Depend On Me [18+]

A Breath of Fresh Air

Chapter 51

***Mora***

Carly walks up to the group and throws her bag on the table. Her back straightens and she raises her head as if challenging us. Her sharp eyes trail over us and she clears her throat. 

"Well?" She asks in a sharp tone. 

As the silence stretches, she shifts her weight back and forth and her confidence slips.

I stare in awe and reach out, not quite touching her.

She nudges her shaven head into my hand and I take the opportunity to rub it, enjoying the prickly fuzz. 

"It's ... different." Raol said after a while. 

Kaiden's eyes gleam and, with the way his hands were twitching, I knew that he wanted to touch it.  He circles her, looking at her from different angles. 

"You look like a completely different person." He murmurs. "You did it by yourself? Why didn't you ask me for help?" 

"It was in heat of the moment." Carly blushes. "Why? Is it bad?"

Raol clears his throat and pushes Kaiden away. "As a professional, I believe I should be the one talking." He narrows his eyes and inspects Carly's head. "It's a little uneven but it works. Drop by my room and I'll take care of it."

She beams. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"Oh, my Goddess!" A surprise voice shrieks behind us. 

Jade stood next to Eros with a half-eaten grilled cheese in his hand. His eyes widen and his eyebrows were twitching quite comically. Eros only stare at her curiously and said nothing. 

"What?" Carly asks and went to tuck her hair subconsciously, just to realize that she didn't have hair anymore. 

"I'm just surprised." He gapes at her. "You had a massive hair obsession throughout middle school and would scream every time I tried to touch your curls."

She flushes and gave him a dirty look. "Stop bringing up my dark past."

Jade laughs. "What brought this on?"

"I guess I couldn't really recognize myself after all of this drama." Carly scratches her nose and shrugs. "I just needed a change."

He smiles softly. "Well, it looks good."

She mirrors the smile and bumps his shoulder. "Thanks."

I rub my chin against her head and Kaiden stares at me weirdly. I shrug. It felt nice. 

Should I cut my hair too? I muse through our bond and Kaiden's eyes narrow.

"Anyways. Let's get this meeting started." Kaiden rubs his shoulder and eyes us sheepishly. "As everyone knows, I messed up and gave away our element of surprise. I apologize for not keeping my promise. I'll work harder to make it up."

Silence met his apologies as all of us stare at him.

" It happens." Raol clears his throat and crosses his arms over his chest.  "I'm not going to lie, but I'm not exactly sure what our plans are. I'm just here."

Jade nods along. "There is too much information too much going on. I'm just here for moral support. The only thing I'm sure about is that we're inviting Elder Joseph as a guest in this competition and we need to level up. What happens next?"

"Honestly," I start, leaving Carly's head alone. "Kaiden and I have been making plans as we go. Right now, Elder Joseph is my number one priority. I'm hoping to beat him within every inch of his life so I can feel better about my existence. That's it. That's the grand plan. So, everyone, calm down and live out your life. "