Resonance
[Ed]
I sat on a bench, mulling over what Kaylee had told me. I watched as she talked and laughed with Lynelle, and then glanced at Danny who was talking to other people. Would it really work?
{Flash Back}:
Kaylee dragged me aside after Danny had taken Lynelle's attention.
"So how are you and Lynelle doing?" She asked with a smirk.
I blinked. "Uh…good?"
She sighed, shaking her head. "You're so clueless. Let me take a more direct approach: have you asked her out yet?"
"No, but-"
"No buts," She interrupted. "Danny's my cousin and I love him, but he's just not right for Lyn-he just can't see that now. He needs a girl that will bend to his will and be that good little girlfriend who will sit at home and bake cookies."
I raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Well…okay that's a little over the top, but the point is; Danny doesn't have a good record. He can be controlling and wants the girl to sit in the corner and wait for him to make the decisions and such."
"Lyn's not like that."
"Exactly!" She said. "I'm going to help all three of you!"
I looked at her wearily; I could almost see the gears working in her head. "How are you going to do that?"
I figured I should probably go along with what ever it was. 1. Danny would get the hint that Lynelle doesn't like him and 2. Well…I do, like her. That was the first time I actually admitted it to myself-that I like Lynelle.
Kaylee grinned, "I'm glad you asked!"
-{End}
[Lynelle]
"Alright Lyn spill," Kaylee said, patting the space across from her. The girls she was talking to wondered off to flirt with a group of guys a few feet away.
I sat down, asking, "What do you mean?"
"Do you like Danny?"
I felt my face heat up a bit. "Well…he's nice, but I really don't 'like, like' him. I know he's your cousin-"
She shook her head. "Ignore that we're related. Just tell me how you feel."
I glanced around; everyone was occupied with their own conversation and weren't paying Kaylee and I any attention. "I…I really like Ed, but I don't want to ruin the friendship we've built or feel awkward around him. I tired to occupy myself with Danny, but after what his mother said and just certain things about him, I know I couldn't do it."
Kaylee nodded, understanding what I was saying. "You need to take a risk though. You never know, Ed might like you too."
I played with blades of grass absentmindedly. "I doubt."
"Oh have some faith," She replied. "Honestly Lyn, I think he likes you too. You're just afraid to get your feelings and pride hurt."
"Well wouldn't you be too?" I snapped.
"Yeah, but unlike you I'm not afraid to take a chance."
I thought about what she said all day, unable to totally engage in conversation with anyone else. As the sun set, people started to leave to spend the rest of the evening with their families.
"I'll talk to you later," I said, hugging Kaylee goodbye.
"I'm heading back home tomorrow so you can reach me there," She replied. She grinned, saying in a low voice so only I could hear her, "Remember what I told you earlier. You can't be afraid to take a chance or you'll regret it for the rest of your life." her smile dimmed a bit, "Take it from me, I have first hand experience."
Her and Danny headed back to their wealthy side of town, while Ed and I headed back into the city.
"So, um," Ed started, clearing his throat. "What's up with you and Danny?"
I glanced over at him. "Nothing, why?"
"Just wondering," He replied quickly. "I just noticed you talked to him a lot while we were there and after what his mother said I didn't know how he would treat you."
I couldn't help but smile slightly at the concern in his voice. "It's no big deal, I'm over it. Besides, it's not like I'll see him again anytime soon unless we go back to Banes Town."
His face scrunched in thought as we continued down the long dirt path towards the city- the bright lights from the tall buildings (not as high as the ones in Chicago or New York, but high for buildings in this world) illuminating the path.
"Don't think too hard, you might hurt yourself," I joked.
His faced relaxed as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Do you, um, like him?"
"By 'like' I guess you mean 'like, like'," I said. "No, I don't. He's nice; I'm just not into him. Plus, his mother is horrible and it's kind of weird that he's trying to 'figure me out'. What does that even mean?"
Ed laughed, "Figure you out? That is weird."
"Yeah I know. And he kept asking me questions about me and you."
"Me and you?"
"Yeah like, he basically wanted to analyze our relationship," I replied. "Like why we were so close."
He paused before asking. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him we've been through a lot together," I said. "And he was all like, is he the reason why you won't go out with me?" So he didn't really ask that, but that basically summarizes our whole conversation.
"He's trying way to hard," Ed snorted out. "He asked you out?" I nodded in response. "Well…what did you say?"
"I said no," I replied. "I don't want to go out with him. It would be pointless since we'll be traveling all around Drachma." Take a chance. You can't be afraid to get hurt. Asmall voice told me. "But, it was mostly because I like someone else."
Ed stopped walking, both of us turned to be face to face. No one was around on this path-it was just us.
"Who?" He asked.
