Chapter 4 - New Friends

IV. New Friends
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        Ian walked me back to class, and there was a lot of elbowing and teasing from Lyn and Terri. Lily just sort of smiled at me, as if she was happy to see that I was happy. It was still hard to imagine anyone being able to hurt such a creature. "He was just being a gentleman," I threw in. "Chivalry's not completely dead, you know!" That got a giggle from Terri, and she made one of those lenses with her fingers, snapping a picture of me and Ian.
"You two are just adorable," she said, and a grin flashed across her face as she exchanged glances with Ian.

        "Leave her alone," Lily piped up softly. "Merina's new, and I think we should all make her feel welcome." Everybody stopped talking and looked at her. I could hear a low murmur of voices talking about how Lily always kept everyone on track in the moral department, but it could be awkward sometimes. With a grin, Lyn got us talking about what we were all going to wear to the dance, since she presumed we were all going, and that got us chatting again. Even Lily was excited to tell us. She had brought something just for the occasion, and apparently it was going to be great.

        This all just reminded me of Callie and Bella a little too much. Between the three of us, I was the quiet one, and the two of them would go off on tangents and get wrapped up in whatever they were talking about, while I stood by and watched pleasantly. With a euphoric smile on my face, I remembered all those good times with my best friends.....

        "Where'd you get that?" Lyn asked curiously, and I realized she was touching my necklace. "It's gorgeous. Didn't know gemstones came in that color."
"It was a gift," I replied with a shy grin, and shook my head with a short laugh. Here I was, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, and I just had to walk around campus with my fancy necklace on. Honestly, I kind of felt like a dork who didn't know that that necklace only belonged at an old-fashioned cocktail party. Oh, well. These new friends I had didn't seem to care about that. Lyn was just ecstatic that I had such a lovely gem on my neck.

        "Hey, the new kid got one too!" I opened my eyes fully and saw Blaize standing right there, staring at my eyes in that annoying way all people had pretty much mastered.
"What do you want?" Terri demanded, and her dark brown eyes flared viciously. Ian stepped forward to help protect me from them.
"Not everyone gets one," Blaize said with an exasperated tone. "She's probably special if she has one. Probably good enough for us."
"Keep your paws off her, Blaize," Lyn said firmly. "She's not like you."

        Even though she was about four inches shorter than the three people in front of her, Blaize brushed past them and flashed me a cocky smile. "Hey," she said smoothly. "I'm Blaize Thayer. And you are?"
"Merina Davis," I replied with a smile. My attachment to Lily stopped me from being all-out friendly with her. Then I noticed it. The jewel around her neck that gleamed in the sunlight. It was bound by a simple black, velvet ribbon. "Where did you get yours?" I asked. It looked different, but our jewels looked like they had been made in the same place.
"She gave it to me," Blaize said, flipping a hand back. "Said something about sisterhood and sent me off to live in this school."

        In Blaize's emerald green eyes, I saw a fighting spirit, someone who would be willing to stand up for herself if necessary. "My mom shoved me off on this place," I replied casually. Ian was staring at me with a warning look in his eye, and Terri had her arms crossed over her chest. Obviously, interacting with this group was not a good way to keep my friends, but Blaize's jewel had me interested.
"Too bad for you," she snickered, and then motioned toward her two friends. "This is Eric and Brianna." Both stepped forward to shake my hand, and Brianna gave me a warm smile.

        "Glad to see they finally brought in someone new," Brianna whispered to Eric, and I decided to disregard that. Now that Blaize's friends had been introduced, I noticed that both of them were wearing jewels, although they had different colors. Brianna's was an icy blue, worn on a choker like the one Blaize had, and Eric's emerald green gem hung on a thin black cord over his white button-down shirt. Being so close to those honey-colored eyes had me just a little unnerved, but I remembered Ian. I had promised him that I would go to the dance with him, and promises weren't made to be broken.

        My eyes darted between the three of them. Honestly, Blaize and Brianna's multi-colored hair didn't seem so freaky up close. At least on the surface, they seemed like nice people. Even Eric managed a friendly, almost inviting smile that was directed toward me. Then he noticed Lily, standing a few feet behind me, her eyes trained on the ground. "Hey, Lil," he said with a grin, advancing toward her.
"Get away from her you creep," Ian hissed, and I saw him fly at the other guy. Despite his smaller frame, Ian was on top of Eric, hands planted on his rival's chest.

