Prologue:

"I should have known when I met him that my life would never be the same, just because of who he was. But it wasn't just because of that, it was really just knowing him as a person. I think that is what made me really appreciate everything around me whether it involved him or not, if you know what I mean."

"No, why would he have that kind of effect on you so early on?"

"I didn't mean it like that. It was after I had met him in first year and had been friends with him for years before I realized that he had such an effect on my life. I guess we all have that sort of person in our lives at some point that if they weren't in our lives, it would be completely different."

"Yeah, you could say that again."

I step over a tree root sticking out of the ground. As I secure my footing on the other side, I look around us.

Trees. Nothing more than trees as far as our eyesight could go.

"Sorry, I didn't want to bring it up but you asked and —"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even asked. I know it's hard for you too."

"We are in a war, we have more important things to worry about than our relationships in our everyday lives. I'm not saying it's easy but I know when to push it to the back of my mind and basically imagine it from a third person perspective. It's the best way when you have so much more going on; like trying to escape death everyday and hoping the world isn't gone the next morning."

We make our way deeper through the forest. The sun had set a while ago and we are losing the last of the daylight we had to continue on.

"Why don't we just set up camp here for the night. There is a stream beside us for some sort of food and we are pretty hidden within the trees just in case one of our protective spells break."

We sit down our backpacks and begin setting everything up. The tent, the campfire and lastly, the protective spells. The only thing that's keeping us alive.

Now completely dark outside, we sit by the fire in silence for a while. Just watching the fire and delving deep into our minds in things we have kept bottled up for so long.

"When did you know?"

"Know what?"

"When did you know what was going on? You know, between them…"

"Look, I don't think we should really be talking about this right—"

"No. Just, please. I — I have been wondering. Wondering for so long and trying to push it away and I can't. I can't do it and overtime I think about it I just feel like if I would've done something different—"

"Don't even finish that. It is not your fault at all. Just like it isn't my fault. It was them, it was their decision. We made the decisions we made because of what we thought was right. What was right for us and what was right for them. Ultimately, they chose what they wanted and didn't think about their consequences when it came to us."

"Yeah… I guess."

We sat in silence once again, staring ahead into the darkness.

"After Christmas."

"What?"

"It was right after Christmas when I found out. I wasn't sure it actually happened so I kept it to myself until I found out the hard way. That's when I went to tell you about it but—."

"Yeah."

Staring at nothing and listening to the crickets through the nighttime of the forest. Hastily wiping a tear away from my face, I go to stand. But having grabbed my wrist, I slowly sat back down. More tears streaming down my face.

"I feel so stupid."

"Don't because there's nothing that you could've done differently."

"There was though."

"What do you mean?"

"I—"

"I know we weren't they best of friends in school but trust me when I say that we have been through too much stuff to not be able to trust each other at this point."

"There was someone else trying to protect me from all of this. Someone who knew what was going on, somehow, and was trying to help. I just couldn't see it, I was too blind to what was being shown to me that I couldn't see what was directly in front of me until it was too late."

"Someone else? You mean—"

"There could have been, yes. And I pushed them away, all because of what I was told and not what my own heart and mind were telling me. I have no one to blame but myself for that."

"So you knew?"

"I think deep down I knew, I think everyone knew but you and me. I at least had someone trying to tell me but I ruined that."

"How so?"

I laugh in disbelief. Wiping the tears from my cheek.

"I thought you wanted to be done with this a while ago?"

"I did. And now you have me interested. So tell me. Because you're obviously hurting, no matter how strong you try to pretend you really are."

"But so are you."

"Yeah, but I've ranted and told you my story so many times now since we have been wandering that you know so much more about me than I do of you. Remember, we are running for our lives here. Literally. So I think I should be able to provide a shoulder and an ear to you."

"Are you positive?" Wiping more tears from my cheek.

"Absolutely."