Affairs Amongst Immortals {POLY}

☆Like a New Dress (pt.17)☆

(Maizie's pov)

That was so mean and so sudden.

Carasein, too. She and Vrena didn't need to have a yelling battle like that. That was scary.

I never asked Vrena to apologize to me. I knew Carasein was trying to be nice but now it just felt like it'd hurt more than helped anything.

"C-Carasein!" I yelled. I tried to run after her but she was going between the trees more fast than I could keep up. What did I have long legs for, really, if they didn't go fast?

She finally stopped at one and I stopped, too. I panted because I was trying to catch my breath.

"Carasein..."

She looked back at me as she held onto a tree branch. It looked like she was trying to steady herself, too. Her eyes were shiny.

"A-are you crying?"

You shouldn't ask someone that if they're crying. Or if they're going to cry, that's not so good, either. But I wasn't thinking. The tears hadn't left her eyes, but she was close enough.

She looked at me sadly. "I-I..."

I wrapped my arms around her waist.

This time she actually hugged me back, and she never did that. She seemed a bit looser, too.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I owe you one, don't I?"
I just shook my head because I was just being normal. "N-no..."

"I..." she sighed. "I admire you, Maizie."

My cheeks felt warm.

I suddenly really hoped she couldn't see me. That was embarrassing. Why was I doing that? It was like I couldn't even control it.

"You always have a smile, it's impressive," she said.

Someone like Carasein was never who I expected to admire me. I'd never even really thought anyone would. But I kept repeating it in my head almost like I was tasting that sweet word.

I had to change the subject. "I'm sorry she's mean to you," I said. Her eyes went back to being sad again as she looked out at the scenery from over the top of my head. I suddenly wished I hadn't switched anything.

"It's not your fault, Maizie. I wish you'd stop apologizing," Carasein said to me, and then she sighed.

I was hoping she'd say something else but she didn't. So we didn't talk at all and she looked down at me again. I stared back up at her, and that didn't help how warm my face was. Her eyes were pretty and the different colors were shining bright under the sunset.

My stomach was kind of doing that thing it did when it was nervous. But I wasn't nervous at all because I never was when I was with Carasein. She was easy to talk to. I was confused.

"Okay?" she asked quietly. I nodded and looked away from her pretty eyes. If I said I wasn't okay then it would be too much.

"We can stay out here for a long time if you want," I said.
"No...I-I'll be fine." I saw her wipe her eyes from the side of my vision.