Finn wasn't at dinner or breakfast the next day, and I sat in silence between Raphael and Charlie for the entirety of the morning meal. The rest chatted on except for Raphael, who never spoke at the table, and Cybele was sitting among us as well. Her presence intrigued me especially with Finn's absence, and I would see her eyes on me from time to time. When I caught her staring, she would look away immediately. Too quickly.

I'd swallowed a breath before looking back to my plate, a whirlwind of emotions making my heart beat even faster. He'd told her something about me, and it was making my head hurt as a sinking hole filled my chest. Finn had talked about me with Cybele? From her face, I knew it wasn't good whatever he'd said. This was the exact opposite of what I'd wanted to happen.

Why was I the only one on trial here? I knew I hadn't been the kindest, but he'd been rude to me as well. Maybe I'd pried, but I'd let him in. I'd let him in just enough, and he refused to budge over something like an injury. I was worried about him, and he'd thrown my emotions back in my face. Did he care how I felt at all?

Had I been wrong to think we were more than friends? I thought I'd been obvious enough that I was interested; maybe I could have done better. The vision of the little boy with Finn's features appeared in my head, and I felt sick as I finished a pancake. Was he going to run from me like Leighton?

With all that had exploded in my life, I must be difficult to care about.

The thought made a sting run through me as I picked up my plate, taking it back to the front of the kitchen. A weight of misery weighed down on my shoulders. What had I done wrong by trying to help him?

His furious voice rung in my ears still, making me shiver. He'd snapped so harshly at me, viciously shutting me up mid sentence to a degree where I couldn't remember what I'd even been saying. I couldn't say a word, just staring straight ahead as I tried to comprehend the polarity of the two encounters we'd had in only two days.

Just the day before he'd fought the vampires with me in the Mimic and had been so kind, hilariously funny. Now he was sucking the air from my lungs as he yelled at me to stop talking.

I'd heard and seen him discipline his students, and he was known for being one of the most unforgiving instructors under Secta's roof. I thought he'd never be that way with me because we were friends, some potential for being more than friends. Maybe I really didn't know him at all and had gotten this whole situation wrong.

A conversation with Gabriel came back into my mind: "he's just acting nice now because you're new. The new girl in fact. He'll show you his true colors soon enough."

His true colors. Was he really like the Finn I'd known all this time or the Finn who'd rebuked me in the tube?

The thought ran through my mind, making me cringe: was he trying to make me think that I was 'different' just to get into my pants?

'People have sex all the time without the attachments, Kate.'

I set my plate and tray back on the counter, brushing a strand of hair from my face. With a deep breath, I turned around, almost running straight into Cybele. She maneuvered around me to set down her plate before taking a step back to look at me.

Biting my lip, I stared at her. Cybele let out a breath, but I cut her off in the next moment. "Where's Finn?"

Her eyes flickered an emotion I couldn't recognize before she replied softly, "I think in his room."

"Resting that leg of his?" I asked, making her shift her weight. "What happened, Cybele?"

"It's not for me to tell." She said, eyes flickering up to mine. "I'd tell you if I could, but I really can't. He's doing fine now and should be up on his feet soon."

I swallowed, watching her carefully. "I know he probably told you everything, right?" Her silence was a clear answer, making my lips clench into a thin line. "Never mind it. I wasn't trying to be mean, but some of it might have come out that way. He wouldn't let me help him and I guess I just thought we were better... friends than that."

"He never told me any of that." She said, making my eyes shoot up to hers.

My heart was hammering in my chest as I spoke, "he...?"

The doors swung open as Finn walked inside, no limp in sight and a stone-like expression on his face. I fell silent as I watched him move through the tables before sitting down beside Raphael, taking my old seat.

"I'm..." Cybele started but never finished her sentence as she walked towards the table, leaving me behind as I stood alone at the head of the dining hall.

I felt frozen underneath the intimidating glare of the hall, unfamiliar faces everywhere I looked. The table I'd been sitting at was full and so were many of the rest. A lump formed in my throat; where did I fit inside all of this?

The answer was simple: I didn't.

I'd been so sure about leaving Ultrona, my friends, and my sister, but now I was really beginning to doubt my choice. They accepted me and cared about me, and as I looked around the room, I felt as though not a single soul would have really been worried if I'd been there or not.

Cybele had left me and Finn had ignored me, which was more reasonable considering we'd fought. Raphael didn't care, and Secta was sharpening his sword with each false step I made. A homesickness filled my stomach all over again as I reflected back to sitting at the dinner table with all the people I loved, and I'd thought a few of these people here too had a seat beside me.

