Always Love || TSFGAE

Chapter Eleven~

Maddie POV~

Honestly at this point I'm questioning why Lunch is a joint activity, as neither side never and I mean never interacts with one another, honestly both groups pretend the other isn't there, though I swear I seem a fear Nevers glance over at me at times.

Lunch took place in the Clearing, an intimate picnic field outside the Blue Forest gates. To get to the Clearing, students had to journey through twisty tunnels of trees that grew narrower and narrower, until one by one, the children spat through a hollowed trunk onto emerald grass. I came through only to see my friends waiting for me on the otherside, Tedros carefully placing his hand on the small of my back and we all begin to walk towards the food station where wolves and nymphs are giving Evers and Nevers their lunches.

One of the nymphs handed me my food, and due to me being the first in line out of my friends to go, I tell them I'm quickly going to go and find a spot to sit and they all wave me off, Tedros giving me a quick peck on my forehead before letting me go which I blush at causing Beatrix to give me a teasing wink and Chaddick to faux wolf whistle under his breath causing everyone to laugh and I giggle as I walk away.

Finding a nice shady spot of grass I begin to reach into my willow basket to find the delicious looking lunch of smoked trout sandwiches, rampion salad, strawberry soufflé and a vial of sparkling lemon water. Sighing I open up the lemon water and take a sip only to be startled choking on it as Agatha and Sophie plop themselves down on the picnic mat I had chosen the two girls acting like nothing has happened these past few days between us.

As Agatha takes the food out of her bag, she goes to take a bite out of her sandwich when Sophie snatches it from her and handing Agatha her lunch instead while sobbing all the while. "You don't know what I've been through," she sobbed, scarfing it whole. "Here's yours." She plunked down a pail of gruel.

I stare at the both of them like they've grown an extra head, especially since neither of them have even tried to apologise since they brutally attacked me in class. I turn to Sophie to scold her but only stare at the rather odd looking sight between her eyebrows.

"Look, I asked," Sophie garbled between bites. "Apparently Nevers need to

learn deprivation. Part of your training. This is lovely, by the way." Agatha was also staring at this point in time. "What?" Sophie said. "Do I have blood on my teeth? Because I thought I got
it al-"

"Oh no," Sophie groaned. "What'd you do now?" looking over my shoulder I see Tedros and our friends snickering at Sophie while pointing at her but when Tedros sees me looking he looks like a kicked puppy and points to the seat next to him, blowing his blonde locks out of his face which I notice he does when he's nervous, which seems to happen a lot when Sophie and Agatha are around me since the incident. "If you're going to be a brat about it, you can have the soufflé." Sophie frowned. "Why is that strange imp waving at me?"

I blink at Sophie's behaviour before sighing and beginning to pack my food away neither girl noticing as they seem to be way to wrapped up in themselves to notice me, their best friend, and sister in Sophie's case, but you know, it's never really been any different.

Though I do turn with Agatha only to see Kiko across the clearing, waving, and flaunting newly red hair. It was the exact same colour as Tristan's I realised, which caused me to pale and stop packing my food away.

"Um, you know her?" Sophie said, watching Kiko giddily approach Tristan.

"We're friends," Agatha said, waving Kiko away from him.

"I don't really know her," I say, but it doesn't look like I'm heard again, and I just finish packing my food and get ready to stand and walk towards my friends.