Golden: A Paranormal Romance

by Ellis Marie

  I blink away the tears forming in my eyes and smile at her, my focus going back to our work.

  “Nothing happened, Kristie. I’m fine,” I answer without looking at her. “We just had a fight on Tuesday, that’s all.”

  “You know he’s just acting like this. He’ll start being his usual self again once he thinks you’ve forgiven him.”

  I think about it, my mind turning to this morning and how he had snapped at me when I accidentally bumped into him while he was holding a coffee; it didn’t spill or anything, but he still snapped.

  No. Kristie just doesn’t like him. It’s not an act.

  “Maybe he’s changed,” I retort impatiently. Her scoff is immediate, a glare overcoming her face as she continues to stare at me.

  “You know he hasn’t,” she continues. “You know he treats you like crap, god knows what he’s actually doing when he—”

  “Would you just stop being so jealous!” The shout leaves my mouth before I even register what I’m saying, and her eyes widen in shock as she laughs, disbelief pouring out of her.

  “Me? Jealous? Are you kidding me? Of what?” She’s now standing above me with her arms crossed over her chest. I stand up to be eye level with her, not knowing what’s come over me. It’s as if all my frustrations have come bubbling to the surface and I’m helpless to stop them. I can only sit back and watch myself shout.

  “Of the fact I actually have someone that stays with me,” I yell back, catching her by surprise.

  “Oh yeah, I’d really love a boyfriend that treats me like a slave and prefers my dad to me,” she hisses, her brown hair flying as she throws her head back and lets out a fake laugh that feels like a punch to my stomach.

  “Well, at least I have a boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, a shitty one.”

  “Well, at least he doesn’t cheat.”

  There’s silence around us as Kristie stares at me, her eyes becoming glassy with unshed tears. My stomach drops as I realise what I’ve said, and I try to think of something to make it better, but I can’t.

  Have you ever said something out of instinct? Something so quick that it feels like the natural response. You don’t even realise what it is you’ve said until you hear it echo back at you through your own ears?

  Had I really just said that to her?

  “What did you just say?” she whispers, taking a step away from me. My hands come up to my mouth as tears pool in my own eyes. “How could you say that?”

  “Kristie, I—”

  There’s a knock on the door. We both look over, the silence between us deafening.

  “C-come in,” I shout hesitantly, my eyes still darting to my best friend whose teeth are gritted together in anger with unshed tears waiting to fall. My breath catches in my throat as Cole walks into the room with a sheepish smile on his face.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” he begins cautiously, his body staying in the doorway as he looks between us. “We got told that you were here. We had a couple questions about things, and apparently, you’re the person to ask . . .” He trails off awkwardly, clearly sensing the growing tension. I give him a fake smile, nodding as I swallow, trying to figure out what to say.

  It seems that Kristie manages before me.

  “You’re correct,” she answers, bending down to pick up her bag as she smiles at me sickeningly. “Anna here can help you with anything you need.”

  Her words are like a knife plunging into my heart as she turns and walks out the room, her angry footsteps echoing around us as she half-barges past Cole who jumps out of the way in response.

  “Actually,” he coughs, clearing his throat. “It’s not actually me who’s got the questions, so I’m just gonna . . . go see if she’s alright.”

  I don’t even look at him as he speaks. Instead, I choose to sink down into my chair and put my head into my hands, my mind playing her hurt expression on a loop.

  Why had I said that to her? How could I have been so horrible?

  A light cough echoes around the room and I jump, startled at the sound.

  “Sorry,” a timid voice says from the door, making me quickly wipe my eyes. “I’m the one with the questions.”

  I look at the owner of the voice, and immediately, I relax a little.

  “Scarlette,” I greet shakily, my hands wringing together as I push out the thoughts of my crying best friend from my mind. “How can I help?”

