𝐗𝐈

                                    

                                          
ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xɪ
| s ᴛ ʀ ᴏ ʟ ʟ |
𝐑 𝐄 𝐈 𝐍 𝐀

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚.
Now that we’d practically made our escape, I was starting to freak out—something that didn't happen to me often.
Why was I freaking out? You ask.
Because Reign's parents were now going to conclude me as a bad influence. I bet they will make him promise not to ever hang out with me ever, again. I can already picture the door slamming in my face the next time I dared to show up at his house. Which practically means that all my efforts? Down the drain.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize Reign was watching me. 
“Don’t tell me you’re starting to worry about the fallout now,” he said, his face showing off boredom and his tone laced with judgement. “That’s my job.”
I turn to face him. You have no idea...
"Reign, won’t your parents…" I hesitate, debating if I should even ask, but the worry nags at me. "Won't they freak out?" My brows knit together, a mix of real concern and, honestly, a little fear. Or kill me?
He lifts his brows, giving me a look that’s somewhere between disbelief and amusement. "You’re worried about my parents?"
"Should I not be? I mean, are you not?"
A shadow flickers across his face, something almost unreadable. "Not having parents around must feel pretty convenient at times like this for you, huh?"
I falter, the remark hitting unexpectedly. He notices, and for a moment, regret flickers in his eyes before he sighs, shaking his head as if to brush it off. 
"Look," he starts, his tone softening, "don’t stress over my parents, alright? I will handle them. I doubt they’ll even hear about this…” He trails off, whispering the last part as if he thinks I won’t catch it, but I do.
“Why do you say that?” I tilt my head, confused.
He shifts uncomfortably, his gaze drifting. "Just… trust me on this," he mutters, his voice a touch more guarded now. "Can we drop it?"
I study him for a moment, sensing there’s something beneath his words, something very serious that he's holding back. And then it dawns on me once more.
Of course, if words were to get to his parents that we ditched school, Reign would've never agreed to this which makes me ache with even more curiosity. But we already know that if there’s one thing about Reign, it’s that he's not going to open up, at all. Even if hell breaks loose.
I wonder what's really going on between him and the principal... or the person in his family he mentioned.
“Fine.” I say, simply.
On the bright side, I no longer had to think about it anymore. I didn’t have to worry about my parents or his.
We now strolled down the streets, aimlessly wandering without a destination in mind.
As we walked along the busy street, I couldn’t help but take in every little detail—the vibrant lights, the laughter echoing from nearby cafes, the street performers drawing crowds. The city was alive, and for once, I didn’t feel the weight of the day dragging me down. I glanced over at Reign, who strolled beside me, hands in his pockets, that ever-present resting bitch face firmly in place.
“Hey, look!” I nudged Reign, pointing at a street artist who was sketching caricatures of people passing by, each portrait exaggerated and cartoonish in the best way. Reign gave it a glance, his expression neutral.