Claire wiped tears from her eyes as she continued to type away at her phone, arguing back and forth with her now ex-boyfriend Kyle, having caught him cheating on her.. with his step-sister. Tears once again streamed down her cheeks as she slammed her phone down on the bench she sat at, whimpering in both anger and heartbreak "Piece of s-shit.. fuckin.. a-asshole!" Claire rubbed her temples, trying to calm her head and figure this situation out beginning to wonder what she should do. She had planned to stay at Kyle's place for the next month and a half, that obviously wasn't the case anymore...

"Uh..." Claire glanced over at the figure who approached her. She hadn't recognized him right away due to how many years had passed and their being in separate high schools now, "Oh hey Trevont! How have you been?" Her voice was weak and cracked slightly from crying, betrayal etched into every syllable. She paused for a moment before continuing, "Look, I'm kinda... in the middle of something right now..."

Claire hesitated for a moment before responding. "It's a long story," she said softly, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I... caught my boyfriend cheating on me. With his own sister. I-I just need some time alone, okay?" Her eyes welled up with fresh tears as she thought about everything that had happened.

"It is," she sniffled, her voice shaky. "I'm just... really hurt right now." Claire sat there on the bench, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to comprehend what had happened. She didn't want to talk about it or think about it anymore; all she wanted was for this pain to go away.

"There aren't," she snapped at him, her voice harsh despite herself. "Or, at least... there weren't. I don't trust anyone anymore after this." Her eyes narrowed as she glared at a random point in the distance, trying to avoid looking at Trevont directly.

"I just want to go back home," she mumbled under her breath. "To Wheatvale... where it was safe and I knew everyone." The thought of going back to that orphanage filled her with a strange mixture of longing and dread.

"I don't want to," she whined childishly, "I just wanna be by myself." Her body shivered as another wave of cold air blew past them, causing her to pull her sweater tighter around herself. She tried not to let Trevont see how much his words were affecting her, but it was hard when he seemed so sincere.

"I'm sorry if I'm being a brat," she mumbled eventually, "but right now I just want some space." Her heart ached as she imagined spending Christmas alone; an orphanage sounded preferable to facing her family without Kyle by her side.

"I... don't know," she stammered, surprised by the offer. "It's just... you and I haven't talked in so long, and Kyle was my boyfriend..." She trailed off, not wanting to explain further why staying with Trevont would be a bad idea. A small part of her wanted to say yes though; the thought of spending time with someone who actually cared about her, even if it was just for a little while...

"I'll think about it," she finally said, giving him a weak smile. "Thank you."

Claire glanced at Trevont out of the corner of her eye as they continued to walk, still uncomfortable with the idea of staying at his place but also feeling increasingly cold and alone. She sighed softly, debating whether or not it would be a good decision to accept his offer.

I don't know... maybe it wouldn't be so bad. It's just for a month or so, and you were always nice to me back in high school. Maybe some time apart from everything will help me figure out what I want to do next...

"I'm actually pretty hungry..." Claire replied hesitantly, still unsure about whether she should trust Trevont enough to go out for food with him. She glanced at her phone, wondering if there was somewhere else she could eat that would be more familiar and less intimidating. But then again, part of her was craving the comfort of someone's company right now...

Well... if you really want to, I guess that could be okay. Let's just find someplace casual and quick; I don't feel like waiting around long in this cold. And please understand that it's only because Kyle betrayed me that I'm even considering this. Otherwise, I'd rather just be by myself right now.

Hmm... alright, let's try that place over there with the colorful lights then. And something simple and filling; I don't want to end up stuffing myself or spending too much money.

Claire glanced at Trevont sideways as he said that, trying not to let her distrust show on her face too obviously. She appreciated the offer, but she didn't want him to think she was some sort of charity case just because Kyle had screwed her over. Plus, it wasn't like she would be staying at his place for much longer... Well, thank you anyway... I appreciate that you'd be willing to treat me. But remember, we can always split the check later if you want. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings or anything between us.

Claire felt herself relax slightly as they arrived at the restaurant and found a cozy table by the window. She gazed out at the snow-covered streets, the warm lights reflecting off of everything, trying to escape from her thoughts for a moment...