I squinted up at the ceiling, counting how many faded stickers remained in Abigail’s room. She sat crouched over her desk, scribbling away at homework. My backpack had been discarded at home, with little care about my assignments. It already felt tedious to see the same assignments a second time, I couldn’t imagine doing it fifty times over.

“So what did you want to talk about?” I counted at least a dozen by the time she spoke. She swiveled in her chair, arm draping over the white painted wood. She still held a pencil in one hand, and tapped it in a steady rhythm against the furniture.

The sentence felt toffee thick, “I ran into Justin after the club meeting yesterday. He actually remembered my name.”

Frost charged the air. I dared a glance at her, watching her lip pull up into a snarl. For once, she looked more bite than bark, “You have got to be kidding me. What did he want with you?”

I shrugged, “I’m not sure? He was being super weird. He said he wanted to talk and then said to stay away from the Literature Club—”

“Bold considering he’s still a part of it. Did you know he was the Vice President? Ava said he was never around, so why the hell did he have the position for so long? They should have voted him out last year. She’s so annoying. I wouldn’t have gone if Ava didn’t lie and say he was never around.” She spun back around, pencil scribbling furiously at her paper.

After a beat, I sat up and smoothed out my shirt trying not to pick at stray thread coming undone from the material, “…I asked about the club members, and he said to meet up tomorrow if I wanted to know about them.”

“What a fucking idiot. It’s not like you care about them.”

I was walking across ice, “Um, well…you know on the first day of school? When I ran out of class after arguing with Jen? I saw the fight. The one with Cyrus.” Her pencil skidded to a stop. I pressed on. “And you know, he’s in my class. I don’t think he realized I was there but…”

“You should avoid him. Cyrus is the kind of boy who’d eat you alive.” She jabbed her pencil at me to drive home the point. “If he finds out you were there he’s going cause all sorts of problems.”

“I mean…I’m not about to go around telling people what happened.”

“Of course not. And who would you tell? I don’t care about their dramatics and Nia would have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“I mean, I know the club members—”

“And they protect their own.”

“Like you?”

Her pencil fell and landed between the pages of her textbook. I was drowning in blues and pinks. She stayed statue-still, and I remained in her gaze. An answer was there to a question I didn’t know, not the one I asked. As the silence stretched thin, her head dipped down, “We promised each other we’d have a happy ending.”

“I know, and I plan to keep it.” She didn’t lift her eyes back up.

“If you plan to keep it, then don’t get involved. I never should have gone to that stupid club meeting and I never should have introduced you to Ava—”

“I’m going to talk to Justin.”

Her attention was back on me. Fully. My fragile will threatened to break at her harsh stare. I was trying to break the surface for air. My nails dug into my sides, biting the skin of my legs even despite the cloth of my jeans.

When she stood, it was with the deadly grace of a hunter, “Have you lost your mind?”

I swallowed, hard enough to bruise, “L-let me explain, Abigail…”

“I’m listening.” She folded her arms across her chest.

Raising my head, I started, “There’s something about him that’s bothering me. And about that club too. I don’t have to deal with them but…if they’re your friends than you do. I know I’m being nosy and intruding. I always have been when it comes to you.”

“If it’s bothering you, it’s going to bother me. I’m coming with.”

“I-I figured you would. But are you sure you’re going to be ok? You hate him and I can’t imagine you being able to stay quiet about it.”

“I can behave when needed.” Her attention was heavy still. “When did he want to meet up?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow it is then. I’ll bring a bat just in case.”

“Abigail—!”

With irritation abuzz in the air, I was glad I got her permission at least. The USB had been placed alongside all the other strange items acquired. The journal the Headmaster had given me, along with my own notebook. My sword was still tucked away in my binder, and for now it’s where it would stay. An item of comfort meant to guide the way.

This run was going to full of agitated Abigail. Since day one I’d been poking the bear and trying to repair the damage. Nothing had even begun. When things started happening, would it spiral? Even the flatness of her voice was too much. Still drowning, I fell back against the bed in silence, and she returned to her homework. It was safer to just exist next to each other, instead of interacting.

Right now, inexplicably, it felt safer to pretend neither of us existed at all.

