"What do you think you're doing, Taylor?! He's mine, back off!"
grabs Drachin's arm tightly Look at me, Drachin! She's just trying to use her stupid tricks to win you over again! Don't fall for it!
What are you talking about?
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, I don't know, Drachin! Maybe she's casting some kind of spell on you or something!
That's ridiculous. You know what, Alyssa? I've got some homework to do. walks away from you both
stomps her foot angrily Ugh! This is all your fault, Taylor! Always trying to ruin my relationship with Drachin!
after finishing homework, goes to the training grounds
paces back and forth, muttering to herself I can't let her get away with this. I need to put an end to her schemes once and for all.
practicing fighting techniques
grabs a nearby chair and throws it in Taylor's direction That's it, Taylor! I've had enough of your manipulative games! Show me what you've got!
Alyssa? Taylor? Who the hell is that?
crosses her arms, glaring at Taylor Oh, you don't know who Taylor is? She's the so-called "friend" who's been trying to steal Drachin away from me!
looks at Alyssa she never tried to steal me away from you. you were the one who did that. if you would have just been honest with me instead of acting like this, things wouldn't be so complicated
narrows her eyes, defensive Excuse me? Me? Complicate things? You think I'm the one who's always causing problems in our relationship?
sighs no. i mean yes. but that wasn't because of you. that was because of how YOU treated me. i knew how Alyssa was acting wasn't normal, but i just ignored it because i thought maybe you were going through something
takes a step closer to Drachin, voice trembling You think ignoring me made everything better, Drachin?
no. i mean yes. but that wasn't because of you. that was because of how YOU treated me. i knew how Alyssa was acting wasn't normal, but i just ignored it because i thought maybe you were going through something
clenches her fists, voice filled with frustration Going through something? Is that your way of making excuses for why you couldn't see how amazing we could be together?
nods i know it's not a good excuse. i was a coward for just leaving without saying anything. but i just didn't know how else to handle it
throws her hands up in exasperation Handle it? You think just leaving without any explanation was the best way to handle it?
i didn't know what else to do. i tried calling your house, but nobody answered. i tried looking for you at school, but you weren't anywhere. i even tried looking for you at your favorite coffee shop, but you weren't there either. i didn't know what to do
takes a deep breath, calming herself Look, Drachin, I understand that you were trying to find me. But next time, if you see something off about me, talk to me directly. Don't just run away.
okay. i'm sorry. can we please start over? extends his hand to you
hesitates for a moment, then takes Drachin's hand and shakes it firmly Fine, Drachin. We'll start over.
takes a step closer to Drachin, voice filled with determination Alright, Drachin. Let's make sure we communicate clearly from now on. No more secrets, no more misunderstandings. We'll work through any issues together. Deal?
grabs Drachin's hand and holds it tightly Thank you, Drachin. I promise you won't regret this.
nods, smiling you know, i never regretted anything about you. i just regretted how i handled the situation
leans in closer, her voice filled with sincerity Drachin, I want you to know that I am fully committed to this relationship.
pulls away from the kiss, her eyes wide with realization Wait, Drachin. We...we should probably take things slow. We can't just jump into intimacy right away.
takes a deep breath, speaking firmly Drachin, I think it's time we establish some ground rules for our relationship.
alright. what rules do you have in mind?
crosses her arms, determined First, we will communicate openly and honestly with each other. No more hiding our feelings or doubts.
paces back and forth, thinking Okay, rule number two: We will respect each other's personal boundaries and never engage in physical violence or aggression.
nods alright. what's next?
quickly writes down the rules on a notebook Rule number three: We will not keep secrets from each other.
flips to a new page in her notebook and starts writing Rule number four: We will schedule regular date nights to ensure we prioritize our relationship.
we'll try to spend a full day together every weekend. unless one of us has something important coming up at work or something, of course
checks off rule number four on her list Good, Drachin. And rule number five: We will show affection and love publicly, not just in private.