a retort in my throat but didn¡¯t have the bravery to speak it out loud. Somehow, though, he seemed able to read my thoughts anyway. ¡°But back on topic, I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t think you were.¡±

    The tilt of his head was indication he didn¡¯t believe me, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just awkward to have to sit in front of the boy you first met through a fist fight. I¡¯d ask what possessed you to do that but¡ª¡±

    His eyes cut somewhere behind me, and I couldn¡¯t help but tense. When I turned, I found Fable. In the now near empty halls, he was more a specter that¡¯d spawned in front of us then a student. The severe look on his face made me realize Fox¡¯s sharpness hadn¡¯t been sharp at all. His eyes were an overused knife when compared to Fable¡¯s.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He wasn¡¯t looking at me, his only focus on the boy who¡¯d stepped into the space beside me. Even though there was a distance between us, he still felt too close. I didn¡¯t dare flinch away.

    ¡°My job.¡±

    ¡°We already agreed¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing to anything.¡± It was impossible to decipher what they were going on about. All I could do was glance between them, wondering if I was about to witness them go in for a second round. Now that I thought of it, unlike Fox, Fable didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d been in a fight at all.

    The two went quiet, assessing each other, as I decided it was best to slip away, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going now¡­¡±

    ¡°Stay.¡± My feet did stay as Fable addressed me. He still wasn¡¯t looking at me, and I got the sense he didn¡¯t truly see me. Whatever world he was in, he didn¡¯t want me to be a part of. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    ¡°Us,¡± Fox¡¯s grin was back as Fable¡¯s eyebrow twitched, ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on your friend¡¯s little secret too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± If there was any way I wished to learn about Abigail, it was through her own words. For the past day I¡¯d done enough prying, and this felt like it would truly push me over the edge from ¡®concerned friend¡¯ to ¡®bad friend.¡¯ A thing I did not want to be. But maybe my mind cared more about information then about my own feelings on the matter. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°To meet with the Headmaster.¡± Fox slipped ahead, planting himself shoulder to shoulder with Fable. Side to side, it was easy to see how much smaller he was in comparison. Maybe it was part of the reason why Fox was the only one who¡¯d been left bruised from their fight.

    I kept a step behind them, noting that no matter how much Fable tried to change speed, Fox kept in perfect rhythm. I could only imagine their expressions, ¡°Is the Headmaster still upset about this morning?¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t upset in the first place.¡± Fable sounded like he was, although I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of me or Fox. ¡°After all, you¡¯re¡­¡±

    Fox glanced back at me, ¡°Before we get into all of that, we should start the beginning. Do you believe in magic?¡±

    ¡°...Do I seem like a child?¡± Truthfully, the little seed of hope in my chest hadn¡¯t ever ebbed. But being two years away from adulthood made it more preferable to walk barefoot on needles then admit it.

    ¡°Someone with a wish like yours would have to believe in something.¡± Again, it felt like Fox knew more about me then he should. He fell back from Fable to be beside me again, and this time I couldn¡¯t stop the way I leaned to the right to gain distance from him. ¡°Just look at my hand.¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I did. A ghostly blue mist circled around his palm, snaking up his arm. The particles weaved themselves together to form the image of a rose, a butterfly, a castle, a dagger. The sight was enchanting, and without thinking my hand reached out to touch the images. A chill shot up my arm, and I jerked back. The mist dissipated and there was no trace of it on his hand or mine.

    My voice was small, ¡°Magic.¡±

    ¡°This world is full of it, and of people wishing on such things. There are so many hopes and dreams that people have, but only a few come true. If those wishes are strong enough, though, the world takes notice. Just like with you and Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Just Abigail.¡± Fable cut in, his hand pausing on the entrance door. Outside the glass, there were students again, the spell of isolation breaking the moment I saw them. ¡°Your wish just happens to be the same.¡±

    ¡°I disagree. If her wish wasn¡¯t strong, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to break through the enchantment, now would she?¡± Fox was beside Fable again before I could even blink. ¡°You can favor one without disregarding the other.¡±

    Fable shoved the door open, not offering a response. I scrambled after them, trying to process everything. The Headmaster must know about magic, and he must know about the wish me and Abigail made when we were younger. And because her wish was so strong, it was decided her wish would be granted. But so was mine. Debatably.

    As the rush of sound greeted me in the courtyard, it was all I could do to process everything. I could only stay in my head as we headed towards the main building. Briefly, I wondered if either Nia or Abigail was wondering where I was. Or maybe Abigail was also where we were going. If she was the main character in all of this, then maybe I was getting in the way.

    ¡°Are you sure she should be here?¡± I jerked, aware we¡¯d slipped from one area to the next. I hadn¡¯t even registered we¡¯d enter the office building. Now, the receptionist woman was looking at me again, the same scowl she¡¯d worn earlier. Judgement clouded the air, and I knew it was because of the stunt I¡¯d pulled.

    With a leaden tongue, I stumbled back to reality, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I was just worried about my friend.¡±

    She ignored me, only keeping her eyes on Fable. His expression mirrored hers, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have a lot of things to talk about.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to worry, we both agreed.¡± Fox smiled, and the woman¡¯s lip curled. I wondered if the Headmaster also didn¡¯t care for him like her and Fable seemed not to.

    ¡°Go along, then. I have things to organize.¡± She went back to her computer screen, dismissing us. I glanced back, noting that in the afternoon light the colors from the stained glass were different than in the morning. The woman¡¯s eyes had turned to stare back at me. I snapped forward again and quickly followed the boys.

    Although I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the walkway this morning, I couldn¡¯t help but feel something had changed. I stared at the doors we passed, wondering if details were skewed or if my brain had just encoded the memories wrong. Did the doors always have handles instead knobs? Was the shade of brown a degree darker? Were the halls always this length?

    Fable pushed open the door to the Headmaster¡¯s office without even a knock. I hesitated for a moment, but Fox tilted his head and waved me forward. It felt like he was trying to ensure I wouldn¡¯t run away, with him behind me. I slipped inside.

    The office, at least, didn¡¯t feel as distorted as the rest of the building had become. The large window still filtered in light, overlooking the courtyard below. The desk was just as wide and organized as before. Headmaster Gnight sat, head angled down and a fountain pen writing signatures on various different documents. He didn¡¯t look surprised to see me.

    ¡°Come now. Sit.¡± I glanced at Fable who lingered towards the side, looking for all the world that he¡¯d rather be anywhere else. I couldn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t feel the same. But I did as I was told, and sat in the plush office chair that faced the Headmaster.

    He continued his work for a few minutes, reading through whatever was on the pages and either crossing out various lines and setting it aside or signing off. Fox had placed himself next to Fable, although no longer bothering him. His hands clasped themselves behind his back, and his expression dissolved into stoicism. They both became closer to furniture then beings.

    As the ticking of the clock continued, Headmaster Gnight finally raised his head, ¡°Ms. Ch¨¢vez. It seems you¡¯ve found your way back into my office. By invitation this time, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, I¡¯m not upset.¡± How I wished I could mirror his relaxed posture. ¡°How much did Fox tell you?¡±

    ¡°That¡­you wanted Abigail because of a wish she has. He didn¡¯t tell me what for.¡±

    ¡°Has he mentioned magic as well?¡± He continued at my nod. ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue from there. I¡¯ve been given a very important job. One that details the threads that make up this world. In order to ensure it runs properly, I¡¯ve been selecting various people as test subjects for the kind of world I wish this place to be. As the world becomes more complicated, I¡¯ve gone on from people with dreams that can be granted with a snap of my fingers¡ªto people who are desperate for something nearly impossible to have.¡±

    Again, the information was so strange, it was hard for me to process. But there was one thing I grasped easily, ¡°So Abigail has an impossible wish?¡±

    Being happy didn¡¯t sound impossible, and my skin prickled at the thought. I wondered if she¡¯d been told this when she sat down here earlier. If the Headmaster had looked upon her bruises and said what she wanted most wouldn¡¯t be possible, not without his help. Something thick formed in my throat, and it hurt to swallow.

    Headmaster Gnight gave an impossibly delicate smile, ¡°Not quite. It¡¯s just one that would require a lot of work on my end. Because of this, I decided to cut her a deal. If she would act as the main character in a story, she would be able to get her wish granted. If she failed to achieve what she wanted, she could simply go back to the beginning and start over again, until she suceeded. I¡¯d also be able to observe her and collect any information I may need on how this world forms.¡±

    Everything was getting tangled in my head. She had to fight for this herself, but it was a life with a reset button. All her mistakes and failures could be vanished with a snap of her fingers. I forced myself to speak again, ¡°And this story is¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s relatively simple; find the prince, defeat the villain, and achieve a happy ending. Each scenario also has a guardian to help, if you can find them.¡±

    I could only stare. This was, in every way, the kind of thing that Abigail had wanted. The fantastical and romantic and the guaranteed happily ever after. Her entire dream laid out in front of her, presented on a silver platter, ¡°A storybook life.¡±

    My words rang out, and it made me wonder what I was doing here. If this was her dream, then it was hers to have. She didn¡¯t say anything, because she knew I wouldn¡¯t believe her. For her, it was easy to predict I think she¡¯d been lying to me, trying to avoid the truth of the matter.

    Except, that couldn¡¯t be all there was to it. There must have been some reason why she had been hurt. If this was what she wanted, completely and truly, then there was no reason for that to have happened. I worried my lips under my teeth, nibbling them to the point where I thought I¡¯d draw blood.

    There was something wrong here that I couldn¡¯t quite explain. I glanced back at Fable and Fox, watching their empty gazes. Their personalities had been drained the moment they walked in, to the point where even I could tell with how little I knew about them.

    I redirected my attention back to Headmaster Gnight, ignoring how my body was growing more desperate by the minute to flee, ¡°Does that mean you know what happened to her? Why she was hurt yesterday?¡±

    He closed his eyes, his eyebrows drawing together. For a moment, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d answer me but he slowly shook his head, ¡°Like I said, the story must have a villain, and some villains are more then what you¡¯d expect them to be.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving her a dream where others are going to hurt her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving her a chance at her dream. It¡¯s impossible to avoid conflict, as it¡¯s just a part of human nature. And besides, I have no desire to influence the actions of others. I can set the stage, but I can¡¯t predict the actions taken from there.¡± I leaned forward, wanting to know who it was that had done this to her. Who was it that was the villain and had caused her harm. Headmaster Gnight shook his head, as if reading my thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s little point in telling you, because there¡¯s a good chance you won¡¯t remember this conversation once you walk past the campus gates.¡±

    ¡°My memory would be erased?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t risk outsiders causing too much trouble. While the ¡®main character¡¯ can know, anyone else would create too much external influence. The purpose for all this is to create something that¡¯s as natural as possible.¡±

    My fingers curled, nail meeting flesh, ¡°What if I don¡¯t forget?¡±

    His patient smile returned, ¡°Everyone forgets.¡±

    ¡°I will remember, because I won¡¯t let her get hurt like this. Even if this is what she wanted, it¡¯s¡ª¡± I stood, no longer able to be stagnant. Feelings bubbled over as I forced myself to not start pacing. ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s my job to make sure she doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    He said nothing, and the two boys only kept their gaze vacant. It was so calm even though reality was splintering all around me. There should have been something more to them, like how Fox had felt unbelievable in those minutes after school. If magic was real, they shouldn¡¯t have become muted as I exploded.

    My feet stumbled back, ¡°I¡¯ll walk past those gates and I¡¯ll remember. And when I do I¡¯ll come back here and prove it to you.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want, even if you do?¡± I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that I couldn¡¯t erase the feeling of Abigail¡¯s smudged lip gloss against my skin, or how sticky her hand was when she¡¯d moved to hold mine.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to get hurt.¡± I left with those words, desperate to prove myself as the afternoon sun started to dip down. The campus had become calm, with most students heading back home or attending their clubs and sport practices. There was no one to see me as I ran down the path and towards the gate. No one to see my feet skidding to a stop right at the line. I stared down at where it lay in front of me, desperate to cross over but unable to.

    If I was made to forget everything, then what had the point of everything I¡¯d done been? I¡¯d betrayed Abigail¡¯s trust for no reason, and I wouldn¡¯t even remember having done so. All of the mistakes made today and all these awful emotions weren¡¯t something I wanted to let go of. They were mine, regardless of them being good or bad.

    I took a deep breath and crossed over the line. My feet landed safely on sidewalk, even as a chill shot up my arms. I looked behind me, staring at the office building. From here, I couldn¡¯t tell if Fable was at the window again, watching me as I moved. I couldn¡¯t tell if anyone had bothered to join him. I wanted to scream I still remembered. That I always would.

    A laugh cascaded beside me and I whirled around to find Fox grinning wide ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±

 0.5 Boyhood

    ¡°What flavor do you want?¡± Fox dug through his backpack, pulling out a wallet covered in comic book decal. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint any of the series it showcased, but I was enraptured by it all the same. It was easier to pick apart the mishmash of panels then it was to look at him and wonder how I¡¯d arrived here.

    The cashier waited, her eyes bored and barely focused. Above her was a collection of smoothies, ice cream, and pastries. I only briefly scanned the menu before I went with the usual flavor I made at home, ¡°Blueberry strawberry smoothie.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll have the mango pineapple. Both mediums.¡± He leaned back. ¡°Medium is fine, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He handed over some cash, and threw the change in the sticker decorated tip jar. The cashier handed her the receipt with our order number, and informed us we¡¯d be called when it was ready.

    I hadn¡¯t been here before, and I noted to myself to bring Nia sometime. The place was bright and colorful, with the floor being made out of rainbow tiles and streaks of color dancing across the walls. Even the tables were bright blues, pinks, purples, and greens.

    As Fox guided the way towards the sitting area, I swallowed, ¡°How much was it?¡±

    ¡°No need to pay me back. Think about it as an apology for such a weird day.¡± He took me to a table in the corner, right by the window. We both sat, letting our backpack fall to the floor beside us. When Fox had said we should go somewhere to talk, I hadn¡¯t expected to be brought somewhere so¡­cute.

    The whirl of a blender shot me back into my body, muted behind the glass where the workers were. ¡°I think I¡¯ve only been getting through this all by assuming it¡¯s been a very long dream.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out as reality soon enough.¡± He crossed his leg over his ankle, looking far more casual then he¡¯d been earlier. I wondered if Fable just brought the worst in him. Or maybe it was the Headmaster. ¡°But we were here to talk about a deal weren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    He tilted his head, an air of caution about him. It was the kind of gaze one gave a wounded animal. I had tried to let myself calm down, but apparently it was still showing in me somehow.

    ¡°I want you to play the part instead of your friend.¡± I blinked, the words unexpected in their plainness.

    ¡°But there¡¯s¡­no reason for it to be me right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, but there¡¯s no reason for it not to be you either.¡± He smiled, although it crinkled the bruise on his face. ¡°You and Abigail are both people that caught the interest of the Headmaster. Even though he¡¯s acted rather aloof with you, I don¡¯t think he cares which one of you it is. Fable just insists it has to be Abigail, and he hasn¡¯t cared to take no for an answer.¡±

    It felt like Fable had never seen me, yet I could feel the judgement he emitted all over again, ¡°While I understand why he¡¯d want Abigail, is there a reason why it feels like he hates me?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say he hates you. You¡¯re just great at doing things you shouldn¡¯t be able to. Like entering the Headmaster¡¯s office, or breaking up a fight between two people instead of leaving it alone or gawking.¡± He gave a long pause. ¡°And remembering things you shouldn¡¯t be able to remember.¡±

    ¡°Was I actually supposed to forget?¡±

    He shrugged, shifting his feet, and moving to stand, ¡°Drinks are ready.¡±

    I sat, trying to think about what he was he was asking me. There were a lot of things I wasn¡¯t clear on. A prince, a villain, a guardian. Would that make the main character the knight? The damsel? Something else entirely? Was it solely dependent on how the person went about it?

    Outside, people walked lost to their own little worlds. As a group of kids walked, laughing, and shoving at each other, an old memory surfaced. I was twelve and had fallen hard on my knees. Abigail had grabbed my hands, careful of the scrapes, and lifted me up. When I couldn¡¯t walk without a limp, she¡¯d joked about carrying me, before offering her arm. I¡¯d looked up at her, noticing for the first time she¡¯d hit her growth spurt and was inches taller than me now. She¡¯d set me down on a bench, gotten my first aid kit from my bag, and picked the pebbles out of my knees and hands before patching them up. If there was a role she was going to play, it was one with a sword aimed to protect.

    A cup slide in front of me, drawing me back to the present. Fox was already downing his drink, and I watched as the contents quickly shrank, ¡°Is it that good?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t really had much to eat today.¡±

    ¡°¡­A smoothie isn¡¯t much of a meal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡± He set the cup down, shaking off the condensation on his hand. ¡°Right, where were we?¡±

    The smoothie was both sweet and bitter on my tongue, ¡°You were saying Fable hates me because I¡¯m doing things I¡¯m not supposed to.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Abigail is a great choice, because she¡¯s easy to predict. Easy as humans can be, anyway. Giving predictable people what they want is fine, but¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He said something about making sure this world runs¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, and that part of this doesn¡¯t concern you. Let¡¯s say this world is in it¡¯s infancy, and there are a collection of people trying to make sure it reaches completion. One of the ways to do that is adjusting the rules of the world and making sure nothing breaks down. Granting a wish and running through various simulations of things is like a two birds-one stone situation. The Headmaster can tinker and adjust things to make them stable, and someone gets their wish granted. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand it all but there is one reason why I¡¯d rather it be you than her.¡±

    Even if he said it was fine that I didn¡¯t understand, it was frustrating feeling like I was always behind. Whether it was about everything he was telling me, or the entire day itself. If Abigail was here, I would have asked what she¡¯d gotten herself into. I would have hoped she¡¯d answer.

    ¡°So what is it?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear the answer. Maybe because I could already guess what he was going to say.

    He smiled, like he could tell, too, ¡°Well, Abigail¡¯s wish may fall under the realm of ¡®impossibility,¡¯ but for someone able to adjust the world as he pleases, it¡¯s a relatively easy task to complete. Especially because she¡¯s someone we can predict ok enough. But for this world to be stable, he needs to understand people that aren¡¯t predictable and that may even work against the order that¡¯s being established in this world. That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been showing us today, that you¡¯re able to go against the world¡¯s order. And if there¡¯s anything the Headmaster needs to look into, it¡¯s people like you. So that way, fail safes can be made and the world won¡¯t break down.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Then¡­what do these ¡®fairytales¡¯ have to do with it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the Headmaster¡¯s own ideals. He made a world in the image he wanted, that¡¯s all. He likes the idea and cadences of fairytales, and so this world will run similarly.¡± When I drew my eyebrows together, he only laughed. ¡°Again, this isn¡¯t something you need to fully understand.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then I do have one question. The most important one.¡± I took a deep breath, trying to will myself to say it. ¡°If I agree to this, wouldn¡¯t I be taking away Abigail¡¯s wish? No matter what it is?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sure if you play your cards right you¡¯d be able to play the role and allow Abigail her happy ending and all. Plus, she wouldn¡¯t have to go through all the trials and tribulations of figuring out how to achieve happiness and all.¡± He took a noisy sip from his smoothie, highlighted by the fact he¡¯d somehow already finished it. ¡°Essentially, you¡¯d just be the one paying the cost for her.¡±

    ¡°Is the cost¡­that bad?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the person. But you already saw what she looked like yesterday, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m not sure how or why her circumstances make her wish impossible, but I get the feeling that bumps and bruises won¡¯t be the worst of it. Which then circles back to you. If you took her place, would you be ok experiencing being harmed for her sake?¡±

    It was an easy answer. One, I didn¡¯t need to think about, ¡°Yes.¡±

    He sat up straight, expression deadening like it had in the Headmaster¡¯s office, ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯ll play the main character in Headmaster¡¯s Gnight fairytale? You¡¯ll go through endless stories until you find the happy ending? You¡¯ll accept the pain and failures you¡¯ll undoubtedly experience?¡±

    The dark brown of his eyes warped into a vibrant blue. I pulled back, pressing my back against the chair. No one else noticed or turned towards us, like we¡¯d been encased in a bubble separate from them. I swallowed hard, ¡°If it means Abigail won¡¯t get hurt, and she¡¯ll get what she wished for, then yes. I accept.¡±

    His hand reached out, ghost blue swirling around his hand. Drawn to it, I reached out, ready to meet his hand. Right before our finger tips brushed, another hand shot out and yanked at Fox¡¯s wrist. I snapped out of it, whatever haze that¡¯d wrapped around me dissipated. A solid crack echoed from Fox¡¯s joint.

    ¡°Shit Fable, you really have it out for me today don¡¯t you?¡± It wasn¡¯t a surprise to find Fable here, but it was a surprise to see that for the first time today, I found him looking at me. Our eyes made contact, and I was confronted with the brunt of his contempt.

    His hand didn¡¯t let go of Fox¡¯s, even as he tried to wiggle it out, ¡°Your wish has been heard.¡±

    Fox paused, eyebrow crinkling as he stared daggers, ¡°Headmaster Gnight agreed?¡±

    ¡°All your complaining wore him down. He sent me to keep an eye on things and to bring her back if she did actually remember everything. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to approach her yourself. I also wasn¡¯t expecting you to try to initiate the deal. I suppose I should have.¡± He let go of Fox, and Fox shook it out. The skin where Fable¡¯s grip had been was a deep red.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was doing.¡± Before Fable could respond, Fox¡¯s attention was back towards me. ¡°The Headmaster will finish the deal for you.¡±

    ¡°O-ok.¡± I scrambled back to my feet, mostly to try to get away from the both of them. Any distance between us was better than nothing. Especially as Fable tracked my every move. There was nothing in his expression as he offered a hand.

    Hands clasped my shoulders and suddenly Fox was behind me. His grip kept me from looking towards him, and he pulled me away from Fable, ¡°I got it, I got it. She¡¯s my charge, I¡¯ll take her to him.

    Pins and needles traveled down my back from where Fox was touching. I tried not to hyperfocus on it, as my gut told me whatever it was wasn¡¯t actually dangerous, ¡°I prefer to go with Fox.¡±

    A slim preference. They both instilled a desperate sense of anxiety in me that I tried my best to ignore. It was somehow better to be looked at as though I were a science project than to be looked at as though I¡¯d run over someone¡¯s dog.

    Although there was no notable difference in Fable, I got the overwhelming sensation he was furious, like this was the final cherry on top, ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡±

    I shrugged Fox off the minute he vanished from view, ¡°¡­What did you do?¡±

    ¡°A protection spell, just in case.¡± I blinked, but didn¡¯t have time to question it. ¡°For the final time, are you sure you want to do this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then close your eyes, and grab onto your desire with your whole heart.¡±

    Hesitant, I did. The small seed inside of me seemed so small and withered. I imagined cupping it over my hands, whispering what I wanted over and over again. All sensations were lost. The noise of the shop vanished, and even Fox¡¯s presence became something no longer felt.

    //

    ¡°Our favorite trouble maker is back, it seems.¡± It was like waking up from reality only to find oneself in a dream. When my eyes opened, I was in a sea of bushes and flowers and trees overflowing with fruit. A sweetness permeated the air, so thick I could taste it on my tongue. My feet were on a straight pathway through the foliage and up ahead I could see Headmaster Gnight, sitting at his desk as he¡¯d been prior.

    Too enraptured by the sight, I merely stood, taking everything in. When I looked up, I could make out glass, an indication this was some kind of greenhouse. The heat on my skin became almost unbearable the moment I noticed it.

    ¡°Well, come along. This is what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± I tried to focus on him, his form melding into the rest of the scenery. For a moment, I thought both desk and man had grown here, risen up from the soil itself. My feet drifted forward, as my senses started to fully return.

    ¡°Where is this place?¡±

    ¡°Right where you were before; my office.¡± There was no chair for me to sit this time, so I came to a stop a few feet from his desk. He watched me, and nothing about that gaze had changed.

    I bit my lip, trying to think of something to say, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright with me?¡±

    His eyebrows raised by a breath, ¡°Now you¡¯re uncertain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been uncertain this entire time. I can¡¯t say I understand everything that¡¯s going on, but what I do understand is that for Abigail to have a chance at what she wants, she has to get hurt. And I¡¯d rather¡­do that for her. Through whatever these fairytales are.¡±

    The Headmaster was the same as Fox, he made me feel like a subject in an experiment. To him, I knew I actually was, ¡°I can arrange that. The price you¡¯re paying will be Abigail¡¯s price, and the situations you¡¯ll live through will be the ones meant for her. Are you sure you can find a happy ending in such circumstances?¡±

    ¡°We¡­we made the same wish, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You did.¡± He stood, motioning towards all the flowers around us. ¡°Pick a flower of your choice. Whatever calls to you the most. When you do so, time will reset. It will be the first day of school, Abigail will never have gotten hurt, and your story will begin.¡±

    There were so many different flowers, most I didn¡¯t even know the name to, ¡°How will I know who¡¯s meant to play the other roles?¡±

    ¡°I assure you, it¡¯ll be obvious. Fable and Fox will be there to assist you with anything as well.¡± Uncomforting words that I only nodded to.

    With so many flowers, I found it hard to choose. There were different shades and hues and shapes and species. Some were on small plants, others on bushes or bursting on the trees. My feet walked along the path, close to where it met the soil, taking stock of each one. I could feel him watch me as I did so, and I wondered at which to choose. One of these had to call to me, or be something that would call to Abigail.

    Maybe because Abigail was so bright, my eyes landed on the marigolds. Vibrant gold and tucked between all the other flora, it was the only one in the immediate area with such a color. Everything else were shades of whites, pinks, and deep reds. It was hard not to look at it once I spotted it.

    I kneeled down, hesitant to pluck the blossom. When I looked back, the Headmaster stayed the same, no indication to whether I¡¯d picked right or wrong. I carefully broke the stem, and a feeling of warmth rushed over me. He smiled.

    ¡°Come to my office again in the morning. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have plenty of questions for me, still.¡±

    I did have questions for him. But now my body was lead. Pulled around in every direction I could think of the entire day, there was no part of me that wasn¡¯t exhausted. Whispers echoed in my head it was time to sleep. Time to lay down. Time to wake up. There was no energy left to argue. I let the world around me go dark again. My grip on the flower remained.

 1.X How a Nameless Boy became a Lonely Prince

    There was a boy in front of me. All his features were blurred, and I could only make out the uniform he wore. He sat alone on the bleachers of the soccer field, in a fading twilight. There was no one else around him, and even Aster Academy¡¯s campus looked barren from where he sat.

    He stared intently in front of him, knees curled up and pressed to his chest. His cracked nails dug into his knees, leaving angry red marks. When I looked I saw not a soccer field but a ballroom. The stadium lights shone down and illuminated the glitz and glamor of the people below. All of their faces were covered in masks, leaving not a single feature to be seen. A symphony played and washed over them, where each instrument used was out of tune.

    The boy didn¡¯t belong here. Yet, his eyes never left the sight in front of him. I wondered how long he¡¯d sit here and watch. Until the show was over? Until the lights went off? He sat so still, it was like he was turning to stone.

    One of the faceless attenders was looking at him. It took a moment to notice in the din of all the people. They were closest to where the edge of the field should have been. Their hand raised in greeting, and the boy only stared. When the masked one got no response, they pointed somewhere to the right.

    The boy turned his head.

    Two other masqueraders were walking up the bleacher steps. One in a long, silky dress and the other in a well-fitted suit. The one in a suit held a plain black mask, the same kind everyone else was wearing down below. The sun was quickly dipping down the horizon, turning the sky a deep red.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    They came to a stop in front of him. The man raised his hands, and the boy didn¡¯t move. Even as the man moved to place the mask on his face. His nails still dug into his skin, his body remained curled. He lifted his head, ready to accept the gift he was being given.

    My hand shot out. I immediately went from a watcher to a participant. I¡¯d moved from audience to actor. All three of them looked towards me. The woman howled, a noise that barely sounded human as she swatted at me. I didn¡¯t care. I grabbed the mask and I ripped it away from him. There was something wrong with it, and I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to him.

    I couldn¡¯t explain why I felt this way, or what was wrong. All I could do was make sure they didn¡¯t place the mask on his face. He couldn¡¯t be like them. It would only end in disaster. As I spun on my heels, running away as the two gave chase, I caught the gaze of the one below. The masked one only watched, making no move to chase me like the others.

    There was something so watchful about them when compared to those around them. As everyone kept dancing and chatting and eating, they remained at the edge, watching as my feet crashed noisily against the metal steps. I didn¡¯t know how close the other two were. As my feet found purchase on cement, I pivoted towards them. I rushed towards them and they pulled away as my hand reached out. My fingers slid under the ridge of their mask, but before I could pull it off, my pursuers grabbed at me. I yelped as they dragged me to the ground, clawing for the mask in my hand.

    Above me, the masked one pressed a hand to their face, and their fingers shook. As the mask was pried away from me, they pinned me down. They raised the mask. They placed it upon my brow.

 1.1 Another First Day

    Sweat poured from my brow as I shot up. The morning sun spilled through the window, entering my eyes at a light too bright for six am. Mom looked at me, hands on her hips, and a barely suppressed smile on her face. It took me a long moment of staring at her before I realized where I was.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be late for the first day of school. Go on, take a quick shower and come down to eat something.¡± I numbly nodded as she smoothed out my hair and pressed a kiss to my temple. My mom¡¯s first day of school ritual since I started preschool.

    It was easy to dismiss the past day as a dream, but when I looked down I could see the Marigold was still in my hand. Despite having fallen asleep with it under a layer of blankets too warm for early September, it hadn¡¯t wilted in any capacity. I stared at it in wonder, looking for any flaws or damage, but it was as fine as it was when I picked it. When I looked back up, my mom had already disappeared, probably to go wake Papi up as well.

    Carefully, I picked myself up out of bed and placed the Marigold on my desk. I¡¯d need to grab a vase for it later. For now, I grabbed my uniform and headed into the bathroom, my body on autopilot as I tried to figure out everything I¡¯d experienced in the last twenty four hours.

    When I was finished, I headed into the living room. Papi was watching the news, and I skimmed over the headlines, recognizing them as ones I¡¯ve seen before. The familiarity swirled in my brain, warring against the still-present insistence maybe everything had been a dream. A long, strange dream.

    Except there¡¯d been a flower in my hand when I¡¯d woken up and the news playing was one that had played before. I felt the hands wrap around me a moment too late, so stuck in my head.

    ¡°Morning Sleeping Beauty.¡± I yelped, Abigail¡¯s hair tickling my face. She¡¯d always get to my house early on the first day of school. She lived in the same neighborhood and she¡¯d always walk to school with me as often as she could. I¡¯d already lived through this, so I¡¯d forgotten to expect her.

    Now her arms were trying to break my ribcage, ¡°Good morning¡­! Please let me go so I can breathe.¡±

    Her giggles couldn¡¯t come off as more mischievous, ¡°Sorry for showing up super early. I didn¡¯t feel like making breakfast, and your mom always make the best food.¡±

    ¡°I think I make the best food in the house personally,¡± Papi said, having finally noticed me. His hands, worn down from years in the service industry, were currently fiddling with his tie. He normally worked evenings, but he¡¯d take up extra shifts from time to time in the mornings.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to agree with that.¡± I managed to disentangle myself from Abigail and I could hear mom protesting from where she was in the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re food¡¯s great too mom!¡±

    Abigail pulled me to the table, and we sat in our usual seats across from each other. Not hungry, I grabbed some toast and lathered it in peanut butter and honey. Abigail was taking everything she could from the table. I couldn¡¯t help but watch her, tracing the features of her face. No cuts or bruises, not a hair out of place.

    She raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is something wrong? You¡¯ve been staring at me all morning.¡±

    ¡°No! Sorry, sorry.¡± Her disbelieving look was marked with the pop of opening a syrup bottle. ¡°It¡¯s really silly. I just had a bad dream is all. Involving you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re ok.¡±

    Maybe a part of me wondered if she¡¯d remember like I did. I waited a beat to see if any kind of recognition entered her eyes, but there was nothing. My shoulders slumped, and she set the bottle of syrup down, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about it? That usually makes you feel better after a bad dream, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Does it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always had wild dreams. I remember when we were kids you were always telling me about them. And hey, I¡¯ve been reading through a dream interpretation book, maybe I can tell you what your dream meant.¡± She offered an exaggerated wink and I took a bite of my toast to think about it.

    If I told her what happened, that would be the clearest indication she truly didn¡¯t remember. It would leave me with the question of why I could, and what they¡¯d been talking about when they said I was disrupting the flow of things. There was no reason to hesitate, and it wasn¡¯t like I was told I couldn¡¯t talk about what was going on.

    Abigail listened as I went through everything to the best of my ability. From her being hurt, to hiding something from me, to the strangeness of Fox and Fable and the Headmaster. When I ended on my actual dream, the one about the strange masquerade, her eyes were glowing with fascination.

    ¡°Wow, you really did have an entire dreaming experience, huh?¡± There was still no spark of recognition in her eyes. My stomach turned, and I put down my half-finished toast, unable to even finish that much. Her eyes followed the movement, and her smile scooted to concern. ¡°Hey, it was just a dream. And it¡¯s not like anything in there really made sense, did it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one apparently reading up on dream interpretations. You tell me.¡±

    ¡°How about you come over after school today, and we¡¯ll decode it together. Oh, and I know I¡¯ve said this before, but you really should keep a dream journal. I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be fun to have. Now hurry and eat, we¡¯ll be late meeting up with Nia.¡± Her foot nudged at my leg and I forced myself to down the rest of the food.

    It was a rock in my stomach I pretended to ignore as me and Abigail headed out. Her energy was overflowing, and while it wasn¡¯t any more than usual, I was exhausted. I wondered how much of today would change. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t meet Abigail after class and find her the way I had. Headmaster Gnight had promised me that much. I wasn¡¯t going to let her get hurt again.

    As we walked, it was easy to descend into the illusion everything was as it always was. Abigail jumped from topic to topic, keeping up the conversation eighty percent of the time, and me added on when needed. We lived only a few blocks from school, and the morning air held a faint chill to it.

    We arrived at the school gates to find Nia waiting for us. She was bundled in her red jacket like it was the middle of winter and not the end of summer. When she noticed us, she raised her hand in greeting, her sleeves allowing only the tips of her fingers to be seen.

    Abigail crashed into her with the same kind of hug she gave me this morning, ¡°Hey bestie, cough up your class schedule.¡±

    I already knew what our classes would be, and the illusion was broken. The main office stood across from the entrance and courtyard, and I stared at the top windows. It was hard to tell from this far away, but the blinds looked like they were drawn. All the questions I still had felt more and more like a mountain. I didn¡¯t know if I cared to cross it.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Cough up yours first,¡± Nia laughed, shoving Abigail away easier than I could ever hope. She pulled it out from her bag and handed it over. I didn¡¯t have any classes with Abigail this year, and I had one with Nia. Nia also had a class with Abigail as well. At the very least, I could still see the both of them at lunch.

    ¡°We only have art, huh? Cinder you should have taken art, we could have all had it together.¡±

    ¡°I have no artistic talent and we all know it.¡± Abigail and Nia were good at it to varying degrees. Abigail took it seriously while Nia used it as a hobby. A break from her endless basketball practices, especially when it was almost time for the new season.

    ¡°What about you Cinder?¡±

    ¡°We have fourth period English.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you know, you didn¡¯t even look.¡±

    ¡°I can see from here.¡± I dropped my gaze as they both looked at me. Even still, I could catch the glint of Abigail¡¯s smile as she handed the schedule back to her. Her arm linked itself through mine, and I squeaked out a protest.

    ¡°Also, me and Cinder are going to have a little dream interpretation day at my place. You should come too.¡± Nia wouldn¡¯t be able to come.

    Brushing her braids aside, Nia sighed, ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I can¡¯t. Gram¡¯s visiting today so it¡¯s family day. What was the dream?¡±

    We slipped through campus and I ran through my dream again. I tried not to keep glancing at the main office, knowing I¡¯d find nothing. My eyes kept scanning the students, too, trying to find the face of either Fox or Fable, but there was nothing. Like this, it was easy to think that everything was normal. I tried to keep my eyes up, and force them not to stray.

    //

    Fox was here. I stared at him a beat too long before I forced myself to sit. He hadn¡¯t been here on the first day last time. As I set my things down on my desk, I heard the smile in his voice as he spoke, ¡°You¡¯ve been taking this all in stride, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    I kept myself quiet, organizing my things as though there was much to do at this point. He didn¡¯t seem to mind, ¡°If you have any questions you may as well ask me. You¡¯re going to be a little too busy today to pay a visit, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    At this point I was certain he was keeping tabs on me, ¡°The flowers. What was with the flowers?¡±

    He blinked, as I turned towards him a smile growing on his face, ¡°You looked at me. Nice to see you today.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care either way.¡± He moved on from one thing to the next so quickly, it felt hard to keep up. ¡°The flowers? You mean the one in Headmaster Gnight¡¯s office? Those are¡­the ideas that he¡¯s been wanting to grow. Each one you pick represents an idea, and also represents different people who are meant to play the ¡®prince¡¯ to your main character.¡±

    ¡°So who did I¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t answer anything about who or what the story is about. That¡¯s on you to figure out remember? No outside influences and all. I wouldn¡¯t want to get in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Ok, then. Is it possible to go through all of them?¡±

    ¡°You mean what happens if you fail to get a happy ending after going through all of them?¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    He tilted his head, as though trying to think of the possibility, ¡°Well, that is one way to meet the requirement, actually. But there¡¯s a lot of people there, isn¡¯t there? Or rather, a lot of different types of flowers. It¡¯d be years before you¡¯d be able to get through them all. At least, years for you. Time will reset to this day every time you fail. So you¡¯d be forced to redo Junior year for as long as it takes.¡±

    I swallowed, trying my best to conceive of such a thing. The last thing I wanted was to be in high school for more years than necessary, ¡°Have you¡­relieved the same time over and over again?¡±

    The sharpness was back in his eyes, and the teacher cleared his throat. I spun back around, now hyper aware of his gaze on my back once more. Although there was no real need to concentrate, following along was a way to keep myself busy. It was better than having to pay attention to him.

    When class ended, he followed me, just as I expected he would. I said nothing as I gathered what I needed for the day and shoved the rest into my locker. He leaned his shoulder in the space next to me, his eyes looking at everyone passing us.

    I clicked my locker shut, ¡°Are you looking for Fable?¡±

    ¡°No. I have no interest in whatever he¡¯s doing.¡± He tilted his head at me. ¡°Are you looking for him?¡±

    ¡°I¡­want to stay away from him as best I can.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be hard. He has no interest in you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just waiting for you to fail as soon as the story kicks off. He¡¯ll probably start showing up the longer you stick to it. I¡¯ll try to help you as much as I can through this first story though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m expected to fail.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, most people do.¡± He glanced at the space behind me. ¡°Take today easy. Hang out with Abigail. Things will start tomorrow.¡±

    He waved his hand, a simple goodbye, and slipped back into the crowd. I looked behind me, wondering what he was looking at, only to find nothing. A sea of students. Maybe one of them was one of the characters it this story I was supposed to play. I should have asked him more of the specifics of these stories while he was here.

    For now, I casted it aside and went to meet Abigail.

    //

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about hidden intentions.¡± Abigail was strewn on her bed, out of her uniform and in a baggy shirt and sweats. A book was open in front of her and she¡¯d been flipping through it to try to fish out any meaning from my ¡°dreams.¡± I¡¯d told her to focus on the part that was actually a dream; the strange masquerade.

    I hugged one of her plushies to my chest, Mr. Hopper, an old bunny she¡¯d had since she was born. It¡¯d become my comfort plush of choice over the years, ¡°I¡­guess so.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re aware that people are pretending around you. Since you didn¡¯t participate in the masquerade yourself, that means you¡¯re remaining true to yourself.¡± Her finger followed along the lines in the book. All the words were crammed together into tiny little lines. I hadn¡¯t stopped feeling relieved since we met up and she¡¯d been fine.

    ¡°So if we go by that books logic, they wanted the boy to hide himself? Or to pretend?¡±

    ¡°And you were trying to stop that, so they tried to stop you.¡±

    ¡°And I was trying to figure out that Masked One¡¯s real intentions.¡±

    She rolled over from her stomach from her back. Her shoulder bumped my knee and she stared up at me, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really getting into this. Normally you just nod along and listen.¡±

    Her hand brushed away my bangs from my eyes, and I frowned, ¡°I¡¯m just not really knowledgeable on this kind of stuff, is all. I prefer to listen to you instead.¡±

    ¡°I like when you talk though, you know? Nothing¡¯s nicer than someone engaging with what I¡¯m saying.¡± She tapped my nose as I started to protest and I winced. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad your quiet, I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s also nice when you talk to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad it is.¡± She beamed up at me, and I could hear her suddenly, ringing in my ears. Her proclamation she¡¯d found her way to a happy ending. For a moment, we were not in her room, decorated in fairy lights and bookshelves, but in the school¡¯s back gardens. She was over the moon despite her wounds. She hadn¡¯t even seen me because of it.

    ¡°Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of my dreams¡­would you want to be hurt over and over again, to reach a happy ending?¡±

    Her eyes always looked the bluest in her room somehow. Under all the lights, they reflected it all back, and turned into polished sapphires. When they fixed on me with such grave seriousness, it was impossible to look away, ¡°I suppose that depends on how I¡¯d be hurt. And besides, aren¡¯t there all sorts of happy endings out there? Why would I need to bank on the one with the hardest path?¡±

    Why would she? Another question to add to the list, but one I knew I wouldn¡¯t get an answer to now that the world had reset. I wonder if Fox knew and would tell me what the conditions had been. Her joy and wariness had gone hand-in-hand, and I needed to know what she was offered, if on the same day she made her choice, she was still saying such a thing.

    I clutched the plushie a little tighter, ¡°What if¡­it was impossible for you to be happy any other way?¡±

    ¡°Then I guess the pain wouldn¡¯t matter then. Because if that¡¯s true, my only path then would be misery right?¡± Before I could stop her, she pulled me down and I crashed down into the space beside her. I turned my head towards her, and could only focus on the pinch of her eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯re only on the path of misery if we refuse to take a different path though.¡±

    Was that really true, ¡°I¡­I think you¡¯ll find that ending you want.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we promised didn¡¯t we.¡± We did. Of all the promises made, it was the one I intended to keep the most. Whatever happened next, it was all for this one thing.

 1.2 Another Missed Shot

    ¡°Watch out!¡± I barely registered the feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as I headed towards school. Abigail had walked with me again today, perhaps because she hadn¡¯t been busy with whatever negotiations she¡¯d been having with the Headmaster now. Distantly, it occurred to me this was the last day that would feel familiar to me, and even then, all the strangeness that had occurred had rendered the past two days otherworldly.

    But avoiding a soccer ball for a second time brought me right back to the moment. I grabbed Abigail and pulled us both back as the ball whizzed by. Her eyes widened a fraction, her attention more focused on my hand around her wrist then us almost getting hit.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± The boy that rushed in front of us rang a bell in my head. He¡¯d done the same thing the other day as well. The previous today? I wasn¡¯t sure how to quantify the time.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty energetic for it being so early.¡± Abigail moved her foot and pulled the ball from where it¡¯d smacked against a planter and towards her. ¡°Be more careful next time, ok?¡±

    With a winning smile, she kicked the ball back towards him. His gaze fell, looking sheepish as he stopped the ball with his foot, ¡°Yeah, sorry about that again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it Cinder?¡± I was too focused on the fact this boy was playing soccer than anything. I wondered what the chances were that I would choose someone who¡¯d I¡¯d already run into. Maybe because it was the first time I was going through this, so the Headmaster had made it easy.

    Or maybe I wasn¡¯t guessing right. I¡¯d have to ask Fox during sixth period and hope he¡¯d answer, ¡°Yeah, we weren¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°See you then!¡± Abigail pulled me along, and I gave an awkward wave goodbye. His own hand was hesitant as he waved back and before I knew it we were inside and being pulled into a classroom.

    Nia looked utterly frazzled, ¡°I¡¯m never playing sports again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not even basketball season.¡± I started.

    ¡°Speaking of sports, a boy almost killed Cinder before we got here.¡± Abigail said, and it shocked Nia well enough for her to relax her shoulders.

    She pulled back, looking at me from head to toe, ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Some boys were kicking around a soccer ball and one of them kicked it too hard. What happened.¡± I waved away her concern instantly, instead wondering over this new development.

    ¡°Captain Queen B.¡±

    I winced, knowing where this was going, ¡°What she¡¯d do this time.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been on me since last season, but now she¡¯s saying I never bother to practice anymore. We don¡¯t even have practice, we just have conditioning for now! How am I supposed to practice with the team?¡± Nia groaned, leaning against one of the desks. ¡°I¡¯m also convinced she¡¯s trying to harass all the freshman who aren¡¯t prodigies off the team. You should have seen her this morning. She¡¯s forcing them all to meet up. When I offered to join, she said this wasn¡¯t about me and chased me out.¡±

    Queen B, also known as Jen, was Nia and Abigail¡¯s nemesis. I wasn¡¯t sure how exactly it all started, but I knew the girl had it out for both of them whatever chance she got.

    Abigail sighed, noting the time on the clock, ¡°Is she on the courts?¡±

    ¡°¡­M-maybe we shouldn¡¯t go over there.¡± Today was the day the story started supposedly, and I didn¡¯t want Jen to have any part of it. I¡¯d somehow managed to avoid her ire, but I wasn¡¯t confident it would stay that way. It was miracle she hadn¡¯t noticed me thus far.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be ok! She wouldn¡¯t try anything with the freshman around. Afterall, all we would need to do is report her to the coach. I¡¯m sure one of the kids would squeal and back us up.¡± Nia and I exchanged glances at the sheer joy in her voice. It was the kind we knew indicated she was doing this whether we followed her or not.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry before class starts.¡± Although Nia sighed, I could tell she wasn¡¯t upset at this turn of events. To some degree, she¡¯d probably grabbed us hoping Abigail would do something. The two played off each other well like that.

    With Abigail at the helm, we went to the courts.

    //

    The freshman were exhausted from what I could tell. Sweat gleaned on their foreheads, and Jen kept calling out drills. I knew nothing about basketball despite going to most of Nia¡¯s games, so all of it always sounded foreign to me. What I did know was she was overworking them to the point where it almost felt like it was crossing over into hazing.

    ¡°Did she do this yesterday, too?¡± I asked, watching as Abigail pulled ahead and wasted no time heading right towards Jen. She hadn¡¯t noticed us yet, too busy on calling out things to the other players.

    Nia frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I doubt she had their names though. Since basketball is in spring we don¡¯t have any summer practices where we meet the freshman or anything.¡±

    We hurried after Abigail as she planted herself right next to Jen. The girl raised her head, ponytail slipping past her shoulder in a wave of brown hair. Abigail was taller than her, although not by much. When high school started, I¡¯d lamented over being the shortest of us three, only to realize I wasn¡¯t just shorter I was just short altogether.

    And Abigail and Nia were just tall. Abigail used it as a means of intimidation, ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for them to get changed? Classes are about to start and I wouldn¡¯t want them to be late.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off Abigail.¡± She spun towards the two us, freckled face drawn into a scowl. ¡°You two really drag each other into everything.¡±

    ¡°Language,¡± Abigail sang, her smile never leaving her face. The kids had all come to a stop, turning to see what was going on. Nia quickly moved to tell them to go to the locker rooms as Abigail kept Jen busy. ¡°Is there a reason you like to act like the lead bully in the latest teen drama?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason you have to be insufferable all the time by getting into other people¡¯s business?¡±

    ¡°From one unsufferable person to another, I think you should get a better attitude. I don¡¯t know who would want to follow a Captain that treats them like shit all the time.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    As the last kid scattered, Nia slipped into the space beside her, ¡°Look Jen, I don¡¯t know what you said to them, but please don¡¯t wear them down too much already. Our team is small enough as is.¡±

    ¡°What does that matter?¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t have a team we can¡¯t play.¡± Jen rolled her eyes at that, and her gaze somehow landed on me instead. I froze, waiting for her to snap at me next, but as always, she just ignored me.

    I guess I had managed another day where she wasn¡¯t bothering with my existence, ¡°Since when have you ever taken the game seriously?¡±

    She shoved past them right as the bell rang. I glanced back at her as she passed me. Her back was straight and she didn¡¯t look back. Abigail¡¯s complaints to Nia weren¡¯t quiet, and I knew they were intended to be heard. Still, Jen didn¡¯t react as she walked away.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand her.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if anyone can.¡± Nia shook her head. ¡°We should head to class too before we¡¯re late. You ok, Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Huh, me? I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve always just thought she was a little scary.¡± I fell into step with them.

    ¡°That¡¯s like finding me scary.¡± Abigail laughed, and for a second, I nearly said she was, too.

    //

    ¡°This is Jen¡¯s senior year, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nia swatted at me with her pen, nearly getting me with the charm collection hanging off of it. Our teacher cut a glance our way, but we had already went right back to our normal position before he could notice. As he turned back towards the board, I continued. ¡°Maybe since her last season is coming up, she¡¯s being extra awful?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about her.¡±

    ¡°Why does she hate you so much?¡± I could understand Abigail. She could fight fire with fire, and did so without hesitation. It was a set-up for endless fights and confrontations. But Nia was more the type to keep things to herself and complain about things later.

    Nia doodled in her notebook, pretending she was notetaking, ¡°How should I know? She took one look at me freshman year and has hated me since.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to hate me, though¡­¡± The teacher cut a glance our way again, but with Nia doodling and me facing the front, it was hard to actually catch us. I could feel the annoyance radiating off of him, though. I kept pretending like we weren¡¯t the ones whispering the whole class time.

    ¡°Lucky you.¡± Or unlucky Nia.

    I kept quiet for a few minutes, before I whispered, ¡°Is she¡­jealous?¡±

    It earned another swipe from Nia, and this time I had to shift slightly to avoid getting smacked. Nia refused to answer the question, but there was no other explanation I could think of. At the end of the day, whatever was going on with Jen and Nia wasn¡¯t really my business to get involved in unless asked. If it was Abigail, she would have kept pressing, and Nia might have even let her.

    By the time class was over, I¡¯d managed to make the teacher hate us even with the do-over. Me and Nia pointedly ignored him as we passed, pretending we hadn¡¯t been two overly disruptive students who kept talking in the middle of lessons.

    When we made it safely to the halls, Nia exhaled a laugh, ¡°I would have preferred to not make the teacher hate us.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­! I was just worried¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always worried. I think it¡¯s what you do best.¡± She hooked an arm through mine. ¡°Speaking of worried, we should meet up with Abigail. Knowing her she might go off and yell at Queen B again.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I let Nia drag me towards our usual spot, noting there was no fight in the halls this time. The two who¡¯d caused it weren¡¯t stuck in a loop. Although, even those who were, were acting slightly different this run.

    As we headed on the path towards our usual spot, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the boy from earlier. Something felt off about him, and as we passed, I noticed he was sitting on the planter, holding the top of his hand. His gaze was somewhere else, like he was waiting for someone.

    There was red, and I blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡±

    His head snapped up, and I wanted to snatch the words from the air. It only took a moment for recognition to light up his face, ¡°Oh! You¡¯re the girl from this morning.¡±

    ¡°This morning¡­? Are you Mr. Soccer Ball?¡± Nia leaned over, noting what it was that I had. The top of his hand was bleeding.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m still really sorry about that!¡± The grip on his hand tightened, and I flinched as I could almost feel his wound fold up.

    There was more red, still, ¡°You should go to the nurses office.¡±

    I broke away from Nia, removing his hand to see it. The top was pretty scraped up, like he¡¯d skidded it against concrete. He didn¡¯t move his hands away, and let me take a look at them. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m waiting for someone, so I was just going to deal with it after.¡±

    ¡°¡­Here.¡± I fished out a mini first aid kit. Between Nia and Abigail, the two were also masters of getting hurt, and I decided I needed to prepare for the worst. For all the times they made fun of me for it, I had been patching them up from all their scrapes.

    ¡°Oh! No, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll get blood on you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Pulling out an alcohol wipe, I tried to get off as much blood as I could. He winced, but kept his hand in place as I dug around for a band aid big enough to cover his hand.

    Nia was laughing under her breath again, ¡°I¡¯m Nia and that¡¯s Cinder, by the by.¡±

    ¡°Kade.¡± He watched me as I stood, and I tried not to stare. ¡°Thanks for this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re welcome. Hope we didn¡¯t bother you too much.¡± I scooted back to Nia¡¯s side, and she looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but try to compare him to Abigail¡¯s own words. She hardly ever talked about guys or dating, but of the few times she did, I couldn¡¯t recall if blonde-hair, blue-eyed, sporty types made the list.

    Now that I thought about it, I didn¡¯t know Abigail¡¯s type at all. If all these scenarios were going to be based closer on Abigail¡¯s wish than my own, then knowing that kind of thing would help with predicting what to expect from the key player in all of this. It¡¯d be hard to bring it up naturally, since we tended to talk about anything else.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was hard to concentrate and easier to get stuck in my own head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around?¡±

    He was looking at me when he said it, and I didn¡¯t know how to feel, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    With as much calm as I could muster, I headed with Nia to our usual spot. The minute we were there, I collapsed on the ground, feeling my nerves fraying. I¡¯d wanted to interact with him, rather, I needed to, but I didn¡¯t know how to approach someone. Did I come off as weird? Was I already failing miserably and he thought I was a freak?

    Abigail eyed me, having already taken her seat in the grass, ¡°Everything ok, babe?¡±

    ¡°I talked to a boy¡ª¡±

    ¡°A scarring experience I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°¡ªand I feel like I wasn¡¯t totally normal during it.¡± Nia was no longer hiding her grin as she sat down and pulled out her favorite snacks from her bag. I buried my face in my hands. ¡°I was normal, though. Right Nia?¡±

    Nia glanced at Abigail, a sharp curve to her smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure holding hands on a first meeting might be off putting¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was bandaging his hand!¡± She was full on laughing, and Abigail rolled her eyes.

    With a joking shove to her, Abigail turned towards me, ¡°I guess your first aid kit came in handy once again. Who was the lucky boy?¡±

    ¡°Soccer boy.¡± Nia said at the same time I stated, ¡°It was the boy who almost hit us with the soccer ball earlier.¡±

    ¡°Oh, karma I see. Was he hurt badly?¡±

    ¡°Just a scratch.¡±

    She offered me her half of a cookie, and I took it from her and nibbled. My one lunch was peeking out of me from my bag as I unzipped it, but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to have an appetite.

    Nia gave half of her own cookie to me as well, and pouted at both of them, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just not used to talking to people.¡±

    Neither of them seemed to care nor listen to me. I watched as Abigail opened her chips and set them down in front of her, with the opening clearly pointed my way. Nia did the same. It was like they were both trying to mortify me by pretending to comfort me with food. It¡¯d been a long time since it¡¯d happened, and I was melting into the earth now that it was happening again.

    Nia popped a chip in her mouth, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say this isn¡¯t going to be an interesting school year. Especially if this is how the first week is going.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom how true her statement was. Abigail nodded, ¡°I think it¡¯s too early to tell. We still have a whole year to decide right?¡±

    Despite myself, I finished both Abigail¡¯s and Nia¡¯s cookie halves. One chocolate chip and one sugar cookie. As I finished, Abigail glanced back, ¡°By the way, did you catch his name?¡±

    ¡°The boy¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°He said it was Kade. Why?¡±

    She shrugged, a glint in her eyes, ¡°Just in case.¡±

    I speculated what she meant by it for the rest of lunch.

 1.3 Another Meeting

    ¡°I think I don¡¯t like you being in my last period.¡± I quickly texted Abigail I was going to be too busy to walk home with her. As I clicked through each letter, Fox walked up the steps to the office building.

    ¡°You were supposed to come in the other morning. It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯ve been avoiding this place.¡± And he¡¯d been avoiding my question on whether or not Kade was meant to be the star of this story. I knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to directly interfere, but I was entirely unsure of what I was doing at any given moment. It didn¡¯t help Abigail had ended the last conversation on the note she had.

    I snapped my phone shut and shoved it back into my backpack. I caught Fox eyeing the collection of charms that hung off of it, ¡°¡­I just really don¡¯t want to be here.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think we noticed?¡± On this third day of observing Fox, I realized the looks I¡¯d thought of as sharp were possibly a poor attempt at comfort. He was always explaining things whenever I asked, and he was keeping a look out for me. Whenever he gave me those looks, it was like he was trying to dissect what would upset me the least.

    ¡­I think.

    It was nicer to see it that way, compared to how I¡¯d been seeing him previously, ¡°Is it really alright for me to bother him more?¡±

    ¡°It is. And if you can¡¯t bother him, I¡¯m always willing to answer whatever other questions you have. Actually¡ª¡± Before I knew what he was doing, he had teleported behind me again. I heard the zip of my backpack and when I spun around he had my phone in his hand.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± He handed it back to me before I could say anything else, and when I looked down I saw he¡¯d put in his number.

    He grinned, ¡°For emergencies. Only emergencies.¡±

    I doubted I¡¯d ever call him, ¡°Right. Thanks.¡±

    We entered the building, and this time the woman didn¡¯t even look up as we walked passed. For the first time, I wondered her name. I¡¯d likely be seeing her around often from now on, and it¡¯d be useful information. But when I looked at her desk, I found no name tag, nor one clipped to her clothes.

    Fox was already a decent amount ahead of me before I realized how distracted I was. Hurrying after him, I noticed the colors the stained glass gave off were different. A vibrant yellow and gold, that bathed everything in serenity. Everything else was as it was before.

    The Headmaster was not working on paperwork this time, much to my surprise. He was leaning back in his chair, glasses set low on his nose, reading a novel. The words were so worn it was impossible read the title, and the binding itself was barely holding itself together.

    Fable was here, unfortunately, and Fox took his place next to him. Their empty expressions were both back, and I took my own place in the chair in front of the Headmaster. Unlike before, he responded to me instantly. He slid a bookmark into place, snapped the book shut, and readjusted his glasses to give me his full attention.

    My hands were instantly sweaty, ¡°Good afternoon, Headmaster Gnight.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± He clasped his hands in front of him. ¡°I was expecting you yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I was¡­overwhelmed. And I wanted to make sure Abigail would be alright.¡± Not quite wrong. Not the whole truth either.

    He didn¡¯t press it, ¡°Most are overwhelmed by all of this. It doesn¡¯t feel too different right now though, does it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Today had felt almost normal. If it wasn¡¯t for the knowledge of all of this, I wouldn¡¯t have been so anxious over meeting Kade or going to confront Jen. It was just hard to separate these events from this situation.

    ¡°As far as I can see, you¡¯ve already found a few threads to this story.¡± I thought of Kade, and nodded. He continued. ¡°As things go along, you¡¯ll likely find more and more things amiss. As stated before, I can¡¯t guarantee no harm will come to you. I¡¯ll do my best to ensure your safety though, as will Fox and Fable.¡±

    Fable would not. ¡°I understand. I think my biggest question is, what counts as a failure?¡±

    ¡°There are a few ways to fail. The first; the Villain gets what they want. The second; the Prince falls into despair. The third; you reject the Prince. And finally; the Prince rejects you. It is possible to undo these things. For example, if the villain achieves their goals you can tear it down again. If the Prince falls into despair, you can lift him up again. If you reject the Prince or he rejects you, you can have time to change those feelings. But that time is precious few.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what the Villains¡¯ could want in this situation. From all the media I¡¯ve seen, it was a lot of jealous exes or pining girls. All the kinds of people I didn¡¯t want to get involved with or have to confront. Especially when, at the end of the day, it was made so they didn¡¯t have a chance no matter what they did. But there must have been others. Maybe parental figures or bad friends.

    Only time would tell, ¡°What¡¯s the time limit?¡±

    ¡°It could vary. If things go well, you could have until the end of Junior year. You could succeed sooner, and obviously you could fail sooner. Some people manage to fail within a week on the first try.¡± I flinched, remembering the encounter I¡¯d had with Kade both times today. Neither were normal interactions.

    ¡°Ok. I only have one question left.¡± That was a lie, but the more I came here the more I realized I hated the place. ¡°What happens if I succeed?¡±

    He smiled, ¡°Then you¡¯ll be free of repeating these loops, trying to finish the right story. Both you and your friend would reach the ending you both hoped for and promised each other.¡±

    ¡°But these were all designed with Abigail in mind, weren¡¯t they? Would any of her stories really become my own?¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    He stood. I watched as he moved towards one of the many shelves that lined his walls. His fingers brushed over their spines, looking for a specific one, ¡°The same kind of story can work even with different characters. And you¡¯ll be affecting the structure as well, right? Your actions will affect the world and the people around you, and in turn they¡¯ll react different than they would if they¡¯d been interacting with Abigail. The story is a skeleton, and you¡¯re the one giving it life.¡±

    ¡°But then¡­¡± He pulled out a book from the shelf as I mulled over his words. He placed it down in front of me, and like the one he was reading, it¡¯s title had long since faded. I reached out, tracing my fingers over the rough texture of the cover.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been told about the circumstances, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking about it like this. You¡¯d live and fight and love how you have previously. It¡¯s better to view this like that. Going through it like this could be your forever reality.¡±

    I could only nod, carefully flipping open to the first page. I was surprised to see that the writing on the cover page was handwritten, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°A gift. Read through it when you have the time. I¡¯d also recommend keeping your own journal. It¡¯ll stay with you, no matter how many times you reset. I promise.¡± He inclined his head towards the boys, who I¡¯d very nearly forgotten about.

    Fox took a step forward, his hands clasped behind his back, ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡±

    ¡°Very good. Will that be all, Ms. Ch¨¢vez?¡± I nodded and stood. Taking the book, I slipped it into my bag, feeling the extra weight it added. Fox was by my side again as I made to leave, and like always, Fable didn¡¯t even glance my way. I¡¯d descended back into the realm of invisibility again.

    //

    Me and Fox walked down the sidewalk together. His feet tapped out a specific rhythm when he walked, and I glanced over trying to figure out what he was doing. It almost seemed like he was tap dancing, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I have a bad habit of feet tapping.¡±

    ¡°While¡­walking?¡±

    His Cheshire grin was answer enough, and I ran a hand through my messy bangs, ¡°So, what comes next? Do I just follow the thread or will things happen regardless of what I do?¡±

    ¡°It all depends on you. You could do nothing, but that¡¯s almost like waiting for yourself to fail. It¡¯d also lengthen the time it would take to complete the goal. How fast or slow you want to go would be up to you.¡±

    ¡°I think I made the wrong choice.¡± Fox glanced at me, his steps slowing down into something normal again.

    ¡°You¡¯re here now, regardless of what you think. The only thing you can do is go through with it.¡±

    ¡°Why are you helping me, anyway?¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster wants us to. Plus, I was the one that decided it should be you. I fought Fable on it the whole time, and even went behind his back to do so.¡± I remembered the fight in the hall, and I rolled it around in my head.

    ¡°What had that fight been about, anyway?¡±

    He went quiet, looking like he was trying to remember what I was talking about, ¡°Oh, that. It was the usual. He was being an ass, I was being an ass, and words turned into fists. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    Now that I looked, his bruises had vanished. When time had flown backwards, it¡¯d healed him as well. He raised his eyebrows as I examined his face, and I quickly looked away, ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°Well, anyway. Sorry you¡¯re stuck on another outing with me again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± His eyebrows rose even higher and I tried not to pay too much mind to it. It was obvious I did mind, but it felt way too rude to admit it. Still, I was once again glad it was Fox who was following me around instead of Fable. ¡°Why does the Headmaster want me to keep a journal about all this?¡±

    He motioned towards my bag, ¡°It¡¯s secretly homework. You write about everything going on, and then Headmaster Gnight can use it for future reference. Most people don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d appreciate the head¡¯s up just so you don¡¯t have your privacy invaded.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to get one.¡± Fox choked on a laugh, and I stared up ahead. The local major chain superstore stood close to us now. The parking lot was jammed with afternoon patrons, a number of them vying for a space to park.

    Inside was just as busy. Most of the time I went shopping on a weekend morning before everything got busy. Being out and about, still in uniform, felt wrong. The rare times this happened was because it was Abigail forcing me to come along. My eyes kept catching on other people my age, and wondered not for the first time if I stood out in my uniform.

    At this point, Fox had gotten used to how I often distracted myself, and instead took it upon himself to loop an arm through mine and pull me on ahead. I tried my best not to run into anyone as he took me towards the stationary area of the store. We arrived and looked at a wall of different journals, all of them in different colors, shapes, and sizes.

    Abigail kept journals. Had kept them since before I knew her in fourth grade. Her bookshelf was crammed with them, and she¡¯d probably filled up over a dozen at this point. It would have been nice to do this with her instead, especially because she would have had a lot to say on size, paper quality and writing tools.

    ¡°I was told to keep a dream journal, too¡­¡± I supposed my dreams would line up with everything going on, and maybe I would use it for both. A report disguised as a journal, along with mentions of dreams. Although I didn¡¯t want to, I feared I¡¯d get in trouble if I didn¡¯t.

    Fox pointed towards a journal with a cartoon bear on it, ¡°You like cute things, right?¡±

    I said nothing, and instead looked at all the plain ones. I ignored the flicker of amusement in his eyes, and looked for something with a lot of pages. I didn¡¯t know how many times I was going to go through this, and I didn¡¯t want to have to have multiple journals for it.

    He went on, ¡°You jammed packed your phone with a lot of charms too.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only¡­five. I think.¡± I picked up a soft cover journal that was a plain rosy pink. It was as good as any. ¡°¡­And you¡¯re a comic book fan, right?¡±

    ¡°Both keeping tabs on each other, I see.¡± He didn¡¯t offer a confirmation, but I figured I was right. With a journal selected, I was desperate to check out and finally be home and away from him.

    He slipped a pack of pens on top of the journal I was holding. I glanced down, ¡°I don¡¯t need these.¡±

    ¡°They suit you.¡± I glanced at the three pack, and the pastel floral designs. ¡°I¡¯m paying anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to owe you a lot by the end of this.¡±

    ¡°Nah, this is the last time. After that you¡¯re on your own.¡± With that, we headed to checkout, and I felt my shoulders finally relax.

    //

    The journal stared at me for a while. I stared back. I¡¯d placed both the book given to me by Headmaster Gnight and the journal on my desk. Both things looked foreign and out of place. I had little interest in writing anything in it, so I¡¯d taken out my binder and started to map out everything on loose sheets.

    There was precious little in my notes. I¡¯d gone from homework notes and back again. My eyes kept drifting towards the book, remembering it¡¯d been written in. Curiosity killed the cat, because at some point I¡¯d given up pretending like I knew anything about what I was doing, other than Kade maybe being this ¡®Prince.¡¯ Even that had five question marks next to it.

    I flipped it open. The pages were thin underneath my fingers. Worn from years of use, I could even make out how the edges were near see-through from people thumbing through it for so long. I turned to the first page, only to find that this was all handwritten. It was another journal. An example given to me by Headmaster Gnight himself.

