38 - The strength of a friendship

Lilly stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Aiden and Ethan were left standing in stunned silence, their argument hanging in the air like a challenge.

The twins stormed out after her grabbing her arm and stopping her from leaving, “I don't understand what's going on. Why are you so mad about all of this?" Aiden looked at her with confusion etched on his beautiful face. It almost made Lilly change her mind about leaving, but she had to be strong and hold her ground. They need a break.

“Neither of you understands the pressure you have put on me with this locket, the powers, Tiffany, and when my visions are showing me what will happen next you should believe me and listen to me.” Lilly said, pulling her arm free from Aiden.

Ethan stormed forward, anger on his face, “Just let her go, bro. Maybe it is for the best.” That cut right through Lilly. Did Ethan not care for her anymore? Lilly ran off the porch toward the Uber that sat waiting to take her to Sarah’s dorm. She hadn’t called her yet, but she knew she would be ok with her moving back in. Lilly figured she would call her in the car.

Just as the car drove away, Jason appeared in the doorway, his eyes scanning the front porch with concern. "What's going on? I could hear you guys arguing from upstairs."

Aiden and Ethan glared at each other before turning to Jason. "Lilly left," Aiden said gruffly.

Jason's expression turned serious. "What happened? Why didn’t you stop her?"

Ethan filled Jason in on the argument, leaving out no details.

Jason listened intently before speaking up. "We need to talk to her, guys. We can't let this tear us apart. You both need to calm down and talk about this rationally. You can't let your emotions get in the way."

But Aiden and Ethan just looked at each other, their anger and frustration still simmering just below the surface.

For a moment, they just stood there, not speaking.

Then Aiden turned away, his shoulders stiffening. "I'm going for a walk."

Ethan watched him go before following suit.

The two brothers disappeared into the night, leaving behind a sense of unease and uncertainty.

It seemed that their relationship was hanging by a thread, and it was unclear if it would ever be mended again.

Back in the Uber, Lilly stared at her phone and needed to call Sarah. She took a deep breath and dialed Sarah's number, hoping her friend would answer. She wasn’t sure if Sarah had heard about the accident and the explosion that happened at the twin’s football game. They were at an away game in a nearby town. Thank goodness it had not happened at Jefferson, or it could have injured Sarah.

Sarah picked up on the first ring. "Hey, Lilly, what's up?"

Lilly's voice trembled as she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I just had the biggest fight with Aiden and Ethan. They're so mad at me."

Sarah's voice softened. "What happened? What did you do?"

Lilly took a deep breath and explained everything - the visions, the locket, and the mysterious woman who looked like Tiffany that showed up after the explosion. Sarah listened attentively, her voice growing more and more concerned.

When Lilly finished, Sarah spoke up. "OMG, Lilly, I had no idea. Is everyone okay?”

Lilly nodded, even though Sarah couldn't see her. "Yes, thank God no one was injured.”

Sarah sighed in relief and continued their conversation, “But you can't blame them for being upset. You have to understand why they're worried about you."

Lilly hung her head in defeat, she knew Sarah was right, but she didn’t want to admit it, “I know, I know. It's just...I feel like they're not understanding me. They're not listening to me."

Sarah sighed. "Maybe you need to give them some space and time to cool off. You can stay with me tonight and we can figure things out together."

Lilly's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about leaving Aiden, Ethan, and Jason behind. But the thought of facing them again was too overwhelming.

"Thank you, Sarah. I’ll be there in twenty minutes," she whispered.

Sarah agreed, and Lilly waited anxiously to arrive at the dorms. As she sat there, she couldn't help but wonder if things would ever go back to normal between her and the guys.

Lilly was grateful to have her friend by her side, but her mind was still reeling from the fight with Aiden and Ethan.

Sarah greeted her after the first knock on the door. Both friends hugged and got comfortable for a long talk. Sarah tried to make small talk, asking Lilly about her visions and the mysterious woman. Lilly shared everything she knew, but it only seemed to make her more anxious.

"I don't know what's going on, Sarah. I feel like I'm losing control," Lilly confessed.

Sarah reached out and took Lilly's hand. "You're not losing control, Lilly. You're just trying to figure things out. And we'll figure it out together."

Lilly smiled weakly, feeling a sense of comfort with her friend's words.

As the night wore on, Lilly poured out her heart to Sarah. She listened attentively, asking questions and offering words of encouragement.

The two friends talked for hours, the dorm room growing darker as the night wore on. Lilly felt like she was finally being heard and understood for the first time in weeks.

As they talked, the tension in Lilly's chest began to ease. She realized that she wasn't alone in this strange and confusing world.

Sarah glanced at her watch. "Wow, it's getting late. Do you want me to sleep with you?"

Lilly nodded gratefully. "Yeah, please stay. I don't want to be alone tonight."

Sarah smiled and snuggled beside Lilly on the bed. "I'll stay right here with you. We'll get through this together."

As they settled in for the long night ahead, Lilly felt a sense of comfort wash over her. She knew that no matter what lay ahead, she had Sarah by her side.

And for now, that was all that mattered.