I was woken by the sound of whispers, and moonlight dancing over my face. A blanket was thrown over my legs, a blanket that hadn't been there when I had dozed off on the couch during the third movie that Paisley and Morgan had insisted on watching. I pressed my face into the pillow my head had been resting on, deciding that it must have been my imagination once again. The whispering increased in volume and I lifted my head, eyebrows furrowing together.

My imagination sounded a hell of a lot like a pissed off Cassius, frustrated Morgan, and concerned Landon. I sat up fully, and as I did so, noticed Paisley sprawled out on the floor on a bed of blankets, a thin blanket thrown on top of her as well. The moonlight caused her blue hair to shimmer and shine, and if it hadn't been for the fact that the voices were rising in intensity, I would have admired it longer. I carefully stood, wobbling and stepping over Paisley, noticing that Jase was passed out in an arm chair, his cheek resting against the arm of it. He had no blanket, most likely having given them all to Morgan, Paisley, and I; a true gentleman although a flirt as well.

I tiptoed over to the entrance of the hall and crouched next to the wall, where no one could see me; I was too sleepy to feel guilty about eavesdropping.

"First, you bring a Ouija board into this house, having Nyx of all people play with you," Cassius' voice was stern and even harsh, and I flinched, glad that he wasn't directing his words to me. "Then, you had to upset Mik, and now he's gone. Isaiah can't find him, Morgan." He paused and his voice lowered, causing me to strain my ears to continue listening. "I expected more from you. Maybe with Jase or Paisley I could understand allowing all of this to happen, but I asked for a day off and you couldn't even handle watching over Mik and Nyx for me. How could you be so irresponsible?"

"Cassius," Morgan's voice sound deceptively calm though his name rolled off her tongue like venom. I was shivering from the way they were speaking to each other, wondering how they could be best friends and still spew these words at each other. "Politely fuck yourself. By the time Mik had ran off, you were back in charge. And as for Nyx, you knew the time would come, you kumquat fucking mutt. She's going to find out eventually and it can either come from us, or one of them. It's up to you, Cass, but I'm not covering for you anymore only to have you chew me out. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to go check on my best friend and go back to sleeping with my girlfriend."

My eyes were wide at the exchange and my sleepy mind couldn't put the pieces together. I scrambled back to the couch, tucking myself beneath the blanket and turning my back to the rest of the room. I forced my breathing to even out, in case Morgan cared enough to check, and gripped the fluffy blanket tightly. The house quieted down and as it did, my mind became noisy, trying to figure out what was going on. Sleep claimed me before I could put my detective skills to use.

***

"I hate your house in the mornings," Paisley announced in the morning, sliding past a hysterical Thorne to get to the breakfast nook that Morgan and I were sitting at. She directed this announcement towards the boys, rubbing at her eyes. I tilted my head, observing the fact that she looked better in my shredded Iron Maiden shirt than I ever did. I made a mental note to let her know that she could keep it if she wanted to.

"Stop spending the night here then," Jase said plainly, raising his eyebrows at her. Paisley scoffed and flicked her fingers at him in a dismissive way. She perched herself on the edge of the breakfast nook table, smirking at me. I paused in the midst of sipping my coffee and stared her down, waiting for her to say something.

"You're riding with M and I today," Paisley whispered to me and I nodded slowly, wondering why she was behaving as if this was a plot to take down the government. She noticed the confusion on my face and rolled her eyes, leaning close enough that I could smell her signature peppermint scent. "The boys don't know. Once you finish your coffee, we'll sneak you out of here and leave. Thorne and Sophia are bratty today, they won't even notice."

I highly doubted that they wouldn't notice but nodded anyways, going along with Morgan and Paisley's plan for now.

My eyes darted over to Morgan, thinking about the possible dream I'd had the night before. She looked as grim as I had imagined her to be, her blue eyes dimmer than usual and her shoulders slumped forward in an uncharacteristic position for her. Morgan was always vibrant and full of life; I'd had yet to see her subdued or defeated, and I didn't think I wanted to.

I sincerely hoped she was just tired after our long night.

I hadn't even finished my coffee when the girls decided to put their plan into place. Morgan, looking slightly better now that she had caffeine and food in her, moved gracefully around the kitchen, walking as if to put her mug in the sink. She swung her hips, and if it hadn't been for the smirk on her lips I wouldn't have known the move was intentional, and knocked Sophia's plate of food off the counter. The plate shattered on the ground and toast stuck to the ground. Sophia instantly began to wail, drawing the boys attention to her. Paisley grabbed my wrist and with her free hand scooped up our bags, dragging me out the door. I peeked over my shoulder, wide eyed, wondering how they could cause chaos and pretend it had nothing to do with them.

