(NO, THE IMAGE OF RAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CHAPTER, BUT IT IS BEAUTIFUL, LMAOO.
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ENJOY. AHA HAHAHA HA. HEHEHHHEHE)
'Someone is staring at me' I thought to myself as I pulled out my chair, sitting down for breakfast. 'Or, make that several people.' I remended with a raise of an eyebrow as my eyes flicked around the room, catching the glances from several children as they stared at me, averting their gazes quickly as my blue eyes met with theirs.
The table I sat at was conveniently empty and placed at the farthest end of the room. I sighed while I picked at my food. I still haven't talked to Ray since... well, since he came back from making the promise, at least. Emma's been distant from me as well, although not as blatantly obvious about avoiding me as Ray.
Speak of the devil, the ravenhead walked into the kitchen right then, carrying a plate of his own food. My eyes flicked to his face for a moment, landing on his bruised cheek and busted lip. I raised an eyebrow before turning back to my food, a satisfied expression befalling on my face. 'Wherever his injury came from, he probably deserved it.'
Soon, a group of children walked towards me, pulling chairs out at the table I was seated at and sitting down. Poppy sat on my left, Reina taking a seat besides her. Hannah and Niko sat nearby, and Chris sat diagonally from me. Zack sat across from me along with Sandy and Gillian who sat to his right. Oliver seemed hesitant to join, but they waved him over, and he took a reluctant seat to Zack's left.
"How you doing?" Poppy asked with her face charmingly stuffed with food.
"Could be better." I shrugged.
"No sh*t." Poppy laughed. "Your dark circles make you look like an undead."
"Wow, thanks." I muttered, raising an eyebrow. Reina smacked Poppy upside the head before turning to me.
"Sorry." She apologized for her friend's stupidity before dragging her out of the room by the ear.
I smiled thinly. At least they were still the same as ever- although they certainly were still a tad awkward around me. I continued for eating silently for a minute, until there were approaching footsteps from my left.
"Hey, Y/N..." I turned my head to Emma as she spoke, standing awkwardly to my left. "Uhm..." the ginger murmured. She looked to the floor worriedly before looking back at me and meeting my eyes. "I-I'm really sorry!!" She exclaimed, bowing her head. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind to make the promise! That was wrong and selfish of me!" I blinked, a little startled from the ginger's forwardness. Emma stood back up, her eyes watering. "I hope you can forgive me!" She then turned to leave with tears in her eyes, but I grabbed her shirt, stopping her in place before she could leave.
"Have you eaten yet?" I asked her with a smile.
Emma hesitated before shaking her head no.'Chance!' "Then do you want to grab yourself some food and come sit beside me to eat?"
The ginger girl's eyes watered once again. "Thank you, Y/N!! I won't let you down, I swear!!" She wrapped her arms around me in a hug tightly before quickly leaving to grab a platter of breakfast.
That morning was the happiest I'd felt in quite some time, with Emma and I warming back up to eachother almost immediately. We laughed and talked for a while. After breakfast I began making preparations for the 2 day journey we'd be leaving for tomorrow, including getting ourselves acquainted with horseback riding, which was hellish, for the most part. I raced Emma a few times for fun, although neither of us were very good at horse riding yet, so each of us took turns nearly being trampled and dying. Good times.
It was now evening, shortly after dinner, and I waved to Emma left to go take a shower. As I watched her run, she tripped over her feet in her rush and almost face-planted. "Don't die!!" I called after through my laughter with a wave. Emma stuck her tongue out before dashing off with a grin.
I watched her disappear down the hallway for a minute before a voice speaking behind me made my blood run cold. "Good to see you're back to normal." They paused for a moment before adding, "On the outside, at least."
"What do you want?" I spat at Ray, turning to face him with my hands stuffed in my pockets.
The ravenhead paused for a moment, eyes flicking to the side before speaking. "I think we need to talk..."
I rolled my eyes. "Ya think?" I scoffed. "After all this time, too?" My hands clenched self-consciously as I brushed past him, the anger I'd been holding back boiling in the pits of my stomach.
