"Why do you hate me, Lily?"
Lily stood, wide-eyed at James, her mouth hanging slightly open as the words were fumbled by her tongue. She flushed, ever so slightly as he stared at her with those desperate, questioning eyes that burned holes in her heart. The sun blazed down upon her, tiny beads of perspiration lingered on the hairs that clung to her neck.
But where did the sun come from? Weren't they just standing in the cool, dark interior of the Astronomy Tower after hours? Yet, here she and James stood, beside the lake in the snow. But despite the snow and bone-chilling weather, Lily was hot and feverish, as though she were put under a huge pressure. James looked at her anxiously, shivering slightly from the cold; Lily assumed that he didn't feel the sun burning on his face as she did. He ran his fingers through his hair; Lily could tell that he had just gotten finished with a snowball fight because his fingers were wet and his hair froze in a mess. He shivered unconsciously again and Lily wasn't sure if she even really was there, for she felt nothing close to cold, she was sweating and warm. Lily wanted to take off her cloak at that very moment and hope that she would be released from the warm air that was suffocating her. But as she struggled with the clasp that held her cloak around her shoulders, she was thrown into a different scenario.
The same question echoed in her ears as though they were bouncing off the cold, stones of the distant dungeons of Hogwarts. "Why do you hate me, Lily?"
Lily looked around, semi-frightened and still considerably hot. She was in a dark, hallway that led to a large oak door but Lily could not remember this hallway for the life of her. She ran as fast as she could towards the door but the harder she tried to run faster, the slower she went. The door now seemed millions of miles away and that she would never reach it, no matter how desperate she was to throw it open. Then, in a split second, she was there as though no time had lapsed at all. She pushed the oak door open and gasped as the cold, bitter air bit her cheeks and fragile fingers. Though it was cold, it was welcoming after the suffocating, stuffy hot air. She reached for the railway that enclosed the balcony and looked over to see a black mass of shadows. In the distance, she could see the outline of the Forbidden Forest looking even more haunting and unwelcome.
"Where am I?" Lily screamed but instead, a long hollow wail escaped from her lips and Lily looked aghast at the sound she had produced. The wind whipped her hair into her face and the trees of the Forest bent with the weight of a thousand worlds but they never broke. The trees moaned and creaked as some unforeseen shadow bent them at its will and Lily could feel as though the shadows beneath the balcony were moving, slowly up towards her. She looked towards the Forbidden Forest as a blur came rushing towards her. She couldn't tell whom or what it was until it was nearly at the base of balcony, clutching his stomach and gasping for air.
"Lily, come on Lily! I need to get you to safety. Please, just come with me. Trust me," James pleaded with her. His eyes, oh, those eyes stared up at her with such despair and terrible sadness that Lily almost collapsed and had to grasp the railway for support. But wait...where was Remus? ...why wasn't he here to save her?
"James...James—I don't hate you!" she wanted to scream but again, that cold, haunting wail escaped from her lips. She bit her lip and almost began crying. What was happening?
Lily tried to pull herself over the railway, to somehow get closer to that warmth that radiated around him through the bitter cold but she couldn't do it. No matter how hard she tried to push herself up, it seemed that gravity wanted to hold her down. Lily looked down in horror to see that her feet were sinking into the seemingly solid concrete of the balcony. No wonder she couldn't move, she was becoming plastered. James cried to her to reach him but never made the attempt to reach her instead. Lily looked to James in a paralyzing fear and screamed his name, "James! James!"
"Lils, Lily?" she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and shake her awake. Lily opened her eyes to see the concerned face of Ash Lynn. "Are you alright?" Lily nodded, slowly swallowed, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She attempted to sit up but Ash Lynn pushed her back down. "What happened? You were thrashing about in your sleep."
"Nothing," Lily croaked. "Go back to sleep, Ash. I'm fine." She smiled convincingly at her best friend and pushed her way off her own bed. "I think I'm going to sit by the fire for a little while."
"I'll come with you," Ash Lynn instantly replied as she got up from Lily's bed, grabbing the nearest robe.
"No!" Lily exclaimed quickly, "Go back to sleep, I'll be fine. I just want to do some thinking...alone." Ash Lynn shrugged and sat back down on her bed, watching Lily descend the stairs that led to the common room, concern evident in her eyes.
