"Oh, hey Arwen," Luhan sniffed.  Arwen sat down next to him and hugged him tightly, lightly crying in his arms.  He tensed.  "Uh, Arwen...are you okay?"

"Boys are jerks," she said softly. 

"Thanks," he joked.  "Did something happen?"

Arwen sniffed loudly.  "I guess you could say that.  Baekhyun was being a jerk and accused me of 'liking Tao'.  I never did though!"

"Okay, same," he shook his head.  "I guess we're kinda in the same boat."

"Yup," she sighed.

--

Tao walked out into the garden.  His mind flooded with thoughts as he thought about the stare down he had with Baekhyun.  His mind flashed back.

"Don't go near her," Baekhyun warned him.  "She's mine."

"Who died and made you king?" he challenged.  "She isn't anyone's property, especially not yours."

"Oh, and you think you're qualified?" Baekhyun raised his eyebrows.

"Probably more than you," he murmured.

Silence.

"Look, back down while you have a chance," Tao said.

Baekhyun growled.  "Over my dead body."

Tao shivered at the thought as the breeze came blowing around the corner of the house.  Was it really going to take death to have him back down?  Killing his own pack mate.  Betraying his pack.  That would mean banishment, or worse, death.  Was he really willing to take risks in order to let Arwen come to him?  The thought seemed stupid, but there was no other girl like her.

"Tao?" He whirled around to see Arwen standing there.

"Oh, hi," he greeted quietly.  "Here."  He motioned for her to sit next to him.  To his surprise, she nodded and sat down.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Hm?" he seemed dazed.

"Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah..."

"You don't sound too sure."

"I'm not."

"What's troubling you?"

He paused.  "I...it's just...well...you...it's complicated."

She leaned back into the bench.  "I'm okay with complicated."

He stared at her.  "Jeez, this girl," he thought.

She stared back with her deep blue eyes, making his insides shiver.  "You okay?  You're really pale."

"Oh," he blushed.  "Yeah."

She nodded. 

"Arwen," he started.  "To be honest, you remind me of...someone a long time ago.  Someone who actually understood me for who I was.  She died.  I was really upset and mad at myself for not being able to save her."

"So, you're comparing me to dead people?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's not that," he protested.  "It's just that...when I met you again for the first time after fifteen years, you reminded me of her."

Arwen didn't know how to take this.  Did he like her for her?  Or did he like her because of his sentimental feelings?  "Oh."

"Arwen, I really like you," he stared into her eyes.  "Truly.  Deeply.  Like you."

Her cheeks turned rosy.  "Listen, Tao.  I like you too.  As a friend.  I'm not sure if...I..."

He held her hand and smiled.  "It's okay."

She smiled back. 

"Oh, you just wait, Arwen," he thought silently.

--

Luhan spotted Sehun sitting with Suho, of all people, in the kitchen.  They looked as if they were chatting about something serious.  Luhan hid and pressed his ear against the door. 

"He protested," he heard Sehun's voice say.  "I don't know if he knows what he's doing."

"Did you ever listen to what he had to say?" Suho asked. 

There was a pause.  "Hm, no."

"Well, that would help."

"It just hurts me.  I don't even know if he likes me anymore."

"Jeez, Sehun," there was a slapping sound.

"Ow!"

"Are you for real?  He lives and breathes for you!"

Luhan blushed slightly.

"But...but..."

"Okay, look.  No one likes Kris.  By 'like', I mean 'love'.  What makes you think that Luhan, who only has his eyes on you, would like someone like Kris?  Think about it," Suho said.

"Hm, you're right," Sehun realized quietly.  "God, what have I done?"

Luhan strained to hear more, but the door flew open.  His weight shifted into a tall figure.  Sehun.

"Oh, I..." Luhan looked up at him with fear filled eyes.

Sehun smiled and leaned down to press his lips against his.  Luhan sighed as Sehun's long arms wrapped around his petite frame. 

"I'm sorry, Luhannie," he whispered in Luhan's ear.

Luhan's eyes filled with happy tears.  "I love you."

