Lashing out in anger because I care

Hearing it from Liron was what annoyed her the most. Not hearing it from Florence or Charles made her feel like she wasnt to be involved in these serious matters - Florence probably said nothing from the shame she felt and she wasnt sure what Charles had been thinking. It probably would have been fine if she hadnt ever found out. But now she had, and she felt so heartbroken. She sat in her window, a blanket wrapped around her as she looked at the night sky. She hadnt been sleeping much, the dark circles under her eyes gave it away. She hadnt been taking care of herself, her hair in a mess and as she looked at her phone, she could see the dirt under her nails. She hated dirt under her nails, but she couldnt be assed to clean them. She wasnt usually hiding around in her actual house, which was why she did it, just to make sure she couldnt be found unless she wanted to. It was far into the night and she hadnt even bothered to move and turn the lights on. She reached out for a bottle on the windowsill, leaning back in her blanket as she bit the cap off and took some long swigs. She grabbed her phone, feeling drunk and angry.

Charles had been having a shitty day to begin with. He usually weren’t hanging around his apartment, mostly because it always seemed so empty. He was not good at expressing that loneliness, so he had stayed silent, listening to music created before he was born seemed to calm him down somewhat. That was when he felt his phone vibrate, frowning as he watched the screen light up in the dark room of his almost empty living room. The message made him angry somehow, but he did nothing but spurt out a small groan before replying to her text.

[Charles: tell u wat]

He knew the message was cold, but he really couldn’t give a fuck right now.

Charles felt himself annoyed, turning up for his music and dropping himself on the mattress on his floor. He looked at the ceiling, wondering what was going on as he soon felt his phone vibrate again. Her text made no sense; Florence had told him that she had tried calling Lana first, hadn’t she left a fucking voicemail? He breathed out, tapping his phone as he let it rest for a bit, sitting up to grab his half empty pack of cigarettes. He took one out, placing the bud between his teeth before he lit it. Then he took a deep inhale, laying back on the mattress and grabbing his phone once more.

[Charles: Her? I thought u knew]

He couldn’t believe Lana was angry at him for not telling about Florence. The two always seemed to be on the phone with each other, so why hadn’t she heard anything from her instead? He exhaled the thick smoke in to the room.

[Charles: U mean something, aight, dont be playing me]

Charles breathed out, seeing her write this. What was her problem? So, he hadn’t told her he had been the one to come to Florence at first call, what was wrong with him being silent? He was dealing with seeing her like that, couldn’t she understand he just needed a fucking break? He took another long drag of his cigarette, biting his lower lips as he held his breath. His thumb rubbing against his chin as he just looked at the screen. He could already imagine her being angry and tossing things towards the walls of where she was, but he felt like this was unfair. He read the message pop up, gritting his teeth and groaning as he looked away from the screen. Had she been any other person he would have thrown the phone away and not written further, but this was Lana. He was conflicted about the feelings he felt for her.

[Charles: Fucking hell, Im sorry I saved her fuckin life]

He sent it, placing the phone on his chest as he felt like he wanted to just hurl himself against a wall. How could she drive him this mad and crazy? Sighing he finished his smoke, putting out the bud in the still filled ashtray beside the bed, moving to his feet as he went to the small cabinet with his speakers on top of. He took out a bottle of cheap whiskey, sighing as he looked at the golden liquid and moved to the bed as he unscrewed the lid. He glaced at the screen, seeing she was typing, and he half expected there to be a shitstorm of a message soon.

[Charles: I know I shouldve told u, but she was bleedin out n I got fuckin scared]

He wrote, not expecting her to understand. He was not easy to get scared, but losing someone he cared for would break him, he knew that already.