"Don't look so startled, dear," Morgan called to me from where she was leaning against her car. Paisley opened the back door for me, ushering me in quickly and tossing our bags in there too. Once we had all piled in, Morgan tore out of there and from the way she drove, I entertained the idea of Mik giving her driving lessons. "I need more coffee. Let's make a pit stop."

Paisley laughed but didn't protest, sliding dark sunglasses onto her face and shaking her head so her long hair fell back over her shoulders. I swallowed hard, wondering how I had made friends with such bold people who were always so sure of themselves. I longed to be like them one day, and maybe if I spent enough time with them they would teach me how to be.

***

Twenty minutes later we arrived at school, carrying disposable coffee cups and bagels. Paisley had her arm looped with Morgan's and instead of sipping on her coffee, she was chomping on bubblegum, her eyes still hidden behind her dark sunglasses. Morgan's eyes were settled forward, a hard look present in them and she sipped her coffee in intervals, sweeping her hair over her shoulder with shake of the head.

I couldn't help but grin at the pair. I hadn't known them for the longest amount of time, and it was certainly startling that I had found friends in them, but I wasn't ungrateful in the slightest. They made me feel at home, which was something I had been sorely lacking since I lost my family. My moment of comfort and warmth faded fast when the boys came into sight, each of their expressions looking rather stormy.

Except for Mik. His expression was that of a kicked puppy's, eyebrows pulled together, eyes cast down and his shoulders slumped forward. I was immediately concerned considering he was one of the most upbeat people I had ever met. I tried to make eye contact with him, but he didn't look up, apparently finding the stones on the ground more interesting. We came to a stop before the boys and my eyes darted nervously between Morgan and Cassius, feeling the obvious friction and tension in the air. Morgan cocked her head, her eyes silently daring Cassius to say something to her.

"You can't just kidnap Nyx whenever you want to," Cassius snarled out in a low voice. The way he sounded so protective of me had me taking a small step back, unsure how to react. We weren't that close and the fact that he cared that Morgan had 'kidnapped' me, was somewhat sweet but also confusing. I willed him to look at me so I could silently question him, but his eyes remained on Morgan, a stare down occurring. Part of me thought it was too early for this shit, so I sipped my coffee, waiting for the moment to pass.

"I didn't kidnap her," Morgan's voice was smooth, unbothered by his accusation but I could tell by the spark in her eyes that she was furious. "Paisley and I offered to let her come with us today. It's crowded in your car. Besides, if we had kidnapped her would we really have bought her coffee and a bagel?"

Cassius opened his mouth, probably prepared to throw something back at her but then looked over at me, remembering I was still standing there. I raised a single eyebrow, daring him to continue this argument in front of me. It would be so rude of me to interrupt they're fight by existing, wouldn't it? Jase snickered and my eyes widened, realizing I said that out loud.

"Not as rude as you think, I assure you, sweetheart," Morgan said, a grin forming on her face. She leaned close to Cassius, wearing the smug face of someone who had just won, and in a way, I suppose that she had. "At least you're not as a rude as a certain someone here, though."

I clamped my tooth down on my tongue to keep from laughing, deciding it wouldn't be the best decision with the dark look Cassius was sending Morgan. Paisley reached out and tugged on my hand, jerking her head towards the door. I looked over and noticed that Kaleia was waiting for us, leaning against the door frame, her lips quirked up into a smirk as she observed the situation. She was smart, avoiding the fight.

"Unclench, Modica." Morgan brushed past him, discreetly motioning to Jase to follow her. I blinked several times, wondering what the fuck was happening. "I got her to school safely. Isn't that what truly matters?"

Jase followed behind Morgan and Paisley, and I stood frozen, uncertain if I should move or not. I was frozen in place, wavering between two sides of an argument, reluctant to choose one. I didn't want to choose, I liked having all of them for friends. I was forced to choose when Morgan turned around, curling her finger, urging me to follow her. I glanced between her and Cassius, shifting between my feet uncomfortably. I began to move forward, dragging my feet, but moving towards Morgan nonetheless.

Landon caught my arm as I passed by him, and I flinched slightly, meeting his gaze. His blue eyes scanned over my face and his lips twisted into a frown. "Don't worry, Nyx," he whispered, looking between Morgan and Cassius. "They'll make up by lunch." He squeezed my arm in a reassuring manner. "You have my number. Text me if you need me. I'll always answer."

He released my arm with those words and I wanted to stand there longer, speak to him longer, but Morgan was beginning to look impatient, as if being in Cassius' general vicinity was souring her mood. I sent Landon the best grateful look that I could muster then scooted over to where the girls were waiting for me. The girls lit up, except for Kaleia, who mostly looked indifferent but she always looked that way from what I had observed.

I looked over my shoulder as I walked into the building and caught sight of Mik and Landon staring after me longingly.