  She softly closes the door behind her, a gentle smile on her face but a curious look in her eyes as she crosses the room. “Is everything okay?” she asks, sitting down beside me. “I can’t help but think you look a little sad.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” I quickly reply, waving away her question as I gather the materials on the table in front of me, ignoring the ache in my heart.

  Soft hands reach out and stop my fumbling ones, their gentle pressure enough to pull my attention away from my spiralling thoughts.

  “What happened?” she asks, and I go to continue denying, but something about her makes me pause. Something makes me feel like I can tell her anything. I sigh, not knowing where to begin.

  “I was horrible to my best friend,” I state simply. She tilts her head to the side.

  “The girl that just ran out of here? I’m sure it couldn’t have been that bad. What was it about?”

  I pause, not really knowing how to explain while also not oversharing. We’ve only had one other conversation before this; a heavy pour of emotional trauma might be a bit much.

  “I got defensive and snapped at her when she insulted my boyfriend,” I explain as my nose wrinkled at my own actions. “I brought something up that I shouldn’t have.”

  Scarlette nods, sitting back in her seat but her expression doesn’t change. It remains open and comforting, like she’s waiting for me to continue.

  I grimace as I do. “I sort of brought up the only boy she’s ever loved and the fact that he cheated on her.”

  She sucks in a breath at my admittance. “I’m guessing she’s never gotten over it?” I shake my head, feeling even worse. “So I’m assuming it was really bad?”

  “Try awful.” I sigh, rubbing my hand over my forehead. “She was in a secret relationship with her older brother’s best friend, who then took her virginity, denied all feelings for her afterwards and, to top it off, cheated on her with none other than f*cking Tracey.”

  It had been one of the worst days of my life, seeing my best friend so heartbroken and distraught. God only knows how awful Kristie felt going through it. Plus, Tracey hadn’t exactly kept it to herself, so every man and their dog knew about what happened.

  “Jesus,” Scarlette whistles with wide eyes. “Talk about horrible people. I hope someone taught him a lesson.”

  Her comment brings a small smile to my face. “Oh yeah, her brother, Scott, messed him up pretty bad when he found out.” I wince. “Unfortunately, he did it in school, got expelled, and their parents sort of sent him to an army enrolment thing. He said it was worth it though.”

  I love Scott dearly, but he was definitely the problem child between him and Kristie.

  “I like the sound of him,” Scarlette comments, leaning back onto the table. “So you said probably one of the most hurtful things you could have to your friend?”

  Her statement is so simple, but it catches me by surprise, my guilt overwhelming me as any signs of a smile drop from my face.

  “Yeah, I guess I did,” I whisper, trailing off. I start to wonder if Kristie is ever going to forgive me.

  “I think you two will be fine,” Scarlette comments after a few minutes of silence and I look at her, perplexed. “You two are best friends. I’m sure there have been times where you were the only person there for her, and I’m sure she’s never forgotten that.”

  I think about her words, and an array of memories float through my mind, going from when we first met until now, a montage of all our moments in which we depended on the other person more than ourselves.

  “I suppose so,” I
admit quietly. “But I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” Scarlette states. “But I can clearly see how much you regret it, and if it was me, I’d say you’ve eaten yourself up enough for me to forgive you.”

  A warm kind of feeling moves through my body at her kind words. “Thanks, Scarlette.”

  I just hope she’s right.

  She smiles at me warmly and rubs my arm, shrugging softly. “What are friends for?”

  I’m so surprised by her. She’s like a walking contradiction. She looks timid but has such a big personality; she has tattoos glittering her body and hangs around with guys that look as though they could crush you, but then, it turns out she is the friendliest person in the whole school.

  I really have to stop judging people on their appearances. Isn’t that exactly what I hated people doing to me?

  “So is Tracey the blonde with the . . .” She points to her chest, hands dramatically curved as though they’re holding balloons.

  I can’t stop the bark of laughter that leaves my lips at her impression.

  “Yes.” I chuckle, batting away her hands. “That’s her.”

