The Sage and Shield

Chapter 6 (Done)

Both of them returned home with Hela and Marcus immediately noticed their sad faces.

Their family members went to console them with a hug at the same time, waiting patiently until Mikey and Faith were willing to speak up.

"Oh crud. Wow."

"So you think"

"-he"

"-she"

"-is mad at you?"

"Did I mess up?

"No. Okay kinda of...a little. It's complicated."

"Look."

Hela sighed. "Mikey, girls are complicated."

"Aren't we all?"

"Listen," stern enough for him to take her words seriously. "I remember all of Sanae's incidents: the bounce fiasco, the n-word pass fiasco, the rumors with Kathy," watching him pout. She played with his cheeks. "Even if you tell people, you're going to feel more than they will."

"So what should I do then?"

"Be open and be honest. If you don't give her the details, she won't understand where you're coming from. She clearly wants friends, and she saw something in you to keep her secret, right?"

"Well yeah."

"Then cast your anger to the side. What do I always tell you?"

"It's okay to be angry, but you have to learn how to use it. You know there are some good people in that class. Even some of the ones who you felt hurt by - was it all their fault?"

"Well they got tricked or kept quiet."

"So show her that you won't fall into that trap. A shield doesn't just protect and defend: it leads and it inspires. Cliques or not, a leader brings out the best in people. And what are you?"

"A leader?"

"Exactly. Sometimes revenge is just picking yourself back up and not letting bad actions ruin your day. Besides, you don't want to lose your new Kathy," grinning. "Do you?"

He turned around, crossing his arms. "Shush. I just don't want to see her get hurt."

"Or you were also jealous you were losing a friend," teasing his nose. "Gonna talk to her tomorrow?"

He took a deep breath. "Promise."

"Good. Now get your homework done."

"After you explain why you forgot to wash the dishes."

She sucked her teeth and made him grab a sponge to finish it up.

Marcus sighed. "Faith, boys are kinda stupid. But school is about learning from people with more experience. That can even be your classmates," dusting off her shirt. "You told the truth. Odds are right now, he's probably thinking he messed up and working on saying sorry."

"I feel like I brushed him off."

"You were honest. If he's not your friend anymore, he'll show it. How did it feel seeing someone stand up for you?"

A tender smile crossed her face, she tried to cover. "When I wasn't worried, it was kinda nice."

"So tell him that," rubbing her hair. "Come back home tomorrow with good news, aight?"

"Sure."

Sanae spent the night listening to her siblings taking in place of their parents, while making her clean their dishes.

"You gotta chill and stop putting out fires."

"It's the start of the school year. Go one month without mom and dad having to make a phone call."

Sanae squeezed the sponge in rage, drowning out the screams of her younger siblings.

Mikey and Faith approached each other at 7:40am on the staircase, awkwardly scratching their hair.

"Uh, Faith."

"Mikey, could I?"

"Okay, say it on the count of three. One, two, three."

"I'm sorry," came out of their mouths, pointing to themselves. "You're not mad at me?"

"I should've told you about some people that aren't completely brainwashed."
"I kinda just got lost in having another friend," rubbing her arm.

"You forgive me?"

"I was going to ask you that."

They both chuckled at each other, accepting their friendship when they felt a gust of wind and a sinister force staring them down with contempt, watching her body be wrapped in the ghostly image of a shrimp with the skin of a sponge, sucking up water someone spilled.

"Look at you two having fun. How gross."

"Sanae?"
"The Sorrow Seeds!"

"You two are gonna pay!"

They gulped, spotting the sponge-like tentacle about to shoot them. Faith called on a Splash spell to launch it at the same time, resulting into a mist only they can see.

He grabbed her arm and they ran up the stairs to the third floor. Sanae stalked them with the same amount of speed.

"I should've done this last year and made sure you never returned!"

"Where's a broom?" She found one, blowing it to him. He slammed it between the doors to buy them time for them to come up with a plan.

"Sponges need water to work."

"And heat can dry it out," scratching her arm. "I just," clearly unsure.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not good at using fire spells. It's...hard for me."

"Hey hey, it's okay, we just have to keep her away from water!"

They bolted as soon as Sanae flicked up a pillar of water to push the broom out, spreading a wave of dark energy at their feet. Faith swung a field of wind to block it, accidentally throwing a garbage can in front of them.

He jumped onto it, telling her to climb onto his arms. She hopped on and the two surfed on top of the wave, swerving through the hall and wasting Sanae's shots.
"You missed!"

"Shut up!"

The middle schoolers on the other side of the hall saw the duo sliding while Sanae's squid monster swung from the ceiling, making her look like she was climbing on top of people's heads and shoulders after them.

They skated down the stairs while she pursued them until she ran out of breath. The power inside her compelled her to go on, but her body couldn't handle it, running out of steam.

In defiance she launched her remaining water at the duo. Mikey threw the garbage can to shatter the blast, giving Faith enough time to use Vine to snatch and rip the Sorrow Seeds out of her.