    There was no name on it, but there was a date on the top. Feeling like I was violating a stranger¡¯s privacy, I shut it again. It stayed in my lap, staring up at me. If I kept a journal, it would end up the same. It wasn¡¯t going to be put to use, I decided. I mentally apologized to Fox for making him waste his money as I shoved both journals and the pens into the depths of my closet and closed it.

    It really was better not to think about it.

 1.4 New Days

    The first week rolled by. Everything was so calm, it was getting easier and easier to act like nothing had happened at all. If it wasn¡¯t for Fox being in my math class, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed. After he bought my journal, he¡¯d descended into being a quiet, courteous student who didn¡¯t bother me. I was almost tempted to talk to him by the week¡¯s end to make sure he hadn¡¯t been replaced with someone else.

    The weekend only added to the clarity of the days and the haze of what had happened. It was nice not to be at the school. I could laze around without having to worry about who I¡¯d end up meeting. I hadn¡¯t seen Kade since that Tuesday, and Jen hadn¡¯t caused anymore ruckus.

    It was all slow, peaceful days for me. At least, it had been. I sat face to face with Jen in drama class, my brain scrambling to how this had even happened. She didn¡¯t even look at me as she read over the exercise we were given. Normally, I was backstage and didn¡¯t interact as much with the students that were more intent on acting. Jen was in such a different world from me, it was easy to forget we had drama class together since my Freshman year.

    If there hadn¡¯t been a student out of class, the teacher wouldn¡¯t have picked one of us at random to fill in for some of the acting practices. It was an ill omen for what the rest of the week would be.

    ¡°You need to school your expression.¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re twitchy.¡± She wasn¡¯t even looking at me. ¡°The whole thing with acting is making sure your facial expressions are in your control.¡±

    I tried my best to do so. There was a clear reason why I was backstage help since the dawn of time. Her lip curled at my attempt, and I balked in wonder. She must have been good at paying attention to her peripheral vision to notice without looking at me.

    She turned to a boy next to us. Two rows of chairs had been set up, facing each other. The boy next to her was one I vaguely knew. At least, I knew his face from having seen it around for so long.

    He didn¡¯t look at her, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re switching partners.¡± I flinched, and he barely reacted. He raised his head to look at me, and I tried my best not to shrink away. His dark hair was short, and there were pretty heavy shadows under his eyes. It looked closer to being real bruises then being from lack of sleep.

    He waved his hand, and his partner sighed and stood. I wanted to die. Jen only flipped through the next page, no further acknowledgement needed. It was better than how she treated Nia and Abigail.

    I exchanged seats, ignoring how warm it was, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡¯s just like that.¡± It was the first time I¡¯d heard anyone call her that. She threw a scowl his way, but again, he hardly offered any reaction. He pointed at the first exercise. ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you¡¯re not good at it. Just follow my lead.¡±

    At the very least I¡¯ve played the mirror game before. It was where I had to follow someone else and following was something that I¡¯d gotten very good at. For now all I did was follow whatever it was he was going to do and mirror it back to him. What I wasn¡¯t expecting was for him to suddenly transform

    It was like watching the opposite of Fox. Where Fox went from expressive to dull when he was around the Headmaster, the boy in front of me went from no emotions to being full of them. I was so startled, it took a moment for me to follow. I tried my best to mirror my expressions despite having no idea what I was doing. He went on, not seeming at all bothered by my clumsiness.

    He waved his hands, he moved his head, he smile and laughed and pointed at things. It was all happening so fast I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d managed to do anything right. But he kept going and so did I.

    I would have thought I was dealing with a different person by the end of it as we reached the last part of the exercise, which was the conversation part. I wasn¡¯t good at conversing either, but at the very least, I knew we had a prompt. Following was a lot easier for me, despite how much I¡¯d been failing this whole time. I understood why Jen didn¡¯t want to be paired up with me when I was like this. Along with being Nia and Abigail¡¯s friend.

    At the end of it I was exhausted and he was back to normal. There was once more no expression on his face. It was almost impressive. I bowed my head, glad it was over, only to find I¡¯d crumbled my paper in my stress.

    ¡°U-um, thanks.¡± I managed, trying my best to smooth out the paper on my lap.

    He nodded, and said nothing else. Jen bumped her shoulder with his, a half grin on her face, ¡°Thanks for switching with me.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like you asked me.¡± He shrugged her off, and she looked over at me. I stared back, waiting for a more targeted insult. Instead, she went back to ignoring me, quietly chatting as the rest of the students finished up the exercise. When the teacher clapped her heads to indicate we were done, I shot up towards the back, where the rest of the non-actors were. I could feel their pity as I took a seat.

    ¡°At least you got paired with Wells. He never says anything about anyone.¡± A sophomore girl whispered, and I held the name. While I knew the faces here, names weren¡¯t really something I had learned. There were a few I knew, mostly because they consistently were taking the top spot, or being a pain when it came to backstage people, trying to ¡®make sure¡¯ everything was running well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him.¡±

    ¡°He took a break last year to focus on sports. I heard he¡¯s quit soccer altogether this year, though.¡±

    Alarm bells went off. I added Wells to whatever list I was making. If he knew Kade, then it was possible that he was a part of this story. It seemed even if I had made the decision not to do anything, the pieces would slowly find their place.

    With that thought, I opened up my binder, and looked at the little section I made in the back. After having realized writing everything down in my binder would mean I may be found out, I¡¯d handed out nicknames. And by nicknames, it was really just letters.

    With how nonsensical everything was, if anyone found it, I could just say I was thinking up a story and they¡¯d move along. The only people who¡¯d question it would be Abigail and Nia, as they wondered about my newfound interest in storytelling. I hoped they wouldn¡¯t dig too deep into it, especially because I didn¡¯t have an excuse at the ready for them.

    Class went on, with the teacher letting us vote for what we wanted the winter performance to be. There were a lot of different options, and most kids were calling out whatever they could think of. The teacher either shot them down, or noted them. Whichever one was the most popular would be the one we¡¯d do.

    Jen caught me staring at where she and Wells sat. I didn¡¯t turn away, despite every part of me screaming so. It was better to make her think I¡¯d been staring at her, instead of how I¡¯d been glancing at Wells ever since. She pressed her lips together, and returned her attention forward.

    At least she wouldn¡¯t cause issue, and since I was in the back, I¡¯d be able to duck out before she could get to me.

    It was five minutes till, when the teacher said, ¡°Oh, before class is over, would anyone be willing to run some documents to the front office real quick?¡±

    A few hands raised, and the teacher ignored all of them as she settled on Wells, ¡°I know you won¡¯t goof off if you do. Do you mind Wells?¡±

    ¡°I think Cinder should do it.¡± I blinked at Jen, staring hard at her back but she didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°She¡¯s got nothing to do anyway.¡±

    Before the teacher could say anything, I rose, ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­?¡±

    Wells rose as well, taking the folder she¡¯d been holding, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    ¡°W-wait, both of us?¡± I followed anyway, grabbing my backpack and skipping over a few legs to hurry after him. As I fell into step behind him, I casted another look back, and caught Jen¡¯s gaze once more. She looked like she was plotting a murder. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought she had a crush on Wells¡ª

    I shut down the thought. Romantic feelings were all bad news. Even if the Headmaster had told me to go about my life as always, it was impossible to act as normal with the knowledge something was going to happen. I didn¡¯t think I could handle it if Jen played some part in this. Especially if she had the potential of being placed under role of villain.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    She¡¯d eat me alive.

    At least I was away from her for now. Wells continued walking, never sparing me another glance. The silence around us was heavy, and I didn¡¯t have the courage to break it, no matter how awkward it got. Now that I was actually next to him, I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to look at him.

    It was as we were approaching the front office of the high school, I blurted out, ¡°We both didn¡¯t have to come.¡±

    ¡°I had nothing to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry for bothering.¡±

    He again said nothing, and only offered a shrug. It was an eternity by the time we reached the office and handed the document off with the lady at the front desk. When she smiled and thanked us, I couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the Front Desk lady from the main offices. At some point, I really should find out her name.

    As we finished, the bell rang overhead. The constant savior of my day, I quickly bade him farewell and ran away to my next class. It was English. It had Nia. It didn¡¯t have a Jen who looked like she was out for blood for some reason.

    I hoped this was the only weird day of the week.

    //

    ¡°Queen B again?¡± Abigail noisily sipped from a grape juice box, and I pretended like I didn¡¯t wish I had one for myself. ¡°When has she ever taken an interest in you before?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe she was extra irritated last time? Maybe she sees me as the weakest link?¡±

    ¡°Like going after low-hanging fruit. She can¡¯t face Abigail because Abigail would be down to fight, and she got fight me because I¡¯m on the team and she could get de-promoted from Captain.¡± Nia tapped her fingers on her legs, looking more serious about this than I¡¯d expected.

    Abigail, to my surprise, shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. As much as Queen B sucks, she wouldn¡¯t ever do anything without a reason.¡±

    ¡°Is that why she¡¯s always left me alone so far, despite being friends with you both?¡±

    It was a question I¡¯d always thought about whenever Jen came up, ¡°Potentially. Her issue is with me and Nia, not you. All because you¡¯re friends with us doesn¡¯t mean you have anything to do with us.¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be like¡­ ¡®A friend of an enemy is an enemy?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh no, she hates you by association I¡¯m sure. But at the end of the day, I think she sees it as dragging in innocent bystanders. Plus, she hasn¡¯t ever seen you as a threat before.¡±

    But she had been glaring at me. I was sure of it, ¡°Then why was she looking at me like that? And she was singling me out during class, too.¡±

    A phone chimed, and Nia fetched it from her bag, ¡°Ah, sorry guys. I forgot to give one of my friends something from class. I gotta go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll see you later.¡± Abigail waved her off, and we descended into silence. I picked at my food, listening to Abigail finish off the box. She crumbled it in her hand and then bounced to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I gathered my things, and took her hand as she offered it. I stumbled to my feet, looking up to find a smirk on her face. I didn¡¯t like where this was going.

    She pulled me forward, ¡°We¡¯re going to go figure out what Jen¡¯s deal is.¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯ll kill us.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll worry about it all day if we don¡¯t. And you have class with her, which means you can¡¯t just avoid her.¡± It was a terrible idea. But like last time, I followed along with her, watching as her eyes scanned the courtyard trying to find where Jen spent her lunches.

    ¡°I doubt she¡¯s even going to answer us. She¡¯ll probably just curse us out.¡± If not actively try to start a fight. But Abigail didn¡¯t seem to care about my protests at all. She just tugged me along, examining every group we passed by. I hoped lunch would be over before we managed to catch sight of her.

    I never understood how Abigail could so easily search out trouble, ¡°Listen. We¡¯ll just talk. If something happens, she¡¯s the one who¡¯ll have thrown the first stone and all that. I can just claim self-defense.¡±

    ¡°I doubt the Headmaster¡ª¡± If she got in a fight, she¡¯d have to meet with the Headmaster. The idea hadn¡¯t even occurred to me, but now it was enough to render me silent. She glanced back at me, a question in her eyes, and I shook the thought away. She wouldn¡¯t end up in a fight. They wouldn¡¯t be sent his way. It¡¯d be fine. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t care who started what, I think.¡±

    ¡°My parents would give him hell for it at least.¡± They¡¯d always told her to stand up for herself. Her dad had even been the one to teach me how to make a fist so I wouldn¡¯t hurt myself if I ever threw a punch. Thankfully, I¡¯d yet to need to do so.

    We finished the courtyard quickly and Abigail circled back towards the sports fields. Sometimes kids hung out on the bleachers, although we technically weren¡¯t allowed to. A few groups of students were clumped together on various areas, and my eyes skidded over towards the field. It was still only just a field. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting.

    ¡°There she is!¡± She sang, and I winced. Somehow hearing us, Jen snapped her head to look down at us from where we sat. I gripped at Abigail¡¯s wrist, a desperate attempt to pull her back. She only continued to pull me along.

    ¡°Oh for God¡¯s sake, haven¡¯t I seen enough of you freaks today?¡± She said, her other friends all going quiet and glancing between the both of us.

    ¡°Actually that¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡± Abigail plopped down on the space next to Jen. It was just a sliver of metal, and she was shoulder to shoulder with Jen. She bared her teeth, ready to bite. Abigail only smiled. ¡°Was there a reason for your ultra-effective death glare earlier? It¡¯s rude to stare at people like that, didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    Jen frowned at me, and if I hadn¡¯t been on steps I would have backed away. At least it wasn¡¯t the same glare as before, ¡°Always playing hero for all your friends. You need to stop babying them or else they won¡¯t be able to handle anything on their own. Or maybe you like that, making people rely on you so much.¡±

    ¡°Cinder is completely capable on her own, thank you very much. I just don¡¯t think she should have to deal with other people who are taking out their anger on her.¡± Abigail leaned closer to Jen, meeting bite with bite. ¡°So just ignore her and we won¡¯t have an issue, kay?¡±

    She pushed Abigail away, and I noted the way her hands tensed, seconds away from pouncing, ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about your favorite toy. Have you ever considered she made the whole thing up because of her own insecurities?¡±

    ¡°Abigail, let¡¯s just go.¡± She didn¡¯t move, and I wrung my hands together. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. We shouldn¡¯t have come.¡±

    ¡°Hey Queen B, Cinder has a question of her own for you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to be in the spotlight. Jen and her friends turned towards me. I shifted from foot to foot, knowing what it was Abigail wanted me to ask. I¡¯d wished she hadn¡¯t brought it up, ¡°N-no, I just¡­You normally leave me alone. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should be glad it¡¯s stayed that way. If you want me to continue ignoring you, you¡¯ll take Abigail and get the hell away from me.¡± She looked ready to shove Abigail again, but Abigail danced to her feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been good at answering questions. It really isn¡¯t that hard.¡± Abigail was beside me again. I felt so small next to her.

    ¡°I leave her alone because she¡¯s pathetic. Were you expecting something else?¡± Heat flooded my chest, but only because I knew she was right. Although Abigail had more bullets loaded, I pulled on her wrist again. A plea to leave.

    She relented, although reluctant, ¡°If you bother her again, this won¡¯t be over.¡±

    ¡°It never is.¡±

    I practically hauled Abigail away, feeling Jen¡¯s eyes burn on my back all the while.

    //

    ¡°How do I do this?¡± Fox glanced up at me, eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Bad day?¡±

    ¡°How do you figure?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re willingly talking to me.¡± He leaned forward as I turned around to show him the problem I was stuck on. Really, I shouldn¡¯t have been in pre-calc, having C¡¯d my way through every math class up until this point. But there were no other math classes available, and so I kept advancing to higher math courses despite this.

    ¡°Is that¡­really so strange?¡± Fox moved his things to the side a little so I could set my sheet on his desk. Apparently, we were still on the review section of this class, yet I couldn¡¯t recall learning any of these concepts prior.

    He referenced his own sheet, and I found he was already almost finished with the assignment. My own was barely halfway finished, ¡°So what questions do you have?¡±

    ¡°¡­This whole sheet.¡±

    ¡°I meant outside of this.¡± A half grin took shape. ¡°But I¡¯m fine with being a math tutor, too.¡±

    Fox being good at math was both convenient and annoying. He somehow managed to get me to understand most of the questions on the sheet, each explanation patient and precise. With my brain whirling for most of the day, it was prelaxing getting into rhythm.

    As I finished the last one, I slumped in relief, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I did say I was here to help.¡±

    ¡°I thought homework would be outside of your job description.¡± The more I talked with him, the easier it felt to get along with him. I needed to remind myself to stay wary, just in case.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re both here regardless. I don¡¯t want you anymore worried than you already are.¡± He wasn¡¯t asking about why I¡¯d seen so anxious earlier.

    It¡¯d be best not to say anything, but I couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­not good with confrontation. I feel like I¡¯m stuck in that moment for days sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Most people aren¡¯t. It¡¯s easy to imagine being able to get the one-up on people in our minds, or act like people can say the worst and we don¡¯t even react, but that really isn¡¯t the reality.¡±

    ¡°Abigail feels like that kind of person. People can do their worst and it¡¯s like she never flinches.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just good at pretending. I think pretending is easy, especially when compared to actually being strong.¡± He tapped his pencil between my brow, and swatted it away. ¡°Are you still worried this was all a mistake?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I have to do this now.¡± His eyes were¡­soft? It made him look almost like a different person, or like he¡¯d tried on a new coat to see how it fared. Anything else I thought of saying melted away, trying to decode this new look he¡¯d acquired.

    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like this softness. The harshness of Fable was terrible, the newfound softness of Fox was terrible. What did I want from these two? I didn¡¯t know, ¡°How much are you allowed to help me?¡±

    ¡°Hm, not much. I can answer various questions, but not anything that could give away the ¡®story¡¯ being told. I also can¡¯t interact with anyone whose a part of the current tale in any way. My role is to be a complete observer. Chatting like friends in class could even count as going too far if we¡¯re going by Fable¡¯s standards.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re like¡­the tutorial pages in a video game.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to describe me, certainly.¡± He almost sounded insulted.

    Despite myself, I smiled, ¡°What? It¡¯s the truth, isn¡¯t it? You provide all the information on how to play the game. Math class is like the menu screen where I can review information.¡±

    ¡°Well gamer girl, I think you should be focusing on reviewing your math notes for now. If you do poorly in this class, I¡¯m going to think all my efforts went to waste.¡± He was changing the subject, and I wondered if he even felt a little embarrassed by that comparison. My smile remained, and I realized that for a moment, I really did feel a little bit better.

    I hated to think it, but maybe I was getting used to having him around.

 1.5 Gray Days

    ¡°Cinder can you go check the mail? Your sister said she was sending over a care package.¡± I caught the keys as Papi threw them at me. The cool metal bit into my hand and I rubbed at it to drive the chill away.

    ¡°When did she say that?¡±

    ¡°Last week, I think. You were at school when she called. She said college has been going well.¡± It was weird not having her around. I¡¯d gotten used to her being home during the summer, and she¡¯d left a few weeks ago. We only got to see her during holidays, since she was out of the state.

    ¡°Tell her to call me next time.¡± I stood up and went to put my shoes on. It¡¯d been cloudy today, but at least Jen had kept her word and hadn¡¯t looked at me during drama class at all. Not that she¡¯d been doing so before. I¡¯d also had to convince Abigail she didn¡¯t need to pick me up from class like a guard with her charge.

    Outside, the wind bit my cheek and when I looked up, I found the clouds in the distance were dark and heavy. It¡¯d been a dry summer, and seeing the rain was a welcome change. There was no weather I enjoyed more than heavy rain and lightening storms.

    Crossing the street, I arrived at the mailbox and collected everything in it. There was a small package on it. My sister¡¯s messy cursive stared up at me, having our parents names scrawled on it, along with mine in the biggest writing. I closed and locked it, and nearly crashed into someone as I headed back.

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± I wheeled back, clutching the mail in my arms to make sure nothing spilled over.

    The person laughed, and I knew the voice, ¡°I guess we can say we¡¯re even?¡±

    Kade. I tried my best not to gap at him, realizing I¡¯d come to think anything related to the ¡®story¡¯ would be within the grounds of Aster Academy and not out and about in town, let alone my own neighborhood. Seeing him in casual clothes only made him feel less real.

    ¡°¡­oh! I didn¡¯t know you lived in the area.¡± And how would I have? He was the equivalent of a stranger.

    ¡°A street down. Thanks again for the other day.¡± I scooted out of his way, noting the key dangling in his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! How¡¯s your hand?¡± He raised it, and while there were a couple scabs left over, it was mostly healed up. ¡°That¡¯s good! I¡¯m glad it ended up ok. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, then.¡±

    As I started to dart past him, I head him say, ¡°Oh, wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡±

    He paused for a moment, glancing away, ¡°I should pay you back. For helping me and all.¡±

    ¡°No, no! Like I said, it¡¯s fine. It wasn¡¯t much.¡±

    As I inched away from him again, he relented, ¡°Alright. But if you think of anything, just let me know. Me and my friends normally hang out in the same place every morning.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, sure.¡± Somehow managing to not outright run away from him, I got back home. I tossed all the mail on the table, only paying attention to the package that my sister had sent. On the table, my phone buzzed.

    ¡®Rain :( can I come ovr?¡¯

    ¡®Yea¡¯

    ¡®:D¡¯

    Abigail spending the night at my house when it rained had become a common occurrence. She¡¯d wrap herself in my blankets and wonder how I found it all so soothing, when it was nothing but noise and water. It ended in a heated debate about the best kind of weather.

    ¡°Abigail?¡± Papi peeked out from the kitchen.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make extra then.¡±

    I opened up the package, revealing all of it¡¯s contents. There was a letter, mostly for my parents sake. Although she called and texted them once a week on the dot, she still wrote letters because she said writing helped with her stress. If I told her I was keeping a journal, she¡¯d probably treat it like I was following in her footsteps. Besides the letter was a pack of stickers and a card with a list of movie and show recs for me, along with a second card that had her favorite recipe of the week. Lately she insisted baking was her passion, and she was going to drop out and go to culinary school instead.

    Our parents had nearly had a heart attack.

    A knock on the door indicated Abigail was here and I hopped up to let her in. She was already in pajamas, her long hair pulled into a French braid. As always, one of her plushies was tucked under her arm as she walked inside.

    ¡°My hair is so staticky from this weather.¡± She ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Your hair is so short, it¡¯s barely affected. Maybe I should cut mine all off.¡±

    ¡°Going on year three of you saying that.¡± She swatted at me as I ducked away and closed the door.

    Papi called out a greeting from where he was in the kitchen and she flopped down on the couch, ¡°Sorry for showing up last minute, Mr. Ch¨¢vez!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always welcome Abigail.¡±

    I took a seat next to her, and she noticed the contents on the table, ¡°Oooh, Big Sis sent her letter over, huh? What recipe is it this time? We should try to make it.¡± She reached for it, then paused. ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°¡­? Do I look like something is wrong?¡±

    She nodded without hesitation, ¡°You¡¯ve been acting strange since¡­since school started. Is there something going on? Is Jen still bothering you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I flushed and quickly lowered my voice. ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve just been thinking a lot lately is all. Maybe too much.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been an overthinker. This feels different.¡± There was no answer I could give her.

    Instead, I just mumbled, ¡°Could you¡­not do what you did the other day? With Jen.¡±

    Her eyes widened, ¡°Did I make you uncomfortable? I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just not good with confrontation.¡± I knew she meant no harm, but it was the only thing I could think of without saying anything about what was going on. I hated keeping this a secret, but I didn¡¯t want to tell her. I didn¡¯t even know if I could.

    ¡°No, I should have known. I dragged you along with me anyway, right? Even though you said no.¡± She lowered her head, and her baby hairs fell along her cheek. ¡°I should be better at taking that for an answer.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you can¡¯t stand her, right? Especially when she treats me or Nia bad.¡±

    Her head fell against my shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve always been good at making excuses for me, you know?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve known you a long time now. I think I know what your intentions are, even if they don¡¯t always come out right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating. I know I could be better, but I never really stop myself either.¡± She fell silent, and we sat there for a while. When I glanced over, I noticed her eyes had closed, and her arms had gone limp in her lap. I couldn¡¯t tell if she¡¯d fallen asleep or not, but I was careful not to make noise still.

    I could be better, too. The thought rang in my head. Even though I decided to take Abigail¡¯s place, I¡¯d spent the past week and a half avoiding everything. It was easier to avoid then it was to confront. My people skills were almost non-existent, and I still couldn¡¯t get over my hyper awareness of my goals.

    If everyone failed the first time, maybe it was for this very reason. Exasperated by the idea this was their wish they were trying to pursue. Headmaster Gnight had asked if my wish had been the same as hers, and it was. A happy ending. A real one. And yet¡­

    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Papi chuckled as I jumped, shaking Abigail off of me. She grumbled out protests as she raised her head and looked towards him. ¡°Eat whenever, kids.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± we echoed, and got up to eat.

    //

    ¡°Pink or red.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Just pick.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pink.¡± The look Abigail tossed me couldn¡¯t be less disappointed.

    ¡°You always choose the same color.¡± She sat on my bed, fishing out pink nail polish from my mini bag.

    My small tv was on, playing a drama show I didn¡¯t know the first thing about. Abigail had spent the night trying to fill me in on what was going on, and none of it stuck in my head.

    As she stuck the wedges between her toes, I flopped on the bed, ¡°You can choose any color you want.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that? I wanted a surprise.¡±

    ¡°But you said I always choose the same color.¡±

    ¡°And maybe you¡¯ll surprise me one day.¡± Rain poured outside. It made the night outside exceptionally dark. I listened to it as it beat against the rough, the rumble of thunder coming through the walls every once in a while. Abigail had cranked up the volume as much as she was allowed, but it wasn¡¯t enough to entirely drown it all out.

    ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m going to sleep early.¡±

    ¡°Good night Princess.¡± I rolled over at her comment and closed my eyes. I wasn¡¯t going to sleep. Not with the lights on and the tv playing. But it was nice to just lay here. If I laid there long enough, I¡¯d at least fall into a state of half sleep.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Abigail shifted next to me, and I tried to ignore her. At some point, I must have almost drifted off because when I was aware again she wasn¡¯t next to me. A bang echoed and I heard her swear. I shot up, looking towards where she was. My bag was in her hand and it looked like she¡¯d been trying to put it into the closet. Scattered along the ground, was the journal I¡¯d bought along with the book Headmaster Gnight had given me.

    I scrambled to my feet as she said, ¡°Sorry, sorry! Hope I didn¡¯t wake up your parents.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I didn¡¯t even know what time it was or if they were asleep or not. She kneeled down and collected the items, her hand brushing over the book. It took all my willpower not to rip it away from her, like it had the ability to switch our places.

    ¡°Wow, this is super old.¡± She flipped it open and I collapsed beside her. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°¡­It was a gift.¡±

    She hummed in response, flipping to the first place, ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s a journal. Who was gifting you their dark secrets?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s read it.¡± She cleared her throat, and I stayed like stone beside her, ¡°March third, there¡¯s romance in the air. All I wanted was for my wish to be granted and it feels like it¡¯s finally happening. After all that wishing and hoping and pleading, I have a good feeling this time. School has just gotten out for spring break and I have time to make a plan of attack. I know they¡¯ll notice me. I just know it. I hope the plan goes well and I succeed. I don¡¯t know what will happen if it doesn¡¯t.

    ¡°But then again, I know I have to stay within the confines that they want me to. After all, they could take everything away from me. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯ll happen if I don¡¯t follow their orders. But it¡¯s fine. This is what I want, it¡¯s always been what I want. I¡¯m just glad they gave me this chance.

    ¡°Like a job. This is like a job. It¡¯s just like that. I¡¯ve never had one of those before, I¡¯m far too young. Too young to daydream about romantics too, according to my ma. But maybe it¡¯ll be like this when I¡¯m older, or maybe worse. Ma hates customers a lot and I don¡¯t think this is the kind of job with customers.

    ¡°So for now, I¡¯m going to write in this journal and figure out what I want to do and how to go about it. My wish is dangling right in front of me. I just have to reach out and grab it, as they say!

    ¡°March tenth, it¡¯s time for the plan. I hope everything goes well. I know I have all the time in the world, but it feels like I don¡¯t. I need to do this right away. Or else I¡¯ll be stuck here forever. I don¡¯t have much time to write, but know I¡¯ll report back right away once I figure things out. Until next time!

    ¡°March¡ª¡±

    ¡°Abigail, stop.¡± She did, and I took the book away from her. She didn¡¯t try to stop me.

    ¡°Do you know what she was writing about? I¡¯m not sure I understood a word of that.¡± I did. Someone made a wish and the Headmaster had gone ahead and agreed to grant it. They were in a situation similar to mine. Whoever this nameless person was, they were like me.

    I placed it on top of the journal, ¡°No idea. It was just kind of given to me, but I feel like¡­I invaded someone¡¯s privacy.¡±

    Why had the Headmaster given it to me? It might be because it would have some pointers in there. A sort of ¡®learn from other¡¯s mistakes¡¯ kind of thing. I didn¡¯t want to read it, though. The writer had sounded so much younger than me. Optimism and hope had oozed through every word. Abigail watched me, remaining seated on the floor. Her nail polish had already dried, and I wonder how long I¡¯d drifted off for.

    ¡°¡­We should head to bed. We have school in the morning.¡± I paused, stunned she dropped it so easily. She picked herself up and turned off the tv. I quickly closed my closet door and clambered in next to her.

    I wanted something else to say, but there were no words. We both stayed quiet, and the rain continued outside.

    //

    Although Abigail carried on as she always did, I felt off the rest of the next day. If she noticed, she didn¡¯t comment. Nia had spared glances at me the whole time during lunch, but I¡¯d avoided eye contact. I felt like a bad person, hiding things from them.

    Fox offered me no such grace during last period. As the rain sputtered outside, a lot less severe than it¡¯d been at night, he kept poking my shoulder in an attempt to get my attention. I spun around the minute the teacher sent us off to do our assignment, knocking away his hand.

    ¡°Please stop.¡±

    He held up his hands, as though he were innocent, ¡°You somehow look worse today. I was worried.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to worry about me.¡± He only tilted his head, and I turned around ready to go back to ignoring him.

    ¡°How are you on the assignment?¡± I tried my best not to look down at the paper, already knowing I had no idea what it was I¡¯d be looking at. The lesson had gone by so fast, and I had been too distracted to fully pay attention.

    I turned back around, setting my notebook and assignment on his desk, ¡°¡­Can you help me again?¡±

    Victory lit up his expression, and I only ducked my head. He was so weird for being happy about playing tutor. At least he was good at it, and for most of class, he stuck with just explaining things when I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to be doing. It lulled me into a false sense of security.

    As we approached the last few questions on the sheet, he started, ¡°We should go to the library after school.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± He shrugged, continuing what he was doing without looking up at me. His dark bangs were covering most of his face at this angle, and I couldn¡¯t make out what expression he was wearing. ¡°I don¡¯t have much else to do, I guess.¡±

    After last night, I didn¡¯t want to walk with Abigail anyway. If she could act normal, I should have been able to do the same. But she wasn¡¯t the one hiding something this time.

    My pencil stilled, ¡°¡­Hey, do you know who the journal belonged to?¡±

    ¡°The one Headmaster gave you? Another one of his¡­ ¡®main characters.¡¯ Did you actually read some of it?¡± He glanced up, and I glanced back down.

    ¡°Just the first entry, really. She sounded so¡­excited. For all this.¡± Abigail had been excited, too. ¡°What am I doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again.¡± I managed to dodge his pencil as he tried to tap my face. I was starting to see his antics coming. ¡°Why did you do this?¡±

    ¡°For Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You keep forgetting you both made the same wish. Tell yourself this is your story too, instead of continuing to run away from it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry. Thanks.¡± He was right. I needed to stop thinking. Everyone told me so. I took a breath. ¡°I guess I can go to the library.¡±

    He grinned, before circling the question I had just finish solving, ¡°Great. You did this entire problem wrong, by the way.¡±

    I was going to die by pre-calc before I was going to die from anything else. As class winded down to an end, I couldn¡¯t be happier to be free. We packed up our things and headed out. I texted Abigail to let her know I was going to be busy. I hoped it sounded normal.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t said why you wanted to go the library.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get there.¡± My guard was back up, and Fox just patted my shoulder as he noticed. The library was pretty empty after school. There were a few kids sitting at a table, a study group in the making. The librarian was at her desk, reading a book of her own. It was mostly quiet, with only an undercurrent of whispers once in a while.

    Fox headed straight towards the back and I hurried after him. He weaved through a few of the shelves, and then stopped at the edge of the aisle. I skimmed them, noting the variety of classics and old plays. When I opened my mouth to ask why we were here, he raised a finger to his lips and inclined his head.

    I already didn¡¯t like where this was going.

    Voices were talking, and it was hard to make them out. But as I tuned in, I knew I recognized them, if only vaguely. I scooted away, and Fox touched my wrist, telling me to stay. I hated eavesdropping, and I¡¯m sure things would go wrong if we were caught.

    ¡°¡ªcome back. At least think about it.¡± Kade¡¯s voice was just above a whisper, coming from a place just behind the shelves.

    ¡°I have no interest in playing anymore.¡± Wells¡¯ voice, just as emotionless as it had been during drama class. It seemed he really had quit soccer.

    ¡°It¡¯s weird without you there. You were the only level-headed person on the team.¡±

    There was a ruffling sound, before Wells responded, ¡°That isn¡¯t what this is about. If you hate playing, you should just drop out like I did.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Thunder sounded outside, drowning out what Kade had said. I strained to listen, but they¡¯d gone quiet. I heard footsteps approaching where I was, and I froze. I reached out to grab Fox to go, but he¡¯d vanished in an instant. That ability of his had to be the most annoying kind of magic.

    I told myself not to trust him, and I hadn¡¯t listened. This is where it got me. So I skimmed the shelves, and pretended like I hadn¡¯t been listening in and was actually looking for a book for class. At least they¡¯d had their conversation right next to the Classics section. It made any excuse marginally easier to believe.

    Wells and Kade walked past where I was. I kept myself facing forward, hyperaware of their movements. Wells didn¡¯t spare me a glance, but Kade¡¯s steps slowed for a moment. As I pulled out a random book, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking back at him.

    ¡°Cinder.¡± He said, surprise lacing his voice. Wells stopped as well, and I tried not to shrivel under their gaze.

    ¡°O-oh, hey. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡± I clutched the book to my chest like a shield.

    ¡°Another coincidence. How¡¯re you?¡± Wells kept looking at me, and I kept trying to keep my focus on Kade.

    ¡°Fine, you?¡±

    ¡°Good. We were just heading out.¡± He smiled, and it look like he didn¡¯t¡¯ suspect a thing. I couldn¡¯t help the wave of relief. ¡°Were you done? Want to walk together?¡±

    I immediately glanced towards Wells, as if I had a chance at reading him. My automatic response was to say ¡®no,¡¯ but then I remembered I¡¯d told myself I¡¯d stop running away. I swallowed, ¡°Sure? If that¡¯s ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, come on.¡± I checked out the book I didn¡¯t need and shoved it into my bag. Wells and Kade hadn¡¯t acknowledged each other after they ran into me. If I¡¯d thought the atmosphere between me and Abigail had been awkward before, this was on a whole different level.

    I did my best not to let it get to me. While I had no idea how to start a conversation with Kade, I decided to go for Wells. I was emotionally prepared for one word answers, ¡°So! What are you hoping the winter play is going to be, Wells?¡±

    ¡°No preference.¡± He didn¡¯t even look at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re in drama too?¡± Kade sounded surprised.

    ¡°I do backstage things! I¡¯m not good at acting, and I¡¯m too nervous to stand in front of a crowd too, aha. But I like doing backstage work. Working on the props and costumes with everyone can be a lot of fun.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good with your hands.¡± I quickly shook my head at Kade¡¯s words.

    ¡°I¡¯m really clumsy actually. I just like it because I get to do it with others.¡± With another futile attempt, I tried to get Wells to talk again. ¡°Based on the exercises the other day, you¡¯re acting skills are pretty good, Wells.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you choose drama?¡± It was only after I asked the question that I realized it may be a landmine. Wells had quit soccer and rejoined the class, and Kade had been trying to convince him to rejoin just moments before.

    Thankfully, the atmosphere didn¡¯t shift, but it may have been because it was already so awkward, ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±

    We arrived at the front doors, and the rain outside had finally stopped. The clouds still covered the sky, although lighter than they had been before. Kade opened the door for both of us, and I scampered through as Wells waved me ahead. I wrapped my arms around myself, remembering I¡¯d been so distracted this morning I¡¯d forgotten a jacket.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you home.¡± Kade offered, although we were going the same way regardless. I nodded, and Wells turned in the opposite direction, without offering a single goodbye.

    I took a breath, ¡°Bye Wells! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    He raised his hand in acknowledgement, and kept walking. I lingered, watching him go, before I finally turned away. Kade did the same, although it seemed harder for him to. I wondered what had happened between the two of them.

    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s always been like that.¡±

    ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡±

    He paused to think, ¡°Since middle school. We met in sixth grade when we both joined soccer, but we didn¡¯t really become friends until a year later. He was always hard to talk to, since he didn¡¯t talk in general.¡±

    ¡°Always quiet, huh¡­¡± A wind blew, pushing the chill into my arms. I wrapped them around myself, rubbing them in an attempt to keep warm.

    Kade noticed, and he reached into his back, ¡°Need a jacket?¡±

    ¡°N-no! It¡¯s a short walk back, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He fished a black jacket out of his bag, anyway. After a second of hesitation, I took it and shrugged it on. It was at least two sizes too big for me, and the sleeves fell past the tips of my hands. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want you cold.¡± He smiled, and I fiddled with the sleeves. I was once more at loss at what to say.

    As I tried to fish for words, I noticed how much more relaxed he¡¯d become. I hadn¡¯t realized how much he¡¯d been tensed until this moment, ¡°Do you and Wells¡­not get along now?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, was it that obvious? Sorry if you were awkward during all of that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind.¡± It was partially my own fault for listening in on them, and mostly Fox¡¯s fault for setting me up. I was going to really start ignoring him from now on. ¡°I, um, hope things work out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks.¡± He easily steered the conversation towards basic, pointless topics. It somehow reminded me of Abigail, except he wasn¡¯t as rapid as she was, coaxing out answers from me before I even realized what he was doing. We had shifted from mostly strangers to vague acquaintances by the time we made it to our neighborhood.

    I quickly shed the jacket, and offered it back to him, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you later, maybe?¡±

    He collected it, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later for sure.¡±

    The confidence made me pause, and he waved as he left. Without his jacket, my skin quickly grew cold again and it made me hurry home. I only looked back once, knowing I was at the starting line of this story once and for all.

 1.6 Hazy Days

    I¡¯d texted Fox that I hated him, and he¡¯d only laughed it off. When I saw him in math, I was determined to give him a piece of my mind. I was thinking of everything I was going to say, repeating a winning conversation in my head, as I headed into drama class.

    So distracted by my own thoughts, I didn¡¯t notice Wells was already there, waiting for me. He rose from where he was sitting and tapped me on the shoulder. I nearly jumped, coming back to reality, and seeing him in front of me.

    He was the same as always, ¡°Sorry Wells, I didn¡¯t notice you. Did you need something¡­?¡±

    ¡°You heard our conversation the other day, didn¡¯t you?¡± It was like I¡¯d had ice water poured on me.

    I opened my mouth, then closed it, realizing there was no point in lying, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to listen in. I didn¡¯t hear much of your conversation either. I promise.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Just tell anyone.¡± I nodded profusely, and he sighed. ¡°Sorry about Kade.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I furrowed my brows, trying to think of any reason for the statement.

    ¡°He invited you to walk with us. It was awkward for you.¡± He didn¡¯t even ask, although it¡¯d been obvious.

    I shrugged, breaking eye constant, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind, really. I¡¯m not used to talking to people in general. It would have been awkward no matter what.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± He wandered back to the front, and I took my seat in the back of the stage. Automatically, I searched for Jen and her glare. She wasn¡¯t here yet, thankfully, and I managed to take my place without fear.

    It only lasted so long as the bell rang overhead and she walked in, just barely making it. She eyed how crowed it was up front, and decided to make a beeline towards where I was in the back. I tensed, wondering why she was doing this. Actors were always in the front, since they were the ones who needed to be under the instruction of the teacher at all times.

    She plopped her stuff right next to me, and took her seat. She didn¡¯t bother to even glance at me, but I stayed rigid the whole time. The teacher went through today¡¯s exercises and what had gotten the most votes for the play. There some cheers along with some groans. She rattled off the audition times, and handed out scripts to everyone. Jen didn¡¯t move to get one, despite one of the other kids nudging her.

    ¡°I have no interest in being a part of this play.¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to react.

    She spun to me, ¡°Is that really so surprising? This is going to be a busy year with college applications and testing and essays. I don¡¯t have time to play a major part this year.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even stopped to consider college. The reminder struck me, and I wondered if there was even a point to start applications when they wouldn¡¯t cross over into the next timeline. I didn¡¯t even know if I wanted to go to college or go do something else. I had one more year to figure it out.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± She returned her attention up front, electing to spend the rest of the class right next to me. If I didn¡¯t know better, she was trying to psyche me out for some reason. Did Abigail do something to upset her again?

    It was only when it was time for actor groups that she broke away from me. I slumped in relief, free of whatever torment she¡¯d been inflicting. The teacher came around to us, and told us what prompts to expect, and brainstorm what it was we¡¯d like to do for them, along with costumes. She gave us our budget, and when we figured out everything, we¡¯d need to run it by her for approval.

    I hardly paid attention to everyone¡¯s conversation. My thoughts were elsewhere again, and it took a lot of people calling my name before I managed to make myself focus.

    Despite what she¡¯d said, it looked like Jen was taking it seriously. Her eyes were skimming over the script, and she¡¯d dragged one of the other actor girls in front of her so they could practice scenes together. Wells was also back in his transformed state, his expression vibrant and moving as he went through the script. Even with how little I knew about him, I could tell he could easily land the leading role.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think how the play wasn¡¯t the only thing he¡¯d gotten a lead part in.

    //

    ¡°You and Abigail fought, didn¡¯t you?¡± Nia was draped over her desk, eyes fixated on me. Her braids spilled over the wood, creating a curtain around it.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight. It was just¡­¡± I fished for some kind of excuse.

    Nia wasn¡¯t having it, ¡°Please Cinder. Whenever you guys fight, you¡¯re always super obvious about it, even if Abigail acts the same as always.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to talk about, when she doesn¡¯t even acknowledge it. And like I said, it wasn¡¯t a fight.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to call what had happened.

    That¡¯s just Abigail for you.¡± She forced herself to sit up. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been so secretive lately. Normally you¡¯re always spilling your guts to her.¡±

    I knew I did, ¡°And wasn¡¯t that annoying for you guys?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes. But we didn¡¯t really mind. I think it¡¯s more concerning you¡¯re suddenly starting to keep things to yourself.¡± She opened the book in front of her as the teacher¡¯s eyes swept along the classroom. I always wondered how she¡¯d managed to make herself look busy at just the right moment.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    My own book was open and forgotten in front of me, ¡°She doesn¡¯t tell me everything, either.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. Abigail the hypocrite. Keeping things to herself and then getting mad when you do the same.¡± Despite the annoyance, there was a hint of affection there, too. I was sure I sounded the same.

    Even if she hid things from me, she was also the one who was always defending me. It was hard to refute the fact she cared about us, although she could go about it in better ways, ¡°Nia, there¡¯s been a lot of personal things going on, and it¡¯s made me realize I want to change.¡±

    Her eyes widened a fraction, a smile twitching at the corner of her lips, ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to run away from things, for starters. But I also want¡­I want to handle things on my own. And if I tell Abigail about things, she¡¯ll just go off on her own and try to handle things for me. I don¡¯t want that. It¡¯s nice she¡¯s always been here for me, but I have to do things myself, too.¡± A whole bunch of pretty words, considering even talking to strangers had nearly caused me to crumble to dust.

    As though sensing my thoughts, Nia said, ¡°Hey, even if you¡¯re not capable of that, at least you notice you¡¯re faults enough to want to change. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ll be here to cheer you on, alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same for you, too.¡±

    I¡¯d do the same for both of them.

    //

    ¡°¡­I want to say I hate you, but I needed that.¡± Me and Fox had settled into our daily math routine. He looked vastly amused at my statement.

    ¡°Sorry for abandoning you. Truly. But like I said before, I can¡¯t interact with any of the key players here.¡±

    ¡°So one of them is this ¡®prince¡¯ character then.¡±

    ¡°I see I¡¯ve said too much.¡± Despite my annoyance, I did appreciate what he¡¯d done. It took the entire day to accept I¡¯d needed the push, and now that he was in front of me, I couldn¡¯t be mad at him. He was just doing his job, too.

    ¡°It feels like, I¡¯ve finally hit the start of this story.¡±

    He underlined something on my page, and I frowned as I looked it over, ¡°I¡¯d suggest being careful from now on, then. Maybe it¡¯ll be a quiet story, or maybe it¡¯ll be something else entirely.¡±

    If I was looking for the thread of a story, I felt like I was already putting the pieces together, ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to handle it. At least, the story part of it. Not the¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t fathom the second part, in all honesty. Fox continued marking my paper, ¡°Is it really that hard to comprehend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the type of girl boys have crushes on.¡± It was an objective fact in my head. I looked like anyone. Abigail and Nia were the ones who were pretty and social and eye-catching. Part of it could be my bias as they were my friends, but I knew compared to them, it just wasn¡¯t the same.

    I hadn¡¯t ever cared, but considering the circumstances, it felt like an important component in all of this. In all media, all leads were attractive and captivating and deserving of that spotlight. The beautiful princess fell in love with the dashing prince. An age old clich¨¦.

    ¡°You¡¯re too quiet for people to notice you, for sure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Not what I meant, but it only added to my point, if anything. ¡°Is that why you pulled that stunt yesterday?¡±

    ¡°We already agreed it was the best option.¡± Despite our conversation, he was always focused on the task at hand. I wished I could mutli-task half as well as he could.

    ¡°Can you at least warn me next time?¡±

    ¡°Promise.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say I believed him, but it did make me feel better. I just promised myself to expect whatever it was he wanted me to do, would always be related to a story. All he wanted from me was related to it, in the end.

    //

    ¡°How long are you going to be awkward around me?¡± Abigail had arrived to my house unannounced once more. She sat on the floor of my bedroom, homework and textbooks in front of her. I sat on my bed, peering down as she asked.

    I chewed my inner cheek, ¡°Give me another week, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Cinder seriously?¡± She pouted up at me and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    We both knew I wouldn¡¯t actually last that long, ¡°Sorry, we know how I am. The most awkward person in the group, been this way since the 20<sup>th</sup> century.¡±

    ¡°When you say it like that, you make it seem the 20<sup>th</sup> century was lightyears ago.¡± She gave a fake shudder. ¡°I¡¯d say at least you¡¯re back to normal, but I think you haven¡¯t been normal for weeks now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided I want to change.¡±

    She set her pencil down, and rested her head on her knees. Her hair spilled down, brushing against the floor, ¡°What brought all this on?¡±

    I shrugged, glancing away, ¡°You know how I always am. I don¡¯t want to be a coward forever.¡±

    ¡°Did Queen B get to you? You¡¯re not pathetic or whatever¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no! It wasn¡¯t her. I just don¡¯t want to have to be the one who always needs defending or protecting. I want to be able to protect myself. Others as well.¡± I wanted to protect her. I didn¡¯t have it in me to say it. She¡¯d just brush off the statement if I did.

    Abigail eyed me, before she reached a hand out and motioned for me to join her down below. I hesitated for a moment, before I climbed down, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t feel pressured about it, I believe in you.¡±

    I was pressured, but I nodded, ¡°Nia said the same.¡±

    ¡°Because even if you don¡¯t see it in yourself, we do. It wouldn¡¯t be the same without you there!¡± She mused my hair and I shouted a protest. Smacking her hand away, I dragged my own homework down so we could work together.

    We sat side by side, working in silence. Despite just starting school again, I already felt like we were in the thick of it with how much homework we had. As I got to my math section, I remembered just how much Fox had written up all my assignments. His underlines and circles and teasing comments were scattered throughout all my notes and assignments.

    Abigail paused, dissecting all the writing on my pages, ¡°Oooh, someone found a tutor, did she?¡±

    ¡°Um, yeah. My seatmate agreed to help me since I¡¯m pretty awful at pre-calc.¡± Could I mention Fox to her? Fox said he wasn¡¯t allowed to show himself to other actors, but did Abigail still fall under that category after all this?

    ¡°Look at that, you¡¯re already changing. Going out and making new friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh shush.¡± She was right. Her and Nia had all the friends, even though they spent most days with the three of us. For me, it was the two of them, always. I think with how hard I struggled talking to others made it obvious how true that was.

    To my surprise, she didn¡¯t press it. There were no further questions on this said seatmate, and she continued on. Everything went quiet, and my nerves slowly calmed. Whatever weirdness I¡¯d felt was finally gone. For now.

    //

    The flower hadn¡¯t wilted yet. I stared at it after Abigail had left for the evening. With how perfect it was, I wondered if it really was real. But when I stroked my fingers along the petals, I could feel the realness of it.

    I¡¯d finally fetched a vase for it and slipped it inside. It stared at me, the brightest thing on my desk standing out amongst all the pastels. I¡¯d brought down the book and had it sitting in front of the vase. I hadn¡¯t had the heart to open it, and so it stayed there. At some point maybe, I¡¯d feel the need to read it. But for now I just set it on my desk, a reminder of what I¡¯d spent the day promising myself.

    It was time for me to change, and these items were my reminder of that.

 1.7 Lazy Days

    Days drifted by until another week ended. Although Kade had told me where to find him in the mornings, I hadn¡¯t dared seek him out. I couldn¡¯t think of an excuse to see him, and Fox hadn¡¯t offered any ideas despite his previous meddling. He¡¯d said I was the one who wanted to change, and if I couldn¡¯t even do this much, then there was little chance of it happening.

    As far as I could tell, I wasn¡¯t encroaching on a bad end by being stagnant. It was what I was worried about the most, despite being told I had time. Maybe because I could already see where the threads of the story were leading. The conflict between Kade and Wells and possibly even Jen. The existence of the story was also the easiest way to explain away why Jen had even started to notice me in the first place.

    She¡¯d spent more time in the back, to the point where people wondered if she¡¯d been telling the truth. Jen normally took important roles in plays, if not outright playing a lead role. Seeing her take a step back wasn¡¯t like her. Maybe it was because it was her last year of school so she wanted to take it easy. More likely, she was more interested in putting all her energy in basketball. It was strange to see, regardless.

    It inevitably led to more of our interactions. Although she didn¡¯t go out of her way to speak to me, and I did the same, being so close in each other¡¯s atmosphere made it inevitable. Pointed remarks stating how I was in the way, or that I should focus on my own part.

    It was easy enough to ignore her.

    The chance encounter with Wells was a different story. The teacher would always have the boys help out when heavier props were involved, and since there weren¡¯t a lot of boys in drama, it meant that it was easy to pick the one I was the most awkwardness about interacting with.

    Kade at least made attempts. But Wells was a textbook introvert and I wasn¡¯t faring much better. He hardly acknowledged me as I indicted where to move things, my own hands occupied with a box of old costumes. I doubted he even remembered my name, a thought that filled my veins with ice.

    But that was last week. It was time for a new day. A new week. I¡¯d thought all weekend about how to go about this story. I¡¯d written out a bunch of notes and tried to practice sentences in the mirror. I could do this. I could manufacture some kind of meeting.

    Abigail was texting someone on her phone as we walked to school. Despite my endless insistence to myself that I could do this, I knew I would have to bite the bullet. If anyone knew how to approach people they didn¡¯t know, it would be Abigail. This was her story. Fighting that wasn¡¯t going to help my case, but leaning into it might.

    I took a deep breath, pretending like the words weren¡¯t gross on my tongue, ¡°Hey Abigail? How would¡­how would you¡­¡±

    She snapped her phone shut, eyebrows raising as she turned her full attention on me, ¡°How would I what, babe?¡±

    The teasing in her voice wasn¡¯t helping my case, ¡°How would you¡­you know. Talk to¡­someone.¡±

    ¡°¡­Someone? Who would this someone be? Your newfound seatmate? Trying to create a real friendship?¡± I shook my head, surprised she remembered what I¡¯d told her.

    ¡°It¡¯s uh¡­Soccer Boy.¡± Her smirk was enough to make me die, but I pressed on. ¡°I uh, I wasn¡¯t sure how to approach him again. We don¡¯t have classes together, and all of the times we¡¯ve talked were chance encounters.¡±

    She bumped her shoulder with mine, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. My one and only best friend is seeing the start of spring. You¡¯ve always been so disinterested in those things. It¡¯s almost a little weird.¡±

    ¡°Please stop. I just¡­¡± I tried to fish for some kind of excuse and found none. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t know how to approach him again.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait. Give the t-l-d-r. Tell me everything. I can¡¯t help without the specifics.¡± This walk was going to be far more painful than I gave it credit for. With all the courage in me, I managed to run through a list of everything. The hardest part was the embellishment. Of the maybe hints that I maybe had a crush. I tried to emphasize any potential good points I¡¯d found up to now, and hoped it was enough or that she wouldn¡¯t question it. Hopefully I wasn¡¯t trying too hard.

    We stopped at the gate as she grabbed my wrist, ¡°Hold on, we have to think of a game plan before we go on campus. He said you could ask him for anything whenever, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­? But I can¡¯t possibly think of anything to ask him.¡± I refrained from mentioning all of my failed attempts of thinking something up the past few days. She¡¯d tease me relentlessly, and I knew I was never going to hear the end of it for the next couple of days.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to figure it out. What about¡­you accidently forgot your lunch and maybe he could pay you back by getting you snack. You¡¯d be able to find an excuse to meet up again during lunch, too.¡±

    ¡°I feel weird asking him to spend money on me¡­and how would I even approach him like that?¡±

    ¡°Stage it. You met him when he almost nailed us with a soccer ball. Maybe something like that could happen again. By chance, of course.¡± She folded her arms in front of her, looking deep in thought. ¡°Or I can just do it myself.¡±

    It was a true Abigail suggestion, ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. If it comes off as bad or awkward, just blame it on me getting in the way.¡± She had that light again in her eyes, and I heaved a long sigh.

    If only Nia would show up and have actual suggestions for me instead of a desire to get involved herself, ¡°¡­If you really want to.¡±

    She practically cheered, and I didn¡¯t want to know what she¡¯d cooked up in her brain. I steeled myself for whatever events were about to follow. We walked into the courtyard and I could see the group of boys hanging around one of the planters by the high school building. I¡¯d been keeping an eye out since last week, and had memorized the spot and the other faces around Kade.

    Abigail kept a steady stride, and I knew she was going to go the direct route. I couldn¡¯t do it, ¡°Wait, maybe I should just do something on my own.¡±

    ¡°Will you promise to actually do something? I¡¯ll wait here and watch.¡± When I didn¡¯t respond right away she continued. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one boldly declaring you were going to change last week?¡±

    I knew that. I knew. But now all the doubt was back again and by tenfold. It took a week of trying to build up to this, only to feel like my chest was caving in and imploding at the last second. I knew I had made such bold claims, but it was all so much all over again.

    It was so exhausting, being in my head, ¡°I¡­I want to know how you can approach people so easily. It¡¯s so scary, Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Then just let me handle it for now. You can build up to things later. When was the last time you interacted with someone you didn¡¯t know, let alone try to form a genuine connection with them?¡± It had been Nia back in middle school, and Abigail had been the reason for that too.

    At least it would give me a start. I just hated that I¡¯d said I¡¯d take her place, and here she was, playing the part anyway. Even if Fox had said not to worry about it, even if Fox had picked me, I wondered again if that was the correct choice. Maybe Fable was right, to not even consider me for a second.

    Sick spilled into my gut, and it was enough to force me to shake my head, ¡°No, I need to do this. You¡¯re always doing everything for me. And isn¡¯t it exhausting? You always say you don¡¯t mind and so does Nia, but I know that can¡¯t always be true. It isn¡¯t for me so¡­¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Just remind yourself he¡¯s just any other person. Even if he¡¯s a person that you want to get to know.¡± Any other person. Just like myself. It was hard to believe, but I could pretend.

    He was just any other person. He would have always been. I forced myself to walk again, ¡°Ok, ok. Maybe I¡¯m not ready to approach him yet. But I could try¡­waving? A hello? That¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°Oh Cinder.¡± She wrapped an arm around my shoulder. ¡°At least it¡¯s a step forward. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to help?¡±

    I shook my head and pretended like I didn¡¯t feel heat spread all the way to my ears. If I just pretended to be her, it¡¯d be fine. A quick motion with my hand. There was even a chance I could avoid eye contact. Anyone watching me must have found this comical. Abigail at least was full of pity.

    When we passed and I waved, a movement as quick and awkward as I expected, I could catch the flicker of surprise. Almost instantly retracting myself, Kade gave a small smile and raised his hand back in greeting.

    Abigail dramatically leaned over me, ¡°Hey again, Soccer Boy!¡±

    I shoved her in protest, heat now dripping down my neck as I spun around, ¡°Sorry about her!¡±

    His smile was wider now as I dragged Abigail inside. At the very least, I¡¯d done it. I¡¯d made myself interact with him instead of the rest of the world forcing it upon me. A small, hapless step, but a step nonetheless. Abigail was a collection of barely suppressed giggles beside me.

    ¡°What did you say his name was again?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know if I can trust you with that information.¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine. I promise. Calling him ¡®Soccer Boy¡¯ forever is just a bit much.¡± She said that, but all she ever did was give people nicknames. Especially people she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Kade.¡±

    ¡°Right, right! That should be easy enough for me to remember. Sorry, I think I was too caught up in the rest of the story.¡± She pulled on my arm, now the one dragging me forward. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go meet up with Nia. She¡¯ll love to hear this.¡±

    This was all just one very long death march.

    //

    ¡°Soccer boy was pretty cute.¡± I mentally apologized to Kade for his newfound nickname. Nia had adopted it as readily as Abigail had made it. ¡°Not my type, personally. Sporty boys are normally way too loud.¡±

    ¡°The sporty girl doesn¡¯t like the sporty boys? What¡¯s your type? Quiet and nerdy?¡±

    ¡°I plead the fifth.¡± Nia reached out a hand and ruffled my hair. ¡°And that isn¡¯t the point, is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­suffered enough embarrassment today.¡± Like pretending to have a crush I didn¡¯t have and roping my friends into it. If the seemingly all-knowing Fox found out about this, I was going to throw myself into the river.

    My biggest concern leading up to lunch was better formulating how crushes worked. I¡¯d pieced together all the talk I¡¯d overheard over the years into a constellation of information. None of it was computing in my brain. I knew if I tried to mimic any of the other girls, it¡¯d come off as distinctly fake.

    With all the hope I could muster, I prayed they¡¯d dropped the subject. Abigail, of course, did not, ¡°Is this why you¡¯ve been acting so weird lately? You found your first crush and a new friend. Color me impressed.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good.¡± Nia¡¯s smile was so bright and genuine I couldn¡¯t hate her. ¡°Sometimes I worry about you. But you really meant what you said, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Now I was mentally apologizing to Nia for leading her on, ¡°W-well. I¡¯m still the same as always.¡±

    ¡°A start¡¯s a start!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here for you through anything.¡± Abigail threw her arms around both of us, squishing us together. Nia yelled a protest that cascaded into giggles as her lunch nearly fell off her lap. I gave my best smile, enjoying the warmth of her embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for you guys, too. No matter what.¡±

    Nia and Abigail talked in game plans, because they were the doers. I listened, just because it might be useful for future reference. This morning was still seared into my mind. Every interaction left me hoping I hadn¡¯t been too awkward around him. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d failed at least half of the time.

    Would I be able to do this? I supposed the answer was no. This was the tutorial. The learning curve. But I wouldn¡¯t learn if I didn¡¯t try. Even if I was expected to fail, I needed to get used to this, because it wouldn¡¯t be the first time that I was thrown into this kind of situation. I wondered how many other stories I¡¯d go through, before it finally ended. Maybe I was thinking about it at all too soon.

    //

    Part of me had expected Fox to already know about the incident, so when he said nothing of it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my shoulders fall in relief. I was finally free from torment for the day, unless Abigail decided to continue her torture when we walked home together.

    Class passed by as usual, with the haunting reminder our first test was already next week. Everything was pilling up so quickly. I was starting to miss summer, despite how much I hated it and it¡¯s heat.

    Fox normally walked with me to my locker, but he waved me on today. I stared at him, noting he seemed rather distracted. I thought about asking what was up, but I doubted he¡¯d tell me anyway. I simply wished him goodbye and went on my way.

    His intuition skills were probably just too good. As I got my things from my locker, I heard someone call my name. It took me a moment to realize it as my own, because it wasn¡¯t a voice I¡¯d been expecting.

    ¡°Cinder! Hey.¡± Kade popped up in front of me, smile sheepish and blond hair messy.

    I stared at him for a beat too long, my brain trying to process what it was that was happening, ¡°K-kade. Hey. I¡¯m sorry about my friend earlier.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine!¡± He waved his hands in front of him, dismissing the thought. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to spot you in the halls.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, what grade are you?¡± Locker assignments were separated by grade. I couldn¡¯t tell what age Kade was, but I guessed he was either a junior or senior.

    ¡°Eleventh, you?¡±

    ¡°Same.¡±

    ¡°Huh, maybe it¡¯s because your locker assignment is at the other end of the hall.¡± He started walking and by instinct I fell into step next to him. Despite how much taller he was, he quickly matched his strides to mine.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Well since I caught you¡­would you want to walk home together again?¡±

    I could stay calm. I could be normal. This was fine and exactly what I wanted, if not unexpected, ¡°Um, sure. I should warn you I normally walk home with Abigail¡ªmy friend from earlier.¡±

    He laughed, almost a little nervous, ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll learn my name along the way.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I hope so.¡± All I could think about was how much I wasn¡¯t going to live this day down. What would Abigail think when I arrived with him in tow. She was going to go on forever, I knew it. I knew her. This was going to suck.

    Kade himself was fine to talk to. The more I did, the more I noticed he was also just a little bit awkward. Any question he asked was hesitant, and he seemed keen on clocking just how much he was talking before he¡¯d find a way to hand the mic back to me, so to speak.

    It wasn¡¯t what Nia or Abigail had pegged him as.

    ¡°Ciiiiinder, you should have told me you brought a plus-one.¡± Abigail¡¯s greeting was bright as she offered a hand for Kale to shake. ¡°I¡¯m Abigail, Cinder¡¯s bestie.¡±

    ¡°Kade, uh, soccer boy.¡± Abigail laughed, the one that was perfected from practice. If I hadn¡¯t known her for years I wouldn¡¯t have recognized the carefulness of the tone. A sound for anyone she was still unsure about.

    They shook hands, and she skipped ahead, ¡°Are you walking home with us?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s ok? We uh, live in the same neighborhood.¡±

    ¡°So I heard!¡± She winked at me and I ducked my head to hide my embarrassment. When Kade glanced over at me, I pretended not to see it and acted preoccupied with the chipping sidewalk.

    ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡± Kade dipped easily into polite conversation. He didn¡¯t have to worry about talking too much, because Abigail could take over any conversation whenever she wanted to.

    Still, I noticed the balancing act she was playing while they talked. Everything was sugarcoated, instead of the bite her words sometimes had. It was meant to make her likable. It was a side of her I should have appreciated her using. She wasn¡¯t going to ruin anything for me, even if it meant keeping her meaner side at bay.

    I forced my body to stay relaxed, forced my voice to chime in when needed. In all accounts of the word, it went well. It went great, even. Abigail was the queen of conversation and never missed a beat. Whenever she mentioned me, it was like showcasing me on pedestal.

    This was fake.

    Relief washed over me when we got to the split in our path. I tried not to sound overly exhausted, ¡°I¡¯m glad we got to walk with each other again.¡±

    It must have sounded fine, as he smiled and waved, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you again sometime?¡±

    ¡°If you want to walk together, just let us know.¡± Abigail cut in, sugar sweet voice still in effect. ¡°We¡¯re heading the same way, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡­yeah. Whenever we catch each other. I¡¯d like that.¡± His eyes skipped over to me, and I swallowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that!¡± It wasn¡¯t forced. It was normal.

    ¡°Ok, cool. Later, then.¡± He turned and I couldn¡¯t help but let my shoulders fall the minute me and Abigail had turned onto our street. The entire conversation had been a game of charades.

    I rubbed my face with my hands, ¡°Was that¡­fine?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been asking that a lot these days. It was fine! We were just talking about basic things like interests. Kinda hard to mess that up.¡± It was easy for her to say. I tried to recall any of the conversation and it was all a blur. I think I was a part of ten percent of that conversation, if even that.

    Her hands reached out and squished my cheeks, and I yelped, ¡°Stop!¡±

    ¡°You need to stop! If you don¡¯t I¡¯m going to eat all of the brownies at your house. You¡¯re not allowed even a one!¡±

    ¡°No, no, no! I promise ok? I¡¯ll stop acting like this.¡± I knew it was a lie, and she knew it was a lie. But at the very least, she got the answer she wanted and she knew I wouldn¡¯t talk about it any longer. A win-win for her, at least for now.

    I tried not to sulk as we made our way back. Talking with people took up so much energy. Pretending even more so. I¡¯d get used to, eventually. But for now, I was depleted of stamina, and just wanted to go home to take a nap.

 1.8 Foggy Days

    ¡°It¡¯s really starting to get chilly now. Shouldn¡¯t you be wearing your winter uniform soon?¡± Mom eyed me up and down, noting the jacket I¡¯d thrown on over my uniform. It¡¯d still get warm later in the day, which was why I was electing to just go like this. It didn¡¯t stop my mom from fussing over me before she headed to work. Papi suppressed his grin as he watched me, and I only gave him a tortured look. He didn¡¯t bother to head my plea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, it really isn¡¯t that bad.¡± With my backpack secured, I started to scoot away from her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±

    ¡°If you get sick, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Mom called, and I only offered a wave.

    The morning air was biting. It sunk into my cheeks in seconds, and I wrapped my arms around myself. Abigail was just walking up to my door as I walked out, her arms wrapped around herself. She¡¯d opted for tights and a jacket as well.

    ¡°I hate the cold.¡±

    ¡°The heat is worse.¡± She only bundled herself more under her jacket, breathe frosting the air. There was a thin layer of mist around us, giving the morning an eerie glow. We¡¯d just entered autumn, but I sensed it was going to be an early winter this year with how quickly the temperature was dropping.

    ¡°Lighten up, it¡¯ll be fine in the afternoon. We¡¯ll just walk to school fast.¡± I examined her, noting the redness in her ears and face. Bumping my shoulder with her, she rolled her eyes but her expression lightened.

    The day had just started, but I felt I was already drifting through it. Abigail¡¯s silence was so unlike her, and it left me in my own head. The same thoughts plagued me endlessly. It was starting to feel like it¡¯d take a miracle for all of it to calm down. The rest of the world faded away like this.

    ¡°Do you think I can change, too?¡± The question came out of nowhere, and I felt my eyebrows drew together.

    ¡°You want to change?¡± Of all the things to consider, Abigail seriously thinking about self growth wasn¡¯t one of them. She¡¯d never once indicated dissatisfaction with herself, unless playing at remorse would get her out of something.

    She shrugged, ¡°I mean, we both know I¡¯m not always a good person. If you can work on being more confident, I can work on being more considerate right?¡±

    ¡°If¡­if that¡¯s what you want.¡± The more we walked, the warmer my skin got. Hearing her say those words made me wonder if there was something going on with her as well. Were we both thinking about things, and keeping it to ourselves? I had thought we¡¯d forever tell each other everything. Maybe this uncertainty is what I deserved.

    //

    Every day was the same. It was why when something changed, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Abigail was late to lunch, but we weren¡¯t eating outside in our usual spot today. It was still chilly outside, and she always refused to be out and about during the colder months. Instead, we¡¯d tucked ourselves away in the library, listening to the librarian scold kids about making a mess with their lunches.

