Zaylee's whole body trembled, unable to control her emotions anymore. She didn't want to fall apart because of Eli, not ever, but here she was. She had done everything do avoid facing her feelings. She had practiced dueling until her slugs were exhausted. She had run more miles than her legs could carry her. She had rode farther and faster than her mecha beast was built for. Now however, without anything to busy her, she couldn't stop the onslaught of her thoughts anymore.
She sunk to her kitchen floor, holding her sides as if she would burst. She felt hurt, betrayed, abandoned, angry, confused. Even a hint of unwanted jealousy gnawed away at her insides. She took in a shaky breath. How had she become so weak? It shouldn't even bother her. But it did, oh it did. Dana had been surprisingly consoling when Zaylee had rode directly to her house after saving Eli, but it had done nothing to ease the pain.
Her slugs hopped over to her, trying to comfort her. She took another shaky breath and clutched her sides tighter, trying to hold herself together.
"I can't do this." She admitted to her slugs. "I can't be here anymore. We leave tomorrow."
The slugs were confused, but excited as they followed her around her apartment, watching her drag out her old duffle bag and throw all her belongings into it.
Her hand stopped over a picture of her and her best friends.
"I should probably say goodbye to them," she thought, "They'd never forgive me if I didn't."
"You're what?!" Pulse screamed over their pizza at dinner.
"Going on a solo expedition to the less explored western caverns," Zaylee repeated calmly.
Dana raised an eyebrow at her. "Care to explain why?" She challenged
"I need to." Zaylee glared back at the pink-haired girl, hoping she wouldn't spill the actual reason she was leaving.
"That sounds way too dangerous." Xia tried to reason with her sad-eyed friend. "I'd seriously reconsider. Or at least consider taking a friend."
"This is something I need to do on my own." She repeated solemnly.
"At least sleep on it before you go running off trying to get yourself killed." Xia begged.
"I'll be fine." Zaylee shrugged their words off. But as she looked into their eyes, she felt something pull at her heart strings.
"I'll sleep on it," she tried to smile. Her friend's faces showed a bit of relief and she began to feel the tightness in her chest loosen for the first time in days.
However, her friends were still aware Zaylee had left out some glaring details. Pulse followed her out of Ricochet's Pizza, wanting to get to the bottom of Zaylee's sudden departure.
"You never mentioned why you were going." Pulse challenged, easily catching up to Zaylee's slow steps.
"I sorta did," Zaylee offered, her stomach clenching into a ball again. "It's research and exploration. I'm feeling antsy. It's time for an adventure. I've decided to pick up botany and cartography." Zaylee hoped one of her excuses would deter her determined friend.
"So you're just going to leave your life, your friends, everything in the dust?"
"It's not permanent."
"But it is extended. What if Blakk does something big? You're the best slinger I know! What if something bad happens? What if we need you? What if B.E.E becomes more of a threat?"
"You guys are going to be fine. Trust me. If I thought something serious was brewing, I'd stay."
"How can you tell?" Pulse challenged.
"I may not be naturally intuitive," Zaylee said, mentioning Pulse's abilities, "but I can read the signs, nothing's to serious right now."
Pulse glared at her friend's feigned nonchalance, knowing everything she had said was a lie. "Alright, tell me the truth." She demanded.
"I just did." Zaylee argued, walking ahead of her.
Pulse growled and rushed in front of Zaylee, blocking her path. Zaylee glared, annoyed.
"It's about Eli, isn't it?" Pulse accused. Zaylee's glare faltered. She felt that tearing feeling in her hollow insides again.
"What happened?" Pulse asked, her friend's distraught expression all the conformation she needed.
"It's no big deal." Zaylee shrugged, blinking back tears.
"Liar," Pulse accused again.
"Alright, fine!" Zaylee gave up, exasperatedly throwing her hands in the air. "Maybe you were right all along! Maybe I liked Eli as more than a friend! Maybe I liked him more than I should have!"
"Then why don't you just tell him? Running away doesn't seem like a good way to deal with the issue." Pulse's voice was soft now, she was worried for Zaylee. She had never seen her like this.
"I'm not running away from him. It's not that I can't tell him. I didn't want to. I didn't want things to get complicated."
"I don't get it. Then why are you running away?"
"Because things did get complicated. After we saved Eli from Blakk…" Zaylee paused; she was struggling to keep herself together. Her arms went back to clutching her sides as the memory assailed her, repeating it's self in her mind like a broken record.
Pulse waited patiently. Eventually Zaylee managed to get herself together again. "After we saved Eli, Trixie kissed him. Hard."
Pulse looked stunned. Zaylee hadn't mentioned this the first time she told her and Xia about the story. Pronto hadn't mentioned it either. But the more she thought about it, Trixie and Eli were extremely close last time she was visiting Pronto…
"Zaylee…" She began.
"I have to go." Zaylee repeated, cutting her off. "The only way to get rid of the problem is to leave it. I'm not going to sit around moping about lost chances and being a bother to their team. Once I get over my feelings and I stop crushing on Eli, then I'll come back. I promise it won't be forever." Zaylee looked determined, but Pulse could still see the hurt behind the mask.
"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Pulse repeated Xia's question from earlier.
"Yes, I have to deal with this on my own. I'm sorry, there's just no other way." And with that, Zaylee hurried off, leaving Pulse to worry about what she could do about it.
Pulse rode her mecha as fast as she could to her house. She pulled up her computer and called Xia with shaking hands.
"So Dana was right?" Xia asked as soon as her face popped up on the screen.
"Yeah, it was about Eli. Apparently he and Trixie kissed and Zaylee's jealous."
"That's what Dana told me. What I don't get is why she doesn't just tell Eli how she feels."
