II

She woke up the next morning with a pounding headache.

Bleak, grey rays of sunlight spilled through the black lace drapes, falling upon the sleeping form next to her; Sienna rolled over to find the jet-haired girl from last night fast asleep, the pristine white sheets crinkled around her perfect form. She swallowed and lay back against her pillow, careful not to wake her. Her body ached. What had she gotten herself into?

"Hey, sleepyhead." Myst rolled onto her right side with a smile, her short, jet black hair a tangled mess.

It was hard not to return the gesture. "What happened last night?"

Myst shrugged. She studied Sienna's hard expression with concern. "How much do you remember?"

"I remember..." Her brow furrowed in thought. "I remember waking up in the hospital, and walking out. Then I remember meeting you at the bar, and waiting for you in an alley with some guy. He had - he had dirty blond hair and blue eyes. The colour of the sky, actually."

By the time Sienna was done talking, her lip was bloody and torn up.

"I think I should go," She finally said, untangling herself from the sweaty bed sheets wrapped around her legs.

Myst watched her pull on her clothes patiently, still propped up on the bed. "At least let me make you breakfast."

Sienna hesitated. "Alright," She turned to face Myst. "But then I'm out of here."

"So, what do you do for a job?"

Sienna watched Myst absentmindedly, fidgeting with her nails. She vaguely recalled the remarks people made upon glimpsing them for the first time - some people called them claws while others called them talons. One suggested that she shape them, so she did.

"I write," She finally said, momentarily lifting her eyes from her scarred hands to meet Myst's curious gaze.

"What genre?"

"Horror." It was the first thing that popped into her head.

Myst's eyes flickered back to the stove. She said nothing as she lifted up the pan and poured the now scrambled eggs onto Sienna's plate before tossing it into the sink. Her feet made no sound on the smooth hardwood floor; she seemed to glide to the other side of the island. Without so much as a peep, she slid onto the stool next to Sienna.

Sienna watched the contemptress in silence, chewing her eggs. She swallowed. "Hey."

Myst returned to reality with a shake of her head. She yawned and sipped her coffee, playing with the drawstring knotted around her waist absentmindedly. Her hair was still a gnarled rat's nest. "What?"

"Nothing." Sienna mumbled, gulping her orange juice. She wiped her mouth on a napkin. "That was delicious. Thank you."

"Any time."

At that, Sienna stood and hesitantly took care of her plate. She had just cleaned her utensils when Myst chose that moment to join her by the sink.

Her breath hitched in her throat. She peered into Myst's luminescent brown eyes for a long moment. Alas she looked away, for she hated the reflection staring back at her. Myst knew it, too. She awkwardly set her plain black coffee mug down in the sink and took a reluctant step back. "Let me drive you home."

"Okay." Sienna nodded.

The two girls stood there for another couple of minutes, just awkwardly staring at each other - Sienna running her hand through her hair, Myst staring down at the black painted, claw-like nails protruding from her skin. Finally, Myst tied her robe and grabbed her keys, slipping into her boots on the way out the door. Sienna followed in silence.

"You got an address?"

"Yeah," Sienna listed off the address Jason had texted her the previous night, lost in thought. How had he...? He must've programmed his number into my phone while I was still unconscious at the hospital, she thought.

It was only a twenty minute ride from Myst's house to Jason's - including the three or four lights in between, of course. They drove with the windows rolled down and a classic rock mixtape blaring softly over the speakers. Sienna couldn't help but feel a rush of sadness as they pulled into the driveway.

Myst seemed to feel the same way. She cut the engine after a few moments, procrastinating. If she could have her way she would bundle Sienna up in warm blankets and keep her somewhere safe, away from the clutches of the cruel reality of this life.

Sienna chewed her lip and, forcing herself not to look at Myst, reluctantly climbed out of the car, gently slamming the door shut behind her. She had just made it up the front steps when she turned around and called, "Hey, Myst?"

"Yes?"

"Call me."

Myst's lips twitched at the corners. "Will do, Wonder Women."

A small ghost of a smile formed on Sienna's lips. She didn't wait to watch her back out of the driveway. Instead she slipped through the paint flaking screen door, inside the little cubby that smelled like vanilla and smoke. She breathed in the scent, listening to the sound of passing cars and the birds singing their early afternoon song, and let herself into the house.

Jason was waiting for her at the kitchen table. He didn't say a word; she wasn't even sure he saw her walk in until he paused his music and turned to face her. "So."

"Can I help you?" Sienna casually opened the fridge and let her eyes wander over its contents: the bare necessities - eggs, milk, cheese, a box of seltzer water, leftover Chinese food. She finally grabbed a can of seltzer water and shut the door behind her.

For the second time that morning, Sienna's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes met Jason's sky blues with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. She felt as though she was suffocating: Jason's hips were virtually pressed against her own.

Personal space, a voice inside her cried. But she couldn't find the words, or the courage, to speak up.

At last Jason lifted his arm, reaching over Sienna's head. She darted out from underneath him and moved to the other side of the table, watching him dig through the fridge with lingering wariness. The frantic roar of her heart was just beginning to calm down when Jason sat back down across from her at the table. "How was last night?"

Though her cheeks didn't flush, her muscles tensed. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Jason said, settling down with his leftover Chinese food. He popped the lid of his soda and gulped the refreshing liquid. "By the way, you've got black lipstick on your cheek."

"Where?"

"Right..." He got up and gently smeared his thumb across Sienna's cheek, his hand lingering on her cool ivory skin. "There."

His hand dropped to his side. Sienna looked away, suddenly content with studying her black, knee-high Converse boots intently. Jason sat back down and picked up his fork. Through a mouthful of noodles, he mumbled a sloppy, "There's a room for you upstairs, too."

She nodded.

"Also," Jason continued, swallowing, "I was thinking we should head into town tomorrow and get you some clean clothes."

Sienna stared at him as though he was on drugs.

"Or we could check out Amazon. See if we can find something you like."

She wrinkled her nose, watching Jason pick away at his grotesque looking leftovers. Then she turned and raced upstairs. Her boots made no sound as she crept towards the door. It stood, a single rectangle of clashing greens and whites, against the pale, naked white walls. Lime green paint dripped in varying splatters to the floor; it stuck out like a sore thumb against the plain whiteness of everything else.

The young adult warily twisted the knob and stepped inside the vacated room. She wasn't sure what to expect. Although it looked like someone had splashed the setting sun on the far walls, the wall closest to her was pristine, the colour of vanilla ice cream. One larger dreamcatcher dangled in front of the window, and another smaller one hung next to it, above the bed. The plaid drapes had been pulled back to reveal a clear view of the driveway and the woods that lay beyond the yard. Pressed against the front wall stood a simple mint green dresser, its left side smeared with indigo paint.

"You can sleep in here, if you want."

All Sienna could do was nod. Jason watched her from where he stood, trying to decipher her silence. He finally gave up and went back downstairs. His footsteps sounded like thunder to her ears, loud and obnoxious. She winced and rubbed the soft skin gently as if to soothe the pain.

It was then that she noticed the bookcase against the far wall.

In a matter of minutes, Sienna had busied herself with her books. She'd made a little cave out of them and locked herself away in it, perfectly content with her nose buried in the crisp yellowing pages.

Jason wasn't surprised at all when he found her fast asleep an hour later, The Hobbit pressed protectively against her chest. He smiled a the sight and closed her door quietly. How bad could raising a twenty two-year old nerd be?