Wolf and Wishes

-5- Time to Hyperventilate

I am freaking out, which is not normal. And the fact that I am not acting normal is freaking me out.

Yesterday, Hunter told me that he and Ashlynn broke up a few weeks ago, something about... I can't remember, but they broke up, and he told me when he had his arm around me. Why did he tell me that? Is it because he... Gasp... likes me? Like, likes me, likes me?

But, that's not what I'm freaking out about. Well, that's only half of it.

You see, it's school. First day of school, and nobody is here yet. By nobody, I mean Dexter, Hunter and Raven. Of course, I'm here, but I'm freaking out that the new girl, Gossamer did something to them! Maybe... maybe they are dead? Oh. My. God. They could be dead. Because of me. And that thought winds me up, even more.

Oh my God! I freakin' killed my friends! THEY ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF ME! I KILLED THEM! I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THE WOLF BUT I DIDN'T AND NOW THEY'RE GONE, JUST WHEN I THINK HUNTER MIGHT LIKE ME! NO!

And of course, Raven chooses that moment to stroll casually into the room, no knock, no nothing.

"Hey Cerise," she says, and I start to sway, thinking I've seen a ghost. Suddenly the floor seems to be coming closer. And closer... Hey, floor, since when did you move- SMACK. Did you know that floors are hard, and cold, and very not nice?

"What the hell, are you okay Cerise?!" Raven asks as she rushes to my side. I can feel the color drain from my cheeks as I attempt to take deep breaths in and out, but it's getting harder and harder to manage.

"Uh..." I mumble incoherently. I try to gather my thoughts. It's okay, Ri. They aren't dead. Or at least, Raven isn't dead. Oh my God! Hunter and Dexter could still be dead! "I think I'm fine. Just tripped, I guess..."

"You guess?" Raven frowns, and glances around the floor for anything I could have tripped on. Nothing. "Well, then, come on, you need to get up. That is exactly where I need to put my boxes."

"Y-your... boxes?" I stutter and attempt to get my feet beneath me. No dice. Looks like I might have to lie here for a day or two.

Raven shoots me an irritated glance. "Yeah, I'm rooming with you this year. Gossamer's with Apple, so I'm with you." When I don't move, and show no sign of comprehension, Raven adds, "You know, you're lucky. You were originally going to be with Gossamer."

"What?!" I shriek, which gets me on my feet. I force myself to calm down, and I place a hand on the wall to balance myself. "T-thank you..."

"What are friends for?" Raven asks, and winks. "Oh, and by the way, I was talking to Dexter this morning..."

I wag my eyebrows at her, which makes her blush, and she shakes her head, as if to say nothing happened. But then something hits me- she was talking to Dexter. This morning. So he can't be dead... right?

"... and he said that he thinks Hunter is totally going to ask you out," Raven says, lugging a suitcase into the room. She unzips it, and it falls open.

"No." I mean, seriously, no. Hunter is going to ask me out?

"Yes," Raven nods, and I turn to my cupboard of clothes. What to wear to my first day of Ever After?

I see Hunter, on the other side of the courtyard, and I try not to bound towards him. Instead, I focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Hunter sees me, and he smiles and waves. Just as I'm about to reach him, I notice Gossamer, running towards him.

She practically jumps into his arms, which shocks both him and me. Scream. Scream. Scream. Scream. Scr-

"Hey, Hunter, I missed you!" she chirps, and says the unthinkable. "Want to go out with me?"