Revenge is Best Served… After Reborn

Suddenly, Odie reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. It was as if this was the only way he could find even a bit of calm. The suddenness of it left Sophie momentarily stunned.

"What's up with you?" Sophie asked, a bit baffled. "Did you get out of bed on the wrong side this morning?"

Odie kept holding onto her, not letting go. "Seriously, what's going on? Do you need me to take you to the nurse?"

"Just don't talk," Odie murmured in a low voice. "Let me hold you for a little while."

Sophie could feel her legs starting to ache. Odie was a good head taller than her, and if she wasn't standing on tiptoe, her whole head would probably be buried in his chest. "Could you ease up a bit? I can hardly breathe here," Sophie gasped.

Who wakes up and feels the need to hug a near-stranger like this, she wondered. Maybe sensing she was about to pass out, Odie suddenly let her go, looking a bit surprised at himself. Sophie instinctively stepped back, almost stumbling.

Odie was a bit shocked by his own behavior. He'd felt a sudden panic, worried he might be stuck in this dream forever. But when Sophie appeared, she seemed to be the anchor of this world for him. Holding her was the only time he felt grounded, felt real.

"Are you running a fever? You look a bit flushed," Sophie said, reaching out to check his forehead. But Odie quickly swatted her hand away.

"What does it matter to you if I'm sick?" Odie said, his face a bit stern. "Don't sneak up on me like that again, or you'll regret it."

Sophie was puzzled. "I said hi right to your face earlier, and you ignored me. Or maybe your family has a history of mental illness, which.

would explain your odd behavionoveldrama

get it, it's not something you an control, so you don't have to-"

"You're the one with mental issues," Odie said, rolling his eyes. What was Sophie thinking? Her thoughts

seemed to jump from one thing to another, all kinds of wild ideas

popping into her head.

"I didn't mean you're mentally ill, just that lots of people have a family history of it. It's not worth jumping off a building over."

Odie rubbed his temples, feeling a bit exasperated. He didn't want to keep talking to Sophie right now.

“First, I don't have a family history of mental illness. Second, that's not why I'd jump off a building. Third, I have no plans to jump off a building," Odie clarified. "Got it?"

"Yes!" Sophie nodded earnestly. "I get it!"

With one sentence, Odie felt like everything he'd said had gone to waste. He stepped aside, making a path. "Go to class, stay away from me. I don't want to see you right now."

"We're in the same class. If I go to class, what are you going to do?" Sophie asked.

Odie felt like he was wrapped up in an octopus's grip. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, "Mind your own business."

Right now, his main focus was

figuring out how to get out of this

dream, not wasting time with a

Sophie NPC. The more he thought about it, the more restless he

became. Instinctively, he reached for a cigarette, only to find his pockets empty.