MyStreet: The Emerald Secret (OC Character Added)

Losing Aaron

"Zane!" Aphmau finally says when they're done with their questions. She's hugging Zane tightly. "I was so worried about you! You have no idea!"

"Shhh sh sh sh sh shh..." Zane says. "It's okay, Aphmau. I'm here now--- Ah- Ah- ACHOO!"

Aph jerks away from him. "Ah! You're cold!" She glances at me and then tackles me as well. "Both of you!" She turns back to Zane. "Here, you can have your jacket back!"

"Thanks Aph." Zane says. And then he keeps hugging her. WHY DOES HE KEEP HUGGING HER?!?!? LET GO OF APH, BIG BROTHER!!!

Kim comes back. "I put Zane and Vi's clothes in the wash. Also, Lucinda, I moved your clothes to the dryer."

"Thank you, Kim." Lucinda says.

"You're welcome!" I notice she looks over at Zane and Aph, who are STILL hugging, and then at me, in front of the fire trying to stop shaking. "How are Zane and Violet...?" Kim whispers.

"I... I don't know." Lucinda quietly admits. "He's...acting really odd."

"Are they still hugging?" Kim asks in surprise.

YES THEY ARE! MAKE THEM STOP!!!

"Yes, that's the thing!" Lucinda says quickly. "From what Aphmau and Violet always said, Zane's not that touchy! His body language seems so different somehow..."

PROBABLY BECAUSE A MANIAC WEREWOLF NAMED EIN IS POSSESSING HIM!!!

"Violet, too." Lucinda adds. "She's been so... strange. She doesn't make jokes, she doesn't smile, and she hasn't asked a thing about Aaron yet."

"I wonder what happened to them?" Kim asks.

"They haven't said a word about that." Lucinda sighs. "Zane's just been holding Aphmau."

"That---" Kim says something I can't make out.

"Huh?" Lucinda looks at her again.

"Hm?"

"I... I thought you said something." Lucinda says.

"I just said 'I wonder what happened to them'." Kim says.

"Uhhh...Okay...it just sounded like you said something else." Lucinda says. Then she looks back at me. "Something else is wrong. Violet's just been sitting in front of the fire, saying she needs to warm up."

"That actually sounds like her." Kim points out.

"Yes, but Violet has a deadly fear of fire. She would never get that close to the fireplace!" Lucinda snaps, looking at me. My stomach rolls as I realize for the first time how close my hands are to the golden sparks. I was distracted by... well, everything.

"WHERE ON EARTH WERE YOU, ZANE?? VIOLET??" Garroth finally explodes, (thankfully) pulling my hands away from the fire. "We were worried sick about you!"

"We were out looking around." I say dismissively. "Why do you ask?"

"Looking around??" Garroth repeats. "Violet, there were signs of a struggle! I heard you scream and..." He looks at Aph, who has started making her weird cat-mouth face that she makes when she's super happy.

"Aphmau!" Garroth yells. "Could you stop hugging Zane for one minute and start asking questions?"

"But he's back safe, and that's all that matters!"

UH HELLO YOU FORGETTING SOMEONE??

But "I" don't say anything. I just sit there on the couch, playing with a loose thread. Which then makes me really angry, because it looks so out of place. GET BACK IN THERE, THREAD! GET BACK IN! DO NOT UNRAVEL. DO. NOT. UNRAVEL.