        "Cool it," Brianna said calmly, her ice-blue eyes hardening to show just how serious she was. "Eric didn't mean anything by that. Just saying a friendly hi." Lily backed off, horrified.
"You....you hurt me more than anyone ever has before," she squeaked, and I thought I saw true contrition flash through Eric's eyes.
"It's not what you think. Lily," he said softly, and tried to grasp her shoulders before she took off at a full sprint toward the residential complex.
"Sorry," Eric said, putting a hand on the back of his head.
"You've done enough," Lyn snapped, and everyone walked away in a huff.

        Brianna looked at me for a while, and I could see that her blue eyes were softening once more. "We didn't mean to scare her off," she said. "Things happened last year, and....maybe she just wasn't ready to face them."
"Sorry, Eric," Blaize said, letting her tough exterior fall away for a little bit. "I know it took you a while to work up the nerve and everything, but..."
"It's okay," he said, shaking his head. "I just think it's time we both moved on." For all my times when I wished to be invisible, that moment was very awkward. If they had been paying attention to me, they probably wouldn't have been acting like that in front of me.

        "So, what're you going to do? Just stand there?" Oh, yippee. Blaize was back to her sarcastic self as of an official three minutes ago according to my watch.
"I don't know," I stated, falling into that trance I had become somewhat used to. A whole day without much real human interaction does that to you.
"What's with the Reimann kid?" she continued. "He thought we were going to hurt you, and he just jumps up like some puppy dog."
"You mean Ian?" I stated flatly. Things were getting through to my brain, and possibly even registering, but I couldn't string my words together to form coherent thoughts.

        Eric had his arms crossed over his chest, staring right through me in the disconcerting way of his. And that's saying something. When you hear voices for about a day nonstop, it takes a lot to freak you out. His eyes were like dark, molten gold, so deep that I could get lost in there. Maybe he was able to read my mind, like the people from comic books. Brianna had a puzzled look on her face while everyone looked at me, imposing a rather awkward silence. "I think we should take her back to the dorms," she said after exchanging a look with Eric. He nodded, and made to help guide me to the "residential complex", as Diana had called it.

        At that moment, when he put a hand on my shoulder, I felt a flash run across my eyes, and voices galore started screaming at me aloud. "Stop it," I hissed through gritted teeth, bewildered at the same time that something so trivial as a tap on the shoulder. White blurred my vision until that was all I saw. Then, I saw the inside of a small, middle-class home that looked like it belonged somewhere in New England.

        I was standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at the pictures on the wall. One was most clearly Eric's senior picture. He was a smiling, attractive boy. Callie would have had her eyes trained on him if he lived in my hometown. Suddenly, something slammed against a wall, and I rushed upstairs. It was right behind that door, I knew it. Ever so slowly, I turned the handle, and saw Eric panting while he stood over his bed, his fingernails digging into the covers like vicious claws.

        "Can't stop..." he panted heavily, and I heard the deathly rasp in his voice. "Why the hell is this such a high!" Then he picked up a book and threw it against the wall, collapsing onto his knees with his face buried in the sheets. His whole body was shaking, and I saw the wetness forming near his face.
"What is it?" I asked. Out of respect for Ian, I wasn't ready to be entirely friendly toward him, but if someone was this upset, it seemed inhuman not to help them.

        On the floor, I saw a picture of Brianna, smiling with her arms around Eric's neck. He looked altogether happy too, but I still didn't understand why he was so worked up now. "I can't find her," he whimpered. "It'll haunt me for the rest of my life." Then my vision flashed again, and I saw myself, slowly looking up. Strands of light brown hair slowly fell away to reveal my indigo eyes, and I felt all sorts of unfamiliar signals running through my brain. Clutching my head, I felt like I was fading out of this place.

        The grass was soft and welcoming, and I blinked slowly. "You're definitely going back to your dorm," Blaize said. I was still hazy, but I felt someone--presumably Eric--lift me off the ground and then there was a slow rocking rhythm as they carried me.
"She sure screamed a lot. I hope she's not in pain because of something we did." Brianna.
"I can't believe we did this! What was the dog thinking!" Blaize. And then there was a long sentence that flowed along beautifully, almost like a lullaby. It sounded like words, but I couldn't decipher them.

        Something warm was pressed against my cheek, and I snuggled closer, embracing the comfort that I hadn't had for a couple days. The voices became a dull murmur, and I found myself sort of floating in nothing. I was barely aware of what was going on around me anymore. Sweet silence enveloped me, and I felt a longing to stay here, my head resting against that warmth. I didn't want to like being around these people. To tell the truth, I was leery about them through and through. Being with this crowd felt right, though.