--

Arwen looked away from Tao's piercing eyes.  "Tao, I..."

He squeezed her hand.  "It's okay."

"Are you really sure about that, Tao?" a familiar, evil voice asked.

Tao and Arwen whirled around to see Jae leaning casually against a tree.  He smiled devilishly, his eyes traveling back and forth from Arwen to Tao.

"Go away," Tao growled.

"Why?  You wanted help," Jae said innocently.

"What's going on?" Arwen furrowed her eyebrows.  She turned to Tao.  "Are you...betraying us?"

"Arwen," he started. 

She snatched her hand away from his.  "What are you doing?" she half yelled.

"Arwen."

"Just answer the darn question!"

"Arwen."

Her eyes started to well up with tears.  "We...we trusted you."

"Aw, this is touching," Jae's smile grew wider.  Without looking at him, she made a branch fly into his face.

She kept her eyes fixated on Tao's.  "You..."

"Arwen, I told you...it's complicated."

"You mean...you asked that idiot for help...to get me?" her eyes widened.

"Yes and no."

"But why?  Don't you know who he is?"

Tao remained silent.  Arwen glared deeply into his gaze.

"Why so serious, people?" Jae snickered.

--

"She just walked out on me," Baekhyun said to Chen.  "I haven't seen her all day!"

"Hm," Chen tapped his chin. 

 At that moment, they heard a sharp scream from outside.  "Arwen," Baekhyun immediately thought as he and Chen got up and ran out into the garden.  Baekhyun saw Tao, unconscious, sprawled on the ground in an awkward way.  Arwen stood over him facing Jae. 

Jae's eyes traveled over to Baekhyun and Chen.  "Well, it looks like we have company."

Arwen turned to see the two boys standing helplessly behind her and glared even more angrily at Jae.  "Shut up."

Jae chuckled.  "Such bite from a little girl."

Arwen stomped her foot down into the earth.  A tunnel of earth formed around Jae, trapping him on all sides. 

"Oh, look," he gasped mockingly.  "She has powers too!"

"Arwen," Baekhyun warned.

She ignored him and slowly walked up to the evil boy.  Her fist flew towards his jaw, cracking it slightly.  He jumped back, a bit shocked, and touched the spot she slammed into.  A smirk appeared on his face as a drop of blood dripped down his chin, and he disappeared.

Arwen sighed out of relief and fear.  Her knees buckled from underneath her, and she knelt on the ground in the middle of the circle. 

"Arwen," Baekhyun called out.

She flinched slightly and ignored him.

"I think she wants to be alone," Chen pointed out as he took Tao into his arms.

"But..."

"Relax, she'll be okay."

Baekhyun reluctantly nodded and followed Chen with Tao back inside.  Arwen was beyond the point of crying.  At this point, everything was getting really annoying and frustrating.  She didn't even know what she got dragged into.  She sighed shakily and closed her eyes, still kneeling.

"Arwen?"

"Go away, Baekhyun," she said.

"I'm not Baekhyun," the voice said.  She whirled around to see Kris.  "Are you okay?  What happened?"

"Nothing," she said casually.

He stared at the rocks and the broken earth.  "Uh, you sure?"

"Yup."

"Arwen," he said as he walked over. 

"Just shut up, Kris!"  She broke down into sobs.  "I can't take this anymore!"

Regardless, he still walked up and rubbed her back.  "Let it all out."

"I wanna go home!" she cried.  "I don't need this destiny!  I don't want to kill anyone!  I just want to go home!  You all don't care about me for who I am!  Why can't you just understand..."

"Arwen, we all love you," he said as he knelt down beside her.  "That won't ever change."

"Aren't I just another piece in your game?" she sniffed. 

"Don't be ridiculous," he shook his head. 

"I just...feel..."

"Shhh..."

He hugged her tightly.  She silently cried into his shirt.  "You're disgusting," she murmured quietly.

"Thanks," he smiled.

************

Hai everyone!

It's about 1 AM, but still, happy Good Friday!  :)

Please pray for Korea and the affected students through this tough time.  Fighting!