Young Writers Society

Maggie is limp, though her breathing is finally back to even as I hold her against my chest. Her color is still a bit faded, but it’s steadily returning to her cheeks, making my concern wain a little. It’s hard to imagine an illusion could have such an extreme effect on someone, especially someone as stubborn as Maggie is. It must have been a harrowing experience, I hope she wasn’t scared.

“Isugoro.”

I blink, looking up to see Dr. Jedmir standing over me. His grin is gentle, much like Dr. Karmida’s, and I grin back. “Yes, Sir?” I reply.

“I have the results of the final part of the test,” he explains.

My eyes widen in surprise as I respond, “Wait, you already know what her death point is?”

Dr. Karmida walks up from behind him, and giggles, looking rather amused. “Well, looking at the data, it was easy to tell just from one swipe what it is. Plus, the options for her were basically fifty, fifty,” she comments.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“As you’ve been told by the Major, Jeweloid Death Points are very crucial pieces of information. That, and they can literally be any part of your body; an organ, a muscle, a vein, it can honestly be anything,” Dr. Jedmir explains, “Class Zeroes, however, are a bit different. Their death points have traditionally been one of two choices; the brain or the heart.”

“Why, we don’t really know, but it has been a trend that has stayed true for every Class Zero in the system,” Dr. Karmida adds, “And Miss LAPIS is no exception.”

“So, which is it?” I ask.

Both pause for a moment, looking a bit unsure as they glance at each other, but it seems Dr. Karmida’s stare wins out. Dr. Jedmir sighs slightly, then returns his gaze, grimacing as he answers simply, “Her heart.”

My brow furrows. The atmosphere in the room has shifted from comfortable to a saddened tenseness. I can tell that they were iffy about relaying the information to me, making me a bit concerned. They must have seen something in her illusion. “What is it?” I ask without thinking.

The two look unsure of how to respond, becoming more awkward. Finally, Dr. Karmida breaks the stalemate. She kneels beside me, her eyes focused tenderly on Maggie. Slowly, she reaches her hand over and places it over Maggie’s heart, her expression sympathetic. Then, she meets my eyes, and her expression saddens a bit. “Be sure to be kind to her when she wakes up,” she says quietly.

With that, she stands and quickly begins to pack up her things with Dr. Jedmir. I watch in slight confusion, but before they can attempt to leave, I scoop Maggie up as gently as I can, and block the doorway. The two look perplexed by my forward actions, unsure what to do now that they have nowhere to go. I look between the both of them, then speak what’s on my mind, “I don’t know what you two saw, and I’m not going to ask you to tell me . . . but please, at least tell me something I can use to help her.”

Both of them look rather stunned by my words. Though, the shock doesn’t stay long, as Dr. Karmida’s expression melts into a smile. She steps closer, and whispers warmly, “She’ll need a hug when she wakes up, she went through a lot. . . . She’ll need one especially from you.”

My eyes widen. Dr. Karmida chuckles, then looks at Maggie. “Although she may qualify as a different species, her heart is still very human. . . . She misses her mom,” Dr. Karmida says kindly, before her gaze meets mine again, “Do you miss your family?”

I’m caught off guard by her asking about my family. What is it about women that makes them so good at turning the conversation back on you? Seriously, it’s a bit scary just how skillfully they can do it. I clear my throat and break off my gaze, trying to find something else to focus on while I think. Then, after a few moments of thought, I deflate a bit, then look back, and grimace as I answer, “Of course I do.”

“Then I think all you need to do to help her is tape into your empathy,” Dr. Karmida replies, before her expression becomes a bit more serious, “That, and clear any misconceptions between you two.”

My mind halts. How does she know anything about my current standing with Maggie? As I stare at her, probably looking rather dumbfounded, a strange idea crosses my mind.

Did she see something about it in Maggie’s illusion?

Immediately, I look down at Maggie, perplexed as I look over her calm expression, looking content as she sleeps. My brow furrows. Is whatever that happened really eating at her so much to the point it’s affecting her heart? Subconsciously, I grip her a bit tighter, and pull her closer to me, which allows her head to rest nicely in the curve of my neck. Dr. Karmida grins, chuckles as she comments to herself, “It seems she’s wrong about you.”

