Accessory Wars

Chapter 59-Felisa

            The rest of the week we spent with Donna and Valorie around Serenhe. We went to a winery outside of town and walked along the coast, the sun warmed sand burning our toes. Best of all, we trained together. Donna and Valorie were celebrities at our gym. A lot of people followed their tournament progress and wished the girls luck for Liliael. The two indulged in a few sparring matches but they spent the bulk of their training with Kami and myself, which made me feel incredibly honored. They helped tweak our training regime to better benefit our fighting style, critiqued our form and spent an entire day devoted to teaching us weaponized close quarter combat. I ended up on the mat most of the match but Donna made sure to teach as we sparred, showing me where I went wrong in my movements and how to correct them.

My opinions of Donna and Valorie changed over the week we spent together. Donna's brashness was more of a bold confidence who, as she said, "didn't take shit from anyone". Valorie was bright and rather sly. She was also big into gossip, particularly with celebrities and tournament fighters. I learned so many facts I lost track of who they referred to.

At the end of the week, they gave us some tips for working on synergy. It was vague, like Garreld and Seline's advice, but I could tell they wanted us to figure it out on our own. We all exchanged contacts before our sendoff at the train station. They promised to meet up with us sometime in Liliael and I found myself excited for when that day arrived.

About a week after Donna and Valorie's departure, I made a new pair of friends. While I stretched at the gym, a bubbly girl sat next to me to stretch out her own muscles. She was far more flexible than I was and when I mentioned it, she beamed and introduced herself as Candy. We talked about tournaments, as she was also new to the fighting world, and we offered to exchange techniques.

Candy specialized in acrobatic maneuvers such as flips, splits, rolls, cartwheels and handstands. She used to do gymnastics and I could tell. Her form was amazing. She rolled like a wheel while I flopped like a boulder. After a couple days, she introduced me to her Elicit partner, Drake. During his free time, he was a free runner. He showed me the basics for vaulting, sliding, wall running and balancing, all of which I found helpful for Kami's abilities. When I introduced Kami to the two, she became invested in learning. In return for their help, we showed them how to grapple opponents and better ways to defend themselves.

June soon disappeared and the humid weather of July stepped into its place. I thought the month would pass slowly but, before I knew it, the tournament was days away. My friends in Bailey wished me luck with phone calls and messages. Garreld and Seline pick up a rather large pack of instant hot and cold packs for Kami and I to use between fights. Candy and Drake brought in cupcakes and promised to watch our matches. With all the love and support, it made me appreciate the friends I had so much more. They cared about me. They cared about watching Kami and myself working hard towards our goals. It often left me rolling around between my sheets at night feeling giddy.

The day before we left, I had one last stop to make. I rolled up to the hospital on my bike and tried to keep myself calm. My worry doubled as the nurse let me know Benjamin was back from Narten. They let me to enter the psych ward and I found Benjamin in the dining area picking at his lunch. He looked up as I entered, his eyes widening as he stared at me. I wandered over and motioned to the seat across from him.

"May I sit?" I asked.

"Yeah, go ahead," he said. Some of my worry slipped away at how normal he sounded. I sat and smoothed out the top of my skirt, looking up at his staring eyes. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't. I just hoped you were," I admitted. "I'm headed out for a tournament tomorrow and I wanted to see you before I left. I'm glad I was able to."

"Oh. Right. Good luck then." Benjamin dropped his gaze back to his lunch.

I frowned. "Should I not have come?"

"I don't have any say over what you do," Benjamin countered. He stabbed his fork into his slice of cake over and over, poking it full of holes. I noticed his skin looked a shade paler from the lack of sleep and fresh air over the last two months. The bags under his eyes looked more like bruises. At the very least, the burn marks on his skin had faded. They were noticeable if you took a good look but not at a quick glance.

"I tried cotton candy," I mentioned, hoping to cheer him up.

"Yeah?" His eyes peered up, although he kept stabbing his cake. "What did you think?"

"It was too sweet." I fiddled with the zipper of my purse. "I think I saw your family at the Festival."

This time, Benjamin perked up. "Yeah?"

"Is your mom the one who wears her hair in a bun?"

"No, that's my aunt. My mom has short hair. My mom was working in the art stalls this year."

"Was she selling wood wick candles?"

"Yeah. She loves candle making."

"Kami bought one of them. It smelled really nice. Does she use scented oils?"

I sat back as Benjamin slipped into a long explanation of how his mother made candles. I watched his face brighten as he spoke about the other members of his family and soon his dismal lunch was forgotten as he spoke with his hands. He rolled into stories about how he helped his mother make candles once and got seriously burned from the hot wax. Then he told me about his six siblings and all the various crafts they did from canning to home brewing to calligraphy. His father was a lawyer in Serenhe while his mother stayed in the community to help out those that needed a helping hand such as the elderly or disabled. The pride he felt towards his family made my heart feel like it was glowing. I lost track of time as he spoke and soon two hours had passed. The nurses had to stop our conversation so Benjamin could go meet with Lilana.

"Already?" Benjamin grumbled as the nurse walked away. He sighed and glanced over at his forgotten lunch tray. "Sorry for taking up your time."

"No, it's alright. I enjoyed listening," I replied with a warm smile.

Benjamin cleared his throat and fidgeted in his seat. Then his eyes looked up into mine. "Good luck," he blurted out. "On the tournament, that is. That's what you wanted me to say, right?"

I shook my head. "I just wanted to talk but thank you for the encouragement. It means a lot." I rose from my seat, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "See you later?"

"Yeah." As I turned to leave, I heard the sound of plastic scraping and I felt something clamp down on my wrist. Immediately, I felt a rush of energy followed by a strong tug. Like a taught rope of a clothes line. When I turned back, I found Benjamin practically lunged at me in order to catch my wrist and several nurses crept closer out of concern.

"Benjamin?" I questioned. My eyes flicked from his lowered face to my wrist and back again. He let go, retracting his hand to his chest.

"Sorry," he muttered. Before I could ask why he reacted that way, he turned and moved towards his room.

"Benjamin?" I called out. He whipped around, eyes locked onto mine. "I'll see you when I get home." His eyes shifted to the floor. Then he strode back over to me and engulfed me in an embrace.

"Please be careful," he whispered.

"I will," I promised. He released me, gave me a tiny smile and then walked away. I watched him go, fully aware of how hot my face felt.

I returned home and finished packing. My eyes kept glancing at my cell phone, as if I was expecting someone to call me. I knew who I wanted to call but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"Would you still accept me if you knew?" I murmured, staring at the blank screen. The phone did not give me an answer.

Since we were traveling early in the morning, Kami and I were taking the night off of training. I sat on the floor, stretching out my muscles and working on what stances or rolls I could manage in my tiny space. Liliael was going to be different. It was going to be difficult. It was going to be the biggest event of my life so far. I just hoped I was ready for it.