Queen of the Court

Chapter 28

I woke up to the house feeling eerily still. I looked beside me at my phone, the screen still on the call never having ended. He didn't hang up?

"Hyo?" I questioned rubbing my eyes "Hyoga? You still there?"

"Hmm? Are you awake now? Did you sleep okay?"

"Why didn't you hang up? I was asleep for like 3 hours"

"Not like I can exactly go around and do anything right now" He sighed and I was quiet for a little while

"....Hyoga?"

"Yes Rhen?"

"Can... Can I see you in a little bit? I don't wanna be surprised when I see you tomorrow"

"I don't know Rhena- it's getting late and I'd rather you not-"

"I don't want to be surprised tomorrow. I don't want to see you and feel even more upset..." I explained and he sighed

"I dunno, I guess......" He trailed off for a while "It's like 7:30- let's meet at the convenience store that's in the middle of our usual walking route okay? And please, please be careful I don't like the idea of you walking alone" Hyoga gave in. "Actually don't hang up, I'd feel better if we stayed in the phone"

"Alright" I replied softly in agreement "Then I'll see you in a little bit" I said as I got up grabbing a hoodie and my house key as I left. I was quiet as we walked on the phone with the other before I got another question

"Why didn't you just walk away from the situation?" I asked softly only to be met with a sigh

"I tried" he says after a while "But I get riled up easier when it comes to you and being called incapable of protecting you really set me off. I reacted without really thinking and by that point I couldn't get away. Josh played dirty even if I had wanted to walk away he wouldn't have let me"

"I see..." I again went quiet not sure how to feel about it

"I don't say that to scare you but there's something about Josh. He can be rough that was much more than a little scuffle we had. I'm not even trying to keep you away from Josh I just want to keep things calm when your around him. I know better than anyone if you see something in someone good or bad it's usually right to trust your judgement. I don't like Josh at all he rubs me the wrong way but you seem to be getting a long better with him now compared to the beginning of the year" Hyoga told me and I only shook my head

"I dunno. Things have changed since the beginning of the year.. people had changed and whether it's naïve of me or not I'm choosing to believe that Josh is a good kid. I couldn't say seeing that fight frightened me like normal though. If anything I felt more pain. I thing I was afraid of how deeply it had hurt me. I'm not in touch with my own feeling all that much. Everything I've done I've based off of logic." I explained "I can't help but feel like that was my fault...it's the only logical conclusion I can come to."

"Why would you say that? It's in no way your fault, it's our fault that we couldn't be civil with each other" Hyoga murmured. He sounded hurt to hear me say that. His voice felt almost dejected and gloomy"

"But-"

"Rhena, don't. Stop it right now. It's not your fault and I will argue until hell freezes over that it's not" He argued. I went silent. I didn't have anything to reply with and the next time I looked up we were at the convenience store and I hung up the phone. From where I stood right now his appearance was casted with a shadow so I couldn't see well until I got closer. I felt sick to my stomach when I saw his face up close, the way his posture was more slumped than his usual upright self. His shoulder slumped, his amber eyes sunken and tired. There were two prominent cuts on his face, one across the bridge of his nose the other under his eye. His lip busted and if anything else I'm sure there were bruises covering other parts of his body