I blink, unsure what to think as she walks away, before Dr. Jedmir walks up to stand in front of me, meeting my confused eyes with a calm that resembles earlier. “A Miss Anyola will be accompanying you to Miss LAPIS’ room,” he instructs, “Please just lay Miss LAPIS down and prepare maybe a glass of water for her. She’ll be very thirsty when she wakes up.”

I fall a bit into myself as I hear Anyola’s name. Great, I did need to talk to that one bothersome girl that really has done nothing but make my time here more complicated. Oh, thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

“Isugoro.”

I turn when I hear my name, and sure enough, there she is. Anyola looks the same as usual; her slanted cut blonde hair is down, her glasses framing her emerald eyes are perfectly in check, and her outfit is the normal slacks, nice shirt, and lab coat, not to mention her handy dandy clipboard. I catch my thoughts and sigh.

Wow, I must really be in a sarcastic mood.

Anyola grins, obviously ignoring Maggie as she stabs her stare into me, hooking her vision to me so she doesn’t have to acknowledge the girl being cradled in my arms. “If you’ll follow me,” she says as she gestures to the door, before turning.

Wait, what just happened?

She didn’t even make a comment, hell, she didn’t even say anything to the doctors. I look from her, to the two standing nearby. They seem to have noticed the weird action, but Dr. Karmida just looks to me and simply shrugs. I nod, understanding her mindset without a single word. With that, I mouth a thank you then follow after Anyola, Maggie still tightly held in my embrace. Anyola walks about ten feet ahead, not looking back once as we travel. Heck, I bet the only reason she knows I’m following is the small patting of our footsteps passing echoes back and forth.

After about five minutes, Anyola finally stops ahead of me. I pause, and sigh, saying simply, “What?”

She turns around, her eyes cooler as she watches me. Slowly, her eyes drift to Maggie, and she cringes a bit, making me slightly irritated. Then, she reconnects her gaze with mine. “I know you’re not stupid-“ she starts.

“Again with this?” I interrupt, “Anyola, will you stop trying to say crap?”

“I’m not saying crap-“ she starts.

“Yes, yes you are!” I say, in disbelief by her oblivious expression, “You keep trying to get me away from her, but she hasn’t even done anything!”

“Not yet, anyway,” Anyola comments.

I roll my eyes, annoyed by her negativity. I turn myself so that I can walk passed her. Although I don’t know the exact way to Maggie’s room, I’m sure I’ll run into someone who can show me the way. I’d rather be a little lost than have to deal with Anyola’s banter. I take a few steps, but am caught off guard as Anyola catches my sleeve, pulling me back to face her. Due to my current situation of cradling Maggie in my arms, I can’t easily pull myself away from her, though I am able to shake off her hold. I turn and send her a sharp stare, causing her to back off a bit. We stand like this for a short while, before I sigh, tired. Then, I speak without thinking, being blunt as I ask, “What’s your problem with Maggie, anyway? What has she specifically done to piss you off?”

Her serious expression shatters, her eyes widening as my question registers in her mind. Slowly, her cheeks start to redden, and she looks away. To busy her slightly shaking hands, she adjusts the clipboard with one hand then straightens her glasses with the other. She focuses her sight on the ground for a few moments, obviously unsure how to respond to my question. Then, her tense demeanor suddenly subsides. She straightens her back, and her face takes on a calm countenance. My eyebrow rises as I watch the strange order of actions, probably relaying her inner conversation. Though, my expression softens as she once again makes eye-contact with me, a look of determination now shining in her emerald eyes. Her cheeks are still tinted pink, but she ignores it as she steps closer to me.

Then she does something that catches me completely off guard.

She lifts her arm as if she’s about to slap me, but instead, she grips the back of my head, and pulls my face downward. I go almost numb as her lips connect with my own, my eyes wide in shock.

Wh-What the hell is she doing?!

She holds me in place, leaving me totally helpless as she kisses me deeply, forcefully. I squeeze my eyes shut as it finally sinks into my brain what is happening, trying to do everything to not freak out. I wouldn’t say Anyola is an awful kisser, but everything about this is wrong. I feel a sinking feeling emerging from my gut, twisting my stomach into a knot. Alarms are going off in my mind, completely consumed in discomfort as she tries to further the kiss. I don’t do much, but I do try to avoid her attempts to make out with me as much as I can.

