The truth in your heart can be louder than your words, but still, you can't hear it.
"Hello," I greeted the guys with a cheerful grin.
One of them responded with a surprised hello, but the other narrowed his eyes, suspicion evident, and grunted a reluctant greeting. I turned my attention to the easier target.
"Can I copy your homework?" I asked casually.
"You always get someone else to do your homework," the suspicious one interjected. "You should really do it yourself."
"You're not going to help me?" I asked, widening my eyes in an innocent plea, focusing on the easier one.
He sighed, resigned. "You're beyond saving."
I held his gaze, breaking the last of his resistance.
"Fine... I'll give it to you, but this is the last time."
"Really?" My eyes lit up immediately. "Thanks!"
I reached for the notebook he held out, but before I could take it, someone grabbed my collar from behind. There was only one person in the entire school who would dare do something so bold.
"Don't be fooled by his innocent face," Coffee warned.
I shot a sharp glance in her direction.
"Don't spoil him too much, or it'll only get worse," Alex sighed, pulling me back toward our table.
"My homework!" I protested, stretching my hand toward the coveted notebook, but it slipped farther away with each step.
When Alex finally released me, I collapsed into my chair with an exaggerated sigh.
"It's unseemly to beg for homework all the time," Alice remarked disapprovingly.
Coming from someone who makes a profit selling test answers!
"The jealousy of losers is always amusing," I retorted with a sly half-smile. "Maybe you're the one who wants to give me your homework, Alice?"
Alex promptly smacked the back of my head.
"By the way, where's Jo?" I asked.
Alex shrugged.
"Never mind," I said, rising from my seat. "I don't need your homework. I'll just skip this class."
"What?" Alex exclaimed. "But Shay, it's group work!"
I winked. "I'm sure you'll handle my part too."
Before Alex could protest further, I left the classroom and made my way to the courtyard. As I had anticipated, Jo was sitting on our secret bench. When she looked up, her smile told me she had been expecting me.
"So," I said, dropping down beside her with a casual flop, "why are we skipping classes today?"
Jo chuckled softly. "I knew you'd show up."
"Naturally," I replied with a grin.
For a while, we sat in comfortable silence. Jo gazed up at the sky, lost in thought, while I stole glances at her, savoring the quiet moment between us.
Jo shifted slightly, her eyes still on the sky, her voice taking on a thoughtful tone. "I've been thinking about writing a new book," she said. "It's going to be about a girl who falls in love with one of those creatures we were talking about."
There was something in her voice that made my muscles tense, but I didn't know what it was at the time.
I raised an eyebrow, giving her a playful smirk. "Oh, how original," I said, rolling my eyes dramatically. "A girl falling in love with a mysterious creature? Never seen that one before."
Jo chuckled, nudging me with her elbow. "Hey, you can't deny there's something captivating about that kind of story. There's always something more to explore, something deeper."
"I don't know," I said, pretending to be bored. "It sounds like every cliché romance novel ever written."
She shot me a playful glare. "It's not about the plot, Shay. It's about how you tell the story, the emotions behind it. Besides, maybe I can make it a little less... predictable."
"Predictable? You mean like when she discovers the creature's tragic past, and they have to fight against impossible odds to be together? Yeah, real twist there."
Jo laughed, giving me a shove. "Alright, fine, Mr. Cynical. But you'll see. It'll be different."
I smirked. "I'll believe it when I read it."
"Just wait," she said, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "You might end up liking it more than you think."
I shrugged, leaning back on the bench. "I doubt it. But I guess I can always pretend for your sake."
"You're a great friend," Jo said, grinning at me.
I grinned back. "You know it."
Jo shifted her gaze toward me, and in that fleeting moment, a thousand tiny sparks seemed to dance in her eyes. For an instant, it felt as though she could peer straight into the depths of my soul with those enigmatic green eyes. A soft smile played on her lips—gentle, full of love, care, and an understanding that seemed to embrace all of me, flaws and all. No one had ever looked at me like that before.
"Okay, then, help me out. Help me come up with something unique for this story. If there were such beings in the world, which one would you be?"
For a moment, my blood ran cold, but then I felt the tension ease as I met Jo's gaze. She looked at me with the same warmth and care she always had. Her smile was gentle, kind, and full of that familiar devotion. For that reason, I easily convinced myself that it was a simple, foolish little question without any hidden motive.
I blinked. "Me? Seriously?" I leaned back, staring at the sky as if it could offer some kind of divine answer.
Jo nodded, waiting. "Yeah. You're always so... different. You've got a pretty good sense of what makes someone or something stand out."
I paused, looking like I was lost in deep thought before flashing a grin.
"It's a tough choice," I said, "That's why, if I could, I'd be several creatures—and none of them at the same time."
Jo frowned, clearly not expecting that response, and it only made me feel more at ease.
"What do you mean?" she asked, intrigued.
"I'd be a mixed-blood," I said with a touch of pride. "A creature born of two or more bloodlines, mixed together."
"Like in the Underworld?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly," I replied, still grinning. "Like a werewolf and vampire hybrid. Or remember the story about the fae king I mentioned? What about a fae and vampire mix? Sounds pretty badass, right?"
Jo nodded, her expression satisfied with my answer. She smiled softly, clearly intrigued. "I like that. That's... different."
I shrugged, leaning back again. "It's a mix of danger and mystery. No one would ever know what to expect from it, and that's the way I like it."
She nodded, musing on the idea. "Yeah, I could see that. Someone who leaves a trail of questions, but never answers them. I think I can work with that."
I gave her a half-smile. "Good luck making it sound less cliché than that."
