by Rue Volley
“You are a warrior, protecting this city that we hold sacred,” she whispered to him.
His eyes rolled in his head and his body relaxed. Sophia pulled chalk from her sleeve and leaned down, scribbling symbols all around him. She stood up and closed her eyes and started to chant in Latin. His body started to mist, and within a few seconds it was gone. Nothing left in its place.
She walked to the edge of the tower and stared down at the two girls pulling flowers from the garden. She closed her eyes and light started to flash from her hands and then her whole body. She opened her mouth and the yellow mixed with the green that had come from the guard, started to flow from her mouth. It drifted from her and crept down the sides of the tower, crawling around it like a snake. The mist suddenly shot across the ground and raced towards the city itself. Sophia opened her eyes and watched as it sped across and infiltrated every building and the council itself. She sighed and looked at her hands.
“I have purged you of this doubt, sweet Valon,” she whispered.
She turned and walked to the stairs. She stopped and looked to where the guard had laid. She clinched her fist to her chest and flashed down the stairs.
***
I never even really slept the rest of that night. My ears had been ringing and my fingers vibrated, like I was touching the dryer as it ran. I sat up in my bed when I started to see the sunlight crawling in the window. I rubbed my head and yawned.
“Well… that sucked,” I muttered to myself, swinging my legs off the bed and touched the floor.
There was nothing worse than insomnia. I suffered from it for years, in between falling asleep and waking up in different parts of the house. I just knew that a new cycle of me being exhausted was on its way. That sucks. You would think that after everything that has happened that my body would be like, “hey… I know that you have dealt with enough crap, so I’ll tell you what… you can sleep… I’ll give you that.”
I grinned as I grabbed my toothbrush and realized that I had resumed my internal psychotic conversation with myself. I turned my toothbrush on and shook my head as I looked into the mirror. I have dark circles today… awesome. I guessed my ‘looking kinda hot’ streak may be coming to a glorious end. I peeked around the corner and heard my door open.
“Do not be a boy,” I muttered to myself as I closed my eyes and wished.
I heard Theodore’s voice and grinned as I spit in the sink. He cleared his throat behind me.
“Okay,” he said as he held out a glass with swirling color in it.
I looked at him in the mirror and spit again, letting it hang from my mouth.
He “eeew'd” out loud and I turned to him and took the glass from his hand.
“You don’t like spit?” I asked as I raised the glass and gulped down my immortal cocktail.
He cleared his throat and shook his head.
“I guess not,” he said as I handed the glass back to him.
I turned on the water and scooped a handful. I put it to my mouth and swished it and then spat it in the sink. He blinked and walked to the door. I laughed as I rubbed the towel on my chin. Funny how he could hate spit… but he could stab somebody in the heart and it was just nothing.
I grabbed my jeans and a t-shirt, that read ‘not today’, and headed downstairs. I was pulling my hair up in a ponytail when I stepped into the usual morning crap. I stopped when I saw Josh flipping his blade into the ceiling. I looked up as it stuck and he grinned at me.
“Could you not do that?” I asked as I walked to the kitchen and took my regular seat.
He walked in, turned his chair backwards and straddled it. I grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it. I swear to god… food is starting to lose its flavor. It tasted like I had burnt my tongue on something hot and my taste buds were dead. I dropped the toast but swallowed the bite anyway. I looked up and Johnathan came running down the stairs. He smiled and hit the door running. I looked at Sam and she shrugged her shoulders.
“Where is he going?” I asked to anyone who might know the answer.
“He is seeing some girl today,” Theodore said, as he sat down at the table.
“Some girl?” I asked him.
Josh glanced at me and threw his blade into the kitchen ceiling. I looked up at it and back down to him.
“Why?” I asked him. He smiled and stood up.
He jumped up and pulled it out, sitting back down very gracefully. I tilted my head at him.
“I guess because he likes her,” Theodore said, not realizing that I was talking to Josh.
“No, I… never mind,” I said as I stood up and grabbed my black leather coat from the chair in the living room. Josh flashed up behind me. He leaned into my ear.
“Whatcha doin'?” he asked me. I pulled my coat on and turned to him. He was too close to me and I stepped back from him.
“I am going to see Sara,” I said to him.
He placed his blade on the table and looked at me. I stood there looking at him, waiting for more… but he just stood there. I walked to the door and he followed me. I turned to him.
“You can hang out here,” I said. He grinned and shook his head, “no”.
I placed my hands on my hips and looked up at him. Why does he have to look so good...? I mean, really? He grabbed his coat.
“Let’s go,” he said, as he waved a hand at the door.
I turned and walked out. I mean, what good would arguing be…? He’s coming with me, I know it, he knows it… everyone knows it.
I jumped down from the steps and started to walk. He jogged up beside me and I could see him grinning. I put my sunglasses on and bit my lip, trying not to give him a smile. He put his arm around me and I sped up to let it fall off of me. He laughed and caught up with me.
“I am getting the feeling that you hate everybody today,” he said to me as I reached the sidewalk and took a left.
“I did not sleep Josh… I could not fall back to sleep. I lay there and listened to crickets all night long,” I said as I kept walking.