    A freshman was in front of us, a mousy looking girl with wide eyes and trembling lips. There was no way this was how I looked to others, was it? ¡°U-um. I¡ªwe¡ªnever got to thank you for the other day.¡±

    ¡°The other¡ª? Oh! You¡¯re one of the freshman, aren¡¯t you? Sorry, since we¡¯re on different teams I haven¡¯t memorized all the new faces yet. Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Nia waved her hand. Despite knowing Nia for her entire basketball career, I still wasn¡¯t quite sure how it worked during the off months. I assumed it was a lot of staying in tip-top condition, and training the freshman.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s ok! We¡¯re always so busy during practice, so we never had time to tell you. Jenny¡¯s hasn¡¯t been on us, and some of the older kids were surprised. We realized it had to be because of you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. If she ever causes you guys issues again, just let me know.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah! And could you thank your friend for us, too?¡± Nia nodded and she scampered off.

    As we watched her, Nia grinned, ¡°I can¡¯t believe we encountered someone as shy as you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that bad! ¡­Am I?¡± A part of me knew I had been at that age. I¡¯d liked to pretend I¡¯d grown out of it. At least a little.

    ¡°Maybe not anymore.¡± She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. ¡°You have been trying to take the initiative lately. Abigail said you even managed to walk home with Soccer Boy the other day.¡±

    I knew Abigail told. It didn¡¯t make me feel any less embarrassed, ¡°We just happened to run into each other is all. We live near each other, so it just made sense.¡±

    She laughed, ¡°It¡¯s just funny. You know, I never thought¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, my teacher was being a pain.¡± Abigail materialized in front of us without warning. I jumped as she sat down, placing a decent sized lunch in front of her. Maybe she skipped breakfast, with that much extra food. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re already having group projects. Those are the worst.¡±

    ¡°Are you with people who never do the work and let others do it for them?¡±

    ¡°God, yes. Can you believe it? I¡¯m not above tattling, and I will tell the teacher if they don¡¯t do shit.¡± She would. Her group was going to hate her for it. ¡°Did I miss anything important?¡±

    ¡°Lunch just started. You were literally only a couple minutes late.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Do you know how much can happen in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Well, there was one of those freshman girls in basketball. You know, from the other day? She wanted to thank you.¡± Nia nodded as I said this, and Abigail looked more alive than when she had arrived.

    ¡°How sweet. Wish I¡¯d been there. Does that mean Jen has been laying off?¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡±

    ¡°Has she been leaving you alone too, Cinder?¡± I paused, remembering all the jabs she¡¯d offered throughout drama class. It had, if anything, gotten worse than it¡¯d been in previous years.

    If I said that, Abigail would cause even more fuss about it, so I elected not to, ¡°Yeah. Same as always. You know I never existed to her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried she¡¯d start setting her sights on you, especially with what happened last week.¡± She had, I thought. Even if it wasn¡¯t anything severe, it was more than it should have been. After ignoring me for the past two years, this was a new development. I couldn¡¯t say if it was Abigail¡¯s fault or not, with how things were going.

    The two talked, and I looked out the window. There were still kids out in the courtyard, and I watched them. The sky had cleared up to a bright blue, leaving only the wind with its chill. There was no one I recognized out. Without realizing it, I started to look for Kade, wondering if he was out in the courtyard today.

    At some point, I found him. He was talking to someone, and although he was too far away to see clearly, I thought that Wells was right beside him. The day hadn¡¯t felt real since I woke up, and this only added to the feeling.

    //

    Fox was folding paper into various shapes when I got to math. There was an origami heart, a sword, frog, and a crown. His hands were fiddling away at something else by the time I sat down. He didn¡¯t glance at me, focused solely on what he was doing.

    ¡°Afternoon.¡± He greeted, fingers going faster than lightening.

    ¡°Hey. What are you up to this time?¡± I pressed down on the back of the paper frog, delighted when it actually hopped. Despite myself, I pulled it towards me and did it again and again.

    As he continued folding, his lips curved up, ¡°Glad you¡¯re enjoying my latest invention. Spot the Frog.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t Spot a dog name?¡± I stared at the frog made out of a white index card. ¡°A better name for him would at least be Stripe, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not one to put confines on my imagination. Spot is a basic name for a dog, but unpredictable for a frog. There are a lot of other things that act much the same.¡± He paused, finally looking at me for a second. I got the feeling he was hinting at something. I tucked it away in my head for now.

    He took out yet another piece of paper, adding it to the collection in his hands. As I waited for class to start, I watched him. He was so concentrated on what he was doing, and nimble in doing it. It reminded me of his weird tap-walking somehow. A collection of random things all made up into one person.

    I blurted, ¡°Are you normally super into making things?¡±

    ¡°Not like an artist would be.¡± The paper was slowly taking on the form of a dragon. ¡°I just get bored sometimes, and my body needs something to do when that happens.¡±

    As the piece was finished he set it down in the center of his desk. His fingers danced above it, a puppeteer with no strings, and the wings started to move. The head and neck swerved. No one else noticed what was going on, much like the day we¡¯d been in the smoothie shop.

    When I looked at his eyes, they were dripping blue again, ¡°Someone will need a sword.¡±

    My stomach dropped, as the rest of the classroom blurred around me. The dragon rose up, paper mouth biting at the heart. The frog leapt forward, placing itself into the center of the crown. The pieces were moving, all coming to life, but the sword laid still.

    Something compelled me to say, ¡°You should have made a mask.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s to say I didn¡¯t?¡± The dragon¡¯s teeth weren¡¯t strong enough to rip the paper, although it was trying to. The frog stayed within the confines of the crown, protecting it. My hand reached out, stopping just above the small, paper sword. Fox stared at me, expectations in his gaze.

    The bell rang overhead and everything was normal again. The paper statues were scattered along Fox¡¯s desk, not a single one not where he¡¯d originally placed them. His eyes were their normal brown again, and he dipped his head down. As the teacher called for everyone¡¯s attention to start class, the air kept its charge.

    ¡°Take the sword.¡± He whispered. I knew he wasn¡¯t talking about the paper one. I took it anyway.

    //

    ¡°Fox what was all that earlier¡ª¡± He raised a hand out, making me stop in my tracks.

    There was tension in the smile he offered, ¡°Whatever happened earlier didn¡¯t actually happen.¡± When I tried to speak again, he curled his fingers, leaving one up to indicate silence. I snapped my mouth back shut. ¡°It didn¡¯t happen. Whatever you ask will only be based on falsehoods and hypotheticals.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t figure him out, no matter how hard I tried. He was always somewhere else. Constantly on a different page. ¡°Ok, um. Hypothetically, there¡¯s a dragon that¡­steals someone¡¯s heart.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°Not yet. Too early. Why would the dragon do such a thing?¡±

    There was no way I could possibly ever know. ¡°Ok, hypothetically a dragon will¡­want to steal a heart? And the¡­prince will care less about the heart and more about his¡­current position?¡±

    The frog had to represent a prince, right? That was the only thing that could make sense. I didn¡¯t know why Fox was playing paper charades with me, but maybe because he wasn¡¯t allowed to tell me. He¡¯d went ahead and broken the rules. My eyebrows drew together at the realization. I got the feeling if I¡¯d asked why, others would know and he¡¯d be punished.

    ¡°In a fairytale, a prince should have both. His position and his sword. What happens when he only has one?¡± I¡¯d thought Fox was normal again, but I caught the light in his eyes and the blue tint of magic was still covering his irises like film. When he¡¯d used magic before, offering me protection, he¡¯d acted similarly to this.

    I swallowed hard, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sure you¡¯re trying to tell me something important. But I¡¯d prefer you as you were.¡±

    He paused, and his eyes truly focused on me. He furrowed his eyebrows, before he quickly shook his head and repeated, ¡°What happens when he only has one?¡±

    ¡°Someone else takes the sword.¡± The obvious path was I took it. He¡¯d offered it to me, telling me I needed to. I¡¯d slipped it into my binder, careful not to crush it when class had finished. I couldn¡¯t even speak to other people, I wasn¡¯t sure how Fox was expecting me to take such a role. ¡°Fox, come back.¡±

    His expression grew more frustrated, more confused. He squeezed his eyes shut, and took a breath in. On the breath out, he opened his eyes again, and I leaned forward to see if they were clear. He took a step backwards.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡ª¡± He swallowed. ¡°It can do that sometimes. Magic.¡±

    I was too scared to ask what it¡¯d been doing, ¡°Then don¡¯t use it if you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll be fine on my own. Promise. Besides, we don¡¯t want you breaking the rules.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to break the rules.¡± He shifted away from me. ¡°I was told to guide you.¡±

    ¡°You have been, haven¡¯t you? In more ways than one?¡± He was so far from me. I wanted to take a step towards him, to ask what had brought all of this on, anyway. But a shoulder jostled into me, and when I recovered he was gone. A true ghost in the making.

    I thought of calling out to him, but I knew there was one main reason why he would have disappeared. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot the face when I knew I was looking for it. I raised my hand in greeting to Kade and forced a smile on my face. The image of a dragon eating a heart and Fox¡¯s blue eyes didn¡¯t leave me.

 1.9 Acting Out

    ¡°Auditions start next Monday.¡± The teacher couldn¡¯t be more excited if she tried. The actors were all abuzz with the news themselves. ¡°The rest of the week you¡¯ll have free time to practice for the audition. Break a leg, everyone!¡±

    The actors dispersed into groups, with a very concerning exception. Jen handed me a script, plopping it into my lap. I stared at it without comprehension, ¡°I¡¯m not an actor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Page ten, line eight.¡± She flipped her script open, and I scrambled to open my own, wondering how she¡¯d managed to even find a spare script. She must have asked the teacher for one. She lifted her head. ¡°Wells, come over here.¡±

    To my surprise, he sat down into the chair next to us. He looked at where our scripts were opened up to, and he flipped it open as well. More protests were already on my tongue. ¡°Wait, wait. I¡¯m not actor, I should be helping planning out props and stage direction¡ª¡±

    ¡°We should always try new things.¡± Jen gave me a sarcastic pat on my shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no rule against you auditioning for the play.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª? No, there¡¯s no way¡ª¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you wave me over here to practice?¡± Wells empty remark made me quiet more than it did to cow Jen. She shrugged her shoulders, realigning herself out so her back was straight.

    Her expression became serious, ¡°Ready whenever you are?¡±

    Maybe because of all the talk of fairytales, I¡¯d half expected the play to be centered around one. There were so many things that bled the theme, I could find it in every corner of my life if I looked. The play, at least, had freed me from the constant theme hanging over my head.

    It was a crime noir. One centered more on the betrayal of a detective from his lifelong partner and her apparent underground dealings. Him and his partner try to follow her trail after her betrayal, only to find she wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d had it out for him. As the detective¡¯s life falls apart around him, she appears before him. She trains a gun on him. Exhausted, he doesn¡¯t stop her and lets himself die in the end.

    Jen had insisted she wasn¡¯t going to play a main character, but she was clearly reading the lines of the wife. Wells had slipped into the part of detective, and I was the random side characters who occasionally had lines.

    ¡°Do you take me for a fool? How could I ever love a man so enamored with the rigidity of law, when those laws were the ones to fail me so dearly? Was I not a victim of a system who offered me no comfort in my weakest moment? Was I not a victim of the ones who swore me protection only to be the ones who held the blade? Do not act as if this was never a part of me.¡± Jen was arresting to watch. Her voice caught, lips trembling in emotion but face drawn in bitter acceptance. Every word was spoken clearly despite the careful warble she¡¯d inflected on each word.

    Wells himself looked seconds away from tears, voice wrought with torment, ¡°I could have protected you. If only you¡¯d ever told me of these atrocities¡ª¡±

    ¡°Liar! As your wife I¡¯ve seen it firsthand. You lay in bed with your badge more than you ever have with me.¡±

    Since we were in the back, away from the other actors, there was less white noise to drown them out. The other back stagers were able to witness their acting first hand. So many of them had turned, watching as the two played out their part as though they were in the middle of the audition right then.

    Abigail would kill me if she saw the admiration I held in myself at that moment. Even if Jen was awful, she did have the skills to back it up. It had to have been the same in basketball. She would have never become team captain if she hadn¡¯t proven herself to be the best of the group.

    As they went on, I would almost miss my lines, too distracted by them. I knew I broke the flow every time it was my turn. Even just reading out loud was too much. I stumbled and fumbled words and lines as much as they nailed them. If there was a Worst Actor of the Year award in the yearbook, I could already see my picture printed with the title.

    To my surprise, Jen didn¡¯t attack me for it. She was too focused on her piece to do so. It was a relief, and as time went on I did get a little bit better in my delivery. Not by much, but it was better than nothing.

    After rehashing the same scene a few times, both of them noting things and highlighting certain things, Jen paused for water. She reached down and when she came back up with it in hand, she was staring at me again.

    I waited for the worst, ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding. You suck.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really trying¡­¡± Wells tapped my paper, causing my fight or flight to almost activate.

    He held out his hand, ¡°Here, let me see it.¡±

    I easily let him take it, and watched as he flipped to the front and wrote down a collection of bullet points. I only needed to see the first one to know he was noting down all the things I was bad at. The list was going to include every acting skill known to mankind.

    He spoke as he wrote, ¡°I think the first thing to woke on is speaking up. You¡¯re so quiet, it¡¯s hard to hear you.¡±

    ¡°Are you really so surprised the mouse can only make squeaks?¡± The biggest reason I was having a hard time complaining about Jen was that as mean as she was being, it wasn¡¯t like she was ever wrong.

    Wells ignored her, focusing his attention only on me, ¡°Try it. Just say a simple line. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Louder, from your chest.¡± If someone had told me there was a reality where I¡¯d be spending drama class being taught how to act, I would have said maybe. If they had told me Wells, and more importantly, Jen would be sitting in front of me, forcing me to work on my voice I would have thought them deranged.

    This was my third interaction with Wells, and the second one brought about from Jen¡¯s own whims. She sat draped over her chair, a bored expression on her face, and she was more focused on my posture.

    ¡°Your back needs to be straight, and you should be leaning back. Like you¡¯re trying to get away from something gross.¡±

    ¡°See, your voice is getting stronger. Now try to work on making your words clear.¡±

    It had to have been one of the most taxing drama classes I¡¯d had in a while, if not ever. There was a harsh coach and a not-mean coach who¡¯d decided to take on the role of teaching me themselves. They were so good at acting already, I didn¡¯t think they were missing out on not getting the extra practice time. The question was why they were wasting it on me.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    As the clock wound down, Jen leaned forward, ¡°Hey Cinder, let¡¯s make a deal.¡±

    ¡°A deal¡ª?¡±

    ¡°If you audition and manage to get any part, I¡¯ll promise to lay off of Nia and the new girls on the team.¡± There was no way that was ever going to happen. I wouldn¡¯t even make a background character that didn¡¯t speak. While drama kids got priority, anyone could audition for the play. I didn¡¯t have a chance.

    But I wanted to do something for them, even if it didn¡¯t carry over into whatever story came next in all of this, ¡°¡­You know I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Well, then I suppose I¡¯ll leave you alone. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re sick of seeing my face so much these days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± The words hit the air and Jen froze. It was the first time disbelief was so clearly written on her face. She waited, like I was about to retract those words and pluck them right out of thin air.

    Wells glanced between the two of us, ¡°I can help.¡±

    ¡°Wells, don¡¯t you have better things to do than help this¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can help.¡± He repeated. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you were a little nicer anyways.¡±

    As she fished for words, I did the same, ¡°You want to¡­to help? Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to waste your time. I don¡¯t think I have a chance. And I don¡¯t want all your efforts to go to waste.¡±

    He handed my script back to me, and I looked at all the notes he scribbled down. He¡¯d paid attention to every little quirk he noticed, ¡°I have time. Especially now that I¡¯m not doing any sports. Meet me here afterschool. We¡¯ll practice every day for the rest of the week.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± I clutched the script to my chest, so much surprise spilling out I¡¯d almost forgotten just who I was talking to. I wasn¡¯t sure what part Wells had to do in any of this, but I was near confident to say he played one. Maybe this would be for the better.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you afterschool, then.¡± With that promise, class ended.

    //

    Nia hugged me, and I wished my friends weren¡¯t all fantastic at nearly cracking people¡¯s ribs, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely crazy doing that for me.¡±

    ¡°You also found someone to teach you how to act as well? And a guy who isn¡¯t afraid to call Jen¡¯s bullshit? Who is this guy, he sounds like my type.¡± It was a joke, but it didn¡¯t stop even more anxiety from pooling into my gut.

    I disentangled myself from Nia, managing to officially take a seat at the table, ¡°He¡¯s just some guy. Kade knows him, they used to be friends.¡±

    ¡°Used to?¡± Abigail¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°I¡¯m sensing some kind of drama. A good ol¡¯ falling out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± And I was afraid to find out. After Abigail had invited Kade to walk with us afterschool, he¡¯d become a stable presence to a degree. Wells was a wild card, and all of our interactions thus far had been painfully awkward and always relating to acting.

    ¡°If you get a part, I¡¯ll finally go and watch a school play.¡± Nia rested her head in her hands. ¡°Can¡¯t believe my friend is about to become the next hottest star.¡±

    ¡°With her breakout role; background character number six.¡± Abigail offered me half of her cookie, and I closed my eyes, awaiting the food shame. Nia broke off half of her own cookie and they both set it down in front of me.

    While I still ate both of them, I knew I was pouting, ¡°I did this for you and this is how you¡¯re treating me?¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it, Cinder. I really do. And even if you fail, it¡¯s nice to know you tried to stop her for me.¡± She rested her head on my shoulder, a feat considering how much smaller I was than her.

    ¡°How has PE been? Has she been leaving you alone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been quiet. The coach has been pretty laidback so far, too. I think he considers the freshman to be pretty good and he¡¯s excited as far as their team goes. He¡¯s been pretty confident in varsity as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you confident?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say.¡± She laughed. ¡°I always think we¡¯ll be the shit each year and then we actually start playing games. It¡¯d be nice if we could win it all this year. We got so close last year and then just¡­¡±

    She¡¯d cried her heart out after they lost the semi-champions. Me and Abigail had dragged her to my house after and wrapped her in blankets and got her all of her favorite snacks. Bad movies played on my tv until we all passed out on my bed that was too small for the three of us.

    I wrapped my arm around her middle, ¡°You have a few months until you have to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll kick ass when the time comes.¡± Abigail snapped her cookie into another half and placed it in front of Nia. Nia stuck her tongue out, but like me, ate the offering. ¡°You too, Cinder. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get something.¡±

    ¡°I really hope you guys are right.¡± I wondered how it would go.

    //

    Fox wasn¡¯t in class. As much as I complained about him, I felt weirdly naked without him there. He was always talking to me or distracting me whenever he saw fit. And I hated to admit it, but his tutoring skills were top-notch. For the entirety of class I kept glancing back and hoping he was ok. The way we¡¯d left off yesterday inspired a new wave of anxiety.

    It rolled into a sea of it raging in my stomach.

    The doors to the drama room were never this tall when I was going to class. But now it felt like I was staring into the gates of the underworld. I shifted from foot to foot, readying myself before I pushed open the doors.

    Other students were already there. Some faces I vaguely recognized from class. Wells was there too, sitting on stage and talking to another boy. As I walked in, I tried to convince myself to go up to him. Instead I let myself freeze up.

    Watching him, I wondered if he showed any emotion outwardly to those around him. His face was a blank slate, and it remained that way at all times unless he was in acting mode.

    I¡¯d hardly seen him interact with others before. A few moments with Jen, and the awkward walk with Kade. It was almost foreign to see him like this, especially when a ghost of a smile crossed his face. A hint of emotion was there in his eyes. I just hadn¡¯t known where to look for it.

    Forcing myself to move, I finally went up to him, ¡°Um, hope I¡¯m not interrupting?¡±

    ¡°No, we were almost done.¡± The other boy took that as his cue to leave and he waved goodbye to the both of us before descending on another group of people. So many drama kids were extroverts. I wished I could borrow their energy.

    ¡°If you want to meet Jen¡¯s requirements, it would be easy to just be a background character with no lines.¡± Wells jumped right into it, not wasting time with any fluff. I refocused myself on the task at hand as well.

    ¡°Yes, that would be easiest.¡± There was no way I was going to get a voiced role, no matter how minor. Not with a week¡¯s worth of practice.

    He nodded, ¡°I think our biggest thing would be body posture and expressions then. The most important one is to not let your eyes drift towards the crowd while you¡¯re on stage.¡±

    ¡°That might¡­be difficult.¡±

    ¡°The lights are so bright onstage, you can¡¯t even see them. It¡¯ll be easier than you think.¡± He stood up and I did the same. Before I knew it, we were going through various breathing exercises and posture lessons.

    If there was one thing I learned during the half-hour he spent teaching me, it was that my normal posture was terrible. I was eternally grateful Jen wasn¡¯t here to add on any extra insult to injury. Wells was so matter of fact, I hardly found it in me to be embarrassed about it.

    Like he had before, he added notes to my script. On the back this time, as there was little space in the front. It was a collection of tips and tricks and things to work on at home. We were on the path of speed running acting lessons.

    ¡°Thanks for all this. Really.¡± I made my own notes in the margins next to his cramped writing. All of his letters bled into one another, making it almost hard to read. My own writing was in stark contrast with how bubbly all the curves and circles looked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Like I said, I have time.¡± He walked me to the door. ¡°Besides, teaching others is one way to consolidate the information yourself.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s mutually beneficial because it helps out the both of us?¡± He shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s good. As long as you mean it and aren¡¯t saying that to make me feel better.¡±

    He said nothing, instead looking distracted by something. He opened the door and peered out into the hall, his voice flat, ¡°Kade, what¡¯re you doing here?¡±

    When I peered out, I found Kade sitting on the ground. He¡¯d been doing homework, looking like he was waiting for someone. When he saw us, he scrambled to his feet collecting his stuff, ¡°Sorry, I can explain.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± It was time for Kade and Wells¡¯ awkward act, part two.

    ¡°Well, Abigail mentioned you were staying behind today. And when she said Wells was helping you with acting I thought that¡­I thought that I should say sorry. To you, Wells. I¡¯m sorry about how I acted before.¡± His words were rushed and hesitant at the same time. He didn¡¯t know what he wanted to say but he couldn¡¯t say them fast enough.

    Wells hardly reacted, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ruin our friendship?¡±

    ¡°You can talk to me whenever.¡± Kade¡¯s shoulders sagged, relief clear on his face. Wells, for a moment, almost looked embarrassed. ¡°We can talk more later.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah! Sorry Cinder. You¡¯re always in the middle of our awkward moments.¡± He raised a hand to his neck, only to let it drop again as if he didn¡¯t know what to do with himself.

 Intermission I: Only Fools Know

    Annoyance tasted bitter. Just like the tea. Headmaster Gnight stood at his window, staring down at the courtyard. Cinder walked below, side by side with a blond haired boy. She hadn¡¯t written once in her journal. Figures. Despite her anxiety, she was perceptive. Or maybe it¡¯s what made her so.

    It was me and the Headmaster only. Any other retainer wasn¡¯t here. They were watching this new toy. Waiting to intervene when it was convenient. Fun. Damning. Headmaster Gnight didn¡¯t hold an ounce of concern on his face. It even looked like he was having fun. Of course he was. He was working with a girl who was about to live in a wish she didn¡¯t want.

    ¡°She¡¯s finally starting to take strides forward.¡± The first story was both the easiest and most unfulfilling. Headmaster Gnight needed research. If the subject hit their goal in one attempt, it made for a small sample size. More tests, more trials, more data. Story one was made out of people drawn to the main character, if not those already in their circle. An easy story to start, even for the most reluctant.

    ¡°The plot is moving behind the scenes.¡± My nails dug into my palms, hidden behind me. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯ll make it past act one.¡±

    ¡°Failure can be the most motivating thing.¡± Would the Headmaster slowly shift the stories from Abigail¡¯s to Cinder¡¯s? I couldn¡¯t comprehend the choice of her over the other. On paper, the two were the same. Undesirable traits and impossible wishes. One was willing to dive in. The other would be caught in limbo forever.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°The villain is playing their part more than I expected.¡± People were unpredictable. It wasn¡¯t outside the bounds of what we could handle. ¡°I assume it¡¯ll accelerate the time it¡¯ll take her to fail.¡±

    ¡°A shame. She won¡¯t get as much experience as she¡¯ll need for the next one. And I¡¯ll have wasted all my careful planning. I expected as much. She has no motivation thus far.¡±

    ¡°Is her friend not enough?¡± I¡¯d assumed so. It was her motivation to be here.

    ¡°The assumption her friend is safe from harm¡¯s way is enough for her. She¡¯ll be fine as is, until she becomes sick of this reality.¡± How many takes would she need? How many takes would I need to oversee?

    I kept down the ¡®why¡¯ in my throat. He had made his decision. I had followed it through. Cinder Ch¨¢vez was his next tool. A girl so uninteresting, his watchful gaze made little sense. Those who played the part valiantly and perfectly had gotten less attention from him in the past. Especially at their start.

    ¡°Continue keeping an eye out.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± I inclined my head, ready to leave.

    He stopped me, ¡°Before you go, I have a request. Ensure the other one doesn¡¯t make too much trouble.¡±

    The other one. It¡¯d been weeks since we¡¯d last spoke. A relief, really. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to observe him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry to put you in this position. I know you don¡¯t desire it.¡±

    ¡°I desire whatever you do.¡± He dismissed me officially and I headed out. On the landing, I looked out. The once vibrant yellows and golds were becoming muddy from grime. The rain and dampness trapping the dirt as it dried.

    The light was no longer filtering in quite so clearly.

 1.10 Lashing Out

    I dreamt of Abigail¡¯s bruises. Her form laid out on a grassy field, eyes staring up towards the clouds. Her lips were chapped, flakes peeling off when she opened her mouth to speak. A word wasn¡¯t spoken, not one I could hear. I¡¯d sat next to her and she¡¯d reached for my hand. She moved her lips again, cracked fingernails digging into my skin. She tugged on my arm, desperate for me to understand what she was saying.

    I shook my head, plucking her hand from my arm and entwining my fingers with her own. She tried to pull away, as her wounds healed before my eyes. I didn¡¯t understand her alarm. When she pulled away, I held on tighter. My skin became tender, and when I looked down at my arms and legs, I saw them explode with color.

    Her words were frantic now, but I still couldn¡¯t hear. I tried to read her lips, but nothing made sense. Clouds started to gather quickly above us. Her free hand reached out, and touched my face. It didn¡¯t feel like my own.

    When I woke up, it was like I hadn¡¯t slept. My eyes ached and I stumbled through my morning routine. Both my parents were gone early, and I wished they¡¯d still been here so I could plead my case on staying home. I¡¯d walk it off, but I really wasn¡¯t feeling up to today.

    When Abigail showed up, she noticed instantly, ¡°Should we call it a ditch day?¡±

    ¡°My parents would kill me. So would yours.¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t even notice.¡± She looked less bundled up than before. The chill the rain had brought was finally wearing off. The sting of the air remained, and it helped wake me up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never skipped before in my life.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s always time to try something new.¡± I rolled my eyes, before examining her from the corner of my eye. There weren¡¯t any bruises on her, but a part of me had expected to find them. When I¡¯d woken, I¡¯d stared at the mirror, tracing where the marks had been on my own body. There was nothing, except the baited breath of feeling pain where I touched.

    We made it to school and Nia was in her usual spot waiting for us. She scuffed her foot against the sidewalk, kicking a rock until it rolled onto the street. She looked distracted this morning, and me and Abigail shared a look.

    She popped up in front of her, ¡°Hey, hey. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ok?¡± Nia looked between the two of us, reaction slow. Exhaustion outlined her face, and for a moment it made me realize I wasn¡¯t tired at all. Not when compared to how Nia looked.

    She straightened her stance, ¡°Fine. Fine-ish. Ok. Could be better.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Abigail reached out and pulled her red jacket fully up so it rested on her shoulders.

    Nia pressed her lips together as she gave her a look, ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, really. Grams is getting older, and my parents are talking about moving her in with us to take care of her. My little brothers are losing their mind over having to share a room though. They keep dragging me into it and trying to make to my business.¡±

    It was times like these where I was glad my family unity was relatively small. Even though I had a sister, we were always staying out of each other¡¯s way as much as possible.

    ¡°That sounds awful.¡±

    ¡°Kid brothers must be the worst. I¡¯m sure they can figure it out.¡±

    Nia shoved her hands into her pockets, ¡°Yeah, they can. I¡¯m moving out the minute I graduate anyhow. They¡¯ll be able to get my room in another two years.¡±

    We headed inside, and I realized two of the three of us were in not great states emotionally. Abigail smiled as she saw me staring, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Her smile grew at my protest.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one of those mornings.¡±

    It was about to get worse. My feet came to grounding halt as Fable stepped out in front of me. Abigail and Nia continued walking, no recognition on either of their faces. I wondered what he was doing here. His hands were folded across his chest, disappointment leaking through his gaze and posture.

    ¡°Cinder Ch¨¢vez.¡± There was no reason to use my full name. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    Absolutely not, ¡°Right now? I¡¯m a little busy¡­¡±

    Confusion swirled in my friends gaze as they realized what was going on. I didn¡¯t look at them, because looking up would mean having to see the cold steel that was Fable¡¯s face. He was upset with me, and I couldn¡¯t for the life of me fathom why.

    ¡°It¡¯s for you own good.¡± He turned on his heel and left. Although I didn¡¯t want to go, with every part of my being protesting, I forced myself to spin towards them.

    Abigail placed her hands firmly on my shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t know who that guy is, but you don¡¯t have to go with him.¡±

    If only that were true, ¡°No, I really do. I¡¯m sorry, guys. I¡¯ll see you both at lunch.¡±

    Her grip tightened, and I mumbled more apologizes as I shrugged her off. A crack showed on her face, and I wondered if it¡¯d hurt. If these secrets were getting too much to bare. If she looked at me and thought I was becoming farther away from her for reasons she didn¡¯t understand.

    I¡¯d only felt it for the one day the Headmaster had approached her. This was an endless series of jabs, maybe. So slight and so infrequently it was easy to ignore, but as time went on she was starting to notice. The sting was becoming familiar to her now.

    With all the mental apologies I could offer, I chased after Fable.

    //

    ¡°Where¡¯s Fox?¡± It wasn¡¯t a question I was expecting. We were behind the main office building, and I was surprised to see a garden here. As far as I could recall, such a place hadn¡¯t been here before. When I looked up, I saw the stained glass, and the colors seemed a shade off from where they¡¯d been previously.

    The plants in the garden were starting to lose their color, the autumn seeping in and stealing life away for winter, ¡°How should I know? He wasn¡¯t in class yesterday. Is everything¡­ok?¡±

    After how he¡¯d left, I¡¯d been worried about him. The more I thought about it, the more distressed he¡¯d seemed. I didn¡¯t want to ask Fable about it, seeing as the two had gotten into a fist fight before. If I mentioned Fox had been acting strange or about his magic usage, I feared for the consequences.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t talk to him.¡± Fox had said the same thing. ¡°You have class with him. How was he acting?¡±

    ¡°F-fine?¡± I balked as he stepped forward. He wouldn¡¯t hurt me, I decided. The Headmaster wouldn¡¯t have someone watch over me if he was going to hurt me. But in that moment, I felt threatened. There were other ways to cause harm. I knew he was capable of it.

    ¡°Really? Nothing weird.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s always weird.¡±

    Fable stared at me, before he glanced away, ¡°Should have figured. You¡¯re useless in every way. Fox has probably been holding your hand this whole time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying.¡± I had been. All the forced conversations and awkward encounters I was living through had to count for something. Fable¡¯s judgement erred on the side of guilty as he looked down at me.

    ¡°Then maybe you¡¯re not good enough.¡± From Jen now to Fable, frustration bubbled up in my stomach. These were endless and I was so very tired of them. I didn¡¯t know what to give to these people, when they never told me what they actually wanted. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to look at me like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never even interacted with me. How can you pass judgement when you¡¯re not even around? If I¡¯m not good enough, then you could say the same for yourself. You¡¯ve done nothing.¡± I snapped, feeling all of it come out at once. Fable looked unimpressed, but there was a flicker behind his eyes. A fragment of surprise. Like he hadn¡¯t expected me to talk back. No one did.

    I was always so quiet, the one without fangs. Abigail was the one to watch out for, and I was just there. I was always just there. I hated it. I was sick of it. Suddenly, whatever spell I¡¯d been cast under slipped away and I felt a strange rage in my stomach I hadn¡¯t known in ages.

    Fable only frowned, ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Quite. May I leave now?¡± He gave a pause before he nodded, and I turned on my heel and stomped off.

    The feel good anger only last a minute before it evaporated. I¡¯d snapped at Fable. He hadn¡¯t done anything to me because I assumed I had protection here. While story things could hurt me, he couldn¡¯t. Or Fox. Or Headmaster Gnight. Fable couldn¡¯t affect the story either. I¡¯d felt safe.

    Now I felt like he was going to find a way to get to me, regardless. Even if he couldn¡¯t affect the story outright, it was clear he could interact with others not considered to be a part of it. He¡¯d approached me in front of Abigail and Nia and they¡¯d both seen him. Fox had also interacted with the woman at the smoothie place on the day this all started. If they didn¡¯t have a ¡®main character¡¯ flag, then were they fair game? If Fable wanted, would it be possible to cause a domino effect?

    My heart picked up, and I wrapped my arms around myself, ¡°What have I done?¡±

    Even if I was tired of being put down, there would always be consequences for my actions.

    //

    Abigail and Nia didn¡¯t ask about Fable and I didn¡¯t bring it up. Everything flowed smoothly from one class to the next. Fox still wasn¡¯t in math, and I couldn¡¯t help but frantically text him. If Fable was bringing it up, it had to have been cause for concern. I also didn¡¯t want to have to talk to him again.

    After sending an all caps ¡°U ALIVE???,¡± I¡¯d gone about the rest of my day. I could only hoped I got a response before the end of tonight. It left the newly acquired cycle to my day; acting practice.

    To my surprise, as I was putting things away, Kade approached. He was looking at everything but me, wringing his hands together, ¡°Hey, I know this is sudden and I should have asked yesterday, but could I¡­tag along for your practice?¡±

    His nails were digging into his hand, and I knew better than to decline, ¡°Sure? The final call would be up to Wells, though.¡±

    Kade¡¯s shoulders relaxed, but only by a margin, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to try to learn why he picked acting?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± As far as I could tell, he¡¯d sounded genuine in his remorse. For my sake, I hoped the two figured it out, so I¡¯d finally be free of the tense air those two always brought about them. Focusing on practice wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    When we arrived, Wells didn¡¯t look surprised to see Kade, ¡°Try not to be too distracting.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± He sat across from us, watching as Wells once more collected my script that was looking closer to a collection of notes.

    Wells glanced through it, his eyes stopping on certain things. I wondered if he was reading my notes. I¡¯d done my best to practice in the mirror, and as much as second hand embarrassment plagued me, I¡¯d soldiered on.

    He nodded and set it aside, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s run through the same exercises from yesterday first.¡±

    Just like yesterday, he pointed out every flaw I could have. I expected myself to feel sensitive, given how I¡¯d just had a mini-episode earlier for the same reason. But Wells was so fair about it, and he never sounded like he was attacking me specifically. Whenever he told me what it was he wanted from me, I kept wishing Fable had done the same.

    He¡¯d been observing me, likely. When he watched me, he must have noted all the points he found displeasing. He¡¯d found them even before all this. I wanted the list and I wanted to know how he wanted me to behave instead. I wanted notes like the ones Wells was writing about my acting, to whatever benchmark test I had clearly failed. If I was braver, I¡¯d demand one. From Fable, and Jen too.

    ¡°You¡¯re calmer today.¡± That was the last thing I was. I was glad I was managing to appear so, at least.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. I tried practicing by myself yesterday. I still have no idea what I¡¯m doing though.¡± Especially with zero natural talent. There was no diamond in the rough with me. I was truly at the starting line.

    He shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re about as rough as I was expecting. If you keep this up you should be an extra at least.¡±

    I hoped that was true. I could at least prove one of the people wrong who¡¯d taken it upon themselves to see me as pathetic. While this had started as me wanting to save Nia, I could feel the sting of anger again. I did want to prove her wrong. I don¡¯t think it was a feeling I¡¯d ever experience before.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±

    He wrote down more things, pointing arrows back to previous points. I watched, and even Kade leaned over to take a peak from where he¡¯d been quiet and still as a statue. There was a binder in his lap, opened up to a half finished sheet of homework. I hoped he wasn¡¯t too bored with all of this.

    Wells handed the script back to me, ¡°Just focus on this tonight. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Are you walking her out Kade?¡±

    He fished for words, suddenly put on the spot, ¡°Yeah, of course! And you¡¯re staying here, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow.¡± He dismissed us without answering Kade¡¯s question.

    Kade put his things away, and I said again, ¡°Thanks for the help. I really hope I¡¯m not cutting into your own practice time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the lead role no matter what.¡± He was so sure even Kade paused. It wasn¡¯t confidence, he¡¯d stated it like the weather. A simple fact, one that no one would be able to refute. He blinked at us, and then looked away. It took a minute to register he was actually embarrassed.

    Kade had gone from awkward to grinning, ¡°The same as always, I see.¡±

    ¡°Get going.¡± Wells mumbled, and Kade laughed as we went. I offered a wave and Wells raised his hand for a second.

    For the first time since meeting them, I hadn¡¯t been plunged into an awkward situation. It was the first real miracle to happen in this entire story.

    //

    Kade didn¡¯t go into my house, although I¡¯d invited him in. He sat at the edge of the sidewalk, my script in his hand. His fingers traced over Wells¡¯ handwriting, although I wasn¡¯t sure if he noticed he was doing it or not. I sat quietly next to him, watching as he processed what he was reading.

    ¡°He¡¯s serious about everything he does.¡± He said under his breath, a note of awe in his voice. ¡°These are so detailed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of embarrassing, seeing how much effort he¡¯s putting in to help me over this silly dare.¡±

    Kade lowered the script, focusing on me, ¡°You¡¯re trying to audition over a dare?¡±

    I realized I hadn¡¯t told him a second too late. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to explain it all to him, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯d understand considering his own barebones explanations of his circumstances, ¡°There¡¯s a girl in our class named Jen. Her and my friends don¡¯t get along. She was bothering me in class and said if I auditioned and got a part, she¡¯d leave my friends alone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you must really care about your friends.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I love them. They have their faults, but they¡¯ve always been there for me.¡± I felt a hint of a smile. ¡°I wanted to return the favor.¡±

    When I turned back to Kade, his face was unreadable, ¡°I want to do the same.¡±

    ¡°I bet we both can if we try.¡± Hope sunk into every word. Hung up on the fact I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d made the right choice or not, I wanted to believe. It was like solemnly swearing to myself everything would be alright. Maybe not now, or even this run, but at some point.

    His head tilted up, and took a deep breath, ¡°Let¡¯s promise each other to try then.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Here¡¯s to trying.¡± A promise. One I hoped I could uphold with all my might.

 1.11 Skylight

    Fox came back on Thursday. Relief spilled into my veins at the sight of him. I hadn¡¯t realized how quickly I¡¯d come to get used to his presence in math. He looked up at me, the twist of his lips a little sheepish.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I fell into my seat, leaning across my chair to look at him. It was hard to tell with his light brown skin, but there were shadows under his eyes. Questions filled my head, and he gave me a pat on the head.

    ¡°Sorry for worrying you. I¡¯m ok, just had a bad response to the magic I used the other day.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that again. Even if it is for my sake, I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt because of me.¡± He studied me before heaving an overly dramatic sigh.

    As I furrowed my brows, he said, ¡°No more concerning predictions, then. I¡¯m glad things have been going well at least.

    There were still so many questions. The magic that had coursed through him, the way he had almost become another person entirely. Him breaking the rules when he¡¯d insisted he couldn¡¯t. Implied he wouldn¡¯t.

    My gaze must have looked severe still, as he offered a reassuring smile, ¡°I promise I¡¯m fine. As long as I don¡¯t use magic around you, you¡¯ll never even see that side of me again.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it doesn¡¯t hurt you in any way?¡± It would be my last question on the matter. ¡°You were gone for a few days¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± His grin widened as I fixed him with a look. ¡°For the record, no, it doesn¡¯t hurt me. Not physically. Or mentally. Or even emotionally. It just makes me feel like I¡¯m not all there. Kinda like when you wake up groggy and you¡¯re trying to wake up. Except I¡¯m in that state for a while. Depending on how much magic I use determines how long I stay in that state. Basically, I spent the past three days sleeping it off.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t been here on the first day, in the original timeline. Had it been for the same reason? I didn¡¯t want to ask any more questions. Not because he wouldn¡¯t tell me, because there was a chance he would. And that was the problem. I was starting to actually see him as a friend. The more I resisted, the more I felt that way. The worry I¡¯d felt had been real.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Best to let sleeping dogs lie. I focused on the lesson and pretended like I wasn¡¯t overly aware of Fox behind me. The scratching of his pencil on paper, or the way he¡¯d shift his body every five minutes like he couldn¡¯t stay still.

    It was all proof he was right there. With how often Fox liked to disappear, and how easily Fox warded away the attention of others, it was easy for my brain to wonder if he was real at all sometimes. It was a train of thought I¡¯d tried not to go on, but noting all his actions solidified him again.

    As we were sent off to work on our own or in groups, Fox tapped my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m going to be optimistic and say your math skills haven¡¯t completely vanished over the few days I was gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­They haven¡¯t.¡± Most of it was review for the test next week, but I wasn¡¯t as confident as I¡¯d hoped going through the notes the past few days.

    With the clear uncertainty in my voice, Fox relented, ¡°Alright, what¡¯re you struggling on?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for helping me.¡±

    ¡°It seems you managed to get another tutor in the days I was gone.¡± I was starting to expect he¡¯d know these kinds of things.

    ¡°Yeah, well. My acting skills are a lot worse than my math skills.¡±

    ¡°¡­I fear for your audition.¡± I mimed throwing my eraser at him and he ducked with a laugh. Both the audition and math test were next week. I felt like I needed to hand back glowing reports to everyone, considering how much help I¡¯d been receiving. It was the bare minimum for paying them back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do fine! ¡­Probably.¡± He didn¡¯t comment, but I could tell there wasn¡¯t blind faith in his eyes. It only got worse as we got through the questions, and he was giving me the most exhausted look I¡¯ve ever seen before in my life.

    As he once more circled an entire question, he mumbled, ¡°How did you get through your math classes before?¡±

    ¡°Barely?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m trying!¡± He pointed at the question again, and I went quiet as I let him go through every step for me. I hated to say it, but if Fox wasn¡¯t here I likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to pass this class.

    If we reset enough, maybe I¡¯d become a master of the material. As the thought crossed my mind, I realized how much I¡¯d thought about the reset. My mind had shelved so much of this into the ¡®not real¡¯ category of my brain, that even while engaging with it, I wasn¡¯t truly in the moment. The conversation I¡¯d had with Kade yesterday afternoon was maybe the first time my brain had registered him as a person. One with thoughts and feelings of his own.

    As time went on, the more it cracked through my layer of protection. I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d worry over Fox, but I had. I never thought I¡¯d have a meaning conversation with Kade, but we had. The realization made me falter, and all of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend the question in front of me.

    ¡°Cinder? Earth to Cinder?¡± Fox waved a hand in front of my face, and it took even that a moment to register I¡¯d zoned out.

    Was it going to be silly to say it out loud? ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No no, what¡¯s up? I think it¡¯s time to jump into therapist mode again.¡±

    ¡°A tutor, a video game tutorial, and now a therapist? You have so many skills, Fox.¡± I deflected, and I saw the same annoyance flicker across his face as the last time I¡¯d referred to him as such.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve added that to my list of titles.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°But no, you¡¯re not distracting me. If I know anything, it¡¯s that it has to do with all the story things. Because it always does.¡±

    ¡°It feels¡­mean to say.¡±

    ¡°What does?¡±

    I squirmed, hoping he wasn¡¯t further annoyed when I managed to speak, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­since everything happened, nothing felt real to me. But now I¡¯m starting to realize, you¡¯re all real. This isn¡¯t a long dream. You¡¯re¡­people.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected his smile to return. ¡°You¡¯re the same as everyone else.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an impossible situation. It just registering as real now is normal. Heck, many don¡¯t break through the fantasy until they¡¯ve failed the first run.¡± He said it matter-of-fact, and it almost made me relax. But it wasn¡¯t enough to quell these feelings.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that¡­bad? To not see people as¡­¡± I¡¯d dehumanized them. All my actions were based on what I thought would avoid or move alone the story. I¡¯d been so keen on the idea I¡¯d fail anyway, I hadn¡¯t cared about them. Was it for the better?

    I didn¡¯t know.

    Why had it taken me this long to realize what I¡¯d been doing?

    Fox¡¯s hand shot up faster than lightening, his other hand slamming his books shut, ¡°Cinder isn¡¯t feeling well, I¡¯m taking her to the nurse¡¯s office.¡±

    The teacher looked as stunned as I felt, and he dragged me from my seat, making me leave my stuff behind. We exited into the halls, all of which were quiet and devoid of life. Fox¡¯s hand was warm against my wrist, although he let it go the minute we¡¯d left class.

    He turned towards me and I managed, ¡°W-why¡¯d you bring me out here?¡±

    His hand raised and when his fingers brushed my cheeks I¡¯d realized tears had formed. I didn¡¯t understand why. It was the same as ever. Another day with all the same beats and rhythms. My thoughts had just gotten away from me. They¡¯d just¡ª

    ¡°I know this wasn¡¯t fair to you,¡± his voice was just above a whisper, ¡°It¡¯s ok to cry, now that everything is finally sinking in.¡±

    ¡°N-no, I wasn¡¯t the one whose been fair. I¡¯ve¡ª¡± My throat tightened and I buried my face in my hands. Shudders wracked my body. These were people, there were consequences. I had looked at them and thought of it like some kind of game.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I wiped furiously at my face, willing the tears to stop. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m crying.¡±

    Fox hesitated for a moment, before he reached out and hugged me. Pressed to him, I could hear his heart, a slow, steady beat. His grip on me was firm, solid despite his early hesitation, ¡°Grief hits everyone at different points.¡±

    ¡°Why would I be grieving?¡± He only held me tighter, and despite how awful I felt, I let myself cry on him.

    //

    The nurse had actually provided a note for class and some ice to reduce the redness in my eyes. I sat as far away as I physically could from Fox, humiliation coating my entire body.

    ¡°Are you going to be ok?¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s please never talk about what just happened again.¡±

    He didn¡¯t move closer to me, even as I pressed myself further away into the chair, ¡°I didn¡¯t mind. And I won¡¯t tell anyone either¡ªnot that I have anyone to tell.¡±

    From the corner of my eye, I could see the wet spot I¡¯d left on his blazer. I was going to be sick. I couldn¡¯t figure out what had come over me, and now that I was here, I was too focused on what I¡¯d done to puzzle out all the feelings that¡¯d embraced me.

    Fox sat with me in silence, and I pressed the compress to my eyes again. The feeling was soothing and I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be too obvious when I showed up to afterschool acting lessons. Wells didn¡¯t seem the type to say a thing, but it was impossible to call with Kade.

    I flinched at the thought of them, and I wondered if this counted as manipulation. All of this. It was so much to think about all at once. A variety of thoughts I¡¯d shoved away into the back of my head. It was all spilling out of me, even if I tried to push back against its force.

    With all my thoughts so jumbled together, I said, ¡°You should head back to class. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s really anything to do. Math isn¡¯t a struggle for me.¡±

    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re bragging.¡± I heard his laughter, and it only made my stomach twist. Fox and Fable were like¡­the editors? Or could they be considered the Headmaster¡¯s cowriters? For all my feelings on how I¡¯d dehumanized those around me, it occurred to me maybe they were doing the same to all of us. Fox wasn¡¯t being nice, he found me entertaining. A fun subject a part of his job. When we¡¯d first talked I had thought he¡¯d looked at me like a scientist would his experiment.

    My hairs raised as my head overflowed, ¡°I¡¯m serious. I don¡¯t want to leave you alone when you¡¯re experiencing a burst.¡±

    I latched onto that, slipping into my habit of asking questions so I could distract myself, ¡°A¡­burst?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned pretty much everyone goes through that. Repression is common and a way for the human psyche to protect itself, but it doesn¡¯t last forever. Your brain has a moment where it realizes what¡¯s going on, and in the impossibility of it, all your emotions spill out. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an actual, fancy term for it, but I¡¯ve referred to it as a burst.¡±

    ¡°You said most experience it after the first story. Why?¡± He went quiet, and I peeked out from under the compression. ¡°Is that another thing you can¡¯t tell me?¡±

    He was hesitant, ¡°I want to, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I tried for a smile. ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t want you to do anything that could get you hurt. And I guess I should add on, I don¡¯t want you to do anything that¡¯ll get you in trouble either.¡±

    ¡°I consider you a friend, Cinder. And if you don¡¯t believe that, I consider you your own person. I hope you believe that much.¡± His gaze fell on the ground, his form stark against the white of the nurse¡¯s office. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t. I approached you after all. I asked you to play this part.¡±

    ¡°I always wondered why you chose me instead of Abigail. But I doubt that¡¯s another thing you¡¯ll be able to answer.¡± I couldn¡¯t engage with the friend part. In the noise of my head, it wasn¡¯t properly registering. At some point, I could hold it up and examine it to see if it held any truth.

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯re not affected by magic and boundaries like everyone else is. There are few people like you, I¡¯ve heard. And I think you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever met who could do so.¡± I recalled the pitch he¡¯d given me, but a part of me had thought there might be more to that answer. Maybe I hoped there would be.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Finally, I fully pulled the compress away from my eyes. They felt better, and blinked a few times to get rid of the stinging feeling. I steadied myself, ¡°Alright. Do I look like I cried my eyes out in the hall?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°You hesitated.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a little red, but otherwise fine.¡±

    I got up and stood in front of the tiny, oval mirror the nurse¡¯s office had. My face looked back at me, with my eyes still a little red, ¡°¡­I should be fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound super certain about that.¡± He came to stand beside me and laid a hand on my shoulder. Seeing us together, crammed into the confines of slight glass, struck a nerve. My brain stored it away, a picture added to a scrapbook.

    ¡°We should grab our stuff. Class is about to end.¡± I pulled away.

    ¡°¡­Are you going to be ok?¡±

    ¡°I will be. I promise.¡±

    //

    My newfound guilt distracted me at the start of practice, but Wells¡¯ dead eyes quickly made me forget the feeling and dive in. Kade hadn¡¯t said anything when we met up, but he¡¯d looked at me for a long moment, and I knew he noticed my face. I acted like everything was fine, heading straight for the drama classroom so he wouldn¡¯t have time to ask.

    He kept his focus on me most of the time, and it was the first time I felt like I had an audience. Perhaps it showed, because at one point Wells pointed aggressively at the open binder siting in Kade¡¯s lap. His ears turned pink, and he ducked his head back down.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting steadier, but you seem distracted today.¡± For the first time, he didn¡¯t add anything to my list of notes. It almost felt like a sign I had a chance of making this. Or a sign he¡¯d already found all of my flaws. It added some relief either way.

    ¡°Sorry I wasn¡¯t able to focus.¡± I folded my hands in my lap, the weight of them meant to ground me. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little distracted.¡±

    Wells shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You did well regardless. And you¡¯ve improved.¡±

    My shoulders slumped in relief, ¡°You really think so? I feel like I¡¯m just as bad as when I first started.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t drastic, but it¡¯s there. We¡¯ll think of a game plan tomorrow for the auditions Monday. Your anxiety is going to be the biggest factor.¡± He slid the script back to me and I nodded.

    ¡°I think so, too.¡± I got to my feet. ¡°Thanks for today. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, yeah?¡±

    He paused like he was going to say something, but only said, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    Me and Kade walked out into the halls. Without the distractions, my brain was already starting to fill up with everything I¡¯d been thinking of before. I tried my best to wave those thoughts away, only to find the more I fought them the louder they got.

    ¡°H-hey, Cinder?¡± I snapped back to attention, realizing I¡¯d zoned out.

    ¡°Sorry! Yes?¡±

    His smile was nervous, ¡°Do you want to grab some snacks real quick?¡±

    ¡°O-oh, sure. I have time.¡± My brain hissed I was only going because I was tasked to, not because I wanted to. The first time I¡¯d considered Kade real was yesterday, and I¡¯d only just now realized it.

    His eyes lowered, ¡°Ok. Great. We¡¯ll go get snacks from the corner store.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sounds good.¡±

    He swallowed, gathering himself up to continue, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, but are you ok?¡±

    The question I¡¯d been dreading. I¡¯d tried to think up a proper excuse, one that wasn¡¯t the vague answers I¡¯d taken to giving everyone who asked. It was still hard to think of something, but at least we weren¡¯t close enough yet that being vague would cause issue, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been a rough day. I don¡¯t mean to bother you, especially since you don¡¯t know me¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok!¡± He flushed as his words tumbled out fast, and he lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You¡¯ve listened to my problems, I can listen to yours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, really. You could tell I¡¯d been crying earlier, huh?¡± Despite myself I moved my hand to face, as though trying to hide myself. I didn¡¯t think I was currently deserving of sympathy.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to say anything. I was afraid it¡¯d make you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It¡¯d been my own fault for crying. ¡°Guessing the snacks were meant to make me feel better.¡±

    He rubbed at his neck, ¡°Guilty as charge.¡±

    ¡°You said you owe me a favor, right? Pay for me and I¡¯ll call it even.¡± Wells acting help must have been paying off, because the fake smile I flashed came easier than I was expecting it to.

    ¡°Deal.¡± He took the lead and I followed. It looked like I was getting my favor after all.

    //

    The edge of foreign territory laid in front of me. In one hand, I had a video rental from the local rental place next to the corner store. My other was gripping my backpack strap to the point where it was almost white. Glued to the concrete, I stared at what laid before me.

    Why had I agreed to watch the movie at his place?

    Kade¡¯s house was about as average as my own. Small and compact, the lawn was only half green and the paint was well taken care of but chipped in some places. There weren¡¯t any cars out front, and while there could have been one in the garage, it was enough to send warning flares up in the air.

    He unlocked the door, waving me inside, ¡°Come in.¡±

    The command thawed out my limbs and I robotically entered the house. The smell of a foreign home drifted to my nose, a mix of scents I couldn¡¯t quite identify. The living room was set up pretty close to my home, with a couch set in front of a coffee table and tv. The difference was how large the television was. I couldn¡¯t help but be stunned by it for a second.

    Kade walked in after me, kicking his shoes off to the side where a collection of them were laid, ¡°Sorry if the place is a little messy. Cleaning day is Saturday.¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine!¡± I followed suit, lining my shoes up at the very edge of the family collection of them.

    He waved me forward, perhaps sensing my hesitation, ¡°You can set your bag on the couch. I was going to pop some popcorn, did you want anything to drink?¡±

    ¡°J-just water. Thanks.¡± He disappeared through the archway into what I could only guess as the kitchen. I did as I was told and set my bag on the couch and I sat at the very edge. Any attempt to relax failed, and I sat rod straight, examining everything around me.

    Family pictures were scattered alone the wall. Kade was younger in some of them, and other than losing his baby fat and growing in height, he looked overall the same. His parents beside him were smiling in all the photos, but the more I looked at them, the more I realized how far apart they all stood from one another.

    It was a detail I would have easily missed if I wasn¡¯t so hyper focused on every detail I could collect.

    The sound of popping popcorn came from behind me and a second later Kade walked out with a glass of water and a can of soda. He set it down in front of me and I gave my thanks.

    Sipping on it to give myself something to do and avoid any and all conversation, he took the DVD I¡¯d set down on the coffee table and moved towards the tv. I was still stunned by its size, and I figured it had to have been at least a 52-inch screen. The television in our living room was still a box tv.

    ¡°Thanks for inviting me.¡± I felt like I had to break the silence or it would kill me. He paused, glancing back as movie ads started to play on screen.

    With remote in hand he walked back towards me, ¡°It wasn¡¯t too sudden, was it?¡±

    It had been. When we passed by the movie rental and he¡¯d popped the question, I hadn¡¯t even processed what it was he¡¯d said. I¡¯d nodded automatically and felt too awkward to take it back afterwards.

    ¡°No, no! Honestly, I¡¯ve only ever been to Abigail¡¯s place, so this just feels really weird.¡±

    ¡°If it helps it¡¯s normally only Wells who used to come over. Sometimes the team, since we all rotate going to each other¡¯s houses after games. But even then, I think I have the smallest house out of all of them so they prefer anyone else¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more popular than that.¡± He was always hanging out with a group of boys whenever I saw him. It was a larger friend group than it was with me and Nia.

    He flinched, and I cursed myself for landing on a sensitive subject again somehow, ¡°The team is the team. They can be fun to hang out with sometimes, but our friendship is a lot more surface level than that.¡± He shifted away. ¡°I¡¯ll go grab the popcorn.¡±

    My awkwardness meter was broken at this point. I hadn¡¯t realized it¡¯d be such a sore topic of conversation. But if he felt like that, wasn¡¯t that why he¡¯d been so upset when Wells left? The only person he seemed to be close with on the team had left him. It must have felt like some kind of betrayal to their friendship.

    I mulled this over, along with all the other scraps I¡¯d managed to acquire thus far, before Kade reappeared with a yellow bowl filled to the brim with popcorn. He set it down in front of us, before distributing the collection of snacks amongst ourselves.

    ¡°I appreciate you paying for me.¡± Another desperate attempt to dispel the atmosphere.

    ¡°I did say I owe you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    The movie playing was the latest action flick. I didn¡¯t know much about it, but Nia was into those kinds of things and said it was fun. For a moment, I thought back to Fox. He¡¯d probably like it too, if I¡¯d guessed right and he was into comics and the like. This was in line with that kind of thing, right?

    I guess I was supposed to know about this kind of thing. After all, my sister had always compared me with the nerds since I was into video games. I¡¯d begged my parents for a game boy advance the minute it had come out. It laid in my desk with a collection of stickers all over it. A variety of games had become a part of my collection, and as long as I didn¡¯t play too much my parents didn¡¯t mind. My homework always had to come first and my gaming after.

    I thought they were a bit disappointed they¡¯d gotten a gamer kid, though. They were the kind who bought into all the articles about how bad it was for child development and how it was going to cause a sharp rise in violence. I doubted my collection of ¡®girl games¡¯ raised any red flags.

    The movie played. Kane was utterly relaxed next to me, and I knew it was because if he was in his own domain. If he¡¯d come over to my house he would have landed in the same position as me. Especially with my parents being there, focusing in on him like an enemy who¡¯d broken through their lines. Papi would have had a field day.

    It took to the halfway point for my body to finally unfurl. The movie was a little silly, but it was fun. Kade occasionally made comments, and it felt like any other moment with a friend.

    As the movie came to an end, the hero laid in a field of grass. He¡¯d saved the world, but at what cost? His eyes closed, the shot slowly zoomed out, and the credits rolled.

    I was back on the edge of the couch, ¡°What¡ª? No!¡±

    Nia hadn¡¯t ever mentioned anything about it being sad. Kade laughed as I furiously wiped my tears away, giving me a light pat on the shoulder, ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to make you cry twice again today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! What¡¯s the point in fighting if you¡¯re not going to get a happy ending?¡± The words hit closer to home then Kade could ever imagine. After he¡¯d gone through all the struggles and strife, the hero had still died in the end. ¡°At least he protected his loved ones, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Would you do the same? Protect others even if you didn¡¯t get your happy ending?¡± Kade wore a similar expression to the one he¡¯d had yesterday. I still didn¡¯t know what it meant as I pondered the question.

    If all I was doing only led to a happy ending for Abigail, would I be ok with it? It was hard to say, ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure. Is it selfish to say I want to fight for my own happiness even if I can¡¯t protect everyone?¡±

    I did want to protect everyone. But at the same time, I had to admit I wasn¡¯t as self-sacrificing as other people were. If I¡¯d sensed true danger when I¡¯d followed Abigail, I couldn¡¯t confidently say I would have taken her place. Maybe I would have, or maybe I¡¯d have run away at the last second.

    ¡°I think¡­it¡¯d depend on the person for me.¡± Kade stood up straight, swiping the remote from the table. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not here for heavy topics right?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­! Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize.¡± Whatever smile he offered wasn¡¯t enough to assure me. My thoughts had been spiraling all day. It was the first time I¡¯d latched on so heavily to the idea of whether I was a good person or not. The answer to that question was scary to me. ¡°What do you want to do now? We could¡ª¡±

    His voice was cut off by the sound of my phone ringing. We both jumped, and I scrambled to get it out of my bag. I flipped it open to find my mom¡¯s caller ID staring back at me.

    ¡°I think I might have to go home. Give me a second.¡± He nodded as I answered the call and was bombarded with my mom¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Where are you? Are you ok? You¡¯re going to be late for dinner.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom. I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s house right down the street.¡±

    ¡°Oh! You should have just said you were hanging out with Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s n¡ª¡±

    ¡°Anyway, hurry home. I don¡¯t want you to be out after dark.¡± The line went dead and I heaved a sigh at how quickly she¡¯d called and hung up.

    As I snapped the phone shut, Kade stood, ¡°Should I walk you home?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just down the street.¡± I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder, ¡°Thanks for inviting me over today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course. I¡­I hope you feel better.¡±

    I did, too. I kicked my shoes off and he waved me off from his door. I hoped mom wasn¡¯t too upset, since I had forgotten to call and let her know. Everything had happened so fast today I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. As I made my way back, I found myself running into Abigail.

    We both stared at each other, surprised to see the other outside of my house. She cleared her throat, ¡°Are you just getting back from acting practice?¡±

    ¡°No. Kade invited me to watch a movie at his place.¡± The words were wrong when spoken out loud. I pretended like I hadn¡¯t nearly flinched at saying them.

    Abigail gave a half-smile, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got this all figured out. You really didn¡¯t need my help.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s really awkward, honestly. I¡­¡± I was playing pretend. All the thoughts that had been running through my head today felt ready to overflow. For a second, I opened my mouth ready to spill my guts even if it wasn¡¯t believable. But my tongue turned to lead and my vocal chords ceased functioning. Fear sliced through my bones, and she reached a hand out.

    The coolness of her fingers made me realize how warm I¡¯d become, ¡°Are you ok? ¡­He didn¡¯t do anything did he?¡±

    ¡°What? No! Kade¡¯s really nice. He even bought me snacks and everything. Today has just been weird.¡± There was no way to tell her it was real. I could say it, if it was pretend. But when I¡¯d tried to be honest, everything had screamed at me to stop. It must have been breaking the rules to tell.

    She pushed a stray piece of hair away from my face, ¡°As long as he didn¡¯t do anything. Come on, let¡¯s go inside. You must be freezing still being in your uniform.¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel the cold, with how warm I was. But I let her take me from the hand and lead me inside. She unlocked the door with a spare key my parents had gotten her, and hauled me to my room.

    I changed, pulling on the biggest sweater I owned while Abigail sat on my bed. Her legs kicked out, and I noticed the nail polish on her toes had finally begun to chip. She was looking at my desk, where I¡¯d placed the book, the flower, and the paper sword.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d keep this in your closet.¡± Her fingers traced the cover of the book, and I tried not to overact like I had before.

    ¡°I did. But maybe it¡¯s disrespectful to the person who owned it to keep it hidden away.¡± She raised her eyebrows, but didn¡¯t comment. Instead, her hand trailed over the paper sword, and she placed it in her palm.

    She held it so carefully, ¡°Who gave this to you?¡±

    ¡°The kid that tutors me was doing origami before class started and made it. He said I could take it.¡± Her thumb brushed over it, before she let it slide back down onto the table.

    ¡°You know, I thought things were going well for you. You were talking about growing and making friends and going against Jen, it was like you would blossom. But the more I watch you, the more I feel like it¡¯s weighing you down.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. My eyes fell to my feet, and when she saw I was silent, she went on. ¡°What¡¯ll make you happy, Cinder? Let¡¯s go and do that.¡±

    ¡°Being with you and Nia!¡± She blinked as I hopped onto the space next to her. ¡°Being with the both of you makes me happy.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve always been with us. And even though you¡¯ve said that, you¡¯re not happy now, are you?¡±

    ¡°Because I said I¡¯d change! I¡¯ve never had to look into myself before. I¡¯ve always avoided self-reflection and now that I¡¯m looking inwards it¡¯s been so much. There are so many flaws I have and so many questions about myself I don¡¯t even have the answer to. It¡¯s my own weaknesses doing this.¡±

    Her hands were on my cheeks, squishing them together, ¡°Then don¡¯t forget your flaws can be your biggest strengths, and your virtues your biggest weakness. Don¡¯t focus on something as overrated as being perfect.¡±

    ¡°But I always thought you were¡­¡± My words were muffled and she squeezed my cheeks harder before I could get the words out.

    ¡°Perfect to you. But let¡¯s be honest baby doll, we both know I have a hell of a mean streak. I cause problems all the time. All because someone is your ideal doesn¡¯t make them perfect.¡± I knew that. Even when I measured myself against her, I understood. I did know Abigail¡¯s flaws, but they weren¡¯t mine so they didn¡¯t matter.

    I pried her hands away, ¡°Maybe because I¡¯m a coward, I almost admire you for being mean.

    ¡°Maybe because I¡¯m a bitch, I almost admire you for being nice.¡± She patted me on the head before jumping to her feet. ¡°Now let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m starving.¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t have spiraled as quickly as I had. If Fox called all of this a ¡®burst,¡¯ Abigail wouldn¡¯t have experienced one at all. She would have been aware of her actions and decided to go through with them anyway. The ex-main character. I glanced at the sword.

    It was mine now. Guilt or not, fear or not, I had to keep going. My gut told me it¡¯d only get harder from here.

 1.12 Daylight

    As the last day of acting practice came to an end, Wells surprised both me and Kade by saying he wasn¡¯t staying, ¡°I¡¯m confident enough to take a break.¡±

    I wished I was the same.

    Kade was fidgety as we walked, all of his conversation skills out the window with Wells here. If he was anxious, I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to break through it. With all the power vested in me, I reached into my inner well to channel my own social skills to break the ice.

    ¡°Were you going for the lead role, Wells?¡± We¡¯d been so focused on my own poor acting, the conversation had never steered to what he was doing.

    ¡°Yes.¡± It was what I¡¯d assumed.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t really have an opinion on the play though, right?¡± He hadn¡¯t showcased either disappointment or excitement, unlike everyone else in the class. When I¡¯d watched him the day of the announcement, he¡¯d only calmly taken a script before passing it along.

    He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡¯s the play about, anyway?¡± Kade jumped in, seemingly finding his footing with words.

    Wells gave a two-sentence elevator pitch, and I was glad I hadn¡¯t jumped in. I would have rambled ten times as long as necessary, ¡°I think it¡¯s entertaining, at least.¡±

    ¡°Are you also into action stories?¡± Wells nodded after a beat, looking like he hadn¡¯t thought of it before. ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t think I would have guessed that. You¡¯re so serious, I would have thought you¡¯d like more¡­classics, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, Wells used to kick my ass in every fighting game I had.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, you play games?¡± A note of excitement colored my voice without me meaning to. ¡°We should play something together! It¡¯ll be a break from all the drama stuff!¡±

    ¡°Sure?¡± The hint of surprise in his voice wasn¡¯t what I was expecting. I looked at him, and while it was hard to tell, I could see the way his eyes had widened just for a second. It was the first emotion he¡¯d showcased around me directly that wasn¡¯t related to a script.