Jo laughed, nudging me again. "Oh, don't worry. I've got it covered. You've given me some great ideas."
"And what about you?" I asked, turning the question back on her.
Jo gave a small smile and glanced down at her hands in her lap.
"I think I'd stay human," she said softly.
That was a surprise. I raised an eyebrow, unable to hide my disbelief. "Why?"
She met my gaze shyly, her eyes almost glimmering with something I couldn't quite place. "Honestly, I like reading stories where the human girl falls in love with a vampire or werewolf."
There was a flicker of anticipation in her eyes, but I thought she was just embarrassed that I would laugh at her for her interests. I smiled, but I was sure it seemed as forced a smile as I thought it was.
I smiled, but even I could tell it was a bit forced, though I tried to hide it.
"Still," I said, "if such creatures existed in reality, I don't think those relationships would have a happy ending."
Jo shook her head at that, her smile still soft but more knowing. "Maybe yes, maybe no. You never really know."
I almost sighed. Then, Jo slipped her fingers between mine. I looked down at her hand, and my heart tightened in my chest—an odd mixture of pleasant and uncomfortable. Her eyes sparkled with the determined light of two fireflies caught in a fleeting moment of love.
I could tell she was about to speak, but instead, she pursed her lips, swallowing her words. I had no doubt she wanted to confess her love again. I leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin linger on my lips.
"As charmingly willful as you are, I'm sure you could wrap any monster around your finger," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "So just write about that."
"I'm not willful," she retorted, pulling away slightly. "I just don't give up easily on the one I love."
"Let's go inside," I said, gently tugging her up from the bench. "You'll catch a cold."
Jo, aware that I had deliberately sabotaged the romantic moment, didn't try to argue. She simply allowed me to guide her back. As we walked, side by side, the silence between us grew thick and heavy, neither of us knowing what to say next.
Little did I know, this would be my last peaceful conversation with Jo before all hell broke loose.
(...)
My phone vibrated, and I squeezed the pint so tightly that cracks started to form in it. Hajnal's eyes flared with anger, but I ignored her, too absorbed in the message flashing across my screen.
[Dear Client! You have an overdue balance of 5295
The rest of the message was lost as I discarded my phone.
Hajnal was too close, making it impossible to dodge the attack. Before I could react, she cupped my face in her palms, forcing me to focus only on her. Her expression was grim.
"Whatever you're doing, stop it!" she commanded, leaving no room for protest.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said flatly.
"Whatever you're involved in, it's dangerous," she pressed, her voice sharp with concern.
I couldn't bring myself to explain that the real danger was what would happen if Alice texted me while I was at work—I'd have to run without a word, and Hajnal would certainly kill me when I came back.
"It's really none of your business," I said, my words immediately sending her blood pressure sky-high.
"The hell it isn't!" she snapped. "As long as you're my employee, it is my business."
I rolled my eyes, the same tired employee talk. Gently, I removed her hands from my face, holding them for a moment before letting them go. Then, with a grin that could only be described as menacing, I leaned in and pointed my finger at her chest.
"You're human, Hajnal," I murmured, voice low. "A human can't stop me. So don't even try. You are being foolish."
Her eyes narrowed, and the air around us shifted. She wasn't backing down. Not this time.
"Yes?" she retorted, her voice dripping with defiance, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "You seem to think I need to be something more than human to talk some sense into you."
Before I could even react, her forehead slammed into mine with a force that knocked the air from my lungs. I had never expected her to come at me like that—not from someone who was supposed to be just "human."
Stunned, I staggered back, gingerly rubbing my forehead. It probably hurt her more than it did me, but the triumphant glint in her eyes told a different story. She stood there, chest heaving, her stance unyielding.
"You may be stronger, Shay," she said, her voice low and firm, "but don't forget—I am your boss."
I blinked. Hajnal was human, yes. But in that moment, she wasn't backing down from anyone—not even me. I nodded slowly, still in disbelief. The red mark on her forehead was a reminder that the attack had actually happened.
"You don't want to ice that?" I asked, pointing at her forehead. "It might leave a mark for a while."
She waved me off, unfazed.
"I'm nervous about the war, too," she admitted, the tension in her voice softening. "But it's really not your job to stop it, Shay."
"If I don't, no one will," I retorted, my tone firm.
She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping.
"I just want you to stay safe," she asked quietly, almost pleading. "I'd have a problem finding a new employee."
I stared at her for a moment, taken aback by the softness in her voice. Hajnal, usually so brash and unyielding, was showing a vulnerability I hadn't expected.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily," I replied, trying to sound light, though the weight of the conversation hung between us like a heavy cloud.
She shot me a skeptical look but didn't argue. Instead, she gave a short, almost imperceptible nod, as if conceding the point without saying it outright. I swallowed, the knot in my chest tightening at her expression.
"I'll be fine," I said. "You worry too much."
Hajnal snorted, her sharp eyes glinting with frustration and something softer. "Someone has to. I'm the only one who'll keep you grounded." She paused, looking up at me with a wry smile. "Even if it means head-butting you occasionally."
I couldn't help but chuckle, though it was a hollow sound.
"Just promise me you won't get yourself killed, alright?" she said, the joking edge gone from her tone.
I met her gaze seriously. "Well, I can promise that. It's pretty hard to kill me after all."
Hajnal sighed again, this time in exasperation, and turned to leave. I stood there, watching her go, a strange feeling settling in my chest.
Hajnal stepped out into the cold night, pulling out her pack of cigarettes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, her gaze immediately flickering to the dark figure. The cigarette fell from her lips—a man held the barrel of a gun to her. He pulled the trigger.