Bleed, Patch, And Keep Moving - An Apex Legends Story

Chapter 103 - Some Tigers Hide Behind Masks

Octavio didn't bother with the front door when he got to Ajay's house. He ran over to the side of the house and scaled the wooden lattice just like he always did. He made it to the tall second story of the house and gently pushed open the window to Ajay's room that she always left unlocked for him. He stumbled in through her window but made it to his feet without falling.

"Che, you really need to put something there for me to land on or something." He looked at her back as she sat on the floor next to her vanity. She was still in the same wet dress from when he dropped her off earlier. Her hair was still a mess; none of this was normal for her. Ajay quickly pushed tears away from her face and forced her tense body to stand up. Octavio walked over to her and raised his hand to touch her shoulder but dropped it to his side when he saw the mess on her mirror. "What happened Che?"

Ajay choked back tears and tried not to sound sad as she walked over to her dresser. She pulled down two paper mache masks that she had made for them. Both were ferocious looking tiger masks. One mask was crimson red with gold accents and the other was jade green with gold accents. She slid the crimson tiger mask over her face to hide her lacerations and bruises. "It's just paint from des." She turned around with the jade mask and held it out to him.

A goofy smile crept along Octavio's lips until it settled into his whole face, "Wow Che! These are so cool!" He grabbed the mask and put it on without another question. He even checked himself out in the vanity mirror, "I love it!" A sad smiled formed on her lips, "Really?" He nodded, "Yeah! I am going to keep it forever!"

Ajay stood there for a moment before she started shivering from the cold wet dress that she was still wearing. Octavio looked over to her, "You should change out of your wet clothes. You wouldn't want to get more sick." Ajay didn't really understand what he meant by that as she turned back around towards her dresser, "More sick?"

Octavio nodded, "Yeah. My padre said your padre called and said that you couldn't go to the gala tonight because you were sick. So I didn't have to go to the gala because I might be sick too." Ajay pulled a draw open and pulled out a long night gown. "So yuh dad sent yuh here?" Octavio laughed, "Nah. Padre wanted me to stay home and rest just in case I was sick too. He went to gala with Sherlock."

Ajay sighed as she tried unzipping the back of her dress with one hand but she was unsuccessful. "Yuh don know her name?" Octavio walked over to Ajay and helped her unzip her dress. "I do. I just don't care. She's not wife number two." Ajay slid her arms out of the dress and let it drop down to the floor around her ankles. She then proceeded to quickly get the gown over her head but she was making no progress with her mask on.

She pulled the gown up but she soon found that she the gown was stuck on the mask. She shuffled around in front of the dresser and but was unable to get the gown or the mask off of her head. Octavio laughed at Ajay's little show. "Come on Hermana, what's the rush? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." Ajay groaned as he eased the gown from her mask.

"I think you need to take your mask off to get this on." Octavio said as he reached for the mask but was immediately swatted away by her hand. She hit him just hard enough to make a loud slapping noise, "Nah, don touch it." He pulled his hand back and shook it. He pretended like his hand hurt even though it really didn't, "Come Che! That hurt. Why do you have to hurt me all the time?"

She shook her head at him but Octavio couldn't ever take no for an answer. He again reached for the front of her mask but she took a step backward as he did. His fingertips grazed the front of the mask. He unexpectedly became off balance from his overextended reach and tripped. His body fell into hers and they both went flying towards the floor.

"Silva!" Her back hit the floor with a thud that knocked the wind out of her. Her body caught Octavio's body and broke his face. As Octavio sat up on top of Ajay's stomach he pulled the mask from her face and shouted, "Ha! I win!" His victory was short lived when he looked at his best friend's bruised and bloody face.