    Kade smiled, the awkwardness finally leaving his body, ¡°We should. After the auditions we should all head to my place and hang out. It¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    Wells mulled it over as we headed out into the courtyard, before he finally nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is nailing those auditions.¡± Despite Kade¡¯s brightness and Well¡¯s confidence, I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about my own results. I doubted it would be that difficult to get an extra role. If anything, I was almost certain Jen made the bet because she didn¡¯t even expect me to show up on Monday.

    But I was going to, even if I embarrassed myself, ¡°We¡¯ll do fine.¡±

    Wells waved us off at the gate. As we said farewell, I noted Kade looked brighter than he ever had. Wells had agreed to hang out with us after auditions, and it was a start to patching up their friendship. I was feeling happy for him.

    ¡°I hope you know I¡¯m going to beat both of you on Monday.¡± If there was one place in my life I had confidence in, it was in video games. Granted, Abigail and Nia were the only ones I¡¯d ever played with, two people who didn¡¯t care much for games, but I was sure I¡¯d be fine.

    The look on Kade¡¯s face was enough to make me smile, ¡°I think I¡¯ll be the reigning champion.¡±

    ¡°Nope! Even if it¡¯s a game I¡¯ve never played before, once I figure out the controls, I¡¯ll defeat both of you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on, then.¡± He grinned. ¡°Ultimate loser has to buy the other two snacks.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Wells be here to agree to this?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be down to compete. He¡¯ll never show it, but his whole thing is based on winning.¡± The glint in his eyes said he was the same, too. With something to look forward to, I sunk my nails into the excitement. Was this the first time I¡¯d felt floaty since this all began?

    Maybe it was. Maybe I was finally starting to find the right path to the story.

    ¡°Alright then! Loser buys the winners snacks.¡± I held out my hand, and he gave it a firm shake. I noticed for a second, just how small my hand was in his. I hoped my grip was just as firm.

    //

    ¡°Are you three really going to watch me?¡± Nia and Abigail were expected, but seeing Kade had decided to watch the auditions was enough to make me squirm. Wells didn¡¯t pay attention to any of us, his attention on his script once more.

    Abigail was grinning, ¡°This is your first time putting yourself out there, how could we miss it?¡±

    ¡°Plus, you did this for me. It¡¯s my duty to cheer you on.¡± Nia took my hand and slipped on a bracelet. Based on the ties and knots, I knew she¡¯d made it herself and my heart swelled. ¡°For good luck.¡±

    Kade stood a little off to the side. He¡¯d reverted into his awkward self, and I knew my friends were to blame. While he¡¯d talked a bit with Abigail, the only interaction with Nia had been the time when he¡¯d hurt his hand.

    This was more about being here for Wells for him, I guessed. After how he reacted to Wells quitting the team, he was trying to make up for it by being supportive. Even if Wells hadn¡¯t bothered to interact with his, I had noticed he¡¯d glanced up when Kade had come in. It was another piece being placed to bridge the gap.

    Of course, Jen was here too. Even though she¡¯d stated she didn¡¯t have time for the winter play, nor did she care for it, she was auditioning. Based on the highlights I¡¯d peeked in her script, she was going for the main role anyway. I¡¯d expected nothing less. When she¡¯d seen me walk in, her scowl had cut across her face and she¡¯d spun around. She¡¯d ignored me since.

    As another person was called up on the stage, my heart rate picked up. Based on them going by last names, I was going to be one of the early ones. It was likely I was next.

    I clasped my hands tightly together, trying to imagine the drama teacher and whoever else was with her writing down notes. All I needed to say was that I wanted a small part. I wasn¡¯t there for a major character at all. It¡¯d be easy. There weren¡¯t too many people auditioning.

    Abigail reached out and clasped my hands, ¡°Chill, with the two¡ªthree of us here, you¡¯re going to do fantastic. We¡¯re giving you all our energy.¡±

    She threw a wink at Kade and he stared without a clue how to react to that. I was about to melt in the ground because of her. Nia pressed her hand to her mouth to muffle her laughs, jamming an elbow into Abigail¡¯s side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease her before she goes on stage. We¡¯re trying to calm her down.¡± Nia¡¯s voice was so quiet even I strained to hear her.

    Abigail showed no remorse, ¡°Oopsie.¡±

    It was all too soon when I was called onto the stage. My limbs were stiff, my hands had started to bead with sweat. The walk towards the stage was enough to use up all my energy. I¡¯d told myself I¡¯d be prepared, but nothing could have prepared me for actually walking up there.

    Wells had looked up at my name being called. As I passed he caught my eye. He mouthed, ¡°Remember what we went over.¡± And added a thumbs up. Wells had said I¡¯d be fine. I wanted to believe. I just had to follow everything he taught me.

    I forced my shoulders to relax and walked out. The lights were so bright to my anxious riddled brain. The teacher sat with her clipboard in hand. When she saw me, she gave a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Cinder Ch¨¢vez. What role are you going to be auditioning for?¡±

    The question made it real. Even more so than it had been. I forced my voice not shake, and my eyes to focus straight ahead. It was something small, but this felt like a leap for me. I opened my mouth, ready as I could ever be.

    //

    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Nia offered me a granola bar and I broke off half before returning it to her. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand how people manage to do that. And to do it willingly.¡±

    Jen¡¯s audition had been a masterclass, along with Wells. I had suspected it when watching them go over their lines in class, but seeing it on stage with their full force behind it was something else. I¡¯d watched them with awe, trying to keep it to myself when Jen was on stage. It was amazing what the both of them were capable of.

    ¡°Results are announced Wednesday, right? I want to be there to see how Jen reacts. She better keep her word.¡± Abigail had vengeance in her eyes. It was the happiest I¡¯ve seen her look all school year. At least, I figured I was going to be ok. Abigail would get her side of dessert, and hopefully me and Nia would be left alone.

    ¡°I hope she will.¡± I stretched, desperate to leave now that auditions were over. I scanned the crowd, looking for Kade and Wells amongst the faces.

    Abigail grinned, ¡°Oh right, you have a date after this.¡±

    ¡°W-what? No, it¡¯s me, Kade, and Wells. We¡¯re just going to Kade¡¯s house to play some games.¡± She¡¯d been wonderfully quiet about me hanging out at his house last week. If I kept this up, I really would convince everyone I had true feelings for him. I hoped that would be enough.

    Nia was also looking at the crowd. When I followed her gaze, I found Jen. She was packing up, not a hint of tension in her body. Whatever role she wanted, she¡¯d likely get with the performance she put on. She must have been used to doing everything perfect.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s left us alone now.¡± Nia paused, dragging her eyes away. ¡°I guess we¡¯re the ones always challenging her first.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the one causing problems! Didn¡¯t she ¡®accidently¡¯ bump into you one time in hopes you¡¯d hurt your ankle and couldn¡¯t play the remainder of the season? At least once she¡¯s gone, you can finally be captain of the team, just like you already should be.¡± Despite how Jen treated her, Nia was an exceptional basketball player. She¡¯d been doing it since she could walk, and had kept it up until now. Her and Jen were easily the best on the team, the source of most their tension.

    ¡°We have no idea if it was on purpose or not.¡±

    ¡°Little Miss Perfect fucking up a play? So likely.¡± Abigail¡¯s voice dripped sarcasm, but she dropped it as Nia shot her a look. I hadn¡¯t been there, but with how Jen was, it was hard to say. She was desperate to get to the top, but I always thought she was still the type to play fair. Usually.

    ¡°Well, I should head out. Congrats on making it through auditions.¡± Nia hugged me with one arm before slipping away.

    I watched her go and turned to Abigail, ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait up for me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Of course I want to. I haven¡¯t met Mr. Drama Tutor yet. We¡¯re all going the same way, besides. No point in leaving without you.¡± She beamed, the bubbly mask slipping into place. I wondered how she¡¯d react to Wells. Somehow, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d be deterred by his one word answers.

    ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting!¡± Kade popped up in front of us, Wells a step behind him.

    ¡°Your acting was amazing Wells.¡± He only inclined his head at my praise.

    ¡°You managed.¡± He returned, and I was ten times more relieved when he said it then when anyone else had. Years of admiring people on stage and the next thing I knew I was trying to be up there myself.

    ¡°I know I keep saying it, but I really do appreciate your help.¡± There was no way I would have managed to convince myself to go up there without it. His notes and crash course lessons had been the only reason I hadn¡¯t collapsed. Abigail shifted and I quickly cleared my throat. ¡°Right! This is my best friend Abigail. She lives on the same street as me.¡±

    ¡°Wells.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± With a faux cheer and a smile just mild enough to be seen as genuine, Abigail offered her hand. Wells took it, not a sliver of emotion on his face. She didn¡¯t look put-off in the slightest, as I¡¯d expected. ¡°Well what¡¯re we waiting for? I heard you guys have some game competition to get to.¡±

    Wells sighed quietly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be the competitive one Cinder.¡±

    ¡°She only has a competitive streak with gaming. Whenever me and Nia are at her house, she refuses to give us a chance. We¡¯re just gathered around the tv teaming up on her.¡±

    ¡°I-I could go easy on you guys¡ª¡±

    ¡°Winning through pity isn¡¯t any fun!¡± She protested, and as Kade laughed she whirled on him. ¡°You have to beat her, ok? Restore my honor for me.¡±

    Kade shook his head, ¡°It¡¯ll be easy, I bet.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­! Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± Humor was behind his eyes, and as we walked and bantered, everything felt so cohesive. I¡¯d felt so awkward on my own, but Abigail chased away any awkwardness. It was impossible to notice any strain between Kade and Wells when she took control of the situation.

    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t busy today, I¡¯d have loved to come and watch.¡±

    ¡°Maybe next time you can.¡±

    Her eyes slid towards me, a joke in there I couldn¡¯t get, ¡°Maybe next time I will.¡±

    //

    Abigail parted ways with a dramatic display of regret. After she reminded Kade he had to annihilate me in whatever we were playing, she had vanished. The energy shift without her was obvious.

    ¡°Your friend is¡­a handful.¡±

    ¡°Do you realize how that sounds Wells?¡± Kade suppressed a grin as Wells stared blankly at him. ¡°Just say you don¡¯t do well with extroverts.¡±

    ¡°I do fine with extroverts. I¡¯m in drama.¡± I got the feeling he wasn¡¯t being entirely honest. Abigail was a special case when it came to extroversion. Even when she was holding back, she was still overflowing. Her energy knew no bounds.

    ¡°You get used to her after a while.¡±

    Wells stared at me, and I wondered what it was he was looking for, ¡°Come on Kade, let¡¯s go.¡±

    He pulled away, and I watched him go. I wasn¡¯t good at reading emotions, but I knew whatever the look on his face had been was a new one. Outside a smile or a flicker of surprise. What had I seen?

    I followed after him and Kade.

    Being in Kade¡¯s house the second time around was nowhere near as harrowing as the first. I placed my shoes at the corner of all the other shoes, and I followed him and Wells inside. Wells looked comfortable here, proof he¡¯d visited before. Like last time, there hadn¡¯t been any cars in the front and there were no signs of Kade¡¯s parents.

    I tried my best not to hyperfocus on the pictures again, dissecting the distance between parents and child. Kade slipped into the hall, and it took me a whole minute to realize we were going into his room. Static entered my skull, remembering there hadn¡¯t been any game stations out front in the living room. Of course we¡¯d be hanging out in his room. I should have known.

    Forcing my feet forward, I half hid behind Wells who eyed me. He opened his mouth to say something, but we came to the end of the short hall and to the door of Kade¡¯s room.

    ¡°I did my best to clean up.¡± Kade started, and whatever Wells was going to say to me was dropped.

    He passed through the threshold, ¡°A first for you.¡±

    With all the courage I could muster, I walked inside, too.

    Kade¡¯s room was simple. A collection of basic furniture, with a desk spilling over with books. From what I could see, a decent chunk of them were fantasy trade paperbacks or video game tie-ins. Something I hadn¡¯t expected from him. There was a tv set up across from his bed, and tucked away in the corner were a handful of medals and trophies. They were shoved between various other objects and knickknacks. Zero care had been given to them.

    Most people would showcase them. It was another detail I tucked away in my notes about him.

    Wells discarded his bag and hopped on the bed with zero hesitation. Kade shuffled through a collection of game cases, holding up a few, ¡°Which one are we feeling?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move further in the room. The exchange felt common amidst the two boys. I was an observer, peeking in. The strange feeling washed over me, like I¡¯d stumbled onto the private routine of two strangers.

    ¡°Whichever one you feel most comfortable with.¡± Wells inclined his head to the side. ¡°You can sit down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Sorry.¡± I walked in, my feet like lead. Discarding my bag where Wells had, I hopped onto the opposite end Wells had taken. Kade¡¯s bed was a lot firmer than mine. The covers a solid dark blue, and smooth beneath my touch. I¡¯d always thought people¡¯s houses were different worlds. It¡¯d been so long since I¡¯d visited someone¡¯s house for the first time or seen their room for the first time, I¡¯d forgotten the specific feeling.

    Kade each handed us a controller, the cord just long enough to reach us. He took a space in the middle. The both of them were relaxed, and I tried to mimic them, but my body remained straight, propped on the bed¡¯s edge. The start screen loading in took a moment to register.

    I was semi-familiar with the game. Not from playing, but from ads scattered along storefront windows or in the tech section in stores. Most fighting games were the same in the end, once you figured out how movements and timing specifically worked within that title.

    ¡°Practice round.¡± Wells said, and neither of us disagreed. A character menu popped up, and I went with a character who wore a comically large apple hat on his head. Kade¡¯s and Wells¡¯ choices were far more serious in appearance.

    Wells may have called it a practice round, but they were at each other¡¯s throats in seconds. Abigail and I may have joked I was the competitive one, but it was nothing compared to the two next to me. It had to be caused by their sports backgrounds, and any sense of sheepishness on Kade¡¯s part or seriousness on Wells part had vanished.

    ¡°You still use the same tricks as last time.¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯ve always worked in beating you.¡±

    Content to let the two of them jump around the stage in a desperate attempt to kill each other, I tested out the controls to the side. Unsure of the combos, I got used to basic attacks first. When the boys¡¯ violence started to circle back to me, I¡¯d jump away, glad they¡¯d forgotten about me.

    ¡°Stay still!¡± Wells damage was exceptionally high now, and he¡¯d taken the defensive side of things. As his character landed on the platform above me, I did the dishonorable thing. I stole Kade¡¯s kill.

    With an up attack, a spark of mini explosions threw Wells offscreen. His life counter went down and left him staring at the screen silent for a moment, ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry. The opportunity was there. And I think I¡¯ve kinda figured out controls?¡± Wells cut a glance at me, while Kade grinned.

    ¡°Stealing kills is rude, you know.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± They were going to team up on me. I could see it in their eyes. With my very limited knowledge of the game I did my best to fend them off. It was a hopeless match, one that landed in my defeat easy. But by the end of it, I felt a lot more comfortable in the controls. ¡°Wait, round two!¡±

    ¡°Round one, you mean?¡± Wells voice was dry, and I only nodded, feeling my hair fluttered around my face by how quickly I did.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want another practice round? We¡¯ll start keeping score now.¡± The bet was now in play, but I only nodded more. I was sure I¡¯d be fine after this. My fingers were less stiff, along with the rest of my body.

    ¡°Wait. Gonna grab water. Give me a sec.¡± Wells slid off the bed, turning to look at me. ¡°Need anything?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Wells slipped out and Kade¡¯s hands let go of the controller and stretched his fingers. ¡°You really are competitive.¡±

    ¡°Me? The both of you are super scary, going after each other so intensely like that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve always been trying to one-up each other.¡± His hands came back into a resting position on his lap.

    ¡°Always?¡± His head bowed, an attempt to hide an inscrutable expression on his face.

    ¡°Yeah. Competition just runs in our blood.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but look back at the corner where the trophies were shoved so out of the way, ¡°Really? I never really pegged you as the competitive type, especially when¡ª¡±

    The air twisted, raising all the hairs on my arms. Outside the room, glass broke and there was a muffled swear. I moved to get up on instinct. Kade¡¯s hand fell on my shoulder, keeping me in place. Something was wrong. All the anxiety he kept inside, it was pouring into his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± His hand fell away from me and I scrambled to my feet anyway.

    What was wrong? I couldn¡¯t ask. My feet hit the floor and stayed there. Whatever had happened slipped me back into the world of unreality. The same one I¡¯d been in and out of since this all started. I didn¡¯t know how we got here or what had triggered the reaction.

    ¡°Why do you look so anxious? It¡¯s probably just broken glass.¡± He smiled, but¡­There was something wrong with it that I couldn¡¯t pinpoint. The room was filling up with blue. Warning bells were going off in my brain. Like I¡¯d stumbled over the wrong line.

    How could I have done something wrong? ¡°W-what if he¡¯s cut?¡±

    Kade paused for a second, his fingers tracing the top of his hand. Maybe recalling his own cut weeks prior, ¡°Let¡¯s check on him together, then.¡±

    Going into the kitchen and finding Wells perfectly fine should have made me feel relieved. The pressure in my chest didn¡¯t go away. He waved Kade off when he tried to help with the glass, saying he¡¯d gotten most of it.

    ¡°Sorry for breaking something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a glass, no big deal. My parents won¡¯t even notice it¡¯s missing.¡± I searched for the source of wrongness. Their voices became distant as I glanced around the kitchen. It was old wooden cabinets and darkened kitchen counters. The oven showed the time in an obnoxious green light. The only light source besides the sun filtering through windows coated with a thin layer of dust. I could see outside from here. The backyard was the same as the front yard. The grass was half green and there was a slab of concrete where a collection of plastic chairs were laid around a firepit.

    There was nothing alarming in sight. The world still felt like I was underwater and the prickles in my skin didn¡¯t go away. Something had changed just now and not for the better. I needed to figure it out. The source had to be somewhere around here.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± I returned to attention, as difficult as it was.

    Wells was staring at me, his expression more serious than usual, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡± My voice didn¡¯t even feel like it belonged to me.

    He showed his hands and wiggled his feet. There was no point of damage on him. My shoulders relaxed by a fraction, but it didn¡¯t change anything. I was Fox with his magic, caught in a place in-between.

    Wells hands landed on my shoulder and spun around, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Like a robot, I did as told. Kade followed, and when I snuck a peek at him, I saw his eyes had gone a little dim. I hadn¡¯t imagined the shift. The issue was I wasn¡¯t sure what it was that had caused it.

    Maybe because I mentioned the trophies? A sore spot of sorts. It was the only thing I could think of. But it didn¡¯t make sense how that had caused this kind of effect. I wish Fox had told me there would be worldly shifts when something changed. Ones only I would notice.

    ¡°Round one.¡± Wells announced, either ignorant or ignoring the way both me and Kade¡¯s moods had slipped. ¡°I want snacks.¡±

    It was enough to snap Kade back to reality. The heaviness eased, but only a little, ¡°Ironically, so do I.¡±

    I switched to autopilot, and played along.

 1.13 Nightlight

    I had won in the end, by the skin of my teeth. The victory bounced off me as Kade had given a dramatic groan and flopped backwards on his bed, ¡°You got the hang of that so fast.¡±

    ¡°I got lucky in the last round.¡± I glanced out the window, noting the darkening sky. I¡¯d told my mom beforehand I was hanging out with friends, so she wouldn¡¯t spring another emergency call on me.

    Wells followed my gaze, ¡°It¡¯s too late to grab something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only¡­¡± Kade trailed off as Wells looked at him. I couldn¡¯t really tell what they were communicating to each other, only that there was an exchange going on, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s getting dark. But we¡¯re doing a snack run tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t skip out.¡± Wells had lost, although also only by a margin. For all the rounds we played, it could have ended with any one of us the winner. Had I¡¯d not had my soul kicked out my body, I was sure I would have enjoyed it. Playing with Nia and Abigail was fun and they always indulged me, but playing with people so into winning was a different experience.

    For the past few hours, I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what had caused it. Kade seemed fine now, as far as I could tell. The hours of gaming had done him good. There wasn¡¯t a trace of what I¡¯d noticed earlier on his face. Whatever it had been.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you home Cinder.¡± Wells looked at me, and I was surprised at the offer. Kade looked surprised too, his eyebrows raising and a protest on his lips.

    ¡°I can take her, she lives right down the street.¡±

    Wells gave him a look, ¡°I have to walk home anyway.¡±

    There was a similar look in Kade¡¯s eyes again. One I couldn¡¯t understand. He only nodded at Wells, before turning to me. Even though he tried to mask it, it was still there. Hiding just underneath.

    His smile was forced, ¡°I¡¯ll see you, then.¡±

    ¡°Kade¡­¡± Whatever was in my voice made Wells sigh and look ready to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡±

    I watched as he headed off without another word. And I tried to find words for what I wanted to say to Kade. He watched me, whatever look he had before burning off. I couldn¡¯t ask.  I was too scared to. There were so many things I wanted to ask. But they were all lost to me. There were so many things that were wrong with this situation. All of the ways in which today had changed from happy to not. I wanted it to go back to being fine. The light atmosphere we¡¯d had at the beginning of all of this.

    But with Kade looking at me like that it was impossible to really go for it. All I could do was stand there, feeling my heart in my chest and the air in my lungs poisoning my bloodstream. Kade waited, ever patient. I was surprised there wasn¡¯t a hint of annoyance on his face with how much time I¡¯d wasted.

    Even now, the strangeness hung in the air. Clouded everything around me. What was wrong Kade? That¡¯s all I needed to ask. What was wrong and what had happened? Did I do something wrong I needed to know about? I didn¡¯t want to know. I was always doing something wrong, and me not owning up to it was the reason I was weak. Jen was right. Fable was right. All the feelings from last week spilled into me. It was something I couldn¡¯t escape. No matter how badly I wanted to.

    He cleared his throat, ¡°Whatever you want to say it¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong earlier?¡± I rushed the words, knowing I wouldn¡¯t say them otherwise.

    ¡°Earlier¡­?¡± He slowly shook his head. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know you seemed¡­different. When Wells was in the kitchen.¡± I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling surrounding me again. Pressing in from all corners. Maybe I should have accepted Wells out.

    Kade¡¯s expression cracked, and he turned his head away, ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­what? If there¡¯s anything I can do to help then¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was saying. It was like being lead on a thread. A puppet with its master. Even though I had been told I¡¯d had free will this entire time, that my choices wouldn¡¯t be affected, in this second, it was like I was being led on.

    His expression muted, his hand once more touched the place where I¡¯d bandaged him, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to worry about me. You shouldn¡¯t keep Wells waiting.¡±

    It was watching a curtain close. I couldn¡¯t press it. I didn¡¯t know how, ¡°W-well. You don¡¯t have to tell me. But know that today was fun. And I like you and Wells enough. Today was nice.¡±

    Despite everything, I truly felt that way. He finally looked at me again, ¡°Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±

    He paused. ¡°Thanks for caring. Even though we don¡¯t really know each other.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Of course.¡± I was just doing my job. Nothing more, nothing less. Even so, Kade¡¯s smile was already lighter. Sad, I realized. In a way I couldn¡¯t describe. For a reason I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why later, maybe. If you still want to hear it then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I know we¡¯re strangers, so just let me know when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯m fine with listening.¡±

    He walked me out after that. Wells sat on the steps to the door, and he squinted up at the two of us as the living room light flooded outside and made him flinch. We¡¯d talked for a little bit, and I¡¯m sure his eyes had adjusted to the settled darkness.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Sorry about the wait Wells.¡± I really did feel bad. He didn¡¯t have a jacket and the outside air had gotten cold. The fall nights were kicking in.

    He stood, ¡°It¡¯s fine. The cold hardly ever affects me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for coming over. It was nice to hang out again.¡± Wells nodded without a response. As he walked down the walkway, I waved by to Kade. Hurrying after him, the light followed me down from the house. It wasn¡¯t until we¡¯d made it to the actual sidewalk that the door actually closed. Despite the time, Kade¡¯s parents still weren¡¯t home. They must work long shifts.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    Wells caught me off guard, ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine, just worried about Kade¡ª¡±

    I cut myself off, wondering if Kade even wanted me to talk about it. He¡¯d been acting normal around Wells. I wondered if he¡¯d noticed it.

    His eyes flicked away, ¡°There¡¯s no reason to worry about him. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I thought that was the most Wells has ever said at once, ¡°Are you sure? He seemed¡­¡±

    I still wasn¡¯t sure what he seemed like. As we walked, Wells expression looked severe under the streetlight, ¡°He gets like that sometimes. Caught in his head.¡±

    ¡°I feel like it was because I said something wrong.¡±

    ¡°No. Maybe.¡± Wells shrugged. ¡°Either way, it probably wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t refute what he was saying. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d done anything. All I¡¯d done to piece it together had resulted in me empty handed. I really didn¡¯t do anything. Did I? I furrowed my eyebrows, deeply lost in thought. Wells smacked me on the back, and I yelped.

    ¡°You¡¯re a lot like him.¡± He stated, and I heard a note of exhaustion in his tone.

    ¡°You¡­you really think so?¡± I couldn¡¯t see it. Maybe he and I were a little awkward and maybe we were more on the introverted scale. But he was so obviously boyish and the kind of girls never were. It was endearing to watch, and maybe because I was watching it was easy to notice the shift in his moods.

    Wells shrugged again, ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve seen. It¡¯s hard to say. I don¡¯t know you well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m not the best at making friends. But being around you and Kade has been¡­nice.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He was staring at me again. I wondered what about me had caught his eye. All I¡¯d been was awkward and in the way most of the time. At first, I thought his stares were due to annoyance, but I was starting to get the feeling that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I hope it stays that way.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too.¡± I motioned towards my house as we got there. ¡°Well, this is my stop. Are you going to be alright walking home?¡±

    ¡°I live in the next neighborhood over. There¡¯s no reason to worry.¡± He walked me up to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you.¡± I waved goodbye and slipped inside. When I did, I saw my mom coming around the corner. She raised her eyebrows as she saw a glimpse of Wells before I managed to shut the door all the way.

    ¡°Oh? Was that a boy I saw just now?¡± Her grin lit up her entire face. ¡°Who was the lucky guy?¡±

    ¡°A friend.¡± I protested immediately, not evening wanting to entertain the possibility. I didn¡¯t need mom to sneak a look at Abigail and mention a boy, only for her to spill the beans on Kade and make my mom tease me even more. I could hear her already.

    Something about me managing to charm all the boys, and whatever other nonsense she would start to go on about.

    She chuckled, the mischievousness of it enough to make me want to run away, ¡°Alright, alright. Welcome home. And I won¡¯t tell your dad about this.¡±

    Papi would find a way to murder them. They¡¯d be six feet under by tomorrow morning. I swallowed, ¡°Thanks. But really, he¡¯s just a friend. He¡¯s part of drama class. He was auditioning today with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh! How did that go?¡± I¡¯d successfully avoided any further talk of Wells, and hopefully deflected her questions before she got it into her mind that Wells really wasn¡¯t just a friend.

    As the day wound down, my thoughts were a mess. I managed to drag myself back to my room and flopped on my bed after dinner. There was little energy left in me to get changed. My eyes were heavy, the world was still off kilter, and there was no strength in my body as though I¡¯d been drained.

    I needed to ask Fox about what had happened. I was sure it hadn¡¯t been me.

    Right?

    //

    Fox looked far more concerned than he had any right to, ¡°You¡¯re saying everything around you went¡­blue?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but that¡¯s how it felt.¡± I couldn¡¯t explain the exact experience I¡¯d had. When I woke up, everything had been normal again. It made the end of the other day feel like a dream. If I wasn¡¯t still in my uniform, I would have considered it so.

    He blew a raspberry, a very dramatic sound far too loud considering we were minutes away from my ever cursed math exam. The kids around us last minute cramming threw glares his way. He ignored them. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to feel those kinds of things.¡±

    ¡°What kinds of things?¡±

    I was getting more concerned by the second, and he immediately put on a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Everything is going to be fine. It just means you¡¯re a lot more sensitive to things than I thought before.¡±

    ¡°You mean like with magic?¡± He¡¯d said that was the reason he¡¯d picked me after all. But I guess there was more to it than what I was thinking before. But maybe I hadn¡¯t thought deeply of it at all. When Fox had said that, everything felt too abstract. All I was doing was remembering things and noticing things. They weren¡¯t exactly note-worthy feats.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Now, I was in the middle of something else. Fox nodded, ¡°Yeah, magic. I think what you sensed was coming from the¡­¡±

    He trailed off, looking as though he realized something important. His eyebrows furrowed and I leaned forward, ¡°From what? Is it that bad? Should I be concerned?¡±

    I already was, ¡°Well. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m allowed to tell you. That would be interference. And after what happened last time, you did tell me not to stick my neck out there.¡±

    There was a joke to it, but underneath I sensed he was being serious. He actually couldn¡¯t tell me about this, and he¡¯d already broken the rules once before. I groaned, ¡°I don¡¯t want to experience that again. I feel like everything around me was wrong.¡±

    ¡°I know. It isn¡¯t a pleasant experience.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­is that what you feel sometimes? When you use magic?¡± Was that too personal? It had slipped out the minute I¡¯d thought of it. That strange headspace I¡¯d been in almost seemed like it could be reminiscent of the kind that Fox went through prior.

    He nodded, ¡°Something like that. Sometimes being sensitive to magic has severe drawbacks. Since you haven¡¯t really spent that much time around it, it hasn¡¯t had an effect on you so you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain what was causing it¡­¡± I knew Fox wasn¡¯t allowed to tell me. I was more talking out loud. The feeling had hit suddenly and it was like nothing I¡¯d ever experienced before. No. That wasn¡¯t quite right. I had experienced something like this before.

    There had been days where everything felt wrong for reasons I couldn¡¯t place. It wasn¡¯t as heavy as yesterday night, but it¡¯d had an effect on me. I wasn¡¯t sure what magic felt like, so I didn¡¯t know if those strange days were related. And if it had been, that made the source of said magic even more confusing.

    ¡°We can talk more after class.¡± He patted my shoulder. ¡°I think right now it¡¯s more important for you to concentrate on your test than your newfound magic sensitivities.¡±

    Just as Fox said it, the bell rang, signaling the start of hell. The tests were handed out, and when I passed it back to Fox, he mouthed a ¡®good luck.¡¯ If there was any reason I was passing this, it was because he¡¯d single handedly carried me through this class thus far.

    To my surprise, I was capable of doing some of it. I still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what I was doing, but there were concepts I remembered, if only because Fox had circled these types of questions a million times when we were working together.

    I barely finished on time, and when I looked around I was the second to last to finish, but I did it. My brain was numb and nothing looked quite right at the end, but I did it. I was almost triumphant as I placed the test on his desk, not because I was certain I¡¯d passed but because I hadn¡¯t felt like I was looking at a completely foreign language. When I walked back, I saw Fox folding paper again. Alarm rang through my chest because of last time, but there was no magic dripping off of him. He was just messing around making paper frogs.

    ¡°You should teach me how to make these.¡± I picked one up as class came to an end a couple minutes later. His finger pressed down on one of the ones on his desk and it shot up and fell right into my lap. I picked it up and tossed it back to him.

    ¡°They¡¯re pretty easy.¡± He mopped them into his bag with his arm. ¡°You can make one in like a minute.¡±

    ¡°Then show me.¡± I pocketed the one in my hand, and Fox didn¡¯t say anything. I still had the sword on my desk. I¡¯d set it down and hadn¡¯t touched it since.

    The two of us walked out into the halls, the first time he¡¯d done so in a while. As we converged with the traffic, he said, ¡°We should swing by the library¡ªno, no one is there this time.¡±

    He raised his hands to fend off the frown I¡¯d shot him, ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m not about to run into yet another private conversation and find myself being rude and listening in on strangers?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not quite strangers anymore, right?¡± He jokingly winked¡ªbadly¡ªand I had to force myself not to smile at how dumb it looked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡± I collected everything I needed with my locker, texted Abigail to go ahead without me, and walked with Fox to the library. He sat down at a table in the back, the one me, Nia, and Abigail normally sat in during lunch. I peered through the window, watching the wave of students leave through the gates. It was like I could see the whole world from up here.

    He rested his elbows on the table, and his face in his hands, ¡°Alright so you said everything went¡­blue, correct?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it actually went blue, it just felt like¡­the world shifted into it in my mind. Like, a washed out slate blue, not bright blue.¡± Not the color of Fox¡¯s magic. The brightness of it almost hurt my eyes the few times I¡¯d seen, almost boarding on white and emitting an intensity I couldn¡¯t describe.

    ¡°Right. Because you felt the emotions behind the magic, and the emotion was ¡®slate blue.¡¯ Hold on, let me explain.¡± He grinned as I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°As I¡¯ve said about other things I¡¯ll say this now; you may not understand everything I¡¯m going to say. That¡¯s fine. In this case, you¡¯ll understand it more with experience.¡±

    ¡°¡­So I¡¯ll definitely experience it again?¡±

    ¡°Likely. Now let me see how to explain this. As I mentioned before, this world is just being born. That means all the rules are not quite in place, and that¡¯s especially true for magic. There are no rules or laws when it comes to it. Not yet, at least. Unfiltered magic can lead to severe consequences, with overuse leading even to death.¡± I tensed, my brain immediately bending towards Fox.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know better than to get myself killed, don¡¯t worry.¡± He waved the question away before I could ask it. ¡°Even though there are no strict rules in place yet, there is a basis for magic. Emotions and desires respectively. How magic takes shape is different based on where a person is pulling from. The magic you felt was clearly based on emotions and it was so strong, you could see it spilling into the air around you.¡±

    Before I knew what I was doing, I was writing everything down. I hadn¡¯t been able to get all the details Fox had told me about all the other strange things in the beginning, but I had the chance to note it down now. ¡°What would magic based on desire be like, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I do.¡± He held out his palm, and a bright blue ring hovered above his hand. ¡°It¡¯s very rare when magic based purely on emotion takes shape. A lot of the time, people aren¡¯t even aware they¡¯re emitting it. It isn¡¯t a big deal in small amounts. But sometimes people can overflow, and it¡¯ll affect others.¡±

    He closed his hand and the ring evaporated. I noted that this time his eyes hadn¡¯t gotten their bright blue sheen. When he noticed me looking, he reached out and lightly flicked my noise. I yelped in surprise, and jerked back, ¡°H-hey!¡±

    ¡°Few people in this world have magic. I¡¯m surprised that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of them isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s¡­Kade, isn¡¯t it?¡± I still don¡¯t understand why he overflowed the way he did. All the times I¡¯d turned the conversation and events over and over in my head and none of it made sense.

    Fox was reading my mind, ¡°It¡¯s possible it wasn¡¯t anything major. Even a pebble can crumble a wall if it¡¯s damaged enough. While I don¡¯t know who it belongs to, I am surprised your first story has someone with magic.¡±

    ¡°But I was allowed to choose myself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but despite that Headmaster Gnight makes sure to keep the more dangerous stories away from people, at least at first. It¡¯s very odd.¡± I hadn¡¯t felt like I¡¯d been in danger at any point. In danger of dying of embarrassment, maybe. But that was a typical Tuesday for me. No, if anything, the magic I¡¯d felt was just a wall of sadness. If the other strange things I¡¯d tuned in on were also related, then it explained the strange melancholy.

    ¡°If I can sense magic so well, can¡¯t I use it?¡± A shot in the dark.

    The way he smiled confirmed I¡¯d asked the exact stupid thing he¡¯d been waiting for, ¡°Sensing magic and using magic are two different things. People that can use magic can always sense it, but it isn¡¯t always the other way around. Were you hoping you could start playing tricks like I can?¡±

    ¡°Not really?¡± If there were risks involved, I didn¡¯t want to touch it. I could already imagine all the ways it¡¯d bring me harm without having to think hard on it. ¡°I just thought I should know, just in case.¡±

    ¡°For you, it¡¯s more like you can use it as a warning. Your own personal alarm.¡± He had the fascination in his eyes again. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was supposed to take it.

    ¡°Have there not been a lot of other people the Headmaster has chosen that has been able to do similar things?¡±

    ¡°None.¡± My eyes widened as his grin did. ¡°It¡¯s believed those who contain magic or those that are more sensitive to magic can acquire what they want a lot more easily than the average person. But that¡¯s an unfair assumption, isn¡¯t it? The drawbacks can be just as prevalent as the benefits. For you specifically, this ability hasn¡¯t even been noted. I wonder why, though¡­¡±

    I glanced away, noting that the crowd outside had finally trickled down to only a cluster of small groups. Kids still hanging around and loitering before they headed back home or did whatever else their lives entailed. Without thinking, I looked for Wells and Kade, knowing they wouldn¡¯t be there.

    The more I learned, the less I knew, ¡°Even though you say that, I feel the same as I always have.¡±

    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t change anything about you. It¡¯s simply something you can sense. You¡¯re just you.¡± He pushed himself back up into a sitting position, leaning over to grab his bag. ¡°Let¡¯s get you a snack before you start to spiral into your doom and gloom again.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to!¡±

    ¡°Right. Should we save it for when you get your test score back?¡±

    It was a shot through the heart, ¡°I-I tried my best! I can ace any other subject, I hope you know. English, psychics, history, anything. Math is just¡­not were my skills lie.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I stood as he did, feeling the need to protest but knowing I wasn¡¯t about to win. When my score came back and I had passed, maybe I¡¯d have a leg to stand on. For now, I followed him out, trying not to let my mind wander in the state Fox was expecting.

    //

    ¡°Their sherbet is so good.¡± We were back at the smoothie and ice cream shop Fox had showed me prior. It was a reminder I still needed to bring my friends here. Fox had elected for only a drink, but I¡¯d been craving something sweet. Despite his offer, I refused to let him pay for me again. He¡¯d been the one who¡¯d said the last time really was the last time. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you go to this kind of place.¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t good food good food?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t met any boys that went to cute looking shops like this on their own. Maybe he didn¡¯t go on his own, and the only time he came here was when he needed to offer someone comfort. It was a decent distraction, considering how good it was.

    ¡°Cute things are fine with me.¡± I flushed, feeling the heat spool into my ears. One day he¡¯d cease to find ways to amuse himself by teasing me.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡± It was.

    ¡°Sure.¡± He didn¡¯t challenge it, but because he knew it was a lie. ¡°At least this time, we can enjoy ourselves without Fable jump scaring us.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, he was looking for you when you disappeared last week. He called me out to ask me where you were. I didn¡¯t expect him to do that when I was with Abigail and Nia.¡± Or at all.

    He rolled his eyes, ¡°He¡¯s always trying to keep tabs on me. He should have known I go out of commission from time to time. He can handle things on his own.¡±

    ¡°I¡­lied to him. About the magic.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± There was only curiosity in his tone.

    I honestly didn¡¯t know, ¡°I thought you would get in trouble. Besides, I don¡¯t like Fable anyway. I¡­I yelled at him. And stormed off. It felt good in the moment but I¡¯m scared he¡¯ll do something to me now¡­¡±

    ¡°You yelled at him?¡± Fox choked on a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt he deserved it. I would have paid to see his face.¡±

    ¡°¡­He didn¡¯t really react.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he was more thrown off than he was leading on. He¡¯s a lot easier than you think.¡± With a loud slurp on the remnants of his smoothie, he leaned back looking oddly satisfied.

    I tapped my fingers against the table, ¡°Now that I¡¯m remembering that¡­He won¡¯t do anything¡­right?¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster would hate him for it. He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°This might be random but is Fable the Headmaster¡¯s son¡­?¡± Fable really just looked like a mini version of the man. But so many people looked a like to me, especially when I didn¡¯t know them.

    Fox nodded, ¡°They look the same, but they don¡¯t really act the same. I wonder where he got his awful personality from.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re the one I got a class with and not him.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine a class with Fable. Dealing with someone a little weird was completely fine when compared to someone who hated my guts. I already had to deal with that coming from Jen. With Fable sitting right behind me I would have failed pre-calc solely because I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate.

    ¡°He¡¯s older, so that helps.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t surprising, but I hadn¡¯t ever considered it, ¡°Does he¡­look down on me like I¡¯m a kid¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he could come up with a list of reasons for why he looks down at you.¡± I flinched at how easily he said it.  ¡°Mine would probably be just as long.¡±

    He made it sound so easy. I had the last bite of my sherbet, before I let the spoon clatter into the paper bowl, ¡°Then we¡¯ll just¡­ignore him. Ah, well, that¡¯s easier for me to do than you but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no. I pretty much ignore him already. If anything, it may be harder for you as time goes on. Especially since¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­very good at not talking about the ¡®story¡¯ are you?¡±

    ¡°Oops?¡± He didn¡¯t look concerned at all about it. I started to wonder if the punishment for messing up would even be that bad with how careless he was about it. ¡°It¡¯s habit to discuss these things. I¡¯ve never interacted with one of Headmaster Gnight¡¯s chosen main characters before. I did a lot more background work. This is the first time I¡¯ve had to try for subtly.¡±

    ¡°You were pretty off-putting when we first met, too.¡±

    ¡°Ha, sorry about that. It¡¯s just that I was hoping it would be you. I was so in my head I didn¡¯t realize how it would come across until after. I really didn¡¯t mean to scare you. When I was told I was allowed to have input, I just jumped on it. I should have thought how it would have felt in your position.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mind it? I mean I did, but I¡¯m not sure how that could have been easier on me. It was all so unbelievable. It still is to some degree, although I¡¯ve started to process it.¡± It made me think that maybe the reason why Fox had been so eager to help me was guilt. He¡¯d been the one to choose me, and maybe he hadn¡¯t realized any consequence of it. It was a ¡®happy ending.¡¯ How could that cause distress for anyone?

    I was also surprised to hear that he hadn¡¯t ever done this before. I had figured both him and Fable had, considering how close they were to the Headmaster. If that was the case, then it made sense for Fable to be there. He was the Headmaster¡¯s son. But then what about Fox? I once more was reminded I knew nothing about the boy in front of me. He hadn¡¯t even cared to confirm whether he liked comics or not when I¡¯d asked. The only things I knew was he was in my grade, he knew magic, and there was a high chance he read comics, confirmation or not.

    ¡°Are you ok? You seem distracted?¡± Easy for him to say. He wasn¡¯t the one who had to process a million things all at once.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been distracted a lot these days. I¡¯m trying not to let it get to me, though. I want to avoid everyone teasing me about it.¡± There had been a lot of that.

    ¡°Well, then stop thinking about it. Let¡¯s see¡­are you excited for the audition results to be posted tomorrow? It was fun seeing you on stage¡ª¡±

    ¡°You were there¡ª?¡± My voice squeaked in surprise. The look on his face told me enough. I was going to leave. The heat in my face was more than I had ever expected.

    ¡°I was hidden, obviously. But I couldn¡¯t help but peek in. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to actual do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel oddly betrayed by that fact.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Congrats on doing it, though.¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t watch the play because I¡¯m in it, it¡¯s fine.¡± He only smiled, and I couldn¡¯t get a read on what he was thinking as he did so. I guessed he¡¯d seen my interactions with everyone as well. He hadn¡¯t pushed about Wells or Kade as much as I thought he would, content to just play observer.

    Outside, it was starting to get dark. We were rolling into October, and the days were shortening minute by minute for each day that passed. I knew it was time to get home, but this place had started to feel like another world. I hated to admit it, but I liked it here with Fox and the distant whorl of machinery in the distance. This was a place I needed. A place to breathe.

 1.14 Rising Action

    ¡°Look at you, unnamed citizen number 3.¡± Abigail was draped over me as we peered at the bulletin board. To no one¡¯s surprise, Wells was casted in the male lead role, and Jen as the female lead. What was more surprising, was to find my name up there in the first place. Abigail was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she saw it. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a nothing role.¡± I ducked under her arm, watching as she glanced around looking for a specific someone. I knew it was Jen. Abigail had even shown up at my house twenty minutes early to make sure we wouldn¡¯t miss her. I didn¡¯t want to be here when she started rubbing it into her face. I sensed it was going to be inevitable.

    ¡°A nothing role that¡¯s going to get Queen B to shut up for a while.¡± She picked at something underneath her nail. ¡°An invaluable contribution to this friend group, truly. We owe you our lives.¡±

    ¡°Who owes who?¡± Nia popped up, having been summoned from the depths by Abigail¡¯s ceaseless texts. I could never understand how she managed to text so fast on the dial pad. If I looked at Nia¡¯s phone, I wouldn¡¯t doubt there being twenty texts minimum from her.

    Abigail motioned dramatically at the board, ¡°Our beloved Cinder got a part, can you believe it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You texted me a million times about it.¡± When Nia looked at me, she gave a much warmer smile. ¡°Congrats though. I¡¯m impressed you managed to actually force yourself to walk on stage.

    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how I managed to do that either, ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I managed to be of some use. I don¡¯t know if Jen will keep her word but¡­¡±

    Abigail¡¯s eyes snapped up. She raised her hands and cupped her mouth, ¡°Hey Queen B! Will you keep your word?¡±

    I whirled and there she was. Jen walked up to the board without so much as looking at us. She only peered at it for a second, nodded, and then turned towards us. Rather, she turned towards me.

    There was only ice in her eyes, ¡°I should have made the conditions harder. Even someone whose never acted before can be a lineless background character.¡±

    ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal my dear. No backing out now.¡± Abigail planted herself in front of me, breaking off contact. ¡°Now promise to leave Nia alone until you graduate and we¡¯re even.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯d prefer if it was all three of us¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Nia alone, then. She can continue on prancing around practice if she likes. As for Cinder, we¡¯re going to have plenty of time spent together. We have rehearsals to show up to now, don¡¯t we?¡± When I peeked out from behind Abigail, Jen¡¯s eyes were glaciers.

    She gave a curl of her lip, a promise of what was to come. I¡¯d gone from someone she never noticed to her newfound target. Abigail tensed, and I already knew the kind of words that were going to be said.

    I rushed out, ¡°I-I look forward to working with you.¡±

    Jen eyed me, ¡°I look forward to seeing you, then. At least you¡¯re not as disappointing as I thought.¡±

    She turned on her heel and left. Abigail¡¯s hands had curled into fists, and I tapped her shoulder once. Although she didn¡¯t turn her gaze away from where Jen had gone, she let her fingers relax.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t she ever have a decent attitude about anything? I think she¡¯d be so much easier to get along with if she wasn¡¯t always attacking people for no reason.¡±

    ¡°I guess people really do hate people that mirror themselves.¡± Betrayal flashed through her face as Nia gave a lazy grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m nothing like her! When I attack someone, there¡¯s always a reason behind it.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can ignore her now, right?¡± I cut in, desperate to drive her attention away from Jen. ¡°Ah, I may not be able to walk home with you much now, though. I¡¯m going to be busy attending rehearsals¡­¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m so proud of you for doing so! Now you can face your next challenge.¡± I leaned away from Abigail, slipping from hiding behind her to inching behind Nia.

    ¡°What would that be¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Obviously to get you more confident for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh! Hi Wells!¡± I cut her off just in time as I noticed the dark haired boy stroll down the halls. He blinked at me, eyes blurry from sleep. He was so put together in class, I barely recognized him like this.

    He gave a nod, ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡±

    ¡°I got a part! You did well yourself.¡± Much like Jen, he only glanced at the posting briefly. Both of them had to have been confident in their abilities to not even make a big fuss of it.

    ¡°Congrats. I¡¯ll see you in class.¡± It was as brief as I¡¯d expected. I waved as he continued on his way, only after noting the bright grin on Abigail¡¯s face. I had a million questions, and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d like the answer to one of them.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to almost sell you out to Kade¡¯s bestie over there.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t get a pulse on their relationship as it stood, but I think it was still far away from that. It wasn¡¯t convenient to correct her, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d tell but¡­it¡¯d still be really awkward for him to know.¡±

    Plus, with how perceptive he seemed to be I was terrified he¡¯d see through it. I could already imagine him asking me if I really had a crush on Kane in class, like how he¡¯d asked if I¡¯d listened in on them at the library. I was more likely to melt than I was to be able to lie my way through that one. It was easier to do so with Abigail and Nia, because they wouldn¡¯t even think I¡¯d lie to them.

    What did it say about me, that I was using their trust against them?

    //

    ¡°Actors usually sit in front.¡± Jen stood over me, hands folded across her chest. Whispers cascaded around me, with looks being through my way by the other stage hands. It wasn¡¯t like it was unusual for us to audition and get parts. People switched over all the time, especially sophomores after they learned the ropes freshman year.

    But I¡¯d cemented myself as such a wallflower with so little interest in acting, that everyone who even knew me for a second was caught in a state of shock. With a spotlight on me, I carefully picked myself up.

    ¡°Right.¡± She looked at me before walking towards her usual spot. I trailed after her, breaking off near the middle area while she headed right towards the front. She said nothing more and sat with the usual group she tended to be around.

    I had never learned the name of her friends. The three of them sometimes reminded me of me and my friends, but watching them gave a completely different feel. She may have been the leader of the group like Abigail almost felt like to us, but her friends were both so loud. Nia wasn¡¯t an introvert, but she always tended to fall on the quieter side. I myself was an introvert in every sense of the word.

    From here, being closer to them than before, it was weird to see. They sounded like they were tumbling over each other¡¯s words, trying to say sentences faster than the person before them. The more I watched, the more I realized that Jen was the quiet one between the three.

    I hadn¡¯t ever thought of it before.

    Wells walked in a moment later, still looking as tired as he had earlier. I couldn¡¯t help but look at him in concern, and he slid into the space next to me. ¡°Are you¡­ok?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, stayed up too late.¡± He discarded his bag in front of him and pulled his legs up to his knees. I noted his wrist was adorned with a watch, the plastic cover broken but the arms still ticking.

    He tilted his head at me and I scrambled, ¡°S-sorry you¡¯re tired.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± As the bell rang overhead the teacher descended to the front. I was aware of Wells movement beside me, or rather, the lack of it. Once his body curled into position, it stayed there for most of the class. I did my best to do the same, only moving to start exercises and practice.

    Even though Jen had called me ¡®actor,¡¯ I had a grand total of one line in the play. It was a lot more than I had been expecting, considering I¡¯d slotted myself into voiceless extra, but it wasn¡¯t something that required all that much practice or fuss. Wells still paired up with me, despite my feeble protests.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to working with you by now.¡± At that, I went quiet despite the desire to protest still heavy within my chest.

    I figured this would start to be a new routine now. Jen doing what she could to slowly get under my skin and practices with Wells during class, while watching him act out actual scenes in rehearsal.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    If it wasn¡¯t for Jen, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d mind it. But I was as acutely aware of her as I was Wells. It was like a cloud that hung over me. I only went on with class, and did my best to ignore it.

    ¡°Right, I lost the other day.¡± Wells said near the end of class. I blinked, having been so lost in through I¡¯d forgotten about that entirely. ¡°I wonder when Kade is free.¡±

    ¡°He normally walks with me after school now. We could meet up and decide? I¡¯m free today if you and Kade are.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll meet with you by the gate.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, see you then.¡±

    The bell rang overhead, and I paused for a moment. The tiredness still hadn¡¯t left him. But it wasn¡¯t my business. I didn¡¯t want to pry. I wished him goodbye before my curiosity could get the best of me.

    //

    ¡°It feels like you got a second friend group.¡± Abigail walked with me towards the front gate. The statement threw me, because I hadn¡¯t considered it like that at all.

    ¡°Does it¡­?¡±

    Her arm brushed against mine, a bright smile on her face, ¡°That¡¯s good! I think this is what it feels like to be a proud mother watching her child blossom.¡±

    ¡°P-please no.¡± She laughed, careful in the sound. I tried to turn her statement over in my head. Were we becoming friends? Wells was distant in a forward way, and Kade was distant in an avoidant way.  I was still just a few steps above stranger in my head. The path to friendship wasn¡¯t even in my field of vision no matter how hard I looked for it.

    Wells was already waiting by the gate when we arrived. Abigail waved in greeting, ¡°Hello Actor Boy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, hello Cinder¡¯s Friend.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± She clapped her hands on my back. ¡°I hope you know I¡¯m disappointed that the two of you didn¡¯t beat her in the end.¡±

    Wells¡¯ expression didn¡¯t even twitch, ¡°You gave that job to Kade if I¡¯m remembering correctly.¡±

    ¡°I have a few words for him when he gets here about that. He was supposed to beat my long time enemy. Oh, how bitter my heart weeps.¡±

    I nudged her hands away, ¡°It¡¯s just when it comes to games. You¡¯d beat me in anything else.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll ask Nia to go one-on-one with you in a basketball game! She can reclaim my honor then.¡± I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her, and Abigail knew it. I was so short that Nia could block any throw I¡¯d attempt, and it wasn¡¯t like I had any sense of aim or arm strength to make it to the target besides.

    It was too harsh a punishment, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I¡¯d feel almost sorry to Nia for making her play with me.¡±

    ¡°Better yet¡­¡± She spun me around so I was suddenly face to face with Kade. He stepped back in surprise as I pushed back against Abigail. ¡°Since Cinder beat you in gaming, you have to beat her in soccer.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± He exchanged looks with Wells who merely shrugged in response. ¡°I don¡¯t mind a match.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ve never played a game in my life.¡± His and Abigail¡¯s laughter overlapped and I scooted away towards Wells. ¡°It¡¯d be over before it even started.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± She ruffled my hair before I could stop her. ¡°Now that the gang¡¯s all here though, I should get going.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Why are you here Wells?¡±

    Kade turned to Wells, who said, ¡°Loser buys snacks. I lost didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Oh right! I would have let you go if you hadn¡¯t reminded me.¡± He glanced away as Kade grinned. ¡°Do you want to tag along, Abigail?¡±

    The mischief was back in her eyes again, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m busy. You kids have fun, though! I¡¯ll see you later Cinder.¡±

    She waved and ran off ahead. I watched her merge into the sea of other kids leaving, feeling my head spin. I knew she wasn¡¯t going to be upset about it, but her supportiveness still surprised me. Whenever anyone asked why we were best friends, I could tell them I knew this for a fact. She would always be here for me.

    ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Wells wasted no time. I hadn¡¯t thought of it, with my head wrapped up on so many other things. Kade was right, if Wells hadn¡¯t mentioned it I doubt I would have remembered the bet at all. Especially with how the night had ended.

    Kade¡¯s response was immediate, ¡°Slushies from seventy-seven.¡±

    With an immediate eyeroll, Wells turned on his heels and started walking down the opposite way of where I normally walked. Despite living here my whole life, I was a lot more familiar with my side of town than the other half. The other half was more the boogie area, filled with large houses and gated homes. Even the parks had looked nicer when my parents drove through it to take me to doctor appointments growing up. It was a far cry from our cramped house, that was always overflowing with my parents, my sister, and I¡¯s belongings.

    Most kids came from that side of town, seeing as Aster Academy was a private school. Papi had known some people and pulled some strings, and Abigail had gotten in on scholarship. While I wasn¡¯t familiar with how much my parents were paying, I had tried to keep my grades up to prove it was worth it. It was why my math grade haunted me so.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Wells cast a glance back at me, and I realized I had gotten lost in thought again.

    I quickly shook my head, ¡°I-I¡¯ll probably decide on something when we get there.¡±

    Seventy-seven was an indiscreet building with beige painted walls and a brick foundation. There were a few other kids in Aster Academy uniforms milling about or walking out of the store with their own different colored slushie combinations. I hadn¡¯t even know it existed, and it was only a few minutes away from school.

    Inside, there were a collection of snacks and candy. Drink machines were in the back and Kade made a beeline for it, excited to get whatever combo he was going to get. I felt myself smile despite myself, before looking around. I hadn¡¯t even thought this place was a sweets shop based on the name. it sounded closer to a corner store than anything.

    I wandered around, thinking about what I wanted. In my head, I added this as another place I needed to take Nia and Abigail to soon. Hopefully we¡¯d all be free and have time to go. It¡¯d been a while since the three of us had time to hang out after school.

    ¡°Ah, is there anything you like Wells?¡± Too overwhelmed with the unexpected choices, especially since they were different than what I was expecting, I turned to him.

    He walked up next to me, barely noting the selection. I got the feeling the two of them stopped here often, ¡°Depends on what you¡¯re into.¡±

    ¡°Anything fruity, or extra sweet. Or sour.¡± I rattled off my preferences. ¡°What are you getting?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really going to get anything.¡±

    ¡°Really? You can pick something and we could share.¡±

    He waved a hand over one of the clear plastic containers in front of us, ¡°I normally just grab sour strips, if I¡¯m going for sour.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine! We can get a mix.¡± I grabbed a plastic bag, arm brushing against Wells as I reached for it. He stilled a moment, before taking a step back. As I tore the bag off the spiel, I pulled back. ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He glanced away from me. As I formed a question on my tongue, Kade appeared in front of us.

    In his hand was a mixture of colors. I counted at least four, and I wondered if each taste was indistinguishable from the next. Wells frowned, ¡°Disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it tastes good you know.¡± Kade offered it with a half-grin, and Wells shook his head.

    ¡°Can you even taste each flavor at this point?¡±

    ¡°I promise it¡¯s fine.¡± He held it out to me. ¡°You?¡±

    As my brain bluescreened, my embarrassment must have shown on my face because Kade immediately pulled back, his eyes slipping away. I swallowed, ¡°U-um, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    His ears were a hint red. I stared for a long minute as he turned away, focusing on them. Just as suddenly, I spun around and focused only on filling my bag. There was something not right about the sight. It made me remember a crucial detail that I¡¯d been forgetting about this entire time.

    It was a failure if I didn¡¯t fall for the person in question either.

    There was nothing in my heart like that. There had never been feelings like that in my heart for anyone. There had been plenty of those that I had admired but they had never spilled over into the realm of romantic. The reminder that Kade¡¯s sudden and inexplicable blush conveyed wasn¡¯t quite what I had been expecting. I hadn¡¯t gotten any readings that he liked me either.

    ¡°Right, well, we should go pay.¡± I spun the bag to seal it shut and grabbed one of the green ties.

    Wells looked like he couldn¡¯t be more excited to leave. It was the most emotion I¡¯d seen on his face outside of acting today, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wells paid, and we headed out. There were still other kids from school around, but Wells continued walking down the road. Kade followed, closer to Wells then to me, and I couldn¡¯t help but keep my distance from him. This was going to end up as an automatic failure for me. I didn¡¯t know Kade well yet, but I felt it in my heart I wasn¡¯t going to feel anything for him like that.

    Was acknowledging that going to lead to a dead end? I paused, as I realized that. There hadn¡¯t been any clear indication of when a failure would occur. The Headmaster had said I¡¯d only have a limited amount of time after a failure to fix things. But did personal feelings have a slower failure time than the villain winning?

    I wasn¡¯t sure.

    Wells sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±

    ¡°R-right! Sorry.¡± I hurried to catch up, still trailing right behind him. The three of us came upon a park and a look crossed Kade¡¯s face.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in a sec.¡± The park wasn¡¯t anything special, despite it being pretty big. There was a long field of grass on one side, with the play structure on the other. Kids were running around, having been set free from school and burning off energy.

    In this autumn weather, it was a scene out of a kind of postcard.

    Wells collapsed at one of the tables, and I slipped onto the side across from him. I untied the bag and set it in the middle, having gotten enough for all three of us to snack on. I pulled out a strip first, just so I didn¡¯t have to talk.

    Maybe thinking the same, Wells pulled out another one. The sour crystals stuck to our fingers, shiny in the sunlight. It¡¯d been a long time since I had some of these. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯d gone to a candy shop, and normal places only had cheap sour straws. The flavors were completely different.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said that a lot to me.¡±

    ¡°W-well, you¡¯ve helped me out a lot Wells. I really appreciate it.¡± I reached for another strip. ¡°But if it¡¯s annoying, I-I¡¯ll stop.¡±

    He shook his head, rubbing away the crystals. I watched as they fell, ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±

    I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn¡¯t. Kade had gotten his composure back at some point, and filled in, ¡°You won this fair and square.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± It felt wrong just to take it. Wells didn¡¯t even have to agree to this, since it had been me and Kade¡¯s idea. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Kade reached out and pulled out a sour strip himself, ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you.¡± Wells grumbled, focusing his attention out on the other people around us. I looked at everyone, too, and I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy the energy. As a kid, I hadn¡¯t really been the one to run around on the playgrounds, Abigail had pulled me along everywhere.

    Seeing some of the kids made me wish I had been. Abigail was always talking about the friends she would make for a day while playing, and I was never one to leave my house, always watching the outside world from my window. Even though she tried, I¡¯d still managed to keep to myself.

    I turned back to look at them, only to catch Kade¡¯s gaze. Like before, I¡¯d expected him to look away, but he didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t either. A soft smile showed on his face for a moment, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to react.

    When I smiled, I felt the way it wobbled on the edges. This was leading him on. Not in the false way I heard boys complain about, but in a genuine way. I needed to draw the line. I knew I did. I wasn¡¯t meant to complete this story, anyway. It would be better in the end.

    Before I knew it, I felt a tap on my foot. It wasn¡¯t Kade, I knew that instantly. I tore my gaze away and directed it to Wells. He wasn¡¯t looking at me, not fully. But the expression on his face was the inscrutable one from before. Like he was watching me and always noting my actions.

    I didn¡¯t know how to take it, so I only took another strip. I returned to people watching. I let all these revelations slide off of me.

 Intermission II: Only the Stories Know

    Cinder had gone to wash her hands, saying she didn¡¯t like how sticky they¡¯d gotten. I watched her, aware it was an excuse. She¡¯d been trying to get away since the candy store. The entire time she¡¯d trailed behind us.

    Kade kept glancing in the direction she¡¯d wandered off. I kept my gaze forward, disinterest crumbling as time went on. The girl in question was not one who¡¯d I pay attention to usually. My eyes slid to Kade. A crack in my exterior.

    He raised his eyebrows, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s too good for you.¡± I was surprised at the hardness in my voice. It sounded like a piece from a play. A line I¡¯d plucked from my head. Kade blinked once, the softness he tended to wear also crumbling.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgiven me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The air was chilly. The noise from the people around us distant. Kade set down his cup, eyes sliding away. There was a firmness to his jaw I hadn¡¯t seen in years, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt her. Or you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to say.¡± I watched Kade. Looked at his veins as though they¡¯d start to turn sick. He only stayed still, thoughts likely whirling. There were no goosebumps on his arms. He didn¡¯t feel the chill like I did.

    He watched nothing. ¡°What would it take?¡±

    ¡°Time.¡± It was objectively the correct answer. If time went on, I¡¯d forget how¡¯d I¡¯d felt back then. It didn¡¯t ring right. I don¡¯t think Kade noticed. He accepted it at face value. He wasn¡¯t ever good at noticing things around him.

    ¡°¡­Why did you agree to help her, anyway?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think it was so unlike me to help, ¡°Why did you start talking to her?¡±

    ¡°We¡­kept running into each other. She helped me, before.¡± He traced his hand. I noted it was one that had been hurt prior. Multiple times. I never knew why he was so prone to wounds there, until summer hit. ¡°I guess I just¡­stuck around.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt her.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to repeat it.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°I really do.¡±

    I already knew why. Cinder would, too, soon enough.

 1.15 Rising Star

    Kade was quiet when we parted from Wells. When I¡¯d asked what was wrong he only waved me off with an overly forced smile. Concern pooled heavy in my stomach, remembering the shift the last time we¡¯d been together. Even if everything was going well, it didn¡¯t mean it would stay that way.

    For all the questions I had about how my own feelings were going to get tangled in all of this, if at all, I knew I didn¡¯t want to leave Kade like this. His spiraling would lead to my own. It lead to the question I was most curious about.

    ¡°Hey Kade?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°If you could make any wish, what would it be?¡± He was a dear-in-headlights. It was a better expression than what he was wearing before. The surprise had chased it all away. He took a moment, as though really considering it.

    ¡°What would be yours?¡±

    I expected the question to be lobbied back at me, ¡°When we were little, me and Abigail promised each other we would have a happy ending no matter what. My wish would be for us to have that. Whatever it means for both of us.¡±

    His gaze fell, ¡°Do you really think you can find it? A happy ending.¡±

    If I didn¡¯t, there was no point in any of this, ¡°Not easily. But I think I can.¡±

    ¡°If I could have a wish it¡¯d be¡­¡± His voice trailed off and he looked at me. His eyebrows drew together in a determined line before he continued. ¡°Can I¡­show you something?¡±

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡±

    As we entered our neighborhood, Kade veered off the usual path. Despite the confusion swirling around in my chest, I followed. Our neighborhood was nestled alongside the start of the woods. Near the houses the foliage was thinned, but the further in one went the thicker it got. Abigail and I had dared each other as kids to go a little farther in each time. She could have wandered through it for hours, with little care of getting lost. I only ever took an extra step each time I was dared.

    When we reached the tree line, he stopped, ¡°¡­Promise you won¡¯t tell anyone else?¡±

    ¡°I¡­yeah. Of course.¡± Doubt was crossing his face now. In any other situation, I think alarm bells would have gone off in my head. But strangely, I didn¡¯t feel the need to get away.

    He swallowed, ¡°It¡¯s um. It¡¯s not going to be what you¡¯re expecting.¡±

    I knew what this was about, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ok.¡±

    We descended through the trees. Shadows kissed my skin from the reddening leaves on the trees. The light filtered down from the lowering sun, and all the dust glinted suspended in the air.

    Kade came to a stop where the space was clear of trees. Just fallen leaves, still soft in their freshness, stuck to the soles of my shoes as I stopped a little away from him. He stayed quiet, gathering himself and his thoughts. I let him.

    It was not silent, despite neither of us talking. Skitters danced around us and birds called to each other amidst the branches. If I tuned in, I could hear my own breaths and Kade¡¯s as well. The calmness that found me was foreign, but a welcomed experience I hadn¡¯t felt in a while.

    He finally turned to look at me. His hand raised, a blue spilled into the atmosphere around us.

    ¡°Magic.¡± I said, and I felt the prickle of strong emotions I¡¯d felt before. It teased my skin, trying to raise my anxiety once again. I did my best to shake it off, knowing these feelings were his own and not mine.

    When our eyes met, his were wider than mine, ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve been feeling it this whole time.¡± I raised a hand, as though to cup the color. The world around us became muted in a blue filter. The creatures around us became quiet, the world came to be only the two of us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to control it. Not well.¡± He stepped closer to me, scanning my actions to see if I flinched away. I didn¡¯t. He came closer. ¡°You asked what my wish would be, it would be able to handle this. Whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a chance, right? There has to be.¡± I knew nothing about magic, and the way Fox had described it made it seem like as long as there was intent behind the magic it was possible to bottle it up and contain it. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡­¡±

    I cut myself off. I couldn¡¯t mention Fox or Fable or anything else. But I could assume, regardless of my own experiences, part of this world was steeped in magic. My hand fell back to my side, and slowly the blue faded away into nothing.