//

“Where have you been?” The high pitch of my voice was not lost on Fox. He raised his head from where he’d been scribbling circles on notebook paper. His hair was messier than usual, and I couldn’t help but reach out and smooth the bangs away from his face. Even without the shadows they casted around his features, the underside of his eyes looked dark.

He waved my hand away, “Needed to recalibrate.”

“W-what does that mean?” Alarm rang even louder at his monotone. There was not a hint of expression on his face, even the traces of exhaustion felt falsified. When I’d last seen him, he’d been acting off as well. I sat in my seat and leaned across his desk to get a full view of him.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

He didn’t react, “I think you have your own personal concerns.”

“I’m still worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t waste your energy.” I snapped back, throat burning. Fox wasn’t supposed to be a friend. He was a warden meant to keep tabs on me. But we’d still become friends, hadn’t we? The empty expression morphed from confusion to wide eyed realization. I spun back around so I was facing forward. First I was fighting Abigail, and now Fox was miles away. “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that—”

The bell rang, and I ignored him for the rest of class. It was so stupid to feel like he’d sliced me open with his comment, but it was like the cherry on top to everything else. I scribbled away on the worksheets, still only half grasping certain concepts but pretending I knew everything. Only a fraction of my attention was on work, anyway.

“Cinder, hey. When I use magic, I have flare-ups right? They’ve been bad lately, and I had to deal with it.”

I forced myself to look at him again. His shoulders sagged when I did. I tried to collect myself, “It’s because of the other day right? If it’s that bad, you shouldn’t waste your energy on me. I told you before, I don’t want you to get hurt. I can manage on my own.”

“It’s a lot of factors but—” He stopped like time had frozen. After a second he shook his head and his eyes were as dead as when class started. “Actions have consequences. It isn’t just my choices with you.”

I had nothing to say to that. Fox was still unknown to me. I’d collected scraps of who he was and what he was like. But scraps were just that. He was an enigma. I needed to pull myself back to the starting line. To not jump the gun. It was so hard to get close to someone new, when those I’d been friends with had been with me my whole life.

The starting line and finish line for friendship was vague, “Still I…I don’t want you to deal with any consequences just because of me.”

He turned his head, as though to look past me. Instead, he caught on the binder and I knew he was looking at the sword. He went still again. Even his chest didn’t rise from breathing.

Then, “You’re not feeling well.”

“What—?”

He shook his head, “Did you know it’s easier to fail the second story than the first due to the mental and emotional instability caused by the first reset?”

“That’s—”

“When you’re too emotional it can be seen as an opening. Turn it into a trap. It’s the only way to survive.” He smiled, hints of the Fox I knew seeping through. “I didn’t mean to push you away.”

“…I know. I’ve just felt like my heart’s bruised. I keep thinking it’s better and then something happens and I spiral. Even something small.” I traced over the sword, letting my emotions wash over me. “Hey Fox? How many times have you been through this?”

“Me? I was only ever allowed to watch and study. This is my first time being a guide like this. The ones I watched? They went through different things, all depending on their wish. A chance at fame, friends, acceptance, love, prosperity. But most people want the same thing.”

“We do, huh…” I knew it was true, but it made me think. If I wasn’t in Abigail’s story, what would my own be? It was hard to imagine it being much of anything, and maybe that’s why it was absurd to Fable that I was the one chosen. I wasn’t sure what I’d be reaching for, if I was given the option to reach.

Fox took my hand, and I blinked as he placed a paper ring in my palm, “For protection.”

An almost forgotten memory surfaced, “Back when this all started, you placed magic on me for the same reason right?”

There was a brief pause, “…A similar reason. This is for this story specifically. Don’t you have a bad feeling about it, too?”

I did. When I slipped the paper ring on it shimmered into a simple band the same bright blue as Fox’s magic. The surprise made me jerk, and I swore I could feel the teacher’s stare burning into my back at my sudden reaction.

“…Thanks. And I’m sorry about earlier. I know I shouldn’t pry.” I settled back into my seat, moving my finger to see how the ring caught the light.

Fox only shook his head, “I’m not used to social situations. It was partly my fault.”

Cradling the ring on my finger, I figured I’d be as ready as ever for the meeting with Justin. At least I knew Abigail would lead, and at least I wasn’t lying to her again. Keeping things from her was starting to wear me thin. I was ready.

