10. Warning

It was incredibly difficult in the morning to argue with the part of herself that still insisted last night had been a dream. But the events had been all too real. As she made her way out, Freen didn't see where Becky had come from, but suddenly, there she was, pulling the door open for her.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" Becky asked, amusement dancing in her voice as she caught Freen by surprise once again. There was a hint of uncertainty in her words.

"Yes, thank you." Freen breathed out, her heart racing as she stepped into the warm car, trying to ignore the surge of emotions she wasn't ready to confront.

They drove through the fog-shrouded streets, the atmosphere in the car feeling unusually intimate. Becky glanced at her, smirking. "What, no twenty questions today?"

"Do my questions bother you?" Freen asked, relieved that the silence was finally broken.

"Not as much as your reactions do." Becky's teasing tone seemed lighthearted, but Freen wasn't entirely sure.

Freen frowned, her thoughts momentarily clouded. "Do I react badly?"

"No," Becky replied, her voice a little softer, "That's the problem. You take everything so coolly... it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

"I always tell you what I'm really thinking," Freen said, feeling a strange pull in her chest at the unspoken challenge in Becky's words.

"You edit," Becky accused.

"Not very much," Freen replied, her voice quieter now, uncertain.

Becky scoffed lightly. "Still enough to drive me insane."

Freen felt the need to shift the conversation. "Where's the rest of your family?"

"They took Billy's car," Becky shrugged, her eyes returning to the road.

"If he has a car, why do they ride with you?" Freen asked, genuinely curious.

"We try to blend in. Don't want to draw more attention to ourselves," Becky explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

"You don't succeed, though." Freen laughed, shaking her head as she got out of the car, the smile lingering on her face as they approached school.

She wasn't late anymore, thanks to Becky's reckless driving getting them there just in time. "So why did Billy drive today, if it's more conspicuous?"

"Hadn't you noticed?" Becky said, meeting Freen at the front of the car and staying close to her side as they walked toward the campus. "I'm breaking all the rules now."

Freen's heart thumped, the urge to close that small gap between them almost overwhelming. She wanted to reach out and touch Becky, but she wasn't sure if Becky would appreciate it.

Under the cafeteria roof's overhang, Heng was waiting for them, his eyes wide in disbelief. Over his arm was Freen's jacket.

"Hey, Heng," Freen greeted when they were a few feet away. "Thanks for remembering." He handed the jacket over without speaking, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Good morning, Heng," Becky said politely, her voice smooth and cool.

"Hi." Heng's eyes shifted to Freen, his excitement obvious. "I'll see you in Trig?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

Heng walked away, but not without pausing twice to peek back at them, his curiosity clearly piqued.

"What are you going to tell him?" Becky whispered, her voice tinged with mischief.

"A little help?" Freen pleaded. "What does he want to know?"

Becky grinned wickedly, shaking her head. "That's not fair. You can read minds, and you're not sharing with me...now that's not fair."

Becky took a moment to deliberate, her eyes glinting in the morning light. They stopped just outside the door to Freen's first class.

"He wants to know if we're secretly dating, what your feelings are for me, and if you've kissed me yet, or if I kissed you. He also has suspicions about... what I am." Becky finally admitted, her words heavy with implication.

"Yikes," Freen muttered, trying to keep her blush in check. "What should I say?" she asked, struggling to look innocent.

As people walked past them on their way to class, their stares barely registered in Freen's consciousness. Every part of her attention was focused on Becky, as if the rest of the world had melted away.

"Hmmm." Becky paused to catch a stray lock of hair that had escaped Freen's bun, tucking it back into place. "I suppose you could say yes to the first... if you don't mind... it's easier than any other explanation."

"I don't mind," Freen murmured, feeling a flutter of nerves and warmth spreading through her at Becky's closeness.

"And as for his other questions... well, I'll be listening to hear the answers to those myself." One side of Becky's mouth curled into her signature uneven smile. Freen couldn't catch her breath in time to respond before Becky turned and walked away.

"I'll see you at lunch," Becky called over her shoulder. Three students walking through the door stopped and stared at Freen, adding to her embarrassment.

She hurried into class, flushed and overwhelmed by the strange mixture of emotions inside her. When she entered Trig, Heng was sitting in the back row, practically bouncing with excitement. Freen braced herself as she sat next to him, preparing for the interrogation.

"Tell me everything!" Heng commanded before she even had time to settle into her seat.

"What do you want to know?" Freen asked, her voice shaky.

"What happened last night?"

"She bought me dinner, and then she drove me home."

Heng playfully glared at her, his expression skeptical. "How did you get home so fast?"

"She drives like a maniac. Terrifying," Freen said, hoping Becky would hear that.