Oddly enough, I begin to think of Maggie in the awkward situation. I haven’t kissed a girl since I kissed Maggie in the Power Processor, while she was in the Insanity State. I had also been forced into that situation, but unlike now . . . I was happy. Maggie, though not in her right mind, kissed me tenderly, the connection natural as our lips connected again and again. Hell, I had even kissed her back, I made out with her. I don’t know why I was so comfortable with it, anyone in their right mind would’ve probably pushed her away in that moment. Yet . . . I couldn’t. Maybe it was because it had been so long since I had been kissed or just my male hormones acting out- No, that’s not it. I don’t feel anything with Anyola. I want to pull away. I want to leave. I didn’t want anything like this from her.

I wanted to kiss Maggie.

My mind pauses as the thought instates itself in my mind. My teeth clench, causing Anyola to finally pull away. I don’t open my eyes quickly, still trying to process my newest of weird confessions. Though, I slowly blink, finding Anyola’s face only an inch or so from mine. My eyes widen again automatically, searching her eyes to find some sane reason she would’ve done anything like this. Though, she simply grins, her face becoming redder the long we exchange a stare. Then, she whispers, “She’s not an option, she can’t be. . . . Yet, she’s still trying to brain wash you.”

My brow furrows, unsure what she means as we continue to stare. She moves her hand from the back of my head to my cheek, cupping it a moment. Her grin turns to a grimace. “And it appears her wretched ways are starting to work,” she continues, before she moves closer so she may whisper in my ear, “To go down this path means torture for not only you, Isugoro.”

With that, she releases me, then simply walks off, leaving me completely flabbergasted as I try to comprehend what all just happened. I slowly straighten my posture, and just to rid myself of some of my anxiety, I groan to myself, then whisper, “What the hell was that?”

“Mm. . . .”

The short muttering makes me freeze, though, it’s now I remember I’m cradling Maggie in my arms. I look down on her to see she doesn’t look any different than she had minutes ago. Her countenance is relaxed, looking normal now as the color in her cheeks has fully returned. I grimace a bit as I gaze down at her, another type of a sinking sensation spreading through me. Without warning, Maggie squirms slightly in my hold, readjusting herself. Her head rests now in the crook of my neck, and she nuzzles against my skin. I blink, feeling my cheeks warming as she gets comfortable. Though, unlike with Anyola, I’m not uncomfortable, if anything I’m unsure what to do myself. After another moment or so, she stops, now nuzzled comfortably close to me.

I know that I should have a similar reaction to what I did with Anyola, but I can’t help but grin. I squeeze my hold on her, and lean over to peer closer to her face. Her cheeks are a bit pinker than before, but it’s probably due to her trying to adjust. I chuckle, “You seem comfy.”

Then I do something rather out of character; I actually kiss her forehead.

As soon as I realize what I’ve done, I stand rigidly straight and hurry down the hallway to find my way to Maggie’s room. I distract myself from the strange feeling threatening to consume me by trying to focus on the way back to the hallway I followed her down after the Introduction. I rerun the route through my head, trying to recall every turn, or possible marker that could lead me to the correct destination. After about ten or fifteen minutes of walking in what feels like an almost aimless path, I begin to recognize the change in the decorations of the halls, as well as the dimensions. The hall is smaller, about half the size of what I’m used to, and more doors line the walls. Obviously, I successfully found the Jeweloid barracks, though once I get to the memorable doorway where Maggie and I parted last time, I have no idea where to go. I cross the threshold, looking about to see if there is any type of sign that could lead me in the right direction. Unfortunately I see nothing, and sigh.

“Dammit. . . .” I comment.

“Hmm . . ?”

I pause, and look down, surprised to see that Maggie’s beginning to wake up. Her eyes flutter open, and she stretches slightly, moving her head a bit as she begins to look around. Then, she tenses a bit, catching on to being held. To relax her, I shush her a bit, saying softly, “Hey, calm down, it’s just me.”

When she hears my voice, she freezes, her eyes bulging as she stares off into the distance. It takes her a minute to finally move her stare up to meet mine, and when it does, she seems rather shocked to see me. I blink, unsure how to react to her, but I grin anyway, trying to ease out of the awkwardness. “Are you feeling ok?” I ask.

Her expression softens slightly, but her eyes don’t get any smaller. Then, her brow furrows, her voice cracking a little as she trails, “You. . . .”

My eyes widen. “What is it?” I respond, a bit concerned by her vague behavior.

Then, she does the complete opposite of what I was expecting.

