Saraphina

Ch.9 Let's Play Hero

Xander;
All that week I got high fives and slaps on my extremely sore back. They were saying that I was brave, that I showed Saraphina. In all honesty, I didn't. I was stupid. I got carried away. I made her look like a monster. I took it too far. Then again, did I? Or was it all her? I pushed her, yes, but she went too far strangling me.

I sighed, laying in my bed. I wanted nothing more than to go home. I wanted to watch stars through my skylight, smell old books in the air. I wanted to look at the water damage in the ceiling. I looked up. No water damage because it was steal. I looked to my right, a bunch of beds and a metal door. To my left, Saraphina and I locked eyes.

She turned blood red, this I could tell even in the dark. I smiled. "Were you-?" I whispered. "I was not staring," she whispered. I couldn't help, but smile. "What?" she said. "You were staring," I said. She rolled her eyes.

We laid there, eyes locked. "What?" she demanded. "Nothing," I whispered. "Just wondering why you're staring at me." She glared. I sighed. "I'm sorry," I said without thinking. "For?" she whispered, sitting up. Confusion was evident. "The other day, when we were fighting. Everyone is saying I'm like a hero or some shit like that, but I pushed you. Then I got my ass kicked; you didn't deserve that. It was probably embarrassing," I said, sitting up.

She looked at me blankly. "What?" I said. "Nothing," she said softly. "You're still mad at me?" I asked. "No," she said. "Don't worry about it,," she said. "It doesn't matter." I could tell it did though. It mattered a lot to her.

"I thought everyone liked you," I said, stupidly. "But they're so mean when they talk about you. Except for Rocky, he thinks you're the best thing that ever happened to him," I said. "What?" she said. "They say you're standoffish, and that you're always mad," I said. "Who?" she asked. I honestly had to think who doesn't say that.

"Did you not know? They said they tell you these things," I said, honestly surprised. "It doesn't matter," she said. I should've stopped, but I kept on. This is my problem, I always go too far. "It does matter!" I said, a little too loud. "Shh!" she said. I felt Rocky squirm on the bottom bunk. "It doesn't matter, so just leave it alone." She got up and walked away. Angry, I followed her.

I don't know why, but I was pissed. Anytime I try and talk to her, she walks away, like I'm not worth talking to. I knew that was stupid, but I acted on my anger anyway because to me at that time, it made perfect sense at the time.

"You always do stuff like this. I try and be a friend to you, Saraphina! Why won't you let me?" I demanded. "X please," she said. "No! I'm done Saraphina! Every time I reach out for you, you swat at me!" I yelled in the training room. "I want you to have at least one friend here!" I said. "I have friends X, I don't need nor want your charity," she said, annoyed. "You can hardly count Rocky as a friend," I said. "You shut him out like everyone else!" I yelled.

"What was so special about Joseph? Why didn't you shut him out like everyone else?" I said, challenging her. "Why do you keep bringing him up?" she yelled. "You know what? I can name fifty things that made him a better man than you!" That stung even though she doesn't know what he's done, I do. I bit my tongue to stop my self from saying what she should hear.

"The reason I don't want nor have friends is because they are fake and mean. If you give then an inch, they take a mile! You don't even know me, yet every chance you get, you say something about Joseph! You take whatever leverage you have to hurt me!" she yelled. "Why in Hell would I want a friend like you?"

That felt like a slap to my face. She was right. "The people here don't like me because I'm in a higher rank and I'm strong without using my powers. The only one with the right to complain is Saphira. She's just as strong, but was deemed a trainer. It's unfair, but I can't change that," she said sadly.