I shook my head, attempting to dislodge the thought from my head for now.

What did he mean by a sudden interest? Isn't that usually how it works when you meet someone? You take an interest in them and pursue to form and or maintain a relationship with them.

My brows furrowed as I tried to further decipher the words of my father.

The tone of my phone distracted me as I pulled it off my suit to check it.

It was a message.

So...friends?

I smiled then shook my head.

What's in it for me? I asked in response.

I will show you the way back. Came the response.

What makes you think I need to know the way back? I asked.

You are lost.

I am not lost. I responded.

Alright. Which way leads back to where you came from?

I looked around me and worried my lips. All the corridors looked the same and I hadn't even realised my dad had lead me through a forked one. Rafe was right. I was definitely lost.

Thanks, dad.

Since I would like to be friends with you, I'm going to act like I don't know. I responded, not wanting to admit that he was right.

How generous of you. Came the response.

Oh, ha ha. Where are you?

"Turn around."

I did.

Eyes of fire and coal met mine and I smiled.

"Lead the way," I said.

His lips tilted in a small smile and he led the way back. We didn't speak the whole time but when we looked at each other. Our expressions mirrored each other's curiosity.

What was he curious about?

I let out a breath when I saw a large crowd of people standing and listening to someone talk in their midst.

Our little staring contest would come to an end now.

I turned to look at him and blinked.

He wasn't there.

I looked around. Where did he go?

"Amour?" A voice called and I looked towards it, blinking.

Wolf stood a few feet away. He gestured at me to come to where he was standing. I looked around once more, before I walked towards Wolf.

"Where did you disappear to?" He asked me.

I randomly pointed around me and told him that I'd gotten lost, hiding the truth from him because I didn't need him and Freesia to exchange their usual looks again at the mention of Rafe. Wolf seemed to accept my lie and he led me towards where Freesia stood.

She threw me a questioning look, but before she could ask anything, we were all instructed to choose our educational preferences. One by one we assembled into a line and waited for our turn.

When I stepped towards a dark haired C'Riel who was holding a data pad and told him that I was interested in pursuing literature, he signed me into that course and had me give my chip ID so that my schedule could be updated for me.

I waited for Wolf and Freesia to finish their turns. Freesia, like me had picked literature. But Wolf stayed mute about his choice and we didn't pry.

We were then allowed to roam the corridors and familiarise ourselves with the institute and the Educators.

Freesia and I were able to meet two Educators, one male and the other female. They were very sweet and like us, seemed excited for the prospect of starting our education tomorrow.

They warned us that we would be placed in basic levels of math and science so that we don't loose out on a holistic learning experience.

As we walked away from them, Freesia muttered something really rude about holistic learning experiences and I laughed at her disgruntled expression.

Clearly, she wasn't a fan of math either.

I wondered if my father would be my Educator, and grinned as I imagined how excited he would be to see me in his class.

Freesia nudged me and I looked at her, her expression was solemn as she jerked her chin in the direction she wanted me to look.

I looked forward and my brows furrowed as I watched a small group of C'Riel standing in a circle. They seemed to be laughing about something. Rafe was amongst them and while he wasn't laughing, he definitely was smirking.

I then noticed the object of their humour.

Was that...Kylee?

My eyes narrowed as I took in Kylee's slouched posture and clenched fists. Her head was bent as well.

Heat rushed to my face as anger whipped through me. I stalked towards them, barely noticing that Freesia was following me. When I got closer, I saw that the blonde C'Riel that Kylee was usually around, was amongst the group and was speaking quickly in his language as the C'Riel around him laughed.

My teeth gritted as I stepped next to Kylee and the group went silent, almost curious of what I was going to do.

My hand wrapped around Kylee's arm and she looked up at me, her gaze a little watery.

From behind me, Freesia gave my free arm a warning squeeze as if she was reminding me of who we were standing in front of and how much we were in their mercy. As if I could forget.

At this moment, with Kylee standing next to me, practically in tears, I'd never felt more helpless.

"Let's go Kylee." I said to her in a low voice, controlling the urge to lash out at the C'Riel in front of me.

As we walked away, I heard one of the C'Riel say something and the others laugh.

I whipped around and said, my voice coming out surprisingly calm, "If you truly are all that you portray to be, say what you just said again to my face in English." I challenged.

A dark haired C'Riel opened his mouth, his eyes flashing blue in anger. But then he closed his mouth, his teeth gritting as he jerked his head to look at Rafe.

At that action, my eyes automatically shifted to Rafe as well. His eyes were on me and his face was expressionless as he stood in a relaxed stance.

I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but his eyes narrowed and he shifted to his usual stance, with his arms crossed and legs spread.

"Leave, Hills." He told me.

I just let out a laugh, shook my head, disappointed. I took Kylee's hand and started to walk away with Freesia in tow.

I didn't ask Kylee anything and she didn't offer any information. She just stood next to me, silently, her head bowed and fingers twisting together. I was fuming and nothing Freesia or Wolf said could get me out of my mood.

Wolf asked Freesia what happened as we started walking towards the exit of the building, when he didn't get anything out of me. As Freesia started to explain, I very maturely stomped away, in search of a way to dampen the fire that was still burning strong inside me.

I was the first to exit the institute and I saw that the Hovers were still exactly where they'd been when we'd left. But when I headed towards it, I realised that the doors weren't open. I considered kicking something, and then I figured it wouldn't help anything.

