School of the Supernatural

Abel: Dance With Me

I sit in my dorm room, staring at the wall. It's covered in newspaper clippings about...well, everything. I take another from my stack and pin it up with a happy sigh.

There's a long moment of silence in my head and I sit back down with my chin in my hands. I stare down at them, at the small tattoo on my left wrist. It's simply a few dots, and anyone who saw it would get very confused. But I know what it is. It's Orion, the constellation. Most people see nothing but a few stars in the sky, or a few dots on my wrist. But I see something beautiful. Something brave. Something I want to be.

I sigh and stand up, beginning to pace around me practically-empty room. It's stark and bare besides a desk, a chest of drawers, a bedside table, and a bed. The bed is precisely made of course, and my drawers are all neat and organized. My bedstand is bare except for my laptop. The desk, however, is completely opposite.

My desk is stacked high with papers--everything from poems to stories to drawings I've done. The drawers are overflowing with stack upon stack of painstakingly written words or organized lines. Then, in the midst of the chaos, is a half-empty bottle of whiskey.

I look at it with a sigh--it's a gaping hole within my OCD. Everything has to be perfect. That's just perfect chaos. And I love it.

I walk into the neat kitchen and make myself a ham sandwich. I sit on my bed and eat it while watching Netflix on my laptop, getting absorbed in a show. I almost don't notice as there's a knock on the door.

I stand and throw the empty sandwich plate in the waste bin, then answer the door. The nurse stands there. "Um, Mr. Barnes?" I nod. "There's a situation. We were advised to contact you." I follow her down the steps to the clinic.

Resting in it is Akumu. She stares calmly at the wall, blood dripping from a nasty cut on her face. I ask sharply, "What happened?" The nurse answers, "There was a fight outside of the school, and Miss Maki happened to be caught in the middle of it. If you think she's bad, you should see the other fighter." I ask, "Why am I here?" The nurse points at Akumu. "She said to find you." Then she walks out of the room.

I sit by Akumu's feet, looking at her quietly. "Why'd you want me to come?" She answers quietly, "You're the only friend I have. I...I guess I just needed someone there. You're the only one that would be." I fold my hands in my lap, waiting patiently for her to speak. I'm flattered that she wanted me here--it makes me happy.

Akumu sits up beside me, sighing. She breaks the silence and whispers, "I didn't start it." I reply, "Start what?" She looks up at me. "The fight. I didn't start it," she clarifies. "I have no doubt," I reply, "but why'd you get involved? What happened?" She sighs, then explains.

"I was leaving the gymnasium after putting in a bit of practice for the tournaments. There were these guys out by the door, and they were all chuckling and smoking. I ignored them and kept walking, but one grabbed my wrist. He was drunk--I could smell it in his breath. He said, 'Hey, girly, hows about a little fun?' I tried to be polite and refused, trying to leave again. However he yanked me back and told me I wasn't allowed to say no. So, as he pulled me over to him, I used the velocity to punch him in the face. It was a quick fight--the only reason I got this is because he slammed my head into a drainage pipe."

I look at her, shocked. Then I say, "I'm proud of you." She looks up at me with a soft smile. "Really?" I nod and she looks back at the ground. She says, "I'm fine, really. I just want to get out of here and head back to my dorm, but they said I had to stay for a while and rest. Why can't I just rest in my dorm room?" I chuckle and the nurse returns.

I look at her and say politely, "Ma'am, may I please remove Akumu from this environment? I'll be sure she gets some rest in my dorm." She looks at me for a moment. "Fine, but make sure she lays down. She may have a minor concussion. If she does I don't want it to get worse." I nod and take Akumu's arm, helping her stand. I walk her out and then let go. She looks at me and says, "Thanks. I'll head to my room now." I shake my head and reply, "I told her you'd get some rest in my dorm, not yours. So come with me." She sighs, but still follows me.

I arrive at my dorm and open the door, allowing Akumu to pass. She walks in, looking around the room. "Whoa," she murmurs, surprised. "It's so...organized." Her eyes fall on my desk and she says, "Wha--nevermind." I give a small smile and invite her over to sit on my bed. I sit beside her.

I ask, "What do you want to do?" She shrugs, looking at the wooded floor. Her cell phone beeps and she pulls it out of her pocket, checking the screen. The message is simply a news alert, but her background catches my eye. "Wait, you like Hetalia?" I ask, blinking in surprise. She blushes, switching off her phone. "Ah...yeah. I-It's my favourite anime." I give her a smile and reply, "Me, too. Who's your favourite character?" At the same time we answer 'Japan.' She giggles, looking back at the floor.

I grab my laptop and flip it on, bringing up an anime website. Akumu watches as I pull up the first episode of Hetalia: Axis Powers. She smiles again and I stare at her--her smile is beautiful. "Wanna watch?" I ask. She nods.

Within the first few episodes we're strewn back on my bed watching on my laptop. A few more and I realize that Akumu's fallen asleep. I look down at her with a smile and flip off my computer. I get off the bed carefully to avoid stirring her and set it on my bedside table. Then I walk over to my desk and move aside some of the papers to find my iPod. I scroll through the music and place the buds in my ears, continuing a poem I started a while ago.

Hours pass and suddenly I hear a yawn. I pull a bud out and turn to see Akumu waking up. She looks over at me and her eyes widen. She looks down at my bed, then up at me, then back down again. "A-ah, I'm sorry, Abel," she apologizes, scrambling up. I shrug it off and stand as well. She walks up to me and asks, "What are you listening to?" I answer, "Bangarang by Skrillex." She looks at me, surprised. "You like Skrillex? He's my favourite dubstep artist!" she exclaims, ripping my earbuds from their slot. The song fills the air and I smile as she sings along--even the dubstep parts.

The song ends and on comes All Of Me by John Legend. I look at Akumu and extend my hand. "Dance with me," I whisper. She stiffens and replies, "I-I don't dance." I give a small shrug. "No one else is here. There's no harm." She hesitates, then takes my hand.

We spin around the room, dancing to the song. She lets out a laugh, tossing her head back. I grin as I see her laugh--it's the first time she's actually laughed. She looks at me and blushes, casting her gaze to her shoes. I tilt her head back up to look at me and whisper, "You have a beautiful laugh. Don't bother trying to hide it." She blushes even more and my smile grows. The song ends and we separate. Akumu says, "Thank you, Abel. You...you've given me something no one ever has before." I cock my head. "What's that?" I ask. She answers, "Someone I can be myself around. So...thank you." Then she quickly grabs her bookbag and rushes out of the room. I sit down on my bed and run a hand through my hair, smiling. I look down and see that her necklace fell off. I pick it up, examining the red diamond on the end. I place it on my computer and lay back, ready to sleep. I'll return it to her tomorrow.