Chapter 2: Scars and Snot

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Amity

   She looks...defeated. The light from my Luz's eyes escaped through that door and took her mind with it. My heart aches. Her face is full of blood and bruises. My eyes begin to flood with tears. I lift my hand from her shoulder and graze it along her cheek.  She rests her face on my hand, closing her eyes. She kisses my hand, then holds it with both of hers. She's staring at my hand, I can feel her observing the scars as her tears build up. She sniffles.

"I'm..Sorry sweet potato..I.." She breaks down. She holds my hand to block eyes and begins to sob. I feel her tears slip onto my palms. She sniffles and wipes her eyes. She bites down on her lower lip in an attempt to hold it down. It fails. She shatters, and I do too. I pull her into a hug.

"Hey, hey, I'll be okay! You'll be okay...We're all here..you see?" I extend my free hand to bring her attention to the others, "They'll be okay too. We'll find a way.." my voice trails off. "Luz..?"

Hunter

   God, what on titan is going on? I sit up. Willow? Gus? I glance over to my friends. I flinch and close my eyes at the feeling of rain meeting my skin. I open them. Huh? It doesn't hurt.

   I glance at my friends beside me. Willow..Gus..Amity....Luz? Willow and Gus sit up with me. Amity is already up, and her mind is fixated on Luz.

   We all watch Luz. She opens and shuts that door a million times..I can feel the tension rise with each slam. Gus begins to cry. I don't have the heart to tell her to stop. I just pull Gus in with my left arm, and do my best to comfort him.

  A part of me wants proof Belos is gone. A part of me wants what Luz doesn't. Titan, does that make me a horrible friend?

  Amity gets up, puts a hand on Luz's shoulder and the two are silent

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  Amity gets up, puts a hand on Luz's shoulder and the two are silent. We all are. I glance at Willow. She's stotic—her expression hardens with a blank stare. Her glasses fog from the warmth of her breath fighting the cold pinches of the air. She notices me staring.

   "Are you both okay?" Her voice is soft and scratchy. She clears her throat. She slumps her head, I watch as she unties her pigtails. They are drenched in the human realm's rain and guck. She redoes her pigtails to the best of her ability. She brushes her hair with her fingers, trying to control her own breathing. Her arms are wounded with cuts from battle—both from the thorns of her own attacks and enemies. She's beautiful, but even so the sight of her is dismay leaves me in anguish.

   Shoot. Response. Right. Words.

  "I don't kn...Wait. Flapjack?! Where's Flap—" He hops and makes his way to my lap. He tweets. "Oh," I let a out a sigh of relief. "Thank Titan. Are you okay?"

He tweets. I sit him on my shoulder.

  Willow attempts to wipe her glasses with her shirt. I watch her shift to a standing position. Her eyebrows furrow as she closes her eyes to think. She takes a deep breath, then exhales. Her expression softens again to turn to me and Gus. She smiles again, extending a hand to help us up. I pat Gus on the back. He's still sniffling, but he nods and gets up.

  Her glasses are still foggy and patterned with rain drops. I can't see her eyes, nor tell if she's okay. I reach for her hand..It's so cold. "I mean. I'm okay..Physically at least. Emotionally..er..Well..A-Are you ok—"

  She pulls me up in one tug. Titan—the strength of this girl always throws me for a loop. For a second I lose my footing. I stumble from side to side a bit. I flail my arms as Flapjack chirps, I lean back, but Willow stops my fall with a REALLY  STRONG hug.

"—Thanks...." She doesn't let go. She burries her face into my chest. She opens her arm for Gus to join the hug too. She squeezes us into an even tighter embrace.

I think I can feel my bones breaking.

"Captain—I can't br...breathe" I choke out.

"Me either—" Gus says, muffled under my arm pit.

  Willow stops hugging. She clears her throat again..almost as if a bug were stuck im her throat. "Sorry guys. Okay..let's get moving then—"

  "They'll be okay too. We'll find a way..Luz..?"

  The three of us glance at Luz and Amity. Luz breaks into tears and starts crying. Amity does the same, drawing her into a hug. We spectate somberly. I bite my tongue. They don't even know the full story..Only Luz and I do. We hum the same melody—a sad tune wrenched with shameful secrets. Yet, if it was revealed would everything still be...okay? No. There's already so much going on. Maybe later.

  Flapjack chirps, flying in front of my face. His wings brush across my nose. I feel an itch on the tip of my nose. Gah. "Flapjack. Not now—" I whisper. He chirps louder.

Luz

  "We'll find a way," Willow echoes. She approaches Amity and I slowly. "There are a dozen times I felt lost, confused...scared and alone...but I perserved and I'm here." My eyes dart from her to Hunter swooshing and shusing Flapjack.

   Gus wipes his tears away. "..Yeah! And look at Willow she just bounced back stronger!" He playfully adds.

   "Right...stronger.." Willow's voice trails off. Her tone shifts to a louder tone again, as if she snapped herself out of a trance. "Yet, I couldn't do it alone. I had you..and Gus..you changed my life for the better. This is rough on all of us..but us weirdos gotta stick together! We can trust King and Eda.We'll get back there and kick crusty Belo's ba—"

  "ACHOOOOO—" Hunter interrupts. Flapjack stops chirping and flies back.

  Everyone looks at Hunter.

"Ruining.." he sniffs. "..the moment much?" Gus jokes.

Willow snorts. I lets out a weak smile and laugh. I chime in, "Yeah man. You kinda sounded like a kitten too."

Hunter's face turns red. "I DID NOT! BE QUIET!"

Gus responds with an uproar of laughter, still hiccuping a few tears, "You TOTALLY did man!"

His face gets brighter. Amity smiles, wiping away a tear. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Ghost has the same exact sneeze as you—"

"HEY—"

Willow chuckles, "Yeah, okay. Dropping the mic here. Let's go find shelter before someone catches a cold." She winks, nudging Hunter. Hunter blushes and avoids direct eye contact with her. It's totally obvious he likes her. I sigh a sigh of relief..Awwww..I ship it. The shipping fuel almost makes me forget—Nah, still depressed and anxious. Amity looks up at me. I let out a soft half-feigned chuckle.

  Amity giggles with me. It doesn't take long until Gus and Willow join too. Hunter crosses his arms, furrowing his brows with a frown. Ha! He looks like a funky grumpy cat. "Oh..well forget you guys!"

"Awww.. come on we just care about you Hunter!" Willow gushes. His expression softens. He uncrosses his arms and straightens his stance. I think his flushed face is from Willow moreso than that sneeze now.

"Okay, okay. Willow is right. Let's get inside..I doubt any of the human potions will cure me if any of us actually did get sick."

"Simp," Gus mutters with a fake cough.

Hunter turns to Gus, his hands open with his mouth. He stops, closing his mouth, then puts his pointer finger below his chin. He tilts his head. "What...does that even mean?" Hunter squints his eyes.

"Wait, forget this house. I got a better place in mind."

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