Red Roses

Chapter Three: Mad Hatter

Here's the next chapter! 

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Chapter Three: Mad Hatter 

I finally had a night where I didn't dream about John or Dexter. Instead, I dreamt of Drake. It was weird, but he had been occupying my thoughts in a not so normal way. It was normal to see him differently now, I guess. That's what had been so screwed up lately between us. Something changed and we both knew it. I'm glad I finally began pushing him away from me a bit. It was a good thing, right? It's foolish to trust a faerie who can spin his words better than a spider can spin her thread. 

I rolled over on my other side only to see the hair brush Drake left behind. I then noticed another neatly wrapped gift by the brush. I knew it was from Drake by how perfect and orderly the gift was. I carefully unwrapped the gift and found a small silver hair clip in the shape of a crescent moon that was similar to the moon around my neck. This one had a small blue stone on the tip of it. 

This was so Drake. 

I gripped it tightly before putting it in my hair, feeling childish. 

The door swung open and I heard someone call, "Matty, you here?" 

I leaned over the side of my bed. "Cooper, what are you doing here?" 

Ruth groaned. "What do you want, Cooper?" 

"Cooper!" Daisy squealed as she flew over to him. Cooper smiled a little sickly at her, but it was better than the usual reaction to faeries. Unicorn boy just glared at him. I wonder what his deal was since I remember him and Cooper getting along in Fae. 

Cooper took off his thick red leather jacket and threw carelessly on Unicorn boy, who jumped and glared at the offending red jacket, before Cooper handed me some coffee. "I just…thought I should see you. You looked sick yesterday in theatre." 

I sipped my coffee as he eyed the hair clip. He frowned, but didn't say anything for a quiet, awkward moment that hung in the air. We needed to talk, but how do you begging to talk about faeries with someone who's been lying about a lot of things since she was eight? 

"So, you got to sleep, I'm guessing?" He asked as I nodded. "Good, you've been making everyone worried. Even Drake's been fluttering around like a moron, but then again, he always does that around you."

Ruth got up and shook her head. "It goes right over her head." 

"Really?" 

"Sort of like how Matty's feelings for you went right over yours." Ruth said as she got dressed, ignoring Cooper. 

"What are you two talking about?" 

Daisy sighed as Unicorn boy groaned before Cooper said, "If you don't get it then I'm not going to say anything, but you really shouldn't be so oblivious all the time." Unicorn boy threw his jacket back at Cooper. "Speaking of the twerp, where is he?" 

"He's taller than you when he's in human form," I reminded him, but Cooper just glared at me. "And I don't know. I don't care."

"They argued and he's off in the faerie courts," Ruth said as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. 

Cooper decided to change the subject with, "Anyway, what are you two doing for winter break?" 

"Going home," Ruth said with a smile, "and sleeping. No faeries, no murderers, or anything weird for a few weeks." 

"I'm staying here. Dad said he was going to visit my aunts and his family for a bit and he's afraid that if I go with him I'll get in trouble," I explained before taking another long sip of coffee. It wasn't sweet enough. Drake always used to make coffee too sweet. "I can't tell anymore if he's afraid of me or what's been going on."