The fires that roared within the common room were still roaring in the early hours of the morning, before dawn had arrived [the house elves had visited just recently]. Lily collapsed into the nearest armchair and yawned; she never noticed how draining her dreams could be. She tried to piece together her dream; perhaps there was something she hadn't noticed before. All she needed was a clue, some idea as to what the dream could have meant and why was it that James was there—not Remus? Was there something that she needed to know about him, something that he kept hidden? Or perhaps it was a sign that maybe he wasn't so bad, after all, he had tried to save her from those lurking shadows and his eyes, they were so desperate for something, but Lily couldn't figure out what it was. It was those eyes that plagued her dream that confused her, for they lacked the fire that always burned whenever James was around her. His eyes were so empty and pleading, hoping only for a moment's glance into her own; a chance that she tried to deprive of him often. She hated when their eyes met, it made her somehow uncomfortable, unnerving—as though her every movement was being watched and memorised.
It was there and then that Lily decided that she didn't really hate James; she never really hated him anyway. But she was confused, he was likable as a person despite but he was just as confusing as her dreams. He was a mystery without sufficient clues that could help her solve it. He was this thought in the back of her mind that lingered there constantly and waited for her to run through each and every detail—hoping for some little hint to uncover the mystery behind James Potter.
"Lily?" a puzzled voice called her from the stairway that led up to the dormitories. She turned around to see the bedraggled hair and tired, ashen face of Remus.
"What are you doing up?" Lily asked him as she turned back around to watch the dying fire.
Remus climbed onto her armchair and slid down behind her, wrapping his arms around her. She turned towards him and he glanced at her tired face. "Bad dream," he muttered as he tried to hide a yawn.
"Me too," Lily replied.
"Tell me about it?"
Lily glanced wearily at him, "You're probably the only person in this entire school who could sit in the common room at three a.m. with me and ask about my dreams."
"Probably not the only one...but one of the few. C'mon, tell me about your dream," he urged.
Lily sighed but did not say a word. She watched the embers as they burned out into lifeless ash.
Remus's countenance lightened as he watched the beautiful young woman in front of him fight against reason. "Tell me about your dream?" he asked again.
Lily turned slightly towards him, taking in his appearance; he looked tired. Her brilliant emerald eyes were troubled, and she frowned slightly. Her brow furrowed as she struggled to remember the setting and the contents of her latest dream but the vivid images were fleeing her mind. Images that were once so clear that she could pinpoint exact moments were just blank shadows.
"I don't remember. Do you forget your dreams sometimes too?"
"Not usually—I wish I did though. But the ones that I do forget are the ones I want to remember."
"I don't know if this was a dream I wanted to remember," Lily whispered, "It wasn't very happy or pleasant. It was kind of frightening...I felt cold and warm at the same time but never content. I remember a sense of urgency but I don't remember why..." Lily closed her eyes in hope that she could pull the vague pieces back to her.
"Perhaps you should head back to bed," Remus said softly as Lily leaned her head on his shoulder and yawned.
"Perhaps, but I highly doubt that I will fall asleep again. Now that I'm awake, I'm afraid to dream once more."
"What are you so afraid of?"
"It's just that in most of my dreams—there's a distinct shadow. I know it's there and it seems to be coming closer to me, suffocating me. It's terrifying."
"Lils, just remember it's only a dream. Nothing can harm you in your dreams."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Remus looked at her questioningly but Lily closed her eyes and yawned again.
"Go to sleep, Lils. You're exhausted."
"Not yet...not yet." Remus nodded and kissed her head gently. "How was detention?"
"Interesting...apparently there are creatures that only feed on the night after the full moon."
"See there, detention does come in handy—you learn new things every day!" remarked Lily, jesting lightly.
Remus grinned, "You learn new things every day, and you've never had as many detentions as I have."
"New things, like what?"
Remus shrugged, "I don't know. Not facts really...you learn about people. You understand them and you learn new things about them each day that helps you to help them, understand? You have a gift, Lily, to see people as the beauty within everyone, to see who they truly are; without masks or hidden secrets. You see them as how they would like to be presented but often struggle and fail..."
Lily pondered this statement and then replied, "There's still someone I can't figure out."
"Who's that?" he inquired.
Lily scowled slightly, her forehead creased and her eyes became darker with thought. "Well, strangely, it's James." Remus raised his eyebrows and stared curiously at Lily. "He's such a complex, complicated person. He's so difficult to decipher, you know? For the last couple of years, I wasn't well known; it was easier for me to watch people without being questioned. I watched people for hours, watching their movements; the kind of habits they had. It was as though I was trying to figure everyone out, in hopes I could fully understand the human race.
