Desolate Me

Not Meant For Me

These people and their money.

It blew my mind.

I got up to my room and contemplated calling Peter. Just to see if he was ok. I wasn't sure if I should...I didn't really know how all of this worked.

In the end, I went with my gut feeling, I called him.

It went straight to voicemail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

I didn't leave a message. I didn't really know what to say. So I changed and went to bed, hoping sleep would help.

It didn't.

Because I never went to sleep.

My mind wouldn't switch off.

Morning came faster than I imagined and I felt like crap.

Again.

And still no text messages.

Luckily, I had a practice session with Garin this morning. He'd conned me into playing the piano to accompany his cello for one of his concerts. Ms. Mullins told him about my piano skills so he roped me in.

Right now we were in the middle of deciding what he wanted to play. He'd picked up Chopin's Cello Sonata Op. 65 and we were working on that when I slipped up and played the wrong note.

He stopped playing as did I. I stared down at the keys, wondering what in the hell was wrong with me.

"You ok?"

His voice echoed through the now silent room and it made me jump. He sighed and I listened to him put up his cello before coming over to sit next to me on the piano bench.

He bumped my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just...tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Did you see a ghost?"

I looked at him and the barest trace of a smile tugged at my lips. "Other than the one I always see? No. No ghost. It's been relatively quiet on that front lately."

"Then what else is there?"

I could tell Garin why I hadn't slept well but that wasn't the best idea since he didn't like Peter. At all. They had some sort of feud going on that started over a crayon when they were kids. I was the latest, Garin, being my first friend here, warned me about the school's serial dater Peter Marks. I didn't necessarily ignore him, I just went my own way when it turned out I had feelings for Peter.

"Peter stood me up last night."

"Are you serious?" An angry look came across his face. "What was his excuse this time?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him."

"Cass..."

"Don't say it. I really...I've already heard it from the ghost."

Garin brushed his brown locks, which really needed a cut, out of his eyes. "You know he's an idiot right?"

"Says the guy who hasn't even told me how a Hunter turned into a Guard."

"That's because I haven't had the chance."

"Oh yes you have. You just choose not to explain it to me."

"We're talking about Peter here, not me."

"He probably has a perfectly good reason."

"You mean excuse. This is what he does, Cass. First he'll stand you up for no apparent reason, then he'll stop calling and texting, and then the final blow comes..."