I turned around and headed for the Hover I'd left Wolf at Freesia at. I climbed into it and looked for them, trying to spot them amongst the others who'd filled into the Hover. They were in the absolute last row, which was a stretch of conjoined seats. I saw that Wolf's friends had followed us here and were occupying the seats with them. However, Wolf and Freesia had a seat between them that was empty. Assuming that was mine, I walked towards it and settled into it.

Freesia raised her eyes at me and I hesitated to answer her silent question.

Then I shrugged, "She was sitting with someone." I said finally.

Freesia smirked in response, "The blonde alien hottie you mean?" She asked.

I laughed, "Yeah." Then I sobered up.

She nudged her shoulder with mine. "What's wrong?" She asked.

I shook my head. Why did I feel a little uncertain about it? I knew someone who was C'Riel as well. And we may not be best buddies, but we were...friends. Sort of?

Except...Rafe had never looked so cold. So...untouchable.

"Where's your head at, Red?" Wolf asked tugging a few strands of my hair, to get my attention.

I scowled at him and released my hair from his hold.

God, boys and hair.

"Nothing," I told him, then I looked forward wondering why we hadn't started yet.

The driver's seat was enclosed into a room, so I couldn't really see into it as the door was closed.

Huffing, I sat back and ended up meeting Loriel's light blue eyes. She was throwing me an unhappy expression and I raised my eyebrows. She threw me a haughty look and turned away, tossing her dark glossy hair over her shoulder.

"Whoa, attitude." Freesia said, curling the word attitude in a sing song voice.

I snorted and looked away. When the door of the Hover finally shut and the vehicle thrummed to life, I let out a heavy breath. Finally.

I didn't know where my restlessness came from, but it was finally put to rest when the vehicle moved forward smoothly.

I took to looking outside, over the three heads to my right, and saw only forest and more forest. Green and purple. It was beautiful. The C'Riel had integrated their lives with that of nature's in such a way that they didn't hurt her in anyway, or give up on any comfortable living conditions.

I respected how much they treasured every single life on their planet, and sought ways to protect it and live with it.

I looked down, regret filling me at the thought of how Earth would've thrived if they had lived on it rather than us.

I shook my head.

We would do better here.

We weren't our ancestors.

"So...Rafe?" Freesia murmured to me, leaning closer so that our conversation wouldn't be overheard.

I looked at her, "I have no idea what you're talking about," I told her almost-truthfully. I didn't know what she wanted to talk about, more like.

She threw me a sly smirk, "Don't kid yourself, I saw him turn to you and you nod and then him giving his name." She said.

"Yes. That did happen." I said slowly.

Freesia then raised her eyebrows, "How do you know him?" She asked.

I threw her an incredulous look, "How else could I possibly know him other than having seen him here?"

Freesia's expression masked into confusion, "You don't know him from before?"

"Before what?" I asked, confused.

But before she could answer, the Hover slid smoothly to a stop and a C'Riel-I hadn't noticed when I'd entered-stood up and asked us to exit the Hover in a single line; and because we were sitting in the last row, we were part of the last portion of the line.

I contemplated about what Freesia said.

I didn't understand her question. What did she mean by asking me if I knew him from before. Before what? How can there possibly be a before?

The C'Riel and the Humans had made contact only a few days ago, when the President announced their presence. I couldn't have known about Rafe's existence.

My brows scrunched as I continued to try to work it out.

Then I realised she probably meant while leaving earth. He was one of the C'Riel that was in the spaceship that transported me from Earth.

I leaned in closer to tell her that but she stepped down and out of the Hover, oblivious to me.

I followed her and came to stand next to her and met eyes with Anya who stood in the centre alone with Rafe, as the others came to stand around them. I noticed that both of them held data pads and were standing in front of the entrance of a building similar to where we stayed, except this was taller.

When all of us had exited our respective Hover's and had assembled around them, Anya started reading our names from her data pad. My name wasn't part of the list. Neither was Kylee's.