  “Ahh,” she drags out, smirking to herself. “Yes, we’ve met.”

  I raise a brow, motioning for her to continue just like she had to me, and she grins, brushing her red hair behind her ear.

  “She made an . . . attempt at seducing my cousin, and it did not go well.” Before I can open my mouth to ask for more information, she snaps her fingers and faces me enthusiastically. “Actually, that leads perfectly into my question.”

  I look at her in confusion. “Tracey trying to seduce your cousin leads perfectly into your question?”

  “Yes, actually.” Scarlette laughs, nudging my shoulder. “Why aren’t you talking to him?”

  “Why am I not talking to your cousin?” I repeat, double checking if I’ve heard her correctly. “Scarlette, I don’t know who that is.”

  She looks shocked for a minute and then lets out a huff of annoyance. “Is he for real? I honestly thought he would have at least mentioned me in all the time he tried talking to you. Stupid big old . . .” she trails off, mumbling to herself. I have to click my fingers in order to get her attention again.

  “Scarlette!” I shout with laughter. She rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed that her cousin hasn’t introduced himself as such. “Who is your—”

  I stop speaking when I realise what she said.

  Who is the one person who continued to try and talk to me?

  “Only the biggest and most annoying man in the history of our family and the one totally obsessed with you,” she states, making my heart pound. “I know it’s hard to believe when I’m so fun and friendly considering he’s a total hermit crab with a bad attitude, but it’s true.”

  She sighs. “Trent is my cousin.”

  Her description of Trent puzzles me a little. He’s never been rude or closed off with me. I think it was the other way around.

  “He’s not obsessed with me,” I correct quickly while still trying to shuffle through all the information she has just hit me with. She looks at me in disbelief. “He isn’t!”

  “Right, and I just suppose he’s asking me questions about every girl in this school. Oh wait!” She pretends to remember something, dramatically knocking her head with her palm. “I forgot, he’s rejected every other girl that even tries to converse with him. Silly me.”

  Her eyebrow tilts up while she waits for my response. When I can do nothing but drop my mouth, she knows she’s won and victoriously crosses her arms over her chest.

  Trent and Scarlette are cousins, which means that when she spoke about Tracey, she means that it was Trent who had rejected her. That definitely sounded like Tracey, so maybe . . . maybe she was telling the truth about Trent?

  “Trent asks about me?” The question comes from my lips lightly and is accompanied by a smile, much to my surprise.

  Why does the thought of him bothering Scarlette about me make me so happy? Should I be happy about that?

  “Well then, if he makes you smile like that, why on earth are you ignoring him?” she pesters, interrupting my thoughts as she impatiently waits for me to answer.

  “I’m not ignoring him,” I lie, playing with my fingers.

  “Really? So the reason for him walking around like someone has killed his favourite pet has nothing to do with you refusing to talk to him?”

  Does Trent care that much?

  A blush coats over my face as I grasp for straws. “Well, I . . .” I groan, causing Scarlette to lean forward in anticipation. “I have a boyfriend.”

  She lets out a low growl of disappointment as she moves back, clearly unimpressed by my answer. “And?”

  “And . . .” I begin to explain, but that’s as far as I get because I realise that I have no valid answer for why I’m ignoring Trent. If I say it’s because of Matt, then she would probably ask why I don’t just talk to him in classes, and if I say it’s because of something else then . . . well, then, I don’t know what.

  “And you’re scared you’ll fall for him and won’t love your boyfriend anymore.” I look at Scarlette in shock, wondering if she can see into my soul. She squeals in excitement, jumping from her seat and clapping her hands.

  No, wait!

  “No, Scarlette, I—”

  “Oh, I knew you liked Trent! I knew it! I knew it!” She dances in a circle, her tiny applause echoing around us as she jumps, ignoring me completely. “This is amazing!”

  Am I that easy to read? Does my face give away how I’m feeling that much?

