Second chapter of the night! I'm on a roll:)
Lots of drama here. This is definitely focused on Cora and Keith's relationship and personalities. Sorry. I promise there is a huge monster-filled battle next chapter. (not exaggerating, either.)
3
Keith's POV:
We were walking on the cracked sidewalk, heading into town. Everyone was starting to get hungry, so it'd been decided that we'd figure out our next move over hamburgers and fries.
I trailed along behind the other four, scuffing my feet and glaring at Cora's long brown ponytail, which was swishing side to side as she walked. I resented her for inviting Catherine to join us. I wasn't sure why- maybe it was because Catherine seemed like a replacement for Char. Maybe it was because, like Cara said, Brooke had already interfered enough with our quest, and the last thing we needed was another person.
Maybe. However, I couldn't lie to myself. I knew the real reason-
A loud burst of laughter from Cara and Catherine sliced through my reverie. I scowled, staring sullenly down at my faded sneakers as they hit the pavement.
Suddenly, I bumped against someone's shoulder. My head shot up, a biting remark already on my tongue, when I met the familiar stormy eyes. As usual, they appeared to be racing a million miles a minute. I looked away quickly, still annoyed with her.
She dug her elbow into my ribs, and I sidestepped, shooting her a cautionary glance. She should really know better than to mess with me when I'm in this state of mind...
Clearly, she didn't. She looked at me for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, analyzing my expression. Her face went from happy and playful to something I couldn't quite read. "Everything okay?" she asked warily.
"Yes," I replied crisply.
"Keith..." she began uncertainly, concern leaking onto her face.
"I'm fine," I snapped, my voice much sharper than intended.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she pressed on, not giving in quite that easily. "Are you sure? Because you seem really... Closed off. Is there something you want to-"
"Cora. If I say I'm fine, I'm fine. And I am. So just go back to giggling with the other girls and leave me the hell alone."
I could practically see her recoil, and I shoved away the small seed of guilt forming in my gut. A thousand different emotions, most notably hurt, flashed across her face in an instant. Then she simply looked calm, almost dangerously so, and I knew she was finished trying to help me. With Cora, you only got one chance. If you blew it, you could end up being iced out interminably.
"Okay then," she said, her voice low and void of all emotion. She looked at me one last time, her eyes steely and cold, and then walked away.
I sighed, watching her as she joined the others. She began to laugh at a witty comment Catherine had made about her hair. It had one red and one blue streak in it. It was inspired by Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes, our favorite band. I heard her explain this to Catherine and then, to an exasperated Cara's dismay, start singing a slightly off-key rendition of Electricityscape.
I tried to ignore my feelings of guilt, which were increasing by the second. I'd been so rude, so hurtful. I'd never been like that towards her.
What was wrong with me? She was supposed to be my best friend.
Her stormy, unforgiving eyes flashed through my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if the damage I'd inflicted was a lot more irreparable than it seemed.
xXxXxX
Cora's POV:
Our conversation died, and we all fell silent, hearing nothing but our footsteps and the occasional car passing by. Keith continued to trail behind us, not speaking to anyone, pouting like the petulant child that he is. I winced at the nastiness of my own thoughts, but I couldn't help it. My blood practically boiled at the thought of our conversation. At the same time, however, I felt guilt tugging at my conscience insistently.
I shouldn't feel bad. Why should I? I mean, he's the one who was being all icy to me in the first place. He'd seemed fine back in the room. But then, while we'd all been walking, he'd grown quiet, seemingly withdrawing into himself, and at the same time putting up invisible walls between him and the rest of us.
I'd noticed his silence, his uncharacteristic behavior, so I went back to talk to him, thinking maybe he was getting really upset about Charlotte again.
That wasn't it, though.
It was clear to me that something else was going on here, something beneath the surface, something in one of the dark, hidden corners of his slightly convoluted mind.
It frustrated me that I couldn't figure out what was going on. Wasn't he supposed to be my best friend? I should just know. I shouldn't have to guess blindly until I stumbled upon the correct answer.
I knew I was completely over-thinking this, and probably being a tad overdramatic, but I couldn't help it. Something just wasn't... Right. And I wanted- no, needed- to figure it out.
I remembered the stilted, detached voice he'd used with me and his blank, indifferent expression, which had shifted into red hot anger and then back to chilly calmness in a matter of moments. I grimaced. That conversation could have gone better.
"Are we stopping soon?" a voice asked in a low monotone behind me. Speaking of blonde demon spawn.
"We'll see," I said, looking straight ahead, keeping my voice as even as possible. Two could play this game.
"I'm hungry," the flat voice answered.
"We're ALL hungry," I hissed, anger seeping back into my tone. So much for that.
A pause. "But I'm really hungry. So we should stop soon."
So you should shut your mouth before I shut it for you, I thought. Aloud, I simply said, "This discussion is over."
After our conversation stopped, reality faded back in, and I noticed Cara peering at me curiously from under her curtain of dark hair. I had half a mind to ask her to summon skeleton assassins for me and unleash them on Keith.
Catherine nudged me in the side, and I looked up expectantly. "Do you think," she said slowly, "something happens to us after we die?"
I blinked, a confused half-smile forming on my face. "Uh, what?"
She shrugged. "Just trying to diffuse the tension."
I smiled for real this time, and I heard Cara chuckle. A hint of joy crept its way back into my mood. I exhaled slowly, letting go of all the anxiety and thoughts and goddamn, flipping emotions for a moment.
So what if Keith was mad at me? I had other people I could rely on. Cara, already a close friend, and Catherine, who was on her way to becoming one. (Even if she did refuse to do anything remotely rebellious or risky. I mean, she made me walk an extra twenty feet to use a crosswalk! Seriously?)
And of course there was Charlotte. God, I missed her. She could talk some freaking sense into me right now.
No matter how crazy her brother drove me, I was going to do whatever it took to get her back.