"Was it like a date? Did you tell her to meet you there? Did you tell her you have feelings for her?"

Freen shook her head quickly, her face heating up. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck. "No! I was very surprised to see her there." Heng wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, not buying the story.

"But she picked you up for school today?"

"Yes, that was a surprise too."

"So, are you going out again?" Heng's smile was ridiculously wide now, dopey with excitement.

"She offered to drive me to California Saturday. Does that count?" Freen said nervously.

"Yes!" Heng nodded happily, tapping his foot with excitement.

"Well, uh, yes, then?" Freen said, unsure if she was even making sense.

"W-o-w." Heng exaggerated the word, his voice stretching into three syllables. "Becky Armstrong. I knew she liked you." Freen quickly shushed Heng.

"I know," Freen muttered, the weight of it sinking in. "Wow" didn't even cover it.

"Wait!" Heng's hands shot up, palms toward Freen like he was stopping traffic. "Has she kissed you? Did you kiss her?"

"No," Freen mumbled, her ears on fire. "I'm not sure it's like that." Heng looked at her with disbelief, but Freen couldn't help the disappointment that lingered.

"Do you think Saturday...?" Heng asked, raising an eyebrow, his head propped up in his hand as he moved his elbow onto the table.

"I really doubt it," Freen said, though the discontent in her voice was clear.

"She is unbelievably gorgeous," Heng said, shrugging.

"There's a lot more to her than that."

"So you like her, then?" Heng asked, his teasing tone unmistakable.

"Yes."

"I mean, do you really like her?" Heng's voice dropped into that suggestive tone again.

"Yes," Freen replied again, her face heating up.

"How much do you like her?"

"Too much," Freen breathed out, her voice barely a whisper. "More than she likes me. But I don't see how I can help that." She sighed, one blush fading into the next.

Eventually, the bell rang for lunch, and Freen hastily shoved her books into her bag. Outside the door of their Spanish class, leaning against the wall looking more like a Greek god than anyone had a right to—Becky was waiting for Freen.

"Hello," Becky's voice was amused and irritated at the same time. She had been listening, it was obvious.

"Hi."

Freen couldn't think of anything else to say.

Once they sat down in the cafeteria, Becky broke the silence immediately. "Something you said to your friends... well, it bothers me." Becky's voice was husky, and she glanced at Freen from under her lashes with troubled eyes.

"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers," Freen teased, taking another bite of food.

Becky rolled her eyes. "I warned you I would be listening."

"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?" Becky muttered, leaning closer to Freen, her dark golden eyes piercing right through Freen's. Freen had to look away.

"You're doing it again," Freen mumbled, watching Becky tense slightly as the blush raced up her face.

"What?"

"Dazzling me," Freen admitted, trying to concentrate as she looked back at Becky.

"Oh." Becky frowned.

"It's not... it's not your fault," Freen sighed. "You can't help it."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

Freen looked down, unable to meet Becky's gaze, and instead busied herself with the zipper of her jacket again. "Yes."

"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?" Becky was irritated again.

"Yes, I really think that."

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, Becky spoke, her voice velvet soft. "You're wrong." Freen glanced up to see her eyes were gentle and green.

"You can't know that." Freen whispered.

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, look at me," Freen said unnecessarily, as Becky was already staring. "I'm absolutely ordinary... nothing about me stands out. And look at you." Freen waved a hand toward Becky and all her bewildering perfection. Becky's brows creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as her eyes took on a knowing look.

"You don't see yourself very clearly, you know? You didn't hear what every human male and female in this school was thinking on your first day."

Freen blinked, astonished. "I don't believe it..." she mumbled to herself.

"Trust me just this once... you are the opposite of ordinary." Freen's embarrassment was much stronger than her pleasure at the look that came into Becky's eyes when she said those words.

"Is there something more?" Becky asked.

"Sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying... when you're saying something else. I'm afraid that you would just leave."

Becky shook her head, seeming to struggle with the thought. "If ever leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe."

Freen glared. "And you don't think I would do the same?"

"You'd never have to make the choice. I will bear the burden of such a choice if there ever will be one."

"Let's talk about something else," Freen suggested.

"Do you really need to go to California this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?" Becky asked, Freen made a face at the memory and nodded. That wasn't a poor excuse, now was it?

"If I'd asked you, would you have turned me down?" Becky asked, still chuckling.

"Probably not," Freen admitted. Becky's face immediately lit up.

"Are you resolved on going to California, or do you mind if we do something different?"

As long as the "we" part was in, Freen didn't care about anything else.

"I'm open to alternatives," Freen allowed.

"Great." Becky smiled enthusiastically.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"The weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye... and you can stay with me if you'd like to." Again, she left the choice up to Freen.

