Hybrid

Honey and Salt

I was busy shuffling through my locker, searching for a textbook I hadn't even opened yet. My eyes burned from exhaustion, and I felt them dropping every few seconds. My entire body felt numb, and at this very moment, I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Hey." Tiana appeared beside me.

"What do you want?" I asked, too tired to feel angry.

"I just heard you broke up with Maria. I know that she meant a lot to you, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry it didn't work out," Tiana said.

I expected her to continue, but she just gave me a sympathetic smile and left. I was surprised she didn't push her boundary like she normally did. I was more than ready to tell her off because I was in such a shitty mood that I would've used any excuse to get angry at someone.

"What does she want?" Isaac asked.

"Nothing actually," I said.

"Maybe Tiana has a clone," Isaac considered.

"With all this new technology, I wouldn't be surprised if she had an army," I huffed.

Isaac looked as shitty as I did. Most of the pack looked broken. There was nothing I could do to help them get out of this funk when I couldn't stop my own anger from pouring out every time someone mentioned Maria.

It hurt me to see everyone looking like hell. I was fairly certain Isaac hadn't eaten a full meal in over a week. We all lost purpose, and it didn't make sense to search for any.

I looked in my locker, seeing a tiny wrapped box that I had bought before this entire month went to shit. Before we knew Maria's father was still alive, I went out and bought a small ring that had Dad spelled out in gold on it.

I grabbed the box and threw it away in the nearest trash can. I felt more than enough irony at the thought that I had wanted Maria to have a piece of her father with her. I wish that man had actually died when he was supposed to.

I stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway, with Isaac having to move around me to not run into me. I wasn't this person that wished anyone was dead. I didn't like who I was becoming with all this anger in my system.

"We need to find something to do," I explained.

"There's a party later tonight, but I didn't think we would be up for it," Isaac said.

"We have to do something," I said, "We'll go."

When we made it to class, Maria was nowhere to be found. It was best that she wasn't around after what happened. I think I would've exploded if I had seen her. Disappearing was something she was exceptional at.

I felt some of my anger subside with her being gone. I didn't feel as on edge as I did walking into the room. I felt even better when we had made it home without any problems. Isaac forced me to put some effort into what I was wearing, despite not bothering himself.

The party was at some rich kids house. I never understood why rich people were never home, but after meeting the host I could understand. The kid running the show reminded me of a stereotypical douchebag that thought he was a god.

I was handed a drink, but I didn't come here to get drunk, so I didn't touch a drop as I carried it around with me. The music was loud enough that I couldn't hear my own thoughts, and I made myself comfortable leaning against a wall.

I could see Isaac flirting with a cute blonde. It was a good sign, considering he had barely spoken to anyone in a few days. Somehow, he managed to lead her upstairs in record time. I turned my head back to the party to see a pair of eyes watching me.