"Please follow me," she said, indicating the people that she'd just called out.

Curiously, just before she left, her eyes slipped to meet mine and then shifted back to Rafe.

She hesitated then and lifted a hand to press it against Rafe's arm. Rafe looked at her, bending his head a little to listen to what she was saying. I could tell from the way her mouth moved that she wasn't speaking English.

Once she'd finished talking, Rafe leaned back, a lazy smirk on his lips. Then he said something and her anxious expression evened out and she smiled. Her eyes slid to mine again and this time I watched Rafe turn to see what she was looking at.

I met Rafe's eyes, fire and coal mixed with a million secrets, before looking away.

Something told me that they were talking about me. I pushed the nagging feeling aside, because everyone felt that way, when someone looked at them.

I hated this feeling. If anyone wanted to say something about me, they can say it to my face. If they did not have the courage to do that, they shouldn't say anything at all.

It was a very irrational feeling and I didn't know where it sprouted from. I often found myself snapping at people when they whispered to each other about the relationship between Ren and me as if it was everything but what it really was. I would often walk up to them and cross my hands and say, "Say what you just said, again. To my face."

Some people do, some don't.

If Ren is ever beside me, he stops me. His hand would curl around the my clenched fist and he would say, "It's not worth it. They'll never understand."

He never liked confrontations.

I just got too angry to care about confrontations and sometimes even consequences. My father often spoke to me about my anger and how and why I should control it... and I just knew that he knew why I felt this way. Unfortunately he never told me why. But I never stopped asking.

A small pang struck me as I thought of my father. When would I see him again?

"Everyone else, please follow me," a dark haired C'Riel said and turned to leave. I couldn't see Rafe anywhere. Where had he disappeared to?

My eyes searched for Kylee and I saw that she was with the blonde C'Riel...again. My eyebrows furrowed but I shrugged it off.

I followed silently and was caught near a couple, both of them seemed a year or two older than me. They held hands tightly and murmured to each other. When they cast a look at me, I smiled at them. Their anxious expression relaxed and they smiled back. But soon their expression turned anxious again.

The woman, because I couldn't call her a girl, was very blonde and pretty with brown eyes and the man was dark haired with light grey eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a low voice as we entered the building.

They exchanged glances and looked at me. The woman moved towards me and said in a low murmur.

"We are just worried about our baby." She said.

My brows furrowed.

"Where is your baby?" I asked.

She swallowed, "At the nursery." She said.

I threw her a confused look, "Are you not allowed to see your ba-"

But she was already shaking her head so I stopped talking.

"No, we just aren't seeing him every minute. And we're worried and this is all so new for us. And he's probably so confused and I don't know if they let him have his Joe, his little teddy bear." Soon the woman stopped talking and covered her face, sniffing.

The man, quickly took her into his arms and started soothing her, whispering sweet words to her that I couldn't hear.

I took a deep breath when I realised I could help.

"I think I can help you..." I said slowly.

The women quickly looked at me, rubbing her hand over her eyes in an attempt to stop crying.

I moved a little closer to her.

"I'm assigned Infant Care, I can keep an eye on your son." I offered.

The woman immediately clutched me into her arms and sobbed into my shoulder.

I rubbed a hand down my back and smiled back at the man who was looking at me gratefully.

The woman quickly got in control of herself and leaned back.

"My name is Lily and this is Bill," she said indicating to herself and her partner.

"Our baby's name is William, he's got blue eyes and a patch of blonde hair," then she laughed when she looked at me and a small tear slipped free from her lashes, "He's probably going to go crazy when he sees how much hair you have."

I just chuckled, then I nodded.

"I'll keep an eye on him." I said.

They gushed their thanks and programmed their chip ID's onto my device.

Then we headed forward again and became part of the crowd. Lily held onto my hand tightly, like she was afraid I would disappear. I couldn't hear what our 'guide' for today was saying. Then suddenly someone before the couple turned around and spoke to them swiftly. I missed what she said, but I think it had to do with something academic.