She laughs, shaking her head slightly before she throws her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer to me. I gasp in surprise, stumbling back a few steps before I’m able to stabilize myself. She hugs me tightly, and as I try to figure out what’s happening, I begin to make out . . . sniffling. I lean my head slightly so that I can speak into her ear, saying softly, “Maggie, what’s wrong?”

She doesn’t say anything, she just holds me tighter, her sniffling getting louder. Then, she speaks, her voice hoarse as she cries quietly, “You’re ok.”

Wait, I’m ok?

My mind begins to get cluttered with thoughts, unsure how to think as I process her words. Though, I ignore the situation, as one clear idea does come to mind.

I was involved in the illusion.

I pull her closer, leaning my head on hers as I try to shush her again. Her sniffling has transformed into muffled crying, though she quiets a bit as she nuzzles slightly against me. I whisper to her, “Where’s your room?”

She looks up at me, her eyes a bit red. Though, she looks back over my shoulder, then releases one of her hands, gesturing down the hallway as she speaks, “I’m . . . at the end. There’s a locked door before you get to the private room I’m using.”

I follow her direction and quickly find what she described. The door is made of thick metal, three horizontal beams running down to further brace the door. On the side is a panel, about the size of a clipboard, which lights up as we walk closer. Still in my arms, Maggie gestures to it. “Put your hand on it,” Maggie instructs, “Your handprint has been put into the lock’s system for clearance since you’re the first candidate to be my Partner.”

I’m surprised by the statement, though I try to let it sink in as I lean over slightly. I press my hand against the smooth surface, and it’s only a moment before it scans over my palm. It clicks a few times, then suddenly the bars pull back, and the door opens automatically to reveal a much different looking hall than the one I’m currently standing in. I’m hesitant at first for some reason, but Maggie squeezes her hand around my shoulder, as if to tell me it’s safe. I step forward into the hall, and the door behind us quickly shuts, locking loudly as the bars return to their normal barrier places. I continue on, looking around at the changed surroundings.

Unlike in the rest of Gelus, this hallway appears to be regular drywall, painted a warm brown. Elegant light fixtures line the curving hall, their shine revealing that there’s a faint gold leaf-like pattern on the walls. Looking up, I’m shocked to see that the ceiling looks very similar in appearance to Kasami’s; There’s a slim skylight that runs parallel the walls down the middle of the ceiling, trimmed with dark wooden molding, the same type of wood used in the crown-molding and baseboard. As we curve, I start to see more decorations, like a table with a pretty arrangement of flowers sitting on top, a large vase decorated beautifully in many shades of blue, a few paintings ranging in sizes hanging from the walls, each depicting a fanciful landscape.

Then we come to a few doors. Maggie gestures at me to stop, then points at the farthest doors, French style and dark wood, saying, “That’s my room, though there’s another pad.”

I walk over and see what she’s talking about. As I approach, a part in the wall moves up, revealing a security pad hidden underneath, the same as before. I reach out my hand to it, and it scans, but this time, it asks for something rather odd.

Blood.

Maggie whispers in my ear, “It’s because it’s the last security measure to get in, so it’s odd. It doesn’t want much, just a prick.”

As soon as she says that, a small needle appears in one of the corners of the bad, and acting before I can begin to question, I prick my finger quickly on the sharp end. A small ball of blood forms on the tip, and I press it into the indentation that the pad points me to, and soon enough, the pad is scanning it. Then, I hear an automated voice, reciting, “Scanning. . . . Scan Complete. Isugoro Jintez.”

Then, I hear a sharp cranking noise, short, but still intense enough to make me jolt a bit.

“You can go in now,” Maggie says. I follow her words, and open the door, surprised by how heavy it is as I push against it. Once I’m in and shut the door behind me, I’m stunned by the inside. It’s simple, the walls painted a lilac color with a similar pattern decorating the walls, though much more pronounce as a dark purple hue. A small but pretty chandelier hangs in the entrance way, warmly lit as I walk under it into what I guess is a living room. Though not too large, the space is nicely decorated, reminiscent of a ski-lodge with the wooden and leather furniture, large throw rugs, paintings of local animals like wolves, and a large window facing out toward the valley, the natural light tinting to room with a warm, comfy glow. Past a wooden shelving unit, there’s a kitchen, carrying a similar style as the living room. I spot the sink, and then I remember what Dr. Karmida said.

