Chapter 8: Hollow Shell

Leanna Venice sat inside a cafe watching the people pass by outside the window. Her phone vibrated in her hand signaling a new text and she instantly opened it to see if it was from the person she was just thinking about. She closed her eyes for a bit, debating whether or not to still check it out if it was really from him or just a spam text from the service provider. She sighed before checking the message, curiosity finally getting to her.

"Hey sis, since ur out mind buying me and Heriette a piece of cake? Love u"

So it was from Harlow.

She sighed in disappointment. She called for the waiter and ordered two cake takeouts before ordering another expresso. She placed her phone down on the table and steered her empty cup.

"Please, just talk to me Gallen." she whispered into nothingness. Water built up her eyes, threatening to pour down.

She had always admired Gallen Priestly ever since she met him at Rubelia Academy for Magic during her visit to Harlow. He had bumped into her spilling his coffee all over her shirt so he volunteered to wash it in the men's washroom while she stayed inside the cubicle. They talked to keep each other company albeit awkwardly at first because of their predicament but their conversation started getting comfortable. They chatted about the simplest things like the color of the sky at dusk and discovering that both of them are assassins. Leanna really enjoyed the time she spent with Gallen and since then she started visiting Harlow more often just to see him.

Gallen is really hot and cool that's why many women went all their way just to earn a look from him. He was also a sweet talker and a real romantic in his actions. Leanna wasn't much of the romantic type but she can't help but be a victim of Cupid's arrow much like his other admirers. They soon became a couple when Gallen confessed that he liked her.

Their relationship wasn't that serious for Gallen it seems, but for Leanna, it was the world. Every time she spent with him was the best moments of her life. She even started doing things that she usually didn't do. She became more feminine and she started caring more about her appearance, like finally buying a makeup kit and wearing pretty dresses that were not really her type just to look pretty. Hell, she even stalked Offelia one time to see the type of clothes she was wearing because the chick always looks good. Plus Gallen once told her that he likes her dress. However, her world came crashing down when "she" came into the picture and ruined everything that she's been trying to maintain.

Geneva Bellthorne arrived and suddenly everyone is loving her. Even the solitary little witch, Ruby liked her and she hates almost everyone. They even became best friends while the little bitch always snarls at her for some unknown reason. The auburn-haired princess just popped in and suddenly Gallen was courting her behind her back, meeting up on the lake and chatting casually like couples.

And then he broke up with her just to be with that posh violet cunt who thinks that she's so special and talented. He had a pretty good reason as well for separating from her. He told her that their families arranged the whole thing and he can't be with her anymore so he left her in the dust and enjoyed a life fucking with that violet loving whore.

She was torn apart and she still can't get over the whole thing even though it's been a year already. She's been trying to build herself up and get back into the saddle but she can't. She's been a slave to love and she can't break the chains dragging her down into depression. So she called him. She told him that she wanted to talk to him to finally have closure and right now she's trying to contain herself and not break down while she waits for him.

She heard the bell over the door ring as someone entered the cafe. She looked over her shoulder to see if it was him but to her luck, it wasn't. It was just Phoebus and the rest of the Lightbringer squad probably here to order their coffees. She slumped back down in her seat and sighed for the nth time.

"Here's your order ma'am." said the waiter as he placed a tray with her orders in it. She grabbed her coffee and quickly took a sip in it to vent her frustrations. She seems to have forgotten that it was hot so the liquid burned her lip a little. The shock made her spill some of the stuff in her clothes frustrating even her more.

"Are you alright, Miss Venice?" she heard someone ask. She turned to the person and saw Phoebus handing her a napkin.

"I'm fine. Just getting a little bit clumsy is all." she forced a smile as she accepted the napkin. "Thanks."

"No problem. Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, he should be here right about now but I guess he's running a little late."

"Is it Gallen again?"

Please leave already. I want to be left alone, she thought.

"Yes. I just need closure. I'm still trying to move on but it's really hard because I still love him." Leanna stifled a cry, covering her lips with her hand. She felt his hand wrap over hers, squeezing it gently.

