Blood Moon Rising

12 | twelve

"Finding out horrendous truths, leaving your home, enduring the death of your best friend," her tone darkened slightly, before getting back to its normal shine as she continued, "doesn't exactly make you feel okay."

She linked her arms with mine and the smell of jasmine and incense enveloped me.

I shrugged.

"I have strong sustainability," I grinned at her and she visibly seemed to relax as her shoulders deflated.

"I bet you do. By the way, who's your crush?"

I was surprised by the change of topic as I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden?" I asked with a ghost of a smile playing on my lips.

A small redness crept up her cheeks as she shrugged.

"Just like that," she mumbled and averted her eyes.

I laughed and shook my head.

"No. I don't have one at the present moment," I replied truthfully.

"Really?" astonishment filled her features as she continued, "I thought you had a crush on Carter."

"Ew. No. Why would you think that? Besides, I think you forgot how much I hate him," I grimaced at the thought of me having a crush on him.

Christina shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, everybody does," she replied, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.

The images of me being pushed up against him on the wall, his lips almost brushing mine, our breaths intermingling and his eyes boring into mine, filled my head as sudden hotness crept up my body. My breathing quickened and I could not decide whether it was from rage or something else entirely.

I discreetly pushed the images away.

"No. No, I don't," I breathed out.

She glanced at me and something unreadable crossed her features as she smiled at me.

"What about you though?" I asked trying to divert the focus from me.

She laughed, her brown orbs glimmering with warmth.

"I do. But I know she doesn't feel the same," Christina mumbled as she looked down at her feet, the smile disappearing from her lips.

I didn't want to ask her who she was, cause she already felt bad for not having her feelings reciprocated. So, instead, this time I nudged her with my shoulder and she looked up at me.

"Gaah! You're young and there are plenty of other fishes in the sea. So chill," I said, my lips twitching at the corners.

She momentarily gaped at me. Then probably getting my hint, her cheeks and ears turned a deep shade of crimson.

She smacked my arm.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I whined as I unlinked my arm from her.

She huffed and I laughed at her.

"You look cute when you blush," I teased.

"No I don't," she argued.

"You do," I retorted back, pinching my lips to prevent the huge grin from spreading on my face.

"Shut up," she scoffed at me and I burst out laughing, causing her to join me as well.

Right at this moment, I'm pretty sure that both Christina and I looked like normal teenage girls. Discussing crushes, laughing and blushing at the smallest of things, and not at all worrying about the impending apocalypse that's looming over both of us. That's how our lives should have been. But unfortunately, that's not at all how it turned out to be.