Denial's Not Just a Feeling

Riveting Theory

The day had come that she was finally over it. Over the situation and just . . . over everything. It had been such a crummy year already and it wasn’t even over. She would laugh humorlessly, thinking it’s karma for something she had done to her older brother or perhaps a bad grade on a test for not studying or just not knowing the answers. It didn’t seem like it though. Maybe a coincidence? Probably not.

                She breathed out sharply through her nose, allowing smoke to fill and shoot out her nostrils. She leaned back against the large rock behind her, watching all the other teenagers practicing their powers without a care in the world. She was alone of course. No one wanted to talk to someone with so many problems and as quiet as her.

                She followed the movement of one of the bare-chested, fire-bending boys. He brought his hands out in front of him in a circular motion, brought them to his chest after he closed the air circle and pushed them away from him. Fire shot out from his hands two spirals, almost knocking the boy he aimed it at off his feet. That boy leaned back, staring at the spiraled flames and shot him back with two punches. The bare-chested boy side-stepped the shots and chuckled, smiling.

                “Haven’t been practicing, I see,” the bare-chested boy announced matter-a-factually and walked over to his friend, punching him playfully in the arm.

                So care free, the girl thought, watching the two boys interact in the most pleasant matter. Some people would think she’s a creep for watching them—which people think she is—but she was observant.

                “Galeea!”

                She jerked at the sound of her now, and leaned back in surprise to see the bare boy squatted in front of her grinning goofily. He had green eyes that looked over her face and blonde hair that was long enough to stick to his forehead from sweat. Sweat trickled down his chest and hit the grass, steaming the blades to ash. She licked her always dry lips, still leaning against the rock.

                “How’d I do?” He asked, running a hand through his sweat drenched hair.

                Though no one admitted it, her opinion of how they trained meant the most because she was so powerful, but they knew nothing of her true life.

                “F—“

                “Ka-Ka!” A girl squealed and jumped on his back. He immediately put both of his hands out to either side of Galeea’s bent up knees to stop himself from collapsing on her. Galeea sucked in a breath and eyed him nervously. He groaned and turned his head to the side to glare at the girl on his back.

                “Will you get off of me, Nif?” He leaned back and the girl reluctantly got off, folded her arms, cocked one hip out and went between staring at him and Galeea.

                Nif. A girl with knee length, red curls that others envied to have. Her eyes were a soft orange that went along with her hair perfectly. She wasn’t the devil, but her power of manipulating people gave off the sense of it once she cut her hair and made a wish—depending on how long would depend on how powerful the spell would be. She was the definition of perfect that Galeea wanted so badly, but held it to herself.

                “Come on, Ka-Ka. We have things to do.” Nif placed her hand on her cocked out hip, eyeing him.

“So, enough of talking to Gal and lets go.”

                He shook his head, looking up at her. “I have my exam tonight and I need all the practice I can get.”

                “But you’re perfect.”

                “No, I’m not.” He turned to Galeea, locking eyes with her and the goofy smiling from before playing on his lips. “Gal is perfect.”

                Galeea’s eyes widened while Nif let out a gasp and stood straight. “But you—we are. Huh?” She screamed in distress.

                He looked back up at Nif casually. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

                She nodded limply, but he didn’t see because he turned back to admiring Galeea—his Galeea apparently. Galeea had everything a girl and Nif could want: soft dirty blonde with red high-lighted waves that reached down to middle of her back, grey eyes that stared straight to your sole and a soft smile that made all of the boys swoon. She had powers that not another creature in all of El-Pira has and helps all the students train with their varied powers. She even helps train the army when not in class. She had Kald wrapped around her little finger and didn’t even seem to notice.

                He’s right. Galeea is perfect; perfection that Nif strived for her whole life, but was always subpar.

                Galeea stared at Nif blankly as Nif stared back with a sad smile. They stayed like that for a while until Nif ducked her head, turned around and left. Galeea watched her until she was at the door to the school. Nif looked back at her, took in a long breath before letting it out and going in.

                Galeea shook her head, still staring at the door Nif disappeared through. If only she knew that Galeea wanted to be her as badly as Nif wanted to be her. Nif strived for something that she already was in Galeea’s eyes. Galeea didn’t want to be so powerful and have everyone know about it, but when she came to El-Pira through a portal from the Human world, she had no choice, but to train the army for money. She blamed her father. To Hell she hopes he’s at. Galeea saw Nif’s future and them together and . . . wow.

                “Gal?” She turned to Kald staring at her worried. “Are you okay?”

                “Fine, but your form isn’t.”

                She stood up with a final look at the door Nif disappeared through and went over to Kald’s partner, showing the proper form.