“Just because you won from our match doesn’t mean you’ll be able to win against monsters like them,” the girl said. I turned around and saw her clutching her throat. 

“Don’t be like that. Be nice,” Caleb scolded her as she stepped in front of me. 

“No, it’s alright. Let’s restart this. My name is Reika. What’s yours?” I asked, smiling at her. 

“I don’t need your kindness,” she said as she bumped my shoulder hard to make me stumble out of the way as she walked out of the room. 

“Soo... who’s hungry?” Caleb asked everyone awkwardly as the silence talked in high volumes around us. 

Ari sighed out loud, “Come on, I’m hungry!" She groaned out as she walked in front of us, and we all followed behind her with a smile on our faces, forgetting the fact that the girl had been so harsh to me a while ago. 

I was secretly still upset about it, but I did not let it show.

 We all went to the closest restaurant we could find since it felt like our stomachs were threatening to disappear.  We sat in a booth next to the window; Ari and Caleb sat across from Krishna and me.  I cupped my face and stared at the dark twinkling stars in the never-ending night. 

Something kept on bugging me in the pit of my stomach; it kind of felt like Ari was avoiding me. 

We all ordered our food once the waitress came around, and then we fell back into a horrifying silence. I stared at my hands in my lap. 

It hurts to know she’s hiding something from me, and yet she needs to know every single thing about me. It made me think of my outburst on the train a while ago. 

These past few weeks have changed me.

 I clenched my fists hard and turned my eyes toward Ari’s, my face blank from emotion and my gaze unwavering. Ari flinched from my gaze, her hand reached up to her necklace and grabbed on to it tightly as if she were ready to attack. 

Attack.... Me? 

The sudden realization made tears slip down my face. I felt betrayed and hurt. 

“Reika, what's wrong? Why are you crying?” Krishna asked me, his eyes wide with worry.

 What did I do wrong? 

“Stop the shitty act, Reika!” I know the truth,” Ari said, the first of our real conversation. 

Truth?

What act? 

“Ari, stop it,” Caleb hissed beside her. 

“No, today we clean the air,” she said as she crossed her arms across her chest. 

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” I told Ari truthfully, but her eyes held this strong stubbornness to it. 

She scoffed, “You're a liar! I stuck my neck out for you so many times, but you played around with my feelings!” she yelled out. Customers stole glances at us. 

I could hear something shattering in me. 

That was the first time I started hallucinating. 

Black rose fell around me like shadows dancing above my head. 

_________________________

A.G.Preet here!!!!! I hope you like that chapter! I know that was a lot to take in, but hang with me!

Here is a question for you: Do you think Ari did the right thing confronting Reika like that, or should she have trusted her friend more? 

Anyway, see ya next time!!!!