Strings of Fate

98- Anxiety and anger “I'm not totally sure. Tired, frustrated, worried, sort of pissed off. | need to figure out my plans a little bit for the next few days, | suspect you probably have sopinions about that too but I'm going to ask you to wait until we at least hear back from Alex about what the guys learned in their investigation. I'm going to withhold all decision making until | have all the information | can possibly get.” | declare. Bellamy huffs out a breath then nods.

“I guess | can hold my tongue for now.” He agrees and | reward him with a smile and a squeeze of his hand before releasing it and reaching for my phone. I turn it on and find several messages in my group chat and a few others. | check the other messages, not prepared to catch up on the vast quantity of messages In the group chat right now.

Shaun- Hey, | don’t know when you'll get this. But | just wanted to check in on you. | hope you're doing okay. We will make plans with Alpha Kane to discuss everything later today. Letknow if you need anything! Darrien- Shaun wokeup and calledover to your place. What the hell? | hope you're doing okay. You're hopefully sleeping but check in when you can okay? Does Megan know yet? Aaron- Stay safe.

Aaron’s short message causesto giggle. He is the master of short sentences | swear. | check the time. It's a little after ten. So we slept late, but not that late.

“Ugh, | definitely didn’t sleep enough.” | grumble.

“You could go back to bed. No one would blyou if you wanted to catch up on ssleep and take it easy today.” Bellamy suggests. | shake my head, my hair flying around me.

“Nah, if | sleep again now | will sleep away half the day then have trouble sleeping at night which will cause the sproblem tomorrow. It’s a vicious cycle.” | sigh and Bellamy shrugs.

“If you insist. Did you want to shower?” He offers. | scrunch up my face.

1/4 98- Anxiety and anger “I think I'm alright. It's been like, six hours since my bath. | don’t feel like having wet hair again already.” | explain.

“Suit yourself. | should clean up though. Feel free to make yourself at home. | won't be long.” He wanders into the ensuite, his blanket trailing behind him. | hear the water turn on and a moment later the door cracks open briefly. A scrunched up ball of blanket is thrown in the general direction of the bed and lands on the floor at the foot of it next to my bag of stuff. The door closes again.

I am kneeling on the floor next to my bag, trying to pick out something to wear out of the random clothes | packed when a loud knocking on Bellamy’s bedroom door causesto jump. The door swings open and Megan peers in.

“Hey Bel, did you touch my stuff in the bathroom? Because stuff is not where | left it and-" stops when she notices me, kneeling on the floor. She tilts her head, clearly listening and realising that Bellamy is in the shower. She takes in my sleepy appearance.

“Hey, | didn’t know you were sleeping over and, wait. What's that bag? That's too much for a sleepover unless.

Oh wait! You're moving in? That's awesome! WE can hang out all the tand share clothes and all sorts of things. It will be so fun! When was this decided? Why didn’t you tell me? | could have helped you pack!” She rambles on so fast that | struggle to keep up with it all.

“Woah, slow down a second. It's not like that. | haven't decided to move in, at least not permanently. I'm here because someone vandalised my house last night and threw a rock with a threatening message attached through my bedroom window. Bellamy broughthere to keepsafe.” | tell her. Megan's eyes go wide and her smile drops.

“Explain. What exactly happened?” She asks, her voice low and serious. | tell Megan everything that happened at my place the night before. Partway through my story, Bellamy steps out of the bathroom in a towel. When he sees his sister standing over me, hands on her hips, he quickly grabs clothes, heads back into the bathroom and emerges fully dressed a minute later, just as | finish explaining that | agreed to stay here for a little while. Megan has kept her face pretty calm throughout my story but her face slowly turned white, then a weird shade of red.

“And... that’s it | guess. Now I'm here.” | finish. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a 2/4 98- Anxiety and anger moment and when she opens them she absolutely EXPLODES.

“WHAT THE HELL! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WAKE ME? DID YOU THINK | WOULDN'T CARE? | COULD HAVE HELPED TAKE CARE OF YOU OR SOMETHING!!” She whints to face Belllumy “WHY DID YOU RUN OFF WITHOUT WAKING ME?” She demands.. He arrosess his arms over his chest defensively.

“I was in a hurry, there was no tto stop and update you before | left. Afterwards | was... not in the mindset to think about anything other than keeping Ryann safe. Walling you up didn’t occur to me.” He admits. Megan huffs, dearly annoyed. I'm not sure she its content with his answer. While she yells at him | take the chance to move and sit on the bed rather than the floor. Megan tuns her attention back to me. Att leuen she isn’t yelling when she talks tobut her tone is still aggravated.

“What about you? What excuse does my BEST FRIENDfor mat waitingafter something like that?” She asks. Ouch, now | feellltind off guity.

“I was tired. | just wanted to have a bath and go to hell. Bellamy was looking afterand knew | could talk to you about it today | thought it would be heter to let you sleep. At least in ONE of us should get a full night's sleep at least. | nanom. She doesn’t look particulmily impressed.

“Ugh, you guys both suck. | can’t believe won were going through all that and | was just SLEEPING. That's so not cool. | ben Damien word agree with me!” She whines. | drop my gaze quickly looking away that she notices my expression before | manage it.

“He knows already doesn’t he? Of course he dies!! Great, I'm basically completely unnecessary! Fine. | get it.” site mum and stone towards the door.

“Wait, where are you going? Im som! Il call after her. She pauses and locks over her shoulder, roiling her eyes at me, am going to muite you a mice thenitfam because you had a hard night and I'm a good, supportive friend. Cdownstains when youre ready to talk.” She storms off slamming the door behind her.

98. Anxiety and anger “I'm confused. Is she mad or not?” | ask. Bellamy shrugs.

“She’s worried but it's too late to really help. The extra energy from that is apparently coming anger. She will be fine.” He assures me, leaning in and kissing the top of my head as he walks past to grab his phone and drop it in his pocket. | hope he’s right. | don’t want Megan mad at me. | sigh and grab clothes from my bag and step into the ensuite to get dressed.