It All Started With The Butterflies

Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Change

"Madelyn!" Chrissie yelled, locking her arms around my neck. "Where have you been?" she asked, her pigtails swaying from side to side. She was the only person who could pull off pigtails without looking like a nerd.

I shrugged. "I moved out of my parents' house."

"No way!" Her eyes widened at my disobedience.

I nodded.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" she enquired. "I left like a million voice messages."

"Sorry," I grimaced, not telling her that I hadn't looked at my phone in over a week.

"I forgive you," Chrissie told me, not bothering to ask me why I came back at all, since it was the last day of the semester.

Caspian came up behind me. "Catch you later," he smiled and handed me my backpack, before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll do it during recess," Caspian whispered into my ear.

I subtly nodded, hoping Chrissie didn't see the quiet exchange. I sneaked a peek at her, and I could tell by her jittery behaviour that she had something that she was dying to tell me; and that thing, whatever it was, was consuming her every thought.

"So, what's up?" I asked Chrissie, after Caspian had disappeared around the corner.

"Nothing much," Chrissie lied. "Well, there is something," she said biting her lip, hoping I would press her for more details.

"Something?" I indulged her.

"The boy in my dance class," Chrissie squealed. "He started working out and..." she paused, building up the suspense and tension, "he asked me out."

I rolled my eyes. Typical Chrissie: her life revolved around boys. "Wait," I said suddenly. "By the boy in your dance class, do you mean Alec Stein?"

Chrissie bobbed her head up and down, causing her pigtails to perform an acrobat dance.

"He's had a crush on you from like fourth grade." I remembered when he would constantly ask if he could walk Chrissie home and she would always give him the finger; unlike me Chrissie had been swearing from a young age.

"Back then he was simple," she pouted, probably not wanting to use a stronger word in case things between them worked out well.

"Back then everything was simpler," I sighed, thinking about the simplicity of my life before Asher died. School, eat, sleep, repeat. And now things were so different. Snooping, mystery solving, kissing Caspian, school... well, I barely went to school anymore, so scratch that. It was like my life had completely changed, not that I was complaining. It's just that everything changed so quickly, I was struggling to keep up with this ever-changing mess.

"You ok?" Chrissie waved her hand in front of my face.

"Yeah."

"So, have you been staying with Caspian?" Chrissie asked.

I nodded.

"You could stay with me if you want," she offered, although she knew that wasn't possible. Her parents would probably call mine, and then force me to go back home. "Are you a Stinger now?"

I shook my head, making the effort to laugh so that Chrissie would realise that I had no intention of becoming a Stinger anytime in the future.

"Phew," Chrissie exhaled. "I thought I had lost you forever to the bees."

"Things aren't going to change that much," I said, more for my benefit than for hers.

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