edited

|Adara De Clare|

I put my hand on my forehead and I rub it. When did life get this frustrated? A few weeks ago, my worries were continuing my straight-A streak. Now, my worry is trying to stay alive because this organization is trying to kill me, and pin it on my boyfriend who's also the Prince who's also a vampire.

See? Things have gotten immensely frustratingly confusing and stressful. When did things get like this?

Since the contract that's when.

"Are you okay?" Nikolai brings my head out of my thoughts and I sigh.

I turn my head, looking at him, "I don't know. Am I supposed to be okay? After learning that this organization is trying to kill me. Besides, I don't even know half of the people in the organization, so anyone could kill me." I rant to him, feeling the urge to cry.

When did life get so stressful? Why did it get stressful? At least, this stressful? Why couldn't I have another stress? Why this one?

He sighs and he sits closer to me, putting his arm around me. "On my life are they going to hurt you. They aren't going to kill you." He tells me, placing his hand delicately on my cheek.

A small tear escapes and he uses his thumb to wipe it away. I hold onto his hand as he continues telling me that no one is going to be able to hurt me.

"No one's going to hurt you, Adara. And if you don't believe that I'll risk my life for you, then remember that I'm bound by law to protect you." He chuckles a little and so do I.

"I trust you, Nick," I tell him and he kisses my forehead.

"I'm glad that you do." He mutters before pulling away.

"Just trust me, alright, I have everything handled." He tells me and I nod.

"Okay. What do I do in the meantime?" I ask him.

He caresses my face, "Just stay as far away from Justina, her parents, and everyone for now."

A smile forms on my lips, "What about school?"

He thinks for a little bit, "I'll speak to your parents and see if I can get you to go online." He says and I reach up, kissing him.

He wraps his arm around my waist and we both lose our balance. We topple off the couch and onto the floor. We wince at the pain then we burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes in between laughs and I shake my head, telling him it's fine.

"It's fine."

We get up off the floor. "Well, I have a lot of things to do today. I may not come back until later in the night, are you okay, with that?" He snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

I bite my lip, "Yeah, I'll be okay." I reassure him and he kisses my forehead before whooshing off.

I sigh dejectedly then I walk upstairs, falling into my bed. I stare up at the ceiling then I get my phone, and scroll through it. I stop scrolling once I see a familiar profile picture: Via.

I click onto the chat and she still hasn't responded. I have texted her a few times but all the times she's only read them. I even tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail, and she never answered. I swallow a ball that had formed in my throat and I try calling her again. I need to talk to her, I need to hear her voice, just something.

She doesn't answer. Of course, she doesn't. Just once I'd like to hear her voice, hear her speak. I want to remind myself of my other life. The life that isn't threatened, the normal life. My past life. Via is the only tie I have to that, if she's gone, then this is all I have left. My life wouldn't be a shred of normalcy anymore.

Besides, she's been my best friend since we were freshmen, we can't just stop being friends, can we? I love her, I mean she's more than my best friend, she's my sister. I don't remember what it's like to have a sibling, since my twin sister died so young, but Via's the closest I could get to that.

Tears well up in my eyes and they fall down my cheeks. A sob escapes my lips and I cover my mouth, trying to stop my cries.

"I'm not a crybaby, I'm not a crybaby, I'm not a crybaby." My voice cracks at the last word, and I break down. I let it all out, and all of my tears spill onto my pillow and blanket. Hot tears flow down my cheeks and they burn.

I hold my blanket close to me and I grip it as I sob. She's my best friend and my only friend, she can't just leave me. If she does, I'll be alone. I'm all alone. I don't want to be alone, I don't like it, it's not nice. It's painful and dark. I want her here, I want us to laugh like old times, I want us to be on my bed and be playing board games until the sun begins to rise like we used to do.

Oh, how mom would get so upset that we'd pulled an all-nighter. We were laughing our butts off as we packed up the monopoly box. It was great. Now I won't be able to do that again. Never again will we do that. I don't want that, I want us to. I miss her. She's my sister.

I cry even more as my thoughts bring up more fun memories from when we were younger. I remember just last semester we were in my dad's car, and we were eating an ice cone as we watched this horror movie. We were cursing at the main character because she was being stupid. It was an amazing day, I loved that day. I consider it one of my favorite days.

I think about all the memories I cherish most and she's in most of them. All the others consist of recent ones with Nikolai or old ones when I was a kid with my parents.

I love Via, she's my sister, and she'll always be. I sniffle then I use my elbows to raise myself. I fall back and I hold my head. Oh my! It's pounding.

Hours pass and I'm still in bed, feeling glum. Minutes pass, and I hear a whoosh in my room.

"Hey, Adara, I'm back—What happened?" Nikolai rushes to my bed. He places his hand on top of my forehead, feeling the temperature.

I shake my head, and he comes closer to me. "Tell me what happened." He says, rubbing my forehead with his thumb.

I turn my body, facing him and I pout, looking up at him. "I'm sad."

"Why, angel?" He asks, his voice is soft.

"Cause Via isn't talking to me and I miss her. Does she not like me? Did I do something wrong?" More tears well up and I don't even try to stop them.

He sighs, "You didn't do anything wrong, Adara. I knew she was fake from the first moment I saw her." He comments and I crease my eyebrows.

"How did you know and why is she fake?"

"Well, it was easy for me. I've been alive for a long time, I'm great at reading people. She's jealous of you, Adara," I raise, confused, "She wants what you have but she can't have it, and she couldn't fake it anymore so she just stopped trying to pretend to be your friend." He says.

My lip trembles, and just when I think I don't have any more tears left, more fall. He wraps his arms around me and I cry till I fall asleep. He stays with me the entire time.

-