"Wait, Y/N." Ray sighed, grabbing me by the shoulder.
I froze as his hand made contact. "You best let go before I do something I'd like to say I'd regret. Although punching you in the face seems f*cking therapeutic at the moment."
"No need." Ray continued with a dry humour in his voice. "Several people have already taken care of that for you." His hand brushed against his cheek in acknowledgement of his bruise once he released his hand from my shoulder. "And... I'm sorry for avoiding you, but will you at least hear me out?"
I stared down the hallway as he spoke, my hands ice cold as they rested in my pockets. Was I angry? Or scared? Perhaps some combination of both... "Please?" Ray added hopefully. Whether it was simply out of spite or just a hunch, I agreed to listen with a sigh.
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"Was coming to the library really necessary?" I asked as the ravenhead closed the door to the large, dusty but well-kept room.
He hummed, turning away from the door to face me. "I thought privacy would be appreciated?" He raised his eyebrow with a shrug.
Something about his tone of voice bothered me."Don't mock me, *sshole."
Ray sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Are you going to keep cussing me out or are you going to listen?"
"Both." I raised an eyebrow, as if baiting him to challenge me.
"...fair enough..."The ravenhead muttered. What was that in his voice? Guilt? Worry? Remorse? I scowled. If he was going to feel guilty, he shouldn't of made an idiot move like that in the first place.
"So? What did you want to talk about?" I asked, taking a seat at the couch, my hands stuffed into my pockets, a rightfully hostile expression on my face.
"Well..." Ray began awkwardly. "I thought you'd maybe deserve to know why I..."
"Went behind my back, drugged me, put Emma in an awful situation, and then avoided me for days?" I laughed in spite as I finished counting his misdeeds out on my fingers. "That's the bare minimum, I suppose."
"...you're going to make this as difficult as possible, aren't you?" The teen sighed.
"Of course!" I smiled despite not feeling any real amusement.
"Wonderful." Ray muttered. "Before I begin, is there anything you'd like to say?"
I hummed, tapping my chin as if in thought. "Oh, you mean like call you an *sshole again? Yes, actually. You're an *sshole. And a dirty, lying piece of shit."
I willed myself not to cry angry tears as I stood up from my spot. "Do you want to hear stuff like 'how dare you?' or 'how could you?'" Despite my best efforts, my eyes began to water as my voice increased in volume. "Or 'I trusted you?'" Ray swallowed and looked to the ground. "Maybe even something like 'I thought you-'"
I stopped speaking as an ugly laugh left my body, laughing at my weakness. At my tears I was crying once again. 'Crying isn't going to solve anything, Y/N.' I told myself, but my torrent of emotions were too great. "Would that give you piece of mind? Letting me insult you like that?" Ray's eyes widened as I hit his intentions right on the mark. I laughed again as more tears spilled from my eyes. As if letting me take my anger out on you would be a way of repenting for your sins?" I snorted, sitting back on the couch. "Too bad for you. I won't be saying anything like that, Ray."
"Y/N, I'm sorry-"
"Ohoho!" I snorted, raising my eyebrows in mild, cold, amusement. "Do me a favour and don't apologize unless you're actually sorry, Ray." The ravenhead blinked but stayed silent, staring at the floor. "You're not then?" I laughed again, a cold, broken sound. "F*cking wonderful. I guess that's it then. See you later, Ray-" I went to stand up from the couch but Ray spoke, and I paused in my movement once I heard his words.
"I am sorry." He murmured, his words certain for the first time throughout this conversation. "I'm sorry for the way I took care of things. I'm sorry for putting Emma in the position I did. And... I'm sorry for hurting you...but-"
"But? This sh*t's gold." I snorted before waving my hand in 'apology' for cutting him off. "Continue, please."
"But in the end, I don't regret my motive behind my actions." His eyes raised from the floor and met mine, unwavering.
