Survivors

Chapter 6: Jada

          I was readying myself to apologize, but then I realized that it was Xain. I had never seen him up close before. Especially not THAT close. I froze with wide eyes and an open mouth. I was barely breathing. I backed up and was ready to run, but then he smiled and waved at me and walked off. I watched as he disappeared from sight, then Melissa greeted me.

          “He seemed nervous about meeting you,” Melissa continued, “He barely spoke when I told him you wanted to meet him. He just said ‘I know’ in a soft and sad voice, and then hung his head.”

          Xain Austin, the boy warrior wonder who could easily kill a hundred fighters without a showing any emotion or showing fear, hung his head in mention of me. I don’t know how I should feel. Should I feel flattered? Happy? Concerned?

          “I wish I could talk to him easily,” I begin to say after a minute of silence, “It’s harder now that his friend, Izzy, is fighting Vice for me.”

          “Jada,” Melissa uses her soft sympathetic voice, “it’s not your fault.”

          “I know that,” I reply softly and look down. I look up to say something else, but I catch sight of a slight smile on Melissa’s face. “What?”

          “You and Xain,” she starts off, then bursts into a giggle, “You two are almost alike.”

          “How?” I tilt my head to the side a little.

          “You have the same expressions when I mention something about the other,” Melissa answers, “Your voices also drop the same way.”

          I drop my head and smile. The thought of me and Xain being alike is almost too unreal.

          “I wouldn’t know what to say,” I say to Melissa with my head still dropped, “He’s a warrior who has fought in many competitions, and I’ve never been past the training grounds.”

          “He helped that girl he was with, Katya,” Melissa answered back, “She hasn’t been in one in over a year.”

          “She’s been in at least one,” I counter back.

          “He doesn’t care,” Melissa states firmly, “He would have helped her even if she were 12 and without any skills.”

          “Like me,” I look away from the ground, Melissa is looking at me right in the eyes.

          “You’re 13, and you have skills,” Melissa seemed to have abandoned all softness and gone to harsh love, “I’ve seen you with knives, bow and arrows, and even a sword. Not to mention I had to treat a boy because you threw him into a wall.”

          “Clay,” I smile as I remember the morning.

          “Came in telling how a ‘cutie’ surprised him by how strong she was,” Melissa beamed out, “And he fought with Xain.”

          “I know,” I giggled, “He told me.”

          “Have him introduce you,” Melissa has her hands on me again.

          “We live right across from each other,” I let out with embarrassment and look away for a moment.

          The hands come off. “You and Xain?”

          I nod and watch Melissa’s expression, and then let out, “He also left me a rose.”

          She looks confused at first, but then just smiles and chuckles.

          I’m confused now, “What?”

          “You have no reason not to interact with him,” Melissa puts her arms on her chest and comes to sit next to me on her bed. I just lean on her shoulder, causing her to put her arm around me.

          “Thanks, Mel,” I say softly, “I know I’ve never told you this, but you’re probably my best friend.”

          “Probably,” Melissa kind of sings the word, “I wish you could see me as your sister.”

          Did my words possibly hurt her? Is she masking her emotions so that I don’t know? Do I mean something more than a companion to Melissa? I kick my feet onto the soft bedding and lay on Melissa’s lap. She just keeps one hand on my arm while the other strokes my hair line.

          We stay in that position for about 10 minutes before I doze off. Melissa has always had those soft and caring hands. In a way, I’m actually glad to see her in a medic suit rather than in the training area practicing a weapon. I don’t know how long I was asleep.

          “Jada,” I feel Melissa gently shake me awake, “Jada, wake up.”

          I roll over to look at her in the face. She looks tired, but composed. “What is it?”

          “It’s nearing 8 o’clock,” Melissa is still stroking my hair.

          “Eight o’clock?” I roll off of Melissa’s lap and onto my feet, “How long was I asleep?”

          “A couple of hours,” Melissa looks down, “I’m sorry, I fell asleep, too.”

          “It’s okay,” I hug Melissa around her neck and whisper in her ear, “I’m not even all that hungry.”

          Melissa and I just get up and exit the room. I get a glimpse of outside right as we’re leaving and discover that the sky is darkening. It takes us almost two minutes to get to the dining hall from the infirmary. The meal of the day is some kind of meat that’s soft and creamy, steamed vegetables, and a slice of bread. I down it carefully since I skipped lunch. Was I really that tired?

          While I was asleep, I had a dream about Melissa. I’ve never known her past. I’ve never even asked it. She didn’t ask about mine, I told her. I know that her family was killed right in front of her when she was 12 years old. She was the only one to survive with multiple stab and slash wounds. She was put into psychotherapy when she had a breakdown after being released from the hospital. A few weeks later, she was discovered to have an extensive medical knowledge. She was released from the miniature asylum on the basis that she worked in the infirmary, and she’s been here ever since.

          “Have you ever notice that Xain and his friends always sit in a table a few rows back from us?” Melissa is looking at a reflection in a small medical mirror. I think a dental mirror. I look up and see Xain, Abi, and Izzy all chatting and eating about three rows down.

          “Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Melissa puts away the mirror, “I’ve noticed it for weeks now. Why?”

          “It’s just interesting,” Melissa shrugs.

          I stare at Xain for about two minutes before he and I catch eyes. He grins a little, so I smile back with a tiny wave.

          “Awww,” Melissa has taken her mirror out again and has it pointed at Xain, “Jada Willow and Xain Austin’s first smile.”

          “Seriously,” I smile out, “We’re not getting married.”

          “But it’s a birth of a beautiful friendship,” Melissa matches my smile. I laugh and finish my mystery meat patty and vegetables.

          Birth of a beautiful friendship. I look up at Xain once more and sigh. I hope so.