"Even as a little girl, living in the Muggle world, I would sit outside and watch people pass by...watch how they held their heads; whether they were high and proud or whether they walked staring constantly at the ground. Subtle hints like that gave away who people were.
"When you guys first started making a name for yourselves with your pranks—it became a goal of mine to decipher each and everyone of you. Sirius was easy—he's well...Sirius; fun loving but serious, no pun intended. He's so...pure...invincible in a way, I mean, he gets in trouble for his pranks but the teachers love him for it. He lightens even the darkest of days. He's the comic relief. He's admired by everyone in the school. He's a natural leader, born to defy rules; school rules...rules at home."
Remus smiled grimly. "What about Peter?"
"Peter was a little bit tricky...he took me a little while to figure out. It was hard to figure out why he, of all people, was a part of your group. I did it eventually." Lily paused for a moment to think about Peter. "Peter is a follower. I'm being completely honest and if I seem rude about Peter, since he's your friend and all, I'm sorry. But he...he likes to walk in the shadows of those who have power over others. I mean, he likes to be associated with those that are well known...popular. He seems like an honest friend, though scared to tell the truth at times. He's afraid of the truth, I think. Afraid that something will slip, something that will make him stumble and fall out of place from walking in step with the Marauders. He depends on you like a child to its mother; without you—no one would know who he was and he's thankful for that. He looks up to you guys, he idolises you."
"That's Peter alright...a follower. But you are right, he is a good friend. We wouldn't be the Marauders without him though. So...what do you think you know about me?" Remus grinned.
Lily smiled softly, "You, Mr. Lupin, were quite difficult, I must say."
"Was I?"
"Yes, and I think that spending time with you has helped me define vague points. You..." Lily faltered slightly. "When I first saw you—I thought you were just like James and Sirius. But I realised there was something more. You know how to have fun but you know when you've stepped out of bounds. You keep James and Sirius in line when they've gone too far but you're lenient with them, as all friends are. You are a great friend and seeing far too much in too few years has made you wise beyond your years. If someone needs advice, they go to you; you have directed many people in the right path, steering them away from the wrong course. But you are weary for someone so young; your face is already lined with worry." Lily gently caressed his face.
"Well someone with my...condition wouldn't be so care-free."
"I know. I wish you didn't have to go through such a terrible ordeal."
"Lily..." a silence filled the common room and Remus looked at Lily hesitantly, she was gazing intently at the fire though she nodded to show that she was listening. "No matter what happens to this relationship, I want you to know that you have changed my life forever. You have showed me such humanity and kindness that I never thought a person could possess. You, as you said for Sirius, are invincible."
"I..." "Do not doubt it," interrupted Remus.
"How did you know what I was going to say?"
"There are just some things about you that are easy to read."
Lily frowned, "Am I that predictable?"
"In some aspects." Lily sighed heavily. Remus gripped her shoulders lightly, "You are only predictable in that you doubt yourself at times and you shouldn't do that. You are the most brilliant star in the sky, Lily, and you shine with such a confidence that cannot be denied nor overlooked. You just need to see that confidence yourself."
Lily looked at Remus doubtfully but he smiled reassuringly to her. "Find your confidence, Lily, and shine. Shine so brightly that you could light anyone's paths out of darkness."
"I wish I could light my own path out of darkness," Lily mumbled. Remus frowned.
"You'll find your own light someday, and you'll find that straying, even the slightest bit, will make you feel so lonely that it tears you apart," Remus whispered sadly in her ear, and then said again, "You'll find your light...someday."
Lily angled her head so that she could look Remus squarely in the face. His eyes were full of sadness and despair, yet there was a glimmer of hope in them; a hope of what? Lily didn't know. "Remus, why are you so sad?"
He smiled at her, "I'm not sad."
"You are when you're with me. Well...not exactly sad but...desperate, in a way."
Remus grimaced and looked at her for perhaps a hint of what she was talking about, but there was nothing. "I'm not desperate. I don't know, Lily. I feel differently around you then with anyone else like I'm falling apart beneath your gaze. There's so much sadness within you that it makes me sad. I wish I knew you, I mean really know you. I want to, but I'm not good at deciphering people as you are. And when you get sad, I can't take you apart and put you back together; as you do to me. I'm not like you, I can't read your thoughts; your so distant sometimes. I just don't know what to do..." he looked at her desperately, somehow pleading for her to understand.
