The Sage and Shield

Chapter 7 (Done)

Mikey and Faith picked up Sanae and got her back to her senses.

"You got angry and knocked out. You good?"

"Yeah."

Faith tapped her on the head.

"I was really happy when you wanted to work with me. But I've been hurt by people I just wanted to be friends with before, and I don't want to get my friends in trouble."

Sanae looked guilty, but freed herself from them.

"Whatever," glaring at Mikey, before leaving.

She sighed.

"It's okay, we can't be friends with everyone. My sister says sometimes you just need one or two."

"I know. Thanks for helping me out again."

"It's nothing," rubbing under his nose. "I'm your Shield."

"And my friend," hugging him so hard he almost turned red.

"Uh, right, let me make it up to you."

Through the day, he told her about the only people he considered to be likable enough:

Jeffery and Jamiya: the flat top and wavy haired Winters siblings.

Abdul and Rebina: as long as they weren't around Jake and Caleb.

The shy artistic Marigold.

Kathy.

And the four eyed snarky genius Maria.

The latter two invited Faith to sit with them at lunch with Mikey's insistence, much to Maria's confusion.

"I thought you hated us."

"When did I say this?"

"Um," putting her hand to her throat like a microphone. "I hate this whole class, I never want to come back again," trying to sound like him.

"I said I hated the class."

"He hates me though," Kathy said.

"I do not."

Faith turned to him. "Why?"

"Someone spread rumors that I hated her the day I was," sucking his teeth, "gonna tell her something important."

"There were notes from his locker calling her ugly, fat, and the meanest girl in the whole school."

"She believed it even though it wasn't my handwriting."

"But it came from your locker!"

"And that's why I don't put anything in my locker anymore. So no one could frame me."

"Oh I could use a sp,l-ah, I could help you track down who really wrote it."

"It's fine," yawning. "Kathy, if you wanna be mad at me forever, fine, but I'm telling the truth. I would never want to hurt you. I just wish I cared enough now."

Faith looked at the awkward silence between the two of them, Maria decided to break the tension, thinking what to ask her.

"Wait, if you're Japanese, why are you black?"

"Maria, you can't go around asking people why they don't look Asian!"

"It's a valid question!"

"That's fine. My parents weren't born in Japan. They just happened to meet up there. And they had me while they were living there."

She showed them a picture of the three of them together, surprised they didn't look that different from half of their classmate's parents.

"My dad was working for his first job overseas at a tech company while my mom was in her final year of college working for her...I think it's a thesis? They fell in love, and a couple years later I was born from that. We just lived there for most of my life until recently."

Kathy's eyes beamed. "That's so sweet! Ooh," looking closer. "Your dad's kinda cute."

Mikey tapped her forehead. "He's married for a reason."

    "I'm just saying!"

    Faith laughed. "It's okay, my dad's awesome. He's stood up to a lot of people for me."

    "As a good parent should."

    Maria adjusted her glasses and cracked her arm, to let her ponytail flicker.

    "Your parents aren't even at home that much?"

    Faith looked concerned at what he was gonna say next, but he shrugged.

"And? I know they love me. I would not have a home, food, or exist without them. They text me and Hela every day. You don't always have to see someone to know they care about you. Too bad none of you will ever realize that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

    Faith turned her head. Wait...he actually likes his classmates? Or wants to.

    "Read between the lines," stomaching his own lunch while noticing Faith barely ate hers. He ripped off a piece of his bacon cheese sandwich. "Here," offering it to her.

    "Really?" She got his blessing. With a thankful notice, she gleefully swallowed it down, about to open her chocolate milk when they overheard yelling and screaming during second and first grade. 

Kathy groaned. "Hey, I wanted a piece!"

"You didn't ask."

"Neither did she!"

"Maybe he only gives it out to girls he - ouch! Who kicked me?"

Faith and Mikey's mouths were too stuffed for them to answer, leading her to blame Kathy, who denied it. 

    "Why do we have to share lunch with them again? We're like two years away from middle school. They're so immature!"

    She then tried to snatch it from him while the noise got so bad, they saw the first graders crying over spilled milk.

"Not again!"

Mikey saw the lunch aide go to their table, but Faith slid out her grimoire to try and capture their seeds. They felt a gust brewing, and she jumped out of her seat to see the problem: one accidentally knocked over their chocolate milk.

"Here, take mine."

"Thank," sobbing, "you," calming her down, collecting the Sorrow Seeds in a hurry and returning back.

    "Hey, I wanted that!"

    Jake appeared to all four at the bench.

"It's okay, they needed it more."

"They're whiny!"

"And you aren't?" Maria asked. "You get mad anytime there's a test or quiz!"

"Cuz they're stupid!"

"Like you?"

"I'm the smartest one in this class!"

"Smarter than me? Mikey?"

Mikey added on. "Jeffery? Jania? Abdul? Rebina? Now that's funny."

He sucked his teeth.

"I'll prove it and score higher than all of you. Mikey, when I beat you, don't ever come back!"

Mikey shrugged.

"Alright, you're on."

    "Perfect. I'll make you regret ever showing back up here!"