Chances

Chapter 8

Alexus (10:32 AM): wow you and lily seem to be REALLY getting along now

Carina's face suddenly goes ashen and she nervously looks around the area until she spots her blonde-haired friend up near the top of the hill with her phone in her hands, watching them.

"Fuck," Carina mutters underneath her breath.

--

Carina quickly gathers her things and jams them in her drawstring bag. She silently scolds herself for being so fucking careless with Lily, but she just couldn't help it. Things felt so easy between them and she disregarded the fact that anybody could be watching them. And it just had to be Alexus who found them of all people.

Carina slides her arms through the straps so the bag settles on her back before she hastily begins to march over towards Alexus. She had some clearing up to do.

"Hey, wait!" Lily shouts behind her. The next thing Carina knows is Lily's hand on hers, trying to stop her from walking any further.

Carina reflexively yanks her hand away harshly and points a solitary finger at Lily's chest. " Don't. Touch. Me ," she seethes through gritted teeth. Oh my god. This is one of the most difficult things she's ever had to do. But she has to. "Do you really think that what just happened makes us friends? Because we're not. And we won't ever be."

The look of pure hurt on Lily's face just about broke her heart. She fucking hates what she's doing right now but she had to put on a show and make it look believable for Alexus, who's still watching them and she's for sure able to hear this entire altercation play out.

Lily's ears go red and she instantly looks down at the ground. She just barely nods her head in shame, openly taking Carina's hostile words. Hostile and completely untrue words. Carina has to struggle to fight back tears from being so horrible to her. She doesn't think she's ever hated herself more this very instant. Lily doesn't even know why she's suddenly acting like this when not even a minute ago things were playful and friendly between them.

Carina forces herself to turn around on her heel and walk away, not giving Lily a second look. She knows that if she does, she'll crack. Her heart is already feeling like a knife is being stabbed through it with every single step she takes, knowing how cruel she just was to someone who means no harm. She feels so guilt-ridden that she can physically feel it in her stomach.

As she approaches a very surprised Alexus, Carina clenches her jaw and puts on her most disgusted face possible. Now wasn't the time to show sympathy or vulnerability.

"What the hell happened?" Alexus asks with slight scoff.

"She just decided to randomly join me on my run this morning and suddenly she thought we were cool because of it, I suppose," Carina lies through her teeth. She can practically hear her conscious screaming at her to stop.

"Hm. Well, I told you she was weird," Alexus sighs dramatically. "She doesn't have any friends so any association with anyone makes her think they're her best friends. What a loser."

Carina is biting down on her jaw so tightly that it was beginning to hurt. It's taking everything inside of her not to punch Alexus right in the face for speaking about Lily like that. She didn't know her like Carina does.

Before, Carina might not have cared if any of her friends spoke badly about Lily. But now since they know they're a lot closer than they think, Carina's immediately overcome with feelings of nothing but protectiveness and care for Lily. What just happened and hearing Alexus now makes her body warm with indignity and anger.