Fears To Face

∞ Chapter 48 ∞

~ Rayne ~

The first thing I heard when I walked into Adan's and closed the door from the locker room behind me was, "Oh, he finally figured out what work was again. You lost your brain for a week?" Kelly, a very self-centered girl with red lips, high cheekbones, red heels and short skirts – when she got the chance – glared at me with her arms crossed.

"I was sick," I told her.

"Yeah, well, you could have called. You disappeared for over a week without calling in you were unable to come. We had to cover up your shifts. I had asked free for one night, just one," she was angrily pointing one finger in the air while the other arm was still holding the other, "And now I had to cancel my plans because you are such a... a..."

"A what?" I asked her, slightly irritated.

"A selfish idiot. Yes, that's what you are." She nodded like she was proud of calling me names.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I don't owe you an explanation. I'll speak with Owen."

Her face turned into a smirk. "Yeah, do. I hope he will finally send you away."

I turned around and headed to Owen's office without another word to Kelly, but on my way there I got nervous. What if he did fire me? Would I be able to find a different job here? With a slightly turning stomach I knocked on his door and opened it when he welcomed me in. I settled myself against the wall and said, "Hi."

Owen's eyes widened and he sat back in his chair. "Rayne. You're back." I tried to smile, but the nerves got the best of me and it became more of a grimace. "What happened? You never let me down like that. You're never even sick." I had a hard time figuring out whether his voice sounded angry or not.

I swallowed. "I'm so sorry, Owen. I never meant to disappear like that. I wish I would have been able to call. I know I let you down and I'm really sorry. I – "

Owen smiled before he said, "Rayne, I get it. Kayley came and explained you were sick." Then his face turned sour. "She was pretty messed up and she looked exhausted. Was it really that bad?"

I looked down at my hands. I couldn't tell him the truth, I knew that. "Yeah. I – " I took a dep breath, desperately searching for some courage, then looked back up at him. "I really wish I could explain, but I can't. All I can tell you is that it has been critical for a couple of days and Kayley was so busy taking care of me she completely forgot to call you and I was unable to. I know I owe you a better explanation, but this is all I can say." I bit my lip, ashamed and feeling guilty. Owen was a good man and I felt like I was failing him.

Owen nodded slowly. "You don't have to tell me everything, Rayne, but tell me this. Did it have to do with your problem with anger sometimes and your change of eye colour once a month, or when you just got really pissed?"

I looked down and nodded. "Yes."

He looked at me for a while, then nodded slowly again. "You're different Rayne. I know that and I won't judge you for it, but just try to let me know the next time, okay?"

A relieved breath escaped my lips. "Thank you so much, Owen. It will not happen again." Let it please never happen again. It had been more of a hell than he could imagine.

"Off to work then," he smiled.

I smiled back and said, "Thanks," again before I opened the door and went back into the kitchen. Kelly was waiting for me with a sneer and her arms crossed.

"And?" she asked as I passed her.

I shrugged and turned back around. "I'm going to do my work, do you mind?"

Her smirk disappeared and now her mouth hung open. "You got away with that?! How is it possible that you can do anything and get away with it while you're such a freak? How is that fair? I'll tell you, it's not."

I shrugged again. I had stopped caring about their opinions a long time ago. I knew I wasn't a freak. Kayley showed me that. She showed me a lot of things. "Sure, listen, I have work to do, bye."

She wasn't going to let me go off that easily and followed me. "Did you brainwash him or something? There's no other way Owen let you get away with that." I didn't even care to answer. "I really don't understand how a guy like you can have a girlfriend, either. She must be just as crazy."

My jaw clenched. "Are you done?" I asked angrily. She started smiling again. I didn't want to satisfy her, but I couldn't help but get mad when she was talking about Kayley like that.

"No actually, I'm not," she said.

I heard someone growl under her breath and drop something. Zoey came around the corner and stopped beside me, crossing her arms and spreading her feet so they were at shoulders width apart. "Kelly, don't you have better things to do?" she asked frustrated. Kelly cocked her head to the side and I looked at Zoey, one eyebrow raised. She kept looking at Kelly though, a thin line on her lips.

"Well?" she pressured. Kelly made a frustrated sound and turned away, back to work. "That's what I thought," Zoey said, a satisfied smile appearing on her mouth. I smiled at her, but she only noticed after a couple of moments, when she finally looked up at me. "What?" she said as she saw me shaking my head. We went back to our own places and started working. Zoey shrugged when the amused expression still hadn't left my face. "She was being an idiot. Someone had to tell her." She poked in my side. "I don't think you're a freak, Rayne. And I'm glad you're back. This place is super boring without you."

I smiled. "Thanks. I missed you, too."

**AN**

The chapters are shorties, I know :(  But that's why I'm uploading a few. Also, I just noticed that wattpad deleted my extra 'enters' whenever there is a break in the chapter, so I went back and added a tiny star to show where the chapter is split. Sorry if it confused you before!