Opposites (5)

For the rest of the evening, Caleb remained in silent, yearning for another moment to talk to Lily. He noticed a solemn mood had come around Kayli since Jay's disappearance and decided to leave her be. After all, Jay should be the one comforting her, right? Caleb had also talked to Grace about what Jay had told her and he was enraged by what Jay had said, only concealing it from Grace and Kayli.

Later that evening, Kayli saw Caleb retire to his room, so she followed. When she arrived at the door, Caleb was finishing off the wind mirror and smiled at Lily's face.

"Hello," she said. "Are you feeling better?"

"No," he replied. "I'm just glad to see your pretty face."

Lily laughed. "Have you anything else to talk about?"

"Yes. Grace told me that Jay was, or is, to marry Kayli."

Lily sighed, lost.

Caleb nodded, and Kayli noticed his shoulders shaking from nervousness. "I know it's foolish for me to be so angry over something that's set for the future, but I can't help but think that the Council was wrong when they paired me and Kayli up. I no longer see a reason to be friends with her!"

Kayli's heart dropped even further when she heard his words. Was she that disappointing to be around? Or maybe he was just as Jay had told her; a boy who was her friend that failed to comfort her in her time of need.

"Caleb," Lily whispered. "You do see a reason to still have Kayli as a partner on this mission, right?"

"Hmm, maybe you're right, Lily. Maybe they --"

"Caleb!" Lily said somewhat harshly. "The Council has nothing to do with this! These are your own problems."

"But Kayli doesn't even like me!" Caleb said in a constrained voice. "I might as well --"

"-- live your life the way you want to. Don't fall into the hole Kayli did and ruin the rest of your life!"

Caleb, who was standing up, collapsed on the bed. "Lily... I've been a fool to believe that everything would mend with time. I have to move on and forget about Kayli."

Kayli was crying softly now. When she looked up, she saw her friend's head turned to it's right and saw her in the doorway. Her ears heard him whisper good-bye to Lily as the wind mirror disappeared.

"Why were you listening?" Caleb asked, taking hold of her shoulders.

She sniffed and embraced him in a hug, it was a tight squeeze, quite unusual from her usual self. Caleb, unable to think straight, hugged her to his chest and let his tears fall into her hair.