LILYANNA'S POV
Another day of classes, another day of note-taking and homework. Not much different from yesterday. I glanced at my notes, noticing they were sloppy and few in between. My mind was still racing about the dream I had last night and about Indigo. The end of the day was getting closer and it was time for my last class. I stood outside the classroom door my pulse beating rapidly. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hand shook as I reached for the doorknob.
~You can do this Lily, you can go in there and be friendly. You don't have to do anything else. You can face him and remain calm and collected.~
I let out the breath I was holding in and opened the door. The professor was at her desk rummaging through stacks of paperwork. The classroom was already half full even with class starting fifteen minutes from now. I kept finding myself anxiously staring at the door waiting to see when Indigo would come to class.
~Why do I care? I told him that I didn't want a relationship with him. Because Lily...that was a lie.~
I shook my head perplexed. I never had conversations with myself like that before. I looked up as my eye caught Indigo walking through the door. A part of me was happy to see him but at the same time, I wanted to shy away. He strode over to the opposite side of the classroom and took a seat. My heart ached when I saw that he did not sit next to me like yesterday.
~Why am I sad? Maybe it's because I feel guilty for how I acted. Ugh, why can't I make up my own mind?~
I looked away and grabbed my class materials. From time to time I would glance at him as I took notes. For a moment he glanced up as well, our eyes locked on one another. My chest tightened as my heart rate quickened. But then he looked away, my heart feeling heavy as I returned to taking notes.
~Should I talk to him? Maybe I could explain why I'm not ready for anything intimate yet. Would he understand? Yes, talk to him!~
I shook my head and tried to focus on the class lesson. The professor continued discussing the definition of literary theory. The books to choose from for the final were still written on the board. Under the Sun by Christopher Foster, Heart of the Matter by Caitlin Franklin, and Rendition by Jenna Bennett.
I'll try to talk to him after class, Indigo and I have to pick a book for the final anyway.
Before I knew it class was over. Indigo stood up from his chair and swiftly went out the door. I followed after him, making sure to keep my distance. As we walked out of the building he stopped and greeted a man I'd never seen before. He was almost as tall as Indigo but his skin was a bit lighter. His hair was a fiery red and his eyes were a soft brown. Indigo seemed familiar with him as if they were close friends.
~Ok, I got this. All I have to do is say hi and talk about the final. That's all I have to do.~
I took a deep breath and walked forward. As soon as I stepped forward Indigo turned to face me. A little part of me died when I saw his cold expression. His eyes reflected longing yet also a deep sadness. I stood a few feet away from him and glanced at the floor. It was hard for me to look into his eyes.
"Indigo, I was hoping we could talk."
"About what Lily? I thought you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me?" This tone was laced with disdain.
"Well..." I looked at him, my heart still aching."We haven't picked a book for our final yet and I thought we should pick one early. That way we have plenty of enough time to complete the assignment."
"I see. Is that all you wanted Lilyanna?"
"N..."
"Oh, Indigo!" A short voluptuous woman with long plum-colored hair ran up. She had piercings on her ears, mouth, and nose. She wore a death metal t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. She laced her arm around his, causing me to see red. "Are you ready for our date handsome?"
~Date? He's going on a date...with her?~
Indigo looked down at her and gave her a small smile. I clenched my fists as visions of me ripping her head off came flashing into view.
"Of course, just give me a moment to talk to my classmate." That woman then glanced at me from head to toe giggling under her breath.
"Who's she?"
"No one, just my partner from class."
"Oh, I see, well I'll wait by your car then. See you soon." She looked at me once more and gave me a small wave with a disgusting smirk on her face.
~I'm going to bite her head off! What? No, I'm not! Calm down Lily, calm down.~
"What were you about to say, Lily?" Indigo looked at me with the same sad, longing eyes.
"Nothing, never mind. I'll just leave you be with your date. Plus I have a dinner I have to go to anyway. Bye, Indigo." I snapped and turned my back away. I walked as fast as I could to the main building, not looking behind me. I found my aunt parked out front. She exited out of the driver's seat and gripped me tightly into a hug.
"Oh my little lily, I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too Aunty."
She released me from her hug and cupped both my cheeks with her hands. She stared at me warmly with her silver eyes. My aunt was just as pale as me. Though her hair is a beautiful yellow blonde, which she had up in a bun. She was wearing a blue pencil skirt with a white blouse, and a blue jacket to match.
"You look absolutely beautiful, Lily."
"So do you." we chuckled softly.
"I think I found a place for us to eat." She removed her hands from my cheeks. "How does Tommy's Diner sound for dinner?"
"I love Tommy's Diner."
"Great then let us go." My aunt drove us to the diner's parking lot. It had the same red neon sign on top of the brick building. Inside a waitress showed us to a booth and brought us water as we scanned the menu.
"Oooo...They have all-day breakfast here!" My aunt looked at me with awe in her eyes.
"Have you both decided what you would like to order?" The waitress spoke softly. My aunt glanced at me to see if I was ready and I nodded.
"Yes, we are." she placed her menu down and cleared her throat. "I would like an all-American breakfast with my eggs over easy, please. And a peanut butter banana milkshake sounds lovely."
"Would you like marionberry syrup with your pancakes?"
"Marionberry syrup... that sounds amazing, thank you!" The waitress smiled and then turned to me.
"What would you like to eat miss?"
"May I have your guacamole bacon burger with a side of curly fries and a glass of sweet tea, please?"
"Absolutely, I'll have those out for you as soon as possible." The waitress then took our menus and brought us our drinks.
"So my little lily, how is school going?"
"It's good." my aunt glared at me with a frown.
"Are you ok honey? Una called me when you were admitted to the hospital. Are you feeling better?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Aunt Aisha. I forgot to call you so I could tell you I was alright."
"It's ok honey, Una kept me updated. I just wanna make sure you're doing fine."
"Is that why you're in town?"
"No, actually there is something I want to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I bought a house here in Oneida and I'm going to move up here this week! I've been planning it for a while now and I just thought it would be great if we lived in the same area."
"That's awesome! I love that we'll be able to live close to each other again! So this has nothing to do with the hospital?"
"No, not at all! Like I said I've been planning it for a few months now and I finally committed. Though if you ever end up in the hospital again I would love to be there for you."
"That's fair." The waitress finally came with our food, and it was delicious. It was like my tastebuds were enhanced tenfold. As we were finishing up eating I couldn't help but think of my parents.
~I would have loved to have dinner with them.~
"Aunt Aisha?"
"Yes, Lily?"
"I know you don't like to talk about it...but...what were my parents like?" her eyes grew wide as she swallowed the piece of food she was eating.
"Lily, you know that I don't much about them. Your mom was very reclusive. I didn't know she had you until a lawyer told me about the accident, and gave me custody of you."
"I know, but you must know something about them. What was my mom like?"
"Well... she was brave, headstrong, beautiful, creative. She was a lot like you." I smiled, glad to know that I resembled my mom.
"And my dad?"
"I don't know."
"Do you know his name at least?"
"His name..."She paused and looked at the table, twisting a strand of her hair with her finger. "His name was Lyall."
Lyall, that's who my father was. I wish I knew more about him.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
"Of course honey." she looked at me with a soft smile.
"Anything for my little lily."
My aunt paid for the check and drove me home. We stood outside my apartment door for a moment and embraced in another hug.
"Thank you for dinner, Aunty. I love you lots."
"I love you too little lily. Be safe."
"I will promise." I waved as she got into her car and drove off. I took out my keys and began to unlock my door. Suddenly I heard howling coming from the forest next to our apartments, causing me to freeze in my tracks.
~A wolf, what is one doing so close to town?~