The Gold and the Forest

V

Chapter 5: We Were Freshmen

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"What are you going to do, get your friends to come get me?" She stopped and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, yeah." A smirk curled at her lips. "What friends?"

He clenched his teeth, unable to say anything to her. She hated him since freshmen year, he reciprocated the feeling. The two consistently have bitter feuds and lashed at each other almost daily. She was a witch.

They both sensed it in each other. They both had been backstabbed before, and instead of befriending each other, they circle the other in an insistent cycle of crass words.

Bitch. Slut. Whore. Fuck-up. Dog. Snake.

"I don't need friends." He muttered under his breath, spinning on his heel and turning away.

He didn't suspect that two years later he would be falling over at her every word.

---

He had turned one friend on the other. They argued in the hallway, unknown that he was within earshot of them. He smiled, liking the feeling of chaos, of separation. He walked down the halls, adorning the look of innocence. He was the symbol of peace, of quiet.

The Yin to his Yang. The snarl to his whisper. She looked upon his ways, eyes knowing raw truth.

They bumped into each other often, like magnets.

He shot a casual smirk at her, after all, in front of her, he couldn't help but let his negativity wash over him. She frowned.

"Having fun, aren't you?" She folded her arms, leaning against the wall.

He left his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, mirroring her. "How could you ask that? Of course, I'm concerned." He feigned concern. "I just don't think it's in my ability to stop them."

She removed herself from the wall, gritting her teeth. He saw that she had balled up her hands into fists.

"You know for a fact that you can influence anyone so that they do what you say."

"You flatter me."

"How could you do this to them?" She seethed, getting up close and personal. "You twist their naïve hearts and turn them against each other."

He laughed briefly, his hair falling over his eyes as he grinned at the ground.

"You know, there are many things that could separate a close pair." He looked into her eyes, unafraid, unyielding. "No matter how close you get, the same things can cut you two apart. The only difference between the separation of acquaintances and friends is the amount of pain that's left behind."

Her fury increased, and she shoved past him.

---

Cent was sleeping in his arms, her back facing him. It was everything he could ever want. He blinked.

So, what was that?

He brushed a hand against her hair and pulled her closer. The morning sun filtered through the blue curtains and onto the white sheets. The girl he held dearer than anything or anyone else was once someone who could tear him down in one standing.

She saw him through everything, no matter where she was standing.

She had hurt him, he had hurt her.

Her leg jerked, claiming its rightful place on top of his. "It's too hot." She mumbled.

"What's that?" He smiled, moving closer. "It's so cold? Why, Cent, you could've told me sooner."

"Kade—" She whined, trying to inch away. "Prick sack."

He buried his face into her shoulder. She stopped moving, tensing.

"What's wrong?" Her voice sobered.

"Cent. I'm okay."

"No, you're not." She felt her shirt getting wet. She turned around, with some difficulty and pried off the hands that covered his face. She sighed. "Had a bad dream?"

"Why didn't you like me sooner?"

She stopped breathing for a second before sighing.

"Why didn't you ask me out sooner?"

"I did."

"Why didn't you stop being a prick sooner?"

"I wish I always had you."

She was patting his shoulder gently. "Yeah. Well, you have me now."

He closed his eyes, evening out his breathing.

She kissed his hand. "Crybaby."

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. Her shy eyes, looking at his fingers as she pretended to count them. Playing with his hand was her way of saying "I love you". It was endearing.

"Sorry." He laughed.

"Don't be sorry, Prince."

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