take me home || akashi seijuro

Chapter 40 - Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sometimes, all we need is faith, trust, and pixie dust. -Peter Pan

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Just a few more days left... Dani thought to herself. Her eyes did a sideways glance to the person not far from her- Aria. Slowly, she was beginning to smile and have a little hope. Why did I even helped that idiot? She asked.

Aria can really brighten up a day with just one smile.

She followed the others but kept a safe distance.

Selaphiel gave them a tour around the guardians' residence with all the other guardians tailing behind them.

As she walked to the fields, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Axel.

Flashback:

There Danielle stood in front of the window, looking at the outside of her room, waiting for Selaphiel to call her so they can have their talk.

Her mind was occupied with thoughts of Aria. Flashbacks of their times together kept popping.

When did I started hating her? She tried to recall, her fists clenched when she remembered the time they first met each other. Back then, her innocent mind adored Aria so much.

She'd always defend me when I was bullied. Before, Dani was always seen as the charity case of Aria Torres in grade school. Aria never gave treated me wrongly.

Heck, it was the exact opposite. Dani has always been Aria's top priority. But it wasn't enough.

People saw how Aria cared for Dani which made them worship the former even more.

It started with adoration but as they grew up together, it was wiped off by a negative emotion, jealousy.

It was not surprising to be compared with Aria considering they are the best of friends. With Aria in the picture, she can only be 'second best' and for Dani that wasn't acceptable.

She tried to change her look and surpass Aria in any way. She excelled in academics but the cruel society they lived in never gave notice to her brilliance. What's worse, she's even nicknamed as then 'Nerdy Version of Aria'.

Aria lived to be this cheerful, straightforward, manager of their school's basketball team. While Dani distanced herself and stuck her nose in a book.

Aria couldn't let Dani be an outcast so she brought Dani to their team's practice.

It was love at first sight.

Dani saw basketball as a sport with sweaty guys trying to shoot a basket then win. The minute she finished watching a game she knew she was wrong.

From then on, Dani ditched her books and joined Aria in shaping their school's basketball team.

"You're thinking of her, aren't you?" Axel's voice rang behind her.

Unconsciously, Dani felt her fists clench. Not because she was angry but because she knew Axel was right. "No." She simply answered. She would never admit that to anyone.

Aria... she never did anything wrong...

"You miss being with her, am I right?"

This made Dani face her guardian in a swift motion. Unknown to Dani, her eyes showed the emotions she can't admit which made Axel realize what she really wants to say.

"Aria..." Dani bobbed her head down as she thinks of Aria's misanthropic attitude. The once cheerful facade was broken down by her distrustfulness. "She... gave up?"