My stomach clenched in anger. "Ray, do you know what you've done? I- I had something I needed to do. Something I've been planning since longer than you know. And- you just-" I choked on my words. "What kind of motive could you possibly have to back up why you did what you did-"
Ray's eyes crinkled as he met mime. "I needed to keep you safe, Y/N." He exclaimed, his voice filling in unexpected emotion. "You're always just keeping everything to yourself! I know there's something you're still not telling us. I'm not an idiot. No one else here is. But you know what? They're all leaving it alone. Because they're choosing to trust you." I swallowed dryly at his words.
"Then you don't?" I asked sadly. "Trust me, I mean?"
Ray's eyed flicked to the side. "To keep yourself alive, no."
I huffed, crossing my arms. "I have no intention of dying-"
"But would you? If it meant completing whatever plan you have?"
I paused, unable to speak. 'If it meant saving everyone, could I throw my life away? Would I?'
"Then you get it." Ray spoke after I stayed quiet for some time. "It's the same drive that Emma, Norman, and I have, Y/N. Just like you would abandon anything to succeed in your plan..." He paused, as if unsure of his own ability to hold the weight of his next words. "Then... I would abandon anything to keep you alive."
I stared at him in silence, my stomach twisting into knots. "God dammit, Ray." I muttered as tears began to fall from my eyes, wiping them away. "How dare you...how dare you make it so damn hard to stay angry."
The emo waited for a moment before speaking. "Do you forgive me, then?"
I sniffled as I wiped my still falling tears with a scowl. "No. You're a piece of sh*t."
Ray stepped back in surprise. "Isn't that a bit much-?!"
'No, because...if I weren't to say this...I'm afraid I might...say something I'll really regret...'
I smiled thinly, pushing past my thoughts. "No, it's not a bit much. But I'll tolerate you for now. You're on thin f*cking ice, though. And you're still a no-good piece of sh*t."
Ray sighed. "Fair enough." He muttered.
I soon sat down at the couch with a sigh, wiping still-falling tears from my relief. Soon Ray came and joined me, although he stayed obnoxiously far away.
"Hey, Ray..." I hummed, beginning to ask the biggest question on my mind but slipped up, hesitating as I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to hear the answer, instead asking the next question. "How many people punched you? Out of curiosity?" I inquired, shifting to look at him.
Ray raised his eyebrows. "You really want to know?" He asked and I nodded my head with a shrug.
"I'll need to thank them later." I grinned.
The ravenhead sighed. "Let's see..." He pulled out his hand and began counting on it. "Firstly was Yuugo... then there was Zack," I stared at him in shock as he continued speaking. "That boy, Chris? He's got a surprisingly good left hook." I snorted, my eyes wide in amusement. "Then there was Reina..." I winced, holding my cheek in memory. I've been smacked by her before... that's painful. "Let's see... Hannah, was it? Poppy, Emma and Lucas told me off, Jemima stepped on my toes, Daisy called me a 'meanie', and Yuugo punched me again. That's it, I think." He concluded, turning to me.
I blinked a few times before snorting. "Wow! Even Jemima!"
"It's not funny." Ray crossed his arms with a huff. "My cheek still stings."
"I'll bet." We then fell into silence once again, until I fought up the nerve to finally ask my next question. "So..." I hesitated once again, my stomach twisting in nerves. "Can you tell me what the reward for the promise was?" I asked, staring up at the ceiling.
Ray paused, looking away and resting his chin on his hand. "Do you know what it was? Originally, I mean?"
"Yeah." I murmured. 'What could the promise be this time? Did they both make the promise? Did only one of them make it? Who did? What was the reward this time?' All swirled around in my brain.
"You know what it was for Emma? And you still want- wanted to make it?" He inquired curiously. Something about the way he phrased his question sent a twinge in the back of my head. Simply a question I dared not ask aloud. But could it be?
"Of course. Even now, I still do." I answered with a sigh. I felt the tension in the room spike just then, Ray's nerves palpable from across the couch.
"I see..." The ravenhead hummed, fidgeting with his bangs anxiously. 'The reason he and Emma keep avoiding my questions... their anxious glances... But there's no way... right?'
"Ray." I spoke, my voice low and serious. The ravenhead immediately ceased all of his movement, as if dreading my next words. "You didn't succeed in making the promise, did you?"
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