    He swallowed, ¡°This is¡­This is the real reason me and Wells fought. I kept it from him, until it started to spiral out of control.¡±

    ¡°Did¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to ask.

    Kade¡¯s smile was strained, ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt him. Not physically. But I¡­¡±

    He bowed his head, as though he could hide from his own feelings and thoughts. I inched towards him, filtering through so many sentences and phrases I could say. Nothing felt right. His catharsis was painful, a sight I shouldn¡¯t have seen.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what you did. But if you want to control your magic then I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll do my best to help.¡± I stopped right in front of him, hesitant on what to do. He lifted his head, eyes reflecting the dying light. When I reached my hand out, he pulled me in without question.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he murmured as he hugged me. His heartbeat was against my chest, a foreign sound. My hands reached around him, because that¡¯s what I was supposed to do. I tried to ignore his shaking, along with my own guilt.

    //

    I laid in bed. All I could think about was Kade. I¡¯d walked him home after, a strange sense of duty taking over. If there was nothing I could do, there had to be something someone else could do. Fox was always the first person to pop into my head, but I couldn¡¯t help but think about Wells. I needed to know what really happened. Those words Kade couldn¡¯t say.

    If I asked Wells, would either boy be upset?

    I sat up, unable to help myself. The paper sword was on my desk, and on top of it was a golden petal. My body stilled, as I lifted my attention to the marigold. It was starting to wilt. The golden hue it once had was slowly slipping away. The Headmaster said I only had a limited amount of time if I hit a failure condition.

    It was inevitable. This would be a half started piece. It was because I knew my own feelings. I knew I couldn¡¯t ever fall for Kade. There was no point in playing pretend anymore. All my effort would merely vanish when this was reset.

    It was a heavy thought that kept me awake the rest of the night.

    //

    ¡°How long until the flower wilts?¡± Fox leaned onto his desk, his hand reaching out and pushing away stray hair from my face. I smacked his hand away, and the corner of his lips quirked up. The smile was strained.

    ¡°Failure already? Well, I guess it was bound to happen.¡± He pushed himself back into an upright condition. ¡°You could still save this depending on how bad it was.¡±

    ¡°It was just¡­starting to droop? A petal fell.¡±

    ¡°Early then?¡± I nodded, and he drummed his fingers against the table. ¡°What¡¯s the game plan?¡±

    ¡°I was¡­going to talk to Wells. About Kade.¡±

    His eyebrows raised, ¡°Not giving up then? I thought you would the moment you saw failure looming ahead of you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Kade¡¯s hug, despite my heavy suspicion he was somehow developing a crush on me, had merely happened. For all my constant anxiety, I¡¯d been strangely calm in the moment. Rather than calm, I¡¯d felt nothing at all. The hug had been no different, other than a nail in the coffin. ¡°I owe them that much at least.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you?¡± Fox glanced away, staring out the windows next to us. It was rare to catch him like this. He had existed toeing the line between taking nothing seriously and taking it all too seriously. But now there were worry lines on his face, and my stomach curled in response.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so disappointing, aren¡¯t I?¡± Fox snapped back to me. ¡°I haven¡¯t even done anything. I don¡¯t even know who the guardian or the villain is. And I don¡¯t think I have any chance of liking him. It¡¯s all just¡­¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Before I knew what was going on, he reached out and dramatically mused my hair. I yelped in protest, ¡°Didn¡¯t we all tell you everyone fails the first one? I¡¯m not disappointed. You took the first steps, that¡¯s good enough.¡±

    ¡°Fox¡ª¡±

    ¡°But if you failed your math test after all the tutoring I gave you, I just might not ever talk to you again.¡± With a testament of death, the bell rang above us. The teacher held all of the class¡¯s tests in hand, and I tried not to look back at Fox and beg for mercy. I did fine. I think.

    ¡°Once I hand these back, you can spend the period reviewing what you did wrong. If you turn in those revisions, I¡¯ll give you partial credit.¡± The teacher walked from student to student, getting to me and Fox last.

    When he slid my paper upside down and handed it to Fox with a, ¡°Great job,¡± stress filled my blood. I was almost too scared to look now. As the teacher walked back to the front, Fox tapped my shoulder with his test.

    His near perfect score was facing me as though in mockery, ¡°Well Cinder? Time for the grand reveal.¡±

    ¡°¡­You won¡¯t actually be disappointed in me if I fail right?¡± When he said nothing, I swallowed hard and reached for the paper. There was no reason to care what he thought, but I suddenly felt the same pressure as giving my report card to my parents. I flipped it over. ¡°¡­I passed.¡±

    He leaned forward, ¡°Barely.¡±

    ¡°But I passed!¡± I spun around, so quick I nearly knocked my head against his. He fell back, looking about ready to say something but instead he shook his head and smiled.

    ¡°Congrats on the seventy-two. Give me your test.¡± Fox was on me about all the mistakes I made, with loud lamenting of how I¡¯d forgotten his teachings. There was humor to his voice though, and I felt weirdly relieved.

    ¡°When I redo this, I¡¯ll get a better score.¡± Fox paused mid question correction. ¡°The next reset, I mean.¡±

    He looked at a loss for what to say, ¡°You can give up now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I could only shake my head. ¡°Maybe I should. My failure is inevitable. But I¡­¡±

    Abigail wouldn¡¯t have given up. I know she wouldn¡¯t have. She¡¯d have seen it through until the bitter end. I moved through the test corrections, acutely aware of Fox¡¯s eyes on me. He watched as I scribbled away, making notes on what it was I had done wrong along with reminders for myself on what to do in the future.

    His gaze returned towards the window, all the teasing gone from his face. I kept my eyes down, feeling like I wasn¡¯t supposed to see this. It was another side of Fox, and I decided to figure out the pieces of him later. For now, I kept working.

    //

    ¡°Wells.¡± I stood in front of the drama room. After school rehearsals would start next week officially, and with a part so small I wouldn¡¯t really need to make many of them. Mostly, I¡¯d be working back stage as I usually did, helping out with props and costumes.

    Wells stood in front of me, a tilt of his head the only indication of surprise I could find, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±

    ¡°C-can we talk? Um, away from¡­everyone.¡± I glanced around at the still endless sea of students. I expected Wells to press further but he only nodded his head. I let my shoulders relax.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± He moved ahead of me and I followed after him. I half expected him to go to the library, since that¡¯s where he and Kade had talked prior. He walked fast, unlike Kade. I was forced to match my steps with his, a hard thing to do considering how much shorter I was compared to him.

    We walked outside and we headed towards where the various sport fields were. We stopped a bit aways, but I could see the football team getting ready for practice, jogging around the track along with the actual cross-country runners. Kids were scattered along the bleachers and I watched them before returning my attention back to Wells. He¡¯d been watching, too. I wondered if he missed sports. Kade spoke about him like he was one of the best.

    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­about Kade.¡± He waited, probably having expected this. I shifted on my feet. ¡°Well he¡­he has magic inside of him, right¡­?¡±

    The flush of emotion on his face wasn¡¯t one I had been expecting. I near staggered at the force of it. His hardened eyes, the way his eyebrows drew together so heavy. His full attention was on me now. I wrapped my arms around myself, as though to escape his intensity.

    ¡°He showed you?¡± A hint of urgency ran underneath his voice.

    I gave a slow nod, ¡°He said he¡­¡±

    The words were lost. I wasn¡¯t sure how to bring this up. If it hadn¡¯t ruined their friendship beyond repair, then how bad had it been? I hadn¡¯t considered it would bring a rise out of Wells, and I couldn¡¯t find the words to speak. This was different than how Jen and Fable looked at me.

    He was almost desperate, ¡°He hurt me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, he mentioned.¡±

    Wells took a breath. His expression calmed, but it didn¡¯t quite ease back into its usual nonchalance. He tugged at his vest and the white dress shirt underneath and I felt heat spread down my neck in protest. When he lifted his shirt, all I could register was the white scars fracturing along the center of his torso.

    ¡°This is why I can¡¯t play soccer anymore.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was as blue as his magic, when he did it.¡±

    He pulled his clothes back down, not bothering to tuck them back in. My brain was going a million miles an hour, ¡°If¡­if he did that to you, why were you so ok talking to him, still?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it was a gift in the end.¡± The sequence of events didn¡¯t line up. Kade had said he¡¯d lost it after Wells had quit, but Wells was saying it was Kade¡¯s actions that forced his hand. When I only stared blankly, Wells managed to fully even out his expression. ¡°Do you like Kade?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him well.¡± Maybe I should have answered in another way. I was trying to extend the story as long as I could, after all. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it. ¡°I know he¡­seems like he¡¯s suffering. I can¡¯t tell why, though.¡±

    I glanced back at his stomach, holding the image of those scars in my mind. Kade had said not physically so why¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s rewind. What did he tell you?¡± I swallowed and recounted everything I could up to this point. Wells nodded along, and the more I talked the less bothered he seemed to be.

    ¡°I get the feeling not all of what he said was true.¡± I finished with, and Wells tilted his head.

    ¡°Not quite.¡± He smiled and I knew it was for my sake. Tension had entered every part of my body. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting, but I didn¡¯t want to know how much had been the truth and how much had been lies. ¡°It¡¯s like this. During the summer Kade lost control of his ¡®magic¡¯ for the first time. I hadn¡¯t been aware he possessed it and neither had he. The panic only heightened its affects and it lashed out at everything around him. Including me.¡±

    I swallowed, ¡°¡­What caused it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something he wishes to hide.¡± I knew, so I didn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°Afterwards, when I went to the doctor they said it¡¯d be best to take the year off from sports. I didn¡¯t say what had caused my injuries and the doctors couldn¡¯t puzzle it out. Despite my parents concern I brushed them off. I think I resented Kade for the rest of the summer, until it dawned on me how I didn¡¯t care about the sport at all. My parents had wanted me to do something and I went along with it. Now I had the excuse to do whatever I wished.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you don¡¯t hate him?¡±

    Wells shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I feel towards him. He hurt me, whether he meant to or not. Just because the consequences made me realize something about myself doesn¡¯t erase the scars he gave me.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to feel. There was a sense of relief that Kade hadn¡¯t meant for any of it to happen, but I didn¡¯t know if I could face him again knowing he didn¡¯t have control over himself. I knew that, to some degree. I¡¯d felt his magic as it leaked out into the space around him. But when I¡¯d managed to block it out the other day, I¡¯d thought it would be simple to deal with after.

    ¡°You said you still don¡¯t know what you feel towards Kade.¡± I nodded, still trying to find where to put all the information that I¡¯d been given. ¡°I think you should be careful from now on.¡±

    ¡°I know. I will. But Kade? Is it alright if I ask you one last thing?¡± The picture forming in my head was finally being put in place. There was just one last thing to confirm.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Did you not care for soccer because it wasn¡¯t fun, or because you felt separate from the team?¡±

    If I hadn¡¯t been looking so closely I would have missed how his eyes widened a fraction. The twitch in his fingers before they returned to their relaxed position. I waited, and he turned away to look towards the field. I wondered if he saw his team instead during the winter frost.

    ¡°Not all teams are close.¡±

    It was answer enough.

    //

    When I got home, the first thing I did was pull out my notes. They hadn¡¯t been updated since my attempt during those first two weeks, but now I wrote everything down in a collection of circles and lines and highlights. All my mistakes up to this point had become glaringly obvious, and it was a wonder how I hadn¡¯t failed this story yet. The fading marigold was proving my point.

    Wells was the Prince. Kade was the Villain. The guardian space was woefully empty, and I assumed I wouldn¡¯t get far enough to figure out who it was. The Headmaster had mentioned it was possible not to find them at all. They weren¡¯t important. What was important was this;

    In the dream I¡¯d had in the beginning, Wells had been the boy on the bleachers. The people on the field had been symbolic of the soccer team. And Kade had been the one in the mask who¡¯d ordered the others to drag him back. The one who I¡¯d run towards in an attempt to reveal himself. I was still unclear why Kade wanted Wells back, other than his own guilt. Or maybe his own loneliness.

    Even Kade had said he wasn¡¯t close with the team.

    The event that had caused Kade to lose control over his magic was unknown, but what I did know was he was genuine in his guilt. Even on the presumption Kade was ¡®wearing a mask,¡¯ I could feel his emotions because of his magic. Every thing he said had been true. He cared about Wells, but his heart was too messy to be able to deal with it.

    Obviously I¡¯d failed so quickly because I had been working under the idea of Kade being the Prince. While all my interactions with Wells up to this point had been fine, I¡¯d made more of an effort towards Kade. My pencil tapped against the binder, looking at my hand writing.

    Like this, the final piece I¡¯d been given made sense. Fox¡¯s paper show had consisted of a dragon devouring a heart, and the Prince defending his crown. Kade¡¯s heart was a mess, and Wells was protecting himself from it. Fox had been warning me I¡¯d gotten it wrong all along, but I¡¯d been so preoccupied over his behavior I hadn¡¯t stopped to think about it.

    That left the issue of what to do.

    I kept glancing at the flower, noting yet another petal had fallen. There wasn¡¯t much time left before it was over. None of this mattered at this point, but I clutched my pen in my hand. Even if there was nothing I could do now, I got up.

    Despite all my protests about using the journal I¡¯d gotten, it felt wrong to throw away these notes. Without them, there was no proof I had ever existed in their lives, and them in mine. Maybe it was a selfish reason to pull out this journal, knowing full well the Headmaster may have access to whatever was in here. But as long as I remained vague, maybe it would be something only useful to me.

    As I transferred my notes over, marking the section with a ¡®one,¡¯ I tried not to think about what I was doing. If the flower was dying, would it be alright to press it into the journal? The final reminder of these strange weeks.

    Carefully, I lifted the marigold out of the vase and placed it inside my journal. I waited, as though the world would end in that very moment. But there was nothing. Only a looming sense of unease, as I wondered what I was going to do now.

 1.16 Rising Tension

    The weekend felt closer to a ticking timebomb. Part of it was my fault, for avoiding both Kade and Wells. I wasn¡¯t sure how to approach them, especially with all the information they¡¯d given me. As math slowly came to a close on Friday, Fox tapped his pencil on my nose.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I stammered automatically, trying to snap out of my thoughts.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for the daily report.¡±

    ¡°¡­Daily report?¡±

    He leaned his cheek against his hand, an eyebrow raised, ¡°The one where you tell me everything that¡¯s been going on. You¡¯ve managed to give me details related to the story nearly every day at this point.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d done so. Maybe it had become a habit to talk of such, since I wasn¡¯t sure what else to talk about with him. If I ever veered off into another topic, I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d manage to get through the exchange. Maybe it¡¯d feel like starting back at the beginning, like we were strangers.

    Fox shook his head, ¡°On the contrary, it is useful for my job. You¡¯re free to tell me anything you desire.¡±

    ¡°Wells is the Prince and Kade is the Villain. That¡¯s why I messed everything up and failed so quickly. I know I said I¡¯d keep going until the bitter end but¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to approach them anymore.¡± I tried to ignore how Fox was reporting everything in some degree. I knew that, in a distant kind of way. But hearing it said out loud made my stomach swirl.

    His eyes slipped away, ¡°Well, at least you figured it out in the end. Whatever happens now is what happens. You could always try to reverse it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have time. And besides, would I have to push Kade to the side?¡± He¡¯d lied about something as terrifying as hurting another. It should have made it easy to think of doing so. But I couldn¡¯t let it go. A part of me wanted to help him, even with this knowledge. If Wells had forgiven him, then¡­

    ¡°That depends on what you want to do. There¡¯s no reason to humor the Villain, but you wouldn¡¯t consider yourself humoring him, would you? He¡¯s more of a friend to you at this point than he is anything else, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been becoming friends. At least, I hoped we were.¡± I looked down, focusing on the packet in front of me. The half filled page, spilling with numbers and equations suddenly seemed easy when compared to what was going on in my heart.

    What did I want to do? It would be quicker to let the story come to an end. But the more I told myself to let the inevitable to come and pass, the more I felt myself push back against it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not meaningless.¡± I jerked, surprised at Fox guessing my thoughts. ¡°If you want to try, keep trying.¡±

    ¡°But none of it will mater after the reset.¡±

    ¡°It will. You¡¯ll see.¡± I knew the look on his face at this point. It was the one he wore whenever he thought about doing something he shouldn¡¯t.

    Still unsure of the consequences he¡¯d face, I shook my head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me how. But if it is then¡­I really need to figure out how to go about all this.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to fail anyway, I¡¯d say go with your gut.¡±

    ¡°But my gut is telling me to stick with Kade. I know it sounds like a bad decision, especially with what he¡¯s done but¡ª¡± My fingers curled into fists. The buried trophies showed in my mind¡¯s eye, along with the photos hung on the walls. This was more than just magic out of control. It was the sadness that gripped each and every drop of it.

    The bell rang overhead, and for once I thought it was over too quick. There were so many things I wanted to sort out, and so little time for any of it. Fox slid out of his seat, stretching his arms over his head, ¡°Then stick with Kade. After that talk with Wells, it¡¯s probably important to let him know that you know.¡±

    I knew that already. I just wanted to avoid the conversation for as long as I could. As I stood and collected my things, I tried to steel myself. There wasn¡¯t any time to put it off, and I¡¯d already been putting it off as long as I could. When all this happened, I found myself thinking of Abigail. I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, but I could still seek out her advice in some way.

    As my hands worked slow, bogged down by my thoughts, Fox said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright. Just take a deep breath.¡±

    He placed his hands on my shoulder and spun me around as I finished collecting my things. I shuffled ahead, spurred on by him behind me, ¡°I know I will be. I just need a moment. Or five.¡±

    We slipped out into the hall, where he vanished almost instantly. My back straightened, peering around to look for Wells and Kade. I didn¡¯t find either, but as I got swept into the sea of students, I did catch Abigail¡¯s eyes. It was like I summoned her.

    She weaved through the crowed to land next to me. I blinked at her, ¡°We normally meet up by the gate.¡±

    ¡°The teacher let us leave a little early.¡± She winked, a joke in there that was lost on me. ¡°I was hoping to catch sight of your rumored tutor.¡±

    ¡°You just missed him.¡± I couldn¡¯t fathom why he vanished. Fable had been fine with letting Abigail and Nia see him. It seemed like Fox wasn¡¯t the same. ¡°Oh right, can I¡­ask you about something.¡±

    I had to look around again, just in case I¡¯d catch sight of Kade. Her eyebrows rose, ¡°Uh-huh. What is it going to be about? Wait, wait. I can guess. It has something to do with a certain boy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of somethings to do with two boys.¡± Her eyes were alight at that. I tried to ignore it as I got to my locker to put my stuff away.

    ¡°Hopefully Nia isn¡¯t busy. We can all hang out together. It feels like it¡¯s been forever since we¡¯ve done something after school.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a smoothie and ice cream place close by. I¡¯ve been wanting to take the both of you. It¡¯s really good.¡± Abigail was glowing at all of this, and I wished I could mirror it back to her. It was enough to make sure my shoulders weren¡¯t drooping and my expression didn¡¯t twist into distress.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s grab Nia and go!¡± She hooked her arm through mine just as I got my locker shut. I let her drag me, preparing a speech for the both of them in my head.

    //

    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding this is fantastic.¡± Abigail had gotten the largest smoothie size they had. Nia sat next to her, and I felt like I¡¯d been placed in a job interview with them across from me. Normally Abigail always sat next to me. It felt weird being alone on my side.

    Nia had opted for the ice cream, and she had already managed to eat all of it, ¡°Did your parents show you this place?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. A friend did.¡± When the two shared a glance, I added. ¡°The tutor. For math.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to need to meet this tutor sometime.¡± She tapped her fingers along the plastic of her cup. ¡°Especially if you¡¯re comfortable enough with him to hang out after school.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve hung out with Wells and Kade after school, too.¡±

    ¡°But Wells was only for the play right?¡± Nia smiled as I shot her a pleading look. ¡°And Kade is your¡ª¡±

    ¡°My friend. That I¡¯m worried about.¡± I cut her off, not wanting to hear her say it. If it was spoken out loud, my face would show the lie that it was. Somehow, this only made Nia giggle and Abigail form her own smile.

    It lasted for a second, before Abigail took a sip of her smoothie and her expression grew serious, ¡°Right. What happened? Why are you so worried?¡±

    ¡°Honestly I¡­I¡¯m not sure if I should be telling you this, since it¡¯s personal. But I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Spilling even a fraction of Kade and Wells¡¯ secrets felt like a betrayal almost. I said nothing about magic or scars, only about how Kade had hurt Wells, and due to circumstances I felt caught in the middle.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Nia¡¯s expression had grown grim the more I spoke, ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t you just be honest?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m going to tell Kade I know. I just don¡¯t know how to do it.¡± If anything, talking to the two of them was just me stalling further.

    Abigail¡¯s smile was wry, ¡°I think this has nothing to do with you. You should tell Kade that you know, but that¡¯s really it, isn¡¯t it? You may be friends with him and you may be getting along with Wells, but at the end of the day, you¡¯re still separate from the two of them.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I was just an intruder in all of this. Wells didn¡¯t even have to share the things he had with me, especially something so personal.

    ¡°But I know you. I know that isn¡¯t enough, right? If you want to help, ask them. If they say no, too bad so sad. But if they say yes, you didn¡¯t have to keep looking like this.¡± She shook her cup, draining the last of its contents. ¡°We can talk about a game plan all day, but it¡¯s all going to make you anxious until you do it babe.¡±

    ¡°He was ashamed, right?¡± Me and Abigail both turned towards Nia. Absently, she tapped at her empty bowl with a plastic spoon. ¡°If someone I was just getting to know asked me for my sins, I¡¯d want to avoid answering, too. Especially if I liked them. I want to show the best of me to that person, because if I showed the worst of me they¡¯d leave. I¡¯d have to be certain they wouldn¡¯t, before I¡¯d be comfortable being honest.¡±

    ¡°A lie is still a lie, regardless. In that regard, Kade fucked up. I understand why, but it doesn¡¯t change that he did.¡± Nia nodded, her eyes meeting mine instead of Abigail¡¯s.

    ¡°What do you feel about him lying? Honestly?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I agree with both of you. And I think a part of me wants to help him because wouldn¡¯t I do the same? Wouldn¡¯t I want to show an ideal version of myself, no matter how untrue it is?¡± I leaned back, the hard cushion of the table seats digging into my back.

    ¡°Really? I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with not being your ideal, as long as your striving for it right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to hate me,¡± Nia interjected, a smile slowly returning to her face, ¡°But Jen shares the exact same sentiment.¡±

    ¡°Why would you even bring up Queen B¡¯s existence?¡± Nia laughed at Abigail¡¯s deadening expression. The distaste was in full force. ¡°I like to think that we have nothing in common, thank you very much.¡±

    I would never say it out loud, but there were similarities between the two, and that was why they hated each other. It was looking in a mirror, and seeing your worst qualities shown to you. But instead of seeing it in yourself, you saw it in another person. Instead of having to acknowledge it in you, it was easier to hate it in another. That was how Jen and Abigail saw each other. I think either one would put me six feet under if I ever mentioned it.

    Abigail and Nia drifted into another conversation, half spun by the two¡¯s hatred of Jen. I only listened at the start, before my attention drifted. Everyone was right. There was nothing to do, except to go ahead and do it.

    //

    Maybe it was a foolish decision to head out as the day grew dark, but if I didn¡¯t do it now, I¡¯d once more back out. The flower in my room was reminding me how little time I had left. After staring at it after finishing homework, I¡¯d gotten up. Abigail had said she expected a full report on what had happened over the weekend. She would have come with me if she hadn¡¯t been busy with homework for the rest of the night.

    My parents had retired to their room early, and I could hear the lull of the tv coming from their room. Carefully, I slipped out and headed towards Kade¡¯s house, not sure if this was going to go how I wanted it to.

    A part of me had expected to finally see his elusive parents, but when I arrived the driveway was still devoid of cars. There were no lights inside, but the front porch light casted a flickering orange glow around the door. I lingered, unsure of what to do next. I reminded myself of what Fox had told me. That somehow, this wouldn¡¯t all be useless in the end.

    It was the only thing that made my feet walk forward and reach out to knock on the door. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to answer and it was after eight besides. I personally refused to answer the door at any given time unless my parents were around.

    ¡°Kade?¡± My voice was too loud in the still night. I didn¡¯t even think he could hear me when he was inside. I lingered for a moment, telling myself I¡¯d leave if he didn¡¯t answer before then.

    As I rolled back on my heels, the door slid open and showed a very confused Kade, ¡°Cinder? What are you doing here¡­?¡±

    What was I doing here? I still wasn¡¯t confident in what I was doing, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t have your number to give you a heads up or something. I, um¡­¡±

    ¡°Here, come inside. You look cold.¡± He eyed my flimsy t-shirt and pajama pants, and I pretended like I wasn¡¯t here on a last minute dose of confidence. He shut the door behind me, and I wrapped my arms around myself. As the warm air hit me, I realized just how cold I was.

    There was a lull in the house, the white noise of a tv playing somewhere. I didn¡¯t hear anyone else. Just like I thought, Kade was alone. With my shoes kicked off I wandered towards the center of the living room, trying to find something to say.

    Maybe it was best to pull the band aid off, ¡°I talked to Wells today.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I turned to him, noting the way his expression crumbled.

    I waited for a moment, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. I swallowed before I went on, ¡°I wanted to know why¡­¡±

    My stomach turned and my heart rate spiked. If I focused, I could pinpoint it as magic, even without the color spilling out. I drew my eyebrows together. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me before, but how much was Kade aware of when it came to his magic? Could he feel it right now, spilling out of him?

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    I shook away the distractions at his prompting, ¡°I wanted to know why you lied to me. Did you think I¡¯d be scared of you?¡±

    He turned his head away, body shifting as though he was trying to escape, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t. I don¡¯t have control of this, and if Wells told you what I did then¡­¡±

    I wasn¡¯t scared. Even though I wasn¡¯t sure what made him the ¡®villain,¡¯ I could only assume he meant well. I wanted to believe that, ¡°Your magic. I can feel it.¡±

    His focus snapped back to me, ¡°You can?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve been feeling it for a while now. The other day, when me you and Wells were playing games, I could see it, too.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize¡­¡± The heaviness in the air eased, although it didn¡¯t go away completely. Kade was searching for something in my face. I wondered what he was trying to find. ¡°You can feel it yet¡­you¡¯re really not afraid?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wells showed me the scars.¡± He flinched back. ¡°I know what you did was horrible, but if Wells thinks he can give you a chance then¡­I want to believe him. I want to believe you, too. That you wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. I¡¯m not sure if I can do anything about your magic but if I can help, then¡­¡±

    Warmth seeped through my body as Kade hugged me. This hadn¡¯t been the first time he¡¯d done so, but it still read as foreign. I felt small pressed against him, acutely aware of the tremble in his body. I was hesitant as I reached out and wrapped my arms around him as well.

    His voice was soft, even right next to my ear, ¡°Sorry, I just¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Wells thinks I¡¯m going to hurt you.¡± His grip tightened just a little more. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you. But I didn¡¯t want to hurt Wells, either. What if there¡¯s nothing I can do? What if you end up scarred, too?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± I wished my voice could always be this firm. Like Kade¡¯s grip around my torso, tight enough to leave marks on my side.

    I let him stay like that, feeling is body slowly relax against me. The strange magic that¡¯d filled the air dissipated, leaving nothing but silence.

    //

    ¡°What do you know about your magic?¡± I sat crisscross on his bed, only half as uncomfortable to be there as I¡¯d been the other day. Kade had offered me a blanket, and I¡¯d pulled it over my shoulders with thanks.

    Kade sat across from me, leaving a tv show playing on the screen. It was turned low, creating a steady rhythm of ambiance, ¡°Not¡­a lot? I know it spills out of me sometimes, but I don¡¯t know how to control it or what it even does.¡±

    It was something I meant to ask Fox about, but I¡¯d lost track of time swimming in my own insecurities, ¡°Well, we know it can take physical form, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it bleeds into the air.¡±

    ¡°It makes everything blue.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right, you said you could see everything.¡± His gaze fell, curling his knees to his chest. ¡°Is it scary?¡±

    ¡°Not really? I¡¯m not the one who was hurt by it, though.¡± I had to keep pushing away the thought of Wells¡¯ scars. ¡°Have you ever tried controlling it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to go about it.¡± I had Fox¡¯s number, I remembered dimly. It felt like losing if I contacted him, somehow. He was meant to only exist at school. Even though we¡¯d been outside the school gates together, he only belonged to that world. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d make it to Monday, and so I¡¯d cross the line I¡¯d drawn in my head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­figure something out. We could meet up tomorrow or Sunday? Maybe try to figure something out¡­?¡±

    He lifted his head, a small smile on his face, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m free this weekend. Do you want me to come over tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°A-are you sure? My parents are going to ask a million questions¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom how many questions mom would ask me, let alone how long Papi would interrogate Kade.

    His smile only grew, ¡°Yeah? Are they like that with all guys you talk to?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve only ever had Nia and Abigail over.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d ever bothered with boys before this, either.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind being interrogated. Besides, my parents are going to be home during the weekend. It¡¯s better me than you.¡±

    It was an in to something that¡¯s been bothering me ever since I first visited Kade¡¯s place, ¡°Are you¡­not on good terms with them?¡±

    The smile slipped away, and he turned his head. For a moment I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d answer, an apologize about to flee my mouth, but he shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±

    ¡°I have time, if you ever want to tell it.¡±

    He didn¡¯t look back at me, but his posture eased, ¡°Maybe tomorrow. It¡¯s getting late, and you should go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I slipped out from under the blanket, flinching as the air hit me again. Kade stood up and swiped a jacket from his desk¡¯s chair.

    He offered it to me, ¡°Here. I¡¯ll get it from you later.¡±

    I hesitated only a second, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll see you.¡± He walked me to the door. I could tell by the look on his face he wanted to walk me back but I slipped out the door and said goodbye before he could offer.

    My parents were going to meet Kade tomorrow. The thought was more surreal than any notion of magic I¡¯d seen. I tried to imagine it, as I made my way back home. My brain failed to do so the rest of the night.

 1.17 Hazy

    Morning came like a blink. I stared up at my ceiling for too long before clamoring out of bed. I could hear my parents in the living room, their voices drifting through the walls. My bedside clock chimed it was just after ten. With all my strength I got ready for the day.

    My phone rested on the bedside table, and I stared at it as I dried my hair off with a towel. I¡¯d flipped it open and shut all morning, not wanting to call Fox but knowing I needed to. I didn¡¯t know anything about magic. If I wanted to help Kade, I¡¯d need to know. But I kept feeling like I was on the edge of a cliff, about to walk off.

    The flower was heavily drooping this morning. I wondered if today was going to be the last day. It didn¡¯t look like it was going to survive another. The helpless feeling crept up my spine again. There was no point in even trying.

    I grabbed my phone and flipped it open. Forcing myself not to stop, I clicked through my contacts until I found the number Fox had put in. I¡¯d never bothered to look at it before, and I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised he¡¯d merely put it in as ¡®Fox.¡¯ The constant humor he¡¯d somehow manage to have in his eyes had made me expect something else. I dialed.

    Fox answered in the first ring. A good thing, since the sound had made me less than a second away from hanging up, ¡°Estoy sorprendido, llamaste.¡±

    ¡°¡­?Sabes espa?ol?¡±

    ¡°Enough to pretend I do. Why¡¯re you calling me on this lovely Saturday morning?¡± Maybe because Fox had never said a word of Spanish to me before that it¡¯d thrown me for a loop. If he hadn¡¯t put in his number himself I would have thought I put it in wrong. My own Spanish was severely lacking. A fact Papi would never let me live down.

    At the least, it distracted me from my previous anxiety, ¡°Sorry to bother you. I just¡­need a crash course. On magic.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re going to help Kade control it?¡± There was rustling on his end, although I couldn¡¯t discern the sound further. ¡°Something like that will be pretty difficult. How much time do you have left?¡±

    I glanced back at the vase, ¡°¡­Today.¡±

    ¡°Be careful then. A failed story ending will be disorientating.¡± I wanted to ask what that entailed but he breezed on. ¡°Kade¡¯s magic is solely focused on emotions. The worst kind of magic to control. It can do anything, but the price can get pretty steep. Especially if the wielder doesn¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Wells¡¯ scars¡­could they have been a price?¡± I peeked through the curtains of my room, looking out at the streets. There was no sign of Kade, and I wished I¡¯d been more put together to remember to set up a time to meet.

    There¡¯s was more shuffling on his end, ¡°Maybe. Regardless, the first step is for him to know his emotions and where they stem from. If he can¡¯t do that much, he¡¯ll always overflow and cause harm. A walking bomb that anyone can detonate.¡±

    ¡°How would he even begin to control it?¡± I leaned against my wall, leaving the curtains open. The day looked far too nice for an ending.

    Fox paused, and I could picture him tilting his head in thought, ¡°You said his magic was a dark blue, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Usually if magic comes from positive emotions then it¡¯s easier to tame. But that sounds like it could be a mix of despair and resignation. It¡¯ll require him to dip into those feelings, whether he likes it or not. And to confront what¡¯s caused them. It must be severe, for it to be that out of control.¡± It was a reminder that I still knew so little about Kade, and that I would never find those answers.

    I tried to push those thoughts aside, ¡°What does the color of your magic mean? Or is it different, since yours isn¡¯t based on emotions?¡±

    He laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you to figure out.¡±

    Outside, I spotted Kade rounding the corner and my grip tightened on the phone. He wasn¡¯t alone, and I frowned as I saw Wells. I hadn¡¯t expected Kade to ask him to come along, let alone for Wells to agree.

    At my silence, Fox prompted, ¡°Is he already there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got to go.¡±

    ¡°Wait. One last thing. You can see magic, so use that to your advantage. If you sense even a hint of it going wrong, you can get out of there before something happens like it did with Wells.¡± The tinge of concern laced his voice. For a moment, it almost didn¡¯t sound like him.

    I forced my shoulders to relax as I slid my curtains shut and stood up, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I will. I¡¯ll talk to you later?¡±

    ¡°Later.¡± I hung up, my anxiety flowing back into my body again. It took all my strength to leave my room and head out into the living room.

    Mom glanced up from where she was at the dining room table, a book opened in front of her, ¡°Were you going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°U-um, some friends from school are here. I was going to go greet them.¡±

    She raised a brow, ¡°Not Abigail or Nia, then?¡±

    I shook my head as a knock sounded on the door. She slid her bookmark between the pages and shut it, standing to follow. My movements were robotic as I headed towards the door and opened it up.

    Kade raised a hand in greeting, smile small and posture sheepish, ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Morning.¡± Wells was the opposite. He looked like he always did, although seeing him out of uniform gave him a different air. His clothes were plain, a black t-shirt and jeans, but it was the casualness that made it read wrong.

    Before I could say anything, mom leaned forward a bright smile gracing her face, ¡°These weren¡¯t the faces I was expecting when you said friends were coming over.¡±

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m Kade, and this is Wells¡ªSorry, I invited him a bit last minute.¡± He tripped over his words, trying to get them out so fast. Knowing he was, in fact, just as anxious as I was made me feel a little better about it. Just a little.

    Wells was still unaffected, ¡°Nice to meet you. Me and Cinder are in drama together.¡±

    He offered a hand and my mom¡¯s smile relaxed into something genuine as she took it, ¡°Nice to meet you both too. You can call me Mrs. Ch¨¢vez or Brenda. Whichever one you prefer.¡± Her hands squeezed my shoulders as she stage whispered to me. ¡°You should be glad Papi got called into work today. He would have had a fit.¡±

    There was humor in her voice but I cringed at the thought, ¡°I know. Anyways um¡­¡±

    ¡°We were just going to go on a walk though town, if that was alright?¡± Wells interjected. I tried to hide my surprise, glad my mom was behind me so she couldn¡¯t properly see my face.

    She laughed, ¡°Of course. Just don¡¯t stay out too late.¡±

    ¡°W-we¡¯ll have her home before it¡¯s dark.¡±

    With Kade¡¯s stumbling, I added ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later?¡±

    With a hug and amusement in her eyes, she sent us off. I trailed after them, wrapping my arms around myself despite the mild air. The three of us were quiet for a little, leaving me to my thoughts.

    It was a path I didn¡¯t want to go down, because they¡¯d all lead me to the wilting flower, ¡°I, um, wasn¡¯t expecting you Wells.¡±

    ¡°He panicked.¡± Wells lobbied the conversation to Kade.

    He avoided meeting my eyes, ¡°I mean, if something went wrong I thought¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you ok with that Wells?¡± He only shrugged. There was nothing in his posture that gave away what he was feeling. I swallowed. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­we should probably go somewhere that¡¯s secluded?¡±

    ¡°We can go back to the clearing?¡± I nodded, and Kade took the lead. I stayed trailing behind, trying to think of how to use what Fox had told me. If Kade had to get to the basis of his feelings, wouldn¡¯t that be too personal? Would it even be necessary to disclose it to me in the first place?

    I mulled it over, trying to imagine anything he could tell me. If I had to guess, it was something to do with his family. Maybe something to do with those trophies he kept hidden away. Maybe both or maybe something I couldn¡¯t even fathom.

    By the time we reached the clearing, my thoughts had circled around each other over and over again. Kade stopped in the middle, and Wells fell into place next to me. Just like he had the first time he brought me here, Kade seemed like a distant figure out of my reach.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    He took a deep breath, ¡°So how are we going to go about this?¡±

    ¡°W-well, your magic is based on emotions, right? So have to figure out a way to control or manipulate them. Which is¡­going to be really hard.¡± I gave an awkward laugh, aware I couldn¡¯t even begin to figure out how to do that myself.

    Wells leaned back against one of the trees, ¡°Kade¡¯s never done well with his feelings.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve tried. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± He cut himself off, trying to find the words. ¡°They hit me at the most unexpected moments.¡±

    I knew that from experience. With a swallow I continued, ¡°Do you know where they come from¡­? You don¡¯t have to tell us, but I think knowing the source would be a good start?¡±

    Kade glanced at Wells then, a confessional in a foreign language. Wells¡¯ fingers twitched, a quick movement, towards his side as though reaching for his scars. The veil of silence washed over me, and I shifted on my feet. The pressure made it hard to talk, so I waited.

    After what felt like years, Kade took a breath, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure.¡±

    The world was already shifting to blue. The familiar rock in my stomach was back, ¡°C-can you reel in your magic right now?¡±

    He stiffened, ¡°You mean I¡¯m using it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re using it? But it¡¯s spilling out of you.¡± As I said this, I realized I hadn¡¯t said a word about this to Wells.

    I glanced over, but he was the same, ¡°Kade told me everything. I can¡¯t see or feel anything you¡¯re talking about, for the record.¡±

    How strange. Even though I knew that, I thought others would at least be able to feel it since it was bleeding into the atmosphere. A sadness they wouldn¡¯t be able to explain would wash over them, eating away at the neural pathways of their mind. A strange phenomena. But apparently that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°I¡­can see it. If I focus on it. I have to realize what I¡¯m doing, though.¡± With a deep breath, he forced his shoulders to relax. He stayed still for a moment, and the feeling eased, although it didn¡¯t go away completely. He shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s the best I can do.¡±

    ¡°W-well, it¡¯s connected to emotions. You can¡¯t just will yourself to feel better.¡± I took a small step forward. ¡°I think the biggest concern is making sure you can control the force of it all when it does spill out.¡±

    He swallowed, ¡°How am I supposed to even begin to do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I think it¡¯s like¡­confronting those emotions and using them to your advantage.¡± An impossible task on my lips. I was asking someone to do something I couldn¡¯t. Tension coiled through Kade¡¯s body again, and I swallowed. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. If I sense it getting bad, I¡¯ll grab Wells and we¡¯ll run.¡±

    He gave a single, slow nod.

    Dizziness eclipsed me.

    I jerked back, losing my balance as the edges of the world blurred for a moment. Warmth seeped into my shoulders, and I stared blankly not understanding. My knees were weak as the world righted itself once more. It took a moment for me to come back to myself and when I did I realized Wells had grabbed onto me to stop me from falling.

    Carefully, he guided me to sit down. Kade was collapsed next to me in a second, eyebrows drawn together and hands shaking, ¡°A-are you ok? Was that me, did I do something¡ª?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t you.¡± My heartbeat was loud in my chest, going so fast it was near painful. I was right. It was the last day. I repeated, ¡°It wasn¡¯t you. I¡¯m fine so you can keep going.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± His hands fluttered around me, unsure of what to do. I knew he didn¡¯t believe me, so afraid of his magic. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡±

    I nodded, but even that made me dizzier. I winced, closing my eyes in hopes the feeling would pass. Wells rubbed my back, going in small circles. It took another minute or so, but eventually, I felt ok again. Fox shouldn¡¯t have said it was disorientating. It was actually sickening.

    ¡°I¡¯m ok. Really.¡± I gave them both a smile, hoping it was believable enough. My hands clasped together, to hide the residual trembles. ¡°We can keep going. Please?¡±

    Despite their reluctance, Kade nodded and Wells helped me to my feet. The world had lost it¡¯s color, but this time it wasn¡¯t because of Kade¡¯s magic. It was the ticking of a timebomb. I pushed it aside and focused on the task at hand. That¡¯s all that mattered.

    //

    What I learned by the end of the day was that end-of-story episodes were awful. I decided to spend most of the time sitting, ignoring the dampness of the earth or how dirty my jeans must have gotten. It was better than either boy noticing how occasionally the world came undone at the seams and that I was too.

    I also learned that at a certain point, other people could feel Kade¡¯s magic even if they still couldn¡¯t see it. When Kade dipped too far into his mind and the entire world was swimming in blue, Wells would tense. If he hadn¡¯t been so close to me, constantly hovering, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed. Whenever it would happen, I tilted my head in a silent question and he¡¯d nod back.

    Fox had said I was sensitive to magic, but I hadn¡¯t realized how much so compared to the average person.

    As the sky shifted into orange hues, Kade had managed to manifest the blue to a small degree. The color dripped from his hands in an opaque liquid that evaporated when it left his skin. He couldn¡¯t actually do anything with it, but it was quite a start for someone that had trouble even sensing when he was using magic in the first place. For his part, Wells had taken the whole thing in stride.

    ¡°We should get you home. You need to rest.¡± Wells offered a hand, his eyes going a little hard. Maybe he had noticed what¡¯d been going on with me to a certain degree. I grabbed on and he hoisted me to my feet.

    ¡°¡­How are you feeling Kade?¡± He looked as shaky as me now.

    The smile he gave me after I asked wasn¡¯t one I was expecting, ¡°Exhausted. But knowing that I can do something about this is¡­really nice.¡±

    Hope. There was hope there. All at once it slammed into me that this would be reset. I tried to cling onto Fox¡¯s promise again, but it was impossible. This was the end. I hated this.

    ¡°¡­Can I stay with you guys a little longer?¡± My faced burned as I uttered the question, and Kade looked brighter. Wells was the one who had a flicker of surprise on his face.

    ¡°Yeah, we can go to my place to watch movies and play games or something. Or we could go to yours¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your place is fine.¡±

    Kade took the lead again as we walked back to the main road. Wells stayed right next to me, his voice quiet, ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, are you? I¡¯m surprised you tagged along since¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you. I don¡¯t hate Kade. His magic is just worrying.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re worried about him too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wells didn¡¯t respond, but I knew it was true. Despite everything, a part of Wells still cared. There were so many questions about what had happened in the past but I kept it to myself. It didn¡¯t matter anymore, and it was their secrets to keep now.

    //

    ¡°¡­When do your parents get back?¡± I sat on his bed, in the same corner I¡¯d taken the last time the three of us had hung out. Kade was curled on the bed, watching tv, while Wells had gone to make popcorn. He¡¯d complained that Kade had eaten the entire bowl himself the first round.

    ¡°Usually midnight. Don¡¯t you need to get home? I told your mom we¡¯d be back before it got dark¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯ll be fine. I think.¡±

    He lifted his head, surprised, ¡°Ha, I didn¡¯t think you were the kind to break the rules.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m pretty anxious about it.¡± He laughed, looking brighter than I¡¯d ever seen him. I knew I¡¯d need to leave soon, but I could feel the clock ticking. I¡¯d go home and the flower would be wilted further. There would be no more of the three of us after this. I wanted to hold on to it for a little longer.

    The only point to stay was for my own satisfaction. My nails dug into the fluff of my pj pants, and Kade¡¯s smile slipped away, ¡°¡­Are you alright, Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± The movie kept playing in front of us, but neither of us were watching. The lights flickered across the room in a variety of different colors. Something in my body was turning cold. I hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. Even if it had been expected, blood rushed through my ears.

    Kade sat up, his hand reaching out only to stop in the space between us, ¡°You haven¡¯t seemed well since earlier. I¡¯ve told you all of my issues. It¡¯s alright to tell me yours.¡±

    A lump formed in my throat, ¡°Um¡­this might not make any sense. But could I have something to remember you by?¡±

    He stared for a moment, his mouth opening before it closed again. I¡¯d only just started to get close to Kade and him with me. I didn¡¯t know how far away we were from crossing over from casual friends to real friends. Maybe we¡¯d already crossed it and I kept too much in my own head to notice.

    Before I realized what was going on, he got up and started shifting through his desk, ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything memorable to give you.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be anything special. Just¡­something small.¡± His hands paused, before he kept going. After a few minutes of shuffling, he pulled out a folded paper.

    It wasn¡¯t until he handed it to me that I realized it was a photograph, ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s the both of us. We should take one of all three of us.¡±

    ¡°Both¡­?¡± When I unfolded it I saw Kade and Wells. A younger version of them. It looked like they were in Freshman year and Kade had thrown his arms around a stoic Wells. They were in their uniforms and by the look of it, had just won a game. Maybe it was their first win as high schoolers.

    As my expression crumbled, Kade reached out and I felt the wetness on my face, ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Cinder?¡±

    I had known them for just a month. I kept telling myself I didn¡¯t feel anything, but that wasn¡¯t true. I didn¡¯t feel the way I was supposed, that was true. There wasn¡¯t a sliver of romantic interest for Wells, especially since I¡¯d assumed it to be Kade. But I had started to care about them both. Even casually. Even slightly.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. I¡­ really wanted to help you.¡± It was easy to make promises when there were no consequences to them. This had really all just been my goodbye. I could feel the world fracturing around me. Midnight, this would all be over. I failed this story easily, and it was time for a new one to begin.

    If I could still talk to them again and again, then maybe¡ª

    Dizziness sliced through my vision. Blue spilled into the area before I knew what was happening, and Kade steadied me before I teetered off the bed. It was too sudden. I just needed more time. I needed¡ª

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re disappearing.¡± Was I? I glanced down at my hands, and watched almost amazed as they fractured and faded. The photograph remained with me, and I could only assume I was allowed to keep it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t remember me.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± The question in his eyes wasn¡¯t one I could answer. Sleep washed over me suddenly. If I held out, I had until midnight, but what was the point? There was no reason to stay. Nothing would change the ending.

    Kade laid me down, and I felt myself drifting off. At some point he must have left, and I could distantly hear his voice. And then another voice.

    ¡°Wake up.¡± A hand shook me, and I blinked my eyes open. Wells stared down at me, his eyebrows pinched together. He looked so concerned, in the faded blue. I was sure he could feel everything Kade was feeling now ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Everything was so blue. A sticky dye contaminating everything. Would I feel Kade¡¯s magic still, even after all this was over? ¡°It¡¯s because I¡­failed¡­¡±

    ¡°Failed¡­?¡± Wells shook his head, ¡°We should get her back home. And besides, your parents are going to be back any minute, it¡¯s almost midnight.¡±

    Already? Had I dozed for that long? I tried to push myself up, only to find there was no strength in my arms. Kade reached out and steadied me. I could sense the trembles in his body, ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Hey Cinder? I won¡¯t forget. How could I?¡±

    ¡°We just met. It¡¯s ok, I know I¡­¡± When I glanced over I could see the digital clock on Kade¡¯s nightstand. There wasn¡¯t any time left. Next time, I would remember to simply go to sleep early when I saw this was over. I¡¯d lay down and sleep and wake up to the first day of school once more.

    No one would suffer that way.

    Kade repeated, ¡°Whatever¡¯s going on, I won¡¯t forget.¡±

    As the clock struck midnight, I kept the photograph to my chest, knowing it would never be true.

 Report Card 1 [Failure]

    Pollen dusted my nose, and I twitched away from the sensation. Muted light teased my eyelids, and I blinked against it. My body was curled along a patch of grass, shadows dancing across my form from the trees above. Kade¡¯s photograph was still pressed to my chest, and I took a deep breath.

    I thought I¡¯d have more time.

    The strange sensation I¡¯d felt prior was gone. It¡¯d felt like a severe cold. Not quite painful but rife with discomfort and exhaustion. Their voices still rang in my ear, a collection of confused dissonance. There were so many questions in my head, but it seemed like all I ever had these days were questions.

    I clamored to my feet and brushed away the thin dusting of pollen from the hairs of my arms. As I did so, I noted there was someone leaning against one of the trees, arms crossed. I¡¯d expected the Headmaster to greet me, but instead I was met with the sharp form of Fable. He wasn¡¯t looking at me, his head slightly lifted as though following the movement of the leaves.

    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± Fable turned, and I tried not to freeze. I expected a glare or some other form of contempt, but there was nothing. It was like I¡¯d never snapped at him. Then again, he¡¯d hardly reacted after that moment either.

    He pushed himself upright, ¡°Fox isn¡¯t allowed here.¡±

    ¡°I meant the Headmaster.¡± I followed after him as he walked ahead. His steps were feather quiet, and it made me all the more conscious of my own.

    ¡°He¡¯s currently busy. Your failure was¡­bland.¡±

    Fable didn¡¯t look at me as he spoke and I didn¡¯t dare walk side by side with him. I kept a few paces just behind. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry?¡±

    ¡°For the first tale,¡± his voice became numb, the same kind of voice he used when talking to the Headmaster, ¡°You met the Prince, the Villain, and the Guardian. You mistook the Villain, you acknowledged no romantic interest in either, you showed sympathy towards the Villain. You managed to unearth the first conflict. Your story ended right after the beginning was established.¡±

    It was like I was getting my stat page read to me. The only thing I ended up snagged on, was the Guardian, ¡°Who¡­had been the Guardian?¡±

    ¡°There is no longer any reason to dwell on the first story.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I clutched the photo closer to me, as though he would turn and rip it from my fingers. He cocked his head back, as though sensing the movement. When his gaze landed on it, he merely looked away. His indifference was going to leave me colder than anything else in this place.

    He paused at the clearing, where the Headmaster¡¯s desk was, ¡°The Guardian was Jen.¡±

    I near choked in surprise, ¡°In what sense of the word¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Wells was the Prince, and Kade was the Villain, regardless of your sympathies.¡± He turned and looked at me fully. ¡°Why did he have your sympathies?¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°W-why? He was¡­just a boy.¡± Who was hurt and hopeless in ways he hadn¡¯t wanted. I never figured out what had caused that outburst, or why his magic was overflowing with nothing but sadness. I bit my lip, questions welling up inside of me.

    Fable moved a step closer and I felt his figure loom, ¡°A boy you mean nothing to now. You should let him go.¡±

    I flinched away, pressing the photo closer to me still, ¡°I¡­I know that I¡­¡±

    My eyes burned. I refused to cry in front of Fable. Not while he was passing down judgement without a hint of emotion on his face. But this was it. I would wake up in the morning and it would the first day of school again. Kade would have no idea who I was, and neither would Wells. Would I still feel Kade¡¯s magic? Would their story still be the same?

    ¡°You failed.¡± My vision blurred. Trembles coursed through my fingers. I failed. I knew I would. I had went on knowing this to be the outcome. I hadn¡¯t even gotten to know them that well, and yet¡­ ¡°It¡¯s time to pick your next story.¡±

    ¡°How¡­how would the rest of that story have gone?¡± I could hear the heaving in my tone. The desperate attempt to hold back my cries. Fable stared at me, his expression not changing. ¡°I mean, if I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should never speak to them again.¡± The order was cold.

    ¡°But they¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°Outside your jurisdiction now. Isn¡¯t your friend more important?¡± Why did that feel like a threat? Chills raced down my spine and I tried to stop my trembles. I wasn¡¯t going to cry. Not here, not now.

    I swallowed hard, ¡°It can be anything, right?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you wish.¡±

    I pulled away from him, turning to look at the foliage around me. If anything, I wanted my back towards him, so he wouldn¡¯t see me cry. It was impossible to hold them back and as much as I tried I could feel their warmth snake down my cheek.

    The area was full of so many different types of plants, and although I tried not to, I couldn¡¯t help but look at where the marigolds were. Or rather, where they had once been. The spot was now gone, a patch of dirt the only ode to their memory. With Fable¡¯s gaze on me, I didn¡¯t dwell on it. I failed the first story, there were no second chances.

    Like the first time, I felt lost in the choices, and that was just in this one area. I wasn¡¯t sure how large this ethereal greenhouse was, but it felt like it spanned yards and yards. When I looked up, my eyes caught the sun, and I squinted against it. It must always be day here, for the sun to be out.

    As I circled around what felt like the hundredth time, Fable¡¯s voice broke the quiet, ¡°You¡¯ll always feel that now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The pain. You said you wanted to make sure you¡¯re friend never got hurt. You were talking physically, but really, this is the pain you¡¯re taking in her place.¡± I froze, cautious of him as he walked to stand next to me. ¡°Do you regret it?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± If there was anything I regretted, it was not being able to do more. For failing so easily, something Abigail could have done without blinking.

    ¡°You can keep the photograph. I won¡¯t steal it away from you.¡± I relaxed, but only by a margin.

    With so many flowers in front of me, I tried my best to focus and blink away the remaining tears. As my vision cleared, I could see all the cool colors that were dotting the greens of plants. I¡¯d been attracted to the marigold because it had been so bright. Now my eyes were pulled by something that was a deep red.

    I took a few steps forward, reaching out for it. Flowers still weren¡¯t my strong suit, and I decided to start brushing up on flower information from now on. This place was going to be a place I would see many times to come. My heart twisted at the thought, and my lips warbled again.

    ¡°Petunias.¡± Fable said behind me, although it felt less like he was talking to me and more he was cataloguing information. There were other colors, purples and whites and ones that were spotted. But this felt like one of the deepest flowers I had ever seen.

    As I plucked it, I felt the world fray again, ¡°¡­How badly did I fail, Fable?¡±

    He said nothing, and I closed my eyes.

 0.6 Viper

    ¡°You could have at least answered her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡±

    Fox sat on the Headmaster¡¯s desk. His legs were crossed and he smiled. He did not look to where Cinder¡¯s form had just vanished. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t been so honest with herself about her feelings, the end game condition would have never been triggered. Plus, her reaching out to Kade would have negated all the major conflicts on his end as well. She would have just had to find a way for Wells to fall for her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to have it end early, than waste all of our time.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t the point. For a mouse she¡¯s impressive.¡± He was still upset. The inflection in his voice was similar to when he¡¯d demanded a fight. The pain of the hits he landed hadn¡¯t been easily forgotten. I¡¯d prefer to avoid it if possible.

    ¡°You¡¯re too involved.¡± He slid to his feet, smile still fixed into place. ¡°Tell me, how many rules did you break this time around?¡±

    ¡°Will you put me out of commission again?¡± Fox¡¯s foolishness would never fail to exhaust me. He had to have remembered the pain better than I did his fists. I wanted to ask father why he kept the boy around, and to go so far as to let him be a guide to a main character.

    I doubted he¡¯d answer, ¡°That had nothing to do with me.¡±

    ¡°Which means I won¡¯t be punished if you¡¯re the only one who noticed. I¡¯ve heard the students say snitches get stitches and I think I like the phrase.¡± How had he been faring with his student masquerade? I¡¯d have to ask later. Fox could only have been coming off as wrong.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°I have no desire to humor you right now. If you desire something, speak it.¡±

    Fox came to a stop in front of me and the sunlight above shifted into a reddened hue of twilight. When he looked up, his eyes flashed blue, ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything to say. Just that you should treat her better. I hate to see her cry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too involved.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already said that.¡± He tilted his head, his smile growing. ¡°You sensed me the whole time, right?¡±

    I had, ¡°What does it matter?¡±

    ¡°You were going to do something to her, right? Back when she was waking up?¡± Even the slightest shift in my expression could give something away. The twitch of the eyes were enough. His smile was now a warning. ¡°But you sensed I was there and held back. Tell me, what were you planning?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Even I can¡¯t escape the Headmaster¡¯s wrath when it comes to breaking rules. Especially when it comes to us harming the people he¡¯s chosen.¡±

    ¡°So you were thinking about harming her. Maybe make her never wake up? Our resident Sleeping Beauty? Show she¡¯s not cut out for this and make the Headmaster undo everything because of it? It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to fake.¡±

    Cinder resting with the photograph griped in the vice of her hands had been vexing. The way father had taken an interest in her had been equally as so, ¡°It would have been the best for her.¡±

    Fox only stared. I turned, ready to leave this conversation behind me.

    As I closed my eyes to leave this place, Fox said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Headmaster is so curious about her either, but our job is to respect his wishes. Even if you don¡¯t agree.¡±

    ¡°His wishes could have led to Abigail just as well.¡±

    Abigail Rose. With her face bruised and lips bloodied, and lies dripping from her tongue at any probing. The kind of lies only Cinder would have obsessed over. If the girl hadn¡¯t been able to resist magic without effort, the Headmaster wouldn¡¯t have become so curious. It was her only redeeming quality, stacked against a multitude of inadequacies. Yet, she found herself here and had continued on to another story. One where the red would split her open and prove my grievances correct.

    I hated that I was ending the cycle stuck on her. A disease I wished to purge.

    Truly, she was an inconvenient main character.

 2.X The Boy who Couldnt Surive the Flames

    Petals fell around me in flashes of blinding white. A strange ache echoed in my chest, crying over a blocked memory. Dew coated my skin and I brushed the drops away. I sat in a daze. Another body shifted near me.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Abigail. She was sitting against the trunk of a tree. Her feet were bare and she curled her toes into the earth. ¡°You were asleep for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t remember.¡± Was there a sky past the white hanging over us? I craned my neck back, searching for a slip of blue. ¡°I feel wrong.¡±

    Voices drifted towards us and I turned my head. Abigail stood as I did, eyes narrowing, ¡°They¡¯re playing a game.¡±

    ¡°Who? What game¡­?¡± I took a step forward, feeling the softness of the earth beneath me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Abigail reached out, her hand encircled my wrist, ¡°You should stay away from them.¡±

    There was an urgency in her grip. The voices grew louder, more frantic. ¡°Tell me. Please.¡±

    Her lips pressed together, ¡°It¡¯s Werewolf. They¡¯re just screwing with each other. The Literature Club.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    A chill sliced down my spine and I shook away her hand, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of our business.¡±

    ¡°I want to see.¡± I needed to see. Their voices, rising in crescendo, was a beckoning. My feet moved forward, and all at once I was on concrete. When I glanced behind me, there was no longer a field nor Abigail. The school building loomed in the distance, and I was in the middle of the courtyard. The sky was a bleeding red, the horizon a deep blue.

    Alarm rang in my head. The voices were clearer now. A steady chanting. One voice stood out from it all, one that wasn¡¯t a part of the rhythm. I followed the sound, leading me towards the back of the office building. Smoke hit my nose as I drew near. Lights from a fire washed over the walls as I walked to the edge of the building. I kept my back pressed against the wall, peering over.

    Figures were crowded around the fire. I could just make out a figure kneeling down in front of them in front of the flames. ¡°After a lengthy discussion, it¡¯s been decided that you¡¯re the wolf.¡±

    ¡°How the hell did you come to that conclusion¡ª?¡±

    ¡°As such, you¡¯ll be cast out never to be seen again. If you come back we¡¯ll feed you to the flames.¡±

    The crowd rushed towards the boy on the ground. I jerked, moving towards the mayhem before I realized what I was doing. Compelled to. Only an arm reached out and crossed along my middle. A hand clamped over my mouth. Goosebumps scattered along my skin as I struggled against the person holding me down.

    In front of me, the crowd collapsed on the boy. All I could do was watch his violent exile.

 2.1 All Teeth

    Pain laced my mouth. It startled me awake with the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. I sat up, disoriented in the space I was in. Squinting against the dark, I took note of my clock sitting on my nightstand. 4:38AM. August 25<sup>th</sup>. The previous events all rushed back to me in a hard wave.

    I pressed a hand to my mouth, and felt the split on my bottom lip. I¡¯d bitten it in my sleep. I¡¯d tried to bite whoever had covered my mouth, it must have transferred over to my reality. Pulling away, I stared down at the dark spots on my fingers, near impossible to make out in the darkness. Tears welled in my eyes.

    With a harsh breath, I kicked the covers off me and went to the bathroom. I flinched against the light and turned to look at myself in the mirror. Exhaustion was heavy on my face and my eyes were puffy from tears. At least my lip wasn¡¯t too bad, the swelling mild.

    Washing my face, I headed back to my room to organize my thoughts. Another dream. Another story. I collapsed at my desk, turning on the table light. Without thinking I flipped opened the journal I¡¯d gotten, only distantly surprised it had transferred over through the reset. Tucked into it was the picture Kade had given me. My fingers ghosted over the image of him and Wells together, beaming up at me. Those memories had never happened.

    The threat of tears eclipsed me again and I shook my head. Taking the photo, I flipped the journal open and tapped it inside. The time we¡¯d shared had been just over a month. It didn¡¯t stop the hurting. How was I going to explain to everyone why I¡¯d woken up crying my eyes out?

    The reasoning didn¡¯t help. A sob forced it¡¯s way out of me and I curled up in my chair and wept.

    //

    ¡°She¡¯s been like this all morning.¡± My mom whispered to Abigail, not quite quiet enough for me to miss. Abigail furrowed her eyebrows as she examined me. My hair was still a mess, damp from my early shower. My face must have looked worse after crying most of the morning, and I felt like the last time I¡¯d slept was a year ago.

    Abigail slipped into the space next to me, her gaze catching on my mouth, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Can I take a raincheck?¡± My voice sounded raw. I blinked, startled by the state of it.

    Her expression became more severe, ¡°¡­Sure. Should I be concerned? Did someone jump you or something¡ª¡±

    ¡°I bit my lip in my sleep. Had a bad dream.¡± The explanation didn¡¯t ease her expression at all, but she let it drop. I poked at my food, trying to convince myself to eat something but not finding the energy to. As Abigail reached for breakfast, I mumbled, ¡°Um, hey. Can I leave early?¡±

    Her hand stopped just over the plates, concern tipping over into plain alarm. She eyed me, withdrawing her hand and placing them in her lap, ¡°We¡¯re going together.¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s ok! I don¡¯t want you to not eat and besides mom made enough for the both of us.¡± My own plate was untouched, a mountain of food going to waste. I¡¯d wanted to try to talk to Fox, but I¡¯d set everyone on high alert.

    The break of routine and tradition cracked Abigail¡¯s expression. I could see the wheels turning as I hastily stood. She watched each movement, still taking in my appearance and counting the wrinkles on my uniform.

    As I threw my bag over my shoulder, she followed, ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡±

    That was a lie. Abigail could devour a continent worth of food. Still, words failed me as I tried to claw at an excuse for being alone. Even outside of talking to someone, I wanted to be on my own in case the sight of school lead to another break.

    My parents exchanged a look, but I did my best to ignore them as I mumbled, ¡°Ok, sure. We¡¯ll head out together then.¡±

    Abigail linked her arm with mine, throwing a smile and wave at my parents, ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later then! Thanks for breakfast and sorry for not eating more!¡±

    ¡°Be safe girls.¡± Mom raised a hand as Abigail all but dragged me out the door. The morning air hit and I was aware of how there was warmth still coating my skin. The steady chill I¡¯d gotten used to was gone. Something that should have been obvious, but zapped through my senses.

    I let Abigail drag me along, hardly registering where we were going. I kept glancing around as we walked, as though I¡¯d catch sight of Kade. Even if I did, what was I going to say to him? Was I even allowed to say something? Fable had ordered me not to, and it was best to obey. When I¡¯d attempted to talk to Abigail and tell her what was actually going on my entire body had gone stiff. There was a chance it¡¯d be the same with him.

    ¡°Ok, spill it. What the hell is going on with you this morning?¡± She whirled on me right before the gates of the school. In the distance I caught Nia leaning against the pillar of the gates. Her red jacket a beacon against all the other students.

    I forced my attention back to Abigail, ¡°I told you, it was just a bad dream.¡±

    ¡°Really? How bad was it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do I¡­have to talk about it now?¡± She folded her arms across her chest and I flinched away. There was no lie I could tell, my exhaustion making it impossible to think. There was nothing that would convince her it was just a dream. She kept focusing on the split of my lip, on the shadows under my eyes. She hadn¡¯t let up since she first saw me.

    ¡°Cinder¡ª¡±

    ¡°Would you two get out of the way?¡± I jumped. Abigail¡¯s lip curled up. Jen stood behind us, her hair up in it¡¯s usual ponytail. Her gaze was flat.

    I shuffled to the side, ¡°S-sorry.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°You should take your little argument somewhere that isn¡¯t the sidewalk.¡± She started to walk, but Abigail already had her teeth barred.

    ¡°We¡¯re not fighting.¡±

    ¡°Could have fooled me.¡± Jen gave me a once over, before she raised a finger and tapped it against her mouth. ¡°Your lip is still bleeding, in case you didn¡¯t notice. Did Abigail do that to you?¡±

    ¡°Fucking bitch.¡±

    ¡°Says the one interrogating your little pet instead of taking her to the nurse. Really makes it seem like you¡¯re the villain from where I¡¯m standing.¡± Jen¡¯s voice echoed out as she slipped through the gate. Her voice alerted Nia, and her head raised to stare at us with wide eyes.

    A guardian, Fable had said. The absurdity of it finally registered. Abigail would never have accepter her in that role. She¡¯d have sooner gone through the fires of hell herself, before she¡¯d accepted Jen as someone needed to help her.

    Heat spilled into my chest as I realized my thoughts had wandered. I pulled away from Abigail raising my hand towards Nia. As the three of us converged, I tried to ignore the way Abigail had her jaw set, ¡°Morning Nia.¡±

    ¡°Did you get run over on the way here?¡± Nia frowned, and I brushed away the concern.

    ¡°Bad dream.¡±

    ¡°A hell of a bad dream.¡± Abigail had her head turned, still tracking wherever Jen was heading.

    Nia¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Wow, you both are in fantastic moods this morning. A real good omen for the rest of the year, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I waved my hands in front of me. ¡°What¡¯s your schedule like?¡±

    I dove into the familiar. This would be my third time having this conversation. The third time Nia would talk about her granny, the third time having to introduce myself during all my classes. The repetition hung over my head, a rock in my stomach throughout the day.

    //

    Despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t find Kade. Wells wasn¡¯t in my drama class either. I stood in the back, too anxious to sit, and listened to all the introductions. Jen kept eyeing me, and I kept ignoring her. As the drama teacher clamped her hands and said we should go introduce ourselves to each other, Jen made a beeline for me.