"Xia, when there's romance within a group, it's best to let it be, if you go messing with the relationship, you could do serious damage to the group dynamics."
"And dating within the group doesn't have a similar effect?"
"We can't undo what's already done; all we can do is try to not lose our friend."
"Lemme talk to her tomorrow before she leaves. And who knows? Maybe she'll change her mind."
"I certainly hope so." Pulse hit the end call and rubbed her temples. Why did Zaylee have to be so stubborn sometimes? She got up and went through her cabinets looking for more food. This was getting way to stressful. And no one had even fired a shot. Yet.
Xia walked down the hall of floor five. Zaylee's apartment was near the end, with the beautiful balcony that overlooked the training arena in the back. But she wasn't here for the scenery. She had some serious business to take care of.
She knocked on the door and rocked back and forth on her heels as she heard her friend undo the five locks. Five seconds passed and Zaylee finally opened the door. She looked as if she had cried all night.
"I'm going." She said definitively and went back to tiding up her apartment before her departure.
"You don't have to." Xia tried to reason. Now that she thought about it, she may not be the right person for the job.
"Yes, I do." Zaylee argued back. "It's the best option."
"But not the only option." Xia felt like she was grasping at strings.
"But it is the best. Staying here will just lead to drama, and not the good kind."
Xia had no idea what to do. She hadn't even stepped into the apartment and she felt like she had already failed. Out of options she fell back on her last resort. "I'm not letting you leave." She growled, raising her blaster.
"Xia please don't do this," Zaylee groaned, feeling way to world weary for a teenager. "I don't want to duel you."
"I don't want you to leave!"
Zaylee looked up, hearing her friend's voice crack. She rushed over, embracing Xia in a hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't have another choice."
"Please don't leave." Xia begged.
"I have to." Zaylee repeated. She walked back inside and reached into one of the drawers in her kitchen, pulling out a spare key.
"You can use my apartment until I get back."
"I have a home." Xia frowned.
"And now you have two. Just take in the mail whenever you're here. I don't care if you read it; it's usually just junk mail anyways. Box number 515."
"I don't want your apartment. I want you to stay."
"You're the genius. You know why I can't stay here. It'll kill me. When I come back, I promise I'll make it up to you. We can do anything you want. But I have to go."
Xia sniffled, but she knew she couldn't deter Zaylee. She watched as Zaylee slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and walk out of the apartment. Xia felt like the heartbroken one, watching her friend leave without any regrets. She pulled up Zaylee's computer and called Pulse.
"Did it work?" The part-cat teenager asked.
"Does it look like it? No, she gave me the keys to her apartment and left. She's too heartbroken herself to see that she's hurting us. But I think she'll be back. She loves Eli more than her conscious mind is willing to admit. If she doesn't come back for us, she'll come back for him."
Pulse frowned; it was always friends then boyfriends in their trio. She had canceled on Pronto more than once for impromptu dinners. Why did Zaylee have the right to run off because of boy problems? But then the light bulb lit up. "He'll talk her out of it!" She suddenly exclaimed.
"I highly doubt it; she seems pretty set on leaving." Xia shrugged, looking around the apartment that was now temporarily in her possession.
"It's worth a shot." Pulse said as she ended the call. She immediately pulled her contact list back up and scrolled down to the name of her last hope. Hopefully it wasn't too late.
"Erin my sweet angel!" Pronto exclaimed as he saw his girlfriend's face on the screen. "How may I be of service to you today?"
"Actually, I need to talk to Eli." She admitted.
"What? Why him?"
"It's about Zaylee."
"Oh, well, fine. I shall get him right away." Pronto walked away from the monitor, but Pulse could still hear his voice bellowing throughout the house the Shane Gang all shared.
"Hello?" Eli looked awkwardly at the monitor, wondering why Pulse would call to see him, not Pronto.
Pulse cut strait to the chase. "Zaylee's leaving. She's decided to go on a solo mission. We couldn't talk her out of it. You're our last hope. She'll be passing through Bulls-eye around noon. If you can catch here there, maybe she'll listen to you. But you need to hurry, you don't have much time." Pulse signed off as soon as she finished her message. Eli ran his fingers through his hair, confused. Why was it such a big deal for Zaylee to go on a solo mission? But if Pulse thought they needed his help, he'd try.
He knew better than anyone else that Zaylee was a hard train to de-rail when she had her mind set on something. Still, he went to the garage and headed off towards Bulls-eye.
Zaylee rode as quickly as she could while still staying in stealth mode; not wanting to draw to much attention to herself as she sped down the roads, avoiding waiving citizens who recognized her silver and blue mecha as a hero's ride. She would only stop in Bulls-eye for lunch, and then she was on to Stony Brooke for one last upgrade to her mecha before she went off on her soul-cleansing, mind-enriching trip. That was how she liked to look at it now. Good for the heart and mind. She pulled into Bulls-eye, stopping at a small diner for a burger and fries. She still felt hollow, but she knew that she'd get over it. She shrugged off the feeling again as she walked outside and climbed back on her mecha. That was when she heard it, that unmistakable voice calling her name.
"Zaylee! Zaylee!"
She gulped and let her bangs fall into her face as she climbed onto her mecha.
"Come one Zays, I just wanna talk."
Zaylee felt her heart shattering all over again. She gripped the handles of her mecha as she shot the thing immediately into the top gear, leaving Eli and all the memories behind her.
Well this is where this story ends. But don't fret, there will be more! The next story I make will be a series of shorter chapters about Eli and Zaylee and their time apart. There are more chapters, because it will span over seasons two and three. So if you liked that one, I hope you'll read my next one as well. Until then slingers!