Perhaps this was stupid, he should just call her or at least go and see her, but the last two messages felt like a burn to his damned soul. Gritting his teeth he took a sip of the cheap whiskey before he decided to move to his feet, stuffing his phone in his pocket and just leaving the bottle on the floor. He didn’t even care to grab a jacket as he went out through the door. The night was colder than it had been, but autumn had come and taken a hold over Gaia. He moved rather fast through the streets, his mind not knowing where he was going, but his body did. He was angry and frustrated. He wanted to yell and break something, but a numb feeling had taken a hold over him. He looked for a while at the gates, knowing he could climb them easily and so he did, managing to rip his shirt as well, but he couldn’t seem to care. Charles moved to the front door, pulling at it and feeling it was locked. Of course it was fucking locked, he thought to himself as his eyes seemed to blur. He felt lost, felt like he wasn’t supposed to be there. Maybe the best option was just to get out of there, get as far away from the situation, but he felt like he couldn’t. He had come this far, and he wasn’t going to let himself just run away again. He went around the house until he spotted her in the indoor pool area. It felt like glass was being pushed into his heart as he saw her there, struggling to open a bottle, knowing that feeling. Charles moved his hand in to a fist, breaking the window above the handle to the door, unlocking it as he felt the splinters digging into his knuckles. A silent alarm would probably be set off now, but he couldn’t be arsed to even think of it. He moved to her, taking the bottle from her hand and opening it for her. ”Want to say all of that shit to my face?” he asked blatantly, feeling so numb and yet so hurt being here. He was idle, something he hated, but he needed to know what was going on. ”You want me to fucking crawl on my knees, apologize for saving what you see as the only real family?” he said, but his eyes were filled with emotions of distress. He wanted her to yell, wanted her to lash out and hurt him, scared he was never going to feel anything if she didn’t.

The cap was stuck or maybe her hand was too slippery to get a good grip. She frowned as she kept trying to screw it off, a long drawn out groan leaving her lips at the strain she was feeling. She turned her head as the sound of glass breaking was heard and he was stepping in. She scrambled to her feet, feeling her blood boil as she thought her text had been clear to show how little she wanted to keep the conversation going. He reached for the bottle and she had been so close to yank it out of his grip, even though she wouldnt have known that doing that would have send her right on her back with her wounded foot. His question made her grit her teeth as she shifted her weight to her healthy leg, shifting between his eyes as she took a long gulp from the bottle. She exhaled the burn, feeling her breath run from her in her anger, yet she felt like if she was going to lose it.
His addition just seemed to make it click for her. She had wanted to hold back on her anger as she had felt herself being in the wrong, but this sparked a whole other set of emotions that rushed over the ones she had been trying to keep at bay. Fine. Anger it was. "Yes, maybe that's all I fucking want from you right now. She's family to me and you know that," she snarled with such spite in her tone. She felt uneasy on her feet but she couldnt support her weight on her bleeding foot. "But tell me, had it been me who had been on the brink of fucking dying... Hadnt you wanted to fucking know?" she snarled as she raised her voice, feeling her eyes well up at the emotion that reigned in her tone. She stepped towards him, staggering as she was trampling down on her feet, making the glass cut deeper into her foot, but she felt too proud to even pay mind enough to whimper at the pain. She got close and even though he was far taller than her, she stared up at him with such fury in her eyes. She clenched her fist hard as she shifted between those blue eyes of his as she contemplated acting on her anger or not. "Why are you here anyway? Fucking leave me alone!" she yelled at him, trying to push him away even though her being was begging for him to get closer and comfort her. Not that she would ever let him though, lifting her hands as she tried to shove at him with them, which only made her shift her weight onto her bad foot, causing her face to wince at the pain.

Charles gritted his teeth as she started to speak, grinding them against each other, making a horrid sound of bone matter against bone matter Her addition to her words, her question made him scoff as he looked away. He smelt blood, already knowing she was hurt, but he let her play strong for now. He was too angry to help and be any good at it until he felt himself again. ”Of course I would want to know, Lana – But she tried calling you, how do you think she would react if I got through to you before her, huh?” he asked, biting back as he felt locked in to a corner. ”Oh wow, my only real family, not picking up, but when the asshole calls, she answers like she’s on command,” he said, mimicing what he thought Florence might say. He shook his head, feeling frustrated. She moved closer and he looked down upon her, seeing the anger that burnt behind those black eyes. Her yell made his face go numb, he felt her shove, but his body was frozen. It took him some time before he grabbed both of her upperarms to keep her still, stopping her from stepping on the bad foot. He didn’t answer, he couldn’t find his words, because deep down he knew why he was there, he just didn’t want to ruin anything. He grabbed her, lifting her into his arms, even if she were hitting and yelling he would keep her in a locked grip, walking to her bathroom. He placed her on the edge of the bathtub, his face still numb, his fingers felt like he couldn’t really allow himself to feel anything. He opened a small cabinet, taking out some first aid stuff and sitting down on the floor in front of Lana, taking her bad foot and inspecting it. He hated feeling like he was standing still, he just needed to do something, and this was better than hitting a wall. He took a disinfecting wipe, careful as he then grabbed a pincet, starting to remove the small pieces of glass. Right now he was greatful for his great vision, seeing even the smallest piece of glass that he removed, each time disinfecting the pincet and then her foot. He just sat there, feeling like this was all he was now, someone to yell at and help you through the shit you had done to yourself. He sighed, shaking his head at his own thoughts. ”This is what I do for both of you, if you haven’t noticed,” he said in a sad tone, but he felt sad as well, however his face felt numb, and it was like it was spreading to his body. ”I come, I get yelled at, I heal you and I leave – That’s what I’m doing here,” he said taking a sharp inhale as the scent of blood and metal roamed the air. As he had finished removing the glass, he inspected her foot one more time, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. ”I don’t know what else you are expecting off me, but fuck, seeing the two of you continue to hurt yourselves – It takes a fucking toll on me, aight, I ain’t made of rock or cement,” he said shaking his head as he started to wrap her foot, making sure to put a little soft padding between the ace binding and the heel. ”But I keep coming back like I’m a stupid dog, thinking that this time I get to say what I’m really feeling,” he said, frowning as he wrapped her foot, not too tight but not too loose. He felt conflicted, mostly because he didn’t know how to put words to what he was feeling, he just knew that he wasn’t supposed to feel this about a friend. Worst of all was the fact that he didn’t believe he would be good at something binding like a relationship. He knew he could never make anyone happy that way, and that was just how it was, but it didn’t take away that feeling.