    Even I was too tired to deal with her and whatever antics she had in her brain, ¡°You don¡¯t look any better.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯ve been fidgeting all throughout class? Is your best friend acting like your worst enemy?¡± Catching the eye of Jen on the first day felt like a curse. Mom said everything came in threes. This was the second and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to whatever the third thing was going to be.

    I took a deep breath, ¡°C-could you please leave me and my friends alone?¡±

    Her grin was all teeth. The rock in my stomach doubled in size, ¡°Is that a backbone? No wonder Abigail was livid. She¡¯s not used to her lackeys talking back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened¡­¡±

    ¡°I figured. You¡¯re too pathetic to ever stand up for yourself against her. Thank god I¡¯m graduating this year so I never have to see you three again. The little show you three keep up is disgusting.¡± I stumbled over sounds, unable to form a word. As the single thread I¡¯d clung to snapped, her eyes slid away in pity. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re even aware of it though, are you?¡±

    ¡°Just stop! I¡¯m sick of you berating us every chance you get.¡± Everyone froze, a deathly quiet at my outburst. Jen only watched me, and I wiped furiously at my face trying to get the tears before they rolled down my cheeks. ¡°Just leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡ª?¡± As the drama teacher approached us I ran out the door. I didn¡¯t care if my parents got a call today. I didn¡¯t care if I got in trouble or landed in detention. I needed to get away from her. Even with my back turned I could feel her eyes watching me on my way out.

    The halls were quiet, and I didn¡¯t pass anyone as I ran towards the back exit and slipped outside. The air was true warm now, the early afternoon washing over me. I collapsed on the steps and burrowed my face in my hands. My shoulders shook despite my desperation to keep it in.

    My mind kept conjuring the image of Kade and Wells¡¯ faces twisted in concern, Abigail¡¯s disbelief, and Jen¡¯s cruel grin. It was happening all at once. Some of it had never happened.

    It was a wonder how long I sat there and cried. My throat was raw and hurting. My eyes were sore and a throbbing headache had overtaken me. At some point, I¡¯d stopped and merely sat with my face in my hands. I could have stayed there forever.

    ¡°Cinder?¡± I lifted my head up, looking at who was in front of me without really seeing them. Fox¡¯s frown was more severe than I¡¯d ever seen it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been rough, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    I only shrugged, wrapping my arms around myself and scooting over on the steps. He sat down beside me, his legs stretching out in front of him. I wanted to ask about class, but I doubted he truly needed to attend in the first place.

    He didn¡¯t say anything more, but his presence forced me to ground myself. I looked up, noting the whisps of clouds in the sky and the tops of the trees that rested beyond the school fences. From here I could also see the various sport courts and the kids currently in PE darting around them in blurs.

    ¡°Was it also like this with everyone else?¡±

    ¡°Mostly.¡± He was also looking out. His posture relaxed and his gaze unfocused. When he noticed my stare, he offered a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be ok, I swear.¡±

    I hoped it was true, ¡°It¡¯s just been a rough day. Outside of the¡­the Game Over, I mean.¡±

    He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything his head snapped towards the side, body tense. I felt a stab of anger, sinking hard into my stomach alerting me to a deep red haze spilling into the air around us like noxious gas.

    I scrambled to my feet, reaching for Fox only to find there was no one there. It was too soon for the next opening of this story. Sick to my stomach from magic, I ran towards the door back into the school building.

    As I reached out for the door handle, a series of shouts drew my eyes. It was a mistake but I turned. From around the corner of the building a body fell back. Another collapsed on top of him. A fight. My hand froze on the door.

    My dream. It was here, an opening scene playing for me. I could take the bait, react as I had when I¡¯d seen Fox and Fable at it. Instead, I pulled open the door and ran inside.

    //

    I kept eyeing the boy with bruises in history. He was a few rows away from me and a few desks up. I hadn¡¯t caught his face, but there were fresh bruises on his knuckles. When the teacher had done roll call, I¡¯d managed to catch his name. Cyrus Woods. I kept glancing at him, as if I¡¯d gather any information from the back of his head. All I saw of him was short brown hair and the flash of his battered hands.

    If I was desperate to be an optimist, it would all be coincidence. But I knew this was someone from this story. Which one, I couldn¡¯t be sure. I¡¯d tried to sense for magic, but whatever I¡¯d felt before was gone.

    My mind had been spiraling for most the day. Nia and Abigail had spent most of lunch trying to figure out what was wrong with me, and the most I¡¯d given up was that Jen had been bothering me again. It took me and Nia to stop Abigail from finding her and starting a fight.

    It was a relief when class was over and I darted from the room and to my final class of the day.

    The moment I took my seat, I spun around to Fox, ¡°You left me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± He smiled like he was trying to hide a grimace. ¡°I can¡¯t be around them.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± The real reason I couldn¡¯t stop from thinking about it was because of how heavy the rage had been. I could taste the blood the user had been wanting to draw. I could picture the feverish intent as fists raised and flesh met flesh. When the magic had wrapped around me, it occurred to me I¡¯d never felt true anger before.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± His fingers tapped against the table, each tap a resonate of anxiety.

    I couldn¡¯t read his face, ¡°If something happens to you, I¡¯m not allowed to intervene.¡±

    Goosebumps rose along my skin. Everything had been so calm before. Fox¡¯s warning wormed it¡¯s way into my head. It wouldn¡¯t leave no matter how hard I tried. The next tale was waiting right in front of me.

 2.2 Barred Teeth

    A week passed. The reality of the situation sank in slow throughout that time. Despite all probing, I managed to dodge all questions about my low mood. Fox distracting me through it which helped to settle the worst of it. As the weekend rolled around, I was in a significantly better mood.

    As I slipped out of bed, stumbling out into the hallway, I heard a voice I hadn¡¯t expected coming from the kitchen, ¡°If you need any help, let me know!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright! You can just hang out in the living room until Cinder wakes up.¡±

    I slid back behind my door, awake now that Abigail was here. She¡¯d been hovering over me all week. Part in concern, part in her need to know. I ran a hand down my face, rubbing away the sleep. Even stowed away in my room, I could still hear them talking.

    ¡°Did Cinder ever say what was wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, she¡¯s kept to herself. She¡¯s been in a better mood the last few days, though.¡±

    Whatever Abigail said next was muffled as she turned on the tv. I stayed with my back against the door. The ambiance of the noise outside was equally daunting as it was calming.

    With a deep breath, I headed back out to go through my morning routine. The distraction helped, and by the time I walked out to the living room I was ready for the interrogation Abigail was about to launch.

    She sat cross legged on the couch, morning cartoons on the tv. Mom was behind the kitchen counter and she gave me a smile, ¡°Good morning, sleepy head. Your hair is still a mess.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll deal with it later.¡± I ducked away from her hand as she reached out and turned towards Abigail, ¡°Morning. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to come by today.¡±

    ¡°I just felt like hanging out. There¡¯s nothing to do at my place.¡± It was a half-lie. I said nothing as I grabbed a plate of waffles. The one good thing about Abigail coming over was my parents were always willing to cook, and they¡¯re food was better than mine could ever be.

    I slipped into place next to her, squinting at the screen, ¡°You haven¡¯t turned this channel on since you were twelve.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you still watch these kinds of things?¡± She grinned. I knew what she was doing. If I let my guard down, she thought she could get me to open up.

    Abigail was strange like that. There were times she¡¯d let things drop without care, but once in a blue moon, she¡¯d become obsessed with knowing something. Nia would get the brunt of it, because I was an open book. I wanted to be an open book.

    I took a bite of my waffle, ¡°¡­Sometimes.¡±

    Her smile dimmed. I kept eating. The guilt in my gut kept twisting away. How many lies would it take before I didn¡¯t feel anything anymore? The silence that snuck in was heavy on me.

    ¡°So, uh, what did you want to do today?¡± My own olive branch.

    She shrugged, ¡°There isn¡¯t much to do. We should go out. It¡¯s a nice day at least. I was thinking of catching a friend, too¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we could.¡± I didn¡¯t want to leave the safety of my house, but I¡¯d spent the week locked away in my room after school. I especially didn¡¯t want to feel like a third wheel with Abigail and her friend. But it¡¯d be nice to get out. Maybe it would finally ease away the last of my lingering hurt.

    Her head fell against my shoulder, the scent of strawberry shampoo ghosting past me, ¡°Do you want to go to the bookstore? I want to grab something real quick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with whatever.¡±

    I finished eating quickly, and kissed my mom¡¯s cheek goodbye as we headed out. The day was warm, a few puffs of cloud lounging in the sky. Abigail was quiet, and I was fishing for words to say as we walked. She wasn¡¯t the one to be quiet between us. I realized just how much I¡¯d been bothering her.

    As I was mulling over words, I caught a form walking down the sidewalk across from us. My steps stuttered, too surprised to control my movements. I snapped my eyes forward and tried to pretend I¡¯d tripped on something.

    Abigail¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­?¡± I glanced over, praying it seemed natural. Kade was collecting the mail, hair a mess like he¡¯d just woken up. He didn¡¯t notice us, and even if he did it wouldn¡¯t have mattered.

    She leaned over, hands cupping around her mouth and the floor opened up beneath me. I refrained from any protest as she called out, ¡°Hey! Do you go to Aster Academy?¡±

    My ears were burning. I immediately looked away, hoping to blend into the background. There was a beat before he called back, ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Sorry! Just wondering because you looked familiar.¡± That was a full-lie. She spun around and pushed me forward. Despite myself, I peeked over from under my bangs. I knew what I¡¯d find. It didn¡¯t sting any less.

    There wasn¡¯t a hint of recognition in his face.

    //

    ¡°How¡­do you do such embarrassing things?¡± I leaned against one of the many shelves at the bookstore. I still couldn¡¯t get over how easily Abigail had called out to him.

    She paused in her browsing, shifting the collection of books already in her arms, ¡°What do you mean? I wasn¡¯t embarrassed in the first place.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± I sighed, any progress I¡¯d made in feeling better had been swept away. Kade¡¯s blank expression was front and center in my mind. I still didn¡¯t know what had happened to Wells. If he wasn¡¯t in drama class, maybe he¡¯d never left soccer in the first place. Maybe Kade had never hurt him. The last thought was wishful thinking, but it was a wish I wanted to have.

    As she turned back to browsing, she said, ¡°I thought you knew him.¡±

    ¡°¡­How could I? I only ever talk to you and Nia.¡±

    She hummed, plucking another book for her pile. Satisfied, she turned back to me and rested against the shelf, ¡°I¡¯ve been super annoying, right?¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°W-what? No¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re as sweet as ever, but I know I have been. The entire week has been me pestering you to answer me about whatever is going on. I know I should just leave it alone until you¡¯re comfortable with telling me.¡±

    Her lips pressed together, and I prompted, ¡°But¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just how sudden it is. Everything was fine just a week ago.¡± Summer was a lifetime ago for me. I couldn¡¯t even recall what the last week of summer vacation had been like.

    ¡°Yeah, it was pretty sudden, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I swallowed, lifting my head to look at her directly. We examined each other as I steadied myself, ¡°As my best friend, I want you to know I¡¯d tell you everything if I could.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°If I ever get the chance to tell you, I will. I promise.¡± I stuck out my pinky and her eyebrows raised.

    As she held out her free hand and hooked her pinky with mine, she breathed, ¡°You¡¯re such a kid.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know, you¡¯re supposed to cut off your pinky if you break a pinky promise.¡± She rolled her eyes and we let go. I knew it wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear, but it was the best I could do.

    We went to the counter to check out. It was barely afternoon now, and we had all the time in the world to kill. Now that Abigail had completed her goal as best she could, I figured it was time to meet up with this supposed friend.

    After she paid, she headed towards the back of the store again, ¡°Come on, there¡¯s a little reading nook back here.¡±

    ¡°Is there?¡± I followed after her. The store itself wasn¡¯t too big, an indie bookstore tucked away in one of the many storefronts that lined the street. In the back, there was a collection of bean bags and tables scattered around in no order.

    She collapsed on one of the bean bags and I settled in next to her, ¡°It¡¯s cozy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one of my friends from the Literature Club told me about it.¡±

    I went still, ¡°Oh, really? Is she the one we¡¯re going to meet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she comes here all the time. She kinda reminds me of you. Always quiet and keeping to herself.¡± She riffled through her bag for a specific book. ¡°You know, I¡¯m always surprised you¡¯re in drama instead of something else.¡±

    My parents had wanted me to gain confidence so they¡¯d signed me up as a kid. Even back then, I was never fond of being on stage, but I¡¯d grown to appreciate the art and I stuck around.

    ¡°I guess I do seem more like a bookworm.¡± I hesitated. ¡°What is that club like? It feels like it¡¯d be¡­¡±

    ¡°Stuffy? Rigid? Ultra-boring?¡± She laughed at my protests, finally pulling out a book from her newfound collection. I eyed it, noting it was another dream interpretation book. I knew where this was going. She hadn¡¯t completely let this go.

    I decided it was easier to go with it, ¡°Well, remember when I told you I had that bad dream?¡±

    Her eyes glinted and she settled in with the book as I gave a run down of everything. For the first tale, I hadn¡¯t gotten far enough to understand how that dream had connected to reality. But this one, I could already see pieces of the puzzle aligning.

    ¡°It makes sense I told you to stay away, actually. For a bunch of bookworms, they¡¯re so full of drama. They all pretend to be friends, but they¡¯re always saying shit behind each other¡¯s backs. And for what?¡± I winced, having all the context I needed already.

    ¡°So¡­I basically just had an accurate dream about them?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much. You¡¯ve always had dreams like that, though.¡±

    I remembered she¡¯d mentioned that before, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve said. I always have weird dreams.¡±

    She tilted her head, ¡°Not just weird. Sometimes they feel¡­almost prophetic.¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± Abigail reached out and mused my hair at my voice. I couldn¡¯t recall her ever saying that. Whenever I tried to remember my dreams, they slipped away by the end of the day. It was why Abigail would say I should keep a dream journal. I couldn¡¯t ever recall them being more than weird.

    As I tried to lodge this into my head, Abigail craned her head over me, ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±

    I looked over to see where she was looking and found a girl walking towards us. She hadn¡¯t noticed us yet, or specifically Abigail. Her brown hair was in loose curls and fell past her shoulders. Her clothes were neutral tones and well kept. I knew little about fashion, but I could tell they were brand-named. Me, Abigail, and Kade were the exceptions of Aster Academy. Most who attended had more money we could dream of.

    She was texting on a phone, one of the new models with a keyboard instead of the standard flip phone. When she lifted her head, Abigail¡¯s arm shot up and she waved dramatically. I ducked my head.

    ¡°Ava, hey!¡± Her smile was serene. I tried not to stare as Abigail hopped onto her feet and walked towards her.

    As Abigail threw her arms out for a hug, I noticed Ava¡¯s gaze flicker towards me briefly, ¡°Afternoon. It¡¯s nice to see you.¡±

    ¡°I told you I might be swinging by.¡± Abigail pulled away, motioning towards me. ¡°I came with my friend, Cinder. She¡¯s my favorite.¡±

    The hint of Ava¡¯s perfectly shaped eyebrows rising was almost enough to make me forget how to speak, ¡°H-hi. Nice to meet you.¡±

    I hopped to my feet. My own clothes felt wrong now. I never was much for fashion and shopping, and my wardrobe was dominated by the thrift store. Abigail was the same, but unlike me, she was a master at finding things. She didn¡¯t look out of place next to her.

    ¡°Yes, nice to meet you.¡± She offered a hand to shake. The formality felt wrong. The only time I ever shook hands was with adults. I knew my grasp was weak, and I tried to ignore how steady and smooth her hands were. I¡¯d never thought of them before, but my hands were covered in callouses from playing in the woods all the time as a kid. Constantly working with my hands for club had kept them there.

    If there was a real reason why I didn¡¯t have friends outside of Abigail and Nia, it was because I never knew how to talk to kids who came from money. Everything they did and talked about was far removed from me. It was the same now.

    With introductions out of the way, I left Ava and Abigail to it. The two settled in and went on tangents about people I¡¯ve never heard of. None of the names stood out, and I realized I was waiting to see if a certain name came up. The one I¡¯d spent the whole week avoiding making contact with.

    Cyrus had been unremarkable to watch during class. After the first day, I¡¯d pointedly tried to not stare at him or even glance his way. I wasn¡¯t ready to jump into another story, so I was ignoring the obvious invitation.

    I still needed to find Wells. Kade had been jarring enough. If I located Wells only to find the same thing, my heart would break for a third time. A sapling of friendship, dying before it became more.

    Ava was the second invitation to all of this. Her voice was so soft and steady. Each word she said seemed curated. I didn¡¯t know how Abigail thought the two of us were similar. I kept watching her posture, and it stayed as upright and proper as one could be sunk into a beanbag.

    ¡°Meetings for your book club start next week, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Literature Club,¡± the scolding was gentle, ¡°And it does. You should come. I¡¯m President this year.¡±

    ¡°No way, you know I hate their guts right?¡± Abigail wrinkled her nose. ¡°Also, like, Justin¡¯s a part of your club, and I¡¯m not dealing with that shit.¡±

    I blinked, ¡°J-Justin? As in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, that Justin.¡± I remembered him. Justin could be the poster boy of a teen magazine, and Abigail had punched him in the face last year after their breakup. She hadn¡¯t broken his nose, but he¡¯d had a nosebleed which had been enough for his mom to have a fit. It hadn¡¯t been on school grounds, and Justin had insisted to leave it alone. Abigail had gotten away scot-free.

    I hadn¡¯t been there, but Nia had said it was the best thing she¡¯d seen that night, ¡°I¡­wouldn¡¯t want to be near him either.¡±

    ¡°A shame, but I understand. If it helps he decided he wasn¡¯t rejoining this year. Well, at least not fully.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so that¡¯s one of the awful people out of there, but what about Lisa? Or better yet, what about your favorite? I heard Cyrus got into a fight day one of school.¡± Half-expecting it, the name still sent a jolt through me.

    Ava tapped her cheek, a faint smile flicking across her face, ¡°Yes, indeed. Him and Everett got into it. They¡¯ve both smoothed it over. Everett is even letting him stay in the club!¡±

    Abigail¡¯s sarcasm was in full force now, ¡°How generous of your Vice President.¡±

    ¡°Really, you should stop by at least once. I think it¡¯d be entertaining for you for the day at least.¡± Abigail only shook her head again, although the glint in her eye meant she was considering it. As slight as that consideration was.

    With my luck, she was going to go. And despite my better judgement, I was going to go with her.

 2.3 Sharp Teeth

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±

    ¡°T-they can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡± Fox shrugged, his attention on his current origami collection. He¡¯d made a variety of different animals, with the one in his hand being the start of a dog.

    Our assignment was already done. The second time around, the concepts were finally starting to click. Fox still had to help me, though. ¡°Some places become poison. Some places attract poison. Some people ingest it like it¡¯s water.¡±

    ¡°So they make each other worse.¡±

    ¡°A cycle unending.¡± He set the paper dog down, adding to the group of creatures on his desk. ¡°What should I make next?¡±

    ¡°¡­A fox.¡± I ducked away as he jokingly swatted at me. A laugh bubbled from my mouth despite myself. When I looked back, I caught a flicker of relief flash through Fox¡¯s face. The twist in my gut was back. Even Fox had been worrying about me.

    He took out more sheets of origami paper, and I knew he was making a fox despite his play at annoyance. He focused on the task at hand, ¡°They meet every Tuesday right? Are you going to make a plan for tomorrow then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I was thinking¡­since Abigail is going to be there I won¡¯t really need to say much.¡± I also was still avoiding the start point of the story. Going to the club would really be toeing the line between standing still and tipping over the edge.

    Fox tilted his head, ¡°Can you really avoid it, I wonder¡­¡±

    ¡°S-so I¡­shouldn¡¯t go at all?¡±

    ¡°The story will start regardless. Perhaps it¡¯ll be better to see the start of it with support than to have it suddenly forced on you. Especially when those that play a major role this time won¡¯t be as kind.¡±

    He stilled. I swallowed, ignoring the growing anxiety spilling into my chest, ¡°H-hey, I told you I don¡¯t want you to tell me anything you shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Fox didn¡¯t look convinced. His fingers tapped against the table, origami half-finished. His head turned, attention shifted away from me. Lost in thought. I kept my gaze on him, even as my own thoughts wandered. This was the first time I¡¯d seen him express concern or worry. Despite his help last time, he¡¯d appeared largely unbothered the whole way through.

    All I could do was keep my guard up.

    //

    ¡°So um, were you really thinking about going? To the club thing tomorrow?¡± Abigail shrugged at my question, and Nia quirked an eyebrow like this was the first time she was hearing about it. It probably was. We hadn¡¯t talked about it at lunch today.

    ¡°Club?¡±

    ¡°The Literature Club. One of my friends wants me to stop by but it¡¯s not really my scene.¡± Abigail picked at her array of bracelets along her wrists. ¡°But yeah, I guess. It¡¯ll be a one time thing just because I was asked to.¡±

    ¡°How generous. Abigail Rose being considerate.¡± Abigail bumped her shoulder against Nia¡¯s. She only laughed it off, the attack not even moving her.

    I leaned against the gate pillar, scanning the students as they walked out. It¡¯d become a habit the past week. Although I¡¯m sure they noticed, they hadn¡¯t made a comment about it. Abigail probably associated it with this mysterious thing I wasn¡¯t telling her about.

    With a half pout, Abigail folded her arms across her chest, ¡°I¡¯m totally considerate. Don¡¯t I always have the best intentions, Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, when it comes to us you do.¡± Nia nodded as I spoke.

    ¡°Sure, but when it comes to everyone else you¡¯re seconds away from tearing them down as needed. Like, is anyone else besides us really your friend?¡±

    Abigail pulled a face, ¡°Does it matter? I¡¯m here for you guys, so who cares about anyone else?¡±

    Me and Nia shared a look, but dropped the topic. Instead, I circled back around to what I¡¯d originally brought up, ¡°A-anyways, could I¡­tag along? If you decide to go?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± With wide eyes Abigail leaned towards me. ¡°You never have any interest in clubs or anything. Why so curious now?¡±

    ¡°N-no reason. I don¡¯t have any interest in joining, especially with everything I¡¯ve heard about them but¡­¡±

    ¡°Curiosity killed the cat.¡± Nia placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice pitched low. ¡°That place has the messiest people you can imagine.¡±

    I scooted away from her hand and straightened my back, ¡°I know and that¡¯s why I want to go if Abigail goes! I don¡¯t think I can do much to help but¡­if things get messy I can try to help out. Especially if that creep is going to be there.¡±

    When I leveled my gaze at Abigail, there was a complicated expression on her face. I wondered if my voice shook despite my best attempt at keeping it even or if something in my face gave away my endless negative emotions.

    We stared at each for a minute, the silence between us muting everything else. After a moment, she shrugged, ¡°I can handle myself just fine, but it¡¯s sweet of you to play backup. I¡¯ll meet you at your locker tomorrow instead.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually going¡­¡± Nia shook her head, and whatever look Abigail had before gave way to a grin.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°It¡¯ll just be a break from our usual routine. Right Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±

    By now, most of the crowd had slipped away. Me and Abigail waved our goodbyes to Nia, the disbelief never fleeing from her face. I turned on my heel and started walking, only for Abigail to pick up the conversation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    I blinked, ¡°O-oh? We¡¯re best friends, that¡¯s normal isn¡¯t it?¡±

    She kept toying with her bracelets, staring straight ahead. I kept step beside her, trying to fish out what she was feeling, ¡°You¡¯re as sweet as ever, but you don¡¯t ever need to put yourself in harms way for me, ok?¡±

    If Abigail knew what I¡¯d done, how would she react? I couldn¡¯t look at her any longer, and instead I mirrored her and stared straight ahead. Our neighborhood wasn¡¯t far, and the section of retail stores were starting to ebb away. The trees were still in the distance, and few cars were on the road. I never noticed how quiet it could be.

    ¡°¡­I want to.¡±

    She finally turned towards me, ¡°Cinder¡ª¡±

    ¡°A-and besides! It¡¯s not fair to say I can¡¯t worry about you. We worry about each other or we don¡¯t. It shouldn¡¯t go one way.¡± As I spoke, it occurred to me that what I¡¯d felt back then had been frustration. When Abigail was bruised and refused to confide in me, I¡¯d thought my driving motivation had been worry and worry alone. But as my voice caught, I knew it to be so much more.

    ¡°I feel like you¡¯ve changed somehow.¡±

    ¡°I-I have?¡±

    ¡°When I wasn¡¯t looking, maybe.¡± She smiled, but it was weighed down at the corners. I had no response. I still felt how I always did. Anxious and afraid and never reaching for what I want. I wondered what she saw in me, and I was scared to see it, too.

    //

    Something woke me up. I jerked, adrenaline shooting through my veins killing any chance of grogginess. In the dark, I scanned my room and strained my ears for any hints of noise. There was nothing. The house was quiet. The outside was quiet. I slid to my feet.

    My clock read it was after three in the morning. A mild chill encased me as I got out of bed. As my brain caught up to the moment, it finally registered what had punched me awake. Magic.

    It was a horrible idea to leave the house at this time of night. I did my best to focus, afraid I¡¯d know who it was. There was only one person who I knew it could be. With my heart in my throat, I forced myself to sit back down.

    I needed to help him.

    With my phone to my ear and my shoes hazardously thrown on, I tiptoed to the front room and slipped out the door. After a few rings, a voice answered on the other side.

    Fox barely sounded alive, ¡°You¡¯re calling way too early on a school night.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s Kade.¡±

    ¡°I figured you were one to make terrible decisions on other people¡¯s behalf, but this is extra bad.¡± I heard the sound of rustling, like he was getting up as well. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Even if something is wrong?¡± My voice frayed at the end, the heavy blue of his magic seeping into the world around me. I knew where he was, all I had to do was follow the choking feeling.

    Fox said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in five.¡±

    ¡°Y-you know where I live?¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster has everyone¡¯s records.¡± He hung up before I could voice any further concern.

    I sat on the edge of the sidewalk, air not cold enough to show my breaths, but enough to sting my lungs. At some point, the heavy blue eased away. The faint tinge of magic remained. A desperation was clawing in my chest with each second that passed by.

    Just as my nerves were ready to overpower me, I heard, ¡°That¡¯s Kade¡¯s magic for sure.¡±

    As I jumped to my feet, I turned to see Fox¡¯s form illuminated in an orange haze. It was hard to make out his features, and for a second I even wondered if it was him. He was out of uniform, in sweats and a T-shirt. The print was faded, but even in the dark I noticed it was superhero related. He wasn¡¯t looking at me, head turned towards the source of magic.

    ¡°Y-you scared me¡ª¡±

    Sorry, bad habit.¡± I wondered how it¡¯d become such, but he went on. ¡°You¡¯re going to be anxious until you see what¡¯s wrong, right?¡±

    I slowly nodded, ¡°I know I¡¯m not supposed to but¡­¡±

    His eyes reflected the lights too well. I didn¡¯t notice until he finally directed his attention towards me. I thought he hadn¡¯t felt real before, but tonight was like I was staring at something otherworldly.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more you can do for him.¡± He spoke like he was with the Headmaster. ¡°Do you still want to go?¡±

    ¡°¡­I do.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let him see you. Take my hand.¡± Embarrassment stabbed me. I held Abigail¡¯s hand all the time and she¡¯d cuss out anyone who said anything about it. It was a normal thing with Nia, too, when we were younger. But with such a flat expression, Fox looked like he was making sure I wouldn¡¯t run.

    It took everything I had to do so. A flare of his magic shot out and wrapped around the both of us. His grip was feather light. If I wasn¡¯t hyperaware of my surroundings, I might not have even noticed. The ice blue of his magic coasted over his eyes, and his expression was once more what I knew it as.

    ¡°Come on. Before they notice what we¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°They¡ª?¡± He tugged at my hand, grip firmer and I stumbled towards him. The street blinked away and we were at the edge of the woods. I almost collapsed at the sudden uneven ground. If it wasn¡¯t for Fox¡¯s grip I would have fallen flat on my face. ¡°H-hey.¡±

    Fox only nodded, ¡°Look.¡±

    I did.

    Kade was crying. His breaths were labored, each one weighted. He was crouched, his hands over his face avoiding looking at the one beside him. I couldn¡¯t focus on Kade when Wells was there.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± His words were barely audible.

    It was too dark to see Wells¡¯ face, but his voice was as monotone as always, ¡°It¡¯s ok. You controlled it.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t end up waking my parents with that phone call.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    This was a private moment. But despite the tears, I felt my entire body relax. I turned away from them and towards Fox. He¡¯d never looked at the two, the entire time he¡¯d been waiting for my reaction.

    I swallowed, ¡°I have nothing to do with them anymore.¡±

    Fox lowered his head, face unreadable, ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you. I¡¯ll head home.¡± When I blinked I was back on the sidewalk. Fox¡¯s hand let go from mine and the magic encasing us was gone in an instant. Chill sliced into my palm, and I rubbed it against my side to detract from the sensation.

    ¡°¡­Spillover.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What I was talking about before. How everything matters, even if things get reset. It¡¯s what you saw. The consequences of your choices can¡¯t be completely washed away, so something remains. Kade is trying to control his magic because you planted the idea in his soul that it¡¯s possible.¡±

    I was seconds away from crying about this once more, ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad.¡±

    ¡°Go to sleep. You have an important meeting tomorrow, right?¡± For one closure, there was another opening. Even if I was still hesitant to pursue it, I nodded. Fox¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Remember the sword.¡±

    I tensed, but Fox vanished after those words. I lingered on the sidewalk, before hurrying back inside. Once I was safely in my room, I reached for the journal. Inside, I¡¯d tucked away the sword Fox had made. It didn¡¯t offer any comfort.

    Questions circled in my head, and if there was anything I could tell, it was that this was going to be a bumpy ride. I was desperate not to get caught up in it, knowing I didn¡¯t have a choice.

 2.4 Unwound

    Fox wasn¡¯t in class, causing my nerves to fray more. I¡¯d tucked the paper sword into my binder despite myself, as if a piece of paper could offer any protection. Even though I¡¯d told Abigail and Nia I¡¯d be fine, they still had retained their disbelief. Abigail even tried to insist she really didn¡¯t want to go. When I¡¯d looked at her, she relented and said to do what I want.

    Not that this is what I wanted.

    I lingered at my locker, unprepared for how this would go. The obvious scenario was I was going to be the wallflower. Abigail dominated everything, which meant I was in the background. It made it easy to sit and observe. I still had no idea whose magic I¡¯d felt during the time of the fight.

    Cyrus was loud. It was the main thing I¡¯d gathered during class. Not loud as in obnoxious, but loud as in proving a point. He got along with the people he talked to, and if it wasn¡¯t for the bruises I wouldn¡¯t have suspected him to be one of the boys fighting in the first place.

    ¡°You¡¯re spacing out.¡± I startled, finally noticing Abigail had come to a stop in front of me. A smirk pulled at her lips. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Promise.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You can still back out.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t going to. I followed after Abigail as she weaved through the crowd. There was a pep to her step, her excitement obvious. For someone who couldn¡¯t stand the people she was about to see, she was in a pretty good mood. I knew she would be.

    The clubroom was in the back of the school. Right near the doors I¡¯d run out of the other day after getting into it with Jen. By my teacher¡¯s grace, she hadn¡¯t reported it or gotten me in trouble. Jen hadn¡¯t talked to me since. Everything was right as rain, by some miracle.

    But most importantly, the fight had been back here.

    Abigail walked in like she¡¯d been here a million times. There were a few people already here, including Ava. She was leaning against the front desk, and her face lit up when she saw Abigail.

    ¡°You actually came.¡± She moved towards us, and offered Abigail a hug.

    ¡°I said I would. I brought Cinder, too. You met her the other day.¡± As they pulled away, Ava glanced over at me.

    Her smile was still in place, but I could tell it was plastic, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hi.¡± I gave an awkward wave, unsure what to do with myself. Thankfully, her attention snapped right back to Abigail, leaving me to my own devices. I directed my attention to the other kids here.

    The first thing I noticed was Cyrus wasn¡¯t here yet. The only other ones here was a boy with curly hair and brown skin with the latest brand shoes in the brightest of colors on, and a girl with white-blonde hair and a collection of bracelets on her wrists. The two were bent over talking about something too quiet to hear.

    Abigail collapsed in one of chairs, and I hesitated before I took a spot next to her, ¡°This is the one and only time I¡¯m coming here, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I promise Justin is never here anymore. You¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    ¡°Like he¡¯s the only problem here.¡±

    Ava gave a soft sigh, the kind a mother gives to a whining child, ¡°Alright, name who else you¡¯re avoiding.¡±

    Abigail rolled her eyes, ¡°Does it matter? You know, I heard Cyrus got into a fight the first day¡ª¡±

    ¡°Did I?¡± A stone dropped into my stomach. It was the first time I¡¯d clearly heard his voice or seen his face directly. Even so, I only reacted for a moment before focusing on Abigail. I hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d already known about him, but it should have been obvious she would. Ava probably talked to her about all the members of the club, and Abigail knew a variety of people.

    ¡°Did you?¡± Ava clasped her hands behind her back and watched as he hopped on one of the desks to sit. He ignored the two of us completely, and I dared to finally catalogue his face. His expression wasn¡¯t nearly as severe as his voice. Boredom kept his features smoothed out, and I noted he was shorter than I¡¯d previously thought. There were no traces left of the fight at this point.

    He ran a hand through his short hair, ¡°No. And anyway, how would I have gotten away with that?¡±

    A lie. Even though everything had happened so quick, I knew it¡¯d been him. He crossed his ankles, waiting to be challenged. Ava nodded once, before she turned to Abigail and Cyrus was pulled into conversation with the other two.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t allow someone like that to stay in this club, Abigail. You should know better than to believe everything you hear.¡± The scolding had no effect.

    Abigail eyed Cyrus, and he pointedly ignored her despite her obvious antics, ¡°Do you know who I heard he fought?¡±

    Cyrus gave no reaction, and Ava frowned. A break in her faux-calm, ¡°Do you know some of the things they say about you?¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°C-can we move on?¡± I cut in before Abigail could respond back. She looked at me, and I felt her hand wrap around mine and give it a quick squeeze. She didn¡¯t even know the half of why I was so anxious. The last thing I wanted was to listen to whatever rumors floated through the hallways about my best friend.

    Ava blinked. She¡¯d clearly forgotten I was here, ¡°Right. It isn¡¯t something we should dwell on.¡±

    I sagged in relief, head buzzing with noise so loud I missed most of what happened around me. The last of the club members filing in, Ava giving her speech and club discussions. Even Abigail¡¯s laughter was muted next to me.

    It wasn¡¯t until the club meeting winded down and was dismissed I realized what had kept me on edge. It wasn¡¯t just the reminder of the rumor mill or Cyrus. When Abigail tapped my shoulder and I came back to reality I noticed the floor. A ghosting of red slithered through the class. The place had been encased in magic.

    ¡°Cinder? Is something wrong?¡± Abigail waved a hand in front of my face and I snapped back to attention.

    ¡°Yeah. Sorry. Were you going to head home now? If not, I think I¡¯m going to go on ahead.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Me and Ava were going to go to a corner store to grab some snacks are you sure you don¡¯t want to come?¡±

    I was already on my feet, trying to find where the magic was coming from. Everyone was talking with each other and everyone was calm. If I focused on the feeling, it was similar to what I felt the first day. I cut a glance at Cyrus, but the smile on his face wasn¡¯t matching the zap of anger. With how easy he lied, it could very well be a mask. I couldn¡¯t call it, though. It wasn¡¯t as obvious as it had been with Kade.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You both can enjoy yourselves. I¡¯m going to go, but I¡¯ll talk to you later, kay?¡± With a wave, I was gone before she could stop me. The minute I left the room, my head was clear. I leaned against the door for a moment, head spinning in an attempt to pinpoint when the feeling had started.

    Nothing came to mind, and the entire meeting was barely encoded in my memories. I may as well not have gone at all. I pushed myself back up and looked through the glass pane on the door into the classroom. Ava, Cyrus, and four other members had been there. I couldn¡¯t remember what the other two had looked like.

    Creeping dread wormed it¡¯s way down my spine and I hurried down the hall. Even if it was better for me to start this story on my own terms, there was something wrong with that place and I didn¡¯t have any information on what.

    Distracted in my head, I failed to notice someone walking down the halls. It wasn¡¯t until their shoes stopped in front of me that I skidded to a stop. Most clubs were getting out, but this wasn¡¯t the direction towards the front doors. If dread wasn¡¯t hanging over me before, it certainly was now as I raised my head.

    There, with messy, chin-length blonde hair and a sardonic grin, was the last person I wanted to see, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Cinder. Fancy meeting you here.¡±

    //

    ¡°You¡¯re the same as ever.¡± Justin being in front of me wasn¡¯t real. The last time I¡¯d seen him was a year ago, and it had been when Abigail and him briefly dated. He shouldn¡¯t have remembered me, when I wasn¡¯t even a background character in whatever fake romance the two had built up.

    It¡¯d caught me so off guard, I¡¯d ended up walking with him down the halls and out the backdoors. I¡¯d feared we¡¯d get caught by one of the club members, although I wasn¡¯t sure why it bothered me ate at me so. In the distance, I could see the sports teams were still hard at work with practice.

    ¡°D-did you need something, or¡­?¡± There was nothing he could need with me. I eyed him, but he wasn¡¯t looking at me. His eyes were fixed on the point ahead of us.

    He tilted his head, ¡°What, I can¡¯t catch up with an old friend?¡±

    ¡°Um?¡±

    His smile made me feel like prey, ¡°You went to the literature club meeting, didn¡¯t you?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re your crowd. I¡¯d avoid that place unless you want to get eaten alive.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still a part of it¡­?¡±

    He shrugged, ¡°Sometimes. The connections are nice, but you probably don¡¯t know anything about who they are, yeah?¡±

    I swallowed, ¡°Not really. I just went because Abigail wanted to go.¡±

    ¡°Is that so.¡± He returned his attention forward.

    He was searching for something, I realized. I just couldn¡¯t figure out what, ¡°If you don¡¯t need anything I¡¯m going to go home¡ª"

    ¡°Here.¡± He fished out something from his pant pockets and threw it at me. By a miracle, I caught it. A black USB drive stared up at me and I furrowed my brow. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s on it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better you don¡¯t know. Keep it safe for me. No one would ever think you¡¯d have it. See ya.¡± He hopped off the steps, ready to leave and I scrambled after him. His wrist was unnaturally warm would I grabbed hold.

    I let go instantly, ¡°Why are you giving this to me? What¡¯s¡­wrong with them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you, because it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Which means?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a pushover, so you¡¯ll hold onto that if I ask you to even if you don¡¯t like me.¡± He motioned towards the USB. ¡°And I know you. Whether I answer you or not, you¡¯ll still end up holding onto it.¡±

    Justin and Abigail¡¯s relationship hadn¡¯t been bad or ended bad. It¡¯d just been like any other high school romance. A ¡®mess around and find out¡¯ sort of thing. I¡¯d avoided him like the plague throughout tenth grade, a difficult feat when he¡¯d always been around. While I¡¯d always agreed with Nia he¡¯d been a jerk, I couldn¡¯t pinpoint a truly terrible thing he¡¯d done. He¡¯d just been some boy who was around for a few months and vanished right after.

    When I combed through memories for interactions beyond this, I could only vaguely recall giving one word answers and avoiding looking him in the eyes. I was the ex-girlfriend¡¯s friend, not someone he¡¯d ever been close enough to do this at random.

    ¡°If¡­if you want me to hold onto something shady, I want something in exchange.¡± His eyebrows rose and a smile tugged at his mouth. ¡°I want you to tell me about the people in the Literature Club.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Showing interest in people other than Abigail? Maybe you aren¡¯t the same as you¡¯ve always been.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I got shit to do but if you really want to know, meet me after school on Thursday. Remember to keep it safe.¡± He dismissed himself and even when I called after him he didn¡¯t respond.

    I watched his form disappear around the school building. Whatever he¡¯d been focusing on in the distance wasn¡¯t obvious to me. I squinted at the fields and figures, but nothing was out of the ordinary. It was another day of practice.

    My phone rang and I was jolted out of my stupor. As I dug into my backpack to grab it, I tried to ignore the USB I was given and what may be on it. Even if I wanted to check, we didn¡¯t have a computer at home. I¡¯d have to make a stop at the library.

    After a successful retrieval, I snapped my phone open, ¡°Hey mom, sorry to worry you. The meeting ran later than I thought.¡±

    On the topic of lies, I wasn¡¯t sure how to even begin to tell Abigail about Justin. It¡¯d be wrong to hide it from her, but I couldn¡¯t exactly tell her I was meeting up with him to ask about the Literature Club. She¡¯d have way too many questions that I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer.

    I told myself I¡¯d figure something out. I had to.

 2.5 Unwise

    I squinted up at the ceiling, counting how many faded stickers remained in Abigail¡¯s room. She sat crouched over her desk, scribbling away at homework. My backpack had been discarded at home, with little care about my assignments. It already felt tedious to see the same assignments a second time, I couldn¡¯t imagine doing it fifty times over.

    ¡°So what did you want to talk about?¡± I counted at least a dozen by the time she spoke. She swiveled in her chair, arm draping over the white painted wood. She still held a pencil in one hand, and tapped it in a steady rhythm against the furniture.

    The sentence felt toffee thick, ¡°I ran into Justin after the club meeting yesterday. He actually remembered my name.¡±

    Frost charged the air. I dared a glance at her, watching her lip pull up into a snarl. For once, she looked more bite than bark, ¡°You have got to be kidding me. What did he want with you?¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure? He was being super weird. He said he wanted to talk and then said to stay away from the Literature Club¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bold considering he¡¯s still a part of it. Did you know he was the Vice President? Ava said he was never around, so why the hell did he have the position for so long? They should have voted him out last year. She¡¯s so annoying. I wouldn¡¯t have gone if Ava didn¡¯t lie and say he was never around.¡± She spun back around, pencil scribbling furiously at her paper.

    After a beat, I sat up and smoothed out my shirt trying not to pick at stray thread coming undone from the material, ¡°¡­I asked about the club members, and he said to meet up tomorrow if I wanted to know about them.¡±

    ¡°What a fucking idiot. It¡¯s not like you care about them.¡±

    I was walking across ice, ¡°Um, well¡­you know on the first day of school? When I ran out of class after arguing with Jen? I saw the fight. The one with Cyrus.¡± Her pencil skidded to a stop. I pressed on. ¡°And you know, he¡¯s in my class. I don¡¯t think he realized I was there but¡­¡±

    ¡°You should avoid him. Cyrus is the kind of boy who¡¯d eat you alive.¡± She jabbed her pencil at me to drive home the point. ¡°If he finds out you were there he¡¯s going cause all sorts of problems.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­I¡¯m not about to go around telling people what happened.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. And who would you tell? I don¡¯t care about their dramatics and Nia would have no idea who you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I know the club members¡ª¡±

    ¡°And they protect their own.¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡±

    Her pencil fell and landed between the pages of her textbook. I was drowning in blues and pinks. She stayed statue-still, and I remained in her gaze. An answer was there to a question I didn¡¯t know, not the one I asked. As the silence stretched thin, her head dipped down, ¡°We promised each other we¡¯d have a happy ending.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I plan to keep it.¡± She didn¡¯t lift her eyes back up.

    ¡°If you plan to keep it, then don¡¯t get involved. I never should have gone to that stupid club meeting and I never should have introduced you to Ava¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Justin.¡±

    Her attention was back on me. Fully. My fragile will threatened to break at her harsh stare. I was trying to break the surface for air. My nails dug into my sides, biting the skin of my legs even despite the cloth of my jeans.

    When she stood, it was with the deadly grace of a hunter, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±

    I swallowed, hard enough to bruise, ¡°L-let me explain, Abigail¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± She folded her arms across her chest.

    Raising my head, I started, ¡°There¡¯s something about him that¡¯s bothering me. And about that club too. I don¡¯t have to deal with them but¡­if they¡¯re your friends than you do. I know I¡¯m being nosy and intruding. I always have been when it comes to you.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s bothering you, it¡¯s going to bother me. I¡¯m coming with.¡±

    ¡°I-I figured you would. But are you sure you¡¯re going to be ok? You hate him and I can¡¯t imagine you being able to stay quiet about it.¡±

    ¡°I can behave when needed.¡± Her attention was heavy still. ¡°When did he want to meet up?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow it is then. I¡¯ll bring a bat just in case.¡±

    ¡°Abigail¡ª!¡±

    With irritation abuzz in the air, I was glad I got her permission at least. The USB had been placed alongside all the other strange items acquired. The journal the Headmaster had given me, along with my own notebook. My sword was still tucked away in my binder, and for now it¡¯s where it would stay. An item of comfort meant to guide the way.

    This run was going to full of agitated Abigail. Since day one I¡¯d been poking the bear and trying to repair the damage. Nothing had even begun. When things started happening, would it spiral? Even the flatness of her voice was too much. Still drowning, I fell back against the bed in silence, and she returned to her homework. It was safer to just exist next to each other, instead of interacting.

    Right now, inexplicably, it felt safer to pretend neither of us existed at all.

    //

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± The high pitch of my voice was not lost on Fox. He raised his head from where he¡¯d been scribbling circles on notebook paper. His hair was messier than usual, and I couldn¡¯t help but reach out and smooth the bangs away from his face. Even without the shadows they casted around his features, the underside of his eyes looked dark.

    He waved my hand away, ¡°Needed to recalibrate.¡±

    ¡°W-what does that mean?¡± Alarm rang even louder at his monotone. There was not a hint of expression on his face, even the traces of exhaustion felt falsified. When I¡¯d last seen him, he¡¯d been acting off as well. I sat in my seat and leaned across his desk to get a full view of him.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He didn¡¯t react, ¡°I think you have your own personal concerns.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still worried about you.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste your energy.¡± I snapped back, throat burning. Fox wasn¡¯t supposed to be a friend. He was a warden meant to keep tabs on me. But we¡¯d still become friends, hadn¡¯t we? The empty expression morphed from confusion to wide eyed realization. I spun back around so I was facing forward. First I was fighting Abigail, and now Fox was miles away. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡ª¡±

    The bell rang, and I ignored him for the rest of class. It was so stupid to feel like he¡¯d sliced me open with his comment, but it was like the cherry on top to everything else. I scribbled away on the worksheets, still only half grasping certain concepts but pretending I knew everything. Only a fraction of my attention was on work, anyway.

    ¡°Cinder, hey. When I use magic, I have flare-ups right? They¡¯ve been bad lately, and I had to deal with it.¡±

    I forced myself to look at him again. His shoulders sagged when I did. I tried to collect myself, ¡°It¡¯s because of the other day right? If it¡¯s that bad, you shouldn¡¯t waste your energy on me. I told you before, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. I can manage on my own.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of factors but¡ª¡± He stopped like time had frozen. After a second he shook his head and his eyes were as dead as when class started. ¡°Actions have consequences. It isn¡¯t just my choices with you.¡±

    I had nothing to say to that. Fox was still unknown to me. I¡¯d collected scraps of who he was and what he was like. But scraps were just that. He was an enigma. I needed to pull myself back to the starting line. To not jump the gun. It was so hard to get close to someone new, when those I¡¯d been friends with had been with me my whole life.

    The starting line and finish line for friendship was vague, ¡°Still I¡­I don¡¯t want you to deal with any consequences just because of me.¡±

    He turned his head, as though to look past me. Instead, he caught on the binder and I knew he was looking at the sword. He went still again. Even his chest didn¡¯t rise from breathing.

    Then, ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°Did you know it¡¯s easier to fail the second story than the first due to the mental and emotional instability caused by the first reset?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re too emotional it can be seen as an opening. Turn it into a trap. It¡¯s the only way to survive.¡± He smiled, hints of the Fox I knew seeping through. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to push you away.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know. I¡¯ve just felt like my heart¡¯s bruised. I keep thinking it¡¯s better and then something happens and I spiral. Even something small.¡± I traced over the sword, letting my emotions wash over me. ¡°Hey Fox? How many times have you been through this?¡±

    ¡°Me? I was only ever allowed to watch and study. This is my first time being a guide like this. The ones I watched? They went through different things, all depending on their wish. A chance at fame, friends, acceptance, love, prosperity. But most people want the same thing.¡±

    ¡°We do, huh¡­¡± I knew it was true, but it made me think. If I wasn¡¯t in Abigail¡¯s story, what would my own be? It was hard to imagine it being much of anything, and maybe that¡¯s why it was absurd to Fable that I was the one chosen. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d be reaching for, if I was given the option to reach.

    Fox took my hand, and I blinked as he placed a paper ring in my palm, ¡°For protection.¡±

    An almost forgotten memory surfaced, ¡°Back when this all started, you placed magic on me for the same reason right?¡±

    There was a brief pause, ¡°¡­A similar reason. This is for this story specifically. Don¡¯t you have a bad feeling about it, too?¡±

    I did. When I slipped the paper ring on it shimmered into a simple band the same bright blue as Fox¡¯s magic. The surprise made me jerk, and I swore I could feel the teacher¡¯s stare burning into my back at my sudden reaction.

    ¡°¡­Thanks. And I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I know I shouldn¡¯t pry.¡± I settled back into my seat, moving my finger to see how the ring caught the light.

    Fox only shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not used to social situations. It was partly my fault.¡±

    Cradling the ring on my finger, I figured I¡¯d be as ready as ever for the meeting with Justin. At least I knew Abigail would lead, and at least I wasn¡¯t lying to her again. Keeping things from her was starting to wear me thin. I was ready.

    The clock kept counting down to the end.

    //

    Justin was in the same spot as where I¡¯d left him. He didn¡¯t hold a hint of surprise as Abigail walked beside me, barely keeping her pace with mine. It was a miracle she didn¡¯t rush him then and there. Her eyes watched him like a hawk, and he raised his hands sensing her ire.

    ¡°Fancy seeing you here. When was the last time we talked? Seven? Eight? Months ago?¡± He grinned as she gritted her teeth. I kept a healthy distance behind her in case I needed to avoid the worst.

    She stayed on the top stop, staring down at where he sat on the bottom step, ¡°What did you need with Cinder?¡±

    ¡°Ah, more like what did she need from me.¡± He hopped to his feet, brushing off imaginary dust from his pants. ¡°If you picked better friends, none of us would be here, I think.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know the Literature Club that well.¡±

    ¡°And maybe you should. If you call someone ¡®friend¡¯ you should at least know their personality.¡±

    ¡°I think the only friend I have there is Ava.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know her that well, though. Do you?¡± He grinned as Abigail clenched her fists. There wasn¡¯t a hint of concern in his eyes.

    Knowing that the two could go on like this forever, I forced myself to speak up, ¡°R-right, well, anyways. I just wanted to know about the club and members. I only know the names of Ava and Cyrus, though.¡±

    ¡°Ava is upper middle class, calm and collected. The president of the club and habit of getting so into fiction it sometimes bleeds into her mannerisms. She acts how people in movies do, but some days she isn¡¯t the best actor. You can see it with Cyrus a lot. She hates him.¡±

    ¡°Why¡ª?¡±

    He raised a hand, cutting me off and managing to tick off Abigail even further. By some miracle she remained quiet as he went on, ¡°Cyrus is all bark no bite. Usually. He talks big, can be way too loud, but mostly wants to stay out of any drama. He chose the wrong club for that without a doubt. Some of the others give him hell because he doesn¡¯t come from money. At least, not to them.¡±

    Abigail had a different opinion on Cyrus. The noted discrepancy was stored away, but it did little to ease my concerns. Only heighten it. Two conflicting ideas meant it was up to me to figure out what was true or not on my own. I was going to have to play the part of detective.

    ¡°Ava would never allow that.¡±

    He breezed past her words, ¡°I said you don¡¯t know her well. She puts up with you out of faux politeness. Sorry, did that sting?¡±

    I wrapped my hand around her wrist just in case she really did go for him. I could feel the slight tremors in her hand, begetting her rising temper. I spoke again, as a means to distract her, ¡°I mean¡­ they don¡¯t sound any worse than some of the other kids at this school.¡±

    ¡°The issues stem from the Vice President.¡±

    ¡°Says the old Vice President.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was. Now that belongs to Everett since I¡¯m never around. He¡¯s the one who got into it with Cyrus and let him stay because he¡¯s oh so forgiving. If you want your brand name rich prick, it¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s you, too.¡±

    ¡°You know, you sure have a hell of a grudge against me even though I¡¯m not the reason for the break up.¡± She went still beneath my hand. Justin noticed, his head slowly tilting. His expression morphed into a mask of nothing. ¡°You don¡¯t want her to know.¡±

    A statement, not a question. My eyebrows furrowed and I glanced between the two, ¡°I¡­I never asked. I don¡¯t care to know¡ª¡±

    Abigail gave a swift tug against my hand, and I yelped, ¡°We¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°W-wait, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about them. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re ever going back to that place again.¡± She was the one holding onto me now. She pulled me back towards the door, ignoring any noise of protest.

    I craned my head to look behind me, and when Justin caught my gaze he only shook his head, ¡°If you need anything Cinder, you can always come find me.¡±

    The door opened and closed behind us before I could answer. As I stumbled after her, I gasped, ¡°Why did what Justin say freak you out so much¡ª?¡±

    ¡°That asshole didn¡¯t freak me out. I just can¡¯t stand being around him for longer than ten minutes at a time.¡± She didn¡¯t look at me as she pulled me along. Our footsteps were far too noisy in the empty halls. Even though I said I didn¡¯t care, I felt a nagging inside my stomach.

    With all the questions bubbling inside me, all I managed was, ¡°I¡¯m here for you, you know.¡±

    Her grip eased, and I wondered if it¡¯d bruise, ¡°I know.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to say anything more, and I didn¡¯t want to pry. But the nagging feeling didn¡¯t go away as we headed home. Again I saw her battered and bruised. And again, I wanted to know what she wasn¡¯t telling me.

    The questions were never asked.

 2.6 Uncertain

    By some miracle, everything around me settled. Fox had his usual energy and Abigail¡¯s smile returned. A week went by, and there was nothing out of the ordinary to report. Everything was in place, like footsteps washed away by the waves.

    The temperature inched lower, but not enough to hide inside. With little care about grass stains, Abigail was laying in the grass, hands clasped and resting on her stomach. Nia had a pen in her hand was doodling along her arm. I watched as rainbows and faces and suns and stars weaved themselves across her skin, guided by Nia¡¯s listless pen.

    ¡°The three of us should hang,¡± Abigail started unprompted. Her gaze remained on the sky. ¡°It¡¯s been so long we all went out after school.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡± Nia narrowed her eyes in sudden concentration. She was working on a complicated design now.

    ¡°Me and Cinder always find time, though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because you two live across the street from each other.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask my parents to pick you up or something. Or you could tell us when you¡¯re not busy after school.¡±

    Abigail shooed Nia¡¯s hand away, and she scowled, ¡°I¡¯m not done. Now you have a half finished wolf face on your arm.¡±

    ¡°A wolf¡­?¡± Leftover anxiety from my dream crashed into me. A residue I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d missed.

    When Nia turned to me, she looked like she¡¯d almost forgotten I was there, so caught up in her artistic masterpieces. ¡°You want something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever you want.¡± I offered my arm and she scooted over.

    Abigail sat up, ¡°You¡¯re dodging my questions. When do you want to hang out?¡±

    Taking my hand, Nia lifted her pen and I tried not to squirm at the ticklish sensation, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll ask Ma and see if she doesn¡¯t need me for anything tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    A pout crossed her face that Nia dutifully ignored. Her outright caginess brought a question to mind, ¡°Your grandma, how is she?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right! She had to move in with you guys recently, yeah?¡± Nia scrunched her nose, but I swore for a second I saw a flicker of surprise. Abigail was so quick on the uptake, my attention was too divided to be sure of it.

    Her thumb glided over the top of my hand where a sun was scribbled in the center, ¡°It¡¯s going well at home. Grams is fine.¡±

    ¡°If you need anything, you can tell us.¡± Nia nodded, but said nothing to Abigail¡¯s statement. Quiet settled between us.

    By the time lunch was over, Nia had given me an entire sleeve of doodles. Most of it were organic shapes, but the sun was the centerpiece of her creation. I admired it as the bell rang, rotating my arm to catch all the details.

    ¡°Pretty,¡± Abigail traced one of the lines up my arm, and I hummed in agreement.

    When I glanced over at Nia though, she wasn¡¯t looking at us. She gathered her things and her gaze was far away. I paused as I watched her, feeling like there was something I was missing. I couldn¡¯t put it into words.

    Even so, my tongue felt heavy, glued to the roof of my mouth. Abigail pulled me along, and the time to ask passed by. Nia¡¯s gaze never changed. But none of us brought it up again.

    //

    It¡¯d been a long time since I¡¯d had to walk home alone. The shift in routine jarred me, especially since it hadn¡¯t occurred the first time around. Abigail promised to make it up to me, voice like sugar in her please.

    ¡°I made plans with some friends and I totally forgot to tell you. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Her eyes were doe-wide, and I found it impossible to be mad, ¡°It¡¯s fine, really! Go have fun.¡±

    Inside, I felt ugly. I clamped down hard on my feelings and waved her off. She clutched at my hand, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, I promise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal.¡± It wasn¡¯t. Yet, as she waved goodbye and merged with the hallway crowd, my stomach curled. It wasn¡¯t like her to forget to tell me things like that. My hand stayed up for a moment, gaze focused on nothing. Kids passed me by as a creeping loneliness whispered up my spine. First it was Nia trying to avoid opening up to us and now it was Abigail leaving me behind.

    ¡°Cinder?¡± I jerked, spinning around to catch sight of Fox. He titled his head at me, a question in his eyes. ¡°Your arm.¡±

    I glanced down, noting the places where the ink had smudged. It was mostly preserved, with the sun being as crisp as when it was drawn on me. I turned my arm, knowing this wasn¡¯t why Fox had approached.

    My lips pressed together, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no? I would have mentioned during class. It¡¯s just¡ªyou seem out of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± He motioned around us and I finally noticed the halls had emptied out.

    Heat spilled into my chest, ¡°Sorry! I thought I was over things, but I guess not. I think I¡¯ve been off since the reset started.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you always like this?¡± Protests stuttered from my lips, which Fox only laughed off. ¡°You know, if it helps we could¡ª¡±

    His eyes snapped to attention, words lost as he focused in on something beyond me. I started to turn, wondering what had grabbed him, but I felt it before I saw it. A bitter bite of magic.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    My body took a step forward, as if compelled, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve felt this before.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to go?¡± He remained still, eyes zeroed in on where the source was.

    His reaction told me if I went to investigate I was on my own. He wasn¡¯t allowed to interfere wit the story, after all. Even still, I swallowed, ¡°Will you walk with me? Until you really have to go?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± I nodded. Whatever magic this was, the person it was coming from felt like the raging pits of hell. The anger choked me, so desperate it forced trembles through my fingers. Fox appeared unaffected as he took the lead, movement self assured in a way I couldn¡¯t emulate.

    The ground tinged with red the farther we walked. I wasn¡¯t surprised when we were led back to the club room at the back of the school. Fox halted at the start of the hall, both of us transfixed on the door. Red bled through the cracks, sinking into my ribs.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± One second Fox was there and then I blinked and he was gone. Words died on my throat and I spun, searching for the cause of his disappearance. There was little surprise on my end when I saw Justin, but both of his eyebrows shot up.

    I kept my expression carefully neutral, ¡°Well well, I found a lost little lamb. What are you doing here? Your arm looks neat by way, do it yourself?¡±

    ¡°N-no, it was my friend. And I¡­I was looking for you.¡± It was impossible to keep my gaze on him when the overflow of magic was pulling at my skin. Still, I angled myself so I was facing away from the door.

    Justin¡¯s expression settled, ¡°Is that so? Did Abigail get in the way of everything you wanted to ask last week?¡±

    This was going to count as another betrayal towards her. But I couldn¡¯t say why I was really here. I had no trust in the boy in front of me, ¡°N-no, I wouldn¡¯t say that but¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s there today, you know. I was going to go pop in just to annoy her.¡± I whipped my head back around to look at the door. The red was still there, lining the edges.

    My fingers curled into fists, ¡°Abigail would have told me¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? Then maybe I saw another girl with long black hair laughing beside Ava. We can always walk in to find out and make sure.¡±

    ¡°No¡­!¡± I shook my head, taking a few steps back. He watched me, expression easing into something blank. If it had been the club, she would have told me. There was no reason for her not to. Maybe to her, it hadn¡¯t been like she was lying. She was with friends. She just hadn¡¯t given the whole truth.

    He waved a hand in front of my face, forcing my attention back to him, ¡°Come to the library with me. I need to grab some things actually, and you can ask everything you want.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to spend more time with him than I had to, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I really don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± He said it under his breath, but in the silence of the hall it was hard to miss. Pins and needles curled through my chest, and there was a heavy dose of pity in his gaze now. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±

    When he turned, I thought of Fox and how he disappeared the moment Justin appeared. A confirmation he had something to do with this tale. In the last one, Abigail had been largely uninvolved, but if she was going to be a centerpiece in this, I couldn¡¯t run. If only my only avenue for answers currently wasn¡¯t her ex of all people.

    After a moment, I chased after him, ¡°W-wait.¡±

    ¡°Changed your mind?¡± There was no hint of surprise in his voice. He didn¡¯t even glance towards me as I fell into step beside him.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going this way anyway.¡±

    A hint of a grin, ¡°You¡¯re the kind of person who isn¡¯t honest with themselves, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well I¡­don¡¯t trust you¡­¡± My voice got quieter with every word.

    But my admission only made his grin come back in full, ¡°Fair enough. What did it? My past with Abigail or the mysterious USB drive.¡±

    ¡°¡­You approaching me first.¡± He laughed, but it was the truth. I couldn¡¯t fathom why he¡¯d bothered to take note of me in the first place. All I could think of was that he was guided in some way by whatever forces made these stories happen in the first place. ¡°I¡¯m serious! You never even looked at me when you and Abigail were dating. I¡¯m surprised you even remembered my name.¡±

    He tilted his head, ¡°Of course I knew you. Abigail talked about you and Nia a lot back then.¡±

    ¡°Did she¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t considered her talking about me to other¡¯s before. For me, I felt like I ceased to exist the minute I was outside her sight. Sometimes, even when I was right in front of her.

    ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t have a reason to talk to you.¡± He paused. ¡°And outside of Abigail I didn¡¯t know you. I just knew about you.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°But it was the same for you with me. You hate me as her ex not as ¡®Justin.¡¯¡± He was right. The plainness in which he spoke was what struck me. Unsure how to respond to such a matter of fact statement, I went quiet. He didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    I finally got my brain to configure, if not well after a response was necessary, ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate you, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t talk to him, because it broke some unspoken code between me and Abigail. But I didn¡¯t want to talk about her anymore. My statement drifted off into the space between us.

    Justin understood, even without the clarification, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. it¡¯s not like we ever need to talk to each other again, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± It was just for now. A temporary need that would vanish once I got the information I needed. It¡¯s what pushed me to go on. ¡°Um, speaking of, were you being serious about Ava just¡­pretending to be Abigail¡¯s friend?¡±

    ¡°Ava¡¯s whole thing is pretending. I¡¯m sure Abigail knows too because she¡¯s pretty good at acting herself. If you¡¯re worried about her, she¡¯ll be fine. If there¡¯s anything you gotta worry about yourself it¡¯s you. I didn¡¯t say this before, but since you know about Cyrus and Everett¡¯s fight that puts a target on your back if you ever go back.¡±

    ¡°W-well, it was an accident. I just happened to see it¡­¡±

    ¡°Bad luck on your part. At least you have no connection to the club outside of your friend. They¡¯ll never know.¡±

    All the warnings paired with my own anxiety made me swallow, ¡°¡­I know you say they suck, but what exactly would they do to me?¡±

    He paused, thinking, ¡°Depends on who you¡¯re talking about. They all go about making people miserable in their own unique ways.¡±

    We came to stop in front of the library. I hadn¡¯t gotten anything more from our exchange, other than unease. I turned towards him, motioning vaguely down the hall, ¡°Well, then, give me an example. Who¡¯s the worst?¡±

    ¡°Everett, I¡¯d think. He responds to things he doesn¡¯t like with violence. Doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a girl. Not that I¡¯ve seen him hit anyone who wasn¡¯t a boy, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± I tried to imagine getting hit or hitting back. I existed in the shadows, so I¡¯d never aggravated anyone to that point.

    Without thinking, I rubbed at my cheek, ¡°It¡­it¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not going to say a word.¡±

    Justin only had a distant look of concern on his face. Not in the way that he didn¡¯t believe me, but in the way he noted my feelings and was expressing pity. I looked away from him, trying to pretend it wasn¡¯t there. The cool feeling of the ring Fox had given me was enough to push it all out of my head.

    ¡°Anyway, are you going to confront Abigail about the club?¡± An obvious change in subject that I didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It isn¡¯t really that big of a deal, is it?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine how that conversation would go. Our friendship had already hit a lot of bumps so far, and I wasn¡¯t keen on hitting another. It would just end up in the pile of secrets that seemed to be growing between us.

    ¡°Probably not. No doubt, she¡¯s protecting you in her own way.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she protect herself¡­?¡± I mouthed the words more than said them. I couldn¡¯t allow her to get hurt. If I saw bruises on her body again I think I¡¯d die of a heart attack. If there was a way to dissuade her from going to the club without confronting her about her lies, I¡¯d be fine. If only Abigail would listen to me or my warnings at all.

    ¡°She¡¯s very much a do as I say, not as I do person. A hypocrite¡ªdon¡¯t give me that look, you know it¡¯s true.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if it was true or not. Hearing him mention any of her faults jabbed at my annoyance, ¡°I just¡ªI don¡¯t want to hear you say that. And besides, I should probably go.¡±

    He only gave a half grin at my need to flee, ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± He laughed at my hesitance, but said nothing more. I watched him slip through the doors. As he left, I focused on the halls and the air around me. There was no longer any magic whining in the distance. Everything was quiet. My mind still wouldn¡¯t calm.

    It felt wrong to leave, knowing where Abigail was. I was leaving her to the wolves. But it would be fine. She knew what she was doing. With one last look at the library doors, I convinced myself to head home.

 2.7 Undone

    Perhaps it was unique to this timeline or perhaps my nerves had frayed my perception of the world around me previously, but Nia seemed off. I found her in the morning before Abigail did, and I noted the tension between her shoulders. Her gaze was focused on nothing, her red jacket half off one shoulder. Her braids had been pulled back and tied into a ponytail.

    ¡°Hey?¡± My greeting a question, her dark eyes flickered to me. Even her smile felt off, but I couldn¡¯t place it. It reached her eyes and showed her teeth, and by all accounts it looked like the smile she always gave me. But there was something skimming beneath the surface I couldn¡¯t place.

    She stood from the edge of the planter, ¡°Morning! You and Abigail are late today.¡±

    Late for us, I suppose. My hesitance to get up and face Abigail in the morning had lasted for all but five minutes, but it had resulted in a bombardment of questions that stretched on far too long. I¡¯d said I¡¯d accidentally stayed up too late and was tired because of it. I didn¡¯t tell her it was because I kept thinking about how we were keeping things from each other.

