Death end

Chapter 6: New friend!

This guy? Ughhhh. Jade could hardly believe her luck. Sharing a room with this stranger was the last thing she wanted, but here she was, stuck. The walls felt like they were closing in on her, making it hard to breathe. She didn't want to be here, didn't want to share her space with anyone—especially not with him.

"Hey, I'm Kai. Not my full name, but you probably don't want to know either," the guy said, his tone as cold as his expression. He stood there, trying to make eye contact, but Jade wasn't interested.

"Jade," she replied curtly, dropping onto her bed with her book. Maybe if she buried herself in it, he'd take the hint and leave her alone.

For the next hour, they didn't exchange a single word. Jade was starting to think they could keep this up indefinitely when Kai spoke again, breaking the heavy silence.

"Moonlight? By wiz_art, huh? Quite an interesting taste you have," he remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jade didn't bother looking up. "Oh wow, you can see? I thought you were blind, considering you didn't say that an hour ago, because that's how long I've been reading this book." Her words were sharp, and she could hear the chuckle he tried to suppress.

"Any problem here? I mean, with us?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Us? What's us? I don't even know you," she snapped, flipping a page without really reading it.

"Well, you are my roommate. Like it or hate it," he said, still calm, almost as if her hostility amused him.

"Good, because then I'll choose to hate it. Sounds good?" She shot him a glare, daring him to push her further.

Kai just laughed softly to himself, clearly unfazed. But then, he caught her off guard with a question that hit a little too close to home. "Did you lose your parents?"

Jade froze, her breath catching in her throat. "Why do you ask that?" she demanded, suddenly defensive.

"Most of the kids here are below twelve, and I've been around often enough to know. I've never seen you here before, so I was just asking," he explained, his tone surprisingly gentle.

"None of your business," she replied, her voice icy, hoping to shut down any further conversation.

"Hey, cool down! I was just asking so that we could be friends."

"Friends, my ass! I already said it's none of your business, alright? So leave me alone." Jade was done with this conversation. She slammed her book shut, grabbed her phone and headphones, and stormed off, heading straight for the rooftop.

Once she was there, she took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside her. The sky was a beautiful blend of orange, pink, and purple as the day slipped into night, but the beauty of it only made her feel worse. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. She missed her brother so much it hurt.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and nearly jumped out of her skin. It was Kai—again. Ugh, this guy.

"What do you want, weirdo?" she snapped, pulling down her headphones and glaring at him.

"Hey, hey! Chill out. It's almost time for dinner. I just wanted to let you know and check up on you," Kai said, his voice softer now, almost as if he genuinely cared.

Jade sighed, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had flared. "Okay, I'll be there in a while. You can go now."

But instead of leaving, Kai sat down beside her, looking up at the sky with the same awe she had felt moments before. "Beautiful, right?"

Jade nodded, too emotionally drained to argue.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what I did that made you not want to talk to me, but I just wanted to cheer you up since you looked so sad and depressed earlier," he said softly, his eyes searching hers for a sign of understanding. "Fun fact about me: I'm very good at keeping secrets."

Jade couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips. And before she knew it, the lie slipped out. "I lost my parents, and none of my relatives wanted me, so they threw me up for adoption."

Kai nodded, taking her words at face value. "I see. That's why you were depressed earlier."

Jade nodded again, the guilt of the lie gnawing at her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

"That's okay! You know, people can be jerks sometimes. But don't worry, you'll probably find a better family here," Kai said, his tone warm and reassuring. "And what's the deal with you? Why are you here?"

"Well, my dad opened this orphanage, so I come around here often. And, for a warning, I'm 26," he added casually.

Jade's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, okay... WAIT, WHAT?! 26?!?!? I mean, you did look older than me, but 26??! You're old!"

"Hey! That's mean!" Kai laughed, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Damn, but thanks to your dad, I guess there's at least a place I can live for the time being," Jade admitted, feeling a little lighter, as if the weight on her chest had lifted slightly.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the sky darken into night. Then, out of the blue, Kai asked, "Friends?"

Jade hesitated, her instincts telling her to keep her distance. But maybe a fresh start was exactly what she needed. "Friends," she replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Thank you for reading!
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