Seeking Advice

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera had been upset all week. She didn't know what to do about her situation. James Potter had told her he loved her. This was after a very nasty run in with the press. Kiera was certain there was a lying article in the process of being written at this moment. This Cynthia, a gossip columnist, had accused Kiera being James's girlfriend, using him and Alex. Kiera had insisted this was wrong but Cynthia seemed like a pro at twisting her words around. Kiera's eyes were slightly puffy. She was conflicted in her feelings with no clear solution. What could she do?

Kiera made her way to the lakefront, sitting under her favorite tree. Kiera pulled her knees up against her chest and hugged them tight. She laid her head on her knees. Kiera was under entirely too much pressure. She was unknowingly loosing weight from it. Her already tiny frame was beginning to look frail. A tear leaked from her eye as she thought about James and Alex.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi walked outside, eager to get some fresh air, after being cooped up for most of the week working on her lessons. She decided to head to one of her favorite places at the school, the lakefront, to sit and enjoy the feel of the breeze. As she reached the tree that she usually sat beside, Cyndi realized that it was already occupied. Quickly, she realized that it was Kiera sitting there. Her friend looked a lot thinner than usual, which was saying something as her friend was already pretty thin to begin with.

In a bright voice, Cyndi said "Hi Kiera. What's up?" as she dropped down beside her friend. When she saw Kiera's face, she instantly realized that something was wrong. Kiera looked as if she had been crying for hours. "Oh Kiera...what's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone with her face mirroring her tone.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera raised her head as heard someone beside her. It was her old roommate and best friend, Cyndi. She looked at the older girl, thinking she could help. "Last weekend I was in Brightstone and I went into Madam Puddifoots to grab a bite to eat. James spotted me. He came looking for me since he knew I had the weekend off. Anyways, we were just having a normal conversation. We really were just friends now." Kiera said, knowing they could no longer be just friends.

"Suddenly, flashes were going off in my eyes. A camera was in my face taking pictures of me with James. This vile reporter Cynthia kept questioning me and saying I was his girlfriend. James and I both denied it but she wouldn't leave it alone. I even said I already had a boyfriend." Kiera said all in a rush. Tears started pouring silently out of her eyes. "I just know she is going to write some awful column for the Prophet. Who knows what she will accuse me of. What am I going to say to Alex?" she said, clearly distraught.

Kiera lowered her face again. She couldn't face the judgment that had to be on Cyndi's face. The older girl had been there last year. She knew the history between James and Kiera. "James and I left. He pulled me into an alley. He kissed me but I pushed him away. I don't want to hurt Alex ever again. Not like last time." she said shaking her head. Cyndi knew how badly she had been hurt by hurting Alex last year. "But then James told me he thought he loved me. He loves me! What the hell am I supposed to do?" she said her voice raising slightly. "He told me to think about it and decide. Its all up to me." she said, sobbing once more. Kiera had no clue what she was going to do.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi listened to Kiera as she jumped straight into the story of why she was so sad. As her friend told her that she had been with James, Cyndi closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, knowing that the rest of the story was probably going to go downhill. She knew the history between James and Kiera was interesting to say the least. Opening her eyes, Cyndi returned to listening.

Her jaw dropped as Kiera spoke about a reporter coming in and seeing them. "Oh no" she said unable to stop herself from interrupting. She was so into the story that at first, she didn't even realize Kiera had asked her a question. "I...I don't know...you've got to tell him soon though" she said nervously. Her finger found its way to her mouth and she nibbled unconsciously on one of her nails as she continued to listen.

Even though Cyndi already knew how James felt about Kiera, she was still shocked to hear the next part of the story. James said what? Cyndi thought, eyes going wide at the news. Holy crap, this is going to be bad. "Kiera..." she began and then fell silent again. She filled the silence by giving her friend a hug.

Trying again, Cyndi looked straight at her friend and said "I can't believe James would put that on you..." she began a little angrily. Her voice softened, not wanting to upset Kiera more. "You've got to figure this out and fast. James is obviously not going to accept you as a friend, so you've got to decide whether or not you want to be with him." Cyndi stopped again, rolling her eyes at the situation James had left her in. It was really unfair of him in her opinion. "And...you've got to tell Alex either way. Let him hear about this from you and not the Daily Prophet or James." Cyndi felt terrible for Alex. She thought he was a really nice guy and knew that he would be very hurt.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera leaned into Cyndi's hug. She really needed a hug at that point. She was overwhelmed and distraught at the decision she was going to have to make. It was unlike any other choice she had ever made. This choice would influence the rest of her life dramatically. "I know I have to tell Alex and I will. I just don't know what to say. What if he doesn't believe me?" she said worriedly. Alex would have every right not to trust Kiera after what happened last year. "I do love him." she said quietly.

Kiera looked at Cyndi, straight in the eyes. Her chocolate eyes were wide and filled with confusion. "I didn't even know James felt that way about me. He told me to be with Alex." she said. Kiera wasn't sure if she had ever mentioned that fact before. The news had certainly caught her off guard to say the least. "Cyndi, I don't know what to do. I would be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for James." she said. Kiera didn't know if she loved James but there was something there that she didn't have with anyone else. "How can I choose between them?" she said, her voice sounding panicky.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi sighed heavily, knowing that she would only be able to help so much. "Alex loves you so of course he'll believe you. It's not as if you knew James was going to show up or that Cynthia woman..." she responded in a low voice. She wanted to try and calm her friend down, even though inside she was feeling a bit jumpy herself. This situation was bad, very bad.

