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During the past few weeks, Chase and Buddy had grown apart.
It was first caused by Chase's distractedness, but slowly, the gap between them grew icy.
Time was running out. Chase had started appearing less and less in books. And Buddy was growing more and more convinced that he was hiding something, or that he was angry at him.
Buddy was sure it was the second.
After all, they had argued the last time they had talked.
------------- *Switches to Chase's perspective*---------------
In his bedroom, Chase slams down his phone.
Comfort-watching TikTok couldn't fix anything.
This was too big. The feeling of betrayal and broken trust was too strong.
Chase still cannot believe that Buddy had been stealing the narratonin from him this entire time.
He had a vague feeling he was being petty about this.
After all, it was a huge thing to admit. And Buddy might have something urgent that he needed to use it for.
But...
Still, after everything they had agreed on about trust, it was a crushing revelation.
His mom was in desperate need of a cure- and to think that if Buddy hadn't stolen all of the narratonin, she'd be cured by now! He'd told Buddy, leaving himself so vulnerable and he'd thought that maybe- maybe-
Maybe things could be different.
If things had been different... if Buddy had never stolen the narratonin or Chase had never met Buddy...
Maybe Buddy could change things. Maybe he could fix things and...
But he couldn't bring himself to talk to Buddy or do anything to do with him.
It wouldn't help- he knew it. He still needed to do the books.
So, even if Buddy was a thief and an even bigger jerk than Chase had imagined, he still had to try to help his mom.
Chase got out of his bed and stomped to the stairs that led up to the attic.
As his fingers slid through the cool metal bars, Chase could not help the tears that ran down his face. After everything- those kisses- those dumb, naive caresses he had given to that hot jerk- Chase had tricked himself into believing that Buddy could be a good person!
Instead, Deacon was right.
Buddy could apparently steal from them and have no guilt. Even though Chase had given him so much trust and information- he hadn't returned it.
Chase angrily went up the ladder, banging his body at least 20 times on the way up against the metal.
He was too miserable to care.
Once he had reached the attic, he grabbed a random book and made eye contact with Silver.
She asked no questions, just poofed into a key.
Chase took her, his hands shaking a little. Then, before he could change his mind, he stuck it into the random book.
FLASH!
------------- *Switches to Buddy's perspective*---------------
Buddy was honestly surprised that Chase would go into another book.
He knew he'd messed up. If Buddy were Chase, he would probably never want to see him again.
As it was, Buddy didn't even want to see himself either.
He'd wished he could slap himself when he saw the hurt in Chase's honey-brown eyes, and the betrayal that had cracked out of Chase's voice, and the tears that had leaked out of Chase's eyes.
Then, what had he done?
Buddy had stammered a half-thought out apology and half the alphabet then done nothing but go home and sulk.
Still...
Maybe he could change things. Maybe he could fix everything. Maybe things could be different.
He just needed one chance.
Buddy lifted Violet's key and stepped into another world.
Where maybe... just maybe...
They could be on the same page.