fade into you |jordan li|

three. world on fire

       Athena had never felt like this before. It was like a sudden burst of fire, an explosion of rage and an overwhelming flood of anger all at one.

She was at a loss for words. She never had a reason to hate her roommate before, but now she loathed Ari.

      "Where the fuck did you guys go last night? You just sorta left us there!" She yelled, shutting the door to their room as she recalled the moment she was left stranded at the club with Marie, having to call her roommate Emma to pick them up.

       "We had to leave. I'm sorry, I really am." Ari looked down, avoiding any type of eye contact.

       "We could've gotten busted because of your brothers ass." She wanted to scream, wanted to do anything, but she didn't, she just listened to what Ari had to say.

       "But we didn't. No one did. And look." Ari pointed to the tv where a broadcast was talking about a woman at the club who was saved. "Marie is a hero."

      "No thanks to any of you. Maybe you were right. Your brother's friends are lame, but so are you."

      "You don't understand."

      "What I've gathered is that I don't understand because you don't tell anyone anything. You just bottle up these stupid emotions. Like the ones you have for Jordan Li, why the fuck do you even hate them so much?"

     "I just do." She ignored the question completely.

     "See my point exactly."

     "It's stupid okay, but it's just the way they acted when we first met. It's like they already grouped me to be a weaker, second class citizen. It's like I'm not even a supe to them, and I know I can't control my powers well, but I don't want to be reminded of that whenever I walk into a goddamn room."

    "So you just don't like them because they make you feel weak?"

    "And other things.." She looked down at the dorm rooms dark fluffy carpet, patted down from years of wear.

    "What other things?"

     "The reason I took a gap year. I promise I'll tell you eventually but I just can't now."

     "Eventually?" She questioned.

     "Eventually." Ari assured her, trying to drop the conversation there.

     "I'm sorry. I don't want to be mad at you."

    "You have every reason to be mad at me. It was stupid. I wanted to go back for you guys, but they wouldn't turn the car around. I should have done more to stop them from leaving both of you."

     "It's okay. I can't be mad at you forever, it's not even your fault." She gave her a hug, letting it sink in. "And you really need to apologize to Jordan. You were an asshole last night."

Ari knew she was going to have to eventually, so she decided that she was going to attempt to do it, at perhaps the worst time possible.

                                  ✯★⁂★✯

    Ari noticed Jordan packing their things, ready to leave professor Brink's office for the evening.

    "I really need to talk to you." She called out to them.

     "So you can attempt to shit talk me, and make a fool out of yourself?" They smiled, amused at just the the thought of it.

    "No, quite the opposite." She was trying everything in her not to go off on them, and by some miracle she succeeded.