Lily bit her lip and tried to digest all of this. "Would you like me to be more open?"
"Yes," Remus said quietly, "Though, not completely—I like the mysteriousness about you. But I hate not knowing what's wrong with you sometimes. You block everyone out and disappear into some world of your own."
"Do you know why people build their own worlds, sometimes?"
"No...not really." "...to hide from daily pain and suffering. In a world that you create, it's everything you could wish for; peace, happiness... you don't have to feel anything at all. It's a place to be content."
"How do you make a world like this?"
"Anyway you possibly can. I create my world through writing; it's my escape, the only way that I can be sane. Through writing, I can release emotions, thoughts, memories in ways that I can't through speaking."
"It sounds wonderful."
"It is. But as you said, no one really appreciates you when you lose yourself in your world because you do become distant and you don't observe the real world. If one divulges themselves too deeply into their created world—they could lose all sense of reality. I try to stay in reality as much as I can but sometimes wounds cut too deeply for me to want to feel them..."
Remus hesitated slightly before asking, "Is writing how you escaped the pain of your friend and your parents' deaths?" Lily sighed and nodded, followed by a silence that was too unnerving for the both of them.
"I think I'll go back to bed and catch some sleep before breakfast," Lily said suddenly, pulling herself from Remus's grasp.
"Lily, wait. Can I ask you something else?"
"Maybe sometime later, okay, Remus? I'm really tired." Remus made to protest but didn't. Lily moved towards the stairs but Remus stood up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards him. "What?" Lily questioned but Remus didn't answer, he kissed her, softly but passionately. When they had parted, Lily looked at Remus in surprise and touched her lips in shock; the kiss felt like none of the other kisses they had shared before. It was tender but desperate, as though Remus were searching for something in the kiss, and somewhat final. He smiled at her sadly and guided her to the stairs.
"Goodnight Lily," said Remus as he hugged her.
"Goodnight Remus."
Remus stared at that fleeting figure that silently made its way up the stairs. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes as if he were trying to restrain this conversation from fleeing him like Lily's dream had. He was certain that he left Lily even more confused than she had been when she first awoke from her dream.
Lily opened the door to the girls' dormitory and sat down on her bed. Ash Lynn was snoring lightly and the other girls were fast asleep. Lily, although tired, could not sleep. She got up from her bed for the second time that night and sat down by the window. She looked out, seeing the lake shimmering in the moonlight but still looking murky from the darkness. She sighed heavily and sat there until sunrise.
Lily had never actually seen sunrise and it was like nothing she had ever seen before. The sky was at first, grey like metal, and dull. Sunrise was measured, as if each color were an instrument being cautiously rehearsed. The calmest colors crept their way first across the sky before an explosion of color erupted from behind horizon's curtain, beacons of color stealing her breath away. Dawn, she reasoned, was an orchestra of colors and it was more beautiful than any living thing could possibly be.
She spent the remaining hours between dawn and the time her roommates would be stirring writing in her diary. Lily had long ago given up on writing real entries about the goings and comings in her life, for she could never find the words to describe what happened to her and nothing was ever, really worth documenting. Those few events that were worth documenting, though, were some she wished to forget; her parents' death, for instance. A photograph of Chris fell out as she flipped through some of her older entries and she gazed at it for a moment; taking in his every feature. Though the picture was black and white, Lily could picture his ebony hair, always distinctly ruffled, his hazel eyes that always seemed so full of life. But the light in his eyes died the day his parents died. Like Lily, he had experienced the loss of his parents, but unlike her, he was still young and naïve. Chris had committed suicide because with his naïveté, he thought perhaps, that if he died—he could be with his parents. Well, that was what he used to tell Lily in the days before he actually committed the deed, Lily never knew how serious he was. She often wondered if he ever found his parents and wondered if in death, would she meet her parents? Would she meet Chris? Lily took a final glance at the rising sun and turned towards her dorm. Her roommates were stirring and Lily finally decided that she did not want to face any of them, especially with Chris on her mind. She quickly changed into a comfortable outfit and precariously made her way down into the common room. The common room was empty at this hour; Remus must have also left after Lily returned to her dorm. She stole out of the portrait hole, her diary in hand, and headed to the Astronomy Tower.
