Chapter 119 Chapter 121

Chapter 119 Chapter 121
Arianna’s POV

"Can I join you tonight?" magdalena spoke, slightly opening the door to her room and peering out of it as she heard me walk into it to get my things for the sleepover at tiana’s house, as usual.

"I heard that the five of you have been having a reading session, Ari. Can I join you?" she persuaded.

"Mel..." I started, but she interrupted me.

"Please, talk to her, call her, tell her that I would love to read with you all tonight. Besides, my reading partner has been executed.

I’m glad her family were pardoned for reasons of ignorance," magdalena said in a low tone as she looked away, a faint look of sadness crossing her eyes.

"They didn’t deserve to pay for what they knew nothing about," I replied to her.

"Concerning you joining our reading session tonight, I would have to talk to all my reading partners tonight, and if they agree to it, you may start tomorrow."

"So you are saying that I can’t join you tonight? Have I become such a stranger to you, Ari? Let me remind you, I was the first friend you met in this school, and I haven’t stopped being that.

Even ayeesha found it hard to talk me out of her friendship, so tell me, why have you decided to sideline me?" magdalena protested.

"Don’t do that now, Mel. I haven’t stopped being your friend either. But after what happened with ayeesha, and seeing that you were still very close to her, I couldn’t help but distrust our friendship.

ayeesha nearly killed me for crying out loud, you don’t expect me to be close friends with a friend who knew this and was still friends with her," I said, my voice slightly raised.

magdalena parted her lips, but no word could come out at first. Her shoulders slumped as if the weight of my words pinned her down.

For a brief moment, she looked so fragile, almost breakable, like she could collapse into pieces right there at the doorframe, and there was a defining silence between us.

"I... I didn’t choose her over you, Ari," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn’t know she would go that far. I was stupid, yes, maybe naive, but I swear I wasn’t betraying you." She paused as if deliberating on her next choice of words.

"I just didn’t want to pick any sides. ayeesha has her good parts; sometimes she was sacrificial to me, but I couldn’t stand what she did to you, too. So I decided that it was better not to be a part of the fight at all," she defended herself.

I studied her face. The sorrow in her eyes wasn’t faked. But trust wasn’t something I could hand out like candy, not after all the betrayal I had tasted since I was little.

"I hear you," I said softly. "But hearing and trusting aren’t the same thing. That will take time, Mel."

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, then she gave me a small nod. "Time... okay. But still, Ari, please ask them. Tell tiana, tell Susan, tell Michaela. I won’t talk much, I won’t even disturb anyone. I just... I don’t want to be alone anymore, and I can’t read alone."

My chest tightened. ayeesha still haunted her, and she sounded like she still had suicidal tendencies; she needs to be in a rehab.

"I’ll bring it up tonight," I said finally. "No promises, but I’ll try."

A faint flicker of hope lit her eyes, though her lips remained pressed into a thin line. She nodded once, then retreated slowly into her room, closing the door halfway behind her as if she feared showing too much of her vulnerability.

I paused, choosing my next words.

"Have you considered a therapy session? You will feel better after that," I suggested.

She looked at me intensely. And I felt like maybe I had misspoken. "I..." I started to explain, but she interrupted me.

"It’s Ok, I understand, maybe that’s what I need now. I’ll try therapy after the exams," she said, managing a weak, sad smile.

I sighed, grabbed my bag, and headed out with Susan and Michaela waiting at the end of the corridor.

Susan swung her arm lazily over my shoulder. "You’ve been quiet since you came out of the dorm. What’s up? Don’t tell me Heather’s little act at the library finally got under your skin."

I shook my head. "No, it’s not Heather. It’s Mel."

Michaela raised her brows, hugging her books tighter. "Mel? What about Mel?"

"Yeah." I slowed my pace a little. "She asked if she could join our reading session tonight. She said... she doesn’t want to be alone anymore. Since ayeesha was executed, she’s been through a lot."

Susan scoffed. "Executed partner or not, that girl seems very mischievous. Ari, don’t tell me you’re actually considering it?"

"She was my first friend," I reminded her. "I can’t erase that. And yes, I considered it, because I don’t want her doing anything reckless again."

"Like attempting to kill herself again, just to gaslight you, how smart," Susan muttered.

Michaela frowned, uncertain. "But... she’s unpredictable, Aria. I mean, she was close to ayeesha even when ayeesha clearly hated you. What if she stirs things up in the group?"

"She might not," I countered. "Maybe she’s just lonely. Maybe being with us will ground her."

Susan clicked her tongue. "Or maybe she’ll sink us all with her baggage. I don’t like it. I don’t trust her."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I knew you would both say that," I muttered under my breath.

Susan fell silent at that, though the stubborn set of her jaw told me she wasn’t convinced. Michaela just looked worried, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"The problem with you, Ari, is that you are very empathetic; you feel their pain even more than they feel it. You should consider yourself a little," Michaela said, interrupting the silence.

And I just looked at her, nodding in silence.

Maybe I was an empath as she said, but was that bad? I loved to play hero, but sometimes the world was just unfair.

We walked the remaining part of the journey in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

"Took you all long enough," tiana teased as she opened the door for us. "I thought maybe Heather waylaid you again."

"Almost," Susan muttered sarcastically. "But Ari and I, of course, cut her down nicely."

tiana raised a brow at me and then back at Susan, amused. "I’m not even surprised. You’ve got a knack for silencing people with just words."

"Yeah, well, words aren’t my problem right now." I slid inside, setting my bag on the table. "magdalena wants to join us."

"There wasn’t any Heather drama," Michaela interjected, obviously not getting the joke, and tiana burst out laughing.

"I know, we are just being sarcastic, you are so slow. I hate to have to explain jokes," tiana stated amidst laughter.