Good Friends, No Pity

I look up at him to wait for his annoying grin that shows he was joking. My heart raced as fast as it did when I was running the relay in 8th grade. But I don't know why it is racing this much. Because of his breath tickling my skin or because of his words.

'I told you I wasn't done with you in the hallways yesterday. Why did you leave?' He whispers in my ear and I feel my body shiver.

Why is my body suddenly acting this way towards him? What does this mean? Is this a side effect of my head injury?

'I'm asking you a question, Finna, damn it!' He slams his palm on the armrest of the wheelchair. I flinch.

'Why shouldn't I have left?' I raise my chin.

'Because I told you not to.'

'Who do you think you are to boss me around?'

He smirks. The one I know too well to be wicked. Then he stands straight, giving me space to breathe.

'Who I am...' He chuckles.

'You know what you make me want to do to you? You make me want to hurt you. See you bend and break that nasty attitude of yours. But since, unfortunately, we are going to be siblings, I suggest we think of ways we can live...' He clears his throat, looks down at my lips, 'peacefully.'

I raise my head to look at him.

'Of course,' I looked at him in surprise, thinking he had changed his mind about his bullying thing against me. But the truth is that bullies like Jonathan never change their minds about bullying. He is about to say something else, but Celine and Alistair arrive and he leaves but not without giving me a wink. Weird.

'Oh my gosh, Seraphina!' Celine purrs and crouches in front of me.

'What happened? You were running so fast that I—' she buries her face on my legs. I roll my eyes at how dramatic she is being.

'Seraphina,' Alistair calls out, looking at me intensely. His eyes are darker than usual and so serious. I have not ever seen Alistair this way, ever. 'I thought I have told you to be damn careful every time? What if something happened to you?' He says in a very low tone.

I roll my eyes. 'You guys are overreacting.'

'We heard the news,' Celine blabs out. 'Are you okay?'

My entire demeanour of being happy changes instantly and it turns sour. I inhale a breath that doesn't reach my nose. 'I'm fine, guys. It is nothing to worry about.'

Both of them look at me blankly for a while as if saying 'seriously?' and I just smile at them.

'What's wrong with your arm? It seems... I don't know, off?' Alistair asks, lightly caressing the bandage used to wrap around it.

'Oh, it's nothing I just broke it,' I say it like it's nothing and they both look at me like I'm crazy.

'And when is it going to start working? The arm?' Celine asks, putting my hands in hers, 'It looks pretty serious, Ser, otherwise, they wouldn't have put a cast on it.'

'I don't know,' I say, ignoring her last sentence, 'The doctor said I might or might not be able to use it again.'

Alistair doesn't say a word, he just stares. A look of anger. Celine just buries her face into my lap and leaves it there, a worried sound leaving her lips. I stare ahead and feel the cold air hit my skin. The reason they are my best friends is because they know to never look at me with pity in their eyes.

Even if they do, I'm used to it so I won't feel bad.

'So, you won't be coming for Founders' Ball?' Celine shoots her head up. Of course. The infamous Founders' Party, which I would surely, definitely not attend because of my arm.

'She will come,' Jonathan appears from behind and stands at my back. A shiver runs down my spine and I gulp at nothing in particular. He comes in front of me and his eyes linger on my hand and Alistair's hand is held together.

He scoffs.

'I wonder what kinds of friends you have. They don't even know that it isn't good for a destroyed arm to be touched—'

'Her arm is not destroyed!' Alistair and Celine raise their voice, shouting in unison.

He shoots them a look, and Celine looks away but Alistair maintains his gaze on Jonathan.

'You know, after all these years of bullying Seraphina, it should stop now. You have done enough!' Alistair says firmly, but then I notice his hand on me, a little bit nervous. I freeze at that, and I feel Celine freeze too. Nobody has been able to stand up to Jonathan Hills, ever.

Jonathan smiles. 'And who are you exactly to tell me what to do?' Jonathan asks, his smile never faltering as he crosses his arms.

'You think because your father is trying to run for Senate gives you the guts to talk back at me? How dare you, Partridge?'

The garden is suddenly quiet and everybody can't seem to move. Alistair'seyes are on the ground, Celine's too. Only mine are on him.

'It's time to go inside, Seraphina,' he says, and without breaking eye contact with Alistair, walks to my front to swat his hands away from mine. A ghost smirk appears on his face as he does so, and then he makes to move me away with the wheelchair, but I can't stand his disrespect for my friends, not today.

'His name isn't Partridge, it's Alistair. And so what if his father is running for Senate?' I ask.

'Just shut up and let me move you,' he says and as soon as he reaches me, Alistair does the unthinkable. Before anyone can stop him, his fist connects with Jonathan's face.