ZAP {Skephalo}

Soulless

"Don't you wanna know if we're soulmates? If we kiss now, then we'll feel it on our wrists," The girl asked sweetly, her ocean eyes bright and shimmering. It made my heart skip a beat. We had been dating for two days now. It was only fitting.

"S-sure," I stuttered, letting her small, ten-year-old hand reach out and cup my face, planting a big, slobbery kiss on my lips. I didn't like it, but I didn't know it wasn't supposed to be like that, so I went with it.

I separate from the kiss excitedly, looking at her with a huge smile until I noticed her huge, evil smirk.

"You really just take slobbery kisses from anyone, don't you?" The girl asked with a chuckle and I finally started to notice the students crowded around, giggling.

"You'll just kiss anyone, won't you? Just go kiss a frog, you Soulless," She said, which put the nail in the coffin, the tears flowing like waterfalls as I ran off.

~~~

I sit at a park bench near the more wooded area of the college. Antfrost had told me about this bench that is a bit hidden by a row of bushes and was off the brick path. Somewhere quiet to calm down is all I need right now.

Why did so many people think I would be a Soulless? Am I just not good enough? I've been scared of finding out my soulmate that way ever since. I'm scared, terrified even, of what others really think of me. Though that didn't justify the way I hurt Skeppy.

"I need to go back to him. I shouldn't have exploded at him like that. I'll go to him and we'll finally figure out if we're soulmates," I state with a determined tone, lightly hitting my knee with my fist.

"What's with the inspiring speech cutie?" A deep voice coos from behind me, making my soul leave my body and fly off into the afterlife. I jump up from the bench screaming, Zane quickly jumping back in surprise as well, almost screaming himself.

"Oh my god Bad, chill, I'm sorry. If I knew you'd react like that, I would have knocked," Zane says half-jokingly, running his hand through his raven black hair. I pant deeply, removing the hand I subconsciously put to my heart.

"Z-Zane," I stutter, still trembling as I try to gather myself, "What are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you," Zane hums, taking a step closer to me. Right, I was hiding from him before. "Were you in the science building by chance?"

"W-what? No, I w-wasn't," I sputter out with a nervous tremble. I'm lucky Zane has just scared me as it's a good excuse for my sputtering.

"Look, I just really wanted to see you," Zane says, stepping close to me, making me back up on instinct. My back hits the trunk of the tree and suddenly I am trapped in by Zane's arms pinning me, "I needed to see you."

"Zane, what are you..?" I start to ask, still out of breath, but not from the scare before.

"I can't let Zak kiss you first. He's my friend and all, but I can't let him steal this from me. So just hush and let me do this."

Before I can say anything, Zane basically gently intertwines his lips with mine. It isn't anything like my first kiss so many years ago. It is soft and warm, and but I can't seem to kiss him back as I'm scared of ruining this gentleness. I let out a deep sigh from my nose, my fingers picking at the bark behind me. I start to feel as if he is trying to suffocate me until he finally separates, my head light and dizzy.

I stare at him with half-lidded eyes and almost stay like that too until Zane asks, "Well? Are you going to check your wrist?"

I blink and after a few seconds of hesitation, I nod and lift up my right arm for both of us to see. I start to tremble lightly in anticipation as I grab my sleeve and slowly start to pull my sleeve down.

I feel both of our hearts sink to our stomach when we see the letters still printed on my wrist.

"Ah well, I guess it can't be helped," Zane sighs as he retracts, seeming mostly unphased. I know he isn't.

"I'm sorry," I apologize gently, knowing what he's going through well. We both have the same fear that everyone else does, but that's just life.

"I have a few decades. I can wait," Zane finally declares after some thoughtful silence, "But you might not have to."

I go to say more but Zane is already walking off, waving his hand lazily in the air. Weirdly, I know he'll be fine.

I have to apologize to Skeppy and tell him the news. The only worry I have is the worry most people run into, but it is what I fear the most.

What if he's not my soulmate?