Sometimes two people just ain't meant to be like that.

She just kept thinking it over and over. Why did Roch have to say that? Seriously it was dampening her mood all the time now. She couldn’t even take a relaxing bath without thinking about it. Thinking about Rikki. Wasn’t the whole point of these things to cling one’s mind?

Groaning, Danny dunked her head under the lava’s surface, fully emerging herself. The heat of it all pulsated in her ears, but she ignored it. Coming back up for air, Danny wiped her face down with a spare cloth and sighed. She couldn’t do this forever.

After getting out of the tub and changing, Danny sat on her bed, idly playing with the hexbox controller that had been there all day. She’d done nothing but mope around her room all day. Now it wasn’t just because she’d broken up with Rikki- that emotion had long past. It was the lingering feeling that no one would ever stay with her. That, and the tremulous feeling that perhaps she had been too rash in ending it with Rikki.

For the long and short of it was this: she missed him. She missed listening to him play the drums after school sometimes, and she missed curling up with him when the sun was warm and they were both too infatuated with each other to do anything else. She missed getting to hold his hand whenever she wanted, instead of having to awkwardly avoid him in the hallways, taking roundabout ways to class just so she wouldn’t have to partake in a sort of I-don’t-know-what-to-do dance. Not just big things either, little things too; little things like watching his smile creep across his face when he saw her coming. Knowing that they shared little secrets that no one else would know, like when Danny’s wings came in and she was scared. Laughing at Roch through a mutual friendship.

If Roch was right though, Roch was right. They weren’t meant to be together. Even Roch had expected them to break up- considering he told Rikki which side he would take in advance. Danny bit her lips and debated playing more hexbox with her friends, but she just wasn’t in the mood now. Now that she’d been left alone with her thoughts, her mind had drifted to the place it didn’t want to be.

Still, she was tired of this game; both physically and metaphorically. Looking at her still-damp hair, she grimaced. Danny really missed her hair. It got in the way and the haircut had to be done, but she still couldn’t help but mourn the loss. It was fun to play with and braid sometimes. Good for fidgeting when she didn’t know what to do. Now it was gone though. At least it wasn’t in the way anymore.

Her phone sat idly on her bed where it had all week. There was the occasional buzz from groanspring, but nothing was really going on. No texts from Roch about parties or secret gigs, or just plain old hellos. No Rikki texting her about going places or just sending messages because he was bored out of his mind and needed someone to talk to. Of course, why would he send anything like that now? She was the one who’d told him no; that was a fact she constantly had to remind herself of. It was her decision, and she didn’t want him. That was it. Danny was almost positive Moure didn’t own a phone, and even more certain that Yin didn’t even know what a phone was.

She wanted to at least apologize. Maybe not be friends again, if he didn’t want to, but she wanted to do SOMETHING. She was sick of giving him long wayward glances from across the room. She just wanted everything to go back to before all of this. Friends. They could start at friends.

Clinging to that sentiment, Danny departed from her room. She was nervous and part way through she turned around and told herself she wasn’t going to do it. Eventually though, she ended up in front of the reaper dorms. With a deep breath, she entered the weaving hallways, mind already focused on what she was going to say to Rikki. Her mind wasn’t really helping her though. It was a lot of blanks though. Let’s face it, she had no clue what the hell she was going to say.

Her feet carried her to Rikki’s room with ease. It’d been one she visited- more often than she visited Roch’s room even. They couldn’t really hang out in Danny’s room after all, and even if the stupid cold minipet was there, Danny had always loved his room.

Something was on the door though. Something she couldn’t quite read. He’d left a note on his door? Was that always there and she just hadn’t noticed? Danny frowned. Even she wasn’t that dumb. Maybe it was just a reminder to do something- she left quite a few of those around her room. Things like “feed minipets” and “get dressed.” Couldn’t ever be too careful!

Gone home. Be back in two weeks.

Her hopes were dashed in seven words posted on a door. She couldn’t be friends if he was gone! With a frown on her face, she knocked on the door (well, it was more like pounding, but who’s keeping track?) in hopes that he might just be avoiding people in some sort of cruel ploy.

“Rikki?” she said quietly. Maybe he would open if he heard it was her? No response, just the quiet serenity of the reaper dorms.

An oddly proportioned gnome came by, and said, “Screech cheeks, read the sign. He’s been gone for a while now.”

“How long has he been gone?” she inquired.

“Eh, ‘bout a day or so.”

As the gnome continued down the hall, Danny tapped her fingers nervously. Why hadn’t he told her he was leaving? Rikki … told her everything, didn’t he? Was their bond of friendship really that insignificant to him? Even if they had just broken up … Danny had never guessed that meant they couldn’t be friends even. Her frown deepened. Thoughts muddled, she headed back to her dorm and curled up in a blanket on her windowspace. She had thinking to do.