    ¡°Just a little. I hope you know everyone was commenting on the doodles you gave me yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Really? Half of them were scribbles.¡±

    ¡°Scribbles that everyone liked.¡± I grinned when she did. Whatever it was that I was sensing, I was starting to think I imagined it. My overwrought brain was overthinking every interaction now. ¡°Come on, Abigail¡¯s waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Hey Cinder, have the two of you been alright?¡±

    I tried to mask any expression crossing my face, ¡°Mostly, why?¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s just¡­¡± She shook her head, as though clearing her thoughts. ¡°You know, she¡¯s a pain in the ass sometimes. You rarely show any negative feeling towards her besides worry, but sometimes it feels different.¡±

    My brain searched through the past couple of weeks, trying to pinpoint when exactly Nia could have noticed anything. When I looked back, it was like Nia had been in the background the whole time. I¡¯d always considered myself someone who existed on the fringes, and for a moment I paused.

    I picked my words carefully, ¡°We¡¯re fine for now. At least, you don¡¯t have to worry about us. But what about you? You¡¯ve seemed¡­off yourself.¡±

    ¡°Me? Cinder please, I¡¯m great at holding my own.¡± She threw an arm around me, and waved a hand towards herself. ¡°I¡¯m the last person you need to worry about. Save it all for Abigail. God knows she needs it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± She wasn¡¯t looking at me despite the contact. Her arm guided me forward, and I saw Abigail waving at us just ahead on the path. Nia¡¯s arm slipped away and she walked ahead.

    I waited for a moment, and when I thought she wasn¡¯t going to answer, she called, ¡°I¡¯m always sure, Cinder. Promise.¡±

    Did I believe her? I couldn¡¯t say as I rushed after her and stepped into place in our circle of three. But it wasn¡¯t like I could pinpoint the source of what I¡¯d been sensing, and it wasn¡¯t like Nia was telling me there was something wrong. She was as she always was. All I could do was drop it and move on.

    //

    I sat across from Cyrus, hearing not a word of instruction the teacher was giving. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to me, and I doubted he remembered me from the club meeting. Our assignment was on the board, in a barely coherent scrawl. I tried to remember if we¡¯d had randomly assigned groups before, and decided it didn¡¯t matter. I was here now.

    Besides Cyrus our group was another girl, specifically the one from Literature club that I hadn¡¯t caught the name of. When I peeked from the corner of my eye, I caught ¡®Maeve¡¯ written in perfect cursive on her paper. She hadn¡¯t even glanced at me and the other member, instead striking up conversation with Cyrus.

    I¡¯d gotten the feeling when I went, but the group of them felt like they had walls to keep out anyone that wasn¡¯t part of their group. I was an outsider in all ways, and I¡¯d only dropped by the club once weeks ago. The fourth and final member glanced at them with furrowed eyebrows, and he looked to be the only one paying attention to the lesson at all.

    ¡°My mom has another one of her business meetings, I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to survive.¡± Maeve had been doing most of the talking and whispering, while Cyrus had only nodded along, grinning or shaking his head in the appropriate spots. A faux warmness dripped from his face. I couldn¡¯t tell if it read as fake because of Justin or not.

    The assignment was simple, with each group getting assigned a specific topic and having to present everything at the end of class. I remembered most of this lesson before, and I quietly scribbled away on my paper. It felt safer to let the world go on around me than interact at all.

    As always, things weren¡¯t that simple.

    ¡°Can you two focus?¡± Cyrus and Maeve blinked at the boy who snapped. I gave a quick glance from under my bangs. He had thin-framed glasses and short-trimmed, well kept black hair. His uniform was crisp like he hadn¡¯t spent the entire day in it. The tip of his pencil tapped in annoyance against the desk.

    Although Maeve¡¯s dark eyes narrowed, Cyrus gave an easy grin. I didn¡¯t think I liked it. I was starting to think I wasn¡¯t going to like anyone that was a part of this story, ¡°Right, sorry. We got a little distracted. I¡¯m Cyrus, and this is Maeve.¡±

    ¡°Great. It¡¯s Amir. Now then¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you?¡± Maeve effectively cut him off, much to his annoyance. She gave a practiced tilt of her head and a smile, hands folded neatly in her lap. It didn¡¯t reach her eyes, where a sharp glint reflected back at me.

    I lifted my head and tried to keep my back straight, ¡°¡­Cinder.¡±

    ¡°You went to the club once, right? With Abigail?¡± Amir looked ready to combust as she brought us off topic once again.

    Luckily for him, I didn¡¯t want to keep up a conversation, ¡°Yeah. Abigail asked me to come. That¡¯s all. We should focus on the project.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Said under his breath but at a volume that indicted he wanted it to be heard, Amir flipped open his textbook.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°You look like you already have.¡± Cyrus reached out from the square formation we made with the desks and spun my paper around. There was already a series of sentences and notes strewn across it. His paper thin grin was focused on me this time. ¡°Are you the brains of the group, then?¡±

    My tongue was stone. I could only shrug, comparing the version of him in front of me with the standoffish one from club. Maybe it¡¯d been a bad day for him, I¡¯d watched him throughout class and the casualness he was showing had been commonplace from what I could tell. But really, what could I tell?

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to tease her.¡± Maeve must have kicked at him under the desk because he gave a hint of a flinch. ¡°You¡¯re free to ignore him¡ªHow did you like the club anyway?¡±

    I could hardly remember, ¡°Um, fine.¡±

    ¡°You should come back again. The more the merrier or whatever, yeah?¡± I let the invitation slide off of me.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s more¡­Abigail¡¯s scene.¡±

    ¡°Right, you came in with her last time. Her and Ava have been really buddy-buddy lately. The two of them talked a lot during the last meeting. Ava even told her about¡­¡± She trailed off, as though she thought better of it.

    I glanced between the two of them, the hint of tightness around Cyrus¡¯s eyes and the sarcastic wide eyed look Maeve volleyed back. Whatever they were talking about got cut into by an ever increasingly annoyed Amir, ¡°Anyways! Since Cinder¡¯s actually doing the work, let¡¯s get to it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Maeve twisted her lips, but didn¡¯t give any more complaints. I kept quiet, save when I needed to contribute. Throughout it all, I could feel Maeve glancing at me, questions circling around in her eyes. I watched them filter through, waiting for one to get asked, but they never did.

    By the time class was over, it must have lasted for a thousand years. I tried not to make it seem like I was rushing out. With all my focus on keeping my hands steady, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

    I glanced over, and Maeve gave a too-bright-to-be-real smile, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later Cinder.¡±

    It sounded like a promise. My response was automatic, ¡°See you.¡±

    Her smile became sharp, but she turned and ran up to where Cyrus was already heading out. She smacked him on the shoulder, her laugh ringing throughout the room. He looked back, our eyes catching for a second.

    I couldn¡¯t help but turn away first.

    //

    ¡°What¡¯s the Literature Club¡¯s secret?¡± Justin must have looked how I did when I found myself in a group project during class. Hunting him down hadn¡¯t been as hard as I thought, and I¡¯d found him where I¡¯d predicted; in a corner of the library. He had a binder open and a scattering of homework in front of him. One glance was enough to tell me he was working on calculus, a subject I couldn¡¯t begin to touch.

    He shoved some of his things aside to give me a square of room. I sat down and he went back to doing his work, ¡°Does Abigail know you¡¯re here?¡±

    She did not, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her later. I only wanted to ask you something real quick before I go join her outside. I have class with Cyrus and Maeve. Maeve mentioned¡ªwell, I¡¯m not really sure what she mentioned.¡±

    Justin said nothing. His pencil continued writing, and the equation he worked on was starting to take up more of the page than should be considered legal. I was glad I wasn¡¯t in calc, and I was extra glad I had Fox there to help. I let a minute pass as I watched nonsense fill up his paper.

    Finally, he boxed whatever the final answer was, and turned his attention towards me, ¡°Have you heard of Werewolf?¡±

    The dream. Abigail had said they¡¯d been doing nothing but playing a game of Werewolf. I gave a slow nod, ¡°Yeah, but what does that game have to do with the club?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been going on for a while. Since the club was founded. The club likes to keep it quiet, and only people who are committed to being members know about it.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed, ¡°W-wait. What does that mean in this context? I mean, it¡¯s just like¡­a party game. Everyone draws a paper, one person is the wolf, and the wolf kills someone every round. At the end of the round, they have to figure out who the wolf is. If it¡¯s just that, then¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it matter to you? Are you going to join in?¡± He returned back to his work, and I swallowed.

    Justin had made it very clear how he saw me. To him, I¡¯d never dare, and maybe in any other case, he¡¯d be right. Heat filled my chest, and I straightened my back, ¡°I¡­I might, if I have to.¡±

    ¡°For her, of course.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means Abigail¡¯s the center of your world, so why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The heat spread up my neck and into my face. He still wasn¡¯t looking back at me.

    With effort, I took a breath, ¡°She was the center of your world once, too.¡±

    His pencil stilled, his head lifted, and the smirk was back, ¡°A mistake for both of us.¡± I didn¡¯t know if he meant a mistake for him and Abigail, or a mistake for me and him. He motioned towards the window adjacent to us. ¡°You should go now, speaking of. Don¡¯t want to worry her by being any later.¡±

    I stood, ready to leave the conversation behind but there was one more question on my tongue, ¡°Why did you leave the club?¡±

    ¡°Curious about me?¡± I attempted to keep a neutral face. At my lack of response, he turned away from me again. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of reasons why. You don¡¯t need to know any of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± He was right. Why he went from Vice President to being more a ghost in the club shouldn¡¯t matter to me. And besides, he was so focused on my focus with Abigail. He had all his walls up, despite being the one to reach out and approach me. Outside of what he needed me for, I was nothing to him.

    It bothered me more than I wanted it to.

    //

    It¡¯d been a long time since I¡¯d been to a public library. It was in the center of town, and I had to take a bus to get here. By the time I ran home and got changed, got on the bus, and got here, I was worried it would be closed. But the lights were on, and the building stood welcoming in the beginning twilight.

    The building was old, it¡¯s foundation brick. There was a community garden right behind it, and people were free to pick fruits and vegetables during harvest time. My parents used to take me and my sister a lot when we were younger. But when my sister stopped going, so did I.

    Nothing about it had changed. I opened the door, and stepped into silence. At the entrance was the front desk, and two workers were sorting through books. I thumbed my wallet I¡¯d placed in the pocket of my cardigan, wondering if my library card was even valid after so long.

    All the way to the right of the library were a row of computers. They sat, boxy and pristine, with a login screen waiting. I didn¡¯t know much about computers, but I at least knew how to use a USB.

    Taking out my card, I put in the card numbers, and felt my shoulders relaxed that it wasn¡¯t expired. The one hour timer popped up in the bottom corner, but I ignored it. This shouldn¡¯t take me longer than ten minutes. I popped in the USB.

    On it were a couple different files. Pictures taken in the dark, too grainy to make out what I was looking at. There were streaks of orange light in some of them, a flashlight or house light or flame. It was hard to say. One of the last pictures was something I could make out. A book of some kind. I squinted at it, but couldn¡¯t make out the title.

    The last thing on the drive was a text document. When I opened it, I was met with a string of random words.

    To hide is¡ª

    Weapon are teeth

    Heart

    There is something

    Don¡¯t read it

    Don¡¯t find it

    Don¡¯t

    Don¡¯t

    Don¡¯t¡¯

    Don¡¯t

    ¡ªto die

    ¡°What¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t know why Justin had given this to me, or what I¡¯d even been looking at. Maybe that was the point. To him, even if I had gone and snooped, I wouldn¡¯t have understood a thing I was seeing or reading.

    I scanned through the images a second time, but I didn¡¯t get anything out of it than what I had already seen. With no answers and only questions, I ejected the USB and logged off the computer.

    Putting it back into my pocket, I stood, then froze. Today must have been one of those days the world was working against me and pushing the Headmaster¡¯s story straight towards me. Suddenly, the USB I had felt like contraband.

    Because ahead of me, I saw Ava and Everett.

 2.8 Good Graces

    My first instinct was to hide. Instead, I sat right back down and ducked my head like I was focused on the computer. It hide my face, and they would pay me no heed. I didn¡¯t dare glance up to see where they were. They looked like they had just been leaving, a book in each of their arms. Ava was as pristine as always, and Everett had a more casual look than I¡¯d expected.

    I stared at the computer screen, watching the time tick upwards at an agonizingly slow pace. I kept my hands folded in my lap, resisting the temptation to poke at the USB in my pocket. After eight minutes, I couldn¡¯t do it any longer and I looked back up.

    They were gone. My shoulders slumped in relief. There was still time to make it to the bus stop and get home. I stood, stretching out my back and heard it pop. With another scan to ensure no one else was here, I headed towards the exit. My eyes glanced down the book rows, finding no one.

    By the time I stepped outside, I was exhausted from the surge of anxiety.

    Of course, it was never that easy, ¡°¡­Cinder?¡±

    The voice was soft, so soft I barely heard it. I froze, static buzzing around in my head and feeling my nerves fry. When I turned, I saw them. Ava was sitting on a bench with Everett standing at an angle to her. She smiled, and it occurred to me this had to have been the first time she acknowledged me herself. All her attention was always on Abigail.

    ¡°H-hey?¡± I raised a hand in greeting, rolling back on my heels, ready to leave, but she stood. After a long pause, I slowly made my way towards the two.

    ¡°What a coincidence, meeting you here. Is Abigail with you?¡±

    ¡°No, just me.¡± I waited for disappointment that didn¡¯t come. She only gave a nod, and I tried not to nervously rub at my arms.

    ¡°I see¡ªThis is Everett, by the way. I don¡¯t think you two were introduced during the meeting. Everett, this is Cinder.¡±

    ¡°I remember seeing you.¡± He reached out a hand, and I carefully shook it. It was cold and double the size of mine.

    I retracted my hand as soon as possible, ¡°¡­Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Abigail talks a lot about you. I apologize if I¡¯ve seemed distant the past few times we met. I¡¯m not the best at talking with new people.¡± So she¡¯d been aware of it. I¡¯d felt like some kind of dirty accessory next to Abigail with the way she¡¯d looked at me. It was almost easy to forget, with how soft she¡¯d molded her features.

    ¡°W-well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not great with talking to new people either.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you never came back?¡± I blinked, startled by the forwardness. Ava lightly shoved at Everett, who only brushed her hand aside. ¡°It was a simple observation. She didn¡¯t.¡±

    I swallowed, ¡°I um¡­I didn¡¯t feel like I belonged there.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. If you want to come back, you¡¯re free to.¡± Her smile was dainty, like porcelain and lace. The more I looked at her, the more I felt like she was a doll. I hoped my smile was a smile and not a grimace back.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it. Maeve is in my class and she um, invited me back too.¡±

    Everett raised both his eyebrows, ¡°That¡¯s weird of her. She never takes interests in others. Did you do something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­?¡± The more the conversation went on, the stranger I felt. I shifted, trying not to fully back away. ¡°But anyways, I kinda need to catch the bus and I don¡¯t want to be late. I¡¯ll talk to you both later, maybe?¡±

    ¡°I drive if you need a lift.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± I tried to think of a million reasons to reject his offer, but my head became filled with nothing but noise. I didn¡¯t want them to know where I lived, let alone see my neighborhood. I probably lived in a shed compared to whatever their houses looked like.

    Ava swatted at him again, ¡°Everett! She doesn¡¯t even know you, obviously she isn¡¯t going to be comfortable with that.¡±

    ¡°T-thanks for the offer, though.¡± I took a step back, ready to bolt at any second.

    Ava waved, her eyes too empty to be kind, ¡°Be safe. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    I hoped not as I spun on my heel and headed towards the bus stop. I tried to ignore the way I felt eyes on my back until I hit the sidewalk. I didn¡¯t want to know which one was watching me, if not both of them. I didn¡¯t want to know what had possessed them to invite me back to their club. First Maeve, and now Ava. I couldn¡¯t help but be on high alert.

    At the very least, the day was finally over.

    //

    ¡°They want you back at the club.¡± Abigail sat at my dining table, plate half eaten and mouth placed in certain straight line that indicted she was annoyed and trying not to show it.

    I paused around a bite of honeyed toast, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°The Literature Club. Apparently you have class with them or whatever. You caught their attention.¡± Her fingers drummed against the table, and I let my toast settle back on my plate, forgotten.

    This was not how I wanted to start my morning, ¡°In history, Maeve and Cyrus were a part of my group. Maeve invited me but¡­I really don¡¯t want to go.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if that¡¯s how you feel. Did they make you anxious or something?¡±

    ¡°K-kinda.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, figured.¡± She poked at her food with a fork, still not taking a bite. ¡°It¡¯ll always just be me and Nia for you, won¡¯t it?¡±

    Before I could respond, she stood up. I jumped as the chair clattered. She grabbed her backpack which was hanging off the back and slung it over her shoulder. I scrambled to my feet as well, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to go, then go. If you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t worry about it. I already know how you¡¯d be if you started going anyway.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡ª?¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t leave my side, like always.¡±

    The conversation stung. I froze, a burning clawing up my throat and blurring my eyes. I could feel my mom look over from where she was in the kitchen, and I grabbed my bag as quickly as I could. Abigail was already heading out the door.

    I chased after her. My skin met with a rush of cold air that I hadn¡¯t been expecting this early into September, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Abigail?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes there is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    She spun towards me and I could feel a wave of things I wanted to say on the tip of my tongue. She folded her arms across her chest, and I tried to sort through them as much as I could in the moment, ¡°I know you¡¯re angry about something.¡±

    Wind ghosted through the space between us. The only sound was cars driving in the distance and the rustling of leaves above. She stared at me, lips puckered, lost in trying to find an excuse to give. I kept my gaze level with hers, chin tilting up so we could be eye to eye. She didn¡¯t feel so much taller than me when I stood my ground.

    Her hand reached out, and adjusted the collar of my uniform, ¡°You should never get yourself into danger for my sake.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± I knew quite well what it had to do with everything. She knew the club members far better than I did, and from the little I¡¯d gleaned they weren¡¯t great people. She was the one who was more in danger than me. I just didn¡¯t understand why she was pursuing it if she knew.

    She patted my collar down for good measure, before she retracted her hands, ¡°I just thought you should know. As far as the club goes, you¡¯ll hate it there. And it irritates me to no end that those assholes are trying to recruit you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they your friends, too?¡±

    ¡°Just Ava, I swear. The rest of them can swallow a mouthful of dirt for all I care.¡± She huffed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have class with Maeve of all people. She must be bored and thinks she found a new toy.¡±

    That was also the feeling I¡¯d gotten when we¡¯d briefly spoken. I kicked at a spare rock on the ground, watching it tumble, tumble, back into the dying grass of a person¡¯s lawn. ¡°They must want something from you, too.¡±

    ¡°Is Justin getting to you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I hesitated, but decided to tell her anyway. To hide my nerves, I started walking again, like the motion would stop the rest of my body from shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but we keep running into each other.¡±

    Her eyebrow raised, a sarcastic smirk pulling her pink lips, ¡°Ah yes, quite the coincidence. I doubt he¡¯s, like, keeping tabs on you or something. He¡¯d never be such a creep.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I doubt it¡­? I can¡¯t¡­read him well, though.¡±

    ¡°No one can. That¡¯s his whole thing. He¡¯s the Cheshire cat of our school or something. I can¡¯t believe I ever agreed to date him.¡± Her nose scrunched up, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    Even though I knew I was still on shaky ground, I couldn¡¯t help my next question, ¡°Was it mutual? The break up? After it ended you just said you didn¡¯t care and me and Nia left it at that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we were too different where it mattered and too similar in the worst of ways. We brought out the worst in each other and clashed over everything.¡± Her gaze went distant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±

    I could see it. The hints of similarities between the two, ¡°You¡¯ll find someone who brings out the best in you. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°I have you and Nia for that.¡± She linked an arm through mine, dragging me forward. ¡°Speaking of, I bet we¡¯ve kept her waiting for who knows how long because of our talk.¡±

    ¡°W-wait a minute.¡± I stumbled after her, her laughing ringing like bells around us. The air was mild and the day was bright. Our feet danced down the sidewalk, the world blurring in a vibrant haze at the corner of my vision. Just like that, we were back in our own little world.

    //

    ¡°So you¡¯re not joining the cult right?¡± Nia was bent over her binder, scribbling away at a worksheet she hadn¡¯t finished for her physics class. The three of us had elected to sit at one of the outside tables instead of the usual tree we¡¯d claimed as ours since Freshman year. Abigail had a pen and was drawing circles all over Nia¡¯s worksheet, not that she had minded. I doubted she¡¯d even noticed.

    ¡°Cult?¡±

    ¡°The Literature Club. Abigail mentioned.¡± She jammed her pen towards Abigail before I could question it.

    I only shrugged, ¡°You don¡¯t like them either?¡±

    ¡°Nia hasn¡¯t even met with them to pass judgement. She¡¯s just acting a twinge overprotective.¡± When Nia cut her a glance, Abigail¡¯s voice turned to honey. ¡°It¡¯s the sweetest thing, honestly.¡±

    Nia rolled her eyes and returned back to what she was doing. It finally occurred to me just what she was doing. Nia was never late with assignments. She was the type to sacrifice her sleep to get everything done and get the A. Her grades were immaculate, without a blemish to her name. There had been various days where the three of us got together to study and Nia became the tutor more often than not.

    Not caring of the change of subject, I started, ¡°It¡¯s weird for you to be finishing something last minute.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    ¡°Woah, you¡¯re right. Little Miss Smarty-Pants is starting to lose her touch, I see.¡± This earned another one of Nia¡¯s signature looks, but Abigail wasn¡¯t even looking at her. Her gaze skipped over the assignment she was working on, appraising the situation now that I¡¯d brought it up.

    I couldn¡¯t remember if this had occurred in the previous iteration of time or not, ¡°Is it because of home?¡±

    ¡°I thought I told you everything was fine.¡±

    ¡°Ummm, I think I¡¯m gonna call bullshit on that one babe. What¡¯s got you so stressed?¡± Abigail finally looked at Nia. The two stared at each other for a long second, and Nia was the first to look away. No one could outlast Abigail¡¯s endless stare unless she wanted them to.

    This wasn¡¯t one of those times.

    ¡°Things are great. Cross my heart and hope to die.¡± Nia drew an ¡®X¡¯ over her heart to drive her point home. ¡°My siblings were being annoying all day yesterday, so I just didn¡¯t have time to get anything done.¡±

    ¡°Totally.¡± Abigail said, not believing a word of it.

    I pressed my lips together, but didn¡¯t comment further. For the first time, I realized we all had the same flaw. We never wanted to tell each other when something was wrong with us, and if someone tried, we built a stone wall. It seemed like we really were all just the same.

    ¡°Totally,¡± Nia echoed, ¡°Speaking of, when did you want to hang out next?¡±

    ¡°That had nothing to do with the conversation.¡±

    ¡°It so did.¡±

    Abigail and Nia could have gone on for ages if they really wanted to. I cut in as quick as I could, ¡°I¡¯m free whenever.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s your call. You¡¯re the one whose been super busy lately.¡± Abigail shrugged, and had a sip from the small carton of apple juice she procured for lunch.

    Nia thought for a moment, ¡°Tomorrow could work. I have some homework to finish tonight, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Perfect! It¡¯s a date.¡± She scribbled three stick figures on Nia¡¯s sheet, each one being a poor representation of us. ¡°No take-backs.¡±

    ¡°I would never.¡± Abigail laughed as Nia dramatically placed a hand over her heart. With another retort on her lips, it was silenced by the ding of her phone. Her hand fished into her backpack, she flipped it open.

    From where I was sitting, I could have glanced over and read it. Instead, I kept my eyes down and waited for the conversation to continue. Instead, she furiously clicked away at the keypad before snapping it shut and hopping to her feet.

    Me and Nia shared a look, ¡°Sorry guys, something came up. I gotta go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± I raised my hand in a wave that she returned. Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she started walking away, footsteps quick. Nia watched her go, settling into a still quiet.

    Unsure how to break the silence, I waited. When Abigail was gone from sight, her shoulders fell and she snapped back to reality, ¡°She¡¯s been acting weird, lately. Weirder than usual.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird, too.¡± A pause. ¡°I think we all have been¡­¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± I wanted to explain, but I couldn¡¯t remember what we had been like before. A pair of three, with Abigail as our glue.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out the look Nia wore, so I swallowed, ¡°Even so, I love you guys.¡±

    A laugh, sudden and bright, bringing color back to the strangeness that had settled over us, ¡°Obviously. It¡¯s the three of us forever.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Now come on,¡± she motioned towards where Abigail had been sitting, ¡°If you really want us to hang out, you¡¯ll help me with my homework.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even take physics.¡±

    ¡°Better crash course it with me then.¡±

    I scrambled into the seat next to her, pouting at her laughs. I didn¡¯t understand a thing she was doing and she didn¡¯t matter. We sat at the table, hunched over, her doing the work and me pretending I was contributing. The both of us waited, half-expectant, for Abigail to come back, but she never did. It didn¡¯t change as much as I thought it would. It did cause curiosity to burn in my stomach.

    If I¡¯d looked, I wonder what I would have seen. I wonder if it would have had something to do with the story.

 2.9 Bad Graces

    Abigail flaked on us. Nia gripped her phone, fingers taught around the deep red plastic as she pressed it to her ear. There was a tension around her eyes, one which I could only shield away from as we leaned against the school gates. Kids passed us by, but not a single one registered.

    ¡°What the fuck do you mean something came up. I bet Ava is paying you a lot of money to keep this up.¡± It was less anger and more hurt that tinted Nia¡¯s voice. The harshness of it stung even me, and I could only imagine what Abigail was saying on the other line. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling cold despite the mild air. For a second, I thought her phone would break as her grip tightened even more somehow. ¡°Save it. Have fun with your new rich friends.¡±

    She snapped the phone shut and I stared at the dangling ¡®N¡¯ charm as it was jostled around. The fake diamonds glinted in the afternoon sun. It was easier to look at them than it was to face Nia. My own stomach was swirling in shades of sick.

    ¡°Nia¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck her. She¡¯s the one that was saying I hadn¡¯t been hanging out with you guys lately and then she¡¯s the one who flaked? Didn¡¯t she pull the same shit to you?¡± She wasn¡¯t even looking at me, pacing back and forth like she needed to do anything to dispel the energy.

    I swallowed, ¡°C-can the two of us still hang out¡­?¡±

    Her angry broke instantly. Her eyebrows smoothed out and a faint smile tugged at her lips. A battle that looked like it nearly lost. She slipped her phone into her bag, ¡°Yeah, of course. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Even with her plastic smile, I knew she was going to think about this for the rest of the day, up until she saw Abigail next. The hurt in her voice stuck with me as I walked beside her. I didn¡¯t know where she was leading me, and I didn¡¯t care. Sometimes, it was nice to wander without care for the destination.

    The day was quiet. A brisk wind slipped through the air, and Nia zipped up her trademark red jacket as it did. She was quiet, distracted. Yet, her eyes stared straight ahead like she already knew where it was she wanted to go. I realized where we were going when I saw the sign.

    ¡°¡­Nia?¡± I couldn¡¯t get the question out as I saw the bookstore. It was the same one Abigail had taken me to weeks ago. There must have been a conversation the two had, that allowed Nia to know about it. I couldn¡¯t picture it being a place the two would go together.

    She turned towards me, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s flaked out on a promise to you.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­what I¡¯m asking.¡± I motioned towards the shop, a faint fluttering of my hand. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s here¡­?¡±

    I knew the answer in my chest. The motif of this tale was books in every way. If Abigail was ditching us, it was easy to assume it was for Ava. And if she was with Ava, well, I knew very few things about Ava but I knew this place. My feet were stone, unable to perceive going a step closer.

    ¡°She mentioned her and Ava meet up here sometimes.¡± Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like her?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°H-have you talked to her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to talk to her to decide I don¡¯t like her.¡±

    She turned away from me, ready to walk towards the shop and through the door. My hand gripped her wrist before I even realized what I¡¯d done. Her eyes stared down at me, but she didn¡¯t utter a sound.

    I swallowed, ¡°I¡¯m angry at her, too. But this feels¡­wrong.¡±

    Not that it¡¯d stopped me before. The difference was I was facing the consequences, not someone else. My hand slipped away and I couldn¡¯t look at her. I stared out towards the street, counting each car that passed. I pretended like Nia had looked away, too.

    ¡°I¡¯m shocked you even admitted you were angry.¡± She spoke softly, voice nearly lost in the ambiance. Her next words were louder. ¡°Look, I normally wouldn¡¯t care. Abigail has always done whatever she wants. But I get tired of her bullshit when she¡¯s stringing others along.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean, Cinder.¡± I flinched, and when I dared a glance back at her I could see her grimace as well. ¡°I know I¡¯m the outsider when it comes to the two of you. But sometimes I get so sick of watching and seeing the same thing over and over.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean anything bad by it.¡±

    ¡°If you ditched her like this, she would ignore you for a week. If you kept something to yourself, she¡¯d act like you¡¯re the biggest bitch in school. But when she does it, she doesn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±

    Something in my chest was caving in. This wasn¡¯t about her defending me, not really. I took a step back, like I had been struck. Like Nia had insulted me instead. My lips quivered, ¡°I-if you feel like that then¡­then why do you still hang out with us?¡±

    Her arms raised, as though reaching, only to fall back to her side. She took a breath, and her expression was still so even. I didn¡¯t know how she did that. I wanted to have a mask that perfect. If I didn¡¯t know her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell at all that he own heart was crumbling.

    ¡°Because when she¡¯s great, she¡¯s great. And I think if I stick around long enough then maybe she¡¯ll always be that way. Maybe she¡¯ll grow out of all things that make me feel like I don¡¯t belong with the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Nia¡ª¡± I reached out. I closed the distance. She yelped as I crashed against her, arms wrapping around her torso in the tightest hug I could manage. I couldn¡¯t refute all of what she said. My mind had been occupied on Abigail and Abigail alone. It took an entire reset to even tell she hadn¡¯t been ok as she¡¯d been pretending. As her hands hovered above me, unsure if she wanted to return the hug, I got out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel like a third wheel. I swear I¡¯ll do better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Finally, her arms wrapped around me. Neither of us cared about any of the onlookers. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t, Cinder. And you¡¯re not the one I want this apologize from anyways.¡±

    I pulled away, and when I looked at her again I saw the tiredness around her eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll make Abigail apologize, too.¡±

    She laughed, and I attempted a smile in return. There was more I wanted to say¡ªmore that needed to be said¡ªbut a flare of red tore my attention away from her and towards the bookstore. At my sudden shift, Nia furrowed her eyebrows and turned around. As she did, the door opened and out walked a trio I didn¡¯t think to expect.

    Abigail and Ava walked side by side, just as Nia had predicted. Abigail¡¯s grin was a touch subdued as she spoke with the other girl. But next to Ava, was Everett. I stared at him, but he seemed much the same as he had when I¡¯d encountered him at the library. His focus was solely on Ava. Abigail might as well not have been there at all.

    The two of us darted into the nearest store.

    Ignoring the looks employees shot us, we ducked down, peering out the window. Despite my previous reservations, alarm was now in my bloodstream as I finally saw the source of the red. It circled around Ava and Everett, and while I couldn¡¯t tell which one was bleeding it out, I had narrowed down my choices.

    ¡°¡­I take back what I said.¡± I ignored the tremble in my voice. ¡°Let¡¯s follow them.¡±

    Nia grinned, eyes narrowed at the three of them, ¡°Change of heart?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Maybe it was irresponsible to do this. Nia couldn¡¯t see what I could. And it wasn¡¯t like I could explain I may be leading her into a lion¡¯s den.

    She bumped her shoulder into me, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, this was my idea in the first place.¡± I could have protested, but she jumped to her feet, pulling me along. ¡°Now let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to lose them.¡±

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The words died in my throat as we gave chase.

    //

    There could not have been greater concern in me as we followed their trail into the woods. In a general sense, I wasn¡¯t afraid of the woods. They encircled the far end of our neighborhood. Me and Abigail had spent plenty of our childhood wandering around and making it feel like our ¡®hideout.¡¯ But those woods were familiar. There were certain trees I could pick out or specific formations that I used as landmarks. They were familiar to me in a way this place was not.

    It didn¡¯t even feel like it belonged to the same town. Even the dirt had a different consistency here.

    ¡°Where the hell are they going?¡± Nia and I were crouched low. We had let them stay a decent ways ahead of us, especially when they¡¯d gone off to a park and cut through to the trees.

    ¡°Maybe we should stop.¡± Doing this in my uniform sounded like a terrible idea. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to get all the dirt stains out of my white blouse. At least the vest was dark grey and the skirt navy blue and grey plaid.

    Nia shook her head, eyebrows drawn together, ¡°This is too weird.¡±

    ¡°I know but¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve got to be a cult, right?¡± Nia was whispering to herself more than she was to me. ¡°I know I joked about it before but this is¡­¡±

    My heartbeat kept ticking up with each second. Their forms slipped through the trees and Nia continued the chase. I followed after, taking one last look behind me towards the town. If we got lost, I wondered if we¡¯d ever be found. My imminent death would trigger a reset, at least.

    We kept a steady pace. Somehow, they never sensed us following. The distance was short. Shorter than I¡¯d been expecting. The trees broke apart into a clearing. Abigail, Ava, and Everett stepped out. There was no one else there, and I realized I¡¯d expected the other club members.

    At the center of the clearing was what looked like a foundation for a building. A small house maybe. There was nothing left of the building itself, but the concrete was still in the ground. A handful of steps led up to nothing, and that¡¯s where they arranged themselves.

    We crept closer, to a point where we could actually hear what they were saying.

    ¡°¡ªcan¡¯t do it.¡± Ava. She had looked like she was guiding most of the conversation since the minute we started tailing them.

    Abigail shook her head, ¡°Come on. How hard can it be?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even know about this¡ª¡±

    ¡°I dated Justin. He wasn¡¯t as tight lipped about things as you would have hoped.¡± I kept myself ducked down, back pressed hard against a tree. Bark pressed into my skin, and I kept my head down. But even so, I could picture everyone¡¯s expressions perfectly, based on voice alone. The sardonic grin on Abigail¡¯s face was clear as day. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. Bet on it.¡±

    ¡°Your confidence could ruin you.¡± Everret¡¯s voice was quiet. I strained to hear him, unlike the other two.

    Abigail only laughed, mirth dripping from every sound, ¡°And maybe underestimating people will ruin you, too.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one reason you were invited¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please, Ava. I¡¯m well aware of the reason. You think I didn¡¯t notice the little Miss Saint act you¡¯ve been putting on? I think I¡¯m the saint here for playing along. Don¡¯t look at me like that. Bitches recognize bitches.¡±

    ¡°That was uncalled for.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t wrong though, now was it?¡±

    Footsteps echoes and I jerked hard in surprise. Nia looked at me, eyes wide, the crunch of leaves and dirt resounded from underneath me. We were in the woods. It wasn¡¯t like there weren¡¯t creatures skittering around at all times. That didn¡¯t stop me from freezing. My brain whirled. I couldn¡¯t tell which direction the steps were coming from.

    Nia yanked at my arm and pulled me into the brush.

    ¡°God Maeve, you¡¯re so noisy.¡± Me and Nia were pressed against each other, nails digging into each other¡¯s arms as we prayed we were hidden. Abigail¡¯s voice was so far now, drowned out by the raging in my skull. Twigs poked at my arms and yanked at my hair, but I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me. Why are you all riled up?¡±

    ¡°Me? I think you should look at Ava.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the same as always. Although I am concerned about the noise. Was that an animal?¡± There was rustling, like Ava stood. Sweat prickled the back of my neck, dampening my uniform collar.

    My gaze seared into Nia, and she stared back at me. Her lips moved and I strained to hear the words, ¡°We¡¯re going to get caught.¡±

    ¡°Nia¡­¡±

    ¡°When I stand, you get out of here.¡± My limbs seized in protest, but she shook her head. ¡°Do it.¡±

    I could hear her grow closer. I shook my head, but Nia¡¯s grip only grew stronger. A showcase of her years being an athlete. I tried not to flinch, feeling the bruise already forming under her hand.

    At the protest still on my face, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t know how furious I¡¯ll be if you don¡¯t.¡±

    She shoved me behind her and stood. I scrambled, trying to find purchase and cover as she did. I slid behind another tree, hardly noticing the twigs and leaves and dirt that clung to my hair and skin. I knew my uniform was going to be a wreck by the end of this, but I hadn¡¯t realized just how bad. My parents were going to kill me if I couldn¡¯t get the stains out.

    I gave a quick glance behind the tree and saw Nia walk straight forward, posture perfect and loose, like she wasn¡¯t covered in grime and nervous about being caught. Ava was just up ahead of her, and I ducked back again. Now it was guilt making me tremble.

    ¡°Good evening. You¡¯re one of Abigail¡¯s friends I presume?¡±

    ¡°What¡ªNia what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to crash the party. I just wanted to know what was so important that you ditched.¡± The anger from before was on full display. Red seeped into the ground, and I knew it was one of them. My fingers dug into the dirt, feeling it line the underneath of my nails. If magic was used to hurt her, I¡¯d never forgive myself.

    I squeezed my eyes shut, frozen in place. Unable to run with the chance she was giving me and unable to reveal myself. The red was so strong again, I could barely stay coherent.

    ¡°So you followed me?¡±

    ¡°No, I just happened to stumble upon you while taking a stroll.¡± There was a pause, a panicked silence. Then, a loud bang. Nia swore. ¡°The pretty boy has a temper, does he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with her.¡± Abigail spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry she even did this.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s sweet your friend cares about you so much. Dedication is hard to find in people. Everett, Maeve, come on. We¡¯ll discuss this another time.¡± All at once, the red was gone. My head fell back and my body slumped. Exhaustion lined my body.

    Three pairs of footsteps resounded. They were so close, but somehow, I wasn¡¯t spotted. As the sound faded away, Nia and Abigail¡¯s conversation picked up again. My brain was muddled, much like it had been after the club meeting. It had been easier to wade through Kade¡¯s magic than whatever this was.

    ¡°Nia¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a shit friend.¡± She cut off Abigail immediately. ¡°How many times is this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even give me that. You¡¯re out here acting like I¡¯m the one avoiding hanging out when every time I¡¯ve brought it up for the past month you¡¯ve made some kind of excuse and brushed me off. But oh, no, when Cinder¡¯s around it¡¯s like I¡¯ve been ignoring you guys. It¡¯s always ¡®Nia, when aren¡¯t you busy?¡¯, ¡®Nia, why don¡¯t you want to hang out with us?¡¯ Cut the fucking act.¡± I blinked. In my sluggish state what was being said wasn¡¯t fully processing. Nia had been asking about hanging out¡­?

    There was a beat of silence, a sort of admission. Abigail sighed, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡±

    ¡°How¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you should be thankful you didn¡¯t bring Cinder here. I would have killed you.¡±

    ¡°Like what I¡¯m about to do to you?¡±

    There was another sigh, this time with ten extra helpings of dramatic, ¡°I was trying to keep them away from you two. Especially now that they have an interest in Cinder for some godforsaken reason, the last thing I need is for them to take an interest in you too. But after the stunt you pulled I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re not on their radar now.¡±

    ¡°Why is that even a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯re insane, babe. You called them a cult and you aren¡¯t far off.¡± Nia started to speak but Abigail loudly cleared her throat, ¡°Then why am I in the middle of all this, right? Well I got put on their radar all because of my little fling with Justin last year. Truly the worst decision of my life, that one.¡±

    ¡°Then¡ª¡± Abigail cut her off again, and I could imagine the rage glistening in Nia¡¯s eyes at this point.

    ¡°Why am I going along with it? Two for two, aren¡¯t I?¡± The smirk was apparent. ¡°Easy. They¡¯re rich, I¡¯m not. They have power that I don¡¯t. They know things about me I¡¯d prefer to keep secret.¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re blackmailing you?¡± Nia¡¯s shout startled even the birds. A few scattered along the branches, fluttering away from the source.

    Abigail laughed, ¡°A bit dramatic of a word I think.¡±

    ¡°What the hell? You were just going to go through this alone¡ªOf course you were, why am I asking? You¡¯re always like this. You never rely on us¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± There was a shift in Abigail¡¯s voice. Her tone subdued. ¡°I just¡­ I have to protect you two. You¡¯re both my whole world.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to protect each other.¡± It was not forgiveness or acceptance or even anger and pain. It was resignation. My chest grew tight, overflowing with knots. I could feel something break, although I wasn¡¯t certain what.

    Maybe Abigail felt it, too, ¡°¡­Come on. If we leave now we can make it home before dark.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Nia snapped, and by the sound of it, she spun on her heels and left first. It was another minute or two until Abigail¡¯s footsteps followed. I stayed where I was, curled up by the base of my tree.

    This friendship meant the world to me. it shouldn¡¯t have been able to fracture so easily. I knew Abigail was secretive and deflective, I knew Nia was lying and pretending, and I knew I was pretending not to see it because it was easier. I knew our faults. But I always thought we¡¯d work through them at some point. I didn¡¯t know how quickly things could break down. Everything had been fine in the first run through of this so why¡ª

    My brain was in overdrive and the twinges of magic still had left my system. It was severe enough so that I didn¡¯t notice I wasn¡¯t alone. That maybe I never had been. That maybe I¡¯d missed something. It wasn¡¯t until I caught the edges of scuffed shoes easing into my vision that I jerked back to reality and stumbled to my feet.

    Unsteady, a hand reached out and caught my arm to steady me. I glanced up, heart beat racing once more. The face that greeted me was one I hadn¡¯t been expecting, but wasn¡¯t a surprise.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you in quite the state?¡± There was no smile on Justin¡¯s face. I couldn¡¯t read his expression.

    ¡°I¡­You¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get something warm in you.¡± His touch was warm. It took too long to register that. The temperature was rapidly dropping as the late afternoon eased into evening. When I only stared at him, dumbfounded, he let his hand glide down to my wrist. I let him pull me along.

 Intermission III: A Sense of Familiarity

    I said nothing. She kept talking, ¡°Ugh, walking through these woods always sucks. Why do they have to have their ultra secret meetings out here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d find you here again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re poking a sleeping bear, but the bear is wide awake and has been for a while now.¡±

    I said nothing. She fell into step beside me. Her gaze scanned the path ahead. The trees eased away to reveal the park we¡¯d crossed to enter. It was just as busy as when we arrived. The reddening sky did little to persuade those here.

    And she kept going, ¡°I don¡¯t have any secrets now.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So I think it¡¯s only fair. What have you been hiding?¡± Blue eyes like ice. Blue eyes like a raging sea. I felt both as she looked at me.

    The noise of the world was lost on me, ¡°I haven¡¯t been hiding anything.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. You were just poorly dodging questions for fun.¡± She kicked a rock, and it rolled through overgrown grass. ¡°Our friendship won¡¯t heal like this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll never heal.¡± She kept staring at me. ¡°At least, it won¡¯t go back to how it was before.¡±

    ¡°¡­How long have you had issues with our friendship?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I wasn¡¯t sure. When did it start? Years blurred together. I picked at the strands, hoping they unraveled to the source. I knew, as we were back on the concrete sidewalk. I knew when we passed the basketball court, ¡°It started with Jen.¡±

    ¡°Jen.¡± Her features twisted. A clear sign of distaste. ¡°Maybe I should hate her even more if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°You know she¡¯s not the only one to place blame on.¡±

    ¡°Are you placing it all on me?¡±

    ¡°On both of us.¡± Jen did have a right to hate us. The admission was sour. A too ripe fruit. Of course it¡¯d be hard to admit, when we created a world of pretend and we were always heroes.

    She went quiet then. Only for a second of reprieve, ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll tell Cinder one day.¡±

    ¡°She has no reason to.¡±

    ¡°Other than hating our guts.¡± I was surprised she hadn¡¯t. Maybe because Cinder clung to us. The rest of the world didn¡¯t exist. It was hard for Jen to talk to her when we were always standing guard.

    ¡°When this year is over, she¡¯ll be graduated and gone. We won¡¯t have to worry about it ever again.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll just have to worry about you now.¡±

    ¡°Back to this again? I really was just trying to protect you guys.¡± Her mask slipped. Finally. It always took too much pressure for her to show the truth. Her eyes flickered down, lips pressed together.

    ¡°We can handle our own.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can¡­¡±

    It was hard not to have a flash of worry then. I couldn¡¯t look back. I couldn¡¯t check to see if Cinder had gotten out ok. I was sure she¡¯d be fine. I kept repeating it, over and over. To Abigail, I said, ¡°I think she¡¯ll be ok.¡±

    ¡°Cinder¡¯s been worrying me all month.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed further at the admission. ¡°Like¡­she¡¯s been extra mopey and jittery.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s Cinder¡ª¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s protecting you.¡± I didn¡¯t care about the truth behind the words or not. But throwing it back in her face felt good. The way her mouth clamped shut. The way her shoulders fell. The two of us kept walking, until we needed to head our separate ways.

    I said nothing. And neither did she.

 2.10 Stage Play

    I stood at the edge of a doorframe. My feet were sore and arms itchy. It had taken my endless adrenaline to wear off for me to finally notice. Small scrapes were along my arms, dirt under my fingernails. I couldn¡¯t imagine how I¡¯d look in a mirror. A wild thing, plucked straight from the woods.

    But none of that was my concern. The house was large. Too large. Larger than life. I¡¯d thought Nia with her two stories and roomy backyard was another realm. This was something else entirely. And I was about to trail dirt all throughout it.

    Justin didn¡¯t care. The casualness he¡¯d had as he led me to his house was unmatched. He hadn¡¯t really spoken to me, although that might have been because I¡¯d refused to look him in the eye the whole way. I wanted to ask why he¡¯d even been there. I wanted to ask what the Literature Club had been doing. Nothing came out.

    Instead, when I finally spoke, it was meaningless, ¡°¡­You live here?¡±

    I craned my neck up. Three stories. A perfectly manicured front lawn. Double doors of pristine white. I couldn¡¯t imagine the inside, and I really, truly, did not want to.

    Justin swung the door open and pocketed his key, ¡°You¡¯ll catch flies if you leave your mouth open. Come on.¡±

    Despite myself, I followed.

    The first thing I did was take my shoes off and leave them to the side. My socks weren¡¯t in a better state, but at least I wouldn¡¯t leave marks as I walked. Justin cared significantly less. I watched as the gleaming tile floor was branded with every one of his footsteps.

    His voice was a shout, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    ¡°Welcome back!¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang from somewhere. I heard shuffling, leaving me to stand stock still where I was. Being in Kade¡¯s house had been easier. There was less space for my awkwardness to fill. His parents had never been home. Here, I could fill up rooms upon rooms with the sudden onslaught of nerves. My brain was still muddled by all that¡¯d transpired in the woods.

    Justin paused on the landing of a flight of stairs. He glanced over at me, waiting. I teetered at the edge, pressing my lips together, ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t be here¡ª¡±

    A woman burst into the room. I jumped. She was beautiful. Dirty blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, streaked with hints of grey. A smile was already on her face, the wrinkles around her eyes were an ode to joy. I couldn¡¯t tell her age, but I assumed early forties if anything.

    The first thing she saw was me, and her smile stayed in place save for the wrinkle of worry between her brow, ¡°Goodness who is this? What happened to you dear?¡±

    ¡°U-um¡­¡± She floated towards me. Her hand reached out, only to pluck a leaf that¡¯d been stuck in my hair. My chest burned as I scrambled to find my voice again. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°Cinder. A friend of Abigail¡¯s. Do you have spare clothes she can borrow?¡± Justin cut right to the chase. I could only nod along, trying to catch any changes to her posture at the mention of Abigail.

    Nothing did, ¡°A change of clothes? I think she needs a shower first. Are you hungry? I¡¯m almost done cooking.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± She shooed me towards the stairs and I couldn¡¯t help but obey. As I arrived at the base of them, Justin only rolled his eyes.

    ¡°If you got it mom, I¡¯m going to go change.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be right as rain soon.¡± I was ushered up the stairs and into a bathroom. It was larger, with both a shower and a bath. It was also clean, and I was afraid to touch the counter tops with my hands.

    ¡°Thank you. Sorry about all this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I could never leave a child in this state. And I know my son would never be able to leave a girl like this either.¡± With what little I knew about Justin, I didn¡¯t have a right to protest. There was still the feel of it in the back of my throat. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something to wear. They may be a little too big on you, though.¡±

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡± She hurried out and I was left to my own devices for a minute. I swallowed, forcing myself to look at the mirror. I was as I¡¯d expected after hiding in bushes and ducking behind trees. Dirt was streaked against my face. My hair was in fifty different directions. My eyes looked like they had been on the brink of crying for hours. Unwittingly, my mind conjured Abigail. Even in a state like this, she was always beautiful. Her body would not be trembling like mine.

    When the door opened again, I tore myself away, ¡°Thanks um¡­¡±

    ¡°You can just call me Layla.¡± She set the bundle of clothes on the countertop, along with a towel. ¡°Don¡¯t look like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Not very formal?¡± Her angelic smile was back, and if the two didn¡¯t have similar facial features I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d connect the two as mother and son. ¡°I prefer my first name over my last.¡±

    I didn¡¯t press it, ¡°Alright. Thank you Layla.¡±

    She nodded once and then left me to it. I stared at the sweats and t-shirt, and tried to pretend this wasn¡¯t a bizarre situation. I checked the locks twice before I dared to shower, and even despite the grime, I was fast. I scrubbed my skin raw, and ran soap through my hair twice just to ensure I got everything out of it.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I took, but it was long enough for Justin and his mom to be back downstairs. As I wrapped my head with the towel and opened the door, I could hear their voices faintly from below. With quick steps, I descended back down.

    The second time I was in the entry room, I noticed the actual d¨¦cor. There was far too much room, and there was a sitting room set up in it¡¯s center. A piano was near the entrance window, large in its glory, but I got the feeling it was rarely used. My eyes skittered over everything, until they landed on the photos.

    Justin¡¯s mom really was stunning. I stared at them arranged on the wall. It was her and him in most of them. Some were of friends, others of an elderly man and woman who I assumed were grandparents. There was no sign of his dad.

    I tore my gaze away, and I went towards the voices.

    They were in a kitchen and dining room area. Justin was sitting in a chair, strewn across the table. His mom was laughing at him from where she stood in the kitchen. I once more felt the need to leave.

    ¡°U-um.¡± My voice was barely there, but Justin¡¯s head lifted. He turned towards me, a half-smile on his face. ¡°Thanks for the clothes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just in time for dinner.¡± Layla greeted, and I pressed my bundled uniform to my chest.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mom made you tea, too.¡± He was fully grinning now at my pout. His hand motioned towards a chair next to him. ¡°Come on.¡±

    Whatever she had made did smell good. It was easy for my stomach to betray me. I reluctantly slipped into the seat next to him, keeping my focus on the mahogany wood. All I had to do was get through dinner, and then I¡¯d finally be free.

    At least I wasn¡¯t pulled into the conversation around me. Layla focused on Justin, only asking me when it came to food preference before she served dinner. I offered my thanks, a half mumbled sound, as I started to eat. My brain hardly registered any of it in my desire to leave.

    It was at the end of the meal, that the conversation veered from regular school check-ups, towards a certain topic, ¡°How has club been going?¡±

    ¡°I told you I was thinking of quitting.¡± Justin didn¡¯t look at me even though I couldn¡¯t help but look at him. I had noticed how much his voice was quiet and calm in comparison to how he talked to everyone else. I wondered how different I sounded when talking to my parents.

    ¡°¡­You think you can?¡± Her smile was gone and her voice serious.

    He shifted in his seat, ¡°Geez mom, enough with the worry. I¡¯m doing fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you part of the club?¡±

    I startled, surprised at suddenly having a question thrown my way. I tore my gaze away from Justin and back to her, ¡°Um, no. My friend kind of is, though.¡±

    ¡°Abigail.¡± Justin supplied, and she gave a slow nod.

    ¡°I was a part of it, back in the day. Aster Academy was brand new, and it seemed to have breathed life into a small town. It was nice back then, just a couple of friends who liked to read.¡± Her eyes saw through me, so entrapped by wistfulness.

    I hesitated, full of questions, wondering if she knew. Justin rolled his eyes, ¡°She¡¯s wondering about the club.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Her focus returned.

    I shifted in my seat, ¡°Well um, when did¡­when did Werewolf start?¡±

    Tension lined her face, ¡°You¡¯re not part of the club, but you know about it?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡±

    As I stumbled for a response, her voice became sharp in a way only a mother¡¯s can, ¡°Justin, you know that isn¡¯t something you should tell outsiders.¡±

    ¡°In all fairness, she isn¡¯t exactly an outsider. They¡¯ve taken an interest in her. Considered recruiting her and everything.¡± At Layla¡¯s gaze, he turned his head. It was both strange and funny seeing his discomfort. ¡°I was trying to get her to avoid the place.¡±

    ¡°I was also bothering him about it. I was worried about my friend, so¡­¡± At the very least, I couldn¡¯t let him take all the blame. When she turned that gaze to me, I saw his shoulders relax a fraction.

    She let her smile return, although it was stretched thin, ¡°I suppose if you already know of its existence, I can explain the rest. It was nothing like it is today. When I was there, it was the game you know of. We would gather in the club room and on days we were bored we would play a round. There were no stakes involved save for a few bruised egos.¡±

    ¡°What is it now?¡±

    ¡°¡­It was my last year.¡± Justin stood straight to alert. Now there was a tension on his face that mirrored his mother¡¯s.

    ¡°Do you really need to tell her all this story?¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer to? She is your friend.¡± I had half a mind to correct her in that we weren¡¯t friends. I thought Justin would even protest. But that must not have even registered.

    He was quiet for a minute, ¡°I can. But I don¡¯t think she needs to know.¡±

    ¡°If they want to recruit her, it¡¯s already too late to protect her.¡± My stomach twisted. ¡°It¡¯s highly unlikely she¡¯ll be the wolf as a new member, at least.¡±

    The dream. The boy in the center. The entrapment of people and my desire to save him. The hands stopping me. My memory recalled it all perfectly. The fear was still rooted deep in my chest.

    Justin frowned, his voice being forced to come out, ¡°It starts next week.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s when they¡¯ll invite her. So she can have a role.¡± Layla folded her hands on top of the table. ¡°If they do, you shouldn¡¯t go.¡±

    Abigail would be there. I couldn¡¯t leave her there alone. Even though my emotions were a mess towards her right now, I knew I still wasn¡¯t going to let anything happen to her.

    ¡°¡­I have someone I need to protect.¡± Even if that meant the worst would befall me. I knew Abigail wasn¡¯t going to be the wolf. That didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t be targeted.

    ¡°Then I hope you protect her well.¡± Layla stood, hands waving towards us to shoo us away. ¡°If you want to talk, go to the living room. I promise I won¡¯t interfere.¡±

    Justin stood, waiting for me expectantly. I followed, and let him guide me into another room. One with plush furniture and a large TV. He all but collapsed on the couch, blond hair fanning out where his head hit the cushion. I stayed standing, still feeling too uncomfortable to sit anywhere.

    He groaned, ¡°Are you really going to go next week?¡±

    ¡°If they invite me.¡±

    ¡°Abigail really makes you sign a death wish without care, huh?¡±

    There was a whole lot of care put into it, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡±

    He sat up abruptly, staring at me for a long moment, ¡°It does. I¡¯ve watched you for a while, you know.¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± I took a step back, my brain trying to figure out how to respond to that.

    He didn¡¯t give me a chance, ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that, exactly. But back when me and Abigail were dating, I was curious about her friends. It was easier to talk to Nia than you. You were always hiding, or trying to at least.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°Once we broke up, that was that. It was easy to forget you. But fast forward to this year and there you were again. And this time you actually looked me in the eye. And I thought ¡®fuck it¡¯ and gave you that USB with the expectation that you were exactly the same as you were back then. But you aren¡¯t. Which means part of you getting involved with all of this is my fault.¡±

    ¡°I would have done this regardless.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no shit. But I also gave you a ticking time bomb.¡±

    ¡°What were those photos anyway?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. If at least to divert from the strange direction this conversation was going.

    He paused again, like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he¡¯d just heard, ¡°You looked at it?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­I was curious.¡± At the very least, he didn¡¯t look angry. Just surprised.

    Like all energy was drained from him, he flopped back down again, ¡°I think this circles back around to what my mom was talking about. The first hunt.¡±

    I went quiet. He stayed where he was, eyes focused only on the ceiling above. From the direction of the kitchen, I heard a quiet humming. Despite myself, I drifted towards one of the seats and sat down. I hugged my uniform to my chest, and waited for him to continue.

    ¡°My mom and dad met through the club. They always spoke like it was love at first sight and all of that. But dad wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d loved her at first sight. There was another boy who claimed to love her. But it wasn¡¯t love, it was obsession. He¡¯d managed to corner her and¡ª¡± Ice was in my veins and he shook his head. ¡°Dad found out, and wanted to kill him. Instead, he used the game as a kind of psychological warfare. He showed up to club and announced they were going to do a round of Werewolf, but this time would be different. Someone had the club had done some unspeakable, and that person needed to be hunted and tried for their crime. It was a witch hunt, and it dissolved into chaos. Everyone¡¯s awful secrets were spilled, and by the time they found out who dad had been talking about, they were brimming with rage.¡±

    ¡°¡­They hurt him.¡±

    ¡°They nearly fucking killed him.¡± Justin laughed, a single sound of disgust. ¡°He deserved it. I believe that fully but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°But things get warped. Others decided to adopt it as a way to get back at those who did wrong. Then at those who were annoying. Then as a way to punish everyone because we¡¯re humans and humans are kinda fucked up aren¡¯t we? Whoever is the wolf deserves to be hurt because all of us have hurt someone at some point in our lives, right?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t think of how to respond to that. A part of me was tempted to ask if any teachers or administrators knew, but I could picture Headmaster Gnight more enthralled by the strangeness of it than disgusted. He already knew about it, and he was using it to his entertainment. My fingers curled around my clothes a little tighter.

    ¡°And the USB?¡±

    ¡°From a tragedy three years ago. Right before we would have started high school. Ava and Everett¡¯s freshman year.¡± My brain scrambled for such a memory. If I thought about it, really thought, I could conjure up a news headline. A girl from Aster Academy who¡¯d been in an accident.

    I jumped to my feet, ¡°They killed someone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a working theory of mine.¡± He stood up with me, hands reaching out and resting heavy on my shoulders. ¡°The worst is that it¡¯s still going.¡±

    My mind was going a million miles an hour, ¡°They¡¯re blackmailing Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that what you found out during your excursion in the woods.¡±

    I stood up straight, and raised my head, ¡°I have to be there next week.¡±

    ¡°I already figured.¡± His fingers tensed briefly, like he wanted to will me to stay right where I was. ¡°The next time you¡¯re there, you can¡¯t shake like this.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± But even I couldn¡¯t believe my words.

 2.11 Stagehand

    Despite all my protests, Justin drove me home. At least, he drove me to my neighborhood. He was already familiar with it, a remnant of his days with Abigail. I¡¯d stepped out of his car, feeling I was in another world. My head was too preoccupied with thoughts of what I needed to do.

    ¡°Show up bright and early to return those to me.¡± With those parting words, Justin was gone and I¡¯d returned home. It was right as the sun dipped below the horizon. Neither of my parents had been home yet, and so I¡¯d laid down. I was out in minutes.

    By the time I woke up, there was little time to clean the disaster that was my uniform. Dodging my parents¡¯ questions, I¡¯d dug into my closet for one of my spares. It was worn, but at least it didn¡¯t look like it had been dragged through the woods for a few hours.

    If Abigail had showed, I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯d left without eating, a jacket draped over my frame at the bite of cold in the early morning air. The rest of the world wasn¡¯t awake. Everything was quiet, save for a stray car. My steps were weighed down, and my brain couldn¡¯t stop dwelling. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d say to Abigail when I saw her. It wasn¡¯t possible to keep the knowledge of what I¡¯d seen and heard off my face.

    Even the academy was a ghost town. If I glanced over at the parking lot, I could see a handful of teacher¡¯s parked in the lot, but even they were few and far between. The morning haze was heavy in the air.  I was surprised the gates were open so early in the morning. I was annoyed Justin had really meant bright and early, and even more so that he¡¯d texted me. I couldn¡¯t remember giving him my number.

    I walked past the main school buildings towards the back. The last time I was in the back gardens, Fable had been berating me. I winced at the memory, and half of me expected to once more run into him. I hadn¡¯t seen Fable for almost a month now. It made our inevitable reunion all the more daunting.

    ¡°Wow, you actually came.¡± I blinked, coming back to reality. On one of the off white benches, Justin laid sprawled out. He looked half asleep himself as he narrowed his eyes at me, fighting against the morning sun.

    I unzipped my backpack and nearly threw the clothes at him, ¡°Here.¡±

    He caught it easily, ¡°Don¡¯t want to be caught at school with me? I promise it won¡¯t start rumors.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a concern.¡± At least, it wasn¡¯t. I stamped down my anxiety before it came into being. ¡°¡­Thanks for yesterday.¡±

    The corner of his lips tugged up, ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t mention it. Like I said, I couldn¡¯t leave you like that.¡±

    ¡°Um¡ª¡± I cut myself off as I sensed someone else coming. Justin¡¯s gaze flickered past me, his eyebrows furrowing together. It was enough to make me turn around and see who it was that¡¯d showed up.

    Cyrus raised a hand in greeting, a ghost of surprise flickering through his faux pleasant smile, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone else here, Justin.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, I wasn¡¯t expecting you either.¡± Justin was to his feet and by my side faster than I could blink. I stiffened as I felt the brush of his arm against mine as he passed and placed himself just a step in front of me. ¡°When was the last time we talked?¡±

    ¡°End of last year.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and what happened during the end of last year?¡± There was no smile or sharpness to Justin. I couldn¡¯t read an emotion at all.

    Cyrus looked at me specifically. The friendly mask from class cracked and went back to the self he¡¯d been in club. The harshness was one of a million clues that I should not be here for this conversation, ¡°U-um, well, I¡¯ll be on my way then¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joining the club,¡± his fingers grazed my inner wrist, a command to stop though he didn¡¯t actually grab me. I stiffened, but tried to relax. ¡°That means whatever Cyrus wants to say, you can hear it.¡±

    Cyrus gave me a once over. A chill zipped down my spine. I didn¡¯t dare move, ¡°She¡¯s not officially a member until she shows up to the meeting next week. For now, she¡¯s nobody.¡±

    ¡°Right. The rules of the club are pretty sacred aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the last person who¡¯d ever break them. Especially for a girl.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s pretty cute, isn¡¯t she?¡± I willed myself to stone. His index finger traced a line down the inner part of my wrist, stopping right at the base of my palm. Cyrus watched the whole exchange, a slow, sarcastic smile festering on his face.

    He laughed, warm like honeyed toast and dusted with poison, ¡°You¡¯re so full of shit Justin. You didn¡¯t say a word to Abigail when you were together and she¡¯s the hottest girl in school.¡±

    Justin was writing something in my palm. It was hard to focus with the burning ice slicing through every part of my body. My brain was wired on how I wasn¡¯t a person in this exchange. A piece on a board maybe. A pawn in chess, gridlocked with a piece in front of me.

    <ol>

    <li>L. A. Y.</li>

    </ol>

    Pause.

    <ol>

    <li>O. N. G.</li>

    </ol>

    He wrote it clearly, considering he wasn¡¯t looking at what he was doing. I didn¡¯t want to play along, not when it was already taking everything in me not to run at the shadows dancing in Cyrus¡¯s eyes. When he took my hand, my whole body wanted to flee. A cold sweat, punctuated by the morning chill. I somehow remained as I was. After a minute, I made my fingers lock with Justin¡¯s.

    ¡°All because you can¡¯t even bother to remember her name doesn¡¯t mean others are the same.¡±

    ¡°Cinder.¡± Cyrus¡¯s voice was marred with an onset of uncertainty. ¡°Her name is Cinder.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you do remember. I¡¯m almost proud. Now tell me what you wanted so we can get this over with.¡± He did not let go of my hand and he didn¡¯t appear like he was going to do so anytime soon. The longer this lasted the more sick pooled in my stomach, and I kept thinking of Abigail. If she heard, she¡¯d hate me. If she hated me, I¡­

    ¡°Fine then.¡± He took a step forward. ¡°They¡¯re going to rig it. They already know who they want to make wolf.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Justin still showed nothing, ¡°Of course they are. That¡¯s what they do. The reason I¡¯m not Vice President anymore is because I tried to put a stop to all of it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to talk to you. I know it¡¯s going to be me.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. You decided to get into a fucking fight with Everett. Not your brightest moment considering the power him and Ava have. Your fate was sealed since the first day of school.¡± At least my prediction was correct. If things went wrong, I could already picture the end of this story. It wasn¡¯t going to be something as kind as accepting I wasn¡¯t going to fall in love. ¡°If you came to ask for help, I¡¯m not going to do it.¡±

    Cyrus kept a vague expression, his eyes flickering towards me, ¡°We could help each other out.¡±

    ¡°With?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been trying to put an end to the game. It¡¯s why you¡¯re no longer in a position of power in the club. It¡¯s always why you haven¡¯t been by much lately. I¡¯ll help you put an end to it.¡±

    Justin barked out a laugh, humorless and cruel, ¡°Right, of course. Now that this effects you directly, you want it over with. Fine, I¡¯ll see what I can do. But know this. I¡¯m not going out of my way to help you, and I¡¯m only going to do so if you prove you¡¯re going to help me out too.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Deal.¡± Cyrus was still looking at me. Despite myself, I shifted an inch closer to Justin. ¡°Sorry to bother you on your lover¡¯s tryst.¡±

    It was near enough for me to rip my hand away from Justin, but he gave it a harsh squeeze in warning. He smiled at Cyrus, and I forced my eyes to focus on the ground, ¡°We¡¯ll work out the details later. After your fate is really confirmed.¡±

    ¡°After the club meeting, we¡¯ll meet here. I¡¯ll see you then.¡± A pause. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class Cinder.¡±

    He turned and left. We watched him go, and after he was truly gone, I tore my hand away. It was like the colors of the world all poured in at once and I rubbed my hand against my skirt. I didn¡¯t realize how much I¡¯d been sweating.

    ¡°Hated it that much huh. It almost hurts.¡± He dramatically placed a hand over his heart.

    There were so many things I wanted to say, and I didn¡¯t think I could say any of them right, ¡°We¡¯re helping Cyrus.¡±

    He nodded, even though it was a statement more than anything, ¡°Guess so. It helps to have someone help us out, and since we¡¯ll know he¡¯s the wolf he won¡¯t try any shit against us.¡±

    ¡°Then we should clear up the misunderstanding. Why did you even act like we were¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dating? It helps cover up why we were really together. Plus, people will be less inclined to ask questions.¡± He blinked at me, as though he noticed the wobble of my lips. ¡°Was it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He laughed again, this time on the side of genuine. ¡°Sorry. I do think it¡¯s safer for you if we pretend we¡¯re dating. At least, as far as the club is concerned. We can explain everything to Abigail, too. Since she is being blackmailed and all.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d never agree to that.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t the one that needs to agree with your actions.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But yeah, if you hate the idea it¡¯s fine. It was done in a moment of panic.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t imagine Justin panicking. If anything, he had near full control of that situation. After a moment, I took a step back, ¡°¡­I should go.¡±

    He smirked, but didn¡¯t comment on my evasion of the topic, ¡°Right. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    With the dismissal I escaped. I didn¡¯t know where, with my friends being an open wound and the whole school feeling like a stage. But I imagined a place where I could merely be. A place where I didn¡¯t have to stare into the pile of problems I wouldn¡¯t be able to run from.

