I stopped after a step and glanced back at her. She didn't move, just crossed her arms and waited. Great. I wish I just stayed in the forest for a little while and dodged this whole encounter. But, here I was. With my damn luck.
"Okay…"
I approached the bench slowly. The closer I got, the more the hostility sharpened. Jelda's friends looked ready to throw hands if I took one wrong step.
"Go away," one of her friends snapped, stepping in to block my path. "She doesn't need this right now."
"I'm not here to cause trouble," I replied, keeping my hands visible and palms open. "The Professor sent me."
"And what are you going to do? Just leave her alone!" the other one added, her voice rising in protective anger.
"Let him pass," Professor Kroua commanded from behind me.
"NO!" she shrieked, her body recoiling as if I'd struck her. "GODS, NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!"
"You're upsetting her!" her friend yelled, reaching for my shoulder. "Get out of here!"
"Let him."