        "Let's take her to the hideout tonight," Brianna said, and I was surprised that I could even hear what she was saying. My mind was slowly coming to, and the rhythm at which I was gently bouncing up and down got faster. "What if someone sees her like this? They'll ask questions."
"It'll all be okay," Blaize said, and I was surprised to hear the concern in her voice.
"Why?" I asked, lost in my daze. "Why do this for me?" A light chuckle shook Eric's chest, and I withdrew into myself, realizing that I might have been making him uncomfortable.
"We'll explain it when we get there," Blaize said, her breathing slow and shallow.

        Voices started up in my head again, and I tried to sort through them. "Another C on my math quiz. My parents are gonna kill me."
"I wonder if she'll come with me to the dance?"
"Who's the new girl? What right does she have to get all cozy when they don't want me?"
"Maybe she's from a rich family or something. Probably spoiled rotten."
"I can't wait 'till the dance. Emily's going to be so much fun!"

        My head started throbbing, and I sank down. Those strong arms were still wrapped around me, though, as I curled into a little ball. Wasn't he getting tired of carrying me around?
"What's wrong with her?" Blaize asked. "Are you picking anything up, Eric?"
"Just a lot of pain," he said sadly, stroking my back as I shuddered, clutching my head. More and more voices were creeping in, and they made my head throb. The pain from last night started to set in, and I was shaking uncontrollably.

        "Tell me what's wrong. Please. You're so confused that I can't pick anything apart. Just....tell me what's wrong." This voice was quiet, but it was a man's voice, soft and sweet as chocolate. I wanted to indulge this one, but in a way unlike the shade's voice. She left me awestruck, making me fear what would happen if I was robbed of that musical beauty. This voice was beautiful in a more subtle way. I heard it, and it sounded like it could be my best friend's voice. I wanted to oblige this voice.

        "I don't know," I choked, pain racking my body. Slowly, I looked down at my forearms, the stains from the blood that had been spilt. Ice blue eyes were staring into mine, and I squeezed my eyes shut. No matter what, I didn't want something bad to happen to people who wanted to be my friends. "Go away," I said, my voice strained with the torture as I writhed in Eric's arms. "I put my own friends....I....hurt..."

        None of them listened, and I full-out sobbed, trembling like a two year-old who has had a terrible nightmare. "Shhh," came that voice again, and a hand wiped the tears from my cheeks. I fought hard to contain whatever it was in me that could hurt people. A fresh wave of pain hit me right in the face, and I opened my eyes. Tiny cuts made my forearms look like lattice pie.
"Go away," I urged, my voice quivering. "Don't want...hurt....hospitals..."
"Sleep," my voice urged, my best friend. However, the more he talked to me, the more I listened for that special voice, and the more I opened myself up to let more in.

        Something cold was pressed against my forearm, and the pain went away, although it was still sore. I gasped for breath, focusing on Brianna's eyes, their icy calm almost frightening. "What happened?" she asked, sounding totally exhausted from my little episode.
"You'll think I'm crazy," I warned, shrinking into my familiar warmth. I didn't identify it with Eric, but with comfort, with peace, with....well, warmth.
"Trust me," Blaize assured me with a short laugh. "We're pretty familiar with crazy."

        "No," I said. Eric propped me up, and I realized that all the pain came back when I tried to move.
"You really know how to thrash around," he said, laughing at me lightly. "Made it a difficult run down here."
"You still haven't told me why you did this for me," I pouted, trying to divert the subject from myself. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
"If you don't want to be beat for the next week, you'll shut up," Brianna commented coldly. "I put some ice on the wounds, but I still don't think they'll heal all that easily--ice just takes away the pain. You might want to get someone to help you with some makeup after you take a shower, though."

        I looked at them, then at the criss-cross cuts on my forearms. Pushing up my sleeves, I saw that they went all the way up my arms. A worried look crossed Brianna's face, and Blaize was doing her best not to react. "I think they might have gotten everywhere," Eric said. "You got all cold, like you were dying or something. Do you....feel okay?"
"Not really," I admitted, and decided to leave my sleeve where it was. Living through it the second time was bad, but not as unbearable as the first time.

