Stonebrook High School

Chapter 51

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~*Ω*~

"How did you make him fall asleep so quickly?

"Oh, just some physiology and neurology. A simple trick."

Olivia and Ellegaard were walking briskly through the dark forest, a sound-asleep Jesse on her back. Petra was a few meters ahead of them, keeping a lookout for wild animals and other dangers. The night offered only the moon to provide light and so they had to march through shrubbery and twigs in zig-zags, stretching the amount of time it would take for them to arrive at a hospital.

"Do you think we're going to get there in time?" The protegé pushed apart a couple of bushes and stepped aside to make way for her mentor. "He's basically living on only willpower."

"... This Jesse. How long has he been your friend?"

"Um, since preschool, technically. We're sophomores now."

Ellegaard adjusted the boy's position on her and marched on. "More than 11, 12 years?"

Olivia nodded in approval.

"You have nothing to worry about."

The dark-skinned girl stopped walking and stared at the Engineer. "Nothing to worry about? Jesse, he- he's so badly injured! His skin is burned everywhere, his leg is still broken, and blood is seeping out of his wounds onto your armor! He isn't gonna make it at this pace."

"Remember when I said he was stronger than the Order?"

"Yes... why?"

The woman smirked. "It was true, 1000-percent. The Order of the Stone was made up of 'heroes', but we certainly were not heroic. We just happened to be able to do more than the average person could do, especially as a team– and we were blessed with many great opportunities. We were blessed with finding that laboratory in the Nether, the End in Southeast Asia, and the ability to still be living and together at this point in time. Your friend, Jesse– he had to work in the shadows of our 'legend', and look at him. He stayed determined and optimistic yet practical. He kept you all going despite his broken leg and possibly-shattered life. He's nothing like you."

"Nothing like me?"

"You can't compare to him. Look at yourself. Pessimistic. Negative. A burden. He's had to put up with you for so long."

"Hey, what are you sayi–"

"You're just like me."

Silence. It blanketed them under the sparkling sky and Ellegaard stopped walking. "He'll live. He won't let go of the edge until he gets what he wants. And we need to be there to help him get it."

Olivia looked down and bit her lip, trying to stop the rush to her eyes.

"Okay."

~*Ω*~

"Hey, Jesse."

She turned around to find the blonde guy standing at the opening of the cave, hands in his jacket pockets. "Oh– hello." He joined her at looking over the valley by the edge, watching the snowflakes fall gently in the air. As they stood there, she ran her eyes over the boy. A couple of inches taller than her, gelled, blonde hair slicked back, very much greaser-style with a visible softness and hardness. What was this guy to her?

"How are you feeling?"

Her eyes flickered, blinking the snow out, and she ran her hand over her arm. "Cold. Lost. Feeling as if the answers are right in front of me but never obtainable."