The Phoenix's Fire

Chapter 6

Sain:

I was leaning back on the outer edges of the pool, my hair dripping with the murky water. Hex was leaning against a tree a bit further back. I ignored him. If he was mad at me, then he could start the conversation. I was in no mood to pick a fight. Hex, it seems, was.

"So you like Phoenix" Hex sneered.

I shrug, "She is a fine girl," I admit. "What's it to you?"

Hex shrugged, "Nothing." A pause. "Didn't you date Alex? He is a guy."

I shrug, "Yeah so? I'll date girls too. What of it? It's not like I'm dating anyone right now."

We sat in quiet for sometime. Me, playing with the murky water and Hex watching.

"You're bisexual." Hex finally murmurs.

"You're gay." I shoot back.

Hex bristled, "What about it?"

"That's what I'm asking." I snarl turning in the water to face him, "You're not understanding that I can like both girls and guys. What's so different for that thick head of yours to wrap around?"

Hex curled his lip in a silent snarl before turning on his heel and marched away, head ducked low, hands shoved in his pockets.

Core:

I skipped fifth hour to trap back up to the rooms. Kuma was laid out on the rug in the main room. I walked over to the chair closest to him and flopped in it, letting my bags drop to the floor with a thud. Kuma didn't even twitch an ear.

"Hey, Kuma." I greeted him. It felt weird, but it had to be done. "You not going with Aku today?" Kuma huffed at me. "You know what I did." Kuma huffed again. "Can you forgive Aku for what he did because of me?" Kuma huffed for a third time and got up, not looking at me, and walked upstairs to Aku's room. "I'm sorry." I called after him, but he never even turned around.

It was like that for days. I went up every fifth hour to talk with Kuma. He eventually stopped tramping away and laid there the enter time.

Halloween was quickly approaching, and the halls became decked out in cobwebs, ghosts, and red jelly. People even decked out their beast partners. Aku turned Kuma into a hellhound, with contacts that turns eyes red and horns that went on his head. It was fun. The only downside was that I had to hear over and over about the halloween ball that was on halloween night. It was all Sabrena could talk about with everyone, including me.

"So, what are you wearing tonight?" She asked, filing at her nails. "I want us to match."

I inwardly sigh. Why do girls always have to match everything? But I told her, "The black suit, unless something happens."

She stopped filing to emphasize her point saying, "Nothing better happen."

I shrug, looking out over the rest of the room. We were on the top balcony again. "You never know. It just might go through a shredder." The guys around me laughed, but Sabrena was unimpressed.

"It better not." She said with a clipped voice and the guys around me shrunk back into their seat.

"It's a joke sweet thing. Nothing's going to happen." I give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She pushed the incident aside, but the cruel look of her eyes didn't change.

Aku came trapping up the stairs, books cradled in his hands.

"Hey brother," I bark out at him. Aku's gaze snagged on me and he smiled ever so slightly. At least I hadn't destroyed our brotherhood completely.