Strange Tides [Bree Davenport]

Chapter Four

"I can't believe you got another bunny and named him Bunny, and I can't believe you brought both of them here," I say as I stare down at the cage holding Rabbit and Bunny behind Leo's couch in the Mentor's Quarters. Emmie's two pets. Rabbit, her older bunny, sits near the edge of the cage, cowering against the metal bars, while Bunny, her newest bunny, jumps at him with a crazy look on his face. "Rabbit looks so excited, Emmie."

"I can hear the sarcasm very clearly, Bree," Emmie says, rolling her eyes at me. She bends over the top of the cage and grabs Rabbit, holding him in her arms and whispering soft words to him. "I thought that getting Rabbit a buddy would bring him out of his shell a little bit. It obviously isn't working yet. And I brought them here because they're my babies."

I'm not exactly happy that her two rabbits are going to be living in the Mentor's Quarters with us while she stays here at the academy. I've never had any pets before, and I'm not really happy that she didn't even ask me if it was alright to have them here. I won't tell her that I find her animals a little annoying and disgusting because she loves them more than this life. Besides, I don't want to get on her bad side and lose her just like I lost Leo.

"Are you even listening to me?" Emmie waves her hand in front of my face, making me shake my head. A worried look passes through her eyes. I ignore it. "I was asking you what you were going to do today since all the students are on that field trip, but I could tell you weren't listening to a word I was saying."

"I'm going to go to the mainland later to meet up with Maggie or something like that," I answer her with a shrug. That's not exactly the truth, though. I haven't even told Maggie yet that I'm leaving the island today, but she'll be excited to see me. I know it. "I need to get off this island before I lose my mind."

Emmie stays silent as she turns her gaze back to her two rabbits. I can see the wheels in her mind turning, like she's trying to figure out what to say to me. It's like she has to think about her words before she talks to me because I'm a wild animal and am at risk of blowing up at her. Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. I don't really know right now, and it seems like she doesn't know either.

"I should probably leave," I say before she has any chance of trying to talk to me about my messed up life. "I want to spend as much time off of the island as I can." She looks back at me with a creased forehead. "Do you want to come with me?"

"No, I can't," she says. "I have to watch Rabbit and Bunny. Besides, Chase has something planned for us today."

"Right."

"I'll see you later, Bree."

As I start walking away, I glance back at her and say, "Bye."

I hate that my jealousy of Chase is making our relationship so strained. I know it's not right and that friends have other friends or have significant others. I can't have a person all to myself, unfortunately. I've never had that chance, not even with Mr. Davenport. He's always had Adam and Chase to worry about and spend time with. 

Against my better judgement, I walk into the main area of the academy, near the hydroloop, and see Leo and Douglas are chatting together. It looks like they're having a very animated conversation about something with a third person next to them that I can't see. I have no idea why Leo's even here when he's a student and he should be on the field trip, but this makes me want to leave the island even more.

"Oh, hey, Bree," Leo says once he sees me just as I was about to turn around and find a different way to the mainland. I would have run across the water if it meant me not interacting with Leo at all today. "I ditched the field trip with my new best friend, River, so I could hang out with Chase and Adam. What should we do on our day off?"