Immortali

Chapter 38: Not So Empty Threats

Grey. Not black, not white. Just grey, bleak.

That's how Raina saw her day. Monochrome. Colourless. Lifeless.

Was this how the rest of eternity was going to be without her best friend?

She glanced over her shoulder and caught Layla's gaze, but the dark haired girl had turned her head away almost immediately, pretending as though Raina wasn't even there.

Her heart sank. She knew this was her choice. She'd made this happen. It was her fault.

But that didn't stop it from hurting. Every time she looked up, every time she tried to think of something else or distract herself, her thoughts turned back to Layla. Layla, Layla, Layla.

Somehow, the hurt in her friend's voice, the sheer pain she'd felt, had haunted Raina from the moment she'd first heard it.

Why can't I just forget her? Why can't I just find some peace in my own head!?

She gripped her hair, tugging at it. She could feel the tears burning again.

Not again. I can't do this here again.

She struggled with breathing, hyperventilating, tears mixing with the wild red curls that hid her face.

It was in this moment that Raina wished she'd never known she was Immortali. Or, maybe, just maybe, she wished she'd never known what it was like to be human? Maybe then she wouldn't feel as though someone were cutting off all her ties, her bonds. And every time a connection with someone was cut, Raina felt as though she'd just parted with a limb. An invisible limb. One she couldn't see or touch, but could feel the loss of nonetheless.

She'd lost Layla, and she knew she was slowly losing her family too.

A hand touched her shoulder. Raina jumped and turned her head.

She was disappointed to find that it was only her geography teacher, who, upon seeing her tears, had told her to go for a walk and dry her eyes. Raina nodded.

She got up and walked to the bathrooms. Leaning against the bathroom wall, she wiped her eyes and pulled out her phone.

Taylor, Taylor.

Her sister hadn't said anything to her this morning. In fact, Raina hadn't even seen her this morning. Supposedly, Taylor had woken up sick.

Raina knew better.

Her sister was intelligent. Wise beyond her years. And, sometimes, she just didn't want to go to school. So, she faked sick. Quite convincingly as well.

Raina knew that, since Taylor had been up at midnight, she was fine. It was only when she was genuinely sick that she slept like the dead.

Dialling the home phone, Raina pressed her mobile to her ear.

"Hello?" A tiny voice on the end of the line answered.

"Tay?" Raina's voice quivered.

Silence. Then, "Yeah?"

"Why did you call Layla last night?"

A sigh. "You were out, Ray. I didn't know where you were, but I assumed you and Layla were doing something, so I called her when you came back and asked her not to do something like that ever again. You scared me, Ray."

Raina gulped and held back tears. "Yeah, I know I did."

A pause and then Taylor spoke again, her voice edged with concern. "What's wrong?"