The clock kept counting down to the end.

//

Justin was in the same spot as where I’d left him. He didn’t hold a hint of surprise as Abigail walked beside me, barely keeping her pace with mine. It was a miracle she didn’t rush him then and there. Her eyes watched him like a hawk, and he raised his hands sensing her ire.

“Fancy seeing you here. When was the last time we talked? Seven? Eight? Months ago?” He grinned as she gritted her teeth. I kept a healthy distance behind her in case I needed to avoid the worst.

She stayed on the top stop, staring down at where he sat on the bottom step, “What did you need with Cinder?”

“Ah, more like what did she need from me.” He hopped to his feet, brushing off imaginary dust from his pants. “If you picked better friends, none of us would be here, I think.”

“I don’t even know the Literature Club that well.”

“And maybe you should. If you call someone ‘friend’ you should at least know their personality.”

“I think the only friend I have there is Ava.”

“You don’t even know her that well, though. Do you?” He grinned as Abigail clenched her fists. There wasn’t a hint of concern in his eyes.

Knowing that the two could go on like this forever, I forced myself to speak up, “R-right, well, anyways. I just wanted to know about the club and members. I only know the names of Ava and Cyrus, though.”

“Ava is upper middle class, calm and collected. The president of the club and habit of getting so into fiction it sometimes bleeds into her mannerisms. She acts how people in movies do, but some days she isn’t the best actor. You can see it with Cyrus a lot. She hates him.”

“Why—?”

He raised a hand, cutting me off and managing to tick off Abigail even further. By some miracle she remained quiet as he went on, “Cyrus is all bark no bite. Usually. He talks big, can be way too loud, but mostly wants to stay out of any drama. He chose the wrong club for that without a doubt. Some of the others give him hell because he doesn’t come from money. At least, not to them.”

Abigail had a different opinion on Cyrus. The noted discrepancy was stored away, but it did little to ease my concerns. Only heighten it. Two conflicting ideas meant it was up to me to figure out what was true or not on my own. I was going to have to play the part of detective.

“Ava would never allow that.”

He breezed past her words, “I said you don’t know her well. She puts up with you out of faux politeness. Sorry, did that sting?”

I wrapped my hand around her wrist just in case she really did go for him. I could feel the slight tremors in her hand, begetting her rising temper. I spoke again, as a means to distract her, “I mean… they don’t sound any worse than some of the other kids at this school.”

“The issues stem from the Vice President.”

“Says the old Vice President.”

“Yeah, I was. Now that belongs to Everett since I’m never around. He’s the one who got into it with Cyrus and let him stay because he’s oh so forgiving. If you want your brand name rich prick, it’s him.”

“Pretty sure that’s you, too.”

“You know, you sure have a hell of a grudge against me even though I’m not the reason for the break up.” She went still beneath my hand. Justin noticed, his head slowly tilting. His expression morphed into a mask of nothing. “You don’t want her to know.”

A statement, not a question. My eyebrows furrowed and I glanced between the two, “I…I never asked. I don’t care to know—”

Abigail gave a swift tug against my hand, and I yelped, “We’re going.”

“W-wait, but—”

“You don’t need to know about them. It’s not like you’re ever going back to that place again.” She was the one holding onto me now. She pulled me back towards the door, ignoring any noise of protest.

I craned my head to look behind me, and when Justin caught my gaze he only shook his head, “If you need anything Cinder, you can always come find me.”

The door opened and closed behind us before I could answer. As I stumbled after her, I gasped, “Why did what Justin say freak you out so much—?”

“That asshole didn’t freak me out. I just can’t stand being around him for longer than ten minutes at a time.” She didn’t look at me as she pulled me along. Our footsteps were far too noisy in the empty halls. Even though I said I didn’t care, I felt a nagging inside my stomach.

With all the questions bubbling inside me, all I managed was, “I’m here for you, you know.”

Her grip eased, and I wondered if it’d bruise, “I know.”

She didn’t want to say anything more, and I didn’t want to pry. But the nagging feeling didn’t go away as we headed home. Again I saw her battered and bruised. And again, I wanted to know what she wasn’t telling me.

The questions were never asked.