[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/2AVljdo.gif[/img][/centre]
Alayna looks up at Rebecca, blinking. To say she is surprised by the girl's defense of her and her clan is an understatement. She's heard the rumors before and, honestly, she hardly pays them any mind herself. They were only made because of the fear of the unknown, the fear of what her family could do. After all, no one else in the coven knows truly what happened to her original coven other than her own people and the Elders. And no one else needs to know, really. The past is the past. 

It takes her some time to give a reply, digging into the rest of her food as she thinks of how to respond. Finally, "[color=ed1c24]Thanks, I guess,[/color]" is the best she can manage, giving the other girl a wave goodbye as she leaves to go to her assigned seat. Alayna's mind drifts back to her previous thoughts now that she's alone again, looking down at the one leg of chicken she has left on her plate. To eat it or not to eat it. That is the question. And her answer to it comes in the form of feedback from a microphone coming over the speaker near her, her eyes automatically flicking to its source. 

Sister Deborah Ledoux, the most powerful witch in the coven and, thus, the head of it. Alayna has only ever spoken to her once before, the day she'd started her witch training. Yet, despite this day being so long ago, Sister Deborah's eyes still seem to be the same as it was back then. Full of wisdom. The kind of wisdom that makes her uncomfortable because of its strength. 

Alayna hopes to be like that one day. 

When people turn to cheer on her and her fellow initiates, she has to fight off the urge to duck and hide. The moment is quickly over, though, and as Sister Deborah calls all the names of the initiates this year, Alayna can't help but feel a little bad that she only recognizes a few of them. The witch tells herself that it's because of the sheer number of candidates this year but she knows better. She's never had the nerve to try and make friends of any of them, the small friendship she has with Rebecca being nothing short of a miracle. 

[i][color=ed1c24]Well, it's too late to change any of that now.[/color][/i] With this thought, Alayna takes a bite of her last leg of chicken and dumps her plate in the nearby bin, satisfied for now with what she's eaten and no longer having the time for a second plate, anyway. She finishes her lemonade as well, throwing the cup away and making her way to the meeting place by the house. She finds a spot where she can get away with not interacting with anyone if she wants to, sitting on the grass and leaning her head against the wall. 

[i][color=ed1c24]Almost there, [/color][/i] is the thought that drifts across her mind as her eyes close.