The Sound of a Siren's Call

34.) It's Complicated

I was glad it was Castor that woke me up. A centaur watched us carefully, but it seemed like Ryan had kept her word.

"Are you ok?"

I nodded, trying to blink myself awake. "You?"

He nodded too. "Better. I saw Juniper."

I sat up more. Castor sat down next to me.

"How is she?"

"Fine."

"Is she mad at me? I didn't know..."

"I know you didn't. She's not mad."

"And you? I'm so sorry. I know that it doesn't change anything, but I'm so sorry."

He nodded. "I know. I'm not mad."

I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded absent mindedly. "You and that girl. What was her name?"

"Ryan?"

"Yeah. What about us?"

"Are you..."

I picked at my thumb.  "Together?"

"What does that mean?"

"T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R."

"Oh. Are you together?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I want either."

He nodded. "Do you like her?"

"It's complicated." I saw it in his eyes he didn't understand. I finger spelled it for him.

He repeated the sign before he asked his next question. "How?"

"I like her. A lot. But I don't trust her."

He nodded. I needed to change the subject. I was slipping. I didn't know why I trusted Castor and I felt raw and unprotected now that I'd told him something so intimate.

"You and Juniper are together?"

He nodded. "I guess."

The conversation died out. Castor eyed the centaur. Then he was talking. The centaur's nostrils flared, but they kept talking. Eventually the centaur looked at me. He nodded.

Me and Castor watched him walk away. His hooves moved at a leisurely pace. 

"How'd you do that?"

"I need S-U-P-E-R-V-I-S-I-O-N from a M-A-G-I-C-A-L C-R-E-A-T-U-R-E. You're a M-A-G-I-C-A-L C-R-E-A-T-U-R-E."

I signed the words for him. "Why are you nice to me?"

He looked surprised. "We're friends, right?"

Now it was my turn for surprise. "We are?"

"I thought so."

"But why? I haven't been nice to you."

"Yeah, you have."

"When?"

"You talked to me on the S-H-I-P."

"Only because you were first."

"S-T-I-L-L."

I smiled and signed "still," my hands gliding forward.

Then his slight smile dropped. I followed his gaze. Ryan was walking toward us.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Ryan."

"Are you feeling better?"