As promised, at lunch, Morgan and Cassius greeted each other with smiles and even sat across from each other. I hovered at the end of the table, uncertain on where I should sit. I had done this everyday since school had started, waiting for someone to tell me to sit next to them. I scanned over the table, searching for a free seat and my eyes skimmed over Isaiah but immediately fell back on him. I gaped at the sight before me.

"You're wearing glasses!" I exclaimed. Isaiah's head jerked up so fast that his black rimmed glasses slid down his nose, nearly hiding the blush that was forming on his cheeks. Everyone turned to look at Isaiah, though none of them seemed surprised, if anything they seemed mostly amused. "You wear glasses?"

He shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with all the attention being on him. "Yeah, sometimes," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I try not to. I usually pop in contacts, but with Sophia throwing her tantrum this morning, I didn't have the time."

I cocked my head, scanning over the glasses and his leather jacket. It wasn't something that typically fit together, but on him, it was more than fitting, it was crazy good looking. I swallowed hard, fiddling with my hair and searching for a seat again to distract myself from the feelings that were forming inside of me.

"Sit your cute ass down already, will you?" Jase grinned, noticing my inner conflict on where to sit. I sent him a mock glare and hesitantly began to step towards the seat next to Landon who was regarding me with a warm and welcoming look. Before I could make it to Landon, Cassius had grabbed my hand and tugged me down in between him and Isaiah. I squeaked and pulled my arms close to myself, looking between the two boys.

Landon's foot nudged mine beneath the table. "Don't look so scared. Cass and Isaiah probably won't bite."

"It's the probably part of that statement that alarms me..." I said, though I was smiling. Cassius gently bumped his shoulder against mine and slid a bag of chips my way. I had been eating lunch with the boys long enough to realize that meant he wanted me to eat something. I had just slipped a potato chip into my mouth and tuned into Paisley, Mik, and Kaleia's conversation when an arm was slung around my shoulders. I tensed up, thinking that one of the boys had suddenly gotten bold, but when I turned my head I was greeted by an unfamiliar face.

I shrunk away, unsettled by the fact that a stranger was touching me. I couldn't deny the fact that the boy who currently had his arm around me was attractive, but that didn't make me suddenly condone the situation. He had dark brown hair that was pushed away from his face, giving me a good look at his chocolate brown eyes and sharp jawline. His eyes were focused on me, a playful glint present in them. I gripped the edge of my seat, silently willing him to move his arm.

"Dean," Cassius said, his voice calm though there was a fire blazing in his eyes as he stared down the boy. "I think you'd better get your hands off Nyx if you know what's good for you."

"Calm down, Modica," the boy, Dean I supposed, brushed off Cassius. He didn't look away from me, his full concentration on me, his lips quirked up into what he must have thought to be a flirty smirk. "Unless she's your girl I don't understand why you've got your panties in a bunch."

"She doesn't have to be someone's girl to not want to be in your presence, dick fuck," Kaleia called over, her eyes hard as she glared at Dean. "Now if you could back off our bitch that would be greatly appreciated."

"Dear sweet Kaleia," Dean purred and a shudder went down my spine at the sound. "Are you jealous? I can come give you some attention to if you want."

Kaleia's nose scrunched up in disgust and she flipped him off. Paisley slid in front of her sister, blocking her from Dean's view. Paisley scowled and crossed her arms, as if daring Dean to try to get past her. He blew her a kiss and she scoffed, flipping him off just like Kaleia had done. Morgan raised her eyebrows and gave a finger wave to remind him that Paisley's girlfriend was alive, doing well, and present.

"So touchy," Dean chuckled, his breath brushing across my cheek. I flinched away from him and crunched on a chip loudly, shooting him a displeased look. He noticed and laughed again, pulling me into a side hug that had me choking on the chip that I had been trying to enjoy.

"Jesus Christ, Dean," Landon grumbled, lunging across the table and shoving at Dean's shoulder. I jumped and scooted towards Isaiah who gladly rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder, knocking Dean's away. I had never seen Landon get aggressive before and especially not over me. "Knock it off and leave Nyx alone before I let Morgan kick your ass."

Dean tensed at those words, but slowly removed his arms from around my shoulders. I relaxed, my head dropping onto Isaiah's shoulder and my hand reaching out for Morgan who encased my fingers with my hand, squeezing gently. I inhaled deeply, trying to find some semblance of calm, and with Isaiah's arm around me and Morgan holding my hand, it was a little bit easier.

"See you around, Blakely," Dean called out to me as he walked away. I gripped at Isaiah's shirt and he pulled me closer, a silent promise that he wouldn't let Dean around me anymore. 

a/n: this came much sooner than I thought it would, so I guess, surprise? A lot was revealed this chapter hehe. Can you catch the important stuff? And Isaiah and glasses? *swoon*

xoxo,

ry