We finished eating and Meliodas stood up with a satisfied exhale.
"So now we're going to have to find everybody and escape from this maze, huh?" He asked looking over to the rest of us.
I wasn't too keen on meeting back up with everybody and having to meet even more people, but I was more than ready to be out of the maze.
"Let's go best bud! For the sake of the one we each want to protect." Meliodas says determinedly.
Apparently there was a princess on the opposite side of the wall in front of us that the blonde boy was in love with? I don't know. I couldn't quite keep up with it all.
"Let's pulverise it!" Meliodas smiles, looking at the wall in front of them. "I'm going to punch through this thing before it can regenerate!"
"And I'm going to unleash a high speed barrage of attacks!" Ban added.
True to their word, they both began attacking the wall with amazing strength and power. Dust started swirling around us as the earth and wall cracked. I looked on with my mouth agape. Arthur grabbed me by my wrist pulling me back slightly to stay out of the crossfire. I ducked my head into him trying to avoid the flying dirt and rubble.
I looked up once it was quiet and two huge holes were in the tall wall. On the other side of the wall were a bunch of strangers, great.
A blonde man, a pink haired man, a giant (which I had never seen before), a pig, and a girl who must be the princess Meliodas was swooning over, Elizabeth, I think was her name.
As the boys approached them, I slowly followed behind, staying behind Arthur since Ban had apparently forgotten that I existed now that he was reunited with his man crush. I felt completely invisible, not that I minded, I didn't want all these strangers' attention on me, but I just felt confused and excluded. Everyone here knew one another and I was just a stranger.
My one connection to the group Ban, did not care about me. I was radically uncomfortable.
I think Arthur noticed, as he gently grabbed my hand, pulling me out from behind him, "Guys this is Julie." He announces halting all their chatter.
As if just remembering my existence, Ban jogs over to us, nudging me slightly into the center of the group, I felt anxiety course through me as every set of eyes was now on me.
"She's my old friend, there will be no questions for now," he said simply.
My eyes flickered between all the new people as my heartbeat rapidly increased. I felt my leg shaking involuntarily as everyone stared at me silently. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out, I was too busy panicking over nothing.
I closed my mouth and swallowed hard trying to look for an out.
Ban, my usual go to was now back to chatting with Meliodas, and while everyone looked as if their attention had moved on from me, the tightness in my chest did not stop. I reminded myself that I was going to try and be independent without Ban, but when it came down to the incessant panic attacks, I was useless.
I heard the light buzz of chatter resume around me, while trying to talk myself off the ledge I had made.
"Hey, are you ok?" An unfamiliar voice approaches.
I look up through my lashes to see the tall blonde man in front of me.
Trying to focus on something I took note of his buff body that his cute little suit showed off. He had stunning purple eyes and well styled blonde locks. I must sound like a love stricken teenage girl swooning at every man that comes by, but I was simply making up for all the time I had spent in a cage. I was getting my fill of cute boys and crushes all in a days time.
At this point, it was really just an excuse to get my mind off Ban, and looking at the buff blonde in front of me wasn't unpleasant.
I coughed awkwardly realizing I had been staring at him while I calmed myself down.
"Heh yeah, sorry," was all I could muster.
He grinned at me, "I'm Howzer, I'm glad my attractive looks could distract you from passing out."
I pursed my lips, "I wasn't going to pass out, and I wasn't looking at your body." I denied.
He frowned playfully, "Don't bruise my ego, look, I can openly admit that I was staring at you. That wasn't hard was it?"
I covered my face with my hand as I giggled. I know I was just freaking out about being the center of attention, but this was more manageable. An attractive goofy guy complimenting me wasn't that bad.
The pink haired man walked over as well when he heard us talking. He introduced himself as Gilthunder or Gil for short. He was smaller than Howzer, but cute nonetheless. My ridiculous plan of making Ban jealous was becoming more and more achievable as I met more people.
"So what's a pretty little thing like you doing traveling with these roughians?" Howzer asked.
I didn't know how to respond to these sorts of questions. I couldn't exactly tell him that Ban and I were friends as kids and then he left me, I was kidnapped and kept in a basement for ten years until he saved me, now I was a hybrid race and I was traveling with them because I had literally nowhere else to go. It was a bit too personal.
"Umm, I needed help training." I replied, which wasn't exactly a lie.
"Well I could definitely help." Gil interceded. "I'm only one of the strongest holy knights in the Kingdom." He bragged.
"I think I'd be better suited to train her." Howzer glared at Gil.
They bickered a bit until Ban finally came back over, again he must have just remembered that I existed.
He stood in between me and the two men, almost as if he was jealous...
"There's the goal." He said coldly.
We all began to walk through to the goal when Howzer whispered to me, "Are you two a thing?"
"Nope." I replied, popping the 'p.'
"Terrific. Let me know if my pursuits get too annoying, or if they're working." He playfully slapped my back and I nodded, walking besides him.
I knew I should feel happy that this cute man was pursuing me, but my stupid obsessed brain simply could not get Ban out of my head.
(Sorry this chapter did not progress the story at all, there's too many god damn characters right now... Lemme just have all the attractive guys swoon over the main character before I go any further, thank you for understanding. UWU)
