DarkAngel

Axel

When I woke up, I didn't open my eyes, but I moaned. Someone took a cup of water and shoved it past my bruised lips so I could drink. I refused to. "Drink," someone ordered. Whoever it was sounded very serious, so I gulped the water down. Finally, the memories of what had happened hit me. I jolted upright. The girl, Stella Jade was sitting there. My face hurt, my ribs hurt, and I felt sick. I did not like these new neighbors.

"Wha—," I started to say, but she put up a hand. She did not look sorry, but she looked tired.

"Listen, we had to do that. You might be in pain right now, but we just saved your life," she said.

"You didn't have to do anything!! You punched me in the face!! How is that saving my life!?!"

"We did what we had to," she said as she stood up. I grabbed her arm as she tried to leave, and her face went blank for a second. I saw a ring in her eyes for a second, before she brushed me off. "Keep your hands to yourself, Axel. Just a word of advice," she said. She left the door open, and the light blinded me for a little bit. Now that she was gone, I realized I should assess my injuries. I couldn't feel my face anymore, but my ribs throbbed painfully. I lifted my shirt up, and winced at the sight. My chest was mottled in bruises that would probably get darker. Looking at my chest, my face probably looked even worse. Stella came back after a while. In her hands, she had ice packs. She tossed them to me and I caught them. "You should probably put those on your face," she instructed. "It'll help." When I put the ice on, my face stung. "Ow," I said.

"You're a wimp," she said.

"You go around knocking people out. I think I have a good excuse to be a wimp. By the way, you've got a nice right hook."

She sat down. "Can you stand up?" she asked. I didn't want her to call me a wimp again so I stood up very slowly. One of my legs had a tremor, but I fought it. She didn't seem impressed. "How long was I out?" I asked.

"About two hours."

"Two hours?! My mom must be worried."

"She's fine. Major took care of her and sent her home."

"Where are you leading me?"

"To the bathroom. You need to clean after what just happened."

"Clean?"

"Take a shower, wash yourself. Do you seriously not know what clean means?"

"I know what it means."

"Here's some clothes," she said, and pressed them against my chest. I winced again. I walked into the bathroom, and it was so spacious. There was a room for washing your hands, a room for the bathtub, a room for the shower, a room for the toilet, and a room for getting dressed.I winced for the third time as I touched the bruises on my face. My left eye was puffy, from the feel of it. My cheek felt hot and giant, and my cheekbone felt shattered. I quickly tested the shower water and was pleased to see it was already warm. I made sure that my dirty clothes were neatly folded. Then I stepped into the shower, washed, and came out. Then I got dressed. The clothes that Stella gave me were similar to the ones that I ripped. Maybe my mom wouldn't notice. I looked in the mirror as I buttoned up my shirt. My left eye was opening. I realized that every single bruise was gone. "Magic," I said.