Both Lily and Bill's eyes brightened and they turned to look at me. Their eyes shifted to a group of people who headed towards a corridor to the left.

I realised they want to go with the group somewhere.

"Astronomy," Lily explained, looking a little guilty.

I just smiled, "I'll catch up with you later." I told them, then when I realised they still looked a little guilty, I added, "My friend it waiting for me anyway."

They nodded then and quickly took off, but Lily continued to look back at me. I smiled and nodded slowly letting her know I would do what I said. When they couldn't see me anymore, I continued to walk, looking left and right at the rooms that people were whispering about. Groups of people started to head towards the math lab.

I was so not going there.

My hip vibrated with a tone and I blinked. I realised my device was notifying me of something. I placed my hand on it and the suit immediately released the device and I looked at it. It was a message. From Rafe.

Do you want to see your father?

My eyes widened.

I immediately typed out a reply.

Yes.

My reply came back a second later.

Then stop walking.

I immediately stopped walking, smiling at people who threw me weird looks as they passed me.

When everyone had passed me and had turned around a corridor, I heard footsteps behind me.

It could only be one person.

I didn't move, I just waited.

When he walked past me and continued to walk, I followed.

I realised, while I didn't mind the view of his back, I wanted to see his face. I took a few fast steps and came to his side, being careful to maintain distance.

He threw me a side-long glance.

"Do you still wish to be removed from Infant Care?" He asked.

I threw him an incredulous look, "Why would I want that?"

I expected him to get confused, but he smirked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"You eavesdropped on my conversation with Lily?" I asked, my eyebrows raised, wondering how he managed to do that.

He came to stop at a forked corridor.

"It would be called eavesdropping if you were whispering." He informed me, turning to face me.

I turned to face him and crossed my hands, "So, stalker, spy..what else can I add to the list?"

He raised an eyebrow, "What list?"

"The Many Angles Of Rafe," I said, coming up with it off the top of my head, "Fondly referred to as MAOR."

He threw me a look and continued to walk, choosing to follow the right corridor.

"That sounds ridiculous." He told me, giving me his back again.

I caught up to him again.

"You won't say that once I've figured out all your secrets." I told him, throwing him a look of challenge.

He threw me another sidelong glance.

"You will never find them." He told me.

"You just wait." I said continuing to walk forward.

"Hills," he called me and I stopped, realising he wasn't walking with me. I turned to look at him; he was standing a few feet away and looking at me.

He tilted his head towards the left.

"It is this way." He told me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Well why didn't you say so?" I said, all but skipping towards him. I was going to see my father!

I continued to head in the direction he'd hinted and realised he wasn't walking with me...again.

I turned, my expression confused.

"Am I going the wrong way...?" I asked, but my voice trailed off when I saw his expression as he stalked towards me.

His expression seemed contemplative and for the first time, his fiery eyes seemed soft...like flickering embers rather than a burning flame. Warmth spread across my body as he came to stand in front of me. He wasn't close. But he wasn't far either.

"You surprised me today." He told me.

He was surprised that I offered to help someone?

My eyes narrowed, and I knew my expression cooled into a flat mask, "Don't judge me before you know me, Rafe."

He seemed to understand what I was saying, because his head tilted to the side.

"Yes, I do not know you." He said to me and then started to walk backwards away from me heading in the direction opposite to where we'd come from.

I stayed in place, just watching him, my head tilted a little.

He then leaned his shoulder on the wall and said, "But I would like to." He said.

Before I could react to what he'd said a door opened some distance in front of where Rafe was standing and my father walked out with a data pad in his hand and headed in my direction.

When he realised someone was in front of him, he looked up and his eyes brightened.

"Amour." He said and his voice brought back every single memory I had had with him. The bed time stories, the soft singing, the laughs, his excitement about physics, the smell of all the books he always had with him and...his smile.

I quickly ran to give him a hug, my eyes squeezing close before I opened them to look at Rafe who continued to look at us. My father's back was to him and he hadn't seen Rafe and somehow I think that was the point.

