Free Broken (The Immortal Coven Book 1) by April Gutierrez

asked, inconspicuously.
     
    “We could pick you up if you want.”
     
    It sounded like an insurance policy on her end guaranteeing that I wouldn’t go running off in the middle of any shenanigans.
     
    “Let me think about it.” I offered. It wasn’t a no, but at the same time there was hope of having just a little more time to think out her offer, and also talk it over with Olivia.
     
    “Great, see you at lunch.” The pep in her step seemed to return and her bubbly demeanor came as naturally as it had the day we met.
     
    None of my hesitation came simply. A huge part of me wanted to be around them, as if I was attracted to them magnetically. I felt at ease in their presence, like I’d known them since I was born. On the other hand, worry had filled my heart. The look on The One’s face when she warned me about my future is still ever present. What if I made a mistake?
     
    Luckily, the high school day to day brought about more than one distraction at a time. There is definitely never a dull moment.
     
    Case in point: Carla showed up to computer lab late. Amazingly enough, Mrs. Hernon didn’t give her a hard time, but that could have had something to do with the fact that Carla came in looking like she’d spent the whole morning in tears.
     
    “Are you alright?” I whispered as she sat in the seat next to me.
     
    Without looking in my direction, she went in search of her glasses, as the usual, and turned on her tower.
     
    She managed to catch up to where we were in the lesson when all of a sudden, I heard her take a wavering breath. You know, the kind you take before you burst into a fit of tears.
     
    Reaching my hand out, I touched her forearm. “Carla, please let me help you.”
     
    Her head began to shake and eventually the palms of her hands went up to cover her beautiful pale face. In a hushed muffled sound, she cried, “He’s never going to like me back.”
     
    I couldn’t help but wonder who it was that had managed to destroy her poor little heart. “And whom are we speaking of?”  This was me, not too long ago, when I was consumed by boys back at my old high school.
     
    “Jason Williams.” She finally managed, “I stood by his locker this morning for ten minutes waiting to give him a set of notes I made for our Biology class and when he finally showed up, he didn’t even notice me.” 
     
    What could I say? Nothing…..she’d gone out on a limb for a boy who didn’t even notice her existence. It’s not fair, but boys don’t get much about girls, especially, to notice when we are feeding attention towards them, which is the one thing they thrive on…Attention!
     
    I felt my face scrunch, a really bad habit of mine I wish I could prevent from happening. Mainly, since it was proof that I felt she was being ridiculous by caring so much.
     
    “I’ve liked him for a few years now, Celia. He isn’t a new flavor, as Cassidy refers to them. He is my one.”
     
    My biggest flaw will always be advice. I give it when I can hardly stand to take it. “Have you ever thought to tell him how you feel?” I paused, realizing I’d started.
     
    Oddest thing however, Carla stopped crying, her eyes had become wide with interest and she was waiting for me to continue. What else could I do but to finish my statement?
     
    “I mean, years of emotions could go wasted if he never knows about them. And then what? What if at one point he felt even a fraction of interest for you but assumed that by your lack of acknowledgement, he never attempted to take his attentions any further. What a waste that would be. What would be worse is if you both ended up admitting these feelings much later on, after you’d moved on. The, what could have been, torments you and becomes a plague of regret that only ruins a friendship that had always been.”
     
    I sighed and looked back at my computer screen.
     
    “I never thought of it like that, Celia. Did something like this happen to you?” she asked,