Protector of Lost Children

| CHAPTER IX |

Hello, Readers! Here is the next chapter! I hope you like it because I just finished writing it up this morning!

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~CSP2708~

| Chapter 9 || Suspicion |

The next morning, Jack made his way to Lupa's room. He hoped that she was feeling a lot better, because there was something he wanted to discuss with her. The night before, he hadn't been convinced by her lie. Her answer was too quick on her tongue. Her eyes wouldn't meet his for the split second before she spoke. It was all too suspicious to him.

"Lupa?" he called as he rapped on the door with his knuckles. "Are you awake?"

He heard a muffled reply, and, taking that as a "come in", he turned he handle and entered the room.

Lupa was on the bed, wrapped tightly in her blankets, but she was awake. She stared at him from her mountain of pillows, eyes still a little droopy, but otherwise alert.

She gave a yawn. "Yeah, Jack? What is it?" she asked, stretching her arms above her head. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, but quickly pulled her blanket up to cover herself as well as a rush of cold air hit her skin.

"Good morning to you, too," Jack said with a chuckle.

Lupa frowned, and then her eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry. Good morning. Anyways, what is it?"

"I was just wondering how you were doing."

"Well, I'm fine—"

"And before you say you're fine, I want to know why you lied yesterday."

Jack's statement caused Lupa to freeze. The muscles along her whole body tensed, and Jack could see them rippling down her arms, which were the only things besides her head that were above the blanket.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "You know what I mean. Yesterday, when I asked you if you remembered anything. You said no, but that was a lie," he accused.

Lupa desperately shook her head. "No, it wasn't!" she protested. "I can't remember a thing! I don't even know what happened and no one will tell me!"

Her left eye twitched.

Jack's expression turned into a full-blown glare. His blue eyes almost sparked with anger as he looked upon the girl whom he thought was his friend. "There you go again with the lying! What do you know that you aren't sharing with us? Why did you lie?"

"I'm not lying!" Lupa shouted. She jumped out of the bed, throwing the covers haphazardly into a bundle. Her bare feet touched the ground and the moss along her outfit knit itself back together where it was falling apart. Her broken ribs seemed to have miraculously healed overnight. That, or she was very good at hiding pain when she was angry.

She stood tall and confident, so much so that Jack almost doubted himself for doubting her. He quickly brushed the feeling aside, though, and took a step forwards.

"I can tell when people are lying to me, Lupa! I just want to know why!"

Their shouting match had caught some attention, and a few yetis and elves were peeking into the room, lingering in the doorway but not daring to enter.

Lupa glared back at Jack. She was sure that her standing up would get him to back down so that she wouldn't have to answer for her lie. Her charade was going too far. She didn't even know why she wasn't just breaking down and telling him the truth; it didn't really matter anyway. Maybe it was her pride holding her back, maybe it was just her sudden flare of anger. Who was Jack to just waltz into her room and accuse her of anything? It wasn't like he was much better. He couldn't be much better.