The courage Haley had painstakingly mustered slowly began ebbing away. Cain probably wouldn't be back until nightfall, and that was still a few hours away. Perhaps, this was a sign - the universe telling her to count her blessings and just enjoy their friendship. Haley almost considered the possibility but was quick to chide herself.<i> No</i>. She'd already spent the past year smothering her feelings and pining for him. A confession was long overdue, and the worst Cain could  possibly do was say no. If he did reject her, it would probably be awkward afterward, but they could always remain friends... even if it hurt. She was ready for whatever outcome awaited her.<br/><br/>Haley had just about resigned herself to waiting when a familiar voice called out to her. Keida. For a moment, she jolted upright, as if she were embarrassed to be caught skulking around Cain's empty house. However, the embarrassment faded away rather quickly. Soon, she was smiling her warm and welcoming smile. Similar to Cain, Keida had been one of the neighborhood kids Haley had grown up with. He had been the rambunctious child in their little trio, but somewhere along the line, had faded into the background. She always wondered why he'd suddenly stopped hanging out with them. He never told her or Cain why.  "Keida! I haven't seen you around in awhile. How have you been?" She greeted him in her easily-excitable manner before his declaration on Cain's whereabouts registered in her mind. "Oh, I was just waiting for Cain. I wanted to tell him something." At the admission, a faint blush tinted her cheeks and the embarrassment returned. Quickly,  she smothered it with more amicable conversation. Haley had a youthful and energetic charm to her, even if she didn't know it. "Anyway, I haven't see you around school much either. Where have you been? Has summer been treating you okay? I mean, it's the first day, but it still feels great to be free." She took a step toward him. "Our last summer before we all fly off to different parts of the country for college."<br/><br/>She was mostly oblivious to Keida's secretive intentions, Haley had never been the best judge of character. If anything, she was quick to befriend people and quick to believe in those around her. She locked eyes with him, noticing a cool glint she couldn't quite place. While Cain was mostly an open book, Keida had always been more of mystery. The three of them had spent numerous childhood summers together, and yet, Keida had eventually drifted apart. She felt somewhat guilty for not keeping in touch as much as she could have, while Cain, seemed to move on to different friend groups.<br/><br/>Keida kindly offered her breakfast and she broke into a grin. "You do know it's three in the afternoon, right? But breakfast is good, and it's been waaaay too long since we hung out." She fell into step with him, ready to follow him into his house without a second thought. "I can help whip up something to eat."