Amber hated sitting next to Krystal the next few days, but literally nowhere else in the art class was any better. Sometimes it looked like Krystal wanted to say something, but Amber wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more from her or anyone else. She got a little socialization from church, the newspaper, and bible study but there was hardly anyone in town who wasn't extremely religious, extremely atheist, or too scared to say they were on either side. And those who were truly neutral had such vastly different interests than hers and lived so far away that starting a friendship was hardly worth it. 

Maybe that's why she finally gave in when Krystal approached her at the end of one of their bible study sessions, waving a covered plate under her nose. She'd noticed it sitting under the benches of the gazebo while they'd discussed their favorite passages and had vaguely wondered who it belonged to. 

She glanced up, standing as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. 

"Please, Amber?" 

Her eyes looked so sad and earnest. 

She peeled back a corner of the cloth to feel some of the softest looking brownies Amber had ever seen. She may have drooled a little bit. She sat down on the bench the interior of the gazebo and Krystal sat hesitantly beside her, placing the plate between them. 

Amber pinched a corner off one of the treats and sighed in ecstasy as the chocolate melted on her tongue. "Wow." 

"Thank you," Krystal said with a smile. "I've been practicing baking since I was little." 

"Hm," Amber said noncommittally, not ready to forgive her yet even though the brownies really were amazing. 

She felt Krystal looking at her but refused to turn toward her. 

"I'm really, really sorry about what I said. I took things that I was feeling out on you and that just isn't right." 

Amber finished one of the brownies and recovered the plate. "Are all of these for me?" 

Krystal scrunched her brown and nodded. "Yeah." 

"Thanks." She grabbed up the plate and left. 

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" 

Krystal rolled the spaghetti on her fork, but couldn't seem to get any of it to . She just didn't have an appetite. Her stomach roiled and her eyes itched. What was wrong with her? 

"Nothing, Mom. I'm sorry, but can I be excused?" 

Her older sister looked at her with worry. "You've seemed withdrawn lately. Are you okay?" 

Krystal pinched her eyes closed. "I'm fine. Just a headache." Liar. "I'm going to go to my room to lie down. Sorry." 

"It's alright, sweetie." 

She walked out of the dining room, taking a bottle of cold water with her. She knew she wasn't sick. It was stress over the Amber situation. She didn't know why it bugged her so much that this one girl wouldn't talk to her, forgive her, or barely look at her. 

The knock on her bedroom door h