2003 (WIP)

Autumn

Inola woke up to a chilly breeze flowing through their apartment and she quickly recoiled under the covers. She had forgotten summer was almost over, but she didn't expect it to subtly become cold so soon.

It was just the beginning of the fall though, nothing they couldn't handle.

She didn't even want to move from underneath the covers due to fear of ruining the warmth under the covers. She peered upwards, leaning her head back as she looked outside the window behind them. The sky was a depressing gray, the clouds hazing over the city like a fluffy blanket.

She looked at her friends, who were still sleeping, although Crystal was sleeping fitfully. Shadow looked so quiet and still you could've thought he was dead save for the rising and falling of his sides.

She sucked it up and slid out of bed, she had to move at some point anyway.

This apparently woke Shadow, who was, again, the lightest sleeper she had ever encountered. The crow turned his head, quickly pushing himself up and rubbing his cheek.

"Morning" she whispered as she fluffed out her own hoodie.

"Cold" Shadow groaned, forgetting his cheek was bruised as he touched it.

"For real" Inola hopped out of the window, looking down at the streets below them. She rested her elbows on the railing.

"So.." Shadow rested next to her.

"What are we gonna do?" The avian nudged her.

"What do you mean?" She kept staring below them.

"We found out why Alpha is killing people..why not confront him or Nicodemus about it?" Shadow offered his solutions, which to her seemed like fairly good ones. But..despite Shadow's rather pacifist personality she doubted Alpha would listen to any kind of sane reason.

"Nicodemus already knows why and..I don't want to cause anything with Alpha" she murmured.

There was a small silence in their conversation.

"Is it because you're nervous about your deal with him?" Shadow asked gently.

"Partially" she shrugged with a discontent sigh.

"Ah" Shadow said quietly.

"I don't..I don't think I want the deal anymore" she forced out the words, no matter how unreasonable they sounded.

Shadow looked baffled "you don't?"

"No..I don't" she shook her head.

"Ever since I really joined the gang I.." she trailed off.

The avian looked at her patiently, offering nothing but his attention.

"I became a better person" she sighed.

"I know we're not necessarily obeying the law..or doing anything that's morally right. Meaning stealing and stuff. But..it seems despite all of that I made better friends, I got better teachers.." she murmured.