“Water. . . .” I trail.

Instantly, Maggie perks, saying quickly, “Yes please.”

I chuckle, and gently I lay her down on the couch, then place a blanket over her before I make my way to the kitchen. Looking around, I’m impressed. It’s very nice, everything new and still shining like it had just been put in. I find a glass, put ice in it, and fill it until I deem it full, then hurry back to Maggie as I begin to hear her coughing a bit. As soon as I hold it out to her, she grabs it out of my hand, instantly gulping down the drink. She finishes it in a matter of seconds, removing her lips when nothing else will run out of the glass. She hands it back to me, saying, “More, please.”

I grin as I comply, hurrying back to the sink to refill the glass. I believe I do this a good seven or eight times before she finally quenches her thirst to the point that I can finally get her to her room. She’s quiet as she leans against me, her eyes focused on her hand that lays in her lap. I don’t make a comment as I walk through the door she had directed me to, and am surprised by the sights. Unlike the warm but sleek design of the rest of the apartment, her room is much more personal. The walls are a peach color with white trim, looking more like a Victorian Western Orienus style than anything Vesperian. Different pieces of art hanging from the walls, as well as usual decorations you’d expect to see in a girl’s room. The furniture is a mix of white leather and crystal, accented with pale green throw pillows, a hide area rug, and multiple flower arrangements in all sizes.

For some reason, I was not expecting her room to be so girly. She’s so strong willed and into nature that I just assumed her room would be more . . . um-

“Boyish?”

I blink, looking down to see Maggie staring up at me. As soon as our stare connects, she avoids my gaze, still off somehow. I watch her a moment longer, then sigh, walking over to her large bed before I gently lay her down on top of the covers. Her cheeks are a bit reddened, probably due to still being thirsty. Using her thirst as an excuse, I leave the room, not only to retrieve her a larger glass of water, but to give her a bit of space. Once I fill the glass, I lean against the counter, staring into space. After a moment, I rub my face, accidentally going across my lips.

Without warning, the kiss incident from earlier returns to my mind. My body instantly goes rigid, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m gulping down the water I prepared for Maggie. I pause, and spit out what’s left of the water into the sink, unsure what to do. I can’t believe Anyola did that! She’s just trying to aggravate me, I swear.

Then, my prior realization floats to the front of my thoughts, and I freeze again.

“I wanted to kiss her. . . .” I trail, letting the words fall from my mouth as if to verify the thought. I fall slightly, and run a hand through my hair. I chuckle despite the drowning feeling threatening to consume me, whispering, “I enjoyed it. . . . What was different that made me enjoy it?”

I’m at a total loss for words, feeling totally helpless as I just swim in my own uncertainty.

“Isugoro?”

Maggie’s voice drifts from the other room, and immediately I put away any of my own issues. I refill the glass then hurry back to her room, seeing that she’s removed her shoes, and has let her hair loose, allowing her hair to fall nicely in natural curls around her shoulders. She sits up, and grimaces as she looks at me.

“Hey, sorry about that,” I say as I hand her the glass.

She takes it, and stares at for a moment, before she finally connects her eyes with mine. “Are you ok?” she asks, her voice soft.

I grin, and fall a bit so I can be eye-level with her. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, “What makes you think I wouldn’t be?”

Her brow falls, and she looks away for a minute. Then, she sighs, “I don’t know how to explain it.” Weirdly enough, she then giggles a bit to herself, before she looks back at me. Her eyes are warmer, and she acts out of character. She puts her hand to my cheek, and pulls me a bit forward to be only a few inches from her. My heart picks up a bit as I try to keep composed, unsure what she’s doing. Then, she closes the gap a bit, our faces almost touching. I don’t know what to do, gulping. She grins a bit, and says with a velvety edge to her voice, “Y’know, this is the first time I’ve had a boy in my room.”

My eyes widen, and I can sense instantly that red is rising in my face. Everything about this is absolutely wrong. It’s against my thought process, my morals, and more importantly, the Law of Gelus is just resonating through my brain. Yet. . . . I just. . . .

I start to draw closer, surprising her. Though, it seems she’s having the same problem. Her eyes fall slightly, leaning in. The pink hue returns to her cheeks, though she simply places the glass on the side table. Her palm lingers still on my cheek, before her other hand comes up to hold my collar. While one of my hands props me up, my other works its way through her thick sapphire locks, pulling her closer.

