[1] ALEXA, and her hell ✓ [Editing]

Too Much Care ✓

Imagine Dragons — Bones
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"talents are what you are born with, skills are what you acquire during life." —Aleisha Williams
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The 1st of January, Year 2021.

     Alexa is the first to return and Petro is waiting knowingly, in the middle of the mirrored training room. She takes her hood down and walks up to him, pressing the top of her head into his raised hand. He pats down her hair proudly, before swiping away the mop blocking her face.

     "You're crying." He states.

     "Yes." she replies flatly, sniffling and staring up into the man's face.

     Phillipeño walks in, eyes closed, but seeing everything from the noisy fan they left on. He's pleased to see Alexa well and unharmed, unlike him who's bleeding from a slit beneath his left eye. Alexa trudges away from the scene to the changing room and Petro accepts Phillip the same way he did the little girl.

     "Well done." He tells him, a bit less enthusiastic, ruffling the boys hair.

     "Thank you." Phillipeño mumbles, leaving his presence to get his cloak and bodysuit off.

     Alexa leaves the area at the same time and enters the bathroom, completely ignoring her partner. Petro sees this and narrows his eyes in speculation, branding his gaze into the boy's back, wondering what could be going on between the two.

     "What's going to happen after this?" Alexa comes up to him soundlessly, catching him off guard.

     He answers with a huff, "Normal repetitive training and classes, until you're skills become a talent." He looks down at her, adding, "Until these talents become your instincts."

     She says nothing, wondering if she startled him from the way he sounds.

     "Prepare for supper." He orders.

     On cue, a whole bundle of students begin to file into the room, exhausted. Phillip exits the changing room and follows after Alexa who leaves quickly. Her silent steps are still surprising, though she's swift on her feet. He soon finds himself jogging after her into the empty hall.

     "Alexa!" He calls out, but that only helps once.

     Just as she appears, she disappears from sight. 'Why is she ignoring me all of a sudden?'

     "You shouldn't care." She says.

     Her voice travels to his ears, but he still can't see her. She refers to his gentleness earlier when they were getting prepared for the test.

     He had whispered to her, words of safety. Of course she would be safe, but suppose she wasn't. Phillip is still soft. Phillip would hurt if anything should happen to her. She doesn't want Phillip to hurt. Unbeknownst to her, it seems she should be telling herself these words as well.

     "I don't want to, but I do." He mutters, finally standing still to catch his breath after spinning in frantic circles.

     Alexa rolls her eyes from wherever she is. "Stop caring. That will get us nowhere."

     "I can't just... Do you even hear yourself?!" His stomach is sinking, heart clenching. She says nothing else and his pulse races. "Alexa?" His voice echoes in the empty, dark hall.

     Then comes a sudden gush of wind by his ear, "If I stay away, that might help, won't it?"

     And with that, she's gone.

     'I just wanted to know if you're okay...'

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