"And you'll show me what you meant about the sun?" Freen asked, excited by the idea of unraveling another one of the unknowns.

"Yes." Becky smiled and then paused. "But if you don't want to be... alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go to California by yourself. I refuse to think of the trouble you would find in a city that size."

Freen was baffled.

"I'd rather you stayed near me." Becky's eyes did that unfair smoldering thing again.

"I don't mind being alone with you."

"I know," Becky sighed, brooding. "You should tell Sheriff Chankimha, though."

"Why?"

Becky's eyes were suddenly fierce, their golden hue returning in full force. "To give me a reason to bring you back."

Freen rolled her eyes. "I think I'll take my chances."

"We are going to be late." Becky said suddenly, rising to her feet.

Only then did Freen look around; the cafeteria was nearly vacant. When she was with Becky, the time and the place were such a muddled blur that Freen completely lost track of both. She jumped up and grabbed her backpack from the back of her chair.

"Later, then," Freen said.

Once the final bell rang, Freen was on her way out to the parking lot. Becky must be waiting for her so she hurried down the stairs.

"Hey!" A voice stopped her stride, bringing her to a stop.

She turned around. "Oh!" She exclaimed, seeing Gemini with a smile running after her, "Hi!"

"Can we talk?" He asked, coming to a stop in front of her.

Once the initial surprise cleared, she looked at him in confusion,

"S...sure." She mumbled.

"I know you are on your way out. I'll walk you?" He asked.

"Okay!" She whispered.

He started walking, and Freen followed, soon falling into step with him.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

He seemed to be thinking about something, "Do you remember me telling you about those stories?"

"Yes..?"

"I told you that for a reason." He said, looking at her.

She nodded, encouraging him to go on. In fact, she knew exactly where this conversation was headed.

"To warn you about the Armstrongs. I have never seen them getting interested in anyone else before. They always stayed within their little circle."

Freen frowned, "What are you getting at?"

"You brought unwanted attention to you since the very first day."

She scoffed, "Well, I didn't do anything."

"You didn't have to. There's something about you..." He stopped himself.

"What?" She asked prompting him to go on.

"I don't know how to explain it." He shook his head. "You stand out even among a crowd."

"Can you explain it?"

Becky said the exact same thing. What was so special about her? She needed answers.

"No! I don't want to explain it. What I want is for you to stay away from her." He gritted out.

"Who?" She knew exactly who he was talking about. The entire school by now must have made their own assumptions about what was going on between her and Becky. If showing up to the school together wasn't enough, then sitting together at the cafeteria for the second time in a row surely made it obvious.

Gemini scoffed, annoyed that Freen even had the audacity to ask the question that had an obvious answer. "You know who."

Freen rolled her eyes, annoyed, "The one who shall not be named? Who are we talking about? Voldemort?" She scoffed.

Gemini raised an eyebrow at the obvious jest, "She's worse."

"Don't talk about something you know nothing about." Freen snapped.

Gemini shook his head and smiled in disbelief, "This is a dangerous game you're playing."

"This is not a game. This is my life." Sighing, Freen ran her fingers through her hair. She was annoyed, "Thanks for the warning, but I can take care of myself."

She turned to walk away, but he caught her wrist, forcing her to turn around,

"Why can't you just listen?" He spat with obvious frustration in his voice.

"Let me go." She tried to ease out of his grasp, but his fingers tightened around her hand, possibly leaving a bruise.

"Not until you listen." He yelled, his grip turning into something inhumane, the wise-like grip reminded her of Becky. Her strength. Was Gemini..? Not it can't be!

"Please stay away from her." He said, much softer now.

"I can't." Freen shook her head. "We are friends."

Gemini scoffs, "Becky Armstrong is a lot of things... but a friend is not one of them."

"You are hurting me." She cried fighting against his grip. Fear overcoming every other emotion.

"LET HER GO!!" Came a very familiar voice.

It fell silent.

Gemini froze, so did Freen.

"I won't ask you again." The fury behind those burning eyes were evident.

This was new, Becky's eyes were bright orange now, like a fire. Her fists were clenched to her sides. The struggle she was going through was evident, trying her best to stop herself from lunging at him and tearing him to pieces.

Anyone else would have run away by now, but Gemini held his ground. He glared back at Becky with the same intensity.

"Take your hands off of her!!!" Becky snarled, taking a step forward and then another and another.

Gemini immediately let go of Freen's hand as if suffocated by the looming presence of Becky.

He shot one last look at Freen. She knew what that look meant. He was pleading with her to heed his warning, and then he walked away.

Freen looked at his retreating figure with a mixture of confusion and fear. When she looked back at Becky, she was no longer there, confusing Freen even more.

What the hell just happened?

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