Chapter 8: Apology

A promise made was something she couldn't break as long as she believed it to be one. Demons were bound by promises they held as important, and so Lily had to apologize to George before the deadline.

Lily was spending time with Buttercream for the past three days, acting as a parent. She had yet to reveal her shapeshifting powers nor inform Buttercream what she truly was. There was no need for that, Buttercream was feeding her plenty with the emotions she radiated. The deadline for the apology she needed to make loomed.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Lily said as they were watching television. Buttercream was sitting in her lap as the cartoons played.

"What did I do wrong?" Buttercream cried. "I'll change."

"I have something I need to do."

"Take me with you!" The kit was desperate but Lily didn't feel comfortable revealing the truth about her powers yet. She saved the bunny, but there were limits.

"Look, just keep watching television, I'll be back before you know it, okay?" Lily gently moved Buttercream aside.

Buttercream gripped Lily's leg with all her might. "No!" she shouted.

Lily debated her next course of action. She had to leave and didn't want to take Buttercream with her, but there seemed to be no easy way to do that. Any actions she took would likely lead to a sense of guilt and some physical pain.

"I can't take you there, but do you want to come in the car with me?" Lily offered an option she really didn't want Buttercream to take. "You'll need to wait a few hours in the car."

"Sure!" Buttercream gleamed.

Lily regretted making the offer, leaving Buttercream alone in the car for a few hours unattended wasn't ideal at all. At least, she was able to leave the house without feeling an extreme sense of guilt. She drove towards George's house and kept in mind that she had to stop some distance away since she had to shapeshift back into a rabbit.

Two blocks away from George's house she parked on the side of the road.

"Just wait here, okay?" Lily asked.

"Sure," Buttercream said.

Lily didn't detect any anxiety from Buttercream, she set off. She ran past a few houses while noticing the missing mammal poster for Buttercream, her family was looking for her. This was a risk but she couldn't turn back now. Once she was a block away, she looked around her to make sure no one saw her. She shifted into a rabbit before finishing the rest of the journey.

Her mind pondered on the best way to apologize for what she did. "Sorry, I made up a lie about you at school and ruined your day?" That was what happened but it didn't sound right. "My friend wanted me to apologize, so here I am." Yet another one that wouldn't work.

By the time she reached the house, her mind was still debating what to say.

"Allow me to apologize for my son's actions," George's mother said. "I should've been a better parent."

Lily froze in her tracks. She didn't expect George's mother to greet her with an apology. If she hadn't made the promise to Gabrielle, she would've let the lie live on, but since she did, she had to set the record straight.

"Can I come inside?" Lily asked since it was the first response that came to mind.

"Sure, we're having dinner soon, why don't you join us?"

She walked inside. Unfortunately, George was home as well.

"What is she doing here?" George asked venomously.

"You will apologize to her." George's mother glared at her son.

Lily saw the harsh glare, and it was now or never. "Actually, I'm the one at fault. I told a lie that day at school, and it went out of control. I came here because my friend guilted me into it. I'm sorry for what I did." She didn't care about apologizing, but she did care about preserving her friendship with her friend.

"I probably deserved it," George said. "Mom, can I go back to that school now?"

"You were telling the truth," her mother said with surprise. "I hope you learned your lesson."

"I did. Lily, why did you do that?"

"It's complicated, okay?" Lily said. She wasn't about to reveal her demonic nature to this family and there was no way she could explain otherwise. Lying was the only option, one more lie in a form she wouldn't use anymore wouldn't hurt. "What I did back then was wrong or so my friend made me realize. I read something online about popularity, and I wanted to try it. It did work, but my friend wasn't happy at all. I won't do something like this again. Her friendship means a lot to me."

"Stay for dinner, won't you?"

Lily had reservations since she had to return to Buttercream, but she instinctively agreed. It was better for her present situation even though it would make the future more complicated. "Sure." Even though they were a family of foxes, she noted that George was eating vegetables while her mother and father were eating bug meat.

Over dinner, George's father asked, "Can you help tutor my son?"

The emotions Lily consumed lead her to agree. "Sure, we can work something out." As soon as she said that, she regretted it because that meant more time spent in this form, but there was no turning back.

They talked about scheduling her visits and sessions and before she knew it, it was eight. A sudden realization that Buttercream was alone in the car unattended reminded her that she had to leave. "I need to go home; my parents will be worried. We can talk tomorrow."

"We can drive you home," George's mother offered.

Lily shook her head. "I need the exercise, cya!" Time was short so she broke into a run, once she was far enough away from prying eyes, she shifted into her cheetah form. She made a mad dash to the car. Three hours passed since she left Buttercream alone in the car.

Buttercream was gone.