What’s Gotten into Her?

Anastasia's P.O.V

I got to school on Monday morning and went to my locker to get some of my textbooks to class before it was time for classes to begin... that was the time Lisa got to school. She walked in with Justin and he went to his locker, she came to hers, which was the one that was right beside mine 'cause we are besties.

I couldn't help but notice the bright smile plastered across her face.

"Hey babe, what's up?" I asked and we did our signature handshake.

"I'm great! How are you?" She asked back and opened her locker.

"Yeah... me too." I just couldn't keep the curiosity inside of me, so I asked. "What's making you smile this much?" then I gave a smirk. I couldn't wait to hear what she was going to say... maybe her two year old crush finally asked her out!

"Nah... It's nothing." She said dryly. Ugh, seriously?

"Are you serious?" I asked, doubting that it was 'nothing' that made her smile this much

"Yeah... I am." She paused. "You know our family went out for the burial of Justin's parents yesterday..." She whispered, changing the topic.

I felt sadness wash over me as she said that. I didn't think she felt as sad as I did. Maybe she had gotten over it, but I felt bad for him.

"How did he feel? Was he alright?"

"Yeah, he was."

Lisa's P.O.V

I didn't want to tell Anastasia about how Justin ran off crying when his parents' bodies were being buried because she'll be more worried about him. I could already feel the pity in her voice and the worry etched on her face even though I was looking into my locker.

I also don't know why but I didn't want to tell her about how he kissed me yesterday night... that was the actual reason I was happy. It didn't feel right keeping secrets from my BFF but I am surely going to tell her when the time is right.

"I really feel bad for him. It must be hell losing one of your parents, not to talk about losing both of them... He's the only child, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, he is." I replied.

"I don't know why bad things always happen to good people. To be honest, your cousin is the nicest guy that ever liveth." She joked. I could feel the lightness in her voice.

"Lol." I said casually. I don't know why I felt weird inside, but I did. That's the reason my answers were just so dry.

"Did you know that date I on with him on was the most magical date of my life!?" She declared.

"Oh cool..." I said.

"He's just so nice." I could imagine her eyes sparkling and her cheeks blushing but I kept my eyes away from her direction. I didn't want her to see the anger boiling in me. I was so glad that the door of my locker was keeping her from seeing my face.

Anastasia's P.O.V

Lisa had been acting so weirdly since I started talking about Justin. Her answers were just so plain and that was nothing like her. She didn't say anything when I complimented her cousin and it was hard to figure out why.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked when the silence had become unbearable.

"Oh... nothing. Lol" She said so plainly again.

"You're sure about that? Is there anything bothering you?" I asked, trying to show compassion.

"No!" That was definitely a lie. She walked into school smiling... and just when she started talking to me, her mood changed. One thing about Lisa was that whenever she's happy, she always rubs off that happiness on people around her. But I wasn't feeling any happiness, and neither was she.

"You're not saying the truth..." I blurted out. "Are you...?"

"No!" She said finally, cutting me short. And then she closed her locker and stormed down the hall with a pile of textbooks in her arms. I could see that she was fuming.

I wanted to call her, but I held myself back. There were already a number of people staring at me.

I also carried some of my books to my classroom.

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

During lunch, when we were in the cafeteria, Susan, Lillian, Josie and Emily sparked up a conversation about who the hottest boy in school was. Susan and Lillian thought it was Andrew; the football captain, but Josie and Emily thought it was Justin. I also thought it was him, but I didn't drop my opinion.

So, they began arguing on who looked better, based on cuteness, hair style, dressing and so on... I knew Josie and Emily were going to win this argument. 'So what if Andrew was muscular? It didn't make him any better that Justin' I said in my mind.

They were so caught up in the hot argument that no one else but me noticed when Lisa quietly left the table and went to sit alone on a table far away from us.

I just couldn't figure out why she left. What had gotten into her? I needed to sit her down and ask her what exactly was wrong with her.

It was quite true that I couldn't actually figure what was wrong with her... but I was certain that it had something to do with Justin because anytime someone talked about him or complimented him... her mood changed. What was going on between both of them?? Was it what I was thinking??

Coyde's P.O.V

I arrived home from work by 4:40 in the afternoon. Anastasia was probably back from school and Vanessa, from work.

I pulled off my suit as I got into the house, then I walked upstairs to Anastasia's room. I knocked on the door.

"Come in." She said and then I opened the door. She was studying.

"Can I sit?" I asked, though I knew what her answer would be.

"Sure"

I sat on the chair beside hers. She was really engrossed in the mathematical problem she was solving. When she was done, she put her pen in her notebook and closed it and then she looked at me, as if demanding the reason I had come to disturb her.

"How was school, Ana?" I asked, curiously.

I expected her to burst into tears and tell me that her boyfriend is dead but instead she said. "It was amazing! I got an A in Biology."

"That's great!" I commended.

"And how's Justin?" I asked, smirking. I couldn't hold my curiosity anymore.

"He's fine." She said dragging the 'fine' and giving me a pat on my shoulder. I was kind of startled, but I didn't let it show. This was supposed to be the part where she cries in my arms and I comfort her, but nothing like that happened. "Don't tell me you're here to tease me." She chuckled.

I smiled a fake smile. "How much more handsome was he today than he was yesterday?" I asked again. I wanted to be sure that he was actually alive and I was not getting worried unnecessarily.

"A whole lot!" She turned to face the other way although I had already seen the red on her cheeks.

'She saw him today!' The realization of that hit me hard and my head seemed to be turning. I was so shocked, I couldn't say anything.

I had believed fully that he'll be dead and now this? How could he escape death every time?

She was talking, I could see her mouth moving but I wasn't listening to what she was saying.

I felt blood leaving my face. I didn't understand how it was possible for him to escape my ire. I felt so foolish. I had been talking to absolutely no one in the lavatory yesterday and I had wasted up to ten bullets for nothing. He had clearly escaped to some other room through the ceiling before I had gotten there or maybe he made that sound just to distract me. It was hard to believe that he was smarter than me.

That definitely meant that he now knew I was after him. This wasn't what I wanted! Goddammit! I had to do something smart and quick before he gets a chance to harm me and I knew exactly what to do.

In a way, it was good for Anastasia, 'cause she wasn't going to breakdown, and at least she was going to see him for a few more days

"Dad... what's wrong?" Ana asked when she had noticed that I had been staring into her face but not paying attention to anything she was saying.

Lisa's P.O.V

It was such a long and uninteresting day for me. I suddenly felt the urge to go straight to Justin's room and ask him a series of questions that were of grave importance to me.

But I couldn't go ask him for a number of reasons; Firstly, I was extremely tired. Mondays were always my worst days... with all the work load and assignments, and boring classes. I just couldn't take it.

And also, I didn't have the guts to go ask him... and I also didn't have energy to summon enough courage for it

Anyway, I watched a movie till I slept off.