silent

13

• XANDER •

My tongue is halfway down my girlfriends throat when there's a little knock at the door. I sigh and lean back; Maddie frowns.

     "What?" I ask loudly. There's no reply, just another knock.

     It clicks within a second. Amalia.

     I climb off the bed and walk over to the door, opening it and looking down. Amalia looks up at me, wide eyes worried as she looks down to the bundle of clothes in her arms. There's a note on top of it.

YOUR CLOTHES WERE IN THE
WASHING MACHINE AND THEY'RE DONE.
SORRY IF I'M DISTURBING YOU.

     My expression softens as I meet her eyes again. She shuffles back a step.

     "Thanks." I mumble. I take it all from her, and she backs away quickly before turning and walking down the hallway, back towards the laundry room.

I sigh softly and step back, closing my door. Maddie smiles at me from where she's sitting on my bed. I don't smile back.

• AMALIA •

I stir my pot noodles and lean back in my desk chair, shoving a forkful into my mouth. My dad told me I need to try get an early night, because we need to leave at the same time as Grayson and Cole. They'll go to class, but I'm supposed to go to the office with my dad.

     I'm nervous.

     I finish my food quickly, then climb into bed. Before I close my eyes, however, a knock sounds at the door, and a few seconds later Elijah walks in.

     I can hardly make him out in the darkness, but I know that it's him because of the relaxed way he walks and the outline of the soft smile I can see on his face.

     "Hi, angel." He says. He walks over to me and sits by me on the bed, making the mattress dip. "Are you excited to go see your new school tomorrow?"

I shake my head. He laughs softly, but I can see the roaring pity within his gaze.

"It'll be fine." He assures me. "It's a good school, we all went there. And Grayson and Cole will be there to look out for you."

If Cole saw me getting bullied, he'd cheer them on and then join in.

I nuzzle into my blankets, and his expression warms. He looks to the windowsill and smiles at the growing plants there.

"They're looking good." He says.

My lips tip up at the corners.

He returns his attention to me. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

I nod.

"Can I have another hug?" He asks hopefully.

My face breaks out into a grin as I lean over to him. He wraps his strong arms around me, cocooning me like a caterpillar, and I find myself melting into his embrace, feeling safer than I have in a long time.