Chapter 15: "Bullshit."

Caelum is glaring at me.

The look is one of such undisguised spite that I can see he’s not faking it. His voice is low and dangerous when he speaks,

“Don’t, ever, call me a creep again.”

The stubbornness in me rears its head because I get multiple signals from that statement alone.

I could mock him further, ask him tauntingly if he was bullied as a child. Does my calling him names touch a nerve!

Otsana’s low whine in my head makes me stop those thoughts.

I take a deep breath and look away, willing all my self-control into not saying any more than I have right now. I ignore him and go back to my weak attempt to garden.

The gardening tools I need are delivered, the watering can, the seeds.

I let the peace of this activity take me with it and though it is anything but peaceful, there’s something about today that feels peaceful, and to deny that would be to do a disservice to the sun. To the wind blowing softly, gently, to that one tree that’s grown so tall that its branches lean over the