~ Breathe ~

{Chapter 4}

Christella and Gianna had been talking for a while before Heath came back with some food.

"Hey Chrissy, who's this?" He asked.

"I'm her new friend, Gia." Gia introduced herself.

Christella liked that Gia held the confidence that she didn't have, it was a sense of comfort that she had made a friend outside of school. Although she didn't know if she could hold down the friendship, she could only try. The thought was nice.

"What school are you going to?" Gia asked Heath and Christella.

"We were at Evergreen College, but Heath and I are moving to Elbrus Academy."

"No way! That's where my entire family have been going for years!"

"Are you going there?"

"I am. I start this year actually. We'll be school buddies!"

"Apparently it's really hard to get into. It's an ancient school. We only got in because we were enrolled from when we were born. And our parents went there."

"Our family had a good reputation until my brothers —twins — went and caused complete havoc."

Christella chuckled.

Just then, Maggie Wilone, Gia's mum came up to the group.

"Ready to go Gianna?"

"Mum! Please don't call me Gianna!" Gia whined.

Maggie rolled her eyes at her daughters antics.

"Heath, what are we going to do?" Christella asked him.

The pair were walking down the sidewalk back home, taking their time.

"I don't know, I really don't. You've stuck it out this long, just hold on a little longer."

"I know I have, I just — look at my hands Heath. They're covered in these red spots and I have no idea what they are — or how to get rid of them. What did we do to deserve this?"

Heath stayed quiet.

"Hey, you're wearing your square glasses today — you haven't worn them in a while." Christella tried to change the subject. It seemed that all they spoke about now days was the disease that plagued Christella's body.

"Yeah," Heath chuckled. "I saw a picture of mum and dad the other day, and he was wearing these glasses. We look just like them Stella."

"It's a scary thought, isn't it? The way they died, and what they did to save us. They loved us, a whole lot. They had to have. They died for us."

"I only remember a bang, and then silence."

"I don't remember anything at all."

"You were what — five months old? You couldn't even talk."

Christella smiled halfheartedly in memory of her parents.

"Do you think it was my fault? If they didn't have me, you, mum and dad would have been able to get out before they came, or something."

"Stop it. It's not your fault that our parents died."

"It feels like it."

"Oh, hello freaks, fancy seeing you two here."

Daniel Damien, better known as the Pryce children's cousin, happened to be in the park with his friends that afternoon when Christella and Heath had visited.

"Oh please, the only freak here is you considering you're freakishly —"

"Shh! Christella!" Heath scolded.

On previous occasions Christella had gotten in a lot of trouble due to her sarcastic nature. She seemed to have trouble with biting her tongue, and she tended to have no filter at the best of times.

Daniel must've figured out what Christella was getting at, as he charged at the girl. She pushed Heath out the way to keep him out of harms way and took the blow to her stomach. She faltered slightly, but stood up wrong once more in a matter of seconds.

"I'm telling my dad, and that's when you'll really get it."