Survivors

Chapter 12: Jada

          “Has that ever happened before?” I ask Xain. “Has anyone ever tried to kill anyone before a fight?”

          “Vice,” Katya whispers almost too inaudible to catch. She stops off after those words, but she doesn’t need to go on. I don’t want her to go on.

          Abigail stepped up to her sister and gave her a long hug, and then proceeded to fix Izzy’s hair so that it would stay out of her eyes. Her bangs along with strands that covered her peripheral vision were braided in a way that went around her head, met with the opposite braid, and continued down her back. Her hair was a little past shoulder length.

          Xain stepped in and just stroked her on the cheek. They—he and Izzy—just stare at each other and smile briefly at each other. “Good luck,” he says softly.

          Izzy places a hand on Xain’s cheek. “Promise me you’ll take care of them.”

          “I promise,” Xain replies, then the two of them embrace.

          Izzy looks at me and smiles before she walks over towards me and kneels. She’s only about a head taller than I am standing, so kneeled down, she’s only about to my chest. She takes hold of my arms, just below the elbows, and says to me, “Well, Miss Jada, I guess it’s up to you to look after Xain for me. Make sure he stays out of trouble and healthy for me, okay?”

          I smile widely at the mention of Xain, “Okay.”

          Izzy hugs me around the chest and picks me up in the process. I hold on to her neck for support and see Xain smiling, maybe blushing, as Izzy nearly swings me around. When she sets me down, there’s an announcement over the speaker telling the fighters—Izzy and Vice—to prepare for combat. Everyone hugs Izzy for one last moment before she gets on the platform, and then we all turn to the door, where we see a huffing red-head who is leaning on the frame for support. Clay.

          Clay runs straight for Izzy, embracing her tightly around her chest. He looks like he might be holding back tears. Izzy’s arms go tentatively around him.

          “Izzy I’m so sorry about what I said at the table. You’re not an ugly beast, I was just fooling around. I deserved to be stabbed by that knife,” Clay starts crying as his words pour out. Izzy embraces him sort of like a sister would embrace a brother whom she loved dearly, which astonishes everyone. We all know that Isabelle Garder can not stand Clayton Rivers. Or at least we thought.

          “Don’t die,” Clay continues in Izzy’s arms, “Promise me you won’t.”

          “I won’t,” Izzy promises, “or at least not all the way.”

          With that, the bell signaling that it’s time to go sounds, and both Clay and Izzy let go.

          “Take care, Clay,” Izzy says as she steps onto the rectangular platform and the glass shuts behind her. The platform rises slowly and Izzy gives one final wave to us before she looks up anticipating the fight.

          The rest of us quickly move out of the room. We move down the hall and are about to turn to go to the stadium when Abi stops abruptly. Xain turns around to look at her. She has a mixture of fear and sadness on her face, which is turning beet red as she begins to breathe hard—hyperventilate, perhaps I should say.

          “I can’t do it, Xain,” Abi says quickly and frantically. She’s now trembling. “I can’t.”

          Xain throws his arms around her in an attempt to calm her. “I know,” he says in a hushed voice.