His blood on my hands

Kendra four

My plan is working quite well. I've been tutoring him every day for a couple weeks now, and with only two more before graduation, I've gotten quite a lot of his trust. This was never necessary but it will sure make things easier and ensure he doesn't know of my knowledge. It's not exactly knowledge, more like a very likely guess.

It's a Tuesday night, 7:30 when I head into the library. He doesn't have his books out.

"Hey Kendra." He says, staring at me.

"Hi." I say with what I hope is a mildly flirtatious smirk, "Where's your stuff."

" I was thinking we could take a break today."

And he didn't think to let me know before I had come down here.

"Like... together."

Oh.

"Would you care to take a walk with me?" He asks, trying so hard to sound so gentle and innocent. But I see right through it. I can see his true intentions. It's written all over his face, deep in his eyes. I see it in them while he stares at me.

"Yes." I reply, softening my eyes. I'm almost too good at deceiving, it's scary.

We walk on a little pathway, side by side. We don't say anything at first, then he breaks the silence.

"So, why did your parents send you here?"

"Just for a good education, like everyone else here." I reply, "and you?"

"Same."

"How's your family?" He asks.

"Fine"

He laughs and looks down.

"You're a tough cookie to crack."

"And that's a really cringey metaphor."

"Oh wow okay." He says, amused.

It's quite interesting to have a discussion when both of us are someone else and we know of each other's deception. I know he has at least a suspicion about me. He has to if he's as smart as I think he is. Nothing about this conversation is real, and both of us know it.

"But actually, what are they like? What do you love about them, what do you hate about them, who's your favorite?" He looks at me like he actually cares about my answer.

I can play that game. Pretending to care.

"They're great. I mean, it's tough sometimes being the youngest sibling. Being the least appreciated or important. And I know that I will never have something to rule over."

Perfect. Technically the truth. Enough for it to seem real, seem human, relatable, approachable. But just enough hidden. Little does he know that I don't need to rule, I just need honor. Which is exactly what I will have in less than 2 weeks.

"I understand."

"Actually, you're an only child, so you don't but thank you for your attempt."

He laughs.

"You know, it's a little creepy that you know that, Kendra."

Shit. I forgot to play dumb.

"Someone's obsessed with me." He teases.

I blush. Really.

"To be fair I know that you're the princess of England." he says, "that's a big empire."

"So is Germany."

He looks into my eyes for a second, then looks away and smiles.

We walk in silence for a few minutes after that. The air is so fresh, the sun is almost set, and the birds are chirping like a lullaby. The borderline is coming near. The line where students shouldnt pass, where they should turn around and head back. But without a word or verbal acknowledgement of the line, both of us cross it.

"Are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?" He asks finally.

"Are you done with these modern city catchphrases?"

"Kendra. Our families." He looks genuinely concerned.

Oh. So we're addressing this openly. The conversation turned real.

"Yeah." I say blandly, looking forward.

"Hey." He says, stopping and looking at me.

I stop walking and look back at him.

His eyes are such a deep brown.

"Kendra. We are not the same as them. We don't have to be enemies." Now what he's saying sounds more like a real conversation between Kendra and Cadrian. Not some characters we were each embodying. Weird.

"I agree."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Okay because it kind of seems like you resented me for a while." He remarks, still looking at me.

I laugh because I don't know what to say. Because of course I hated him. Of course I still do hate him. And of course he does too.

It's quite bold of him to play this card. To bring our real personal lives into things. Perhaps he understands that both of us have enough information about the other so we would know when they're lying. Maybe the lies need to stop being about information and more about emotion.

"So, does that make us friends?"

I start walking again, and he walks too.

"Yes."

He smiles.