Something poked my side as I squealed, jumping in surprise when Gabriel stepped in front of me with a cheeky smile. "Got ya! What are you doing standing here all on your own? Did the grownup table kick you out?"

"Not really." I replied, but he'd already wrapped an arm across my shoulders as he guided me through the tables.

"Come sit with us then. We're much more fun I promise." He leaned in close to my face as he whispered, "you skipped out on the Christmas quarry night, Stratton. Don't think I didn't notice."

I pulled back with a soft smile. "Sorry, I couldn't come swimming."

"Swimming? You want to come this time?" Samaria hopped up from the table, her expression shining brightly as she sauntered towards us. "Is this code chocolate?"

"She should definitely come." Gabriel said, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders.

I slid from out of his grip as I let out a breath. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"I know you're in hot water right now for some reason..."

Gabriel was back hovering over me again as I narrowed my eyes, "wait, how'd you know?"

Samaria let out a laugh, "I'm not blind or an idiot! It's pretty obvious when Finn wants to..."

"When I want to what?"

I froze and so did the other two guardians as Gabriel and I slowly shifted, Finn's tall figured standing right behind us. His blue eyes were unwavering, narrowed, and particularly icy as he looked down right at me.

"Um... I..." I stuttered, not really sure why I was even speaking. It hadn't been I who was talking originally.

"I said that it was easy to tell when you were pissed. Example A!" Samaria said, pointing to Finn as he sent her a glare. She let out a nervous laugh. "Ah shit, this isn't one of the times where you pretend to be angry with me but actually aren't and really enjoy my jokes, is it?"

"Not in the slightest." Finn growled, "I'm here to talk with Kate. The both of you can go."

And they cleared out instantly, as did many of the tables around us when everyone seemed to be finished eating at the very same moment. As I looked up at Finn, I held my chin high, keeping my eyes steady. I felt my fingers quivering for an unknown reason as I saw the guardians move away; they didn't want to see Finn tear me to pieces like he did to everyone else.

"Talking about me with your friends, I see?" He started, eyes narrowed with a certain look of anger that I hadn't received from his before.

I licked my lips, looking at his face. "I didn't say anything about you, Finn. I promise. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Apparently you were very keen to do the same with Cybele not even minutes before." Finn replied, a snap in his voice making me narrow my eyes back at him.

"I asked her what was wrong with your leg and how you were doing because I was worried about you and didn't think I could come talk to you myself. I guess I was right too because even now you're being the biggest ass when I didn't even do anything wrong." Clenching my jaw, I took a step forward. "Apparently you like to shove me in the wrong, because you always have to be right."

He didn't budge, staring down at me with the same intense eyes as before though now they looked even more icy. It made goosebumps rise on my skin as I felt unusually small. "I don't always have to be right, and it appears that you possess the same trait as you are blameless in this situation. Fuck it, I don't care what you were gossiping about whether it revolved around me or not. You can talk shit about me all you want for all I care because you're angry that I wouldn't spill my life story."

"I wasn't asking for your life story!" I hissed, "I was asking what happened to your leg and that was all because I wanted to help you! That was all! Now you're sitting here talking to me like a child and trying to pin me as some gossiping bitch who has so terribly wounded you. I'm sorry if you think I'm talking about you behind your back; I'm not and that's up to you to decide if you trust me or not. If you don't, then we don't need to be friends any longer. I'll at least apologize for snapping at you in the tube even if you won't do the same for me."

"I tried apologizing and you ran off." Finn replied, making me swallow. "I was rude because I was in pain, and I tried to make amends and you wouldn't hear it. You think I'm wrong to talk to you like a child? If you can't stick around to hear me out, then we don't need to be friends any longer as well. I'll repeat myself since you didn't hear me the first time when you ran off: I'm sorry. Happy now?"

I stared at Finn in silence, his eyes unwavering just like his expression as I kept my face calm. Inside I was a mess, something cracking and splintering inside my chest that burned like wildfire. Biting my lip, I managed to speak again, "fine. Be an ass. I don't care. Since I bother you so much with my childishness, then I'll get out of your way so you can go back to the 'grownup' table."

"Excellent." He replied without hesitation, "you're going to be in your room by 9 as well if you want to be treated like a child as well. I'm your guardian, and you follow my schedule. 9p.m."

I shook my head. "Great. More time for me to be locked in a box. I really appreciate it, Finn. What a good friend. Whoops, not anymore it seems."

Brushing by him, I marched towards the door of the dining hall, catching Samaria's eye.

'Code Chocolate' I mouthed to her as a wide grin spread over her face.