I don't know how long it must have taken me to finally fall asleep, but I remember how tightly I was squeezing Terrako to my chest. I get up before I'm even sure that I've fully woken up. I check my phone.... Nothing.

It's Friday. Today can't go by fast enough. Only twelve hours until I'm meeting up with Impa for Daruk's, provided she's still coming.

After I get ready, I grab a blueberry muffin from the kitchen and leave the house. It's not even 8 AM and it's already extremely humid and hot.

In my psychology class we're discussing personality and how the brain gets affected differently depending on countless attributes. I keep thinking about Impa and her strange behavior recently. Luckily my German and economics classes go by fairly quickly. PE used to be my least favorite class but today I can hardly wait for it to start. Though I care less about the course itself than about the... classmates. Classmate.

While I'm changing into my gym shorts and sneakers, Malice enters the locker room but even she can't ruin my mood today. I'm just too excited to see Link again. When I want to leave the locker room my eyes meet hers.

"Want me to wipe that dumb grin off your face?" She offers.

"I think I'm good, thanks," I smile even wider.

"Why so happy?" she raises the corner of her mouth in disgust.

"It's a beautiful day," I shrug, hoping she'll leave me alone now.

"Did something good happen? Something involving a certain athlete?" She shoots me a mischievous smile. 

She's bluffing.

"No clue what you're talking about." I attempt to leave but her foot blocks the door.

"He's not the guy you think he is," Malice sneers.

I don't look at her. She has stolen my smile, she's not stealing my good mood.

"Do you know how he got those bruises?" she asks.

I do, but I certainly won't confirm it to her. She continues after I don't pay her any attention.

"I know what you're up to," she says, checking her long acrylic nails. "You think he's your knight in shining armor. I get it, he's hot and talented, but you and the other girls are just a game to him."

"What?" I ask confused, my annoyance showing in my voice.

"Whatever it is the two of you have, it's not exclusive. It never is with guys like him. Trust me, I know. He asked me to meet him in private today after school, did he not tell you?"

I clench my jaw. She's lying. She's a lying witch.

"Nope, why would he tell me? We don't talk," I won't allow her to find out about Link and I.

"Then you won't mind if I meet him?"

I roll my eyes, still waiting for her to clear my path.

"He did say I can't tell anyone. Ops. Be a doll and keep it a secret, will you?"

"Don't worry, I wasn't listening anyway," I snarl and watch as her stupid grin turns upstie down.

"Don't hate on me, I'm not the one who asked to meet. Go ask your loverboy. If he denies it, he's lying. Men always have secrets. You'll see it, sooner or later. I'm doing you a favor by telling you now."

Malice walks to her locker without another word and I leave the locker room. Link is already warming up when I enter the gym. Malice is lying, I remind myself. When he spots me, he sends me a swift smile and I give it my best to return that honest smile. He would have told me if he were meeting Malice. Actually, he probably wouldn't. He doesn't feel it necessary to share information unless asked to do so. Mabye Malice is right and I should just go ask him myself. Wait... Did I just say Malice is right?

My feet are taking me to Link's direction without my command and only stop at the blow of the coach's whistle. Thankfully I didn't get far any nobody noticed it. I walk over to the coach along with the other students.

"Alright folks, class is starting! Grab a basketball and warm up," the coach says to the class.

Malice arrives at the gym and catches me eying Link with a look of concern clear on my face. She looks so content after seeing my worried expression. Why is she bothering me now after almost a week of silence between us? Maybe I'll take Impa up on that offer to fight Malice. The thought comes to me as more of a joke but it reminds me that I still have to get a hold of Impa.

Link and I don't communicate or even look at each other during PE. For one because we never did before, but more so because Malice has her eyes on us and I don't want her to snap another unfortunate photo of us.

After PE, Malice is quick to change and leave the locker room before I can even take my shoes off. My jealousy is telling me to run after her but I know better. That's what she wants me to do. She's probably waiting in the hallway with a "You fell for it" sign in her hands. I take my time changing back into my romper and sandals and leave the locker room as relaxed as I can fake. The hallway is empty. Where did she go?

"I don't think your girlfriend would like this," I hear her gloating voice echoing through the hallway.

"She's not my girlfriend," Link says quietly and my heart falls into an abyss. What the hell... Why is Link talking to Malice? Are they talking about me or does Malice still consider Mipha his girlfriend? Where are they?

I tiptoe down the hallway and stop by the corner. I can't see them but they are right around the corner, only a few feet away from me. I can hear them clearly.

"So you're single then?" Her nasty voice asks him.

"Are you?" He asks back.

There's something behind his voice that I can't make out.

"Maybe, maybe not. Will you get in a fight over me again?" She asks. "Speaking of which... Does your princess know about the pier?" I hear her but Link doesn't answer. "Thought so."

