Maybe the Killian from the nightmare, as terrifying as he was, is right, and I’m secretly into that?
No, nope. I’m simply not going there.
“Can you believe it?”
I lift my head at Annika’s voice. It’s the middle of the day, and we’re sitting near the fountain with two sculpted angels pouring water into it. The plan was to soak in the sun, but it’s currently playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds, so every now and then, a shadow interrupts the warmth.
Students buzz around us, dressed in all sorts of styles with their hair as colorful as the rainbow. Annika and I are probably the only ones who haven’t dyed our hair.
I let my red marker draw absentmindedly on my pad and eat my sandwich with my free hand. I’m shit at having actual meals, and Mum will lecture me for a year if she finds out I’m surviving on sandwiches and burgers and anything where I don’t have to put in any effort.
Annika has a whole food container. It’s filled with salad and other healthy stuff, but it looks as aesthetic as her. Even her fork and knife are purple.
She finishes chewing on her bite of food and thrusts her phone in my face. It’s on IG’s search, Creighton King.
A few accounts appear, but none of them belong to my cousin.
“He really has no social media. Like none. It’s the same for all other platforms.”
“He’s not big on those.”
“Is he a caveman? I’m ready to believe that he time-traveled from the past over the fact that he has no social media.”
“Honestly? He might as well be.”
She inches closer. “What else can you tell me about him?”
“Why are you asking?” I give her a knowing look.
“Don’t give me that. I just think he’s awfully Ice Age in mentality and it’s my job to bring him to modern times.”
“Remi’s doing that just fine. He’s the extrovert who adopted him, so he’s like Creigh’s surrogate father.”
“He’s too hopeless and needs two extroverts adopting him. Why is he so…silent? No matter how many questions I asked him, he flat out ignored me.”
“He’s not really talkative. You see him but don’t hear him.”
“Aww, that’s just sad.”
“Being quiet isn’t sad, Anni. Some of us just…prefer silence.”
“Are you saying I’m being too loud?”
“No. Well, a little.” I sigh. “But I’m used to it from Ava, so you can talk all you want.”
“Wow. I’m honored. I can’t believe I’m being shamed for being energetic.”
“Well, you were just shaming Cray Cray for being quiet.”
“Aww, you guys call him Cray Cray? That’s so cute for someone so hot.”
I grin. “You think my cousin is hot?”
“Well, of course he is. Are you blind?”
“You’re so straightforward. Go for it, girl.”
She lets out a long sigh, then eats a bite of her salad. “I can only admire from afar. Unless I want the person I admire to be killed by my brother and father. Besides, my marriage is probably already decided. So I’m just living life for as long as I can.”