Arden: The Gift Of Delirium

66. Take It Back

Arden, Armani, and Nikki. I now remembered the day and pictured the scene that was about to happen. As Johanna stood next to me, I felt my jaw clench as I listened to the three girls talking about something as another me walked towards an ice-cream bar about twenty feet away.

"I keep telling you guys to let it go. I'm not taking him back." Arden shook her head defiantly as Nikki and Armani stared at her expectantly. Arden's hair was a little shorter, confirming that this took place a couple of weeks ago.

"Believe me, i'm proud that you decided to be strong and stick by your decision, but i'm saying it wouldn't be the worst thing if you even considered." Armani was playing with the end of her braid. 

"I don't think so, just let it go." Arden answered. After a while, I directed my attention to the far right of the room. I had just bumped into someone and deciding not to be an asshole, I bent down and began picking up the papers that were scattered across the floor.

I looked up and locked gazes with bright blue eyes that were surrounded by thick framed glasses. Johanna looked different. With her glasses, and her wild hair, she seemed like a different person. I wanted to wince looking at myself in the situation. Why was I looking at her like that?

Johanna stammered cutely, and avoided my gaze a little. Her shy and timid demeanor was adorable to me, and I could see that I had an affect on her. But she also had an effect on me. I remember the electricity running through my veins at that moment. I recall the sharp intensity I felt in my blood.

Right there, some part of me already knew I was going to start falling for this girl.

"You felt it." Johanna said beside me. "The intensity, the shocking and electric feeling. It was always there. I know we didn't know each other for a long time- but in the short time we spent together Zane, it's to my judgment that you loved me." I looked down, taking my eyes off the scene. "I loved you too- I still do."

Stop, stop, stop. Just stop. I couldn't watch it anymore. Reliving those moments with Johanna in Green Brook- they'll only remind me that I was falling in love with her. That kind of twisted my gut a little.

"Um, it was nice meeting you, Johanna."

"Uh, you too..."

"Zane."

"Zane." I still the heard the conversation of Johanna and I meeting.

I heard Johanna next to me, and felt her lookup. "What makes that girl different from the one standing right next to you? We're both the same person, Zane- just interpreted a little different when certain things comes to light."

I gave Johanna a hard glance. She stared at me, waiting for my answer. If she really wanted to know, i'd tell her.

"The Johanna I met in Green Brook was much different. She was a Biophysicist  who was passionate about her discovery about the unknown world. She loved coffee and was kind to others- doing thoughtful things when she didn't have to. She was sweet, shy, and she would never ever spill blood of someone who was innocent, or steal from those who didn't deserve it, or watch the world burn under her order." I told her seriously.

Johanna did nothing but stare up at me with an impassive expression. "You talk about a perfect and untainted world where there's no pain, no drama, and no suffering- but that's exactly what you've done and plan to do to all these people. Maybe I was falling in love with the Johanna back in Green Brook, but this Johanna right here isn't the same."

Johanna still remained silent and impassive. She was quiet before stating something very softly. "The innocent, the virtuous, and those who know not- Everyone is deemed blameless- a deceiving tactic time has brought. There's none truly guiltless- for every soul contains a sin- it's kept where they cannot escape- each transgression is locked in."

My eyebrows came together as I thought about her words. 'Each transgression is locked in'? What does that mean?"

I shook my head. "People aren't perfect. There are some who don't deserve this, Johanna."

Johanna didn't change her expression. She just easily snapped her fingers and the scene changed once again in front of us. It was the car accident outside the field above the Training Center. The car was driven into a pole but there was clearly another reason. The guy had been punctured- with i'm guessing feathers- all over his body. His blood was drained and he died. He was dead. Johanna killed him.

I felt a hunch of anger and irritation dwell up inside me. "He wasn't innocent." Johanna spoke up. We stood behind the crowd of bodies, peering in and observing the scene. We watched as the man was rolled into the ambulance- the paramedics not knowing that he would be dead in minutes.

As I kept my eyes on the scene, Johanna continued to speak next to me. "He had a wife and four kids. Beautiful family. One baby, a pre-teen, and two eight-year-olds. His wife was absolutely gorgeous, a nice lady. Although she didn't know about the woman he was sleeping with down the street. See, Adam wasn't a loyal husband, he went against his vows and promises. Therefore, I decided to punish him."

"Johanna, it's not right-"

"Of course it is." She protested. "What makes him so innocent, when he can't even keep a vow to his own wife, a woman he loved?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "It's never that easy. It's complicated sometimes."

Love was always complicated, and it will always be. Hell, I didn't know the guy but there were possibilities. Maybe he didn't love his wife anymore, maybe they were having issues...it's not justified but that didn't give Johanna the nerve to go and murder him.

It wasn't okay.

"That's okay," Johanna mumbled. "It doesn't have to be complicated anymore." She then stepped forward and looked up at me through her lashes and blue eyes. "Agápa me." She muttered. I gave her a cautious look as I felt her hands running over my body.

"What?" I whispered.

"LOVE ME!"

*****
Hope everyone is enjoying their break. I'm on the last chapter guys, yay.

Need we discuss Johanna and her down right crazy ways? Zane's got it in for himself.

Next chapter, the gang goes looking for a certain  and very important group of people. Yay, even more new characters. Until then,

-brittany.