I woke up feeling a weird feeling in my stomach and a horrible feeling in my head. I closed my eyes and blinked hard before I looked around.

      People were surrounding me, staring down at me.

      “What’s wrong?” I asked, looking around at Keroshan, Serpethion, Serina, Chirpy, Aunty Seretha and my cousins.

      “You’re okay!” My aunt said as she pushed the hair out of my face.

      Kero kneeled down next to me and I felt an anger rush through me. “What happened?” He asked. “You need to tell me everything.

      I sat up quickly and looked at him as I shook my head. “What the hell is going on?”

      Kero narrowed his eyes. “You don’t remember anything?”

      I raised my eyebrows and shook my head. “No.”

      He sighed. “You were with someone and you passed out… almost right before that, your cousin had a strange panic attack and almost turned into a Raakshyan against her will. But didn’t.”

      I felt as if someone was crushing my heart. “What?” I looked at my cousins, seeing the marks on two of their foreheads but not on the others. “Who?” I asked.

      “Veenaray.” Chirpy said as he sat on the bed next to me. “She didn’t end up changing though.”

      I looked at Veena and she shrugged.

      I looked back at Kero and started to shake my head. “I have no idea what’s going on here.” I said. “But I want to go home.”

      Aunty Seretha looked at me strangely. “Sweetie?”

      I looked back at her and shook my head. “Sorry, I just have a massive headache and I want to be in my bed.”

      “Someone might have hurt you love and we need to find out who-”

      “Aunty Seretha, please.” I said as I got up. “There are too many people in this room, I can’t breathe.” I made my way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

      When I got to the front door, I felt someone grab my arm. “You don’t think we’re going to let you walk home alone, right?”

      I turned around and frowned at Kero. “I’m fine.”

      The rest of the people made their way down the stairs with frowns on their faces.

      I saw that Serpethion seemed especially upset about something.

      But I really didn’t have it in myself to care at this very moment. I needed to go home. My head was just hurting too much.

      I pulled my hand out of Kero’s. “I’m fine.” I repeated before I turned around, slipped my shoes back on and opened the door.

      But I wasn’t stupid.

      I knew Kero was going to follow me home anyways.

      I took a deep breath and walked as quickly as I could. Though I knew that I could never outrun Kero, I was still prepared to try.

      “What’s going on Aathy?” Kero asked.

      I turned and looked at him. He was walking close behind me with his hands in his pockets.

      “Leave me alone Keroshan. I said I’m fine. I just have a headache.”

      “I’m sure.”

      I looked back in the direction I was walking as I rolled my eyes. He was probably trying to examine every movement of mine to figure out exactly what I was thinking.

      This was getting a little annoying.

      “I’ve known you long enough to know how you act when you’re hiding something.”  

      I knew it.

      I shook my head and walked into the park. “I have no idea what’s going on right now. I just have a headache and want to get home.”

      “Yeah right.”

      I stopped walking and looked at him. “What is your problem?” I asked.

      He raised his eyebrows. “My problem?”

      “If anyone should be worried about someone hiding something, it should be me.”

      “And why is that?”

      “You’re the one who screwed up.”

      His eyebrows rose some more. “Why are you bringing this-”

      “I don’t want you to pretend what happened didn’t happen, Keroshan.”

      He looked away. “I apologized for that a million times.”

      “Sorry doesn’t solve anything.”

      “Then what do you want me to do?” He asked as he looked back at me. “Fall on my knees and beg?”

      “No! Of course not!” I said, not liking the sound of that.

      “Then what does this have to do with anything? Why are you bringing this up?”

      “Because you need to stop pretending you’re my best friend again.”

      A hurt expression flashed across his face.

      And I felt a strange satisfaction.

      “Because you’re not.” I finished.

      He looked me straight in the eye for a moment and then shook his head.

      “You disappear for months and then come back all of a sudden and expect me to just forgive you?” I asked. “If you know me well enough then you would know that’s not going to happen.”

      He let out a breath that I didn’t know he was holding and looked me straight in the eye again. “Actually, the Aathy that I knew and loved would have forgiven me the moment I apologized.” He said, smiling slightly. “Her ability to forgive and forget almost instantly was probably one of her biggest weaknesses.”

      And know I was really pissed. “Don’t talk like you know me more then I do. You broke my heart you jerk!” I said, raising my voice.

      “I know. And I said I’m sorry. And you know I wasn’t thinking straight with Darius in my god damned head.”

      “That doesn’t change anything Keroshan.”

      I scoffed. “That should change everything!”

      I shrugged. “Well it doesn’t.” I said. “The Aathy you knew before disappeared the second you chose your revenge over me.”

      He looked at me, looking more and more hurt by the second.

      I took a deep breath and let it out.

      “Stop changing the subject.” He said.

      “What?” I asked.

      “Stop changing the subject.” He repeated. “And tell me what happened earlier.”

      I narrowed my eyes at him. “I said I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

      “Then why do you smell like Darius?”

      “What?” I scoffed. “What are you talking about?”

      “You stink.” He said. “Of Darius.”

      I honestly had no idea what he was talking about. “Now you’re just being weird.”

      “Who is this Jace kid?” He asked. “He was with you.”

      I swallowed and felt my heart race. I didn’t know why. “Jace…”

      “Well?” Kero asked.

      “Jace and I are together.” I said. “Sort of.”

      Kero’s expression changed almost completely.

      Again, I felt a strange satisfaction.

      He then surprised me a little by taking a step back and didn’t make eye contact with me. “You didn’t tell me about him.”

      I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Keroshan. I said it already. Don’t think you can just come back into my life and be my best friend again.”

      He pressed his lips into a thin line.

      A moment later, he looked at me.

      He looked at me for a long moment and I tried my best not to lose this staring contest.

      Soon, he let out a small laugh and looked away. A second later, he turned around and walked back in the direction of Aunty Seretha’s house.

      I turned around and walked towards my house.

      As I did, I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on the floor.

      I was wrong.

      My conversation with my brother didn’t help me forgive him.

      It helped me get over him.