Amneisa

Amnesia XXXIII

The weather wasn't too bad so Addison decided to take an evening stroll around the Academy. It was quite dark outside. With it being December, seven o'clock was pitch black. There were Victorian-style lamp posts around the Academy that illuminated the grounds. Isabelle, Thomas and Sydney were sitting on a bench laughing with each other. Where was Katerina? Was she still avoiding her? "Hey!"

Thomas was the only one who smiled back at her. The other two girls looked anywhere else but at Addison. Avoiding eye contact, Isabelle spoke. "I've just remembered that I have homework due for tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, me too," replied Sydney.

The both of them said a quick goodbye to Thomas and then scurried off to the Academy. Addison watched them walk away and then looked back at him. "Have I done something wrong?"

Thomas gave her a sad smile. "Blair sort of gave us all a warning not to talk to you."

Her suspicion was confirmed. It explained why Katerina was avoiding her. Blair probably threatened her modelling contract, something that Katerina would always protect before anything else. Addison didn't know what Blair had over everyone else but it was probably big. "But you're still talking to me."

"Because you stood up for me."

Addison smiled. Even though she didn't know Thomas that much, he had still chosen her to trust with the truth about Valentina. Something that Addison wouldn't forget. "Do you know where Kat is? I haven't seen her in more than a week." Addison hated that. It was as if moving dorms had severed their friendship.

Thomas shook his head. "She's out." His lips quivered. "She's been acting weird lately."

"Yeah? How so?"

"She keeps asking about you."

Hope coursed through Addison. At least Katerina still cared, maybe their friendship wasn't all lost. "What did she ask?"

Thomas' eyes widened. He had said too much. Addison knew instantly that the questions Katerina was asking were not about her wellbeing. Thomas looked around, just like Sydney had done when Addison and gone to visit her dorm. "I have to go," Thomas replied as he stood up.

"Thomas? Is everything okay?"

Thomas gave Addison another sad smile. "I'm sorry but I need to go. Bye Addison." With that, the teenaged boy left Addison outside by herself.

Addison watched his body get smaller and smaller before he disappeared entirely. She took a seat on the bench and watched the light in one of the lamp posts flicker. The air was still. Addison's mind was racing but she tried to ignore it and focused on the flickering light instead. It was so peacefully quiet outside.

How was she going win back her friends? What was she going to do when they wouldn't even talk to her? Addison thought about it for a good ten minutes but couldn't think of an answer.

There was buzzing in her pocket. She picked up the phone and answered. "Hey."

"Hey, how you doing?" Clary sounded exhausted.

"Alright, you?"

"A bit tired but I have some work to do and I wanted to talk to you. How are you handling everything?"

Addison sighed. "Meh, I cried a bit to get it out my system."

"That only shows how much you loved them." There was a pause where both of them were too caught up in their thoughts to speak. "Oh! I have some news but I'm not sure how you're going to react."

Addison's heart began pumping a little faster. How much more bad news could she take? Was it about the case? Did they find something else? "What is it?"