SOUL DORM

56

I will follow you...

***

CHAPTER 56:

WHERE'S SMURFETTE

Throughout the rest of the class, I attempted to mimic the movements our instructor demonstrated, but my mind was too preoccupied to absorb any new information. Fortunately, our angelic teacher soon allowed us beginners to sit out, turning her attention to the pros' match before ending the session early.

"Thank goodness," Blue said as she stood up. "It finished before anyone got seriously hurt."

Like her, I had been intently watching Mars and Tarben. I expected them to join us after class, but Mars hastily discarded his sword and helmet and exited the classroom. Tarben followed closely behind, both of them looking stormy as ever. I felt relief when I saw them part ways in the corridor, heading in opposite directions.

"Well, then... see you later, I guess..." Blue muttered, watching them go. Then she turned to me, a playful spark in her eyes. "Let's go grab something to eat."

And so we did. Though we had missed the usual lunchtime, the always-open buffet did not disappoint. We found a quiet corner and settled in. It wasn't long before our conversation naturally shifted to our soulmates. Without any prompting from me, Blue began to unravel the tangled past between Tarben and Mars. Their story was straightforward: the boys had once been inseparable, their bond so strong that even Blue had felt a twinge of envy. Everything changed when a girl entered the picture—Tarben had fallen hard for her, but she had only had eyes for Mars. From there, complications ensued. True to his nature, Mars had spent some time with her but eventually lost interest, completely oblivious to the depth of her fixation on him.

"No one's really to blame," Blue said. "Mars didn't even know Tarben liked her. Tarben had made me swear not to tell."

But when the girl jumped from The Void, the friendship between Tarben and Mars also plummeted. To Tarben, Mars became the villain who had stolen his love away. I understood his perspective; he was grieving and saw Mars as an adversary. Yet, the persistence of his anger troubled me—his refusal to acknowledge the truth, the harsh words he hurled at Mars at the carnival, his blind fury. In Tarben's eyes, it seemed that Mars would forever be guilty, no matter his actions.

After parting ways with Blue and returning to my room, the burden of what I'd learned hung heavily on my shoulders. Even stripping off my sweaty clothes and stepping into the shower didn't wash away the unease. Restlessness gnawed at me incessantly. I paced around, ventured out to the balcony, drowned in music, and only pretended to lose myself in a book. Finally, I went down for dinner, hoping being with my friends would lift my spirits, but luck wasn't on my side tonight. A palpable gloom seemed to have enveloped us all. I was aware of Ursa's troubles. Diego was upset after learning that Blue had gone to the carnival with a strikingly handsome guy. Helene and Lark had been at odds during class. Consequently, we ate in silence, each of us lost in our thoughts before we all drifted back to our rooms.

Now, back in the solitude of my room, my restlessness was more intense than ever before. My heart was a jungle gym, with feelings swinging wildly like monkeys. My mind was on Mars, and on Tarben, and on the misunderstanding, and on their ridiculous fight. And then back on Mars, again on Mars, always on Mars.

No, this couldn't continue. I had to do something. A thank you... a gesture to show I appreciated what he had done for me... I don't know. Something... I paced the room, and Trouble paced alongside me on his tiny paws. Gradually, some ideas began to form, though they seemed pretty outrageous by my standards. Could I actually do it? I wasn't sure. Should I try? Well, I didn't have any other creative ideas.