"Hey, where are you going?" I heard Amber's voice call out after me, just as I had heard the door close behind me. "I, uh," I looked towards my aunt, trying, desperately to think of an excuse. "Well, I am going home to watch some movies with my aunt," I said, hoping my aunt would get the message and play along. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. "Movies? Oh, I would love to watch a movie with you!" My aunt said in excitement. Following her response, I meantally slapped myself on the forehead and let out a loud sigh. 

"Hello," Amber turned to my aunt as soon as I had addressed her, she stuck out her hand, eager to shake my aunts'. "I'm Amber, Ruth's friend," she gleamed as my aunts face shinned in a glimmer of hope and joy. "A friend?!" She looked at me excitedly. I sometimes wonder if she intentionally had planned on humiliating me. "Well, any friend of Ruth's is a friend of mine! Why don't you two go on together and I'll come by and pick Ruth up when you two are done?" She smiled at both of us, unknowingly falling into Ambers trap. "Oh, fine," I mumbled and watched as my aunt left me, a wink flashing across her face. "Have fun you two!" She said as she waved goodbye, leaving me in Amber's hands.

"Come back inside," Amber smiled at me softly, with her eyes slightly closed as she walked back into the ice cream parlor. I followed her like glue, hoping to conceal myself from the horrific glare that I was certian was plastered over Krystal's face. I shut my eyes tight, only opening them to find a table full of smiles, and of course, a singular death stare. Amber pulled a seat out for me, and I shyly sat down, hoping no one would notice me, let alone speak to me. 

I was never good with words, not even those of admiration. I barely was able to tell my parents how much I had loved them till the age of 13, something I have come to entirely regret. I looked towards my feet, hoping that the eyes that followed me understood that I just wasn't a talkative person. I suppose it was just beacuse I am nothing special at all. I was not witty, funny, overly outrageous or annoying. I was nothing, not a single peice of me was out of the box.

A huff filled the silent air, warning me of the words that were about to fly out of Krystal's mouth. "Why did you chase after her again?" Krystal spoke, with annyance in her tone. "She has no friends, she's a nobody," I looked at her, straight in the eye as she spoke the words I had been thinking. Why had Amber chased after me? I was nothing. "Well, I guess that's why I chased after her," I looked towards Amber, who even under Krystal's glare, defended herself in complete confidence. "She needs friends, so why don't we be her friends?" Krystal sent out a final huff, without a response.

I awkwardly sat in my seat as questions shot back and fourth between the others and Amber. The funny thing is, they were all talking about who I was, what I was doing here, where I was from. But none of the questions were addressed to me, everyone just questioned Amber. I was actually relieved for a second, thanking God that they were undecent enough to question Amber instead of me. Normally, others would find this replusive, I found it to be relaxing. I was glad that I could just sit there, without a word peaking out from my mouth.

"What's your favourite colour Ruth?" I heard as the mumbles coming from Jack's mouth slowly tunrned into words. I starred at him for a second, trying to contemplate what he had asked. "Oh, um, green," I said shyly, suprised that I had even answered. I looked towards Amber yet again, expecting her to be engrossed in conversation. Only to find her looking back, smiling, with the end of her lips twisted up and her eyes squinting in joy. "Wanna go for a walk?" She whispered to me, allowing only me to hear her words. I nodded my head, wanting to spend time with the only friend I had.

She mumbled something to her friends as the both of us stood up. I intentionally avoided Krystal as Amber grabbed my jacket for me. Strolling out of the ice cream parlour together, for some reason, it made me feel empowered. Made me feel as if for once, Krystals glares stood nothing against me. "So..." Amber looked at her feet as she bagan to start a conversation. "Why did you change schools to ours? I mean, it is Senior year," she looked towards me, expectant of an answer.

I imagined everything, the funeral songs which jerked every nerve ending in my body. The tears which I watched slip out of my fathers eyes. The painful sting in my heart when they told me that my parents were gone. The uncertianty of moving in with the only relative I had left.

Was I ready for this? To tell Amber, a person I had only met today about my parents? I suppose she had trusted me after telling me about herself. But, what if she had found it repulsive? A girl, who had a string of bad luck cascaded around her. A girl who was fated to end up alone. 

I my breath in, finding the courage, the nerve and the sanity to speak up about my past. I had decided, if she couldn't accept me for who I was, then I didn't need her as a friend anyway. "Well, my mom had passed away last year, and my dad..." My words trailed off, remembering the sacrifice my father had made for me. I had been prepared to continue, but a warm sensation in my heart had cut me off. 

Something warm had wrapped its arms around me, pulling me into a cocoon of peace. I looked up to find Amber, my hair as the apparent tears had streamed down my eyes. I had never been hugged by someone who wasn't related to me before. And even so, I had never had a hug like this. Her warmth exuded into every muscle and fibre in my body, coating it in layers of an indescribable feeling. My heart pulsed in an unfamiliar beat as I soaked in every last sensation that she had given me. 

"It's okay, you don't need to speak of it," Ambers hushed voice whispered into my ear as I felt each word send another thump into my heart. She continued to speak, mumbling random nothings into my ear that soothed me entirely. If time could stop, I would stop it right now. Not when my mother had died, not when that fire had closed in on my father, but right now. Right now, where there was peace, where there was comfort, where there was a feeling of home. 

I felt at home.

A/N: Sorry that the past two chapters were so short guys! Hopefully I'll be able to update another chapter tomorrow. I'm just glad that I finally updated the story, being unable to do so felt horrible haha. Anyways, I hope you all have an amazing Tuesday ahead and I'll see you tomorrow (hopefully). xx