They are definitely talking about me... My heart...

"Hurry up," he whispers.

"Eager?" She says and I feel the nausea crawling up my throat. What about the pier hasn't he told me? He said he got into a fight with Ganon, there was no mention of Malice.

"Just give it to me," he rushes.

My lungs are rejecting the air I'm so painfully trying to swallow. I want my legs to move, to either run away or step between Link and Malice but my legs refuse to do either. I'm as frozen as I was when that baseball player tried to hit me. My fear has numbed my body once again. However... I would rather take the hit than to stand here and listen to their conversation.

"You're welcome," Malice snarls after a few, long seconds.

I force my legs to move and step around the corner. Malice is cornered by Link. Her eyes find me in a heartbeat. That hideous smile is like a solar eclipse; dark and dangerous to look at. Link is handing her her phone back, that's when he spots me. While her simper is only growing, Link looks rather startled by my presence.

"Busted," Malice shapes her smile into a pouty face and takes the phone from Link's hand. What was he doing with her phone?

"Link?" Is all my timid voice can utter.

"Gotta go. Call me," Malice winks at Link and leaves through the exit door.

Link satys put, waiting for me to say or do something. Isn't he going to defend himself? Not even now when I literally caught them together?

"Why would you call her?" I ask, trying so hard to hide how hurt I am. It's not even my most pressing question right now, but at least my voice is forming full sentences.

"I won't," he says in his usual calm manner.

"Why would she say that then? Did you give her your number?" I can feel tears filling my eyes.

"No."

"Then why... Why would she say that?" I breathe. He's finally starting to look worried and walks toward me but with every step he makes, I take a step away from him. "Why...? Why would she say that?"

"I don't know," he lies. Or maybe he is telling the truth? I can't tell. I want to believe him, but he was just talking to her and doing something with her that makes it hard to believe his innocence.

"What were you doing with her phone?" I want to know. If he can tell me the truth, maybe it won't be so bad.

"Nothing," he answers. Now he's lying and he's realizing it too. "Zelda..." he tries but my phone rings and interrupts his attempted lie. I look at the screen; it's Impa. Finally! Lucky Link, now he has time to think of a good excuse.

"Don't answer that," he dares say.

"Impa," I answer the phone, struggling to keep the tears from falling.

"Hey, sorry I just saw your... 17 missed calls. Is somebody dying?"

"I might," I say, quietly bearing the stinging pain my heart is shooting through my body. I'm staring directly into Link's worried eyes as I'm talking to Impa.

"Well, I'm here now, what's up?" she asks.

"Where were you? Why didn't you answer my texts or calls?"

"My phone died and I couldn't find my charger," she says. I chose to believe here. I can't handle any more lies at this moment.

"Are we still going to Daruk's tonight?" I ask her and begin to walk away from Link.

"I'd love to. Wanna go to the pier for the time being?"

"Yes, please."

The pier is exactly the distraction I need right now.

"Can you pick me up? I'll wait by the dorms, you know where they are, right?"

"I do. I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Link follows me and I rush to end the phone call. Students are filling the hallway when Link tries to stop me from leaving.

"Zelda, please," he bids, unbothered by the looks he is receiving by the passing students.

"You just lied to me," I sniff, not looking at him. "You lied to me... Straight to my face."

"Let me explain."

"You might need some more time to come up with a believable excuse," I snap.

"Zelda..."

I stop and turn to glare at him.

"Malice? Out of all people, it had to be her? Whatever you were doing, why her?" He wants to say something but I'm quicker. "We're not discussing this in public. I don't want to be seen with you."

I can see the pain in his eyes when my words hit him. Guilt consumes me quickly, but there was no other way of saying it. I hate that he's hurt, but I can't apologize for it when he hurt me first. Why did it have to be Malice... That's just another arrow boring my heart. If it had been any random girl it would have hurt too, but why did it have to be Malice? Even if he was only talking to her and nothing more, why her? Do I even want to know what they were doing? I do... I really do. I want to know why he asked Malice if she's single and why he had her phone. And why he asked to meet her in the first place. I'm trying to be understanding and to give him a chance to explain this whole thing but I find it terribly difficult to ignore the assumptions breeding in my head.

"When?" He asks quietly, angst slowly taking over his features. Is it because a tear has managed to break free from my eyes? I wipe it away and straighten my back.

"Monday," I say.

Monday is so far away, how will I manage with these horrible thoughts poking my head. But there is no way of meeting him any sooner than Monday. Maybe Sunday... Or tomorrow night after his game? I can't be certain right now and we can't even talk on the phone or arrange to meet up outside of school since I don't have his number. Oh, but Malice does... Anger is replacing my sadness and I welcome it like an old friend.