“Goro. . . .” she trails.

I can’t really say what happens next.

All I see are flashes of scenes. I see a kind woman’s face, I see vast graves, wind, blood, and menacing eyes. I hear screams, cries of pain and sorrow, and eerie words. Then, I witness the oddest thing; myself.

I’m brutal, cold, and demeaning . . . then I come to, and there’s a sword through my chest.

What the hell is this?!

My eyes snap open, and before another second passes, I’m out the door. I’m almost sprinting as I hurry into the regular hallway, panting hard as I finally break and come to a stop. I brace myself against the wall, breathing rough and hard as I try to keep from freaking out. What was that?! Why did I see that?!

“Isugoro, is that you?”

I jolt, whipping around to see Sammy, of all people, staring at me in what I can best guess is shock. She can tell immediately that something is very wrong, and leans over, putting her hands on my shoulders as she shushes me. “H-Hey, calm down, it’s ok,” Sammy says, searching my eyes, “What’s wrong?”

“I-I don’t know,” I breathe, “I just saw flashes, and then there was a sword-“

“Whoa, whoa, slow down a bit, Honey,” she interrupts, “Damn, what caused this? You’re freaking out.”

“I don’t know, she was there and I just saw things-“

“She?” Sammy repeats, before she connects the dots, “Oh, LAPIS again?” I nod, and she sighs. “Lordy, that girl needs someone else to harass,” she comments, her southern dialect strong.

“She wasn’t harassing me,” I automatically defend, “She . . . she didn’t mean to do whatever happened.”

Sammy raises an eyebrow, looking slightly suspicious, “You sure she wasn’t trying to send you a message?”

I shake my head, “No . . . it was the illusion, I swear.”

Her eyes widen, “Illusion? You mean her Death Point test was today?”

I hesitate, but nod after a moment. Sammy’s expression softens, then she looks away, shaking her head as she appears to be thinking over something. “Man . . . that girl is not getting a break, is she?” she comments, before she falls a bit, “She needs someone to bitch and moan to, ‘cause if she keeps going to you I feel like you’re going to break completely.”

I don’t respond quickly, just flabbergasted by everything I have had to go through today. Sammy seems to sense my stress, as she gently put her hand against my forehead. Almost instantly, I can feel the pressure melting away, and my shoulders fall, the tension giving way to a welcomed sense of peace. I sigh in relief, and Sammy chuckles. “Feeling better?” she asks.

“Yeah, a lot,” I reply honestly. Sammy laughs, her warmth embracing me in a much needed comfort. I give a small smile. She’s a beautiful young woman, full of a nurturing strength that can make anyone feel renewed. I think of Cent as I watch her, and a pang spread through my body.

She really is the perfect girl for him.

“Well, I’m glad, I would be useless if my healing wasn’t helpful to anybody,” Sammy giggles, before she lets out an animated gasp, “Maybe I should deal with her!”

My eyes widen in alarm. “Wait, what?” I reply.

“I can talk to Miss LAPIS, can’t I?” she says, “I mean, I’ve been curious to see what she’s like, especially since all the drama between you two has been happening. Maybe I could help.”

“By doing what?” I ask.

Sammy grins, “Well, she sounds like she needs some friends.”

I fall speechless. I never imagined that Sammy was actually thinking about Maggie so much. In fact, I don’t think I ever took into account just what Maggie’s situation is; She’s alone. Besides HERA and me, there’s really no one that Maggie interacts with on a daily basis. She doesn’t eat in the cafeteria, and she hasn’t joined any of the Jeweloid Squads. She’s just . . . the lone Class Zero, the most powerful of them all . . . LAPIS.

I grin, in agreement. “I think you’re right,” I say, “Maybe I can set up something. I think she’ll like you.”

Sammy clicks her tongue, and flips her hair as she comments, “I mean, how could she not?”

I laugh, as does Sammy, all the stress fading as we enjoy the moment. Sammy really is a good friend, I’m hopeful that Maggie won’t feel alone if I am to bring Sammy into her world-

My mind rewinds to a few minutes ago. I left Maggie, I flew out without a single word spoken. I don’t even know what happened between us, but I just abandoned her.

I crumble into myself, and Sammy notices.

“Goro-“she starts.

“I’m such a jack ass,” I comment, my voice laced with self-hate. I hold my head in my hands, gripping my hair tight.

Damn it.