Growing Into You (First Draft; Unedited)

lxi.

Jayen

    We all eventually woke up around noon before stumbling to a local for food. Dr. Fern told us to not go too far in case the Guards come back but he wouldn’t let us eat in his building so we settled on sitting at a picnic table underneath a shady pine tree.

    Everyone certainly looked less tired, except Kuna. Their hair was messy and their shirt was two sizes too big. Aoife whispered to me that they changed back late last night; which was a horrifying thing to witness, apparently. Maj’s arm was slung over their shoulder, using them as a crutch as she sat on the bench. Her wooden leg slammed into the table as she cursed.

    “Are you alright, Maj?” Alexandra asked.

    Maj grimaced, “You have no idea how uncomfortable this is. But I guess I’d rather have a wooden leg then no leg, am I right?

Kuna laughed, “I could carve something in it for you if you don’t mind.”

“I would actually love that.” Maj kissed their cheek.

“Wait a minute. Are you two dating all of a sudden?”

Maj looked at me and smiled, “We’ve actually been dating for a while, Jay. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but you’ve just had so much going on.”

“I mean, like, I get it,” I looked around the table, “Did everyone else know?” Everyone looked around or picked through the food we had gotten. I tried to make eye contact with Aoife who just whistled and turned over to Joshua, who pretended to study the wood grain. “Really?”

“I didn’t know.” Alexandra smiled politely.

“I know you didn’t know, Alex. But everybody? Josh you can’t keep a secret to save your life!” I pointed across the table at him but he only smiled.

“Are you impressed?”

I frowned, “I will throw this strawberry at you.”

Aoife laughed loudly, “It’s nice to be able to relax more now. I always felt like I was on edge with Jinan around.”

“And he even liked you,” Kuna’s eyes widened. “Gross.”
Aoife stuck out her tongue, “Bleh. Don’t tell me these things–how do you know?”

“Because he never called you a dumb bitch or anything like that.”

“He normally waits until after you’re in a relationship to start the abuse,” I remarked, earning a resounding ohhh from everyone. “But truly, it is nice to all be sitting in here together.”

“And even with Lady Dupon, I feel oddly sneaky right now,” Kuna joked.

Alexandra laughed, “Truly, there is no need for formalities. Please just call me Alexandra. I view every single one of you as a friend now.”

“Were some of us closer to being your friends then others?” Aoife raised her eyebrows with a smirk on her face.

Alexandra bit her cheek. “I mean. . . I didn’t know most of you. In fact I still don’t know most of you, not closely.”

Maj tilted her head, “Well the only way to do that is hang around us more. By the way, I don’t know if you noticed but you have a tear in your shirt.”

Alexandra felt where the knife went through. There was only a faint pink scar exposed by a small tear in her shirt, she smiled lazily at me. “Well, that’s unfortunate. I’m sorry about your shirt, dear.”

“It wasn’t really your fault,” I picked up an orange slice and bit into it, “Do you think Jinan will go to jail for this or do you think he’ll be let free? The Guards told me he admitted to everything but you truly never know how punishments will go.”