A Shadow Returns

Strike One

"You what?!" Valkyrie screamed. Tanith cringed.
"I might have tackled him."
"Why?! Tanith I begged you not to!"
"I couldn't help it!"
"I'll never trust you ever again!"
Valkyrie started pacing, biting her nails and hyperventilating.
"I can't face him," she muttered. "He'll know that I was spying. He'll never forgive me now!"
"Yes he will. Did you realise how hot he was though? Like wow!"
"Tanith!"
"Sorry."
"This is bad, this is very very bad."
"Val calm down."
"What did Avril say?"
"That you were lying."
"Do you really think I'd lie about something like this?"
"That's exactly what I told her."
"What did Skulduggery do?"
"He walked away."
"He didn't even apologise?!"
"No."
"Oh my god..."
"Jess was asking after you though."
"Why?"
"She was just wondering why you weren't with me."
"Oh..."
"She likes you. She said you were pretty."
"Well, I am pretty," Valkyrie grinned, flicking her hair before her look turned serious again.
"You know, as much as I dislike Avril, she's really good at making skeletons look smoking hot!" Tanith said, winking at Valkyrie, who's eyes widened.
"Tanith!"
Tanith giggled.
"Val you need to go and talk to him about it. He's not going to tell me anything."
"But.... I can't go back there. Avril's there."
"Stuff Avril. Go and speak to him, get him to explain."
"It won't work, he saw me snogging Saracen too."
"Oh ok. Wait! What?!"
Valkyrie sighed.
"I made out with Saracen."
"What?!" Tanith squeaked. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I forgot to be honest."
"How can you forget about making out with Saracen?!" Tanith's voice had gone incredibly high and Valkyrie pursed her lips to hold in a laugh. Tanith was great big sister.
"I really like him actually."
Tanith's jaw dropped. "Ok, we are talking about this, right after you make up with Skulduggery."
Valkyrie sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"No Tanith."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not."
"Valkyrie Cain I will drag you there myself if you do not go right now."
Valkyrie huffed and stood up before walking out the door.

She wanted to run home, but she knew that Tanith was secretly following her. She headed to Cemetery Road and hesitated before knocking on the door. She heard footsteps inside and was about to turn around and run when the door opened, and Skulduggery stood there, in skeleton form. She saw his shoulders sag and she gulped. This was awkward...
"Um, hey," she said.
"Hi."
She looked back, desperately wanting to run away, to go home and cry. But it was too late now.
"Do you want to come in?" He asked.
"Is Avril in there?"
He hesitated. "Yes."
"Then no."
He nodded, and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
"Jess isn't there though," he said. Valkyrie's tongue was moving inside her mouth, and she looked away, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Why were you snogging Avril?" She asked, still not looking at him and ignoring what he'd said about Jess. There was a pause before he answered.
"I didn't kiss her."
"I saw you."
"Yes, but she kissed me."
"And you kissed her back."
Silence.
"If you still like her I don't mind okay?"
If Skulduggery had had eyes they would've been as wide as dinner plates now.
"What?"
"I forgive you okay? You saw me with Saracen so..."
"Yeah..."
"Do not make me say that I forgive you again."
"Okay."
"Stop giving me one worded answers Skulduggery!"
"Sorry."
Valkyrie turned around and glared at him. He tilted his head at a smug angle and Valkyrie could tell he was smiling.
"Friends?" She asked, holding her hand out in front of her.
"Friends," he said, shaking it.

Valkyrie was beaming when she went back to Tanith's house. She skipped in through the door and almost skidded into the blonde swords woman who was walking past.
"Val!"
"Tanith!"
"How did it go?"
"You already know."
Tanith smirked.
"Hehe."
"I need to pee, I was holding it in."
Tanith stared at her in horror and Valkyrie smiled. Tanith rolled her eyes.
"Okay go on."
Valkyrie took off up the stairs and smashed through the bathroom door, before stopping and clamping a hand over her mouth to stop a scream from escaping. There, written on the mirror in red were the words:

Stay away from Skulduggery you hopeless emo git

Valkyrie's eyes widened in horror as she took in the words. Only one person came to her mind as she read them.

Avril...