Chapitre 2: Insecure
"Is she—dead?"
A young red-haired lady attired in what seemed to be a school uniform— a white sleeve shirt with a red and white stripe tie in place.
Neatly ironed, the shirt remained tucked in a short flare red coloured skirt while her legs were wrapped in a white knee-length pair of stockings and her feet remained hidden in her dark shoes.
This lady had thrown out the question as she stood blinking her eyes which she had fixed on the other lady lying still in the bed before them, there were two others present.
Her brows were raised and arms folded, she looked concerned and curious at the same time. The room was big and seemed to be the school's sick bay.
"Of course, she isn't, Nova." The young man standing near the bedside said, with a disappointed look resting firmly on his face.
He was dressed in a similar uniform only that he was wearing trousers and a suit jacket.
"Well, she looks dead to me, Rockie." the other lady standing next to the first speaker said,
She looked no different because they were identical only that this one was sort of sassy with her tone and facial expression. She also wore a matching uniform and had her hair woven into cornrows.
"Well, she isn't, Noelle. I rescued her. She breathes. Can you two just— stop talking about death?" Rocky got defensive.
"Yeah, she breathes —faintly," Noelle said,
"I have no further words for you two. " Rocky turned, lowering himself a little to feel the sleeping beauty's temperature with the palm of his right hand.
"Don't be rude. " Nova said,
The two girls remained standing while they watched the young man play doctor.
"I don't think you should be touching her," Nova said,
"Yeah, she could bite you and who knows, you turn into a dwarfie," Noelle said,
"Twins, Rockie, you shouldn't be here."
A powerful feminine voice was heard followed by the fast clicking of shoe heels that approached them from the entrance door.
The speaker was an elderly lady in her late thirties, she was wearing a blue coat that went all the way down to her ankles. A belt snatched her east perfectly and her hands were hidden behind dark gloves.
On her head was a black hat, one could say she never wanted to be caught unfresh.
She walked with elegance and confidence.
"Madam Clarris," Rockie called out in shock, adjusting his position as well as the others.
"Out, out." Madam Clariss urged while she approached them.
"Rockie brought us here," Noelle said,
"What?" Rockie voiced,
"Yes, he did. He couldn't wait to show us what he had—saved" Noelle added, looking him straight in the eye.
Madam Clarris paid no attention to their chit-chats and only went on to take a look at the lady in bed.
"Well, for one she is quite the beauty." She said,
"I can't wait to be friends with her just so I can get to braid her hair." Nova voiced excitedly.
Everyone slowly turned their heads to her with awkward looks.
"What? Can't a lady help a lady do her hair anymore?" Nova asked,
"I'm afraid dear sister you just might not be getting that opportunity. She doesn't feel like one of us. She would probably be sent away." Noella said, turning to walk away.
"Well, Master Edric allowed her to be brought in, her being sent away or not— shouldn't be much of your concern." Madam Claris said with a smile while she demonstrated with her fingers once more for them to take their leave.
———
"You are such a kiss-and-tell," Rockie said while walking ahead of them in the lonely passageway. He had a firm look on his face and was trying his best to keep it that way.
"Oh don't be like that Rockie, she didn't mean it that way," Nova said softly and apologetically.
"I did," Noella said,
"Don't be mean, Noe," Nova told her.
"What's his deal with the stranger anyways?" Noella said,
"I saved — someone. I feel great about that and also feel responsible for her which is what I am trying to do. To protect her." Rockie lashed out, having taken a swift turn towards them.
"You are not her father," Noella said,
"I never said I was. We don't need to be related to people before we show love." He told her.
There was silence. Rockie's words were spoken with a harsh tone right in Noella's face and now Nova stood uneasy knowing her sister wasn't going to let him win the word fight.
Noella moved even closer to him, marrying the tip of her nose with his as she locked her eyes in his.
"You— are no hero. If you ever tried to be, you'd only die a slave's death because that's what you are and will always be— Too foolish to win." She said and left then walked away.
Shaken by her words, his eyes rolled about in their sockets.
"She didn't mean that," Nova whispered sadly before leaving.
——
" That— was awful!"
Nova scolded her sister, once she had shut the room door behind her.
"Maybe I am," Noella said, taking her seat on the chair that was before the study table. She had picked up a book and buried her eyes in it deeply. It was obvious she cared less about what had just happened.
"You should apologise to him. Those words were unnecessary." Nova said,
"You will not tell me what is right or wrong to do, he said his bit, and I said mine." She responded, flipping a page.
