SYNERGY

Violet 8.

"Astrid." I heard a voice as small as a bird. "Wake up."

I rolled over, opening my eyes. Violet was sitting at the end of my bed, her hands in her lap.

I blinked a couple times adjusted to the light. "Ouch," I winced.

A look of concern flashed across her face. "Don't move you'll hurt yourself." She scooted closer to me and wrapped me into a hug. "You didn't have to do that for me yesterday."

The last person who hugged me was my mom and the jester made tears stream down my face.

"Oh! Don't cry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

A laugh escaped my lips. "It's not that, I just miss my mom."

"Oh," she whispered pulling herself back "Anyways," she looked around the room avoiding my attention. "I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday. Nobody sticks up for anybody around here and I really appreciate you doing that for me...If you would like, I would like to be friends."

I reached my hand out to take hers. "I would like that very much."

She smiled a thin smile and something brightened in her eyes.

The door swung open. Kip pranced in staring at us, he had electric energy about him.

"Morning ladies," he said while tipping an imaginary hat forward.

Violets face paled.

"Come on Astrid no lollygagging we have a lot to do today...." he trailed off looking at me, "what the hell happened to your face?"

"It was." Violet began, but I squeezed her hand cutting her off.

"Nothing," I said. "I fell down the stairs."

Kip looked back and forth between us not believing it for a second.

"Kip, if you don't mind. I'm still really sore from falling and didn't eat much yesterday. Can we skip training and just get breakfast?"

"Absolutely not! We have so much to cover today." There was something almost magnetic about him, like he was high.

I got out of bed stumbling forward. He caught me and steadied me studying my face, a look of concern on his.

I smiled up at him sheepishly. " Please?" That made his eyes soften.

"Well, all right breakfast it is, get ready I'll wait in the hall."

The second the door shut I let out my breath.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Violet whispered.

"He left me alone for half the day yesterday and look what happened." I pointed at my black eye. "The last thing I need is him thinking he needs to watch me 24/7."

"Okay, I get that. But he's bound to find out eventually."

The thought of him knowing the truth made me feel sick. "I don't want to think about that right now."

My stomach grumbled, and she laughed shaking her head. "Thinking with your stomach I see."

"Always! Are you going to join us for breakfast?"

"I'm all right," she said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I have somewhere I'm supposed to be, I'll see you at lunch though."

I couldn't help it, I pulled her into one last hug before changing my clothes and heading out the door.

Out in the hall Kip was staring off into space standing with his hands behind his back. He smiled at me, "ready?"

I started down the hallway. As we were walking, he glanced at me sideways. "so, you fell down the stairs?"