Chapter 13

Elijah woke up first.

I knew because I felt him shift beside me, his arm moving as he stretched. I stayed still, my face pressed into the pillow, hoping he wouldn't make me get up. My body ached, and my head felt heavy, the weight of last night's dream still lingering like a storm cloud.

"Adrian," Elijah murmured, his voice rough with sleep. He nudged my shoulder lightly. "Come on, time to get up."

I grumbled and curled in tighter, clinging onto the warmth of the blankets and him.

Elijah sighed but didn't push me off. "Alright, baby bunny, you've got like five minutes before Miles and Alex come in here and make your morning ten times worse."

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head against his chest. "No."

"Yes," he said, more firmly this time. He moved just enough to sit up slightly, looking down at me. "You feeling any better?"

I hesitated.

Not really. But I wasn't about to admit that.

I shrugged.

Elijah hummed like he didn't quite believe me. He ruffled my hair lightly before saying, "We need to talk later, okay?"

That made my stomach twist.

Talk? About what?

I didn't ask, though. I just nodded, still refusing to move.

Unfortunately, that's when they showed up.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice drawled from the doorway.

I peeked over the blanket to see Alex and Miles standing there, both wearing matching smirks.

"You know, Bunny," Miles started, crossing his arms, "I didn't realize you needed a babysitter to sleep now."

Alex grinned. "Aw, did you get scared? Maybe we should start leaving a nightlight in your room."

"Shut up," I muttered, pulling the blanket over my head.

"Aww, is baby bunny embarrassed?" Alex teased.

I snapped.

"At least I'm not a dumbass who has nothing better to do than pick on people first thing in the morning," I shot back, sitting up to glare at them.

Alex's smirk faltered slightly, but Miles narrowed his eyes.

"Watch your mouth," he said sharply. "Just because you're in a mood doesn't mean you get to be rude."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were the boss of me," I spat, swinging my legs over the bed.

Miles crossed his arms. "I'm not, but if you keep acting like a brat, maybe I should be."

I scowled at him. My chest felt tight, my head was still foggy from last night, and I just didn't want to deal with this right now.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I stormed out of the room.

"Adrian—" Elijah started, but I ignored him, stomping down the hall toward my room and slamming the door behind me.

I didn't care if they were mad at me. I didn't care if they thought I was overreacting. I just wanted to be left alone.

The problem?

I ended up sulking for too long.

By the time I checked the clock, the boys were already grabbing their bags, and I realized crap.

I was going to be late.

I groaned and quickly grabbed my stuff, heading downstairs just as everyone was rushing out the door.

Elijah, who was checking his phone near the door, glanced up. "Nice of you to join us," he said, raising an eyebrow.

I huffed but didn't say anything.

He sighed and grabbed something from the counter before tossing it to me. I barely caught it before realizing it was a breakfast bar.

"Eat that in the car," he said, giving me a look. "You skipped breakfast."

I frowned, my stomach twisting. "I'm not hungry."

"Adrian," Elijah warned.

Henry snatched the bar from my hands before I could argue. "I'll make sure he eats it," he said with a smirk.

I glared at him.

Elijah just nodded. "Good. Now move, we're already late."

I groaned as we all headed outside, my bad mood still clinging to me like a second skin.

Today was already off to a great start.

The car ride was tense.

I slouched in my seat, arms crossed, staring out the window with a scowl. The others were talking, but I wasn't really listening not really. I could feel Henry staring at me from the passenger seat, the stupid breakfast bar still in his hand.

"You're eating this," he finally said, shoving it toward me.

I ignored him.

"Addy."

"Addy."

Nothing.

"Adrian."

I turned my head slightly, just enough to glare at him. "What?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Take the bar."

"No."

Henry let out an exaggerated sigh. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

I scoffed. "Why do you have to be so annoying?"

Alex, sitting on my other side, smirked. "He's got a point, Henry. You are really annoying."

"Shut up, Alex," Henry muttered before turning back to me. "Eat the bar."

I ripped it out of his hands just to shut him up, but I didn't open it. Instead, I shoved it into my hoodie pocket.

Elijah, who was driving, glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Adrian, what's your problem this morning?"

I slumped further into my seat. "I don't have a problem."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? So storming off, snapping at everyone, and refusing to eat is just normal behavior?"

I didn't answer.

Henry scoffed. "Oh, you so are."

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my sleeves. I hated this. I hated that they were all ganging up on me. I hated that I had to go to school when I felt like this.

"Enough," Elijah said firmly. "Let's all shut up before Adrian actually combusts."

Alex snickered, and Henry rolled his eyes, but they went quiet.

I went back to staring out the window, my stomach twisting.

I wished I could just go home.

The silence in the car stretched on, but it wasn't peaceful. It was like everyone was waiting for the next eruption. My anxiety was eating me alive, and no one seemed to get it.

As I stared out the window, trying to block out the noise in my head, I felt something gently land in my lap. I looked down to find Miles' headphones, the ones he always used to drown out everything when he was stressed.

"Here," Miles said softly, his voice almost unrecognizable from his usual teasing tone. "You look like you need them."

I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I wanted to take them. But the buzzing in my ears was getting louder, and I was starting to feel like I was losing control. Without saying anything, I slid them over my ears, grateful for the sudden sense of quiet.

Elijah glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his gaze softening. "You good?"

I didn't respond, but I could feel his eyes on me. My chest still felt tight, my breath shallow, but the headphones were doing something. It was like a tiny slice of peace.

Henry's voice broke through the calm. "I don't get it. What is up with you lately?"

"Henry," Elijah warned, his tone low and steady. "Not now."

I didn't answer, and Henry let out a long sigh, clearly frustrated. But with the headphones on, it was like I couldn't hear his irritation, or anyone's for that matter. It was a temporary escape, and for a few seconds, I let myself breathe.

The rest of the ride passed in an uncomfortable quiet, with only the faint hum of the car and the music in my ears. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get me through.

When we finally pulled up to school, Elijah was the first to speak. "We're here. Just remember, you can talk to me anytime, okay?"

I pulled off the headphones and looked at him, his eyes sincere. But I just nodded and gave a quick, forced smile.

"I'll be fine," I lied.

But even I didn't believe it

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Word count: 1275

Hey Guys Thanks for reading this story so please be nice and kind. I am sorry if there are any spelling mistakes or bad grammar.

Thanks for reading my thirteenth chapter and please vote and leave a comment.

More chapters will be coming out soon.

*EMMA HETHRON*