Destined

Seventy

I was nervous. Actually, nervous doesn't begin to cover what I was feeling when I found myself standing in front of my boarding house. I'd only been gone for five weeks but everything felt different. Strange.

"Are you okay?" Vince squeezed my hand beside me.
I nodded, "I have to be," I answered and opened the door.

I still had my key, which I made a mental note to leave behind this time.

"Krissy!" Maddie rushed up to me immediately.

I was barely through the threshold when her arms were around me in a tight hug.

"Hey Mads," I hugged her back.
"You found her," Liz appeared and hugged me just as Maddie released me.
"Yeah," Vince answered.
"Don't ever do that again," Maddie said to me. "We were worried sick. Your mum said you were fine but you weren't answering our calls, and you!" She glared at Vince. "You're lucky you found her and brought her back because I had half a mind to castrate you,"

What?

"Whoa, what? Why are you mad at Vince?" I asked.
"Why else? He's the reason you just disappeared, right?" Liz asked.
"What? No," I answered and they both stared at me, confused. "I broke up with him guys, after I chose to leave, he had nothing to do with it, and we're all good, we're fine," I said wrapping an arm around Vince's waist, to reassure both myself and them that he was really back in my life.
"Oh," they both said at the same time.
"Well I'm just glad you're back," Maddie said hugging me again.
I frowned, "Uh, I'm not back....exactly,"
"What do you mean?" Liz asked.
"I dropped out of school guys, I'm just back to pack my stuff up," I told them.

"Yeah...But aren't you reapplying? I thought maybe you just needed a breather, you know, after the year we've had, it's not a bad idea. Take some time to travel, to be with Vince, I don't know, but you can't just drop out, you've wanted to be a judge since forever!" Maddie ranted.

I grinned at her, "Maddie, I love you," I said and she smiled at me. "I love you guys both so much....wait where's Talia?"
"Here," she appeared at the door behind us. "I can't believe you guys left this poor sweetheart in the car," she said patting Holly's head.

Immediately both Liz and Maddie rushed to my dog, hugging and petting her. She barked, soaking up the attention. Vince stepped away, to give them more room, as we were all crowding the doorway and like a magnet, Holly moved away from the girls and circled Vince.

"You little traitor," Liz said staring at my dog.
"I know," I shrugged.
"I used to feed you treats," Maddie said in disbelief.
"Sorry girls, I'm just better looking," Vince said, and bent over to pat Holly's head.
"Can't argue with that," Talia said then she came over to hug me. "I've missed you,"
I smiled, hugging her back, "Me too, did you get her out through the window?" I asked referring to Holly.
"Nah, Vince didn't lock the doors," she explained.
"Krissy here was just explaining her choice to leave MechanU," Maddie said.
"Holly and I are going to take a walk," Vince said. "Give you girls some privacy,"
I stared at him, "Thanks,"
"No problem," he leaned over and kissed my forehead. "See you girls later,"

We all watched Vince leave, Holly happily wagging her tail behind him.

"Hot chocolate?" I asked.
"Yes," they all answered in unison.

It was a tradition of ours to sit and catch up over hot chocolate when we hadn't seen each other in a while. This was as good as any.

A few minutes later, we were seated at our dining table with our sweet beverage and marshmallows.

"And that's why I've decided I don't want to be a judge anymore,"

I'd explained that after what I'd gone through, being attacked by Professor Darke, twice, being kidnapped and of course knowing about Roger's and Tyler's murder, Jonah's suicide, Celine's rape, I just didn't have the mental capacity to be surrounded by crime in the future. In fact, I just wanted a crime free life.