My Secret, My Bully, My Mates by Miss L

We walk inside to a grand entrance and I am immediately wrapped in a hug. I can’t see anything around the soft material covering my whole head, burying my face in a chest.

“You have no idea how good it is to see you. I thought we were all going to go crazy not being able to check in or see you at all this summer.”

Xander releases me from the stranglehold he has on me and holds me out at arms distance, giving me a once over clearly checking for lasting damage.

I pat his arm awkwardly, his tight grip on my shoulders making it difficult to do anything. “I promise

got no better look at it before he had me flying up the grand set

going, Xander? Are you trying to rip my arm off?” I went for a joke to see if I could

was trying to get away from someone, he dodged in and out of hallways and doorways, up stairways

little alcove in who knows what part of the castle. Then he spins me around and grabs my shoulders again. “Who hurt you, Skylar? We want to know, now!” He looked a little

you!” I shrugged him off. “Who is ‘we?’ And what makes you think I will answer to a demand like that? No friend asks a question like that. You have been hanging around Cameron, Dakota and Oliver a little too long, I think.” I’m angry now. I was so excited to see my friend and the first thing he thought

around myself to stifle the chill that just ran through me. It felt like the same wall of separation that was between me and the guys before I left shot up between Xander and I at that moment. I don’t want to do this here. I’m a new me, I’m away from all of that for just a little while. I want to pretend that the whole situation doesn’t exist. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm my nerves and bring back