Listening to Kiera admit that she did have feelings for James, Cyndi nodded sadly. She knew that it was true too. "I think...it comes down to two things" Cyndi began slowly, trying to choose her words carefully. "Which of the guys could you not live without? Because, you can't have both sweetie" Cyndi looked Kiera straight in the eyes as she said this. "If you try, this will just keep happening over and over again...and that's not fair to anyone. Not you, not James and not Alex"

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera listened to Cyndi. The older girl seemed to believe that Alex loved her. Kiera herself wasn't so sure. Those exact words had never come out of his mouth. Kiera knew Alex cared a lot about her and didn't want to be without her but did he love her? "I hope you are right." Kiera responded. "The situation couldn't be much worse than this. I can just see all the hate mail from James's adoring fans. Alex is going to be hurt." she said,her voice shaking.

Kiera's eyes spilled tears as Cyndi said she couldn't have both boys. She knew that but she wished it wasn't true. She couldn't imagine her life without either boy. "Cyndi, I don't want to be without either one. How can I choose? I love them both. They are so different." she said quietly.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

"Either way someone is going to be hurt" Cyndi added in a sad way. "You're already hurting..." she stated, putting one hand on top of her friend's and using her wand in the other to conjure a tissue for Kiera. She handed it over. "It's a hard choice to make" she said, not even pretending that she would be able to make the decision Kiera would have to, "I don't even know what I would do if I had to deal with something like this..."

Even though Cyndi didn't really like James all that much, deep down inside, she knew that he would probably treat Kiera well though she couldn't truly be sure because she didn't know him all that well. She actually liked Alex, so it was easier for her to believe that he had Kiera's best interests at heart.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera took the tissues from Cyndi with a grateful look on her face. She dabbed at her deep brown eyes. She had no idea what she wanted to do. Kiera shook her head at Cyndi. "I would rather hurt than hurt either one of them." she mumbled. It was true. She would suffer great pain for both Alex and James. "I just don't know how to make a choice like this." she said shaking her head. "They are both so good to me." she said helplessly.

Kiera thought that this decision would affect the rest of her life as she knew it. James would take her down one path while Alex would take her down a separate path. Neither path would be easy but they would both be filled with love and happiness, that she knew for sure. What she didn't know which path was the best for her.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

"I know..." Cyndi said with a frown. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked and then continued, "What is it that you like about both of them? Maybe thinking about that could help you figure out which one makes you happier." It was just a suggestion, but she knew that Kiera had to try and figure this out. It was an important decision and she hoped she would be able to help in some way.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera considered Cyndi's question. It was a good one to help her sort all this out. She was silent for a moment as she considered what Cyndi was saying. "Well, Alex can always make me laugh. He doesn't let me take anything too seriously when I start to get stressed out or worried about something. He's smart and kind and when I'm with him its as if nothing else exists in world." she said, smiling. Kiera really did love Alex. "And James, well everything is a surprise. I feel safe with him, secure. I could talk to him for hours. When I'm with him, its like I'm flying, above everyone else and no one can reach us." she said, knowing in her heart that she loved James too.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi listened to Kiera's answers and realized that although the question had made her think, it hadn't really accomplished anything. "That didn't really help, did it?" she said with a wry smile because it was easy to see that both guys made Kiera feel good when she was with them. She had feelings for them for very different reasons.

"Ok" Cyndi said, moving on, "what don't you like about them? There has to be something that turns you off about James and Alex..." she emphasized, hoping that this question would prove to be more helpful.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera shook her head at Cyndi's question. It was a good question but it hadn't accomplished anything. Kiera loved the two boys for different things. Cyndi's next question was much harder. Nothing came to her off the top of her head. She had to think for a few moments about what she was going to say. "Cyndi, I don't know. They both have similar faults. I just don't know." she said placing her head in her hands.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi patted Kiera's back as she sat with her head between her hands. "Don't be so hard on yourself Kiera." she said sympathetically. "I know you can figure this out. It's just not something you can do in a few minutes." Cyndi knew that the decision was likely to take her friend a while to figure out. She knew Kiera wouldn't make the decision lightly.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

As Cyndi spoke, a thought suddenly occurred to Kiera. A panicked look rose to her face. Her eyes widened. "What if I make the wrong decision?" she asked worriedly. How would she know that who she picked wasn't the right one for her. "I just can't see a solution." Kiera admitted to Cyndi. This was a situation some girls wanted. They liked boys fighting over them but not her.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi sighed. It was entirely possible that Kiera could make the right decision-for now, and later come to find that it was the wrong one. "I don't know" she said honestly, "You'll just have to do your best. James will have to understand your decision either way, especially since he placed you in this crazy situation and Alex...he'll have to deal with it too." There really was nothing more Kiera could do. Cyndi had always thought that it would be a great thing to have guys fighting over her, but seeing the trouble and distress Kiera was in, she was beginning to reconsider that feeling.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera sighed. Cyndi was right. They would both except whatever she said. The two boys were entirely too good to her. She loved them both and didn't love one more than other. She shook her head at Cyndi. "I guess I just need to think about it more than this. I can't make the decision now or even in the next week." she said, knowing this was going to take a while for her to work it all out.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi nodded. "Just don't let anyone rush you" Cyndi warned, hoping that both guys would respect Kiera and give her the time she needed to come to a decision. Looking at a huge gray cloud moving closer to the school, Cyndi added, "I think we should probably head in..." She got ready to stand up.