Fortune Favors the Bold

11

!!TW!!: The following chapter contains discussions of self-harm and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

"Makoa."

Kalani looked toward the bathroom door just as it opened to reveal the tall, black-haired boy she'd gotten used to seeing every morning. Not-Castiel's eyes settled on her almost immediately, like he'd known where she was by the sound of her light footsteps.

She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes, keeping her head straight as she braided her second braid in focus, determined to let it fall smoothly on the opposite side of her face. "Yes?"

"Where were you last night?" He asked. "You came in late."

Kalani continued to look forward, snapping the band from her wrist to begin tying it around the end of her hair. "I was in a murdering mood," she answered sarcastically, expecting the lack of response she got from him. "Why are you asking?"

"Just making sure you're not related to the newest death," he shrugged casually, not seeming as affected by his words as Kalani became. Her eyes were wide when she turned to him.

"Newest death? Who?" She felt her heart drop into her chest with the building thoughts of who may have fallen victim next. Kalani prayed it wasn't Tamara, Assad, or Mason before she prayed for the others. If Not-Castiel hadn't been standing in front of her, she would have been worried about him, too.

Who'd died?

He pressed his lips into an unbothered pout and shrugged. "Chidi's fondness of you."

Kalani couldn't help releasing a sigh. "That I don't care much for," she turned away from him, setting her braid on her shoulder and standing up from the bed. "I'm glad it's dead."

Not-Castiel nearly snorted at her response. "You should be making friends in this place, not enemies."

"I am making friends," she turned to face him, keeping herself from looking down at the silver of his arm that revealed itself past the short sleeves of the shirt he only wore in front of her. Little did he know that there were cameras all around them, watching him all the time. Kalani considered telling him, but then remembered what Assad had said.

"This stays between us. The best way to find the killer is to find the only other person who knows about this."

Ellie's voice interrupted him. Your boyfriend.

"Shut up," Kalani chuckled.

"I wasn't talking," Not-Castiel answered.

"Huh?" She blinked up at him when she realized she'd answered her conscience verbally in front of the man who watched her curiously. Kalani quickly tried to move on. "Anyway, it's not like I did anything to make her hate me. She did that on her own."

He crossed his arms. "Are you sure about that?"

Even though his question irritated her slightly, Kalani suppressed her eye roll and answered with a nod. "She just likes you and I'm your Pair, clearly she sees me as some sort of threat."

"Are you a threat?"

"Goodness, no."

"Then tell her that. Maybe you two could be friends. She might be better for you than the two you've been running around with until one in the morning," he watched her stop in her path to the nightstand and turn to face him.

"One," she lifted her finger in front of her, stepping closer to the ex-soldier whose gaze shifted toward her hand. "I'd rather break the bathroom mirror, stab its shards through my eyes, pull out my eyeballs, cook them, and shove them back into my eye sockets than have to make amends with the girl who accused me of murder."