        "Take off your shirt," Blaize said, her steadfast, tough attitude shining through once more.
"But...." I opened my mouth to protest, but Blaize placed a hand over it.
"I know," she said quickly. "Eric. We have to make sure you won't bleed to death tomorrow, though, and if he puts you down....I have a feeling it'll be painful." It wasn't just that Eric was there. I felt kind of insecure showing my too skinny, willowy frame to these three should-be supermodels. Blaize was probably a curvy size three at five foot two, and Brianna, at a little over five-seven, looked like some sort of ice faerie. Eric was....well, gorgeous, but I didn't know what to think of him anymore.

        I slipped out of my brown t-shirt and felt exposed with my shapeless hips and nearly nonexistant bust. Brianna smiled at me, but she didn't come very close. "You're all cut up, girl," Blaize announced, tracing the cuts on my back. Each touch felt like a thousand needles in my skin. How was I going to sleep?
"Same on the front," Eric affirmed, and I blushed red hot after realizing that he was looking at me this closely. Most of the time, strange guys passed over me for the curvier, shorter girls.

        "Quit worrying about it," Blaize said with a playful smile. "We all know Eric's head-over-heels for the Fredericks girl, Lily." At Lily's mention, Eric looked away and loosened his grip on me.
"Ian told me you abandoned her," I said with a hint of venom in my voice.
"Relax," Brianna said in her calming way. "You'll make the pain worse."
"I don't care!" I shouted. "How can you even dream of hurting someone like that! She's scared every time you come around and--"
"Shut up," Eric hissed, and I think he would have thrown me on the ground if not for the look that Blaize had fixed on him.

        "Why carry me off here?" I asked vehemently, catching my rage. "Why are you going to all this trouble for a complete stranger? What are you...superheroes?" Blaize broke my fit by bursting into laughter.
"Yeah, I guess you could call us that," she said between laughs. "Oh, man, no one's ever been so close to the truth!"
"Didn't you ever wonder about that jewel you got?" Eric asked, as if I'd been totally oblivious to everything. Honestly, I had just guessed superheroes because Kara had always read comic books about superheroes who just ran around saving people in distress.

        "No," I said flatly, maintaining my fury. "When you hear voices., you--oh crap!"
"You what?" Brianna asked, and her big, ice-blue eyes got even wider.
"And I thought we were weird," Blaize commented sarcastically. I wanted to say something, but I felt my throat close up. I hadn't had anything to drink all day, and here I was like some sort of baby. How would they move me back before dawn? If I went missing in a school like this, I would surely get in trouble.

        Underneath my head, Eric's chest heaved in a sigh, and I tried to move my arm. That resulted in a surge of pain as several cuts were stretched open again. I looked at Eric's shirt and realized that he had blood all over it, but his dark green gem hadn't been stained at all. "What about you, Eric?" I asked. "Granted I don't know you, but I've heard nasty stuff about you. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't believe it."
"People make mistakes," He said with a sad laugh. "They get preoccupied, and then it hits the fan."
"I don't want her to hate me. I want to know that she's okay." I gasped silently. It was my voice, my new best friend.

        "Don't worry about the things you hear about people here," Blaize said, flipping her hand as if she was throwing all those worries away. "Half of what you hear is BS, whether it comes from a friend or a rival." She sat down next to Eric, braiding my hair slowly. "Just know that we're here to help you if you need us."
"Yvonne Blaize Thayer, stop getting so sentimental on me," Eric mock-pleaded. "I don't think I can take it."
"Use that part of my name again and I'll throttle you!" Blaize hissed, and I felt her tie something around my braid. Eric smiled at her and then shook his head. I looked up for a moment and met those golden eyes. That look of concern sent me spinning through the clouds, but I still disliked the young man behind them.

        "Sleep," Eric urged me. "You look like you need it." Blaize whispered something to Brianna, Brianna nodded, and the two took off in opposite directions.
"You're a guy," I snapped. "What do you know about TLC?"
"I know that you look like hell right now, and it'd be better if you just slept." He drew me closer, letting me snuggle into him like I had before. I had no desire to be near to someone who had hurt my friend, but that would mean leaving my warmth and my shelter.

        "When I sleep, I feel pain," I said in a hushed whisper. "It's more pain than you will ever be able to imagine. I don't know why, but I hear people talking and then it's like I'm in the middle of a mob."
"My mom's a nurse," Eric said, and I smiled. In the past, most nurses had been very good to me. "I've learned that the human body doesn't do very well if it's not rested." And then, he began to sing softly. He wasn't great, but it was soft and soothing, and distracted me from the voices. Ever so slowly, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming that I was back at home, laughing with my best friends in the whole world....

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