Wickless

Cover

       Dee Dee wiped the blood that was on her cheek, a few drops managed to get on her sleeve and the brim of her dress. She was behind a turned over table, and kneeling down along with some of the guards. Jefro jumped over the table and landed next to her. He handed her some bandages but Dee Dee waved them away. 

       "Where's the Princess?" She asked him. 

       He chuckled before nodding his head toward the front of the castle, a ways from the dining hall. Dee Dee got up; she was to go search for her, but Jefro grabbed her arm. Dee Dee took it away from him and glared. She was well aware of the fact he's been training her for a short time, but she has accomplishment a lot with her magic within the short amount of time. Besides, they were able to push the flying monkeys back outside of the flank. 

       "You put the barrier up, right?" She asked him. 

      He put the extra bandages in his back pocket. "I was able to place a barrier over the castle, but I wasn't able to make one over your realm and ours. Maybe once we find the queen, we can." 

       Dee Dee didn't like that answer. She had to get home; she was losing track of time again and she didn't want to be late for her date with Clara. Either way, she jumped over the table just as Jefro did and ran past the guest. Some were hurt, their legs, hands, and even heads-they were being cared to by the nurses, and some of the guards. They would be okay. 

       She ran through the halls searching for the princess. Along the way, she saw fallen flying monkeys and fallen guards. Whether or not they were dead, she wasn't sure nor did she want to find out. The fear of death kept her from being curious and as she was about to turn the corner, a hand grabbed her and pulled her into a stairwell. She was slammed up against the wall. Maybe she would have let out more of a scream if it was the beginning of her journey in Oz, but needless to say, she wasn't the meek fourteen year old she was when she first stepped foot in the land. 

       Through clinched teeth, "Adina..." Dee Dee said. 

       Adina pulled back from her and looked on both sides of the stair well. She wanted to make sure she wasn't seen or heard by anyone else. When she thought she was safe, Adina stepped forward again. "I didn't send them-"

       "Yeah, I know...your parents did." Dee Dee said rolling her eyes. She started to walk up the steps of the staircase back toward the hall. When she reached the top step, she turned to face Adina. "You know what," she started. "They're doing this because they want you to take the throne. 'Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry' is what y'er say'in but y'er not doing anything about it! Stand up to your f---freee-freaking parents, Adina!"

       Dee Dee nearly cupped her hands over her mouth, shocked by her words and her anger. The Land of Oz gave her a backbone, a stronger one, but it apparently gave her something else. Something she wasn't used to so her eyes found their way to the ground, and she turned around. Again, Adina took Dee Dee's hand and Dee Dee turned around once more, and she hoped her eyes were more soft then before. Surprisingly, Adina's hands were warm to the touch, and then she thought back to the time Adina saved her-well, kind of, poorly saved. 

       "I can't defy my parents but...some how...I was hoping I could hide you so we could still be friends." With those words Adina poured from her mouth, Dee Dee turned around for the last time to go up the staircase. 

                                                                                    ***

       Dee Dee looked as best as she could as she waited for Clara. She changed but didn't have enough time to take a shower; still, she managed to clean the cut she had upon her cheek. She used some stitch glue after cleaning it, and clapped her hands together. Thoughts ran through her mind on what she was going to say to Clara once the girl asked. On her dresser was an issue of Family magazine, paper cut. Problem was solved, but as she glanced back at the issue on her dresser, she thought about Adina. Through the minutes she's been back in Kansas, she's been trying to get Adina out of her head, and her desire to be friends even with the backlash from her parents. Backlash Adina was too afraid to stand up against, probably because she in fact really wanted the throne after all. Still...she was no older than Dee Dee and just like how Dee Dee cared about her family's judgement, so did Adina. Maybe-just maybe she should hear her out and maybe just maybe if she became friends with her, Adina would no longer have the desire to take the throne. It was worth a shot-