Opal

3 ☾ Distraction

Opal POV

When I get to the front door of Rain's house, I can already feel my blood pressure rising despite the frigid temperatures biting at my fingertips. I want to hang out with my friend, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. Is it worth the pain of being here? Is it too late to bail?

Rain throws the door open. I didn't knock but 3 seconds ago. The 16 year old girl's nostrils flare, she grips the door with one hand and the other hand is planted firmly on her hip.

Yeah, it's definitely too late to bail.

"It's about damn time! I am so tired of this place. I am suffocating." She complains, and I almost laugh. She dodges one of her little siblings as they run by like a blur. Rain giving a shriek as a little tyke latches onto her leg with a death grip. I hold back a laugh, not wanting to piss her off further.

"Lucy, I swear to the Goddess that I will slap you across the face. Don't test me." The little girl laughs, but listens to her older sister's wishes and runs off. "Little demons. I swear. Let's go."

Relief floods me when she slams the door and runs down the porch steps, away from the building of painful reminder, her long black hair flying behind her like a flag. She grabs my hand, dragging me along as she heads for the woods. Snow doesn't deter her sense of adventure. I think of Kiefer. My lips turn down.

This outing is supposed to be fun. My brain isn't going to ruin it for me.

We always hang out in the trees, a lot of people around here do. We grew up here. It's where we belong. The nature of the mountains calls to us.

Luckily, Alpha Veiler built a little play cabin in the woods for us kids to play in. It's more of a shed, but we still keep it clean and furnished. It's our hangout spot. Another knife in the heart as far as I'm concerned. I can't escape the reminders of Kiefer. They're everywhere.

I remember so many tender moments spent among these woods. The days when Keifer and I could just run and frolic and spend hours together until the sun disappeared behind the mountains. I can remember it all so well, as if it happened just yesterday. I still hear his laugh, smell his scent on the wind while we chased each other. We used to collapse in a pile of giggles when we caught up with each other.

Well, now I have Rain. Despite the 7 year age gap, we're still close. All of us are. There's Daniel and Felix, and Ivy and Arrow, AKA Klepto and Ezra's kids. Rome and Martha, Ryk and Tressandra's oldest. Ray, Stacey and Reid's only child, who is also my cousin. She's very reserved, quiet and thoughtful, everything her Mother isn't.

All of us are around the same age. Our parents are close, so it only makes sense that we would be as well.

But sometimes I latch onto Rain exclusively, though. She reminds me of Keifer. Even if it's painful to be reminded of him, I'm still drawn to anything that will keep him with me somehow.