"What's a Nemesis?" Nicki's question drew everyone's attention to her.
"It's a long story, nothing for you to worry about" Hanna instantly wanted to end the conversation, if they let Nicki know what a Nemesis was, then the girl might for real start to think they were being given early morning training every day because of the war she had mentioned earlier.
"No, I want to hear it, you can cut it short. I kind of like the way we are all in here having this conversation, it feels like family" However, Nicki didn't want to end the conversation, it wasn't that she was too interested in knowing what a Nemesis was.
The point was that sitting together with her guides and best friend made her reminisce about those good old times, she and her sister would sit like this and relate and have fun with each other.
Who knows how Tori and their parents are coping without her right now?
"Yeah, right, I think you should let us know what a Nemesis is. You are guides, you guys must probably know what a real Nemesis is. I don't know what it is, I have only heard it through rumors" Ariana, who was the one that had first mentioned a Nemesis didn't have an actual idea of what it was and wanted to know more from Nicki's guides.
"No, I don't think you guys should bother yourself about that, let's just talk about something else that concerns Nicki" Hanna still attempted to change the topic despite not only Nicki wanting to know what a Nemesis was about now but Ariana too.
"What's the big deal in letting them know what a Nemesis is?, they seem desperate to know" Astrid didn't share the same thoughts with Hanna and wanted to let their guide and her best friend know what a Nemesis was. They had curious looks on their faces to know what it was and there was no big deal in letting them know it.
"I will just tell you guys what it is since Hanna seems less interested. A Nemesis is our Alpha's biggest enemy…ouch!" Astrid let out a pained yell at the end of her statement when she was suddenly stepped on her toe by Hanna, they were sitting right next to each other.
"Hanna!" She called, reaching down for her bruised toe.
"I'm sorry for that, I didn't mean to strike you that hard. Let's just go back to a normal story, not one that would make them scared" Hanna apologized after she bruised Astrid's toe and said the rest of the words through gritted teeth and an eye signal she was giving her.
"What would make us scared?" However, Nicki was able to hear what she said despite gritting her teeth, and through the signal she observed Hanna was giving Astrid. They did the same thing with each other when they were still with the Alpha, which seems like some kind of normal secretive thing they usually do when they don't want anyone else to know what was going on in their minds.
"Nothing" Hanna lied through her teeth and somehow made it obvious she was lying, because she was looking as guilty as a criminal that just got caught red-handedly.
"You just smashed Astrid's toe while she was trying to let us know what a Nemesis was since you weren't going to and you expect us to believe it's nothing we should worry about?" Nicki didn't buy Hanna's lie, she could see through it and was able to know it was a clear big fat lie.
"You try to do that to my big toe again and I will damage yours, Hanna" Astrid sent her partner a warning that sounded more like a threat. It should because Hanna has no idea how much that hurt but it was a good thing the pain was gone now.
"It's not that you guys are going to be scared, it's just that I don't think it's right for you to know what a Nemesis is. You should keep on following the rumors, it's better to follow the rumors rather than knowing the real truth" Hanna let out the last sentence by mistake which only made Nicki and Ariana, whom she didn't want to know what a Nemesis was, to only be more inquisitive than before.
"The truth?, What truth? Are you guys hiding something from us? Is there something that we are supposed to know that we don't?" Ariana was the one to ask the question this time instead of Nicki, she sat on the bed properly to understand what was going on here.
Staying relaxed like she was before seemed like it was making her not fully understand anything.
"I get what you are scared of now, Hanna, but what Nicki did in there for us is more than enough to be a big reason why we should let them know what a Nemesis is. I mean it's high time they know the truth and stop believing the rumors, they don't look like ones that would go out there and start spreading the truth. Besides, they have no other friends other than themselves. What could possibly go wrong?"
It was at this moment that Astrid understood Hanna's point and what she was trying to do here. But at the same time, it didn't feel right to lie to their student, especially to someone like Nicki who has given them enough reasons to trust her.
They could share a lot of things a student wasn't supposed to know about with her since she seemed worth it. Now, it was Ariana who didn't look worthy. She seems like a good girl like Nicki too, but they don't know her as much as they know Nicki.
Who knows if she has secretive and selfish ulterior motives as to why she befriended Nicki in the first place? Exactly the first person to befriend her in here, now that kind of seemed highly suspicious.
"I could let you know what a Nemesis is, Nicki, but your friend I don't trust. The only reason you see we are this close to her is only because of you, No offense, Ariana" Astrid made known to Nicki and then to Ariana to make her understand she wasn't trying to make her look like a bad person here.
"None taken" And Ariana got her point, Astrid was her friend's guide, not hers so it's quite understandable that they weren't going to trust her as much as they do with Nicki.
"No, you can trust Ariana. She's not a bad person nor a snitch. She knows about you thinking the Alpha has a thing for me and she hasn't told anyone about it. She's just like me, Astrid" Nicki defended her best friend in front of her guide who made her sound like a bad person. Ariana wasn't only a good friend but a very sweet one.
She's like a sister to her and it was understandable because her real sister Tori wasn't here.
"Wait, you told her?, you were not supposed to let anyone know about that, You promised Nicki" Astrid was shocked, discovering Nicki didn't do as she promised.
"I didn't really promise because I didn't say it with words, I only nodded but I'm telling you Ariana can keep secrets like me too. You have nothing to worry about, Astrid" Nicki gave Astrid assurance Ariana wasn't going to tell on her.
"I still don't trust her and I don't think I trust you in keeping secrets anymore too since you tell her things. I'm just going to believe you for now, but if that secret leaks, I'm solely holding you responsible, Nicki" Astrid wasn't satisfied with the assurance Nicki gave her. Anything could completely go wrong with Ariana, she's not her student.
"I'm fine with that" Nicki flashed her a smile. With time, Astrid would know Ariana was trustworthy too.
"I will get that" Hanna, who has been quiet for a while now went to answer the door when someone suddenly came knocking.
"It's for us, Astrid, we got to go"
"What could it be now?" Astrid groaned tiredly while getting off the bed to leave with Hanna. She immediately put a stop to her tracks the moment she realized she was about to forget to let Nicki know.
"Make sure you guys don't sleep together again, I'm going to punish you for real this time if you do. Ariana, don't forget to go back to your room before it's dark and you can please help us out with Nicki tomorrow. There is no training on Saturdays, so you guys could probably hang out all day and you can take her around to learn more about this place. Thank you, we will come back later to check on you guys if we get the chance to, for now, Adios"