Even though his words were as true as they could get, she just seemed to get angrier than anything. She thought she had been clear in her texts, and yet here he was and not backing down it seemed. She would appreciate it later but for now she thought that all she wanted was for him to leave back the way he came. She felt his arms grasp her upperarms and she hissed at him as she fought against his grip, "Let me go!" she demanded, but she knew she was being irrational, she didnt want him to let go. She just wanted comfort, someone to tell her it was going to be alright, even when she was trying to scratch them bloody. She felt his arms lock around her and she froze for a second as she just blinked a little with surprise at how his comfort felt so soothing. She dropped the bottle, but it didnt splinter like the first, it just rolled as the liquid poured out on the floor below them. Had she been anyone else, she would have probably given in and let her guard down, but she was Lana - And as close as the incubus seemed to get under her skin, she refused to give up. Even with his grip being tight in a solid lock around her, she was still squirming and fighting him with small pants and sounds of anger leaving her mouth.
As he placed her on the bathtub it was taking her a lot of self control to not just stand back up to throw a punch - Even as small as she was, she was never backing down from fighting anyone. Even if the person could have been big enough to crush her, she'd fight with all her vigor. But she knew fighting wouldnt resolve these issues, hell she knew deep down that she was the root of the problem that was tearing at her. Her own need to be there for Florence always, to be told by Liron that she hadnt been, that she hadnt been the rock her friend needed when she had needed it the most. She looked away as he had gathered his first aid supplies, gritting her teeth as he inspected her foot. The pieces had burrowed into her skin as she had recklessly pushed them in with her careless pressure from walking around the house. A faint whimper left her mouth as he pulled out the first piece that was burrowed quite deep, gritting her teeth as she clamped her fingers around the edge of the bathtub. He started speaking and even if his face wasnt hinting towards his emotions, she surely felt the sadness in his tone like splinters, deeper than those in her foot, in her heart. She just kept quiet as she drew in deep breaths as the glass was removed, but her face was still filled with anger. She didnt even know what she was expecting from him, and as he seemed to show his vulnerability, it was as if her anger slowly cooled off to a point where she wasnt staring at him with eyes that wished they could kill by staring.
"I didnt want you to come back!" she lied with spite. She gritted her teeth as she pulled her foot to her as soon as he had finished wrapping it, getting to her feet as she stared angrily down at him. "I'm not in fucking charge of what you do or dont say. If you wanna say something, then say it or you know what? Dont. I dont wanna fucking hear it!" she snarled as she kept her eyes on his face and even as her words seemed to be, it was clear that she didnt mean her words. She shook her head as she moved away, wishing she had kept a good hold on the bottle so she could try to chug it. She could already hear Liron's voice in her head scolding her for not thanking him for his aid. She ground her teeth at the thought and grabbed the door handle, "Thank you," she mumbled in a disgusted tone towards herself for even listening to the voice. She pulled at the door, slamming it to the wall as she walked to the kitchen. She felt her eyes well up once more as she got to the kitchen door, grabbing the frame as she lifted her hand to her mouth to muffle a sob. She just stared ahead as her eyes seemed to sting, before she rubbed her eyes to remove the water, her fingers smudging in with the remainder of leftover makeup that she had been wearing for the last couple of days. She walked over to her cabinet, pulling out whatever she could with the largest percentage, before she placed it on the table, looking at it as she knew she couldnt screw the lid off as intoxicated as she already was.