Thank you, I mouthed at Rafe, over my father's shoulder while still hugging him, and Rafe nodded at me in response.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" Dad asked as I leaned back.

I opened my mouth to tell him that Rafe had brought me here but I caught Rafe shaking his head as he held a finger to his lips.

My brows furrowed and I met my father's curious eyes.

"I got lost." I said in the end.

My father excepted the lie easily, and smiled at me.

"Dad," I said looking at my father and his silver suit attire, "You look hot." I told him.

My father scowled at me, "Why do you sound so surprised?" He asked.

I laughed. "Let me try that again."

I cleared my throat.

"Dad. You look hot." I said again with a modulated tone of approval rather than surprise.

He smiled shyly at me then, "You think so?" He asked looking down at himself.

I rolled my eyes, "Stop fishing, old man." I said turning to grab his arm and tugging him in the direction opposite to where Rafe was standing.

"I'm not that old, Amour." He told me, seeming proud of himself.

I pointed at the data pad, "What were you looking at?"

As my father looked back down at the data pad, I quickly looked over my shoulder but Rafe wasn't there anymore.

"I've been assigned an Educator position." Dad told me.

I groaned. "I'll be the teacher's kid." I complained.

Dad smiled at me like he found me adorable.

He wasn't taking me seriously because he knew I didn't actually mind.

"Physics or Math?" I asked.

He all but puffed his chest up and said, "They evaluated my skills and told me I could choose Physics and Math if I wished."

"Congratulations dad!" I gushed, because I knew it was a big deal to be offered both positions.

He smiled wide...then it faded, "You will be picking literature won't you?" He asked me.

I smiled softly, "Yes, dad. I will."

Dad's smile came back quickly.

"No matter, I'll be the one laughing when you have to study Shakespeare in detail."

My jaw dropped.

"We've left Earth and I still have to read his work?" I asked.

Dad grinned and I scoffed, "This is injustice. Here me well, I will avenge the death of actual literature. "

Dad chuckled again, "Honey, he's an important-"

I held my hand up, a wounded look on my face, "Don't even." I said.

Somehow Shakespeare just wasn't...

He just wasn't.

Sorry Shakespeareans.

My father and I walked along with each other and he told me about what he'd been doing all this time and I realised his experience wasn't very different from mine. The rooms, buildings and people he described were almost the same. But sometimes he would stop himself from saying something and I would frown at him. He would continue on as if I hadn't gotten annoyed, or he would just ask me something to distract me.

I asked him about Ren and dad promised to try to get his chip ID so that I could contact him.

As we walked a few steps in silence, I could hear my father thinking of something. He was also wondering how to tell me about it. So I waited.

Gerald Hills could not be rushed.

He stopped me then and turned me to face him.

"Baby," he told me looking me in the eye, his expression very serious and somber, "Be careful. I know what I'm saying doesn't make sense. Be cautious. Don't tell anyone too much about yourself. Always be on guard. Don't trust anyone, especially people who seem to take a sudden interest in you."

I met get father's eyes as dread creeped into my heart.

"Daddy...what do you mean?" I asked, swallowing slowly.

My dad smiled then, but it was almost sad.

"Amour, listen to me," he said, taking hold of my arms gently and looking me in the eye, "Choose your friends carefully, and follow your heart. Trust someone only if your heart tells you to. Your heart always knows what you want."

That was when his device gave off a tone and he picked it up to check it.

He told me that there was an Educator's Meet and he was being called.

I smiled and nodded and we hugged. We exchanged each other's card ID and he left me reluctantly, looking back to smile at me sadly.

Somehow one particular sentence my dad said, stayed reverberating in my head.

Don't trust anyone, especially people who seem to take a sudden interest in you.

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Yayaayayayayay! ❤️ Okay. I'm going to sleep for 282930292 hours now. Hope you liked it! Lemme know what you think.

Until next time, lollipops!