"You were too hard on him, You provoked him. " Nova said,
"If you choose to be on his side, you should be in his room and not here ranting in my ears simply because someone we have known for half our lives suddenly rescues a stranger and feels she is the better one to take sides with," Noella spoke fast while still focused on the book she held.
"I wonder how easy it is for you to hate and be angry but so difficult for you to just smile, laugh… love… Live. Forgive.." Nova said,
Noella paused. Dropped the book on the table and then turned the swivel chair towards her sister.
"I don't know. Perhaps because everyone doesn't have to be — you."
Nova sighed and then blinked her eyes away.
"You have got to stop, Noe. You have got to." She told her.
—------
"I am not comfortable with her presence," Guin said,
Naked, she had her head resting peacefully on Edric's chest while she caressed the hairs on there with the tip of her left index fingernail. He rolled his eyes, sighed and then made the move to get off the bed.
"I really don't get why she is such a bother." He said while walking towards the bar area and slowly sweeping his silver-coloured hair to the back of his head with his right hand.
"And I really don't get why you insist she should — stay." She retorted.
He took out a bottle of red wine, and glass and proceeded to pour himself a drink.
Having gulped it all, he placed his hands on the counter, pulling his body backwards before standing upright and fixing his eyes on her.
"Would you rather she was ugly? A man?" He said,
"What? I am not jealous!" She said,
"Wait— you think this is jealousy?" She said, sitting up, upset.
"That girl could be our worst nightmare." She added,
"You said it yourself, you detected nothing from trying to smell her." He stated.
"Are you being real? Even if she was clean, it only means she is human. Having a human here for what, Edric?
This Academy was founded on the ground of protecting our kind from their kind. How would this sound if it goes out? How do you think the students would react to this?" She said,
"You misunderstand the purpose of this school." He told her.
"Accept it or not, we cannot be in their world and they shouldn't be in ours." She said,
"We are just unfortunate humans." He told her.
"And her kind kills ours for sport simply because they do not understand why we are the way we are!" She said and then paused, looking like a thought had struck her mind.
"Yes," Edric said, walking into the bathroom.
"No, Edric, No!" She followed behind him.
"That— is madness. They aren't ready to be introduced to a human simply because you think there is a sense in a blend. Don't tell me you actually think a cohabitation will help make them see us any differently." she said,
"How would you know if you never tried?" He said, getting into the shower cubicle.
"Stop! Stop!!" She yelled, getting in as well and placing her hands on his cheeks.
"Look —at me. She could be a spy, she could ruin us, everything we have worked for and all your parents built here." She said,
"We will see about that in the morning." He told her.
————
"He doesn't respect me. Never listen to me. Always makes me feel like— my opinions don't— count." Guin said with hurt in her eyes.
She was back in her room and had created a portal that led to another room right in front of her as she sat at the bottom of the bed holding onto a glass of wine.
She was communicating with whoever was on the other side but who it was wasn't yet in sight. She talked anyway.
"He doesn't respect you only means he doesn't — love you. You know this yet you choose to be with him.
Makes me wonder why you complain at all." a masculine voice spoke from the other end of the portal following the image of a man who one could assume had stepped out from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
He sat at the bottom of his bed, making him face-to-face with her in what seemed to be some sort of magical video call.
"What would you have me do?" She said in a frustrated tone.
"Just f*king leave him already!" the man lashed out.
"We are engaged." She said,
"You really want to marry him?" he asked,
"I can't leave him and then be with you, you are his best friend, it would paint the perfect picture. It would ruin my reputation." She said in a teary tone.
"So that's it? That's what I have been to you? Someone who comforts you with his dick when you don't feel loved by your fiance?" he asked her in a disgusted tone.
"No! You are more than that to me." She said, springing to her feet and walking through the portal to be with him.
"Just leave." He said, standing up and walking away towards his open window.
"You just don't understand my place in all of this." She said,
"Do you love me?" He asked her with his back turned.
"What? Of course yes." She said,
"You are lying," he said,
"You know I am not!"
"Prove it!" He said,
"How?" she inquired.
"Don't— marry him." He said, turning to her.
"You want me to call off the wedding?" She said,
"Stop calling it a wedding. It will only be hell for you. He doesn't love you. He doesn't care about you.
He never has. I am the one closest to him. You don't mean shit to him and if you married him, you would be a walking dead." He said while moving closer to where she was standing.
"I and only I can give you the kind of love you deserve. I have proved myself to you. Yes, people will talk, and he will feel betrayed by me but in the end, this is the twenty-first century, these things happen and people will move on." He assured her ending with a wild kiss she wasn't prepared for.
He pulled her up on himself, tilting her head upward with his hands and sliding his tongue upwards on her throat before planting kisses on the sides of her neck.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone