unOrdinary: An Old Friend Returns

It's Not Your Fault

When I crack open my eyes and bring my smartwatch to my face, I see that it is now six in the evening. John and I have been asleep for a good four hours and my stomach is begging for food. I look over at John and decide that I will need to wake him. My healing has done all that it can but for it to truly make a difference the body needs to have energy, and the best form of it is food.

I lift my arms above my head and twist my head from side to side, then repeat with my waist, turning first to the window and then the opposing wall. I will have to get better sleeping arrangements for tonight, maybe moving John to the couch in the living room or finding a sleeping mat for him to place in my room.

I get on my knees and lean over the bed. John's breathing is calm and steady, showing that he is sleeping soundly. My curiosity unfortunately makes me to impatient to wait any longer. I place my hand on his uninjured shoulder and give a slight shake. Nothing. I give a firmer shake and getting close to his ear I say "John!". His eyes open with a startled look.

As his eyes begin to focus on me, I can see him recalling today's meeting. The fight and then the surprise of seeing me there, in between him and the high tiers. He closes his eyes and groans. "Uhhhhhh. My head hurts".

It is to be expected. My healing does not only cost me, it also costs the one being healed. That is its limitation, it requires both the healer and the healed to be strong enough. Plus, I am sure he has butted heads with the high tiers physically as well as metaphorically.

"What do you expect John? Or should I say Joker?" I say expectantly.

Sheepishly, John looks away.

"About that...It's not my fault. Arlo is the a-hole. And all those other high tiers think they are better than everyone. They only got a taste of their own medicine." He says defiantly.

"I don't know, John. Maybe you can tell me how this all started."

That is not the response he was expecting. He was probably thinking that I would chastise him or guilt him asking what his father would say. However, his father is not here, and I am not his father. I am his friend and I think he deserves to give his part of the whole affair.

"Well... it all started when Sera, uh Seraphina, got sent home because of a book I gave her."

"A book?"

"Yes, the book my dad wrote, Unordinary."

"I remember. Your dad sent me a copy early on before it spiked in popularity and then was banned. He called me and told me to get rid of it."

"Did you?"

"No. It is in a safe place."

"Good. I lost my copy and I do not know how to get another one. I can't get one from Dad."

"I'll let you borrow mine. Please continue."

He cleared his voice.

"She went back home and everything at school became so much worse. The bullies came back ten-fold. I thought Arlo wanted to be my friend. He had the chance to bully me, but he did not. And it was not just one time. He and I had lunch on the roof, like Sera and I used to do."

"But then he invited me to join him after school. I was so stupid. And he betrayed me."

John had begun pacing in the room, but with the mention of Arlo's betrayal he had turned back to me and I could see the fury in his eyes.

"What did he do to you John?"

"He had his two accomplices hold me down and beat me. He thought he was so smart. He thought he was so powerful. And he could not just let me be. No. NO. He wanted to find out where I fit in his stupid hierarchy. I DON'T FIT IN HIS STUPID HEIRARCHY."

"John, sit with me." I say, beckoning him to sit beside me on the bed.

He roughly shoves my hand away as he continues.

"I had had enough. Hierarchy this, hierarchy that. The high tiers think that they are the center of the universe and they do not care about anyone but themselves. They are clueless about the harassment and the bullying at the school."

"And then Sera was attacked and lost her powers. Now she was at the bottom of the hierarchy with me. The cripples."

With a slumped back, John sits. He places his head between his knees, so the next words are muffled, though still audible.

"And I couldn't protect her. Not as myself. I needed Arlo and the Royals to protect her. But she was taken again." With that John had begun sobbing.

As I wrap my hands around him, I whisper "John, it seems like you did your best to protect her. You can't be everywhere at once."

"It's all my fault. It is all my fault. It's all my fault."

"Shhh. It is not your fault."