Almost three weeks had passed before I saw Cairi again, she was paler than I last remembered her being… But her thoughts I could see as plain-as-day. It radiated in her eyes; she was plotting something! I hesitated to go talk to her, that was, until I saw Richard heading her way.

I paused just as he made contact with her. She rolled her eyes after he said something. I slowly neared them to hear what the fuzz was about this time over the buzz of the crowd. As not to draw suspicion that I was ‘eavesdrop’ on them I 'hid' in the doorway of one of the class.

“Look I’m sorry I stepped on that stupid flower…”

“I’m not looking for an apology for that, you idiot!” She hissed as she clenched her fists tighter, her knuckles white.

“I’m asking that we start on a new page, fresh, for the sake of everyone!” He barked back to her, they were already at each other’s throats; their bickering reminded me of lover quarrels in some cliché dramas.

“Well maybe if you watch where you go you wouldn’t be at the other end of my fists!” She raised her hand lightning fast ready to punch him, but it was just a gesture as she paused at shook her fist in his face!

“Girls! Girls! Stop fighting!” Derik threw his arm over Cairi’s shoulders earning him threatening glare.

“We’re all friends now so why don’t we figure out this hate-love thing the two of you have got going and find stable grounds between ya'll so you don’t rip each other’s throats out?” Derik pulled her head closer to him and kissed the top; she quickly pulled out from beneath his arm after a ‘gentle’ elbow-hit to his abdomen.

“Ooof… You weren’t lying when you said she can ‘hit’, Rich!” Derik said bent over as he tried to ease the pain and get back his breath she had knocked out.

“Guess I’ll have to ask you to forgive my forwardness before I end up on your hit-list!” He joked.

“Forgiven! Unlike you!” She bared her teeth; fugitively speaking of course!

“Oh! David!” She squealed once she noticed me standing a few feet away, my back towards them.

“Cairi, you’re back, what happened?”

“Nothing, just got scolded for ‘losing’ my bracelet.” She emphasized the hidden truth.

“Sure that’s all? You didn’t show for almost three weeks and in that time Jason’s been looking beat-tired, and I have to say you look ghostly today, enough so that you might just pass as an actual ghost of Devon mansion this time!” Marshall said having found his way to our little chat-circle.

“I’m fine! Jason’s fine, everything’s fine! Was just grounded you could say, and I’ve always been super bleak, cause I hate the sun! I am, after all, a ghost!” She flattered her eyes as she girlishly tilted her head and laid her head in her palms ‘v’ shaped around her face.

“Mind if call you my Muse, I’ve been lost without you this month! Nothing I acted was anything good!”

“Sure thing so long as you pay up for the inspiration I provide you with!” She held out her hand and Marshall slapped it in mock ‘pay-up’. The two of them really seemed to get along.

“Great! Here I was hoping to get out of her bad-books and you all just take over!”

“Of course” She sarcastically flipped her hair and leaned in close to him.

“I don’t trust murderers!” She grinned that wicked grin of hers, which seemed more evil than innocent; though innocent-like it appeared to all except me, maybe all of us, as I saw even Derik nod his head sharing his agreement that she was truly intimidating!

Hooking her arm in mine and the other in, around Marshall’s, she gestured for us to lead the way to English Lit.

I quickly found that she seemed to gravitate towards me and I to her everywhere we were. And like the first day I saw her and ever since then, I rarely seemed have a voice, remaining silent and listening to her talk non-stop. She just had no end to her words! But I had to ask…

“Why are you always around us?” I asked as the day came to a close at the end of the week; she had not missed even one class the entire week since her ‘return’.

“Not ‘us’ so to say, more ‘you’! They just seem to end up being in the picture too.” She huffed as she held back a laugh and smiled; she was just that kind of person, always smiling for everything! She had a smile for every occasion.

“Then why are you always around me?” I asked hoping for a clue that she liked me as much as I did her.

“Cause you’re quiet and you listen well!” She said looking up towards the skies, her thoughts seeming to fly and get lost there as well… One of the few times she felt too distant from me… Like she would just disappear as she did the night she out-ran us all!