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A couple of weeks passed and things settled into a new normal. Ryoko avoided me, just like after our first fight. Only this time, I didn’t really care. It was better this way. For both of us.
Aellyn no longer talked to me in class or sat with me during lunch. Not that I blamed her. I blew her off too many times. It was a wonder she tried for so long while I was a rubbish friend.
The Valkyrie head table kept Oda’s seat empty, out of respect. But Flavia filled my seat. With Astrid. She strutted around the school like a peacock with new feathers, clearly pleased with her social promotion.
Classes continued like nothing happened, but I couldn’t just sit there and listen to my teachers ramble on. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Instead, I roamed through the woods. Always in search of t
