Undead.

Couldn't they just write “not alive” or something? It seemed silly to even bother with the idea that some witchcraft could be involved, but like Rudoslav said with the cult, it could be wannabe witchcraft. But I still couldn't put it all together in my head, what would the popular kids have to do with this?

She slipped through more pages with symbols that were similar to the one we found. Every one of them has a small subtitle to them: Witches, wizards, werewolves, vampires... okay, how more ridiculous could we get? Witches I could believe but anything else just seemed too crazy, even for me.

"Why would this symbol even be at the factory?", she wondered, practically to herself since she said it so quietly I barely heard it.

I looked over at her, for some reason the image of her wearing her glasses made me want to laugh. Not because she looked ridiculous but because it seemed silly to me that a rich person wouldn't just get laser surgery or something. Although a small part of me was glad she didn't, she looked cute in them.

"Maybe we could find more at other ones. You said there are more.", I noted.

She nodded but reluctantly said: "Yes, but they are even deeper in the forest. Finding them would be a challenge."

"Don't you guys have a map of the forest or something."

She thought for a few seconds. Seeing her being focused on something I said made me feel... weird. Like there was a stone on my shoulder that waited for her answer to be lifted.

"We could probably get an old map at the book café."

The book café. Exactly at the moment she uttered those words this weird feeling formed in my stomach when I looked at her. We still haven't even mentioned what happened the first time we were there together. How I made her snap and how angry I got. Maybe it wasn't the best time, for all I knew she could have easily kicked me out of her home if I made her angry again, but it felt wrong not at least mentioning it. Especially since I learned that she wasn't the person I thought she was at first.

So, a bit reluctantly, I mumbled: "I shouldn't have tried getting pity from you."

She turned her head to me, it was clear she was surprised at first but then apologised herself: "Sorry I yelled at you."

"I don't blame you. I was kind of annoyed. I just... I think I was trying to hate you.", I leaned back against the couch, crossing my arms. I didn't really like talking about my feelings and talking to her about it certainly didn't make me feel less uncomfortable.

"Why?"

I shrugged: "I'm always getting all my feelings mixed up. Happens when your parents mess you up."

She lightly nodded, almost like she understood what I meant.

"What happened to them?", she asked. Her voice was softer than ever.

I scratched at my knee, that part of my jeans wasn't as blue as the rest anymore. I couldn't help but chuckle: "Nothing for an article. Dad died and afterwards mom lost her mind. I tried helping her but I guess..."

My finger slipped off my jeans, scratching the skin underneath. I quickly clutched my hands together hoping she wouldn't notice my broken off nails. In that palace I felt like every part of me was out of place. Especially to her, I was probably a mess.

"...I wasn't enough.", I shrugged while trying to seem unemotional, although my voice cracked a little at the last part. As I waited for her to say something I began scratching at my fingertips. Why was I so nervous? It wasn't like I cared what she had to say. Nothing that she could have said would make me feel... different about everything. Not even the pitiful: “I'm sorry” I get too much. But nothing came. She said nothing. I didn't want to look at her, maybe she was crying for me or something which would have made things even more awkward. Once again my finger slipped, I chipped away a part of my skin next to my nail and it started bleeding a bit. I tried hiding it but she suddenly took my hand and just held it. Was she inspecting it or something? Maybe judging how gross it looked. With her other hand she started to gently draw a circle on my palm with her finger. As she opened her mouth to say something I thought she would acknowledge it but she didn't, almost like she was lost in the motion.

"Since I was little I thought about running away from home.", she whispered.

I glanced around the huge library we were in and scoffed: "Why?"

She shrugged and when I finally looked up to see her whole face it surprised me. She was smiling. Not happily, I didn't know what exactly it was but it definitely wasn't happiness. She just continued gently touching my hand and without looking up at me she answered: "I never thought I was enough for this family. I still don't."

Who on earth made her think that? She was like the most elegant and sweet person I knew. If someone told me to think of a princess I'd think of her. I almost told her this, but stopped myself. Same reason I didn't want her to tell me anything, it wouldn't help. She probably got told that all the time, but she will still think like this.

"Selfish. I know. I got everything someone could wish for yet I'm still unhappy. I probably wouldn't be any happier if I left."

She wrapped her fingers around mine. Her hand was really soft and warm. I held on for a bit before saying: "Maybe you would be."

We both looked at each other. She softly giggled to herself before mumbling: "Maybe."

Suddenly the door opened, she ripped her hand away and quickly stood up. Almost like she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. It was Henry. Imitate relief came over her face. She slumped down on the white couch as Henry came over to us with a silver tray.

"Thank you, Henry.", she sighed.

He gently nodded and placed the tray on the coffee table before glancing at the book we were reading.

"I have to inform you that your mother invited ms. Jo-"

"Fifi!", me and Nathalie called out, although Nathalie seemed more desperate than me at correcting him. Although he knew my real name which suggested that she really did talk about me to her staff. Now the only thing on my mind was what she talked to them about. Was that way everyone was smiling at me? At first I thought it might have been regular staff behaviour but now I was unsure.

