His Nepenthe | complete

31. Cold

C O L D H E A R T

*

I watches as the girl I used to know when I was younger flip her hair over her shoulder, faking a smile to a boy it a tight letterman jacket.

Kaitlyn used to be so intelligent, when I knew her. Hair always back as she took every note on her surroundings as she could. She won every science fair she could and she learned how to be utterly brilliant. I was in awe at her interest in molecular science and genetics, being taught all sorts of things in her presence. I listened to everything she had to say, when we were friends.

Then she stopped listening to her teachers, refused to meet my eye, and started hanging out with girls who all hated each other secretly, so I don't know what she was now. I don't know if she still wants to study molecular biology to better society in every way she possibly could with her field.

Unfortunately, she met my gaze with cold and broken grey eyes, excusing herself from the conversation she was previously in. I turned away as Kaitlyn begun her stride over to me, attempting to avoid a conversation with someone that I didn't know anymore.

"Christian, oi," she reached me, tapping my shoulder to gain my attention. An inaudible sigh left my chest as I turned around, seeing the eyes that used to remind me of handing in my science homework.

It was funny that she and I had known a lot about one another, years ago. That I used to feel happy in her presence. Now she felt colder than ice and her relaxed expression was burning me in a way I didn't know it could.

"Hey," I grumbled back as I met her gaze.

The raven haired girl folded her arms over her chest, pressing her bust together, the forming of an insincere smile on her lips, "How've you been?"

My defenses reacted immediately to her strange attitude. She hadn't spoken to me, or wanted to speak to me, in over three years. What changed? Did she miss Marco? "Been okay. Why?"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes in response, "Most people just ask how someone else is but that's not you style, is it?" She recomposed herself, hands falling to her hips. The stance seemed accusatory, so I was ready for the worst. It reminded me, briefly, of how our friendship had ended with her telling me I wasn't worth her time, "I just wanted to ask, is it true that you're dating Brandy now?"

Though I hadn't been emoting, it felt like my face dropped. I knew for sure my heart was sunk to the pit of my stomach at the words. Brandy was too precious to have her sacred name on this careless person's lips.

Why did she care?

"No."

The stance she held only got stronger, a perched plucked eyebrow reaching further up her forehead, "Why do you talk to her then?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You're not really a 'friends' type of guy, Christian. This we all know too well."