-Malia’s pov-

The school bell rang and I exited my class to meet up with Jace. Sara and I hadn’t talked all lesson and I wasn’t planning on seeing Zeref either.

Jace ran up to me, worried. “Zeref wasn’t in class.”

I couldn’t help but also feel worried. I left early this morning so I didn’t check if he returned last night or not. Naz walked over to us, whispering her concerns before being dragged away by Sara.

Mike walked past me, smiling before coldly glaring at Jace, Sara and Naz.

It looked like no one was on good terms with anyone.

My worry was starting to rise. I wasn’t in the right state of mind yesterday because of all the head injuries and if I was, I wouldn’t have been so harsh on Zeref and exposed his secret. Of course, I would’ve yelled at him but not hit him after all the physical injuries on his body.

Although I was still a little mad, I wanted Zeref to be here; so after a few days, I could apologize. I knew it wasn’t his fault and Sara did have a point. I shouldn’t have relied on Zeref and it’ll never happen again but every time I tried to approach Sara, she flicked me off. I just let her be. She was being a bitch for no reason.

**

It has been 3 days and Zeref hadn’t returned. The end of year exams were coming up and so was Zeref’s 13th birthday. He better come back before auntie Rosaline realises he left. Our excuses weren’t going to work for much longer.

I later tried to track his mana signature and trace them to where he might have gone when I arrived home, but they had already dissipated and weren’t of much help.

‘It’ll be fine, I’m sure he’s just gone to cool off his head. Don’t worry too much.’ Nina comforted my guilt for the hundredth time.

I knew it was my fault that he left and I didn’t know how to fix this. I didn’t know where he went. I didn’t know for how long he’d be gone.

I just want him back.

**

5 days since Zeref left and Aunt Rosaline started to become more suspicious. I wanted to tell her but Mr Xanxus and Mike made sure I didn’t. They basically guilt tripped me into keeping my mouth shut. All hell would break loose if she found out and when she knows that I was at fault, she will never look at me the same.

Jace and I sat at a bench outside, behind the school building, both of us lifelessly stabbing at our pasta. Luckily, no one was around this area of the building and it seemed like we were the only ones. The atmosphere just wasn’t the same. I knew Jace missed him more than I did and probably felt guilty too.

We were both in the wrong yesterday, we blamed Zeref without looking at the bigger picture.

“Hey-” a cheery greeting came from the side. It was Naz, but before she could proceed to sit down or carry on with the conversation, Sara pulled her away and into the building.

“Hmph!” Sara huffed, sending me a dirty look while Naz mouthed a sorry.

If I wasn’t in a sad mood right now, I would have already put her in her fucking place but I didn’t want to waste my energy.

Don’t get me wrong, Sara chose the right side, defending Zeref and all that but she was just being so… bitchy about it. She was making things harder than it already was and would constantly make Jace and I guiltier than we already were.

It was evident a divide had been created between us now that Zeref was gone, and for some reason I disliked it.

I never had many friends due to my father and the constant threatening. After mother had died, Father used to always threaten the other families if any of their children even used to look at me. He did this for me to suffer. To suffer, alone. All my life I knew only torture after that, until I met Zeref and Jace and everyone else.

Zeref had freed me from that hell, he had saved me from what looked like an eternal despair. Now that he was gone, this new life of happiness was falling apart and for the first time, I felt guilty. Guilty of my actions. Lashing out wildly on a friend. A friend, who cared for me.

‘I’m such an idiot’ I found comfort in talking to Nina.

‘You weren’t in the right state of mind! It isn’t your fault’ Nina reassured me but it wasn’t working.

Nothing she said could take away the immense guilt forming in my stomach. I couldn’t help myself anymore, as tears started to drop down on the now cold pasta.

“Malia?” Jace asked as he got up from his seat and sat next to me.

“It’s all my fault” I held my head down, staring at my lap as tears dropped down. I knew I looked really weak and vulnerable right now but I couldn’t stop it. The tears just burst out along with all the hurt and guilt building up.

“Our fault.” he corrected, bluntly.

I looked up at him, tears pouring out of my eyes as he gave me a sympathetic look. I hate sympathy; but just this once, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and dug my head into the crook of his neck. My sobs were quiet and only loud enough for us two to hear.

“It’s okay. He’ll come back and everything can go back to the way it was.” he soothed me, stroking my hair to the side.

Although I wanted to believe him, I knew things couldn’t. Jace and I still hadn’t talked about Zeref being a contestant but we silently acknowledged it. I could tell Jace had a lot of questions and so did I, but he didn’t want to make things more depressing than it already was.

We held each other in silence. We miss Zeref.

**

I sat next to aunt Rosaline, stroking her back as she cried. Mike stood awkwardly next to us like a statue while Mr Xanxus grabbed some water.

“I just don’t understand.” she bellowed in grief, clutching her heart and tugging her hair in pain.

It had been 8 days since Zeref had left and I finally broke down and came clean.

“I am so sorry.” I cried, wrapping my arms around her. This was all my fault. If I hadn’t been so harsh and spoke so irresponsibly, he wouldn’t have left.

Mike sat next to me, swinging his hand around my shoulder and leaning his head onto me.

“Why? Why would he just leave?” Mr Xanxus came in, handing a glass of clear water to aunt Rosaline. He looked deep in thought, pondering, acting as if he had just found out about the shocking information but actually he was the one threatening me to be quiet.

I knew why he left and it killed me to keep quiet. Would Zeref want me to tell them his secret? Probably not. But it hurts to see them so worried and questioning things I have the answers too.

Mike shuffled in his seat, uncomfortably, coughing. Can this guy be any more obvious?! I whacked him in the arm, widening my eyes at him as a threat. He winced, shifting his weight away from me and looking down quietly.

“My boy!” Rosaline cried louder, bellowing.

“Please aunt Rosaline, I’m sure he’s just gone out for a couple days. We all know how psychoti- I mean weird he is. He will definitely be back.” Mike did his best to comfort her, but instead she started crying even heavier and my jumper was becoming more drenched as a result.

‘What. An. Idiot.’ Nina scoffed.

I turned to him, giving him that ‘Say one more word I dare you’ stare and he moved away looking down in fear.

I get that Mike doesn’t like Zeref but why was he taking it out on Aunt Rosaline?!

‘Results of a spoilt child.’ Nina hummed in my head. I agree.

The best I could do for Zeref was take care of his mother for him. I couldn’t bring him back but I could take care of her for him. It’s the least I could do.