Strained

Chapter Two

As the door creaked open, I gulped. Erik stayed next to me, waiting for me to take the first step. I wanted to turn around and avoid this situation altogether. Except, I couldn't do that to my friends. I chose this -- leaving and not returning any of their calls or texts. I had to deal with the consequences, whatever they were. The first step was hard to take, but then after that, it was easy. One foot in front of the other, one of my favorite mottos. 

I moved through the crowd of over-excited teenagers, bee-lining straight to the line for food. I think I was going to indulge in cheese pizza. I gestured for Erik to go first. He grabbed an empty tray and piled on the food. I grabbed a slice of pizza and filled a plate of salad. At least, it kind of balanced each other out. It would be nice to get back into a routine. It was the only thing I had missed from my Summer trip with Jamie. 

Thinking about him caused my stomach to stir. 

We moved through the line, then it was time to head to our table. Erik led the way, looking over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure I was still there. Everyone was there -- at the same table as last year, which gave me a sense of belonging. Ivelyn was glaring at me, which I suspected might be the case. She was wearing an all-white leather outfit. I don't know how she was able to breathe in the suffocating outfit.

Kate and Mir were on either side of Ivelyn, their usual spots. Addie sat across from Mir. I should have taken the spot across from Ivelyn, that was the spot I usually took. I couldn't bring myself to sit by Addie, so instead, I sat across from Kate. Erik didn't waver for a second and sat in between me and Addie. I pretended not to notice the awkward tension. I took a bit of salad so I didn't have to say anything. 

"You're back," Ivelyn didn't say it like a question. I nodded and took another bite. "No comment?" Her tone was hostile. There was something about her that was different. She was on edge like something had popped her perfect bubble. It seemed to be a common theme amongst the group. 

I looked around. 

"I don't see Troy, you guys still dating?" I knew she was pissed at me, but she left too. Everyone had left, so why were they upset that I had too? It seemed a little hypocritical to me. Ivelyn leaned back, her leather outfit creaking as she did.

"We're-- It's complicated, wait! That's not what we're going to talk about," she snapped. "Who just goes off with a complete stranger? What if it had been a long lost cousin of Daniel's and they killed you? Or worse!" Her tone was nearing screechy. Someone was going to hear her if she didn't calm down. 

This wasn't the reaction I had been expecting.

"What Ivelyn means is, we were all really worried about you," Mir translated. I gave her a quick smile.

"Worried is one of many words I want to use," Ivelyn added snarkily. I rolled my eyes. 

"I do have powers, just in case, you all forgot. I would have been fine," I went back to eating my salad. Addie had stayed incredibly quiet during all of this. Something about that was bugging me. 

"You had powers when Giu attacked you in the hallway too," Addie said quietly. I stared at her incredulously. Of course, now she chooses to talk. 

"That was different," I felt myself getting upset. This wasn't going as I had planned. 

"Or when Naomi attacked you and destroyed the potion," again, Addie brought up things that didn't matter. When Giu and Naomi attacked me, I had other people's lives to consider. My fist clenched at my sides.

"What are you even doing here? I thought you removed yourself from the Coven? This conversation kind of counts as official Coven business, which you're not apart of anymore." As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. I didn't want to fight with Addie. I was just hurt by her no longer wanting to be apart of the Coven. Things had changed so fast and I was afraid of it. I was tired of losing people.