𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃

49

HER PREDATOR

"I wouldn't leave you to do all of the hard work, you know that, Casei," I assured her.

I patted the ground with my shovel, my yard filled once again, and now with a new creature.

"Willow," Lowen spat above the hole we put her in, "I'll hate that bitch forever."

"It was never Maeve, was it?" I laughed bitterly, "All of us have been hatin' on the wrong bitch, even though...Maeve still did her fair share of damage."

"You can hardly fault someone who was being blackmailed into doing things, but," Casei shrugged, taking off her set of borrowed gardening gloves, "I still know that she's always been a bitch, Willow messin' with her or not." Casei's gaze snapped over to me, "Speakin' of messin'. Did you and Willow ever...?"

"What? No!" I laughed. "She's been Maeve's friend ever since I've known her. I don't have the years on years of knowin' one another around here that y'all Quercitronian's have. I peeped how Maeve was and I decided that Willow must be the same way. I steered clear of her, no matter how enticing she might have been."

"Enticing?" Casei repeated.

"You know what I meant, Case-

"Do I?" she asked me, stepping closer with the shovel. "Look, Lowen. For Willow to do all these things and to have Maeve jumbled along with her, something more had to have went on between the two of you. I don't mind playin' at detective again to figure something out about you, Lowen."

"There was nothing," I assured her again, not sure if I was really succeeding at that in the moment or not.

Assurance.

"Look, I'm goin' back inside. It's too hot out here anyways," Casei handed me her shovel and started walking back to the house.

I went and put up our tools and things, and by the time I went back inside, Arah was standing in the living room. I pulled Casei to the side as she awkwardly stood there, arms crossed.

"Why'd you let her in? You do know Willow was her friend, right?" I whispered, staring at Casei.

"Well, yeah, but she knocked and I opened the door and she barged right in. What else was I supposed to do? I didn't wanna run outside and find you, in case she followed me out there, too," Casei explained quickly.

"Arah," I walked over to her, trying to keep my expression open and friendly, "Long time, no see, my friend."

"Are we really friends, Lowen?" she asked me. "All the things I've done for you," she dropped her voice, "All the things I've told you, and you just stop fuckin' wimme like that."

"I needed my space and you were surrounded in drama, Arah," I tried to explain, "It wasn't because I didn't like you as a person anymore."

"You left me alone in all that drama. Through thick and thin, a friend should always stay around, Low," she told me softly. "Ever since you started seein' ole girl, you've changed."

"If you haven't noticed," I gestured around, "She's the only person who's been keepin' me sane. Every- and I mean everyone believes that I'm the Houston Hidden when I know what I did back in my city and it isn't what Sioyana is sayin', or Maeve."

"Lowen is changin' for the better. I see her. These other bitches don't," Casei stated.

"In no relationship, friendship or a partnership should I have to endure toxicity or drama or mess or sumin I'm not comfortable with. That's why I distanced myself Arah. We might have to agree to disagree, or have different viewpoints, but I stopped talkin' to you because I didn't like the vibes you was surroundin' yourself with. Friend or not," I told her seriously, shrugging, "And if we can't move past that in our friendship then maybe this is where it should end."

"I wanna see past it, Lowen. You're an amazin' person. I wanna keep our friendship. I knew you were real since you first came into my class junior year," Arah expressed.

"She doesn't need any friends...like you," Casei stated.

"Oh, so now you're speakin' for her? What's wrong with her havin' female friends?" Arah asked simply.

I glanced over at Casei, secretly wondering the same thing.

"You're attached to Maeve-

"Yuun know shit about me, Casei," Arah snapped.

-and Maeve is nothing but pure drama, my girl, doesn't need that. And I don't care if no one else sees how shady you runnin' from Maeve to her, from her to Maeve is with info."

"You talkin' bout shady but wasn't Naryna the one who basically kicked off all the drama? Your friend," Arah asked. "At the kickback. And warnin' you about Lowen and shit."

"We're not talkin'. I'm not speakin' with Channin anymore either," Casei crossed her arms, "Exactly how I cut the fake and the flaky bitches outta my life, I expect Lowen to do the same. Her stress is my stress and vice versa. And excuse me, for not bein' a fan of you when Maeve and I had issues and you're one of her best bitches."

"Guys," I stepped in between them, realizing that Arah had moved from near the door further in towards Casei. "I have to respect, Casei. Okay, Arah? And I also gotta respect that she's right," I explained.

"Nobody's tryna hog Lowen. I only want what's best for her," Casei finished.

"Neither of you, no friends, thinkin' y'all only need one another to function," Arah scoffed, "We'll see how that turns out. Whatever, Lowen. When shit goes south, don't hit me up."

"Will do," I shrugged, walking her towards the door.

"Willow understands me more than anything anyways," she stated, standing on my porch and glaring at me. "Y'all might think that I follow behind her and Maeve like a lost puppy but it's more than that. We're all so misunderstood and-

Casei took the door out of my hands and closed it in Arah's face herself, locking it up and shooting me a look. "I didn't have the time."

I opened the blinds, watching Arah leave my driveway, then eventually the street. "I hate to say this, but in some twisted way, her and Sioyana would be perfect for each other. If Arah wasn't so caught up with how she thinks Maeve would react to that, maybe her and Sioyana could move past just bein' fuck buddies and actually build something. I truly wanna see Arah happy. She's just gonna have to be away from me to do that," I sighed.

"The last thing we need is Arah over at Willow's and nobody knows...what happened to her," Casei told me solemnly. "Maybe I could sneak over and get Willow's phone or something, text Arah and tell her that Willow's goin' away for awhile or something."

I held up my hand, stopping Casei and pushing her mouth against mine. Pulling back, I said, "We've done what we've done. We can only let things play out from here."

"Please don't leave me like Euphemie did you," she begged me softly. "I wanna be with you, Lowen. I've had more than enough time to think about that."

"I won't leave, Casei," I promised her again, kissing her tenderly on the forehead and pulling her close to me.