He ran in front of me and started to walk backwards grinning.
“I slept like a baby,” he said.
“Awesome,” I muttered to him. He leaned in and pulled my shades down.
“Oh,” he said as he pushed them back up my nose. I stopped walking.
“What?” I said.
“Oh nothing,” he said to me. I rubbed my head and started to walk again.
“Well, what was the ‘oh’ for?” I said to him.
He looked at me and wiggled his finger under his eye.
“You got the dark circle thing goin' on,” he said. I stopped in my tracks.
No, he didn’t just call me out on it.
He stopped and looked back at me grinning. He knew he was aggravating the crap out of me.
“I did not sleep. That’s what happens when you don’t sleep Josh,” I said.
I pulled my hood up on my jacket and pushed on. He once again found himself next to me.
“You know… with that outfit and the dark circles you could be in a band,” he said.
I bit my lip, trying not to snicker. I am too damn grumpy to play.
“Uh huh,” I said to him. He grinned and held his hands out in front of him.
“Okay… so, how about this…” he held his hands up and looked at them. “Grumpy Bitches,” he said, as he pulled his hands outward. I looked at him and shook my head.
“That’s a crap band name, Josh,” I said.
“Well… what would you call it?”
He just had to ask me… didn’t he? I looked at him and squinted my eyes behind my sunglasses; he probably could tell because my nose crinkles up when I do that.
“Ummm… how about ‘My Love Bleeds’,” I said. He waited to laugh.
“Oh my god… like that time of the month?” he asked me.
“No… Oh god no, you ass,” I said, as I started to lose my seriousness.
He held his side as he worked out the laughter.
“Why
don’t you just call it ‘My Bloody Tampon’ and get right to the point?” he said as he bent over and laughed some more.
“Geezus,” I muttered as I pushed past him.
I looked back as he wiped a tear from his eye and he caught up to me.
“Really Rue… give me another one,” he said.
I wanted to stop, but I just couldn’t… regardless of his royal ass-ness, I suddenly started wanting to play along.
“Okay… how about ‘As I Stare at Your Picture and Think of How Many Ways I Could Kill Myself’?”
He fell down. I stopped and looked down at him. He laughed so hard I started to laugh myself.
He held up his hands to me.
“So…” he tried to say as he laughed. “That band name would be cut down to what on the cover of their CD...? AISAYPATOHMWICKM?”
I died… I laughed so hard my side hurt.
He then pronounced it and I fell next to him. I looked at him as he laughed.
“It wouldn’t even fit on a t shirt,” I said as I caught my breath.
He kicked his legs and I hit him in the chest. Our laughter died down and he sat up. He pushed himself up and held his hand out to me. I took it and let him pull me up.
“Thanks,” I said. He leaned down in front of me and I stared at his back.
“Are you offering a piggy back ride?” I asked him. He nodded and I jumped on his back.
He stood up no problem and continued down the sidewalk. I held onto his back and he laughed again, thinking about our conversation. I looked over and saw Sara’s car at Coffee. I tapped him on the head and he stopped.
“What?” Josh said.
“Sorry… her car is here,” I said to him as he let my legs go and I started to jump down.
Johnathan stepped out and had a girl with him. I looked at him and then at her. She was small, like me… long hair, like me. He leaned over and said something to her. She laughed. They started to walk towards his Black BMW and I crossed the street. Johnathan looked up and saw me. Josh followed me and we stopped right in front of them. I looked at him and half smiled. Josh came up behind me and grabbed my hand. Johnathan smiled and looked down at the girl.
“This is Brittany,” Johnathan said. I looked at her.
“Hi… I’m Rue and this is Josh,” I said to her. She smiled and looked at Johnathan.
I stared at her a little too long. Johnathan cleared his throat.
“Well, we were just leaving… gonna hike at Red Wood,” he said.
“At Red Wood?” I asked.
Johnathan grinned. “Yep.”
I leaned up to her. “Watch out for vans,” I said to her. She grinned… she was cute, but she had no idea what I meant.
Johnathan looked at her. “She’s joking,” he said to her.
Josh grabbed me from behind and hugged me. Johnathan stared him down and grabbed Brittany’s hand. He started to pull her along with him. I watched him open her door up and she got in. He closed it and walked around to his side and looked back at me. I stared at him for a moment.
Josh kissed me on the neck and we walked into Coffee. I looked around and didn’t spot Sara in our regular spot. I looked over at the corner and a crowd was gathered around that booth. I heard them all bust out in laughter and I looked at Josh. I stepped up to the counter and ordered. Josh stood behind me and we both turned our heads when Sara stepped up on the table and everyone started to laugh. I saw her and she turned her head to me. She looked amazing... dressed in black, head to toe. Her hair hung down around her shoulders. She held out her hand to a cute boy and he took it and helped her step down.
I got handed my drink and turned just as she walked up to me. I looked down at her boots and up to her mini skirt. She had a black shirt on, buttoned low. I got caught on the cleavage I didn’t know she had and she leaned up to me.
“Girlie,” she said. I looked into her eyes and she looked different. I smiled.
“Holy Crap Sara. You look really… ummm, different,” I said. Josh turned to her and looked her up and down. He got caught around her cleavage too and I nudged him.
