The Wild Within

Supernova

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SEVENTEEN

"Why are your lips swollen?" Adelaide inquires the next morning, as we munch on boiled quail eggs.

I almost choke on my tea, warmth rushing to my face.

"Yeah, Leila," Darius says seriously. "What happened? Are you okay?"

I glower at him and he grins.

"I'm not sure," I tell Adelaide. "Maybe I bit them in my sleep."

"Or it could be allergies," Darius supplies helpfully.

"Yours are red as well," Adelaide observes with a frown. "Did you punch each other?"

Darius struggles to keep a straight face. "Maybe a bit."

"What? Oh no!" She looks between us. "So you're still fighting after yesterday? Or did you make up?"

"Made out — sorry — up. Yes, up," he replies, and I cough loudly.

"So you're friends again?"

"Friends," Darius muses, his eyes glinting cheekily as they meet mine. "Yes we are."

"Enough questions, Adelaide," I say firmly. "Time for a shower."

When she heads to the bathroom, Darius's gaze meets mine and we both burst out laughing.

"Friends?" I demand, smacking his arm lightly.

He raises an eyebrow in mock concern. "Is that not what we are?"

"Oh, sure," I mutter sarcastically. "Because friends totally do that."

"Do what?" He blinks innocently and I roll my eyes.

"Let's go hunting."

"No, hold up," he says solemnly, as I thrust a backpack and his bow into his arms. "I'm having an identity crisis. What are we?"

"You are about to be pushed down a hill," I promise.

"That eager to get your hands back on me already?" he smirks, and I flush in spite of myself.

I feel happier than I have in years, and not even the waterlogged ground that soaks my socks can dampen my spirits. The air has the distinctive smell that lingers after rain — something indefinable and fresh.

I'm hesitant to leave Adelaide alone after her snake bite incident but I've made her promise to stay indoors, so I hope she will be safe. It's better than coming hunting with us anyway and, if I'm being honest, I want some time alone with Darius. He links his fingers through mine as we walk, and I'm reminded vividly of high school, wandering the corridors hand in hand with my crush. Except there's no school, just rolling plains of silty soil, marshy grass, and leaves speckled with the remnants of raindrops, as though someone has sprinkled silvery glitter on all the treetops.

"So where are we off to today?" he asks as I skip ahead, feeling lighter than air.

I point out the deeply imprinted tracks in the muddy ground. "Impala just passed through here recently."

The next few weeks pass in a riot of laughter, fun, and stolen kisses. I feel like a sunflower seed, buried for so long in the grainy soil, slumbering amongst the earthworms and silt. But now, watered with Darius's affection and care, I burst through the surface, blossoming forth, my bright yellow petals unfurling in the sun. I can't control the almost permanent smile I have plastered on my face, and I feel positively giddy every time I hear his deep, booming laugh. The days blend into a blur of merriness, and the nights cloak whispered conversations and warm cuddles.