But when she got there, the Astronomy Tower was not vacant. There was a figure standing by an open window, gazing as though he wanted to be out there, meeting dawn head on. He turned slightly when he heard the door squeak open.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just leave," Lily stated quickly as she noticed that the Astronomy Tower was not empty. But as she turned to leave, a quiet voice stopped her—"Don't go." Lily turned around and shut the door behind her. In front of her was the Marauders' fifth roommate.
"Orien, I didn't know you came here."
"It's so quiet," he said, turning his gaze back to the sky.
Lily was silent and watched him uneasily. "How do you do it?" she inquired.
"Do what?" He turned to face her now, his dark hair falling in his dark eyes; he brushed it out irritatingly.
"Make it so that no one can see you."
Orien smiled dreamily at her and beckoned her to come forth. He grabbed her arm and pulled her so that she now faced the window. Lily gasped at the site. Here was the lake, though at a different angle and higher up than from the Gryffindor tower, with the first beacons of sun dancing off its surface and it was beautiful. The light caught the water at the perfect angles and it shimmered slightly, it was like a lake of diamonds.
"You were once invisible as well," Orien replied, after he showed her the gorgeous site. "Why do you want to go back to the lifestyle you lived before?"
"I just want to get away from the people," Lily mumbled.
"Why do you want to be invisible so much? You have people who care about you—who want to see you."
"Sometimes I don't want to be seen."
"They're worried."
"I don't need people to worry about me, thank you very much," said Lily huffily.
"Everyone does." "Even you?" "Even me."
"Who worries about you?" Lily asked. Orien smiled knowingly but did not answer. "There's so much mystery about you," she said, "I can't figure you out."
"And that's how I like it," Orien responded, "if someone figured me out—I would be lacking the mysterious nature that makes me who I am."
"Yes, I suppose your right. I wouldn't like that either."
"I'm going to head outside, there are some things that I need to think about and I told the giant squid I'd be down for a conversation sometime soon," said Orien, suddenly standing up. "I hope you find what you are looking for, Lily Evans," he said before exiting the Astronomy Tower and leaving a very thoughtful redhead. Lily sat down beneath the window and opened up her diary, searching for an empty page to write on but groaned when she realised she did not have a quill on hand.
"Of all things I have to forget," she said, tired and frustrated as she stood up again, but was stopped when her owl, Leona flew in. "What have you got here?" Lily pulled a flower and a piece of parchment from Leona's leg and the owl flew off into the morning sky, heading towards the Owlery. Lily smiled; the flower was none other than a white lily. She opened the parchment and read it; her lips slowly mouthing the words as she read.
My love is as a fever, longing still
For that which longer nurseth the disease;
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
The uncertain-sickly appetite to please.
My reason, the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve,
Desire is death, which physic did expect.
Past cure I am, now reason is past care,
And frantic-mad with evermore unrest:
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,
At random from the truth vainly express'd;
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who are as black as hell, as dark as night.
Lily raised an eyebrow, curiously and descended down the Astronomy Tower stairs in search of Remus. She entered the Great Hall where there was hardly a soul at breakfast yet but he was there. He hadn't slept at all either since he woke up hours ago. Lily sat down in front of Remus, who looked up from his toast as she appeared.
"A lily," said Lily, a small smile tugging on her lips. "...and Shakespeare?"
"I thought I might have confused you earlier. Shakespeare is a master of words—I thought perhaps he could express what I'm trying to."
"An interesting choice, Mr. Lupin, sonnet 146—I believe?" "147." "Right, care to explain why?"
"Explain what? Why I chose Sonnet 147, why I chose those words to express how I feel?"
"Well, yes, that was the whole point of the question."
Remus looked at Lily hesitantly. He was about to answer when there came a loud yell from the Slytherin table. Remus did not notice that his fellow Marauders had arrived and were now causing the Slytherins' breakfasts to spin in rapid circles on the table causing food to fly everywhere, specifically in the face and greasy hair of a particular Slytherin git.
"Potter! Black!" Severus Snape roared as he got up from the Slytherin table, covered in everyone's breakfast, and moved swiftly towards the Gryffindor table. James and Sirius were up in a flash; their wands were already in their hands. Peter still remained seated and looked as though he were about to cry from fright, Ash Lynn and their other roommates were sitting beside the three Marauders as well.
"Snivellus," Sirius seethed, "Get your greasy hair and abnormally large nose away from us."
