𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 & 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓯

Chapter 13-𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓞𝓯 𝓡𝓾𝓵𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰

𑁍~~☆~~𑁍
"Aʟʟ ᴍʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅs sᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs, ʙᴜᴛ ⵊ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴄᴀʀᴇ,"
"'Cᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙʀɪɴɢs ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟɪꜰᴇ,"
"Yᴇᴀʜ, ⵊ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs, ⵊ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍɪɴᴅ,"
"Tʜɪs ʜᴏʟʏ ʀᴇᴅᴇᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴇᴀʀs ᴜs ɪɴ ᴛᴡᴏ,"
"Bᴜᴛ ⵊ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ..."
𑁍~~☆~~𑁍

𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥 🜲

Julie ducked behind a tree, avoiding the wary glance Luke cast around the woods before pulling back a layer of vines coating the property wall. Overhead was a canopy of abundant leaves, the full moon shining through breaks in the branches, showing her the gap in the wall he'd just exposed.

Julie shouldn't have been surprised, of course Luke already knew of an exit that she didn't.

She hesitated as he slipped through the wall, fighting her instinct to call out and drag his ass back to the castle. She knew she should threaten him with his probation, report him even, but breaking the trust of what she considered to be a friend was distasteful enough to cast justice to the side. Especially when she didn't know exactly why he was breaking a major rule. What if he was in trouble?

Sneaking up to the stone structure she peered through the vines, spotting no sign of Luke on the other side. She could either return to the castle and report him, cover for him, or follow him and risk huge punishments for the both of them. If she was going to make a decision she needed to do it fast, or else she'd lose her chance.

Julie threw a glance over her shoulder, finding no one, and climbed through the wall.

Emerging from the crumbling, rocky depths, Julie dropped into a low stance, creeping along the shadow of the wall. If she simply stayed out of sight and followed Luke to make sure he was safe, then she could go back to the castle and keep quiet with a clean conscience.

Her senses were dialed up to ten as she searched for him, the calm but eery silence of the woods putting her on edge. Julie felt like there should've been something to pick up on, a noise or trail, but he'd disappeared into the shadows. And she was alone, outside the castle wall, which she'd never been before. Fear was beginning to take a hold on her chest.

"Wow," Luke stepped out from behind a tree, "you actually did leave."

Julie jumped, stifling a scream. Luke laughed, which was so goofy and startling that if Julie wasn't so indignant from being caught it would've been immediately contagious.