Collect of Short Stories

The Opened Wounds

"You're a monster." Stated Jill. Surprisingly, Lyra nodded along, the first time the two agreed on something in ages.
"It's no wonder you have no friends, really. And you know what?" She stepped closer, memorizing the look on Maddison's face twisted in confusion, concern and horror all molded into one. It was an ugly concoction and though Valerie, despite hating Maddison with a burning passion, she wished to unsee it.
"Maven only hangs out with you out of pity." She gestured towards the male who piped up at his name being called only to glower at her, his face pulling into an all-knowing sneer. "You don't know anything about me, Jill. Stay out of my business."
She stared at him, offended. Even going as far as to hold her hand up to her heart as if terribly wounded by such words. "Oh, but it's so obvious isn't it? I mean...when she's alone you're one of the first to get to her. Compared with the options of say, someone such as Evelyn or Wyatt, you would choose them over her wouldn't you?"
A dangerous silence hung over the group as Maven's jaw locked at such an accusation. He and Jill weren't the best of buddies but they had a basic respect for each other. A basic respect that shattered in less than two seconds. He only put up with a bitch like Jill for the sake of keeping Felix happy but that doesn't matter anymore.
"That's not true! And you know, I'd saying having no friends is better than having fake friends who constantly talk behind your back and would drop you in a second once you're no longer useful! Which, mind you, is coming soon. How you survived in a group like ours is solely based off of Felix's work. Without him to keep insisting your nice a person, you would've been kicked out ages ago!"
Jill flared her nostrils and clenched her fists, ignoring the sharp pain stemming from her nails digging into her skin. Lyra, for the first time in this entire encounter wore an expression close to shock before it quickly molded into exasperation.
"How...how dare you? At least I have people to talk to! And—"
Nico grabbed her arm tightly, making her twist her neck around and glare at him. "What?"
He rolled his eyes at the tone given to him which only enraged Jill further. For a brief moment, she considered whether to kill Maven first or Nico.
Nico shook his head impatiently, almost like an adult scolding a child. "You don't want to go there, Jill. Especially not with someone like, Maven."
Gratitude flooded the inside of Maven's system while complete hatred coursed throughout Jill's. She was very skilled in what she did but compared to Maven...compared to...
She grinded her jaw and shut her eyes, yanking her arm away from her grasp and shutting out Rafe who tried to reach out to her. Nico was right of course. To cross someone like, Maven? You'll be experiencing pure hell before you could even die. And to her great frustration, she knew she didn't stand a chance. Maven will always be one step further, entering a place she will never reach.
With one shaky breath, she pointedly stared back at Maddison who was still shocked and surprisingly, had eyes that looked on the brink of crying. She almost laughed at such a sight. A sadist crying...
"Maddison," she growled. "No matter how many times people trying to defend you. People like, Maven—just know you're truly not a part of us. We don't accept dogs into our group."
She didn't wait for a counterargument from Maven who was obviously taking all the hits for Jill. But the bullets seem to go straight past his body and landed on the intended target.
Maddison always had something to say. Whether good or bad, snarky or nice, rude or mean, just...something. Driving her to the point of silence is a miracle. Driving her to the point of shock silence is nearly impossible. But Maven has seen the cracks in her walls. When she would go on and on about killing only to briefly close her eyes, as if something was bothering her.
Or how she would always stare at her hands for a few moments before as if entranced only to snap out of it a few seconds later.
Lyra didn't say anything as she followed Jill's lead, throwing a quick glare at Maddison before leaving.
The rest filed out of the room just as quickly, intend on exiting to escape how much pressure settled in the atmosphere. Nico huffed out a big breath and without needing to be reminded, Maven knew he was going to drink a gallon of coffee after this miserable experience.
As the door shut with an audible click, Maddison's knees buckled, allowing her to collapse to the ground. Weirdly enough, her face remained quite dry. To the point where Maven was convinced even the moisture around her mouth got sucked out somehow. The two sat in silence, barely acknowledging one another before she murmured, "There's something wrong with me,"
He wasn't sure who she was talking to. Herself? Him? Whatever the case, she continued on, "I know there's something not right with me. They're right y'know?"
"Sometimes when I look at my myself in the mirror I just...I just hate what I see. I want to leave this body, I want to be someone else." She pulled in a shaky breath, "I can't stand myself anymore!"
For the first time in quite possibly years, giant blobs of tears leaked out of her eyes as she desperately attempted to suppress them. Her hands were beginning to shake rapidly and again, like on multiple occasions before, she shut her eyes tightly, as if heavily bothered by something Maven couldn't see.
She tilted her head up to stare at him. Her glassy eyes once filled with bloodlust and excitement turned to real, genuine heartbreak. "Don't you ever feel like that? Feel like you want to get out your body and be somebody else?"
And like seeing her cry, it was the first time in awhile he can relate to her. He sighed and opted to sit down beside her, making sure to keep some space in between them.
They stared at each other for what felt like decades before he nodded sadly.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know what it feels like."