Chapter 4
Shades and Pain
In the middle of the night
Xander was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the shadow above him.
Aeris looked over his body, doubting what she is doing, but will still do it.
Aeris reached over, and pulled off his shades.
Aeris exhaled.
She expected something bizarre, but his eyes looked average.
As she was leaving, she stepped on a creaky board.
"WHO"S THERE!"
Aeris froze in her tracks.
She turned around and saw that Xander's eyes were still closed, but he somehow knew someone was there.
"Wait… Aeris? Is that you?"
Aeris didn't answer,
"I knew it! Aeris, give me back me shades!"
Aeris knew this moment would come.
She got a pair of regular glasses and handed them over.
Xander puts them on and opens his eyes.
Aeris gasped.
Xander's eyes were changing colors, from white to black and all the colors in between.
Xander realized that he's been tricked and shut his eyes,
"Aeris… Give… Back… my… SHADES!"
Xander yelled the last part.
Aeris was surprised.
She expected for Xander to ask nicely, but it turns out she was wrong.
She handed over his shades and she stayed in his room.
Xander stared at his lap, "Uh… do you mind, you know, getting out of my room?"
Aeris understood and left, pondering what was up with Xander's eyes.
In the morning
"LEO! DID YOU SPILL YOUR COFFEE ALL OVER MY XBOX?"
Xander sat up, listening to the argument.
"It's not my fault that your Xbox was under my drink!"
*POW!*
"OWCH!"
Xander got up and went to his bag, knowing how to solve their problem.
When he entered the living room, he saw Aeris smacking around Leo, he saw the reason.
Aeris' Xbox was covered in coffee, no doubt wreaking it.
"Wait!"
Aeris stopped and looked over.
Leo also looked over.
"Aeris, do you have to beat him up?"
Aeris turned to Xander, "Of course! He needs to learn a lesson!"
Xander shook his head, "Aeris, you need to be more forgiving. Here"
He reached into his bag and pulled out a Xbox 360 elite.
Aeris and Leo were wide-eyed.
"Aeris, I believe that this will make up for Leo's mistake. Oh, and here's a little extra!"
Then he whips out a Kinect and its full library of games that came out in the U.S.
Leo looked like he would wet himself.
Aeris was still unsure, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
"Well, you can consider this part of my rent!"
Xander hooked up the Xbox to their TV.
"Now," Xander turned to Aeris, "Aeris, can you follow me outside?"
Aeris looked back at Leo. "Are you sure?"
Xander smiled, "Of course!"
"All right…"
Outside
Aeris glanced over at Xander, "So why did you call me over?"
Xander turned and faced Aeris, "What's wrong with you?"
Aeris was confused, "Huh?"
Xander shook his head, "Why do you always go past you heart and go straight to your fists?"
"How dare you?"
"It's quite easy actually."
Aeris draws back her fist
"Stop."
Aeris froze.
"See? You just skipped all other options and went to violence."
"So?"
Xander shook his head again, "So, let's fight."
Aeris thought she heard wrong, "What?"
"Let's fight! In fact, I'll only use one finger"
Aeris raised her fists, "You think I'm weak?"
Xander looked like he thought about it, even rubbing his chin, "Maybe..."
Aeris charged him and Xander looked carefree.
Aeris started to punch him, but none of her fists would connect.
Xander swayed, ducked, and leaned.
Aeris started to run out of breath, "Stop dodging!"
Xander sighed.
"Time for this to end."
He raised his finger,
"Ha! What are you going to do? Poke me to death?"
Xander shook his head and jabbed at her in various spots on her body,
"ARG!"
Aeris fell to the ground, paralyzed in pain.
Xander stood over her, "Do you know what I just did?"
Aeris tried to reply through her teeth, "Stab me?"
Xander laughed, "No. I pushed points in your body. They are called pressure points. If you push these points hard enough, then you experience extreme pain, very much like you are now."
Xander crouched down next to Aeris, "How does it feel to be beat up?"
"Like crap."
"Good."
Xander helped Aeris up,
"Now do you understand how Leo feels?"
Aeris stopped, "What? Are you telling me that this whole thing was about Leo?"
Xander continued to walk, but looked back, "Of course. Why do you think I would hurt you like this? Do you think that I like hurting you?"
Aeris shook her head continued to walk, "Wow. You sure like to make lessons as literal as possible."
Xander looked at her, "Yup. As many people say, experience is life's greatest teacher."