Fire Scarred

Chapter Nine

     We left pretty quickly after that. Breakfast and first period had come to a close by the time we arrived back at the center of camp. The wind, a swift column of air, licked at our skin. Whether it was me, Leo, or nature itself causing the force around us I wasn't sure. We left Josh and Noah at the Hall, and then proceeded to the cabin. We told them we'd meet up again at lunch for our afternoon classes, but for now they were on their own. Sitting across from me at their table, Georgia and Raylynn waited for me to start talking. Their silence and unwavering gazes made my skin crawl in the upmost uncomfortable fashion. It was like they already knew what I was about to say. I felt like I was already being judged for my secret, and they were weighing my punishment. I couldn't contain myself.

     "We kissed!" The confession sprang from my mouth in the high pitched rush of a small scream. My palm slapped over my mouth.

     "You and Leo?" Georgia asked even though she nodded her head like she already knew. Her eyes were squinted, making her human features look every bit like a wolf.

     I sank in my seat. "Yeah."

     "And you're still with Noah? Does he know?" Ray asked, her mouth slightly agape.

     Georgia snapped, "Of course not. If he did, he would have killed Leo today." She took a deep breath. "How'd this happen?"

     "I. . . It, uhh. . . Y-yesterday, after me and Noah got i-into a fight, w- umm, I left and I was in the woods. A-and," My chin was trembling so much now that it was getting hard to talk. Don't cry. Please don't cry. "Leo came and a-asked what was wrong. T-then we k-k. . ." the tears started then. "I feel like s-such a bad girlfriend. I-I wasn't thinking. I didn't even know if Noah and I were still together. A-and, I don't know. I-it felt. . ."

     "Amazing?" Georgia offered.

     I nodded. "Yeah." A smile broke through the cloud of my tears, and I began laughing. The feeling that hysteria had over taken me surfaced in my mess of a mind, but didn't stop the insanity. I burst in tears once more. I must've looked mad.

     Ray scooted around and tucked me under her arm. Her hand rubbed my back in slow, smooth circles, her head resting on my shoulder. The look on her face seemed helpless and worried. She looked to Georgia to conduct the conversation.

     "Cora," she took my hand across the table. Here's the thing about Georgia: she may seem like a total jerk and act self-centered sometimes, but she had a way of making you feel like everything was going to be okay with just one word.

     A whacking noise echoed through the room as my forehead fell against the table top, a sudden cringe running through my friends. I focused on my breathing until the tears slowed to the point I could speak again. "What am I going to do?"

     She sighed, long and deep. "You're going to have to tell him. He needs to know. You can't keep something like this from him. You like him, right?"

     "Yeah, I do. But-"

     "You want to stay with him, right?"

     "Yes, of course," I said it quickly and without allowing myself much thought. It was true, though. It had to be. It was Noah after all. My Noah.

     "Okay. Good. Then you should tell him and try to fix things. It'll be all good."

     I nodded, still unconvinced. "I guess I'll be going."

     "Promise you'll tell him?"

     I gave my head another shake. "Yeah. I promise."

     "Good." After a moment, her voice reached me again, "Everything will be okay, Cora. Really."