Chapter 16: Heart break
The following week passed in a blur as Nessa was stuck in a loop of daily activities.
First, she would meet up with Luka then head to the cafeteria, hoping not to see two certain people at their usual table.
As they walked, Nessa silently hoped Amaya wouldn't be sitting at their table this morning.The girl had drawn awfully close to her brother, and although she had been keeping a close watch, Nessa hadn't noticed anything suspicious about the girl. But still, she couldn't trust her.
The moment they crossed the cafeteria doors, Luka commented.
"I see your new best friend is early as usual."
Nessa's cheeks flushed, albeit briefly, and she turned around so that Luka couldn't see. In her opinion, the very idea of having a friend was ridiculous, but if Stephanie wasn't her friend what was she?
Although she hated to admit it, this question danced in her head more often than was comfortable.
After spending a week with Stephanie, Nessa was certain that she was different.
She didn't try to take advantage of Nessa. Something that every single person that had entered Nessa's life had tried to do.
She didn't want to believe that she could actually have someone outside her family that didn't hate her for her skin color or for who she was.
Nessa had seen so many that whenever a racist looked at her, she would know. But unless Stephanie was a different kind of racist, she didn't have that look.
'Ugh,' Nessa groaned as they reached the table. 'Remember Nessa, you're only hanging out with her to grow your sword skills. Plus if you can actually make her think you're friends, fewer people would bother you.'
"Hi," Nessa forced a smile.
"Hey," Stephanie replies without returning the gesture. She seemed to be focused on something, until she locked eyes with Luka.
Nessa watched as Luka picked an apple and threw it at Stephanie faster than she could blink. Stephanie arched slightly, barely dodging the apple as she smiled.
"Hey Luka," she greeted.
Ness tried not to think about it, but she hated the way her brother had easily bonded with Stephanie.
What about him made him so likeable?
If Nessa had asked that question to his face, she was sure she already knew the answer. 'Maybe, if you smile a little more...'
Luka's voice broke Nessa's thoughts.
He had a smile on his face. "What's up? Have you seen Maya?"
"Not really, she probably got held up."
"Oh," Luka said frowning briefly. His cheeks turning slightly red. "I was hoping to ask her something."
Nessa didn't miss it.
'Uh oh,' She thought. 'It's happening. Where's mum when I need her?'
She decided to pretend like she hadn't noticed her brother's reaction as she spoke to Stephanie.
"So, it's today."
Stephanie frowned, turning her head to face Nessa. "What's happening today?"
"You said we could have a friendly spar."
Nessa hoped she had succeeded in keeping her voice even on 'friendly.'
"Oh," Stephanie said, tapping her forehead. "Right, I did. Well, we'll do that after we learn magic."
Nessa pressed her lips into a line. Stephanie was a lot less gullible than she had thought. Since they had started learning magic together, Nessa had picked up an extra element—Air.
By now she could control small gusts of wind. Nothing fancy, but she was already far ahead of most of the students who were still trying to expel their first element.
Stephanie on the other hand was still stuck at fire. She was like a prodigy with the element, but it seemed her talent didn't stretch to the other elements.
Nessa had tried repeatedly to teach Stephanie how to use darkness and air magic, employing all of Professor Avery's tips. But for some reason, their efforts have been fruitless.
However, if she was frustrated, Stephanie didn't show it. After breakfast, she got up with a determined expression on her face and walked with Luka and Nessa to class.
On their way, they met up with Amaya. She greeted the trio warmly except Nessa. For some reason, Nessa scared her. Amaya constantly asked herself why she hadn't been wiser in picking an object for bullying that day.
Nessa knew there was little to no connection between her and Amaya, and for some reason it made her happier. After the duel, Nessa and Stephanie had almost always been together. Whenever they walked, she couldn't help but notice the frightened gazes that followed them. The same gaze that currently lit Amaya's eyes. It soothed her nerves.
The students had even grown more frightened after Professor Avery announced the Academy was no longer a safe zone. Surely they didn't want to find out just how true it was, so they kept as far away from Nessa as possible. Memories of a severed hand filling their minds.
When they got to class, the group picked a seat in the middle of the class. Normally she would have preferred a seat in front, but Nessa needed to make Stephanie think they werre friends and get as much help as possible. Plus, by now she was sure no one would bother her.
"Good day class." Professor Avery's voice filled the air. "Today, if you haven't, you are going to cast you first element. And if you're asking why I'm confident you will, it's because I'm not Professor Hund..."
The class dragged on for two hours, and to Nessa's surprise more than seventy-five percent of the class could now cast at least one element. She was surprised at how much a person could achieve with proper guidance, and how people could seem talentless without one. Memories of a certain Professor came to mind.
As soon as the class ended, Nessa and Stephanie headed to Stephanie's room. Walking along the corridors, Nessa couldn't help but think how much of a failure that day's magic practice would be.
She was nowhere close to being a good teacher, but she wasn't a bad one either.
She had used exactly the same instructions Professor Avery had given her, but they weren't working. As they approached Stephanie's room door with a golden 113 emblazoned on it, Nessa just had to tell herself the truth. Stephanie was obviously determined and talented. So why? Why was it so hard for her?
The door opened as Stephanie's room came into view. Although Nessa had seen it multiple times over the past week, she couldn't help but be surprised at how scattered it was.
The blanket on the bed was drawn so it only partially covered the beds. Clothes littered everywhere apart from a mat in the center of the room.
The door closed behind her, forcing Nessa to realize another truth. Stephanie had no regard about neatness. She was too busy with 'being number one,' to care about such inconsequential things.
Being number one.
Nessa had come to understand the phrase as Stephanie's personal mantra, and although she was sure the phrase meant a lot to her, Nessa couldn't tell why.
"Alright, sit on the mat." She ordered.
Stephanie didn't hesitate. She sat and crossed her legs just like Nessa had advised her earlier that week.
"Now, after you successfully retain your Ki, the next step is easy you just have to adjust your flow rate."
As the words left her mouth, Nessa wondered just how many times she had used that line the past week. Shrugging it off, she dished out more instructions which Stephanie tried and sadly yielded no results.
The fact hurt Nessa more than it did Stephanie. Or at least that was what she thought.
Stephanie was silently burning within. Even when she had tried hard enough, harder than everyone else, she was still number two at best.
How could she call herself number two when seventy five percent of the class had caught up with her in a day? It took all her mental strength not to yell, and make her room a lot messier than it already was.
An hour later, she said. "I give up."
Nessa pursed her lips, immediately forgetting that she shouldn't be caring.
"You can't give up." She argued. "I know I can help you. Just..."
"Save your breath Nessa." Stephanie exploded, rising from the mat. "We both know you don't care a bit about teaching me. You think I didn't notice how you always suggested we sparred? Well, I promised we would today, so why don't we get on with it?"
Stephanie walked to a corner of the room, searched a cupboard and brought out a wooden staff. She threw the weapon at Nessa who barely caught it with fumbling hands.
"Alright," Stephanie walked back to the mat, spinning her staff. "Let's give you what you want."
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