    //

    There were a collection of missed calls and texts on my phone. I got back to Nia, because it was the least I could do after she took the fall for me yesterday. I assured her I was alive. I confessed I didn¡¯t know how to talk to Abigail. She understood, and I kept myself holed up in the library.

    The lingering fear of running into any members of the literature club was present. Mauve and Cyrus had ignored me in class. I still got whiplash seeing his easy smile perfectly in place as he talked to classmates. He hadn¡¯t even glanced at me. I¡¯d almost managed to do the same.

    Still being here was easier. Maybe Abigail and Nia would find me. I was sure Abigail was looking for me. I never ignored her texts and calls. She¡¯d know something was wrong. As my phone vibrated with another text, I snatched it up from the table and flipped it open to text her.

    ¡®alive¡¯

    I didn¡¯t bother to read whatever she had sent. It was the most I could do, still in the depths of figuring out what to do. My brain was caught on Justin. The morning hadn¡¯t cleared away, and I was acutely aware that I hadn¡¯t outright said no. Thinking about it even for a second was dumb enough.

    My eyes finally looked away from my phone and towards the shelves. Back here, I could see the archives, where school papers and magazines from years past were kept. A girl had died once. There was probably an article of it within the papers. I rose.

    The archives were their own room. No one was in it, because no one really cared to read what was occurring at this school at the turn of the century. The door clicked behind me, and in such an enclosed space, I finally felt like I was free.

    With a purpose in mind, I started hunting through the shelves.

    It shouldn¡¯t have been hard with a timeframe. My fingers skimmed along the shelves, looking at the dates. Year after year passed by, with more items then I would have thought. Old yearbooks were in here too, along with flyers, pamphlets for plays, cds and recordings of band concerts and sport games. Aster Academy had gone out of its way to keep every minute detail of its history.

    A couple years ago, a girl died. My fingers paused as I reached the section. It would be in the newspapers, maybe. An obituary to a girl who passed far too young. I grasped at the binder filled with them and¡ª

    Another hand pushed it back in. I jerked, and felt the person behind me keep me steady. I wasn¡¯t sure who I was expecting when I turned around. It certainly wasn¡¯t the boy in front of me. It¡¯d felt like years since I last him. Maybe my thoughts had summoned him.

    ¡°Fable.¡± He stared down at me, not bothering to step back from where he was.

    ¡°There is nothing for you here.¡± When I opened my mouth to protest, he cut me off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing related to this tale.¡±

    I looked back, at the binder he¡¯d pushed back in, ¡°But¡­¡±

    His hand was still on my shoulder from where he¡¯d steadied me. It gave a sharp squeeze, pain shooting down my shoulder. I gasped. ¡°She wasn¡¯t part of the literature club.¡±

    ¡°But Justin¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lied. Twisted the truth. Regardless, it is not yours to look into.¡± The warning was clear. ¡°You should go. Or do you run from your friends as much as you run from the stories you promised to take part in.¡±

    I thought of saying something back. The sudden anger from before was there, burning in the pit of my stomach. But his grip was so tight, and the pain was still there, and it painted a clear picture that I should be afraid. I was small and he was not. Even the thought that he couldn¡¯t truly hurt me didn¡¯t offer much my comfort. Not when it seemed like he wanted to.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take my leave, then.¡±

    He let go and the relief was instant, ¡°That would be wise.¡±

    There was a brief pause. I rubbed at my shoulder as if to dispel the pain. Fable had turned, eyes scanning the shelves. Had he been watching me, or had his arrival been mere coincidence? The thought of the binder burned behind me. I forced myself to move away.

    As I approached the door, I paused, ¡°Before I go¡­nothing will happen to Abigail, right?¡±

    ¡°As long as you make no mistakes.¡± He considered me. ¡°But, don¡¯t you already have a collection of them?¡±

    There was no response for him. I thought over the past month. The endless missteps and lies. Even this morning, when I couldn¡¯t be firm enough to tell Justin to shove it and that I wanted no part of his plan. Maybe whatever the Literature club had against of her was something I could have prevented if I¡¯d stepped up.

    Turning away, I finally left the room. As the door closed behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Away from him, I probed my shoulder once more. A dull ache thrummed through it. I didn¡¯t need to check it to know.

    He¡¯d left me bruised.

 2.12 Backstage

    I was half-aware in math class. The whiteboard read there was a test next week, but I couldn¡¯t quite comprehend so much time had passed. I¡¯d assumed it would pass slow since I¡¯d already gone through these days before. But other than the school lessons, hardly anything had been the same as it had been the first time. So much had been done and so little at the same time.

    ¡°I feel like the teacher pushed up the date of the first test for some reason¡­¡± Fox peered up at me from where he¡¯d rested his head on the table. There was an acute lack of interest. He stared at me for a moment, before abruptly sitting up straight.

    I furrowed my brows at the look on his face, ¡°Did you talk to Fable?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­yeah. At lunch. How¡¯d you know?¡± I leaned back as he leaned forward. His hand reached out, like he wanted to touch me, but thought better of it. I couldn¡¯t read his expression, and I waited for him to say something more.

    He finally shrugged, ¡°His magic is¡­still around you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t sense anything¡­¡±

    ¡°You never sensed magic at all previously. It isn¡¯t impossible to assume you can¡¯t sense subtle magic. It might just be when it¡¯s potent. Don¡¯t worry, sometimes we just leave magical residue around on people. But that¡¯s normally only if we touch them¡ª¡± His expression darkened and it was the first I¡¯d seen him wear such a face. ¡°Did he touch you?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡ª¡± I glanced away, shrugging. ¡°I think I made him angry.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a real answer, but it didn¡¯t need to be. His teeth were bared, much like his namesake when cornered by a larger predator. It was quick, a flash of it, really. But it was enough for me to flinch back. He stood.

    ¡°We need to go.¡± Mr. Robin¡ªthe math teacher I¡¯d finally started to remember the name of¡ªraised both his eyebrows at Fox¡¯s suddenness. I did as well as he pulled me up with him. His expression was morphed into something light, airy, with the barest dusting of concern.

    The protest did not come and I could see a blue haze dance around his body, ¡°Just be back before class ends.¡±

    The rest of the class didn¡¯t pay us much attention either. Fox led me forward and out into the hall. I pulled myself free the minute we were out, ¡°Y-you¡¯re not about to confront him are you?¡±

    ¡°Fable? No, no, he¡¯d be expecting it. I assume his actions were to get a rise out of both of us. He hates waiting for results you know.¡±

    I flinched, ¡°Do you feel the same?¡±

    ¡°Not quite.¡± He flashed a smile, but it was more a guess at what a smile was than anything. ¡°But that isn¡¯t something for you to worry about. We don¡¯t interfere in the story, no matter the reason.¡±

    I nodded, knowing this well, ¡°Then why did you drag me out here with you¡­?¡±

    To that, he didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he turned on his heel and motioned for me to follow. I did. There was no one in the halls, and we walked through them until we hit the stairwell. I blinked up, knowing where it was this led.

    ¡°This is the senior floor.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are we going up there?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I said we weren¡¯t going to confront him. I didn¡¯t say anything about talking to him.¡± It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I followed him anyway. The stairs went on step by step by step. Fox kept speaking. ¡°If it gives you any comfort, I have the feeling this is the last you¡¯ll see of him for a while.¡±

    ¡°I was surprised I saw him today at all. He never even acknowledges me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just how Fable is. We¡¯re merely a means to an end to him.¡±

    I stared at his back, wishing he wasn¡¯t ahead of me so I could try to glean something from his expression, ¡°Even you?¡±

    Fox didn¡¯t answer.

    Being on the top floor was strange. Like seeing a rite of passage before being allowed to partake in it. I automatically turned towards the window to look out. The courtyard seemed so small from up here. Especially since there wasn¡¯t a soul out. There wasn¡¯t anything different about this floor than any of the others, and maybe that¡¯s what made the view so weird.

    We didn¡¯t have to walk down too many halls. We didn¡¯t even have to peak into a classroom. When we turned a corner, he was there. His eyes flickered up, bored, like he¡¯d been waiting a long time.

    ¡°Sensed us?¡± Fox smiled. I flinched.

    ¡°I figured you¡¯d come here. There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about though. I stopped her from¡ª¡± My ears rang. It was sharp and sudden. I threw my hands over them, pressing my palms in hard as though it¡¯d stop the throbbing. A wobble started in my knees, a threat to give out. With a staggered breath, I tried to stay calm.

    The noise was gone in an instant. Hesitantly, I pulled my hands away. The shadows were different. The world was in yellows and oranges and reds. Fable was no longer in front of me. He leaned back against the window, watching the world below. There were students now, a small scattering of them. It looked like they were just leaving club. Fox was on the other side of the window, eyes cast down.

    He lifted his head, ¡°Welcome back.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I lost hours. Somehow. Someway.

    Fable cut in before I could even put together what had happened, ¡°I think we¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°W-wait¡ª¡± I moved to stand in front of him but the movement shot a fresh wave of nausea and dizziness through me. I stumbled, but kept myself upright before Fox could move to help. ¡°What did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°Did it scare you?¡± I gritted my teeth. When he took a step towards me, Fox tensed. His fingers glided into fists. ¡°Calm yourself, I¡¯m not going to hurt her.¡±

    ¡°You already have.¡±

    ¡°A careless mistake.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Is that what we¡¯re calling it now?¡±

    My head was spinning. There were fragments of memory there. Fox and Fable arguing, a flash of blue, being somewhere else. But they were like water, slipping through my fingers. I couldn¡¯t cup it in my hands, no matter how much I tried.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother.¡± Fable motioned his hand to get my attention. ¡°That day, you were able to remember the meeting with the Headmaster because it wasn¡¯t necessarily targeting you. This was different.¡±

    It was. The feeling was much like my visit at the Literature Club. But if that was the case, had that magic been targeting me as well? A question for another time. When my head wasn¡¯t a mess and throbbing.

    With a breath, I straightened myself, ¡°I can remember.¡±

    Fable considered me. Fox said nothing. The silence stretched on, waiting to see who would break it first. My faux bravado could only last so long. When Fable moved towards me, it was instinct to flinch away. There was no change in his expression, and I wished I could say the same.

    ¡°You remember nothing. If you do, tell me what it is. Anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Fox used magic.¡± A vague answer from a vague memory. Saying it out loud made it feel real, and for a moment I could almost recall more. A sharp laugh, a razor smile, my back pressed against something hard.

    The smile was back as Fox grinned at him, ¡°This is why I picked her. Now the two of us should go, I think we said all that we needed to.¡±

    Fox caught my wrist and dragged me away before Fable could get a word in. Slowly, the fog in my head was clearing and I was able to register my body and surroundings. Fox didn¡¯t let go of me even when we were out of the school¡¯s entrance. It wasn¡¯t until we were near my neighborhood that he finally let me go.

    ¡°We¡¯ll pretend you remember more than you do.¡± Fox¡¯s voice was barely a whisper. ¡°It¡¯ll stop Fable from harming you if you give him something to be interested in.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t remember much.¡± I wrapped my arms around myself. ¡°I don¡¯t like this feeling. Like something was stolen from me.¡±

    His eyes were as soft as they were firm, ¡°Sensing magic isn¡¯t enough. If you can resist it to some degree, you need to find a way to hone it. It¡¯ll offer some degree of protection.¡±

    I didn¡¯t always sense magic. Two revelations at once. My ability to resist magic wasn¡¯t very strong and I failed to sense magic if it wasn¡¯t actively in use. If this was meant to be something special, it held very little use.

    ¡°Why did¡­¡± my voice trailed off, wary of starting another fight with Fox. With anyone. That¡¯s all this tale had been. ¡°Why did you let it happen?¡±

    Fox stilled. All emotion drained out of him but he didn¡¯t look away. I waited for an answer, even if there wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d be happy with. ¡°I tried to stop it. He¡¯s stronger than me, though. He always has been.¡±

    ¡°Fox¡­¡±

    ¡°You should head home. It¡¯s time to rest, especially with what¡¯s been done to you.¡± The dismissal was clear. It didn¡¯t make it any easier to leave. I lingered where I was, searching for something. I wasn¡¯t sure what. But maybe Fox did, because he reached out and suddenly mused my hair. I gave a sharp yelp in protest. ¡°Don¡¯t look like that. I¡¯ve given you protection as best I could.¡±

    He had. I swatted his hand away, and the ring he¡¯d given me glinted in the dying daylight, ¡°I know, I know! Lay off already.¡±

    His laugh made it seem like everything was fine again. I wished it was that simple. As we waved goodbye, the uneasiness was still resting in my stomach. Waiting until the next time it would wake up again and devour me whole.

    //

    A week went by. Fox had vanished, but I realized he normally did when he used magic. Guilt flushed through my body when I¡¯d seen his seat empty. I knew magic had a negative effect on him, but I¡¯d been too caught up in my own fear to even consider the fact. Even now, I couldn¡¯t recall what had happened.

    It didn¡¯t matter anyway. Not for the moment, at least. I hadn¡¯t seen Fable since, the bruise on my shoulder had all but vanished, and it was the day of the club meeting. Maeve had approached me again during class, and I said I¡¯d be there. Even though Cyrus had gone back to acting like I didn¡¯t exist, I noticed him glance at me when I¡¯d spoken.

    The only real loose end here was Abigail. I¡¯d managed to avoid Nia and her the whole time. When she¡¯d shown up to my house, I¡¯d made my parents lie and say I hadn¡¯t been feeling well. It wasn¡¯t a lie, really. And when Abigail had gone into my room anyway, I¡¯d still been buried under the covers, exhausted from endless thoughts. She¡¯d left me alone.

    Now, we were face to face after school. She considered me, ¡°You look awful.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well.¡± She was the same as always. Her arms were crossed in front of her, mouth pulled in a frown. ¡°Hey, uh, I have a lot of things to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Her eyebrow raised. I felt like a stranger.

    ¡°Um, yeah. I don¡¯t know where to start actually¡­¡± I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m going to the club meeting today.¡±

    She was ice, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­Me and Nia followed you that day. Into the woods.¡± I rushed to the next part before she could protest, my voice dipping to a whisper hard to hear with all the students in the halls. ¡°I was worried. I was scared.¡±

    I was angry, too. But that sentence wasn¡¯t able to pass my lips. It was impossible to consider that I was angry at her. After all my own secrets, I didn¡¯t have the right. So I left it there.

    ¡°You know they¡¯re blackmailing me, then?¡± I nodded. ¡°So you can¡¯t leave me alone?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. Especially when I know that¡­¡± I swallowed. ¡°I talked to Justin. He found me in the woods, after you and Nia left. He told me about the club and everything and I just¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You never used to go this far.¡± I flinched, but she didn¡¯t sound angry. She didn¡¯t sound like anything at all. When I peered up at her, I finally noticed the shadows smudged under her eyes. A flaw in her always perfect demeanor. The sight captivated me, my memory chasing another period of time I¡¯d seen her like this. It came up empty. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    There was a beat of silence as she turned. I¡¯d expected more. A slice of rage being jabbed into my abdomen. It almost made me want to get out the last point. ¡°Also, Cyrus caught us talking and¡­and Justinsaidweshouldpretendwe¡¯redating¡ª¡±

    She stilled at my rush of words. For a moment, I hoped she hadn¡¯t even caught what I¡¯d said. But then she shrieked, ¡°He fucking said what¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Cyrus does, uh, think we¡¯re dating. I-it wasn¡¯t my idea. I didn¡¯t know how to react¡ª¡±

    I gasped as she jabbed a finger into my chest, ¡°You¡¯re going to give me a rundown on everything you¡¯ve been keeping from me, because what the hell is this??¡±

    The walk to the club was painful. Abigail extracted every piece of detail she could out of me, and I thought I¡¯d cry at the end of it. Somehow, with a will I didn¡¯t know I possessed, I managed to refrain. Abigail was near seething.

    ¡°God, he¡¯s awful. Terrible. The worst boy in the entire school, I¡¯m going to kill him¡ª¡± It was a miracle she was far angrier at Justin than she was at me. I let her rant to herself, practically hearing her teeth grind.

    ¡°Kill me after the meeting.¡± Abigail whirled, hand whipping out faster than I had time to react. A loud bang resounded as her hand smacked into the metal of lockers. Justin dodged out of the way without an ounce of concern. ¡°Hope you didn¡¯t hurt your hand too badly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the last thing you should be worried about. Maybe you should focus on the fact that this is quite possibly your last day alive.¡±

    ¡°Again, maybe we should wait until after this is all over.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes flickered over to me, and he offered a mocking grin. ¡°I was wondering when you were finally going to crack.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to him, he sucks.¡± Abigail snapped, shaking her hand out. I was sure she actually bruised it with how hard she threw that punch.

    ¡°If anyone owes me an apology, it¡¯s you.¡± Abigail scowled, hand clenching like she was getting ready to throw another punch. Justin help up his hands. ¡°Hey, hey, truce? We¡¯re going to need to work together if we¡¯re going to survive this.¡±

    ¡°If I say yes, it¡¯s only for me and Cinder.¡±

    He nodded once, ¡°We can work out details later. For now, we should get going before they wonder where we¡¯re at. Even if I¡¯m hardly a member of the club these days, I can¡¯t miss the show.¡±

    ¡°If those details include you fake dating my best friend like a shitty romcom I¡¯m voting you the werewolf right off the bat.¡± His laughter rang through the halls and he merely walked on. Abigail and I watched him go.

    When I peered up at her, I caught the way her lips pressed together. They looked dry, with the faintest of splits in the center. Another imperfection I¡¯d never seen before. Or maybe one I never noticed when I was always so caught up in how her hair glimmered in the light or the way her eyes reflected the sun.

    I swallowed before carefully linking my arms with hers, ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s.¡± It was finally time to start the show.

 2.13 Baseline

    It was hard to focus. All eyes were on us when we walked in. At least, it¡¯d felt like it. Ava and Everett looked between Abigail and Justin, an exchange of disbelief. I caught Maeve whispering something to Cyrus and the other original member I still didn¡¯t know the name of. They were all focused on Abigail and Justin, except for Cyrus. I didn¡¯t dare look at him but I knew his gaze was on me.

    For her part, Abigail didn¡¯t flinch. Neither did Justin. Now, I was trapped in a seat between them. Both were casual, relaxed, like the whole debacle in the hallway never happened. The only sign something could be wrong was in me, and the way my body was tensed like I was waiting to be struck.

    There were other people here. I didn¡¯t recognize any of them. It didn¡¯t matter. My brain was fuzzy from the atmosphere. My fingers curled into my lap, and this time I tried to see if I could sense the magic. Whatever it was that had grabbed hold of me last time, that I¡¯d sensed trailing after Abigail, Ava, and Everett. There was nothing. It was only my own nerves.

    ¡°How do they introduce the whole thing anyway?¡± Abigail asked, all venom in her voice wiped and replaced with a mild curiosity. She even added a hint of a smile on her face.

    Justin returned the grin, ¡°After the whole spiel about what the club is. Werewolf is part of the initiation.¡±

    ¡°A heck of an initiation.¡±

    ¡°The more extreme something is, the more likely it is that people will be loyal to the club. It¡¯s like how sororities and fraternities have devoted members despite putting new recruits through some fucked up hazing. Afterall, what¡¯s the point of going through something so awful, just to turn your back on it in the end?¡±

    Abigail leaned back against the chair, head falling back and hair spilling down the plastic, ¡°That¡¯s so¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I get it.¡± My voice was barely a whisper. A frown flickered across her face but I didn¡¯t meet Abigail¡¯s eyes. My head was bowed and I stared at my lap. At the way my fingers circled around each other, an endless dance. ¡°People want their suffering to be worth it.¡±

    Up front, Ava clapped her hands together twice, ¡°Good afternoon everyone! After the club rush event last week, I see we got new faces. I¡¯m Ava the President, and this is my VP Everett.¡±

    Her voice was too light for what she was going to talk about. The beginning was normal, of course. How the club worked, the kinds of books they read, the reading schedule, voting, discussions, etiquette, the list went on. After the standard overview, she made us all introduce ourselves. Of course she did.

    It was impossible to remember everyone¡¯s names. I figured it didn¡¯t matter that much in the end. Everyone vital to this mystery would be the old members. The only name I was interested in was the final one I never got.

    ¡°Knox. Treasurer.¡± He raised a hand and offered a two-fingered wave.

    ¡°You need to be more thorough than that Knox, come on.¡± Maeve pushed him and he only rolled his eyes.

    Brushing aside her hand, he only allowed a few more words, ¡°Sophomore. Into fantasy and the history of fairy tales.¡±

    With that, everyone moved on. It was a wonder how I got through my introduction. My intro came and went. I didn¡¯t even know what it was I¡¯d said. It didn¡¯t matter. The meeting kept going. The ticking of the clock was a bomb counting down.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve all introduced ourselves¡­¡± Ava tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, her eyelashes fluttered down. ¡°It¡¯s time to talk about a tradition we all have. I¡¯m sure you all have heard the rumors.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t accept just anyone into our club. Only those we think are intelligent enough. And for that we have a test.¡± The contrast between Ava¡¯s faux delicateness and Everett¡¯s solid voice changed the atmosphere. I frowned, rolling the sentence in my head. Saying it was a test would wave most of the questions people had, or at least cause people to ask only certain kinds of questions.

    To my surprise, Justin spoke up beside me, nonchalant but looking dead set at Everett. It took me a second to realize he was purposefully cutting in when he wasn¡¯t supposed to, ¡°Every year we play a game called ¡®Werewolf.¡¯ For those of you who aren¡¯t aware, it¡¯s a party game where one person is a werewolf who ¡®kills¡¯ the other players who are villagers. Outside of the villagers, there are two other special roles; the seer and the doctor.¡±

    ¡°The doctor can choose one person to save each round, and the seer can guess who is the werewolf. However, unlike the normal game, you¡¯ll all have a week to make decisions and deduce who is who. Once the next meeting starts, everyone will vote on who the werewolf is. As the President, I will play the moderator in all this.¡± Ava held up a stack of cards. They were gilded in silver and gleamed cold in the classroom light.

    If Ava was the moderator, she¡¯d been granted immunity from all of this. The role of President wasn¡¯t just a position of power, it was a place to save herself. I tried not to look over at Justin, because I knew he¡¯d see all the questions burning in my gaze. Instead. I watched as Ava handed the cards over to Everett.

    He shuffled, ¡°If you¡¯re fine with the recruitment process, come tomorrow and we¡¯ll assign you your card then. Me and Ava will be here right after school tomorrow. We hope to see you all there.¡±

    As the cards were flicked through his hands, I could see the face of a wolf flash. An omen of things to come.

    //

    ¡°I decided if Cinder is ok with your nonsense, I am to.¡± Abigail was decidedly not ok with it. She paced in front of us and kept running her hands through her hair like that would chase her irritation away. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dream of targeting a legacy member¡¯s girlfriend, and besides, she¡¯s so quiet I doubt any of the new people will notice her anyway.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t get the werewolf card regardless.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re making us wait so it¡¯s easier to rig the game.¡± Abigail halted, turning to me in surprise. I sunk lower into the bench, choosing to examine the garden instead. A beat of silence stretched on.

    ¡°Exactly. They already decided on their werewolf. Speaking of which, there he is. The man of the hour.¡± Justin lazily raised a hand and waved. Cyrus was just walking up, his shoulders sagged and his gait slow.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    With his expression, I thought he wanted to put us into the ground, ¡°Abigail¡¯s here now, too.¡±

    ¡°Sorry we only met briefly back when I made the worst mistake of my life,¡± she brushed her hair over her shoulder, smiling like she was on the attack, ¡°I¡¯m Abigail, Cinder¡¯s bestie. Anything that involves her also involves me. If you even think about separating us, I will swing.¡±

    Cyrus raised an eyebrow, and Justin laughed, ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t kill him then.¡±

    ¡°I very nearly did, thank you very much. So how did you fuck up so badly you ended up being the werewolf?¡± Abigail was already on topic, too tired to fake pleasantries.

    No one seemed to care. He shrugged, ¡°I got into a fight with Everett.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll do it.¡± She nodded once. ¡°Justin is thinking of rigging the game.¡±

    ¡°Because this is how it¡¯s going to happen; Everett will give himself the doctor card and will choose to save himself in every round because you¡¯ll obviously want him dead at some point. Either Maeve or Knox will get the seer card because they¡¯re already members who¡¯ve proved themselves. All the new members will just be your average run-of-the-mill villagers. Like this, the original members will protect themselves while getting rid of the person they hate. When things go south, they¡¯ll just blame the new members for taking it too far.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± Cyrus folded his arms across his chest. ¡°So what do you want?¡±

    ¡°At the very least? The doctor card. That way Everett can¡¯t keep saving himself. And if you make it through this, then the villains will be foiled and the gang will live to see another day.¡±

    ¡°¡­How are we going to do that?¡± Justin was still leaned back. For everything he said, he didn¡¯t look the faintest bit concerned.

    ¡°Easy. They hand out the cards in envelops and we open them in front of the president¡ªAva¡ªso she¡¯s the only one who knows who has what. We know Everett is going to get the doctor card so we just have to swap one of our envelops.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so not going to be easy. They watch those things like a hawk. We¡¯ll have no way to do it tomorrow.¡± He only rolled his eyes, making Abigail bare her teeth.

    At the very least, he sat upright, showcasing he was taking this seriously if nothing else, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I¡¯m a legacy member. I know where they keep the cards. By the time you all show up to get your cards tomorrow, they¡¯ll be switched.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you switch out my card then?¡±

    Justin laughed, ¡°That¡¯s if they didn¡¯t decide to keep the card on them.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they could have kept all the cards.¡±

    ¡°You better pray that isn¡¯t the case or we¡¯re going to be fucked.¡± He winced but Justin¡¯s voice remained light. I guess to him, Cyrus¡¯s fate didn¡¯t matter. He was only doing this as a favor for a favor.

    Abigail groaned, ¡°Or you could just not go at all tomorrow. Problem solved.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s being blackmailed.¡± All eyes turned to me. I didn¡¯t turn to them. The leaves were still so vibrant despite the cooler temperature. The budding flowers stood in contrast to the red and yellow trees beyond the school gates leading into the woods. Two seasons were happening all at once in front of me. The beats of this story had long been clear to me.

    Cyrus sighed, ¡°Yeah. That.¡±

    ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t realize you were that careless.¡± I thought Cyrus might punch Justin with the way his fingers curled. It would be the second time today someone swung at him. Even Abigail flinched, likely in remembrance of her own situation. ¡°Must be something pretty bad if you¡¯re not backing out.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say more and Justin stood to stretch, ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll see what I can do about the roles. It¡¯d probably be best if you aren¡¯t seen around us too much Cyrus. Last thing we need is for them to get suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°As for you,¡± Justin narrowed his eyes and a smirk appeared on his face. Abigail glared in return. ¡°Don¡¯t blow our cover.¡±

    Abigail shook her head, dramatically placing a hand over her chest, ¡°Me? I would never! I know how to keep secrets and I can keep them well.¡±

    She could, ¡°¡­Should we meet outside of school from now on, too? To keep Cyrus in the loop?¡±

    ¡°I vote Abigail¡¯s place.¡± Justin answered my question without missing a beat. ¡°They don¡¯t know where she lives so there won¡¯t be any sudden visits.¡±

    ¡°Does it have to be mine?¡±

    ¡°It could be Cinder¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Abigail dragged me up from where I was sitting. I stumbled, but she kept me steady as she pulled me along. ¡°If that¡¯s all the two of us are going to head out, too.¡±

    Our gazes met. Justin tilted his head, ¡°No, actually. Me and Cinder still need to talk. You and Cyrus are free to leave, though.¡±

    Her grasp tightened on my arms, moving a step closer to him and placing herself in front of me, ¡°I don¡¯t approve of the two of you. If I ever sense anything is up I¡¯ll make good on my promise to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I got it the first twenty times.¡± He waved her off. After a beat, Abigail let go, her fingers still lingering against my skin for a moment before finally breaking away. She went to stand beside Cyrus, and when she did I could suddenly picture it so clearly.

    Her and Wells had hardly interacted in the first run. It was hard to picture them together based on nothing. But for a second, as she stopped shoulder to shoulder with him, I could see it. On looks alone, they were a magazine couple decorated in pop colors and block fonts. Abigail and Justin had looked the same, once upon a time ago.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll see you later.¡± I couldn¡¯t look at them. Abigail the not-knight and Cyrus her not-prince. Their footsteps faded, and I felt the warmth of Justin as he came to stand next to me.

    ¡°Anxious?¡±

    I didn¡¯t look up, ¡°What did you want to talk to me about¡­?¡±

    ¡°You never said that you were ok with this. I can tell Cyrus we lied about dating for convenience.¡± If I was Abigail, I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. I would have acted as soon as I saw the fight, I would have become the knight, I would be holding out a hand and facing the game head on. My thoughts spilled over, rewriting the tale with Abigail as the star. Lightly, Justin pressed, ¡°Cinder?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll lead to less questions, right?¡±

    ¡°Great, now look at me when you say that.¡± I swallowed, but I lifted my face. Justin¡¯s form was outlined by a fading sun and I was surprised at how close he was. Not enough for us to touch, but enough that his eyes were right there staring directly at me.

    He searched my face, looking for something as I spoke, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°But um¡­I have no dating experience so uh, if I mess up or I¡¯m awkward I¡¯m really really sorry. Dating wasn¡¯t ever something I thought about, that always felt more like Nia and Abigail¡¯s thing¡ª¡±

    I cut myself off as Justin laughed. It was almost genuine this time, I marveled at the light in it, ¡°I already figured. I won¡¯t do anything really. Maybe hold your hand to sell the image, but you can just act as usual.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡±

    ¡°Positive.¡± His smile slipped away. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Things will escalate.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°If they find out we¡¯ve teamed up with Cyrus, they¡¯ll target us. Even if we get the doctor card, that doesn¡¯t mean we can do anything if we¡¯re voted out or if they pull some bullshit. And also, I don¡¯t trust Cyrus. At least, I trust he¡¯ll ¡®kill¡¯ us if he senses one of us becomes a target.¡±

    I blinked, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°And for what I need to do, I have to stay in this game as long as possible.¡± He walked forward, hand reaching out. ¡°We both do, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Despite myself, I grabbed his hand. It was a little too tight, a little too shaky.

    He squeezed my hand, ¡°For practice. You¡¯ll get used to it quick.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­really don¡¯t like the idea of either of those.¡± There was that almost real laugh again. We walked down the path, hand in meaningless hand. I tried not to think about how Abigail had once done the same a long time ago, and Justin had sunken into his own thoughts.

    I still had questions. About how he knew where they hid the cards, where the cards were hidden, and who exactly was the dead girl. But the feel of his hand kept me quiet, and in a way, that silence was a form of trust.

 2.14 Fineline

    I stared at the doctor card in my hand. Ava stared at it, too. Silver was etched around the image of a figure kneeled beside a body. It took me a beat before I slipped it back into the envelope. Ava¡¯s smile was too serene for the situation.

    ¡°Congratulations. Use it well.¡± I stood. The confusion on my face was genuine. Maybe that was why Ava didn¡¯t immediately say anything. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have regardless. My feet walked me out of the room and into the hallway. Based on our conversation, I figured it would go to Justin. It should have.

    It took me a moment to register I was back out in the hallway. Other students were milling about, all waiting to be called in. Justin was next to Abigail, although she wasn¡¯t subtle in how much she kept distance between the two of them. When he caught my expression he gave me a wink.

    ¡°Turn out well?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to talk about it.¡±

    He grinned, before glancing over at Abigail, ¡°You¡¯re the last one then.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡± Abigail leaned even farther away from him, her nose wrinkling. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today, all things considered.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you could say that.¡± There was no tension in his shoulders. The feeling he gave off was the opposite of everyone else around him. I guess when he was confident he wasn¡¯t a target, it was easy not to be concerned. To him, the hunt was everyone else¡¯s problems. His focus was somewhere else.

    In that, we were the same, ¡°¡­Do you think everything¡¯s going to be ok?¡±

    ¡°No clue. Last year wasn¡¯t too bad, but that really just depends on whoever is joining in. Each year is different. Some go surprisingly calmly, others¡­well. You already know about that.¡±

    The dead girl that Fable wouldn¡¯t let me look into. I pressed my lips together, temptation sliding into my stomach to try again. If I wasn¡¯t sure unsure about what he¡¯d do, I¡¯d probably gone again at lunch just to spite him. Was it possible for fear to give way?

    My thoughts were interrupted as Abigail clapped her hands. A bright smile was fixed onto her face, ¡°Is it finally my turn?¡±

    Ava¡¯s smile was much the same as the one she left me with, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±

    ¡°The best is always last, right?¡± She fluttered her fingers at me with a flourish before she went into the classroom with Ava.

    Justin shook his head, ¡°She really hasn¡¯t changed at all, has she?¡±

    ¡°Is that a bad thing¡­?¡±

    ¡°There is a reason we broke up, you know. It wasn¡¯t just all me.¡±

    That was a can of worms I wasn¡¯t ready to open, ¡°Um¡­well, if I didn¡¯t believe that I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±

    My chest burned. I couldn¡¯t say it. This whole thing was an exercise in acting, and if there was anything I learned last time it was that I barely had the skill to be a random background character in a school play.

    His eyes softened, and the burning spread up my neck at his pity, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you asked me on a date anyways.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± Now that he¡¯d said that, we hadn¡¯t worked out a story for all this yet. I ducked my head, no longer able to meet his gaze. I could feel a handful of curious looks thrown our way. He¡¯d lowered his voice to make it seem like he was keeping it private, but kept it loud enough for others to hear if they were paying attention. ¡°I thought Abigail would kill me¡­¡±

    A glint in his eyes reflected back at me. I decided to pretend this was a long game of improv. If I didn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to be able to get through even this small conversation.

    Justin¡¯s fingers grazed mine and this time I didn¡¯t pull away. He turned, then, voice going flat, ¡°Everett. You¡¯re late. I thought you were going to drop out this round.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it. I got caught up in class.¡± Serious as ever, Everett loomed before us. I¡¯d never been so close to him before, I just realized how tall he was. I¡¯d thought Justin was a decent height, but he seemed so much smaller when compare to the boy in front of him. ¡°Has everyone already been given cards?¡±

    ¡°Abigail was the last one. She should be out any minute.¡±

    Everett¡¯s eyes fell onto our hands, ¡°If I recall correctly, she hates you.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡±

    ¡°I can only assume it¡¯s gotten worse.¡± He moved past us. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t test the fire, if I were you.¡±

    The double meaning wasn¡¯t lost on me, but Justin only shrugged it off, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you worried about me so much.¡±

    Before anything else could be said, the door opened and Abigail was back. Her smile was the same as ever, and she was whispering something to Ava. She hardly glanced at Everett, and when she did it was clear she had no interest in acknowledging him. She merely pulled away from Ava and headed towards us.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± She hooked her hand on my wrist and pulled me away from Justin.

    He only raised both his hands, ¡°Was that a little much for you?¡±

    ¡°Save it, or I¡¯ll become a little much for you.¡± With that, she raised her hand and waved bye to Ava before taking me along with her. Justin kept easy pace with us, his shoulder occasionally brushing against mine. Each time it happened, Abigail¡¯s eyes would sear into him like she was imagining a thousand different ways to kill. He didn¡¯t even glance in her direction.

    All I could think about was how strange it was to be in the middle.

    //

    Cyrus showed up to Abigail¡¯s place later. Somehow, the three of us ended up playing games on the couch. Abigail was hyper focused on killing Justin¡¯s character, and I was less playing and more watching the two duke it out. This had to be the first time Abigail showed any skill in a video game in her whole life.

    When a knock on the door sounded, I hopped to my feet, ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡±

    With a normal shirt and jeans on, Cyrus was out of place on Abigail¡¯s porch. We paused, one staring at the other. He briefly examined me, in my long skirt and cardigan, before dismissing me entirely.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I moved aside and let him in. He slowly walked in, taking in the small living room. It was probably the most cramped thing he¡¯d ever seen. When he landed on Abigail and Justin, still completely engrossed in the game, the corner of his lips twitched.

    It made me wonder what his real smile looked like, ¡°Guys, Cyrus is here.¡±

    ¡°Give me, like, one more minute to finish this.¡±

    ¡°Oh please Justin, I¡¯m going to be the one kicking your ass.¡±

    I got the feeling they¡¯d be at it for a while, so awkwardly tilted my head, ¡°Um¡­give me a minute.¡±

    I leaned over and grabbed my controller. It didn¡¯t take long to beat them. It didn¡¯t take much of anything. So engrossed in each other, they didn¡¯t notice me barreling towards them. With an up special, I sent both of them flying off the stage. Their yells of protest were completely in sink.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Cinder! What was that for? I almost had him.¡±

    Abigail¡¯s harsh pout made me shrink away, ¡°S-sorry. It¡¯s just¡­the two of you would have been at it forever.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fair point, but we¡¯re finishing this after the meeting is over.¡± Justin tossed the control onto the coffee table in front of him. With a wave of his hand he motioned for Cyrus to take a seat. ¡°So, did things end up as expected?¡±

    Cyrus was ready. He slid a card out of his pocket and placed it on the table. It was a beautiful illustration, especially for what it was depicting. A wolf was in forest clearing, his maw bloodied and a body covered by long blades of grass rested in front of it. At the top, in clean cursive, was the word ¡®werewolf.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s that, then.¡± Justin placed his card down, and there was a simple villager card staring up at us. ¡°Suffice to say, I failed to get the doctor card.¡±

    ¡°I told you they would have it on them.¡± Something pooled into my stomach as Abigail slid her villager card on the table as well. I slid my hand into my pocket, letting my fingers glide across the card I¡¯d been given. ¡°We have no way of dealing with Everett now.¡±

    ¡°W-wait¡­¡± All three pairs of eyes turned towards me. My mind was racing, trying to tell me something was wrong although I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­I thought¡­¡±

    I thought Justin had given me the card for some reason. If that wasn¡¯t the case then maybe they hadn¡¯t cared who had gone to? But then, it should have been with the other cards, and Justin would have been able to get it easily. At least, if he hadn¡¯t lied about knowing where they hid the cards.

    ¡°Cinder¡­?¡± Abigail prompted and I snapped out of it.

    Slowly, I took the card out of my pocket, ¡°¡­I got the doctor card.¡±

    Placing it on the table besides the others made it real. Justin and Abigail¡¯s villager cards laid next to mine, and Cyrus¡¯s werewolf card directly across. For the first time, I could see a shift in Justin¡¯s expression. I¡¯d never considered he could falter. But it was there and gone in a flash.

    He picked it up, turning it around to examine at all angles, ¡°This makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Why would they give the doctor card to someone they don¡¯t know?¡± Cyrus was staring at it too, like he doubted the authenticity. ¡°I¡¯m lost on their motives here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a win for us.¡± Justin placed it back down, and he leaned back like he once more had no concerns.

    ¡°This is too weird to be considered something good. They¡¯re obviously up to something.¡± Abigail took the card next, although I doubted it meant anything more than the obvious to her. Still, I¡¯d been tempted to examine it again and again when I¡¯d pulled it from the envelope.

    It was hard to speak up, ¡°D-do you think they know something about me, too¡­?¡±

    ¡°I never took you as one to have dirty little secrets lying around.¡± Justin smirked, but he was right. I couldn¡¯t think of something they could reveal that worried me. It was impossible to know my circumstances as a ¡®knight¡¯ and everything else about my life was painfully boring.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because none of the core members trust each other.¡± Abigail gave the card back to me and then leaned back with her arms folded in front of her. She eyed Cyrus and Justin in turn. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s easier to bank on a new member doing their bidding than someone else. ¡®To get what you want, do as we say¡¯ and all that.¡±

    ¡°But Cinder doesn¡¯t care about the club, and they have nothing to blackmail her with.¡± Justin frowned, but Abigail immediately shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. They have me.¡±

    //

    I kept to myself the rest of the late afternoon. Cyrus did as well. Justin and Abigail went back to their gaming war, and me and Cyrus found ourselves watching quietly. Abigail hadn¡¯t been concerned about her declaration. It was only speculation on her end, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything else that made sense. It could have even been the reason they considered scouting me in the first place.

    At some point, Cyrus asked for water and Abigail had waved a hand towards the kitchen. Despite myself, I found myself following. I paused at the arched entrance, trying to remember when the last time it was that I saw someone in here that wasn¡¯t Abigail or Nia. Even Abigail¡¯s parents felt like a distant memory, now that they were working so much overtime.

    ¡°Did you need something?¡± He clearly wanted me to leave with the bite in his voice.

    It made me flinch, but I stayed where I was, ¡°Do you think what Abigail said had any weight to it?¡±

    ¡°Dunno.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really? You never heard them mention me or¡­¡± Or mention her. I shifted from foot to foot, wondering how he could act so welcoming at school and in class, but be so cold here in front of me.

    He took a sip of his water, ¡°They mentioned you briefly after that first meeting. Based on what I remember they didn¡¯t think much of you. None of us did. I don¡¯t know if that was decided when I wasn¡¯t there. They clearly don¡¯t like me, so why would they let me in on that kind of thing?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± They¡¯d also made him the werewolf. I wondered if both of those conversations had happened at the same time. If the one about me had happened at all.

    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t be surprised though.¡± He leaned forward, and this time when he examined me he did it much more carefully. ¡°To them, you¡¯re less of a stranger than all the new recruits. They know just enough about you to where they could make that gamble.¡±

    Now I really squirmed, tempted to back away, ¡°It¡¯s just Abigail¡¯s assumption though.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± He moved away, his focus on the two in the living room. I could hear Abigail swearing, and I figured she was fighting a losing battle. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see those two in the same room again.¡±

    A twinge struck my heart and I glanced behind me, ¡°O-oh. Yeah. It¡¯s a little weird, especially since they left off on such a bad note.¡±

    ¡°Is he using you?¡±

    ¡°¡­W-what?¡± We were using each other. But was it that clear to others? If we failed even that much, and the other club members noticed, they could use that to their advantage.

    I furrowed my brows, and Cyrus went on, ¡°To get back with Abigail.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I realized I actually had no idea if Justin was over Abigail and if she was over him. It¡¯d been so long ago I¡¯d just assumed they¡¯d moved on by now. Besides, it was a bit late to hatch a plan like this to get back with his ex. With all of that crammed into my brain, I wasn¡¯t sure what to say.

    Then I remembered how Cyrus had said Abigail was attractive and it made my head spin faster. I¡¯d never once considered my face as something more than a thing that I had but the obvious implication made me want to be swallowed into the ground. I bowed my head. I refrained from covering my face. I tried to think of something to say, to dig me out of this sudden hole I¡¯d found myself in.

    Arms wrapped around my waist and I was suddenly pulled back. Justin tucked me against him, and it surfaced a memory of my mom grabbing me when I was small and pulling me out of the street and against her body, arms shaking. It did not feel romantic, but it did feel like concern.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± It was the slightest of voices, so soft only I could hear. I gave a faint nod and he raised his voice to address Cyrus. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re talking about over here, you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was just expressing my concern.¡±

    Justin let go of me, but he took my hand. It was the most solid and naturally the act had been so far, ¡°I know you don¡¯t always think things through¡ªHell, that¡¯s the main reason you keep getting into it with Everett and why it¡¯s escalated so far¡ªbut sometimes the shit you say hurts.¡±

    ¡°What? I¡ª¡± Cyrus cut himself off, and I knew he was looking at me. I couldn¡¯t look at him again. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intent¡­¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Another weight was thrown against me, and I yelped as Abigail¡¯s arm landed on my shoulder. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to wrap this up. The two you need to get home.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Abigail practically herded Cyrus out of her house. She¡¯d have tried to do the some thing to Justin if she hadn¡¯t noticed my hand trembling in his. It was dumb, really. The last sort of thing I should be concerned about. Telling myself that didn¡¯t make the hole in my chest close up any faster.

    The moment she slammed the door shut after him, she whirled on me and Justin, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, really.¡±

    Justin snorted, ¡°Bullshit. I glance over and it was like you¡¯d been struck by lightening.¡±

    ¡°I-I mean, it¡¯s just¡­it doesn¡¯t make sense. Us. Together. People will through it, won¡¯t they?¡±

    Justin looked like he wanted to say something, but Abigail cut him off, ¡°Justin, you should leave to. I think this is a conversation for the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Kicking me out too, huh?¡±

    ¡°You have however long this lasts to play pretend. Now get out of here.¡± She shooed him, and he shook his head. He wore a smile but the way he kept glancing at me was betrayal enough.

    He raised his hands, effectively letting mine go, as Abigail stepped towards, ¡°Ok, ok. Got it. Just give me a second.¡±

    ¡°Bye Justin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, Bye Abigail. Bye Cinder.¡±

    And then it was just the two of us.

    I tried to keep it in. I really did. But Abigail looked towards me and my eyes started to water and if though I didn¡¯t really cry it was enough. Abigail hugged me and I hugged her back and for a moment it was like old times again. I could hear her assurances and her faint floral smell and I couldn¡¯t remember the last time it¡¯d felt any of the things I was feeling right then.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I managed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on, let¡¯s make popcorn and watch a movie. You¡¯re totally crashing at my place tonight.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    Abigail pulled away so she could look at me, ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to what anyone says about.¡±

    I swallowed hard, ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t even think he meant anything by it I just¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°W-when Justin pulled the whole fake dating thing on him Cyrus didn¡¯t believe it because¡­¡± It was gross. I didn¡¯t even want to say it but Abigail squeezed me in reassurance. ¡°Because Justin used to date you. Even if he doesn¡¯t mean to imply it, it¡¯s obvious that I¡¯m a step down¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill him.¡± Her voice was so calm when she said it, it scared me out of my anxiety. ¡°He should be glad he¡¯s the werewolf and not me.¡±

    A laugh bubbled from my throat, ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill anyone.¡±

    ¡°Only if you promise to spend the night?¡±

    ¡°Ok ok, I¡¯ll spend the night.¡±

    A smile bloomed on her face, ¡°Great! I¡¯ll make the popcorn, you can choose the movie.¡±

    She gave me one last squeeze before darting off toward the kitchen. I watched her go, before shaking my head. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. If Abigail and Nia thought I was fine as I was, that¡¯s all I needed. I repeated that in my head and went to choose a movie from the shelf.

 2.15 Heartlines

    ¡°How have you and Nia been?¡± I sat on her bed, watching as she squinted at her miniature mirror putting on her makeup. It was a topic I¡¯d been avoiding. At the moment, I couldn¡¯t picture the three of us hanging out together again.

    Abigail considered, ¡°She¡¯s still pretty upset at me. I can¡¯t say I blame her. I know I haven¡¯t been a great friend lately, but it really is for her own good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I knew Nia wouldn¡¯t agree. Her emotions had been so heavy, it would take a while for them to ease. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is going to end well.¡±

    Maybe an early admission would lead to the story ending. The longer I stayed here, the more I saw every mistake enacted. If simply admitting I couldn¡¯t fall for Kade last time was enough to end the first tale, why was this one continuing? Were the thresholds different between them? It should have ended a while ago. The moment me and Justin had made our deal.

    But that was all wishful thinking. It would never be that easy.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. But it¡¯s too late to back out now. You¡¯ve already been given a spot, they won¡¯t let you go now.¡± She dug through her bag, searching for something before pulling out her favorite lip gloss. The tube was a quarter full now, in desperate need of a replacement. ¡°The two of us are going to be ok though. I know it.¡±

    ¡°Why were they so keen on you joining?¡±

    ¡°Me? That¡¯s a good question. I think they were convinced Justin told me all their little secrets and this was a way to ensure I didn¡¯t snitch. Ironically, I get the feeling Justin has told you far more than he ever mentioned to me.¡± She smacked her lips together, examining herself one last time in the mirror before putting everything away.

    Her words were hard to believe, ¡°You think so? I wonder why¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can¡¯t rely on him.¡± She stood, expression fierce. ¡°Him or Cyrus. The two of them have their own agendas going on.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Justin is all bad. I know I know! He¡¯s your ex and he sucks and all that but I honestly don¡¯t think he¡¯d going to do anything that would put us in harms way.¡± I raised my hands, trying to deflect her glare.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rely on him like that. If anything, he¡¯s the least reliable of the four of us.¡±

    ¡°Even Cyrus?¡±

    ¡°Even him.¡± It was hard to tell if it was bias or not. I tried to compare the two, but it was impossible. I honestly didn¡¯t want to think about Cyrus at all after our conversation last night. Abigail spun on her heel. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯s Friday.¡±

    ¡°At the very least.¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel like a saving grace.

    //

    ¡°They¡¯re too eager.¡± Justin sat perched on the backing of a bench. I tried to keep equal distance between him and Abigail, but I knew I was still easing in her direction. His eyes were focused on the people around us. He looked dreadfully bored.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to deal with you every day again.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here.¡± He flashed a grin and Abigail flashed her teeth. ¡°Cinder will be fine even without you as her steadfast warden.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not acting as her warden.¡± She snapped, but Justin offered no reaction. I ignored them, mostly. Instead, I was watching the kids Justin had pointed out. They had to be freshman, I thought. They were whispering amongst themselves, these two girls, constantly glancing our way.

    The meeting had gone so fast I hardly had registered any of the faces. But they seemed vaguely familiar, and based on what Justin had said, I assumed they¡¯d been there for the meeting.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re going to continue staring or come up and talk to us?¡± Justin was staring back at them, his gaze never wavering.

    Abigail shrugged, ¡°Dunno. Do you really think they¡¯re dumb enough to be that forward?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s how a lot of the previous recruits were in past years. Eager to prove themselves, with little awareness of their own safety or how their actions would be read. I think half the reason why new members don¡¯t get the wolf is because of how boring it would be. You¡¯d know by the end of the week.¡±

    ¡°So a part of you enjoys this then?¡±

    Justin finally turned away, a lazy grin growing on his lips, ¡°I might as well get some sort of entertainment out of it before this all goes sideways.¡±

    ¡°God, I can¡¯t believe you. Didn¡¯t the last werewolf leave the school and her family go under because the club members realized her family had been committing fraud?¡± She shook her head. ¡°On the one had her family had what was coming, on the other hand, every one¡¯s stories get warped.¡±

    ¡°Look, my own story is already warped. I can enjoy this because I¡¯ve been there and done it. I have nothing left to lose at this point. There¡¯s no secrets Everett and Ava don¡¯t know about me.¡± I blinked at him in alarm, unsure if he was telling the truth or not. He only directed his smile at me, in a way I couldn¡¯t read.

    If that was true, his family and it¡¯s secrets were a terrible thing to be known. The weight of knowing it myself felt like concrete in my chest. Maybe that was part of the reason why he avoided the club so often. He had eyes on him that knew all.

    ¡°U-um, excuse me.¡± A voice cut in, high pitched and hesitant. Justin smirked, like he¡¯d expected this all along. Abigail rolled her eyes, and she eyed the two girls from earlier like they were gum underneath her shoe. Despite the atmosphere Justin and Abigail had created, neither of them ran.

    The girl that had spoke was, somehow, even smaller than me. Her dirty blonde hair was up in a ponytail and fell to her midback. Behind her was a girl with dark hair and tan skin. Despite being taller, she crouched over, as though desperate to hide her presence. I got the feeling them approaching us hadn¡¯t been her idea.

    ¡°What?¡± Abigail deadpanned, and the front girl only kept up her smile.

    ¡°Sorry to both you three, but you¡¯re always in the Literature Club, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m Ann.¡± None of us offered our names, despite my impulse to. I didn¡¯t need to look at the others to know they¡¯d looked at me specifically. The girl was not deterred. ¡°And this is Bailey. We were just wondering about some rumors we heard.¡±

    ¡°Like?¡± Abigail was not wasting her time. She leaned back against the bench, hands resting in her lap, like she couldn¡¯t wait for the conversation to be over.

    Ann kept pressing on, ¡°Well¡­I heard that whoever is the werewolf is chosen for a reason, right? So it¡¯s like, we¡¯re actually punishing a monster.¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    I felt sick at how casually she asked. Justin, to my surprise, hopped to his feet, ¡°Sure they are. The whole game is rigged and used to weed out people we don¡¯t like. And you know who we don¡¯t like? Those who are shit at subtly and can¡¯t keep a secret.¡± Bailey took a step back as Justin loomed over him. His smile had taken on a cruel edge. ¡°So what are your crimes? Why do you have the card?¡±

    ¡°W-what, we don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course not. None of us holds the card. That¡¯s the point of the game. We all lie about it and hope our sins aren¡¯t exposed for all to see along the way. You two look like friends, doesn¡¯t that mean you don¡¯t want the other to see you in a bad light?¡± I could see how Justin fit in with the rest of them. I could understand why Abigail had said we couldn¡¯t trust him.

    Ann kept stumbling on, ¡°L-look, neither of us are the werewolf.¡±

    ¡°And how can you be so sure? Would you be willing to show your cards?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s against the rules.¡±

    He laughed, ¡°Of course it is. This wouldn¡¯t be much of a game if we were allowed to show our hand. But that means you have no proof, and neither does your friend. You could turn on each other easily like that. Especially since you¡¯ve already decided not breaking the rules is more important than establishing trust.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realized we¡¯d broken the rules. To be fair, I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention. Would we be disqualified if they found out? Or did they already have an idea about us? I watched the two girls exchange a glance, before Ann finally backed away. Justin was too much for them, it seemed.

    ¡°Sorry for bothering you.¡± Bailey grabbed at Ann¡¯s hand and all but dragged her away. I watched them scamper off, and Justin only shook his head.

    ¡°This is going to happen all week.¡± It was hard to say if he was annoyed or ecstatic.

    ¡°You were pretty um, harsh?¡± Maybe that wasn¡¯t quite the word for it. I didn¡¯t know how else to describe it. Abigail only scoffed, but didn¡¯t add further comment, much to my surprise.

    Justin shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s better they learn now than later. There¡¯s a reason why our club always ends the year with so few members.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was surprised Lisa wasn¡¯t a part of it anymore, too. Was last year too much for her?¡± I searched my memory for that name, knowing I¡¯d heard it brought up before. I got the feeling it was someone Abigail hadn¡¯t liked.

    ¡°Well, her friend was outed as the werewolf and she put her foot down at that point. Wouldn¡¯t you find it hard to stick around if it was Cinder being targeted so heavily?¡± We both looked at each other. I imagined Abigail would stay only so she could enact her own revenge. I couldn¡¯t say I¡¯d do the same. Justin went on. ¡°Try not to get swept up by everyone whose going to be pestering you Cinder.¡±

    The idea hadn¡¯t even occurred to me until those girls had arrived, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t be mean just be ignorant. Say you have no idea what¡¯s going on and you¡¯re just here for Justin.¡± Abigail patted me on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be around as much as possible but just in case¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out, too. Do you think you¡¯ll be fine on your own?¡±

    I nodded. I¡¯d kept heavier secrets, and dealing with strangers didn¡¯t sound like it would be very difficult compared to that. Everyone was going to try to dig into everyone as a way to guess the werewolf. The key to getting in. The key to proving themselves. Keeping secrets wasn¡¯t the hard part, but trying to make sure no one even thought there was a possibility of me being the wolf.

    //

    Although Cyrus hadn¡¯t said anything about it, I figured his first target wasn¡¯t going to be Everett. I finally was able to ignore him completely now. He went on as usual. It was a perfect display of two people who only vaguely knew about each other but didn¡¯t care about the other.

    I pretended I still wasn¡¯t stuck on what he¡¯d said yesterday. Or the times before it. I tried not to find a reflective surface just to pick apart every pore. I tried not to notice the callouses that made up my hands as I worked. I tried to pretend Abigail¡¯s reassurances had any effect at all.

    In cases before this, I truly hadn¡¯t cared. The mirror was hardly something I looked at, and my appearance held little meaning to me. As far as I could recall, my lack of self-confidence was centered on my personality not my face. But Cyrus had focused on something I had only briefly considered. Beauty mattered.

    Each fairytale character was described as the fairest in all the land. Abigail fit the description in all ways imaginable. And while I hadn¡¯t been considering any of the faces around me to this point, all the key players in the stories thus far were attractive on some level. I felt like the ugly duckling who had never transformed into a swan. Was a fairytale picture perfect if it¡¯s lead was not?

    It was these thoughts that haunted me throughout class. I doubted it was reason enough to cause issue with managing to complete a tale, but it would certainly be harder to catch the eye of someone if their type was Abigail of all people. This was a kind of spiraling I wasn¡¯t used to.

    If only I could think Cyrus could kick rocks and mean it.

    By the time lunch started, I was exhausted.

    Part of me entertained the horrible idea of going up to Cyrus and asking him to his face if I was really so plain. It would be an immediate answer to the question of ¡®did I have a chance with him?¡¯ It might also end the tale at that. Quick and easy and without fanfare. Another story that ended right when it was beginning.

    There was shouting. It tore me out of my head. I blinked, startled that I was already outside and heading to where me, Nia, and Abigail normally hung out. I¡¯d avoided the place for over a week, but my body had started to take me there automatically. I glanced around towards the source and noticed a girl and a guy arguing.

    ¡°God, you¡¯re awful!¡± She spat, eyes narrowing. ¡°How the fuck could you do something like that?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°You did! You cheated on me!¡± I¡¯d heard enough at that. As I spun on my heel and decided to get away from the couple arguing so close to the school steps, someone fell into step next me.

    I blinked once, refraining from jumping. Maeve had a delighted smile on her face, ¡°She¡¯s lying.¡±

    ¡°U-um? Ok?¡± She giggled more at my confusion.

    ¡°Potential new members, those two. She¡¯s hoping if he gets voted out as the wolf then she won¡¯t have to see him again. It¡¯s also a great excuse to break up, instead of admitting you just don¡¯t like a guy anymore.¡± The force of her delight was enough to make me want to melt. ¡°It¡¯s only just started, but are you getting the feel for how the game is going to go?¡±

    I was, to a degree. ¡°I¡­couldn¡¯t imagine.¡±

    ¡°Say, you don¡¯t know anything about Ava and Everett¡¯s families do you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I don¡¯t know anything about them.¡±

    ¡°I think that explains enough then.¡± She nodded to herself, but didn¡¯t offer any further elaboration. She pulled on ahead, a skip in her step. I watched her, attempting to pinpoint where her mirth was emitting from.

    There was no reason to follow, but I trailed behind. Just for the moment, ¡°Say, Maeve? Why were you all inviting me to join?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that? It was a recommendation from a recommendation. I think you caught an eye or two without you realizing it. A genuine shy girl is so rare in this school, and it¡¯s so cute to have a little lamb with us.¡±

    She spun back around to face me, a wide grin on her face. My stomach twisted, ¡°I can¡¯t say I get it.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. You know, I like you as you are, but you¡¯re going to have to grow some teeth for this. It¡¯d be said if we lost you so early in.¡±

    ¡°But we¡­we don¡¯t even know each other. How can you¡­¡±

    ¡°How can I say that? Is it that strange? I like to think I¡¯m good at judging people¡¯s characters. And I¡¯ve watched you enough in class and during the club meetings to have a grasp of how you are.¡± Her eyelids lowered, as well as her voice. She slipped closer to me, her breath hot against my ear, leaving her final words only something I could hear. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve also seen you watch Cyrus most of the year. I thought it was a crush at first, but now I know it¡¯s something else. Hey Cinder? Did you stumble upon a secret perhaps?¡±

    I wretched away, hand going to cover my ear. Maeve kept her smile, bright as the sun hovering above. This was a battle, I thought, one I¡¯d already lost. If a connection between me and Cyrus became any more obvious, things would fall apart. Everyone suggested it was better to pretend I hadn¡¯t seen the fight between Cyrus and Everett, but if I showed that card now, then maybe they wouldn¡¯t realize we were all helping each other out, or that we¡¯d broken the rules on the very first day.

    ¡°¡­I did.¡± Her eyes widened a fraction, and true delight danced through them. ¡°I, um¡­on the first day I¡­¡±

    ¡°You saw them get into a fight?¡± I nodded once, bringing my hand down and turning to look at her. ¡°Ah, that makes sense. You were watching him even before you went to a club meeting for the first time. It must have been a memorable scene.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡± It was, in the sense I couldn¡¯t get the image out of my memory. My gaze fell towards the ground, wondering if this was the end of the conversation. I hoped sincerely it was.

    Maeve leaned back on her heels, ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±

    The world was dim as her eyes flashed when she turned back around. I stared at her back, ¡°I um, I didn¡¯t think it was any of my business, so¡­¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been. But you know? I think it¡¯s too late for you.¡± She giggled again, and without her expression paired with it I could feel how sour it was under the sugar coating. ¡°You¡¯re one of us now, whether you like it or not. You and you¡¯re pretty little friend.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t. I offered no protest and she went on her way. The sounds around me rushed back in and I followed where she went down the path. I wasn¡¯t going to hang out with Nia and Abigail like normal. I wasn¡¯t going to go into the library where someone might find me. There was a new place to find. One where I could be alone with my thoughts for a while.

    A place where I wasn¡¯t just a pawn in a story.

 Intermission IV A Lamb, A Fox, A Wolf

    Colors of gossamer. Webs of pure gold. A garden vast and rich. A tip of a blade. A throat exposed. Hard eyes stared at me. Calm ones stared back. My finger touched the cool metal, and I pushed it back, away from my flesh.

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to interfere with the story.¡± Fable stared at me, his dagger remained pointed at me. I rolled my eyes. Of the two, he was the one I could stand the least. At least Fox avoided me like the plague, even when he clearly wanted to confront me.

    If anything, I figured it would have been him here, not Fable. Fable didn¡¯t break the rules. Fox could care less about them. Maybe what stopped him was the girl. He¡¯d handpicked her, after all.

    ¡°Why did you tell Cinder about her?¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to drag the old into the new.¡±

    ¡°I think she deserves to know about it. Besides, the Headmaster gave her the journal, didn¡¯t he? She was going to find out either way. She¡¯s a lot more curious and determined than you give her credit for. It¡¯s pretty cute, Fox has good taste¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap, I know you have other motives. You never got involved like this before.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have a role before. Aren¡¯t these supposed to be exact renditions? How did I end up being her guardian? I¡¯m not complaining, I think being a character is fun once in a while. You should try it¡ªoh wait. You did. Remind me how that turned out again?¡± He swung and I ducked. It caught the side, a sting radiated along the side of my neck. Warmth dripped down. ¡°Now, how am I going to explain that one to everyone?¡±

    He lunged again, but I danced away. There was no sign of him stopping. I threw out my hand, and a deep red met a vibrant one. Fable¡¯s magic was always too sharp. Too defined. It was easy to counteract when I knew each component of how it functioned. It was why magic with no rules or system was superior. Harder to control, easier to burnout, but more effective.

    Fable swore, thin red lines crawling down his arms. He was out of practice. Cinder¡¯s main character had made him weak, complacent. A startled laugh escaped me, the dark red of my own magic seeping around us in a low fog.

    His eyes burned the same color, alight with magic, ¡°Who would you prefer to stop you? Me or the Headmaster?¡±

    ¡°The Headmaster doesn¡¯t care nearly as much as you think. If he had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do what I¡¯ve done. Don¡¯t act like this is for the sake of the story. This is only for you.¡± He lunged again and I ducked away from him. His magic cut into me, thin as thread. I flinched at the small cuts, harvesting my own magic and wrapping it around me like a shroud.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    The extra threads melted as my mist touched them. Fable was still on, pressing forward, ¡°This is for the sake of everyone. She can destabilize everything if we¡¯re not careful. You willingly giving her information about the past is¡ª¡±

    ¡°But is it the past?¡± I needed to unarm him. It was impossible to get close when he had a blade on me at all times. I called the red mist to circle around his hand. It festered, but he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°The scene was set and the world was created at a certain point. Everything that¡¯s being filled in was done retroactively. The past and future both come after a set point in time.¡±

    He drove forward again, magic surging with it. I skidded against concrete, feet reaching the edge where it gave way to dirt and grass. The gardens grew thicker around us. A reaction to his magic. Blood dripped from his hand, but his magic was wrapping around it now to form a protective layer. The threads weaved together.

    ¡°It¡¯s irrelevant. Once everything is finished, there will be no need to see it that way. Now, you¡¯re just avoiding the question. Why did you tell her?¡±

    ¡°Does it irk you so much? I¡¯m not Fox at least. I don¡¯t have a preference between her and Abigail. I think what they¡¯re capable of are very different from each other. And if it helps, I¡¯m sure many of them prefer Abigail as well. Cinder excels at running away, and it¡¯s far less entertaining to watch than someone willing to jump into everything.¡± I kicked out, catching him in the hip. He stumbled back, sending out threads to dissipate the fog. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m still avoiding your question right? Easy, it was a whim.¡±

    He snapped. The concrete cracked, the region around us vanished. The sudden upheaval caused my knees to give out and I went down. It was white. Blinding white. A pocket space, separate from everything else, like the Headmaster¡¯s garden. He stood over me.

    ¡°You nearly ruined everything because of a whim?¡± The blade was steady.

    ¡°Is that really so hard to believe?¡±

    ¡°I find it impossible to believe you don¡¯t prefer Abigail. That they¡¯re equal.¡±

    ¡°Everyone keeps telling me that.¡± I rolled out of the way as the blade came down. His magic sunk into white marble, bleeding it red. I wasn¡¯t getting out of this unscathed. ¡°Maybe if you did your job, you wouldn¡¯t be so surprised.¡±

    ¡°Cinder isn¡¯t mine¡ª¡± He coughed. Choked. The world was white, like it¡¯d all been fake. The world was green, like the garden had always been there. The world was cold, as wooden floorboards met my hands. Fable was on the ground, spitting up blood. I stared for a long time.

    ¡°I think I need to have a conversation with each of you.¡± The Headmaster folded his hands on his desk. The curtains were closed, and the only light provided was an orange glow from his desk lamp. He didn¡¯t acknowledge Fable. Our eyes met, my skin grew cold.

    I glanced back at Fable, curled up. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±

    ¡°I cut off his magic supply. He¡¯s been quite a bother throughout this, I apologize.¡± I stood. Convenient for me, depending on how this went. Fable was slowly recovering on the ground. He didn¡¯t move, but he grew quiet. ¡°Feel free to ignore him for now. Treat him as though you would the bookshelves.¡±

    My magic was still intact. I felt it coursing throughout my bloodstream. Still, I let the mist curl around my hands, as proof it was still there. ¡°Do I want to know why you¡¯re meeting with me?¡±

    I had a good idea. He inclined his head towards the chair in front of him. I obliged. This was going to last a while.