CHAPTER 7: FRIENDS

A loud scream was heard throughout the room, which made the other girl spat her food and almost choked herself.

Wendy was trying to ease the burning pain on her chest since the food almost enters her esophagus, she coughed and coughed, which earned the attention of the screaming goddess and eventually stopped her dolphin screams.

"Wendy! Oh my gosh, Wendy! You're here!" the goddess yelled which caught Wendy off guard. She didn't expect this side of Irene since the lady was always a calm person.

"Are you alright? Why are you coughing?... Wait are you still there?" Irene's voice laced with fear and concern.

"Yeah, I'm- cough- okay-cough I almost choked the food but - cough - I'm alright," Wendy assured.

The silence began to engulf them, only the sound of rain and thunder could be heard. The lights from the lightning illuminate the place. When the loud thunder lightning crashed, Wendy saw the fear that paints on the face of her goddess, which made her panicked internally. She calmed down when she heard a soft, not-so-Irene-that-she-knows voice.

"Wendy? Are-are you still there?" she whispered meekly. Almost inaudible but Wendy heard it clearly.

"Uh yes, Irene are you alright?" the girl didn't reply.

The constant flash of lightning helps Wendy to see Irene. Her heart clutched when Irene hugged her knees to her chest and curled herself on her seat.

"Irene."

"Wendy I can't see." 

Well of course since the room was very dark but lightning gives the room a little bit brightness.

"Irene, do you have a flashlight?"

"Yes, on the drawer on the living room."

"Can you get it? Don't worry I'll go with you."

"I can't." it's almost a hush that Wendy paid attention to it.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you, plus there are little lights from the outside so we could still find our way there." she tried to convince the girl.

But the girl shooked her head, Wendy then conclude that Irene might have a nyctophobia or astraphobia or maybe both.

She stood up and made her way to Irene to ensure the girl that she's with her and there's nothing to be afraid of.

When she tapped Irene's shoulder, she was shocked at how tensed the girl was, she then rubbed the back of Irene softly as a sign of comfort.

She called the girl softly.

"Irene?"

"........."

"I'm he-here." Wendy cringed at her words. Too cheesy.

"........"

"Irene-"

"I'm night blind, I can't see anything even if there's a little light." Irene choked her tears as she tries not to show her vulnerability.

Wendy understood her situation and she lifted Irene's shoulder slowly, the girl was taken aback on what Wendy did but the latter's words calmed her down.

"As I said earlier, don't worry, I'm here and there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll be your eyes for tonight and I won't leave you, I promise."

Irene doesn't know why but she trusted those words, she held Wendy's shirt and stood up, meanwhile Wendy, she tried to widen her eyes for better sight and led their way to the living room. She was careful in every step to avoid stumbling on their way.

Irene clutched Wendy's shirt tightly while trailing behind Wendy, but she kept an arm distance between them.

Finally, they got to the living room, but a loud crash of thunder suddenly appeared which made Irene jumped on Wendy. They both fell down, good thing they fell on the wide flat surface away from the furniture or something edgy or else Wendy's face and the anterior part of her body will be done.

Wendy's face hit the cold floor, while Irene fell on top of her. 

The continuous thunder made Irene snuggled on Wendy's back still holding her shirt. They stayed on that awkward position for a moment.

While Wendy was suffering from the coldness of the floor, Irene felt otherwise. She liked the warmth of Wendy, she didn't know what came to her, but she wanted to stay a little bit longer.

She doesn't want to admit but she enjoyed Wendy's warm body, she even tried to press her body a little closer when Wendy cleared .

"Irene? Are you okay? The d-drawer, where is it?" Wendy tried not to sound flustered, she's thankful for the darkness or else Irene will see the dark shade of red in her face. As much as she liked the close proximity of her and Irene, she has to retract herself from the goddess since they were dangerously close and it's not good for Wendy since her heart was about to explode due to its erratic beating.

Meanwhile, Irene felt suddenly awkward, the vibration of Wendy's voice somehow sent shivers on her spine, she was alarmed on how her emotions had reacted, but she composes herself immediately. 

She slowly detached herself from Wendy and stood up, aware of the redness of her face.

"Near the couch, on the left, second slide," she instructed.

Wendy stood up abruptly and went to the couch which was 5 steps away from them, she switched the flashlight on right after she got it.

"Tadda!" Wendy giggled like a child.

She went to Irene and held her wrist to guide her to the couch, they sat for a moment of silence, with a distance, and a light that illuminated the living room but still not enough to cover the whole darkness.

"Does the school had a generator?" Wendy asked while fidgeting her fingers, she's trying to break the awkward silence between them.

"They have, but I don't know what happened." she continued, "Usually, it only takes seconds then the electricity is back again, but now, it took so long and I don't know why," Irene explained in a very demure voice.

Wendy felt a different kind of Irene, but she loves this kind of Irene. Well, who was she kidding? She loved both of Irene's persona.

They became silent again, making the rain as the background music.

Wendy felt sleepy due to the environment, plus her feverish state doesn't help. She was almost off to dreamland when an angry thunder struck again, which made her shocked, but what shocked her the most was the almost whimpering Irene that dramatically broke the distance between them and hugged the ever-so stiffed Wendy. It took a while when Wendy brought a hand on Irene's back and caressed her softly.

Heavens must be mad because of almost unending waves of thunder. Wendy hummed, at least to ease the scaredy-cat that was trying to hide its head on the crook of her neck.

The gesture made Irene calm, the warmth of the body, the caress, and the hum was a perfect combination to ease Irene's high-strung.

Wendy prayed that Irene would not hear the fast beating of her heart, she even thought that her osmotic pressure must have gone insane the way her heart palpitates.

Irene, on the hand, was surprised at herself because of her sudden skinship to someone she's barely close with. She's fond of skinship, but only to few people that were really close to her. But she didn't mind though, especially at the moment, where she was physically and emotionally comfortable, plus Wendy is her classmate. She's too scared to mind at that moment.

Minutes have passed and none of them move a bit, Irene was also feeling sleepy. How odd because they were in a sitting position while hugging with each other, but it was comfortable enough to make Irene fall into slumber.

Wendy felt that Irene was close to sleep when she felt more weight on her chest and shoulder. Her mind had gone insane, Irene's hair scent isn't helping at all. She wanted to cry. 'I hate you pituitary gland.'

The haywire of thoughts was interrupted when Wendy noticed that the light from the flashlight was slowly fading. 'No!' she exclaimed in her mind.

She must keep her mind sane, darkness would probably make her endocrine system release hormones that will make her go crazy, except for melatonin of course.

But despite