He just nodded like we both haven't accidentally yelled at him and continued: "She invited ms. Fifi for brunch."

Nathalie sat up straight, her face quickly dropped as the nervousness settled in. If her father was so unapologetically threatening I could only imagine how her mother was, and I really didn't want to find out.

"No, thanks. I'll leave before brunch anyway.", I shrugged and looked at the tray Henry left on the coffee table for us, cookies and tea.

I quickly grabbed one of the cookies and started eating, slowly realising that neither of them responded to what I said. I glanced up. Both of them were staring at me. 

Nathalie nervously smiled: "Fifi, when my mom invites people, she isn't asking."

And there I was, sitting outside looking at the gigantic garden at a round table with Nathalie and her parents. I thought that the first time I would have to eat with someone's parents that person would be dating me or something. On my plate was "Honeymoon Eggs", as Henry called it. To me it just look like bread with eggs, sauce and asparagus. At first I just wanted to take it with my hands but thankfully I waited long enough to notice that the Norths ate it with a knife and fork, so I just copied them, although it felt weird eating bread with a knife and fork.

"So, how long have you two known each other?", Mrs North questioned.

That question surprised me a little, with how I'm eating at their table and all, it felt like a question you would ask a couple.

"Since September.", Nathalie quickly noted without looking away from her food.

"And you're new in town?", Mrs North clearly looked over at me but before I could even get a word in, Nathalie swiftly answered for me again: "Yes, she's another foster child at the Evermores."

I glanced over at her, it was really difficult to read her face. Once again she put up a mask but that time it felt like it was made out of stone. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't tell what she was feeling nor thinking.

"We haven't been friends for that long, though.", Nathalie explained and quickly chewed on her food, clearly trying to signal she didn't want to talk anymore.

Suddenly Mr North stopped silently eating his meal and stared over at me for a moment before mumbling: "But you've been eating the ears off of our staff for months now."

Nathalie immediately threw her knife and fork on her empty plate and stood up, the clanking of the utensils made even Henry look over.

"It's been a nice chat but we should continue working.", the slight panic in her voice finally gave me a hint of what she was feeling at the time. She was uncomfortable with where the conversation was going, but her parents didn't let her off the hook so easily.

"Fifi hasn't finished eating yet.", Mrs North noted.

I looked down at my plate, I barely ate anything but staying in between Nathalie and her parents any longer sounded like hell. So I quickly tried to ease the tension by saying: "Oh, it's fine. I-"

"Nathalie sit down.", her father's tone now more serious, it made even me shut up.

"We haven't finished our conversation.", he added.

Nathalie and Mr North stared at each other for a moment, like a stare down before a duel. No one said anything for a few seconds, only a few because it seemed like Nathalie folded and sat back down. Although it was clear she really didn't want to do so.

Her mother looked back at me and smiled, continuing the conversation like nothing just happened: "Fifi, do you have any particular hobbies?"

"Um, no."

"Any jobs? Internships? Perhaps colleges you've applied to?"

"No."

Her father jumped in: "Are you religious?"

Okay, this interview had to end. I already found it super weird they wanted to know more about me but at that point it slowly started to make me uncomfortable, especially since Nathalie just sat there, annoyingly looking off into the distance, like she wanted to pretend whatever what happening here, well, wasn't.

I thought that maybe making a joke would change the mood.

"You guys are acting like I'm Nathalie's girlfriend or something.", I chuckled.

Both of them looked at me, somewhat shocked at my comment but also weirdly concerned.

"Are you?", her mother mumbled.

I was stunned. A bit flustered even. I definitely didn't expect them to take my joke seriously. Nathalie definitely didn't swing that way and her own parents should have known that.

Nathalie didn't seem as surprised as me, just more annoyed: "Can you please stop questioning her like she is some kind of suspect?"

And then the worst thing that could happen when visiting a friend's home happened. A fight with their parents beginning right in front of you, about you. I almost drowned in my seat as I desperately tried to just disappear into it.

After a moment of them arguing something caught my attention.

"Maybe we wouldn't question anything if you haven't invited a stranger to our home, a girl nonetheless.", her father commented.

"Fifi is not a stranger, she's a friend.", she gestured to me, I slid further down my seat.

"To us she is!"

I wasn't going to make the same mistake I did with Philip and make Nathalie the fall guy for me. After all they wouldn't be arguing if I hadn't unexpectedly showed up, which to be honest I didn't think would be that big of a deal. Nevertheless I took a deep breath and prepared myself to cut in: "Nathalie didn't invite me."

"Pardon?"

They all looked over at me. Nathalie immediately tried stopping me but before she could say anything I quickly replied: "Nathalie didn't do anything, she didn't invite me. I just showed up."

I could see her father biting his tongue behind his mouth. His frustration seemed to suddenly grow. I almost expected him to snap at me, but instead, just like Nathalie did before, he composed himself and simply, with a hint of rudeness said: "In that case, we ask of you to just as quickly leave as you... showed up."