"I think I'm going to faint from the stench," James said dramatically, placing a hand on his forehead.
Professor McGonagall was quickly making her way towards the three students but not before Severus pulled out his wand and hexed James and Sirius. But before they could retaliate, Professor McGonagall had reached them and she was not pleased at all.
"Severus Snape!" McGonagall snarled, "Put your wand away. Follow me now, all three of you." Her lips were so thin, they might have disappeared; she was livid. Severus and two very disgruntled, boil covered Marauders followed her out of the Great Hall and towards her office.
Remus sighed, "What am I going to do with them? I'll talk to you later Lily," he said, getting up and hurrying after them. Peter reluctantly followed.
Lily finished her breakfast and left the Great Hall, making her way back towards the Gryffindor common room. There, she found the Marauders in a heated discussion.
"—she docked fifty points from Gryffindor and 25 from Slytherin for "fighting." We weren't exactly fighting!" James exclaimed, "and not only that, she gave us a week's detention! A whole week!"
"You deserve it, James," Remus said softly.
"Deserve it? How do we deserve detention? It was Snivellus who hexed us!" James was now boils free but his face was like that of a ripe tomato.
"Look at what you did first, Potter," Lily commented. The Marauders jumped for they had not noticed she entered the common room.
"Evans!" He rumpled his hair unconsciously. Remus and Sirius darted glances between the two of them. "He deserved it," James shrugged nonchalantly.
"He deserved it...he deserved it?" Oh, how Potter knew how to push her buttons. "...you ignorant, arrogant, git! You would use any excuse to hex somebody...you're such a bully, thinking you can pick on anyone you like. Your excuses are getting weaker, Potter. 'He deserved it?' That's the worse excuse you've come up with yet! Perhaps 'Perfect Potter' has lost his spark," spat Lily angrily. Remus grimaced; so much for his plan at getting them to be friends.
"I..."
"No. Don't bother. You're a disgrace, Potter. I don't even know why I tried to be nice to you." James frowned and sat down on the couch defeated and with that, Lily stormed up to the girls' dormitory.
"Tough luck, James," said Sirius comfortingly.
Lily let out a frustrate shriek and punched her pillow and then collapsed onto her bed wearily. The lack of sleep was finally catching up on her. The dormitory door creaked open and Lily heard shuffled feet make their way over to her bed.
"Lily?" Lily could feel Ash Lynn's weight sink onto her mattress. Lily grunted in response but buried her face deeper into her mattress instead of looking up.
"James..."
Lily shot up from her mattress, a dangerous flame flickering in her emerald eyes. "How dare you come up here and try to defend Potter. I don't understand how he takes pleasure in humiliating other people."
"Yeah, but Lily, this is Snape we're talking about. He's the paragon of humiliation and not to mention, he's so...greasy," said Ash Lynn shuddering, and raising an eyebrow as if to challenge Lily to retort back.
"So, Snape's greasy and Potter's a git. Oh, what is this world coming to? Sirius might as well be Merlin reincarnated," Lily said sardonically.
Ash Lynn snorted, "Sirius? Merlin? Have you got your head screwed on backwards?" Lily rolled her eyes but did not reply. "You have to admit, Lily...Snape covered in food is highly entertaining." Lily glared angrily at Ash Lynn. "Okay...so ah...maybe it's not. No, not at all, it was very wrong of me to say," Ash Lynn said, clearly making it obvious that she still did find it highly amusing.
"I just wish Potter would deflate his head! He is so self-absorbed. He was down there complaining about how he got a detention. Well he deserved it, didn't he?!"
"Now, Lily, I think you're overreacting a bit. It was all in good fun." Lily growled at Ash Lynn and then fell back down on her bed. Ash Lynn now turned serious. "Did you get any sleep after you woke up in the middle of the night?"
"No," Lily mumbled into her pillow.
"Why don't you get some rest now, Lily," Ash Lynn sighed and got up from Lily's bed. No sooner had Ash Lynn left the girls' dormitory did Lily fall into an uneasy sleep.
AN: I've been kind of bored and lonely this summer. So, I would most appreciate perhaps a new "pen-pal". Not really "pen pal" but someone who I could correspond with online through e-mail or messengers, whatever. Anyone who e-mails me or whatever, if they ask, I'll send them a preview of the next chapter—it won't be big but just a little something for being a nice correspondent.