God she could drive him crazy and mad, how could she not see how wrong she was? She got to her feet, and it was like the words she was saying were hitting harder this night. Every syllable hitting him like a knife in the spine, making him unable to move. This was how she got when she was angry, he knew that and he had taken worse scoldings and hit than right now, but it seemed different. Her halfassed thank you made him close his eyes, breathing in deeply as to not jump to his feet and just leave. Charles was not known to be patient, he was not known to be good at comfort, but when his friends were hurting he was hurting. That probably explained why he had so few real friends, however he saw Lana as a real friend. He decided to pack up the first aid, putting it back in it’s rightful place in the cabinet, before he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit, the bags under his eyes too many to count, and his cheeks seemed to be a bit more hollow as well. He hadn’t really been feasting much since the whole ordeal with Florence, but he didn’t expect anyone around him to notice. It took him a while to calm himself enough to go on a hunt to find Lana once more, finding her in the kitchen with a large display of alcohol resting on the kitchen counter. He leaned against the doorframe, looking at her with blank eyes. ”Go to bed, Lana,” he said with a sigh, pushing himself away from the doorframe and walked to her. He didn’t see himself as someone craving comfort, but right now he just wanted to comfort her. ”You’re too drunk and hurt to even open a bottle – I’ll leave if you let me help you to bed,” he promised, holding out his hand for her to take. He didn’t know if she would take it, either way he would force her towards the bedroom if she didn’t move willingly. He went over to her bed, fluffing up her covers and pillows, looking at her and waiting for her to just lie down.

This was how she was. Pressing buttons to see just how far she could get before the person had had enough. Only that with her friends she felt a little more reluctant, as she didnt want to try and make them hate her. But it was like with Charles in this moment, she just wanted to push him over the edge and make him hate her. It just seemed simpler that way, instead of having to deal with these feelings inside of her. She just stared at the bottle with her tired eyes, noticing him in the corner of her eye as he appeared in the doorframe. His words made her frown as she lifted her eyes to look at him as he walked closer. She wasnt really sure if it was even worth the try to sleep, she would probably just toss and turn for ages till the intoxication had fallen low enough for her to fetch a new bottle that she would be able to open again. She placed a hand on the table to support her balance, listening to him, but to her she didnt even seem that drunk, she just felt angry. "I could open the bottle if I wanted to," she argued, turning her eyes back to the bottle. Didnt he understand that she wanted him to stay even though she kept telling him to leave?
As he forced her to the bedroom, she wasnt exactly putting up much a fight, but as they entered the bedroom she did pull herself away from him as she was gritting her teeth. She stood by the door as he was fluffing up the covers and preparing her bed. It must have been the sight of the bed because she walked over to him as she crawled in without saying a word. She didnt say or look at him, like she was just waiting for him to leave. But if he were to move away, she was quick to grab his wrist and keep a tight grip around it. She didnt even have to say that she wanted him to stay because her hand wasnt going to let go. She moved her eyes up to look at him and for a second her eyes seemed so full of hurt, like her guard had been lowered for just a moment. She quickly realized and what could she do? She did what she did best, let her anger get the best of her. She let go of his hand as her hands formed into fists and she started throwing these weak drunken punches to his chest as she felt tears form in her eyes. "I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you!" she yelled as she punched his chest like she was trying to convince herself, and then she cried. She covered her face and pulled away as she felt her core shake with pain. The alarm company had called her phone a long time ago, and since her parents were in charge of it all, there could only be one other person they could call before taking matters into their own hands.

At first he believed she had calmed down, perhaps finally realising that she needed rest. He watched as she climbed on to the bed, breathing out a bit in relief that he had managed to make her do this. That was when he decided to take his leave like he had promised, but she grabbed his wrist and he just stopped in his tracks. He looked into her eyes, seeing the brief vulnerability before everything got flipped upside down. She started yelling at him, hitting him, and he just stood there and took it. Why did it feel so good to hear her say anything? Why did it feel like he wanted her to tell him that she hated him? She started crying, and he couldn't stop himself as he grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his chest. His hand resting on the back of her head as he held her, letting her cry as he felt so torn. "It's alright," he just said, feeling like he was being tossed in to some unknown void. "At least you feel something for me," he added. It felt bitter to say something like that, but it was real. Any feelings he felt for her, he knew couldn't be returned, and it made it easier to accept. He held her as he heard the sound of feet going up the stairs, and he already knew who was coming. He knew, because he could smell his scent.

