The Free City

Chapter Twenty-Two : Lonesome City

The next morning, I went tentatively into the dormitory kitchen. I wasn't sure if I was welcome, and I wanted to find out.

Damien was always the first one awake, so I wasn't surprised to see him. He smiled at me and I relaxed a bit. Jana and Emily made their way downstairs together and I felt my anxiety rise. But Emily gave me her normal silent nod of greeting and Jana reached out and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry about ... yesterday," she said hesitantly. "He attacked you and I- I ignored the trauma you were feeling and focused on things that happened in your past that I don't know the first thing about. I judged you. I'm sorry."

"I'm alright," I managed. Her grin was tentative and a little guarded, but not unkind. She went to get her cup of coffee and sat with Emily at the table.

"Will you tell us more someday?" Jana asked gently after blowing steam from her cup. "If you're ever ready to talk about it?"

"Yeah. If I can, I will. But I want you to know that I'd never hurt any of you."

At that, some of Jana's old humor returned to her eyes and she grinned.

"I know that, Dianna."

A clatter on the stairs announced newcomers. Hank came into the kitchen with Paula, but he was blushing and didn't really look at any of us. She was grinning from ear to ear, even more radiant than usual.

"Oh my god," Jana said suddenly, aghast. "You two? Seriously?"

"You never noticed?" Emily asked.

"I knew," Damien said shyly.

I certainly never did.

"Shut up," Hank grumbled, but he looked pleased. Paula skipped over and gave everyone a kiss on the cheek, including me. I held very still for mine, and put my fingers over my cheek once she was done.

"Good morning!" She sang happily.

"Yeah, I can see that it was a very good morning for you two," Jana said salaciously.

"It wasn't like that," Hank defended as he made a bowl of oats. "We're just happy together. Don't make it feel dirty."

And just like that, I wasn't big news anymore. My past wasn't the elephant in the room, and the acceptance and forgiveness of my peers was a nonissue. It was almost enough to make me weep with relief.

Sam came downstairs and joined in on the teasing once he realized Hank had finally made his move on Paula. But when Kole came down he was properly disgusted at the thought of anyone having romantic feelings at all. Sam winced at Kole's attitude, and I felt like wincing myself. Anthony joined us last, still half asleep and handsomely disheveled, but his eyes bugged out of his head when he saw Paula and Hank together.

"Seriously? Those two?" He asked with a hint of whine in his tone. "Am I the only one not finding true love? Dianna, why can't you and I be like that? What's stopping us?"

When Kole stood abruptly from his chair, Anthony yelped and ran out of the dorm. Kole sat back down, and I frowned at him.

My eyes found Sam's and I tilted my head in question and confusion.

I think I need some things explained to me.

But Sam's small, amused smirk at my expense made me think I wouldn't be getting any answers from him. At least not without a lot of wheedling on my part.

"Kole, you're confusing her," Sam said over his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, join the club," Kole snarled and left for the science lab. I blinked after him and scowled. I'd get it out of him during night training.