Huffing out a breath, I slid along the side of the Hover and settled on the cool grass, with my back resting against the Hover.

I took a few calming breaths and the clean cool air somewhat helped me in letting go of my anger. I leaned my head back against the Hover and stretched my feet out and crossed them at the ankles and closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun and slight chill of the breeze.

Until a shadow fell across me. I opened my eyes and met dark amber eyes. The amber was still there, but it was darker.

"I'm not going to apologise." I told him.

He was looking down at me, standing a feet away. I closed my eyes again when he didn't reply immediately.

"I am not looking for an apology." He informed me.

I opened my eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"What are you really thinking?" He asked.

But before I could answer, people started exiting the building and heading towards the Hovers. They seemed oblivious to Rafe and me, laughing and lost in their own worlds.

I stood up, dusting myself off.

"Guess you'll never find out." I said.

When I started to step away, he quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my way, and I startled to a stop, surprised that he had chanced almost coming in contact with me.

He held a palm out with something small and curved in it. It was silver and looked like a C that was about a few millimetres wide.

"Put this on your ear, here." He instructed, pointing to the top part of his ear that was curved.

I stared at him.

"What for?" I asked.

"So that we may communicate." He told me, seeming slightly impatient.

He looked back and said something to someone behind him (I couldn't see who, he was blocking my vision).

He looked back at me.

"Take it." He ordered.

I crossed my arms.

"Why?" I asked.

I heard an insistent voice speaking again from behind him and I leaned a little around Rafe and saw Anya's impatient expression. Rafe ignored her, his eyes trained on me.

"I will get your friend's chip ID for you." Rafe told me.

Ren.

I took a deep breath in.

I held my hand out immediately and Rafe dropped the small device onto my palm and turned and walked away. Anya watched him walk toward her, before shifting her gaze to meet mine. I curled my fist around the device and dropped my arm to my side.

My eyes met hers and I made my expression go carefully blank.

She turned away from me and caught Rafe's arm as he walked by, stopping him.

His dark eyes dropped to her face and then down to where her fingers clutched his arm.

A smirk spread across my lips.

I quickly put on the small device and as soon as it was on, Rafe's dark gaze flew to meet mine. His eyes narrowed at my smirking lips before snapping to my eyes.

Why are you smiling?

His deep voice sounded right inside my head. My smirk dropped and my eyes widened. He smirked in response to my shock.

Anya turned to look at me, her lips pursing, before she looked back at Rafe and shook his arm to get his attention. He looked down at her, slowly removing his arm from her hold.

She spoke in quick words and random gestures.

I thought of how Rafe hadn't opened his mouth to communicate to me.

When you have it on, I can hear everything you are thinking. He told me.

How convenient for you. I thought.

His lips curved, while his expression remained passive as he stared down at Anya who was still yapping away.

I will teach you how to control it. Besides, I cannot make sense of your thoughts. They are too fast and overlapping for me to comprehend. He told me.

Jealous girlfriends suck. I said to him, in response, ignoring everything else he said for now.

His eyes lifted to meet mine as I turned around to join the line that waited to get into the Hover as soon as the C'Riel unlocked the doors.

Freesia, Kylee and Wolf caught up to me and watched my face to see if I was still pissed.

I nudged Kylee and she looked up at me, smiling timidly.

I grinned at her and said, "Guys are assholes."

Freesia gasped in mock shock, "And she swears!"

Wolf and Kylee chuckled but I couldn't concentrate on them because a deep, now familiar voice spoke in my head.

Girlfriend? He asked.

Yes, girlfriend. I said, smirking silently, knowing that I was annoying him by not giving him a straight answer.

I experienced a few minutes of 'radio silence' as I got into the Hover and we settled down in the last row again. This time Kylee sat between Freesia and me with Wolf beside Freesia.

She is not my girlfriend. He said finally.

You don't have to explain anything to me. I said, while wondering how he found out what girlfriend meant.

I asked around, he said in reply to the question I hadn't asked.

I scowled.

Stay out of my head.

No, I think I will stay. Your thought processes are rather fascinating. He said.

What is the point of this whole conversation? I asked, annoyed and feeling like a scientific experiment.

The point of this conversation is to know what you were thinking talking up to a C'Riel. He said.

I was thinking that I expected better from you, I responded without thinking. I couldn't help it, anger uncurled it's sharp paws again.

You thought wrong. He told me after a few seconds of silence.

Yes, I realised. I told him.

I think I angered him because his reply, when it came, was like a whiplash and I winced even though I didn't feel any pain.

Stop expecting things of me, Hills. You will only be disappointed.

I stayed silent for awhile.

What I expected of you is something I would expect in anyone.

And what is that? He asked.

Compassion. Kindness.

Something that sounded like laughter came through, but it was so soft that I had to strain to hear it.

Those are just words cowards use when they are not strong enough to deliver the killing blow. He said.

Shock had me silent for a few seconds.

And you can? Kill someone?

Undoubtedly. He replied, immediately.

I stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

Amour, I am not who you think I am. And I am definitely not the good guy. He said.

______________________________________

Sorry about the late update guys. :( I have an internship going on and lots of work to do and blah.

Hope you liked that!

Until next time, Sunflowers.