BLUE BLOOD

45 | i meant it

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"If it hurts you, I would do it a million times."

"You'll never marry my brother, Satin, unless you step over my dead body."

x

"Why did you tell me everything?" I finally spoke once Kalina finished her side of the story. "Did you tell me everything because we caught you eavesdropping?"

When Clara Jane had finished her story, she immediately left the room. When Clara Jane opened the door, however, she accidentally exposed Kalina Jeong, standing there, caught red handed. The fear of being revealed by her had seized at my heart, but Kalina surprised me by confessing once Clara Jane left the room.

"You don't understand," she murmured, "How suffocating it is to keep it in. To pretend as if it never happened. Everyone's a good actor, but I'm not."

"Is that why you drink?"

Kalina nodded, unable to meet my eyes. "Yes."

A long silence suffocated the room. After so long, so much pretending, I finally received some answers. Not all of them, but some.

Now, I was beginning to regret asking for the truth.

"Is that also why you warned me?" I spoke quietly for the first time since she spilled the story. "You wanted me to leave. You told me the last girl died. That was Ella, wasn't it?"

Kalina nodded, her mascara smudged and her dainty nose red. "I was trying to warn you," she chuckled weakly. "Guess all I did was alert you."

Avery broke his silence, reminding me that he was present in this room. "You could have told me, Kalina."

"I was humiliated," Kalina whispered, making me more uncomfortable. "God, I was so ashamed."

I rose from my seat and started walking across the room as Avery responded, "She had a talent for making people feel that way."

"Why did you come here, Kalina," Avery sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked wary around Kalina. "You never look for me unless you have something important to tell me."

"I- I'm transferring." Kalina stared down at her hands, shoulders slumped. "I can't take it anymore, Avery."

Avery stilled for a moment at the revelation. I could see him thinking, assessing, perhaps even mourning her transfer. He wasn't surprised, though. Even I could tell Kalina had been planning to leave for a while. She had practically been absent.

"What about Mason?" Avery's voice became hoarse. "What about him?"

Kalina shut her eyes. I watched the girl struggle with her emotions, her beautiful almond eyes turning glassy at the mention. "He won't miss me for long, Avery. He deserves to move on."

"You do too, Kalina," Avery murmured, lowering his voice.

She wiped her eyes as tears started streaming. "You don't- you don't know what you're saying, Avery. You weren't there with us that night. You don't know what Mason did."

"I can guess."

"No," Kalina stood, shaking a little. "No, you can't."

Avery stared at Kalina, who he's known for years, before giving her a brief nod. One that spoke of their years of friendship and whatever memories they shared as children. I could still remember Avery telling me how Kalina was one of the better ones.

"When will you leave?" Avery asked, finally accepting her decision. It was inevitable.

"Tonight," responded Kalina. "Everything I want has already been packed. It's just that no one's noticed."