“alright, i’ll leave you alone.” for hailey and ari :))
“What’s wrong with you?” Hailey was not necessarily known for her warm and gentle nature and that was more obvious than ever as she stared down at the spot on the floor of the library where Ariana was currently huddled over a bunch of books. Her posture practically screamed stressed as she flicked through a bunch of pages aggressively, muttering to herself and only pausing for a moment to glare up at Hailey.
“Nothing. Not your concern,” Ariana shot back as she turned back to her books, letting out a small scream of frustration before slamming the closest book shut with a dramatic thud.
Hailey hesitated, glancing around the library for a sign of any other familiar faces but Ariana already knew it was a lost cause. She’d already scared off the rest of the pack with her bad temper today so no one else dared come any closer except for Hailey who probably didn’t care about her enough to be offended.
After a moment, Hailey sighed, folding her arms across her chest. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone,” she said carelessly, preparing to walk away.
“Fine! Then you can go report back to Liam and let him know I’m fine. Tell them all I’m fine,” Ariana said bitterly, leaning back against the bookshelf and closing her eyes.
Hailey pursed her lips as she reluctantly turned back to Ariana, easing herself down until she was sitting opposite Ariana, her knees bumping the pile of books gently. “Or you could cut the crap and tell me what’s going on. The more you lie about being fine, the more Liam is going to bug me and I’m already this close to screaming back,” she said, her tone lightening slightly.
Ariana let out a sigh, allowing some of the tension to slip from her body and into the floorboards, a small shudder rippling underneath them, so subtle that only a few nearby students noticed. “It’s just…I’m so close to figuring it all out. I know I can save them, but I’m missing something.”
“Maybe you just need another set of eyes,” Hailey remarked, the offer hovering in the air tentatively.
“Fine, but if you’re going to read just read silently. Unless you find something useful.” Ariana’s voice was stern, having already dealt with Masons’ insistence on reading aloud until she’d banned him from her corner of the library.
Hailey rolled her eyes as she picked up the nearest book, flicking it open to a random page. “God, you’re so bossy,” she said, half under her breath, but she glanced up with a hint of a smirk. This was an olive branch between the two girls, and they both knew it. This didn’t make them friends by any means, but at least they were on the same side. For now, anyway.
