Through Everything

Duty v/s Loyalty

One of the security guards was the first one to notice Rose, screaming and panting as she pulled a figure behind her. As the two approached closer, a wide smile spread across Sophia's face.

The Dozers made an opening in their human fence, letting in Jia while Rose added herself to the fence.

"The Dozers!" gasped Jia, looking around. "And Michael too!"

"Yes-but no time for that." said Sophia. "Rose filled you in on what's going on, right?"

"Yeah...."

Sophia pushed her towards the door. "Then go in."

"Wait!" she shrieked, turning around.

"Jia!" Micheal got up with a fright. "Not so loud! They'll hear you!"

She took a step back, buttoning and unbuttoning her blazer. Looking down, she said in a low tone, "I don't think I should be here."

"What?" exclaimed Sophia and Michael.

Letting go of her button on her blazer, she looked up at the two, her eyebrows crossed in a sharp 'V'.  "Half the school knows what happened at the concert last Saturday. So don't act like you don't know anything." She paused, not knowing what she was trying to imply. By impulse she had thrown away her position-and the prestige that came along with it-and come here. 

At that moment, her conscience rationalized that it was because Rose called her. Because she had a duty as Head Girl to answer the call of every tenth grader-no matter which group they belonged to.

But now, a foot away from the door, she questioned her own intentions. Was she here because she had a responsibility to not let a student take his/her life? Or, was she here because her promise brought her here?

All of a sudden, she realised that Sophia and Michael were wating for a reply. 

"It's her life. I'm not a part of it anymore. I can't stop her from doing it."

Just as she was about to leave, Sophia put a firm grip on Jia's shoulders, making her turn around.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Sophia. 

"No, I'm not." 

To Sophia, Jia's expression said it all. Her cold, impassive face. And her barefaced words. Sophia couldn't beat her with words, but she knew what Jia needed the most right now.

She took up Jia's hands and held them in hers. "Jia, I know you felt hurt last Saturday. Trust me when I say that what you thought happened at the cafe didn't actually happen. If I had the chance, I would've explained things to you.

"But right now, she needs you. You're the only one who can stop her from doing it."

Jia pulled away, rubbing her aching wrists vigorously. "Honestly Sophia, I don't think there's much that I can do-if she wants to take her life, then-"

"She's your best friend!" snapped Sophia, feeling things slip out of control. "How can you say that?"

"I can say that because you brainwashed her!" snapped back Jia, her face flushing bright red. "And she fell for it because she doesn't care a heck for my opinions!"

Her glance fell on the door behind Sophia. 

My promise.

Jia stopped and stared at the door. Her promise. The only thing Luna had ever made Jia promise her was to keep Luna from hurting herself.

I guess I couldn't live up to that promise.

She stared down at her cleats as her dad's words began to stab her harder and harder. 

Was he right?

She wept away a discrete tear before looking back up at Sophia. "Besides, sometimes bad friendships fall apart so that better and stronger friendships can come together."

Without a word, Sophia went behind Jia, holding her shoulders with a firm grip.

Jia tried to squirm her way out, but Sophia's tactful grip stiffened her muscles, making her upper body as still as stone. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her jaws clenched.

"Rose, give the card to Michael." instructed Sophia.

Rose passed the card to Michael. Michael held it out to Sophia.

"No, tap it on the door."

"If you say so." Michael held the card against the magnetic reader beneath the door handle.

As they waited for the reader to sense the card, Sophia turned her face Jia, still holding her in place. Her expression was grim, and her words were forthcoming. "Since Luna isn't your anything anymore, you wouldn't mind seeing her die."

Jia gasped. And so did everyone else. Death was real. And it could happen-any moment.

The reader beeped and Michael pushed the door open. Sunlight spilled into the closet, illuminating the dusty room and revealing two figures within. Ivy stood in the room, covering her face as her eyes adjusted to the light.

 Sophia's grip on Jia began to loosen. Within a matter of seconds, her arms hung down, helpless.

All eyes fixated themselves to the floor of the closet. There it was, right beside Ivy, a figure, unconscious on the floor. Her closed eyes stared at the ceiling, and her back laid flat against the cold concrete floor.

"Ivy, what did you-" began Michael, moving forward. The human fence too closed in.

Jia stretched out her arm in front of him, preventing Michael from going any further. Michael stepped back, afearing the heat radiating from her arm.

"No Michael." She put down her arm, her burning gaze fixated on Ivy, "She's mine."