Cure

Chapter Eight

"It's just different for you. That's all I'm saying." I told her irritably.

"Because I'm a monster." She whispered and I started to shake my head at her already feeling another argumentative burst building within me. "I'm a monster, Amity. It's a fact so I don't know why you keep avoiding saying it." She said, the tone of her voice growing louder the more irritated she got with me. She'd reiterated this as if that was going to change anything. It didn't.

"No, you're not. Not to me." We'd been bickering again; about small things, big things, or simply just anything that came to mind. There'd been tension between us for a few days. The lingering feeling from what had occurred as well as ones we've had pent up for some time now, keeping them to ourselves. It didn't help that I knew Luz was hiding something from me. I wish I could say I was being the bigger person who allowed Luz to keep things to herself but this seemed bigger than that.

I'd find her in moments where she'd claim to have a headache or had become dizzy, among other excuses, and she'd disappear off somewhere by herself. I knew it could still be from what Belos had injected her with. She mentioned it was the same as before and that it was nothing to worry about. How she had it handled and would just take it easy when she needed to. And I believed her because she looked to be doing better for the most part, yet I feared taking any risks because of what I'd seen happen to her before.

We'd been arguing back and forth only leading the tension between us to build. I didn't want this but I was so frustrated. It started small in the beginning. Small bursts here and there that we'd laugh off later and move on. But it seems as if the longer we travel the worse it got. Emira had been well aware of the disputes and the thickness in the air it had been creating between us but I reassured her that Luz and I were just stressed. There was only so far we could go before one of us snapped though. And just then, I snapped.

"You know what, Luz?" I exclaimed while stepping forward and pointing a finger at her. "One day you are going to accept the fact that I don't see you as a monster. I don't. When I first found out about it, yeah, I was scared. It was hard to wrap my head around. But then we went to that fountain after I had time to process and though I was distant I was still there with you. I didn't leave you then and I'm not going to leave you now." The words burst right out of me and I let them.

"I look at you and all I see is you, Luz," I said frustrated. "I see my best friend, I see the person who happens to be the reason I'm still alive. Stop acting like me seeing the darkest parts of you is such a bad thing. I don't care about any of that and you know it. Because the truth is I find you to be beautiful, even the parts you can't see that way for yourself. Let me see it for you, Luz. Let me remind you every day. If I have to do that to get you to believe such, then so be it, I'll do whatever it takes." My strength wavered, my tone shifting.

"So fine! If you won't listen to me then you clearly only want to see yourself in that way and there's obviously nothing I can do to change that! Think about yourself how you want to. I'm done arguing with you." I spat before turning away from her to catch up to Emira a few feet ahead.

"Wait!" Luz called out grasping my arm to stop me before pulling it so that I turned back to face her. "I can't stand it when you're mad at me Amity." She whispered softly before taking my hands in hers gently. "Tell me what I can do to fix it." I felt myself soften at this. One moment she's cold and then the next she's like this. It pulled me in two different directions but I knew that I'd been doing much the same for her.

"I'm not mad at you Luz. It's just that all we ever do is have these little fights anymore." I admitted sadly.

"Good, then we can fight for the rest of our lives, together." She said determinedly and I wasn't expecting that kind of response.