Harrow stood in Callum's doorway leaning against the door frame as Callum told him his not-so-innocent explanation. He turned his attention to Rayla, "Comfortable here in general or comfortable with him in particular?" He questioned in interrogation.

Rayla awkwardly forced a cough, "Um... He- he offered it, and I..." She got out of Callum's bed walking towards the door. "Can I go take a shower?"

Harrow nodded letting her squeeze past him. His gaze remained on Callum, "How generous of you!"

Callum just gave a cheesy, awkward smile shrugging, then getting up and off his bed. "I'll talk to her. I'll tell her. I will. It's just not the time. She had a nightmare and she slept better the rest of the night, is that not what matters? I couldn't make her sleep horrible the rest of the night." He excused facing his stepdad.

Harrow raised his eyebrows, "Very much so. It is important, because I'm sure Claudia would really appreciate that if she had a nightmare."

Callum's cheesy grin faded. "Dad, no, no. If it was Claudia I wouldn't let her... oh.. I get it."

"Good. Callum, I know how you feel about Rayla, and I do not hold anything against it. She'd a bright, young woman. But until I know matters have changed between you two. I believe, until then you should rule out any situations of that sort. If Rayla has a nightmare, I expect you to maintain your self control and remedy it the way you would if she were Claudia or Nyx. You are friends, until one of you changes that by saying something." Harrow firmly informed. He wasn't rude about it, but he was serious.

If only he knew, Callum silently thought to himself. But he didn't voice it. He was better off keeping that piece of information to himself. "Yes, Sir."

A grin returned to Harrow's lips, "Don't bother getting ready to take Rayla home. I decided to take up that responsibility for today. You should, however think about waking your brother."

Callum nodded. He instantly worried how the drive would go for him and Rayla. Harrow definitely planned to talk to Rayla on the way, specifically about the previous circumstances this morning.

When Rayla got out, Harrow informed her of the change of drivers.

Oh, no.

Rayla held nothing against Harrow. He was kind, accepting, and appreciative, but after what had just transpired, they would certainly have a discussion about it.

Rayla waved goodbye to Callum as she and Harrow got into Harrow's car. There was a long silence between them as Rayla waited for the scolding of the century. When the silence remained, she felt too tense waiting for it. "Um.. I'm sorry. It's all my fault, I came to him. You're right, it was childish of me to. I shouldn't wake someone just because I have a bad dream. But I won't do it again. I promise." She ranted oddly expecting a similar "talking to" she'd been used to getting whenever she acted "immature" about a nightmare.

Harrow was taken aback at the worries that crossed her mind. "Hold up! That is not what I was going to say. You need to confide in someone when you have problems like those." He cut her off to clarify why this had upset him. "That's not what I wanted to speak to you about."

"Really?"

"Yes, and I don't mind that person being Callum. It's the situation that it led to that bothers me. Now, I know how you both feel about each other, and I appreciate the idea of the two of you,... whenever it does become final. But right now, your label as 'friends' should be abided by through your actions and activities. Sharing a bed is an activity I do not expect to be under that category. I suggest that you refrain from engaging in those activities, if you are to remain 'just friends'. At least, until things change." Harrow explained. "If I were this blind with Sarai, Lord knows I wouldn't be here today." He muttered to himself.

"Oh, y- you're right, I- wait! Until? Feel about each other? Final...?" Rayla processed Harrow's words of choice. "Mr. Harrow, I'm not sure if you're aware, but Callum doesn't love me... at least, not the way I do him. The- There's nothin' I can do to change that. He couldn't love someone like me. You're right about the whole... thing about the... bed thing, It was out of line to do somethin' like that, but not right about that." She shook her head studying her lap.

"Rayla, I know my son. I also know what love looks like. I was in love once contrary to popular belief. He loves you because of who you are. Trust me." He paused and sighed before resuming, "Try to pay attention to what he does, can you do that?"

Rayla lightly nodded. It didn't feel possible, but she could try. As long as she didn't give herself any false hope for something too good to be true. "Sure, I can try."

In no time, they arrived and Rayla came inside her house letting Harrow go home.

~RxC~

Finally, they were a week away from prom night and the girls found the perfect day to go shopping for it. Claudia and Nyx along with a couple other female students went shopping for their prom dresses. They insisted on Rayla coming along even though she already had her prom dress. Ethari had made her dress by hand allowing her opinion for adjustments and additions. He'd told her it was finished, but wouldn't allow her to see it, until prom night came.

The extra students included; Andromeda and Sabah. Andromeda was the only female on the swim team, and Sabah was progressing in gymnastics. They were mainly just classmates of theirs, none of them interacted much with Claudia and Nyx, let alone Rayla.

The most interactions Rayla had had with either one of them was the occasional boast from Andromeda about her position on an unlikely team, and success with her sports choice.

Sabah, from what any of them knew of her, was really sweet and caring, but that didn't mean she wouldn't occasionally participate in a practical joke every now and then. Otherwise, she was a kind, extroverted girl that seemed to normally do well in class.

The chatter was almost never ending as Claudia and Nyx conversed with Andromeda and Sabah getting to know the both of them. Rayla quietly sat on a bench with her arms crossed waiting patiently for them to actually get to finding their dresses. She silently wondered why exactly they wanted her here, if she would just to listen to them yak like "chatty-cathys".

While Andromeda began her boasting, Sabah slipped out of the conversation and walked up to Rayla, "Hey, Is this seat taken?" She asked with a friendly tone in her voice.

