Maybe In Another Life

Chapter 26

A few long strides was all it took for him to be by her side, holding her up straight. She clutched his arm, and despite her biting them off, her nails dug into his skin.

Her ears rung, muffling whatever Soren was instructing Zayn to do. She was guided into their room and sat on Soren's bed.

She blinked heavily as the boy left her side, trying to get rid of the black spots clouding her vision. Her head fell into her hands which she pressed into her eyes. Finally her breathing was settling, but she still felt that raw burning sensation in her heaving chest.

"It's better if you stand up and try to walk around." Soren was back at her side, handing her a bottle of water.

She haggardly pushed herself off the bed, supported by Soren's neck under her arm.

"I'm okay, just forgot I can't really run." A breathless chuckle escaped her white lips.

"If she's going to vomit you better get her out of here." Zayn said as he handed Soren something wrapped in a shirt.

"Like you care about cleanliness." Soren jeered.

The latter took the shirt from his roommate's hands, and crouched down, holding whatever it was in the shirt to each one of her knees in turn.

Mavis soon realized it was ice, and presumably from the window, seeing as it was open and frigid air cooled her cheeks.

When her vision fully cleared, she looked down to see his curly hair. He was still crouched in-front of her, holding the ice to her knees.

"What happened?" He asked, looking up at her, his green eyes phlegmatic.

"Someone bumped into me and I fell on the stairs." Mavis shrugged.

"And why were you running?" He probed, returning his attention back to her bruising knees.

"Morning run." She mumbled.

He stood up, his face inches away from hers, looking unamused.

"Very funny. Now tell me what really happened." His voice was gruff from a night of sleep.

"How did you know my knees were bruised? I'm wearing pants." She asked instead.

"You flinched when you tried resting your hands on your knees. Your palms are red too, so I assumed you fell onto your hands and knees and was right." He shrugged as if such observations were the most casual thing in the world.

"I'm still waiting for the truth by the way." He said as he hung the now wet shirt onto the opened window.

"Some weird girls pushed me and tried to start a fight or something." She noncommittally spoke as she twirled around herself.

"Do you know why?" He asked, sitting onto his bed.

"I think it's because they like me." She grinned at him, leaning onto his knees.

"Oh really?" His eyebrow rose as he failed to suppress a smile.

"Mmhmm." She nodded, resuming her twirling.

Soren's eyes narrowed as he watched her fuss around. He was beginning to pick up on a pattern.

Whenever she tried to avoid the way she felt, or even disguise her emotions, she began acting sort of childish, mercurial and aloof. It was hard to explain, but she'd stare at her hand like they're the most extraterrestrial things she'd ever seen while waving them around in some dance. Or she'd shuffle her feet while toying with the hem of her shirt. In this case, she was going around in circles, mumbling what sounded like a "The Strokes" song.

She was clearly distraught about what happened, but since he already knew that, he saw no point in asking. Instead he decided to take her mind off of it, hopefully distract her so she'd feel better.

"I'll go brush my teeth and change into the uniform then we'll go down to the cafeteria and go over our project during breakfast. Sounds good?" He offered. She paused her twirling and nodded, her hands as always, lost beneath her sleeves.

*

Days go by and Mavis and Soren grew closer. They'd reached somewhere along the lines of friendship as their 21 questions became fewer and fewer.

Soren learned Mavis's favorite colors were scarlet and purple. He now knows she had no plans on going to college, she was most probably going to work as a waitress while she goes to cosmetology school. Her favorite flowers were blue bells, and she was absolutely fascinated by the moon. He already knew that though, most of her text books were filled with doodles of it.

Mavis uncovered the truth behind Soren's facade. She now knows what happens behind closed doors. His parents were forcing him into business school so he would take over their company. Back home he had more on his plate than she could ever imagine juggling. Korean classes, boxing, piano lessons which he absolutely hated, and swimming practice, in addition to school and homework. He had a younger sister, Melina, whom he seemed to be very protective of. She now also understood the reason he stood up for her that day, why he got here. It was because Melina fell victim to Manuel's abuse too.

They both now stuck with Persephone and Dileini after the second incident that occurred with Mavis and those girls at the stairs.

"Did you really do that?" Soren skeptically questioned Dileini.

"You bet I did. I almost got thrown in jail for that. I even have the scar to prove it!" Dileini raised his shirt with pride to show the scar that ran across his ribs and disappeared under his pants. "Instead I got thrown here. Two weeks later, this one shows up for vandalizing municipal property." He laughed jabbing a finger at Persephone.

"I guess she can't stay away from you." Mavis winked exaggeratedly at them.

"Oh yes I certainly can not. I am absolutely infatuated with this dimwit. I'm waiting for the day we get married, omg childhood besties turned lovers." Persephone babbles sarcastically.

"Okay okay I get it geez." Mavis raises her hands in defeat.

For the first time, as her leg gently brushed against Soren's under the table, she didn't feel so alone against the world, and she was struggling to let herself believe she indeed wasn't.

She was a firm believer that you had no one but yourself in life.

Yet still, she had friends for the first time.

Who would of thought she'd make them in a juvie for rich kids...