Chryss' hand shook as she twisted open the doorknob. Her mother was undoubtedly going to question her renewed bruises and purple-black face, but her mother wasn't home and Chryss heaved a sigh of relief.

She hurried up to her bedroom and dabbed lots of make up onto her face until it had nothing more than a slight blueish tinge.

"I'm home, honey," her mother called from downstairs and Chryss froze, sliding into her closet and shutting the door behind her.

"Oh, she's not home," Chryss heard her mother say disappointedly. "Probably out with a boy." She snickered.

Chryss seethed slightly. Out with a boy?! She wasn't interested in boys. 

She slipped out of her window and silently climbed down the wall before walking over to the supermarket. Coincidentally, she passed Cedric's house again, and she glared at the house.

"YOU SHUT UP, YOU THINK I CARE THAT YOU WANT THAT STUPID SOFA, WE DON'T EARN MONEY TO CATER TO YOUR GAMBLING-"

"BUYING A SOFA ISN'T GAMBLING, IT'S CALLED MAKING THE HOUSE MORE COMFORTABLE, BUT OF COURSE YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT OUR HOUSE FEELS LIKE"

"OF COURSE I CARE, YOUR SPENDING HABITS ARE JUST TOO EXPENSIVE!"

"YEAH, WELL, TELL ME THAT AGAIN AFTER YOU BUY ANOTHER HANDBAG AND THE LATEST IPHONE, HUH, AND HERE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT ME ASKING TO BUY A SOFA-"

"OUR SOFA IS PERFECTLY FINE, THAT'S JUST A WASTE OF MONEY!"

"THE SOFA IS FLAKING AND THE CUSHIONS ARE HARD AND STICKY, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WASHED THEM, HUH, AND YOU'RE SAYING WE DON'T NEED A NEW ONE, I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THAT CRAP FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS---"

Chryss flinched. Did Cedric's parents even notice how loud they were screaming? Where was he, anyway, sulking in his bedroom because he hadn't managed to kill her?

No, he was in his backyard. He was absent-mindedly shooting at a target with a bow and arrow. Chryss suppressed annoyance. He was holding it wrong!

 "You're supposed to nock the arrow the other way," she called, "and your bow is backwards."

"Because you know so much about it?" Cedric fired back, clearly ill-tempered. He glared at his house again as a fresh bout of screaming came from his mother.

Chryss still couldn't believe they were arguing over buying a sofa, but clearly they argued over a lot of things.

She noticed Cedric wasn't exactly treated the best either. He seemed as bruised as her, although his face was slightly less so. The brunt of it seemed to have gone to his arms and back.

"Yes, I do," she called back, and without waiting for him to answer, she blackflipped over his fence and walked over to him, seizing the bow from his grasp.

He didn't argue, instead watching her with slight curiosity as she righted the positioning of the bow and fired at the target.

She hit the bullseye. It was the first shot to do so, she noticed. She smiled and handed the bow back to him.

"Why do you keep coming to me?" he asked quietly. "I had you beaten thrice already."

"What can I say? I rebel against authority," Chryss said with a slight smile.

"Well, I-"

"CEDRIC, YOU DAMNED BOY, COME HERE AND TELL YOUR FATHER YOU DON'T WANT A NEW SOFA!"

"NO, CEDRIC, TELL HER HOW MUCH YOUR BACK HURTS EVERY DAY AFTER CARRYING YOUR SCHOOLBAG AND WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE A NICE PLUSH SOFA WITH SOFT CUSHIONS!"

Cedric grimaced. "Well. Looks like I'm wanted." He narrowed his eyes at Chryss. "Just remember, Kristyn-"

" - Chryss - " 

"Yeah, well, Chryss, that I'm not going to treat you any differently."

"Counting on it."

She smiled defiantly at him, and his displeasure was evident, but his mother screamed at him once more and his expression darkened.

"Well," he said, "it appears I've been summoned. But, Chryss, nice Cedric ends today."

Chryss snorted. "Don't ever recall you being nice."

He smiled grimly. "You'll see the difference."