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I crossed my arms and turned my back on Zombie before he had the chance to say anything.
In the few minutes I'd been away from the windows, the sky had turned black and the snow had stopped. There was nothing to distract me anymore.
"Canary-"
"I'm not doing this," I interrupted. "Just leave me alone."
Just because I was forced into a room with him didn't mean I'd suddenly be open to pouring out my feelings.
"Canary, please. Just look at me."
I was about to retort something haughty back to him, but I felt a tickle in my nose and tears threatened my eyes.
I shook my head fervorously. I refused to look at him and get sucked into his charm.
There was a moment of silence before Zombie realized I wasn't going to be looking at him.
"Listen, I'm sorry-"
He's sorry? He's sorry?
"How many times are you going to say that?" I asked angrily, able to hold back the tears long enough to lash out at him.
"I know-"
"If you know, then why you do keep doing things that end up with you apologizing?" I asked, frustrated.
I kept my eyes staring forward, taking in every detail of the windows. The hard angles where the glass met the ceiling. The streaks of dirt and grime. The small cracks at the edges.
"I'm tired of it all," I said angrily, a single tear escaping. "I knew I should've just listened. But I didn't. And now this is happening," I said quietly, letting out a sharp breath.
"Listened? Listened to who? What are you talking about?" Zombie asked.
He shifted so that he was leaning against the windows, undoubtedly in an effort to keep weight off of his bad leg. Through everything I'd almost forgotten that he'd been shot.
"Lizbeth," I said. "She told me not to talk to you or-or..." I trailed off, realizing how stupid I made the whole situation sound.
Immediately I wanted to take it back. Saying it out loud only made me realize how pathetic it was of me to hold onto something like that. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake Lizbeth's warning words.
"In high school? Why would she say that?" Zombie asked, a bite to his voice. He was starting to get upset. But I didn't understand how he could possibly be the one frustrated. He had been the one to walk away from me.
"Yes," I said. "In high school." I kept my eyes straight, focused on the blackness in front of me.
"Why?" Zombie asked again, his voice slightly softer.