"If you need someone to talk to, you can always give me a call. I'm always free to listen." Leanna slowly pulled her hand away and placed it over her lap.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

She doesn't really want to talk to anyone at the moment except for Gallen and knowing that Phoebus has feelings for her makes their conversation very awkward.

She was distracted by someone whistling and looked at the direction where it came from and saw Adrian talking to Ruby who seemed to be doing her best not to punch him in the face. The witch was looking really chic at her outfit consisting of a half-cut white lace camisole while a gray cardigan covers her back. She paired it with a very short red skirt showcasing a part of her smooth thighs with above the knee stockings. She wore minimal makeup except for a feathery eyeliner and a seductive red lipstick that's why she's been attracting the unwanted attention of someone she would rather not meet anywhere in the world, her ex flame.

Leanna knew about Ruby and Adrian's love history that went down the hill because he liked another woman, or elf called Mirra. Ruby pursued him really hard which is quite understandable since the bastard is really charismatic. Ruby's story was quite similar to her own but her rival Mirra fell in love with Hylos, the centaur, surprising everyone and had a very sexual relationship with him openly. Ruby in the end didn't want Adrian anymore and continued living her solitary life never even looking as ruined as her and brushed off the whole debacle like dust in her pretty skirt. Something Leanna couldn't do, which was quite admirable of the witch.

"Anyways, here's my number if you need anything." Phoebus handed her a parchment before standing up and going back to the counter to get his coffee just beside the witch.

Leanna didn't miss the way Ruby's eyes brightened when Phoebus addressed her or how she smiled with the radiance of a thousand suns when he complimented her. Was she treating her badly because she likes Phoebus but Phoebus likes her instead?

"Hey." Her attention went to the person who just sat in front of her.

"Gallen! Hi. Uhm, would you like something to drink. We should call the waiter."

"No need, I won't linger. I don't have much time, I'm meeting up with Geneva for a date so let's hurry it up. She gets really cranky when I'm late." Galleb explained looking a little fidgety to leave already.

"Oh, I just..." Great, she doesn't know what to say. Fantastic. There's a lot of people that both know them so she can't cry and beg for him to come back, ask him to leave that posh bitch, scream at him for cheating or else she'll completely ruin her dignity so she needs to just make something up.

"Can I still be friends with you even after all of that? And still borrow your Netflix account? I don't want things to be awkward because we live in such a small town." Really, Venice? Borrow your Netflix account? Might as well just shoot yourself with your own rifle.

"Uhh, sure. I guess you can borrow my Netflix account and yeah. I don't want us to still have bad blood or you have bad blood with Gen so let's just deal with it the grown-up way and put everything behind us. That's so brave of you, Lea." Gallen presented her with his killer smile and she's doing her best not to kiss his face and embarrass herself.

"Yeah." she said awkwardly.

"Well, good talk. I should be going now. See you around." And with that he stood up and left, leaving her alone. Again.

She saw him exchange a few remarks with the Lightbringer squad and Ruby since she's his girlfriend's best friend. He mouthed something like 'don't tell Gen and you also look pretty' to the witch who chuckled and made a mouth zip motion on her lips. Gallen left after that and she can only stare at his fleeting form from the window. A tear fell from her eye followed by another, and another and another until she realized that she's crying. She didn't even have enough restraint to let it out back in her house, how miserable.

She saw a pretty handkerchief being handed to her and she instantly looked up to see who it was. She saw Ruby looking down at her with a straight face. She stared at the witch for a moment before accepting the fabric and wiping her tears away.

"Thanks."

"The pain will be duller if you only think about the terrible things about him and do yourself a favor and get yourself a nice tub of ice cream and cry about it until you no longer have any more tears to shed." She left after that while holding two cups of sundaes in her hand.

"Is there really no chance for us to be together again or do I just give up and try it with that emo marksman?" Leanna whispered into nothingness.

"Now if you don't need anything else, a love potion or my phone number, I'm going home now to get breakfast. Pleasure doing business." she remembered the witch saying in a conversation she had with Phoebus.

Tears stopped falling from her eyes as she stared at the witch's handkerchief as well as Phoebus's number, a plan finally completing in her head that she's been contemplating for a while now.

"Maybe there's still a way to fix everything."