“Hey Sara,” he said, as he tilted his head. Sara leaned up to him.
“Hello Josh,” she said.
I cleared my throat, as I started to feel underdressed… in a coffee shop, of all places.
“I thought that you were going to call me yesterday Sara?” I asked her.
She was staring at Josh. I leaned up to her.
“Earth to Sara?” I said.
“Yea, oh... sorry about that. I got caught up,” Sara said.
I smelled her, she smelled really, really good.
“What are you wearing Sara…? It smells amazing.”
She grinned and looked at me and then back to Josh.
“It’s called ‘Seduction’s” she said as she stared at Josh.
I snapped my fingers in her face and she grinned at me.
“Listen, I gotta go Ruebear… catch ya later,” she said as she turned and walked away from me. Her skirt was way too freakin short. She walked over to a table full of boys and bent over. Josh turned his head sideways as she leaned forward. I grabbed his arm and turned him toward me.
“What the F?” I said to him. He rubbed his neck. I saw some color swirl on his skin. I looked at it.
“Really Josh...? Nice,” I said as I stared at him.
The table laughed and one boy stood up and Sara grabbed his hand. They walked out the door together and I looked at Josh.
“That was freakin weird,” I said to him. He looked at me and blinked a couple of times.
“Okay… that was Sara right?” he asked me.
I looked out into the parking lot and watched the boy get into her car and they drove away.
“Yes… it was, but she was all sexed up,” I said. Josh laughed.
“Maybe she got laid, Rue, it has a way of changing people… especially if it’s done right.”
I looked at him and rolled my eyes.
“Whatever,” I said. He smiled and followed me out the door.
We walked back to the house and didn’t say much. The walk to Coffee was great but the walk home was like losing a sugar high. We stepped up to the house and I saw Theodore on the porch. He was holding the book in his hands. I walked up, with Josh on my heels, and looked at him. He closed the book and took his glasses off. I smiled, half-heartedly.
“You look tired,” he said to me. I rubbed my face.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“No, I didn’t mean that you looked bad… just tired love,” he said as he stood up and touched my face.
“Oh dear,” he muttered.
I looked at him and took my sunglasses off. He leaned in and stared at my eyes. He pulled on my face to open my eye wider. I crinkled my nose.
“What?” I asked him.
“Josh, get Samantha,” he said. Josh leaned around me and looked at my eyes.
“Oh shit,” he muttered. He ran into the house. I looked at Theodore and shook my head.
“I don’t like it when you say ‘Oh dear’.”
Theodore sat me down on the swing and touched my forehead.
“How long have you felt hot?” he asked me. I shook my head.
“I don’t feel hot at all. I feel kinda cold,” I said.
Sam ran onto the porch with Josh behind her. She looked at me and then at Theodore.
She turned to Josh.
“You didn’t notice?” she asked him.
“Notice what?” I said as I yawned. I swear I could just lay down right here.
Theodore stood me up and walked me into the house.
I took about three steps before my feet felt funny. Theodore looked at Josh.
“What did she have while you were out?” he asked him.
I felt dizzy; my eyes were getting really heavy.
“Listen, I’m fine... I gotta lie down, take a nap,” I said as I stumbled.
Josh scooped me up and sat me on the couch. He knelt down in front of me and raised
my chin to his face. He looked into my eyes then back at Theodore.
“God damn it Theodore… all she had was sugar,” he said as he looked back at me.
I started to lie down and Josh sat me up. He held my face to his.
“Listen to me, Rue… you have to stay awake,” he said as he kinda shook me.
I swiped my hand at him. “Screw you… Mr. ‘stare at my BFF’s panties’… you suck,” I muttered at him. Josh shook his head and looked at Sam, who had her hands on her hips.
“I did not,” Josh muttered at her. Sam shook her head at him.
“I am throwing her into ice,” Josh said as he kept pulling me up. I started to grumble at him.
“Let me sleep you ass.” I said to him.
Theodore stepped up as Kai came in. He ran to me and knelt down.
“What the hell is going on!” he said as he half pushed Josh out of the way.
Josh held up his hand. “I’m on point here Kai!”
Kai looked at Sam and then to Theodore.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” he asked them.
Sam flashed out the door and Kai stared at me.
Theodore leaned up to me and placed his hand on my forehead.
“She is burning up, Josh… We have to do something quickly.”
Josh lifted me from the couch and I started to bitch even more, only now it was inaudible gibberish.
Kai grabbed his arm. Josh looked at him.
“I will explain after I make sure she doesn’t die…got me!” he yelled at Kai.
Sam came flashing back in with four large bags of ice in her hands. She flashed to the bathtub and dumped them all in. Josh flashed to the side of the tub and laid me down. He started to pull my t-shirt over my head. I started to laugh.
“I told you that I don’t want to do that,” I said.
Kai tilted his head at Josh and Josh shrugged his shoulders at him.
“Dude,” Kai said to him.
Josh pulled my jeans off and Sam was running super cold water in the tub. Josh lifted me up and looked at my face. My lips were turning white and my eyes were swirling black, almost engulfing the white in both eyes.