Rebirth Of A Phoenix By Shayla R.

Chapter 35: Fluntwhill's "disappearance"

This week was the most alone she'd ever been. Joseph refused to talk to her.

Sunday, after the fight, she didn't see him once. Monday, she would see him in the hallways, but he refused to even look at her. Tuesday was a little progress, but it was nothing but a few awkward stolen glances. Wednesday, he slammed against her shoulder while crossing paths in the same hallways. She found that immature. Thursday, a paper ball got thrown at her head during potions class. It should be clear at this point who did it. Friday had even more silence, and now they were back to Saturday, the start of it all.

She wanted to talk to him, somehow, but the argument they had was heated. This little situation might also be good in some way. He'd be gone and safe.

At the same time, this situation was also horrible. Joseph was her only contact into the Fluntwhill society. Osiris had made it very clear that she needed the information from them.

She also needed her friend. She knew how selfish it was, but she needed him. At this moment, he was her best friend, but he had no trust left in her.

Pandora laid on the Malus dorm couch, toying with her book, acting like she was reading when in reality, she was formulating a plan to get him to talk to her.

Maybe if she went up to him gently or possibly partnered with him in an assignment?

He doesn't want to talk to you-

Pandora turned her head to face the swinging doors of the Malus dorm. Joseph was walking to her quickly and confidentially. She turned down back to her book, pretending to read.

All at once, Joseph grabbed her legs and pulled them off the couch so that he would have room to sit.

"That spot is taken," Pandora said, eyes down on the page as her finger gracefully flipped it over.

"I'm still pissed that you are hiding shit from me," Joseph said, looking straight forward, not in her direction. "But we can't leave each other right now."

"I don't need you," Pandora huffed, flipping another page. Yes, you do.

"No, we need each other," Joseph said. "Whatever your hiding, it's clearly big. I pray that it isn't horrible, but whatever it is, you can't carry it on your own."

She continued flipping through her book, acting like she couldn't hear him. She knew this was a horrible time to be stubborn. He was taking the step they needed to take. He was trying to make up with her.

"Will you stop fake reading and listen to me?" Joseph scoffed.

"How would you know I'm fake reading?" Pandora said, looking at him through her eyelashes.

Joseph ripped the book from her hands and showed her what she was doing wrong. The book was upside down. That's how he knew she was faking.

"Erryn died. We don't know if or who could be next. Neither of us should be standing on a battlefield alone."

"I'm not alone."

"Then who else is here begging you to stop being stubborn and let me in again."

Pandora looked at him in silence and twiddled her thumbs in her lap. She needed to let him back in.

"Look, I know you won't tell me what's going on. I've almost given up at this point trying to get you to open up to me again. All I can do is hope that whatever you're hiding, it isn't going to cause the world to crumble."

That was it. If everything went wrong, the world would crumble. If it went right someway, somehow, the world would still begin to fall apart. Pandora was driving a one-way street into a path of darkness with no way of turning around.