Liron stepped into the room, looking at Charles and Lana, being on the phone at this point. "Everything is fine, false alarm," he said in a voice void of emotions as he hung up, placing his phone back in his pocket. He was about as tall as Charles, only much skinnier. "Now why is my sister drunk and crying her eyes out?" he asked, seeming not to move a muscle in his face. Lana would know that he cared, but he was always about keeping face when other people were in the room with them. "You two are acting idiotic; Lana, you know how much I've fought for your independence, so I am a little disappointed that you have not just seized the moment," he said, walking over to the two. Charles didn't let go of Lana unless she wanted him to.

It was no secret that Charles didn't like Liron, and though the siren was hard to read, it felt like the feeling was mutual. He felt the change in Lana, releasing her as she wished, now standing with arms that felt heavy and empty. He gritted his teeth at the siblings, feeling like he shouldn't be here for this, but there was no way in hell that he was leaving because Liron told him to. He could respect that the siren had needed to care for Florence by himself, but this was not something he would let go of. It had felt heartbreaking to hear Lana sob, the tough girl that were either saying spiteful words, witty comments or laughing. Of course her anger knew no boundaries, but he felt like he had seen a piece of the real her, and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. He was however still ready to catch Lana if she were to loose her footing.

Liron sighed at his sister's words, shaking his head as he went over to one of her dressers, touching a few of the trinkets laid out. He didn't feel the need to justify himself and his actions, because why should he? Her questions made him scoff, shaking his head at his little sister. They had once been close, but times had changed and now they seemed more distant. Sure, they kept in contact, but it was nothing more that briefings. "For your information I am acting out of miss Delaney's wishes," he said, looking at his sister and then Charles with his ever stern look in his eyes. "I know I am not making her happy, but that does not mean I am not trying to," his voice sounding void of emotions, but his eyes betrayed him as he looked at his sister. He was feeling trapped in all of this, but he didn't blame his sibling for not understanding that he was just as much a victim as his betrothed. "Besides, would you rather have father find you here in your home with someone he would never approve of?" he scoffed his question as he placed his hands folded in front of himself.

Charles gritted his teeth, looking at all of this unfold. He really wanted to kick Liron's face in, but then again what good would that do?

Once again Charles had gotten so far out that he could barely remember how it all happened to begin with, one second the siblings were fighting, the next Lana grabbed him and pulled him close. It was no secret that he hated kissing, but it was like he couldn't deny her doing this, feeling ... well just feeling everything. However soon it changed, he felt the anger in her bubble up, and he knew it had meant nothing as she pulled away. Well, nothing to her at least, and he felt the numbness return. How could she give him so many emotions yet turn him into a zombie like this? He stood for a bit, his lips separated as he was trying to make sense of it all. He was a pawn in her game, and he felt played right now, but he couldn't even get angry. He just stood there, hearing but not feeling, like she had been the one to suck out his soul and not the other way around.

Liron scoffed as Lana kissed Charles, knowing she was acting out. It didn't matter much to him, he was seen as the bad guy either way, and he had learned to accept that. She seemed to finish her little act of rebellion as she pulled away from the demon and came towards him. Broodsmare. That was a new one. He bit his tongue, knowing he could set things straight, make her understand, but he knew she wouldn't listen. "Why do you think I am doing all of this, Lana?" he asked, rather calmly as she walked over to her nightstand and lighting a cigarette. He looked only at his siser, not caring much for the demon in the room. "Because I'm a narcissist? Because I'm evil?" he asked, frowning a bit as he looked at the only one in his family he actually wished to get along with. He let out a sigh, shaking his head. She would be too stubborn to listen anyways, so why would it matter what he said? "I took a plea deal; your freedom for my submission, but you can't see further than your own nose - You don't see that you are pushing people away when you really need to hold them close," he said, trying to be vague about what he had done. She knew nothing of it, and he wanted it to stay that way. He unfolded his hands, looking at his watch for a few seconds. "Would you look at the time; I need to leave," he said in a voice that seemed cold.

Charles watched as Liron left, his eyes empty as he then turned his face to Lana. When he was sure that Liron had left the house he took a deep breath and shook his head. "You play me good," he mumbled, feeling his eyes betray him, showing a bit of sadness. He knew his imagination had been playing him, Lana wasn't in to him like that, and he just needed to accept that fact. Not that he had ever thought they would end up together, but just knowing where he stood would be nice.

