''Alanna?''
She turned to the voice, and her eyes widened a bit in surprise. ''Oh my, I almost didn't recognize,'' the woman said as she drew closer, excitement filling her welcoming eyes. Alanna tried to return the smile, and before she could fully make it more convincing, she was enveloped in a tight, suffocating hug. She tried to breathe but the woman that held her wasn't making it easy. Lily had always been like that. Cheerful, hyper and a little too touchy. She didn't care whether you felt uncomfortable. Her goal was to make contact always, whether you liked it or not. ''I think you're going to kill her at this point Lily,'' Sienna came to her rescue, scrunching her nose a bit at how physically tight the girl was holding her friend. It made her own skin tingle in a weird way and in no way did she want to be hugged like that. Lily finally let her go and Alanna took mouthful breaths.
''I'm so sorry. I just haven't seen you in a long, long, long, long time so I just got a little bit excited,'' she said, iterating her point with her hand gestures as they increased and decreased based on the adjective she used. ''A little bit excited? More like suicide mission.'' Alanna's fake smile finally shone through, and she nodded at her in understanding, looking at Sienna for help. Lily wasn't exactly her friend. They had been classmates in high school and had since lost contact. Of course she had tried being friends with her a couple of times during their school days, but Alanna just felt she was too loud and that was not in anyway, her trying to be disrespectful towards her. She was a good person, but some people were just better kept at arm's length.
''What are you doing here?'' Sienna asked, confusion written over both of their faces. They had arrived at the reception house, and they thought they were the first ones to show up until Lily literally almost choked Alanna to death in her embrace. ''Oh right. I was actually invited to the funeral, but I couldn't make it in time, so I thought it wise to swing by at the reception and offer my condolences at least,'' she replied in earnest. Alanna and Sienna both nodded at her. ''I've actually heard all that has happened and I don't believe for a minute that you did it Allie bae. Just know that no matter what anyone says I'm here for you, if you ever need me,'' she offered without hesitation, her voice softening as she took her hands in hers.
Alanna swallowed, smiled and nodded appreciatingly at her. ''Not to be rude or anything but who did you say invited you again?'' ''I did!'' The voice, loud and crisp, came from behind them and they all turned to its owner. Astrid. The realization had Alanna's brain rewiring as she tried to connect the dots between the two. She was a forgetful person, but she would and could never forget if Astrid ever went to their school, so she was confused as to how they knew each other. She was horrified. Was Lily sent on purpose to test her? She looked back at the girl who had been overly sweet to her and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Was it even a coincidence that she was here at all. She saw a smile break out on her face at Astrid's arrival and she watched as she shamelessly skipped to her side, interlocking their hands. Astrid looked at the girl on her arm and then back at Alanna. She raised her brow at her as if in challenge, a smug smirk making its way to her face. It was then that she understood what had just happened. Lily was the first person, apart from her best friend to believe her. The irony though, she was friends with the girl whose father they suspected her of murdering. The victory look Astrid gave her signified that she could change Lily's mind at any point in time and the girl wouldn't bat an eyelid to switch sides.
Lily was a people pleaser and judging by the literal adoration in her eyes, you could tell she literally worshipped the ground Astrid walked on. It was hope stripped away and Alanna waited for it to hurt, for the pain to rip her apart but it didn't. Maybe she had seen firsthand what betrayal and abandonment felt like so it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. It did feel good to be immune to pain.
''You guys got here early. Hope it wasn't to scout out any goodies,'' Astrid spoke, walking towards them with the lovestruck girl in tow. Alanna and Sienna understood her insinuation, but they just kept quiet. She was just trying to provoke them. She came to stand in front of them and stared long and hard at them. They did the same in kind and the tension in the room could undoubtedly scald a person but neither of them looked away, a challenge already set in motion.