I fiddled with the end of a few strands of my hair trying to busy my hands-a nervous habit. I came this far so I had to go all the way, but was I ready to create tension between us? But, Kaylee said she's sure that he likes me too.
I murmured an answer under my breath with my head down- knowing he wasn't able to hear but too afraid to let it be heard.
"Lyn," He said softly. "Tell me."
I raised my head, pretending I was Scarlett or Kaylee who had an endless amount of confidence. Audibly I replied, "You."
I felt like a weight was just lifted from my shoulders, not matter what his answer is. Though at the same time I began to raise guards around my heart, just in case his answer is not in my favor.
He stared at me for a moment, as if trying to comprehend what I had just told him. I wish I knew what he was thinking. Did I make a fool of myself? He's not the kind of guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve so it's hard to tell.
Finally, after what felt like hours (though it was actually only seconds), his features softened, almost looking relieved, as he took his plastic covered hand to grab my right hand. I could feel the coolness of the metal underneath and it felt oddly comforting.
"I-I like you too."
I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding, squeezing his hand. "Good, because for a minute there I thought I was making a fool of myself."
When we got back to the hotel, we moved in tired silence-taking turns in the bathroom and doing our nightly routines. Nothing felt that different, well except the sleeping part- that felt odd to me again.
"The pillow stays," I said, flopping down onto my side of the bed. "If you cross that line I'm pushing you off the bed."
"Fine," He chuckled. A cold foot brushed again my toes making me yelp. His cold hand may have felt comforting, but his cold foot made me want to disconnect it. "Night."
"You're horrible," I muttered, clicking off the light and settling down into the covers. "Night."
[Scarlett]
After a week of waking up at the crack of dawn it began to become natural to me- not saying that I wasn't tired, I was, it was just easier to manage. After breakfast, was combat practice (which made me feel pathetic- I mean Izumi was reading a book while easily dodging every punch I threw at her!), then studying, conditioning, lunch and an hour break (which meant nap time), more conditioning and combat, dinner, then bed. That's how my days have been going, which was routine and boring and not at all my style. I was burning to learn how to use alchemy with my own hands. It wasn't until after being with Izumi for almost three weeks that finally I was able to.
"Scarlett, come here!" Izumi called from outside in the front yard.
I placed down the book I was reading onto the coffee table and made my way outside- my guard up just incase she tried to take a swing at my head (after three times of getting smacked in the face I finally got the hint that I should never let my guard down). "Yes?"
"Draw me an alchemy circle," She said, throwing me a piece of white chalk.
I crouched down beside her on the side walk and began to draw the circle that Izumi made me burn into my mind-circle, circle, line, line, triangle, triangle-in under a minute it was done.
"Good, now you just need to know how to use it."
She began to instruct me, explaining how alchemy flows from the body and channeled through the circles-that the circle was needed in order for alchemy to work. Telling me about the laws of equivalent exchange. She showed me some examples, bending the ground to her will and shifting it into small statue animals.
"You try."
I clapped my hands, focused, and placed my hands on the circle. The circle crackled and began twisting to my will. I tried to create a small statue like Izumi did but all I managed to do was twist the sidewalk into a tiny braid.
"Seriously?" I groaned.
"You'll get there," Izumi encouraged softly. "Try again."
We sat there for a good three hours, each time progress being made but I was still frustrated at how hard it was. Ed made this stuff look so easy! And did he feel this sick when he did it?
"Try one more time."
I clutched my sides, bending at the hips in pain. "I-I don't think I can Ms. Izumi. I'm in a lot of pain right now. Is it supposed to hurt like this?"
"No, it's not."
Coughs wracked my body as I sat there, pain running through my abdomen. I felt something hot and thick running up my throat. Coughing more into my hand, I found spots of blood on my hand. "B-blood!"
Izumi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Scarlett, tell me the truth. Have you attempted human transmutation?"
She looked me in the eyes and I caved, braking down into tears. "Y-yes." I was done for, caught-literally- red handed. "I-it's a really long story."
She helped me into the house, leading me to the bathroom where she had me spit the blood into the toilet. After thirty minutes the coughing stopped and the pain in my sides slowly subsided into a dull thumping. She took me to my room where I sat on the bed- feeling like a child who was about to get chastised.
"I want the full story," She demanded.
I scrunched my nose in frustration. "Why? It's not like you'll believe me."
"I've seen and heard a lot of crazy things in my life time," She stated. "Try me."
Author's Corner:
~Well then...I hope I didn't totally butcher Ed's character while attempting to create a scene where him and Lynelle "get together". I'm still working out my writing style and how to get character together and such.
~And plot/character developmental on Scarlett's end, yay!
~Hope you enjoyed!