Kisses were something Lana had shared with many, but she hadnt often found someone who could make her feel warm and fuzzy like she did with Charles. She knew it was a dumb feeling because it wasnt like he felt like she did and even if he did, how could they make it work? She knew he hated kissing, but he let her do it, why did he put her before himself that way? All these questions were what would have been in her mind, hadnt she been so focused on pissing off her sibling. She was eye to eye with her brother and as he asked his question she grit her teeth. Was this some dumb guessing game? Instead of answering she just gave him an icy stare, filled with anger. Even though she seemed to, she didnt actually hate her sibling, it was just the whole engagement that made her angry. Liron answered his own question but instead of noticing the vague hint, she got angry at him trying to lecture her. "Like I'm supposed to be listening to anything you have to say," she snarled as she shook her head.
She took a deep inhale of her cigarette and didnt even bother to look as Liron left. Surely the night could have turned out differently had she just been put to bed right away so she could have drifted off to her slumber before Liron could have arrived. But now done was done and she was feeling extra giving of the shitty feeling she was having inside of her. Charles' words, even as a mumble she heard and she scoffed as she turned her eyes to him, cold like ice as she shortly shifted between his eyes. "What? You thought I was hoping there could be an us?" she asked in a neutral tone as she exhaled the smoke. She got up from the bed as she looked deep into his eyes, "I'll save us the trouble and do the reality check. Neither of us would ever accept the boundary of belonging to someone and we wouldnt accept sharing with others, am I wrong? Tell me, am I?" she asked as she took another inhale of her cigarette. She was only lucky to be so drunk off her mind that she wasnt really grasping whether this was reality or not - Because had it been so, her whole being would have screamed at her to shut up, not because it wasnt true but because it was such a hurtful truth. "Go home Charles," she said in a rare to almost never used cold tone as she went back to her bed and sat down, her words for once being in all seriousness. She placed the cigarette in her mouth as she laid down, knowing that she would pass out after finishing her smoke. By then she had expected him to leave.

.. (aight ima head out and cry a lil)

She was back in school a couple of days later. If it was because the school had notified her parents of her absence or because she had gone of free will, wasnt really to be known. But there she was, sitting in class with a couple of classmates that she had never even batted an eye to before. She was smiling and involved in their chit chat but her eyes seemed so gloomy. The past days lack of self care had taken it's toll and no matter how much foundation she stuck on her face, the bags under her eyes were dark and present. She excused herself as she got up from her seat to walk out in the hall, to stand by the vending machines. She looked around at the choices before she clicked in the numbers for a water. She hadnt texted him since the encounter but that was because she wasnt even sure what she was supposed to say anymore. She pulled out her phone as she leaned back against the machine, inhaling deeply as she looked through their messages, that she had been avoiding since the night - Just to see if he had texted her.

"You know what? Yeah, I had a fucking thought that maybe, just maybe, I could actually feel something again," he said in a frustrated tone, his throat feeling dry and he just looked at her in disbelief. Her hard truth made him scoff, because he knew. He knew that it was the truth, but he hated it. He hated that because they were both so fucked up they couldn't be there for each other like they actually wanted to. "Fuck it, I guess it's too late," he said, his voice retracting to that numb and void of emotion kind of tone. As she told him to go home he didn't. He left, but he didn't get home, not now, not for the foreseeable future. He needed to get away. Go as far away from these emotions, put some physical distance between himself and whatever was going on in his mind and heart.

--

The days had passed, Florence had been allowed to go back to school after getting several checks by doctors and other physicians. She spotted Lana by the vending machine, walking up to her a bit sheepish, standing for a while in silence as the siren checked her phone. "He hasn't written you, has he?" she asked, feeling a bit hopeful. The banshee was still a bit shaken from what she had tried to do, but she was doing better. She was even starting to eat slowly and not throwing it up. Florence took a deep breath, crossing her arms as she looked to her friend, the one she saw as her sister in this god forsaken world. If anything positive was to come of that ridiculous engagement, it was that she could actually start called Lana for her sister, and it would be true. "I'm not blaming you, you know that, right?" she said, knowing they hadn't really spoken much about the single night where Lana hadn't picked up. But that was how fate worked sometimes, how things just seemed to turn out all wrong and twisted. "What happened between the two of you? You always fight, but this is very different?" Florence remarked, looking at the students passing by to go to class. She really just wanted to be at home, curled up on her bed and crying, but she knew she couldn't do that all the time.