  “Scarlette,” I call, half a demand. “I don’t like Trent. I have a boyfriend.” My words are blunt and precise as I try to make her understand.

  She waves her hand as if brushing my comment away. “Pfft, boyfriend schmoyfriend, he’s not that great.”

  A laugh breaks through my lips as I stare at her, trying to believe what I’m hearing. “Scarlette! I love him, you can’t say that!” I argue as I try to make my face look angry, but I can’t stop giggling at her cheeky expression.

  “I can, and I just did,” she says, tapping the tip of my nose lightly. “And if you were so annoyed about it, you wouldn’t be smiling so much.”

  How am I meant to argue with that?

  The bell rings above us, signalling the end of lunch. She quickly gives me a hug, moving away from me before I can respond.

  “Don’t worry about Kristie. Just apologise to her and I’m sure everything will be okay,” she says reassuringly before turning and walking towards the door.

  “And don’t worry,” she whispers as we leave the room with a wicked grin on her lips. “I won’t tell anyone that you like Trent. Toodles!”

  Before I can respond, she disappears down the hall, consumed by the sea of people making their way to class. Her giggles follow her red head as it moves further away from me.

  She really is something else.

  For the rest of the school day, I can’t sit still in my seat.

  I try to convince myself that it’s just because I’m worried about Kristie, but I also know in the back of my mind that I’m completely shaken by Scarlette and her idea that Trent likes me. Or maybe I’m more shaken by my response to it and the fact that it doesn’t sound so silly to me.

  I see Matt between classes, accompanied by Tracey no less, and although it annoys me, I use his good mood to my advantage when she tells us that she’s throwing a party tonight.

  The most annoying part is that I don’t have Kristie to tell it to. I spend the last two periods constantly texting her under the table, making sure to apologise about three thousand times and hint that I have news for her in hopes that she will talk to me.

  At first, she doesn’t reply to anything, and as the second hour of the class starts, I begin to think that maybe she never will; however, just before the bell rings to signal the end of school, my phone buzzes and her familiar face pings up on the screen.

  Meet me at you
r locker.

  That one sentence alone makes me grin from ear to ear. As soon as I hear the shrill ring pulse through the school, I am out of my chair and sprinting down the hall, half-knocking people out the way as I make my way to the other side of the building.

  I arrive at my locker out of breath and a little frazzled, but I can’t stop my grin when I see my best friend leaning against the metal with a smirk on her face, observing me while I try to catch my breath and failing.

  “You alright?” She laughs. I nod breathlessly but hold up my finger, pausing the conversation.

  This is why I don’t do sports.

  I compose myself and take a deep breath, my lungs grateful that they’re not being put under strain again.

  “I always wonder how you stay so skinny when you can’t run for shit,” Kristie teases, rolling her eyes. I shrug.

  “I hate running. What can I say?”

  We’re silent as we both chuckle, the sea of people moving past us creating a hum of sound. My heart aches as I take in the space between the two of us, my guilt sinking slowly.

  “Look, K.” I sigh. “I’m really sorry. I honestly don’t know what came over me.”

  She watches me with guarded eyes, but I can still see the pain flicker through them, her lips tight.

  “I shouldn’t have said it. It was an awful thing for me to do and snapping at you was way out of line. I am now in contender for the worst best friend ever.” I sigh. “But could you please forgive me?”

  She assesses my apology, twisting her mouth to one side as she stares at me. As I notice her struggling not to smile, I feel relief and let a hopeful one slip onto my own lips.

  “Aaand . . .” I sing, stepping closer. “Tracey is throwing a party tonight and I may have convinced Matt that I need a girl’s night, which means we can have a Kristie-and-Elle sleepover!”

  Her reaction is instantaneous. Her face breaks out into the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. She wraps her arms around me, half lifting me off the ground as she squeals in my ear, drawing attention from the crowds around us who I wave away politely while my feet dangle.