Rayla smiled, "No, it's not, go ahead." She returned the friendly grin.

"So do you already have a dress?" Sabah started casual discussion.

"Yeah, I do. A family member made one for me, but it turns out the finished project is a surprise, until the night of the prom." Rayla chuckled lightly at the fact of it.

Sabah chuckled, "That's nice, at least, you already have one that you can trust will more your style. The stores don't always carry the kinds of clothes you like."

"I suppose you're right."

"Where's your friend, Callum? I hear you guys are tight. I don't normally listen to gossip, but the school runs out of things to talk about so they come up with random facts and exaggerate them." Sabah looked around curiously.

Rayla shrugged, "He's probably at a store with his brother trying to find the right suit for the prom." She laughed to herself.

Sabah giggled, "Are you going with him to the prom? Marcos and I are coming together."

"Well, p- probably, but not like, as dates or anythin', just as friends."

Sabah nodded with a smirk, "I figured."

Claudia turned around and spoke aloud for them to hear as well, "Alright, we can find our dresses, but first we should try some on just for fun. My mom had to wear a wedding dress to her prom night. I almost wish that was a requirement for this prom, but I guess we just don't have the funds to buy wedding dresses."

All five of them practically played dress-up. Rayla found it pointless to refuse so she participated. She found she started to enjoy it. Prom dresses were sure fancy, but she didn't mind trying a few on.

She was changing into a purple gown when she heard some familiar voices getting closer to the fitting rooms. The voices of Soren and Callum. What were they doing here?

She quickly finished changing into the dress, and came out looking around for the faces that the voices belonged to.

And there they were, talking with Claudia who was in a prom dress herself. Rayla walked up to them, "Hey, guys, what're you doin' here?"

Soren answered, "Just looking for 'picky boy's' suit. This is the second store we've been to."

Callum remained quiet as he checked Rayla out. "Wow, Rayla! The dress... it looks great on you."

Rayla looked down at it as she blushed brightly, "Thanks, Callum, but this isn't mine. I'm just tryin' it one."

Soren shook his head, "Come on, Lover boy, let's get you a suit." He grabbed Callum's wrist and pulled him away from the conversation. Rayla giggled a little watching him get dragged away as she waved to him.

Andromeda came out, as well, and saw Rayla standing with a lovestruck smile staring at a something nonexistent. Andromeda's face dulled, "And what are you staring so ridiculously at?" She questioned.

Rayla snapped out of it clearing her throat. "Nothing." She said closing her eyes not giving Andromeda the pleasure of knowing who she was staring at. No one needed to know, especially not Andromeda.

But she wouldn't take that as an answer. She walked up to her and saw a glimpse of Callum before he was pulled completely out of sight. She rolled her eyes, He was cute, but Rayla didn't need an agreement. "How romantic! You've gone 'lovestruck puppy'. Romance is stupid, Romance with humans? Even more so. They don't live as long as elves do, remember?" She stated sarcastically with a ridiculing look on her face.

Rayla scoffed, but smiled slightly, "Easy to say for someone who's never experienced the feelin'. And technically, elven marriage binds the lives of both the bride and groom, so either he would live as long as me or vise versa, re-mem-ber?" Rayla retorted, happy to think about what it would be like to marry Callum.

But her fantasies were demolished when Andromeda countered, "And he feels the same about you? Or is that a fantasy, too?"

Rayla rolled her eyes, but didn't have a comeback. She couldn't argue with her on that one. She stayed silent, until Claudia looked their way.

"Do you guys, like know each other, besides from school?" She asked cautiously.

Andromeda replied, noticing that Rayla wasn't going to, "I knew Rayla when she was younger. But my family moved away from Silvergrove to here. She could never learn to do what needed to be done. And judging from where she is now, she never changed. She was a disappointment to moonshadow elf kind."

Rayla crossed her arms and snapped back, "Oh, please. Even Miss Piggy isn't perfect." She pointed directly at her as if calling her Miss Piggy.

Claudia looked from one to the other. She wouldn't agree with anything Andromeda said. "So! Why don't we get our dresses? You know, it's getting late and the store won't be open forever." She tried to change the subject to something they could agree on.

Andromeda still droned on, "How are your parents doing?"

Rayla turned to face her, "Quite well, actually. I met with them just yesterday, and they're doin' just fine. Thanks for asking." She quipped. She'd swear, Andromeda should've been Runaan's kid. She was annoying, just like him.

Nyx came out, saw the two of them, and shared an agreeing look with Claudia. They needed to separate them.

They managed to do so. Claudia with Andromeda and Nyx with Rayla and Sabah. They found their dresses, and went to the parking lot to go home.

Rayla saw Callum with Soren heading to Soren's truck. Soren was complaining to Callum over his pickiness. She walked up to them and greeted them. "Hey, any luck this time?" She smiled.

Soren complained, "Nope! Picky boy is still looking for his suit. Seriously, it's just a suit. You're gonna wear it once, and then it'll sit in your closet collecting dust for the next ten years. It doesn't matter!!"

Rayla looked back for a moment and saw Andromeda snickering at her and Callum.She put her hand on her hip as she shook her head fighting the urge to roll her eyes again, "You know what? Can I help you with suit-shopping?"

"Sure." Callum responded excitedly.

"If it'll help him hurry up, absolutely." Soren agreed almost eagerly.

~~~

They eventually found a suit that Callum liked and fit in. Soren was relieved that he finally found something. Man, He was picky!!