Chapter Nine
Filia looked at the phone. She wouldn't do it! There was no need. It was obvious. Wasn't it? There was no need to repeat the obvious. Maybe she should call just in case. NO! It was obvious...it was..."FINE I'LL DO IT!" She screamed and snatched the phone off the hook while punching in the numbers in the phone book.
"Hello?" Came Xelloss's voice on the other end.
"XELLOSS THIS IS FILIA! WHATEVER I DID EARLIER I SURE AS HELL DIDN'T MEAN TO! I, LIKE THE REST OF THE POPULATION, WOULD RATHER GET A FATAL DECEASE THAT PUTS ME IN YEARS OF PLEASE-KILL-ME-NOW PAIN BEFORE I'D EVER DATE A NAGOMI LIKE YOU!"
"Huh?" Xelloss's voice sounded surprised.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Filia wasn't hanging up until she got a response.
"Y-yes?" Xelloss said sounding a little surprised and hurt at the same time.
"GOOD!" and with that Filia hung up. There...maybe she could have been a little nicer...NO WAY! He was a stupid nagomi! An idiotic...hair color impaired...irresponsible nagomi! Filia closed her eyes. But if that was true why did she feel so guilty about what she'd said?
Xelloss put down the phone "Well that was odd," He knew she hadn't been herself when she had...well...there was no need for that phone call. Xelloss crossed the room and sat on his bed. It was no biggy. Filia was always like this...sometimes a little less insulting than others...but he could always stand it. He hadn't always been complementary himself he had to admit but he had never insulted anything pertaining to he love-life...or lack there of...In fact he couldn't even if he wanted to. Filia was popular, well liked, and had no trouble attracting the opposite sex. Of course Xelloss had yet to be in any kind of relationship. God knows he wasn't shy. He just wasn't normal. But what was wrong with not being normal? What was normal? Since everyone in the world is different wouldn't that make being different normal? You would think so. Xelloss lay down and pulled his legs onto the bed. You're being an idiot. You've never let her get to you before? Why start now? Xelloss tucked his knees to his chest and closed his eyes.
Zel held his head in his hands over the blurred textbook. This was pointless. He couldn't pay attention. Brushing a strand of hair from his face Zelgadiss looked up at the clock. Not much longer now. Zel closed his eyes. He had actually almost gotten over the whole ordeal. It was actually-Ring-Zel snapped his textbook shut and gathered the rest of his things before filing into the stream of students. Break time. ::Author's Note: I don't know about other High Schools but at mine we have a break and I'm basing the high school on mine. Don't get me wrong though when we have break it isn't even that long:: Zel went down the main hallway heading toward the bench where Lina and the others usually grouped.
"Redheaded bitch," Zel watched K-chan walk past him.
"K-chan?"
"Zel!" K-chan spun on her heel and smiled a false smile.
Zel sighed and seeing the lack of attention K-chan was paying to her books in hand pushed them further into the joint of her elbow.
"Oh!" K-chan bounced the books up so that she could reposition them herself careful of her broken wrist on the other arm.
"I found out at the hospital K-chan,"
"Oh," K-chan bowed her head so that he couldn't see her angered face "I'm...um...sorry,"
"For what?!" Zel smiled weakly "You're making this all sound like a cheaply made soap opera.
K-chan returned the tired smile "It feels like it," K-chan glared down the hall "It's just ...it's...aw hell Lina can't date that dumbass because she fucking belongs with you!"
Zel blushed furiously and then felt his bottom lip twitch. That was K-chan alright. She couldn't hold a serious conversation if she tried.
"Gotta go or I'm gonna break somthin'" with that she was running down the hall.
Zel kept walking down the hall. K-chan needn't be so blunt all the time. He was over it! He was-Lina playfully punched Gourry's shoulder and laughed. Gourry simply smiled and kissed the top of her head as she laid it upon his shoulder. Filia smiled at the two sitting upon the bench.
"You're so cute together," she giggled snapping a disposable camera and getting complaints from the two.
Lina kicked at Filia and then without removing her head from Gourry's shoulder wove her arm around his and smiled blissfully.
It felt like he was in that hospital bed again as a new sob caught in his throat.
Sylphiel frowned and squeezed her eyes shut in a sad attempt to hold back tears. Why did Gourry dear have to love her? What made her so special. What-Sylphiel felt eyes on her. Eyes that she knew weren't there but she had to get away! She...had to. It was then that Sylphiel did something she would never do under any other circumstances...
Xelloss walked slowly down the hall hoping to God no one questioned him again. The whole park incident had been of course seen by several students and the news had spread everywhere. Slowly he approached the group in the hallway. Unfortunately the only ones left were Filia and her large jock boyfriend.
"IIs it true?!" He demanded.
"What?!" Filia looked confused and nervous.
"You know!"
"No! It isn't-I never-he-"
"So it was his fault!" Her boyfriend looked even more enraged though no longer with her "It must be there's no way anyone would chase after him. So it was his fault!"
"N-" her boyfriend's eyes grew wide as she began to object and hastily she said "Yes,"
"Uh," Xelloss's voice was low, pain filled, and quiet but it caught the attention of the two.
"Xelloss," Filia took in a quick breath.
"You're the one," the jock clenched a fist.
Xelloss felt all will escape him. He wouldn't argue. He simply looked at Filia blankly and gave up.
Zelgadiss lifted the tile partially and climbed into the space above the restrooms. Silently he slipped into a corner and waited for break to end, nervous someone might hear him. The darkness of the corner where he was comforted him somehow. Maybe it was because he couldn't bear to look at anything much less himself right now. Taking in a light breath he wrapped his arms around his knees.
The seconds felt like hours in the total silence although Zel wouldn't have been able to hear anything but the bell in his state of mind. At last the bell rang and Zelgadiss released the suppressed sob only to be joined by the sobs of two others. Silence returned as the three sensed the others presence. Not willing to go down and curious Zel carefully moved to the center where the light was and saw someone coming toward him "Sylphiel?"
"Mr. Zelgadiss?" Sylphiel stopped where she was and quickly tried to dry her tear-streaked face.
Zel looked at the other corner. The third person's motions stopped and he could tell whoever it was wished not to be disturbed.
"Who's there?" Sylphiel asked nervous that the person there had heard her name and would tell about this. With no answer she looked at Zel who had already moved forward a bit for the same reason "Who's there?" She repeated moving forward even further.
"Just me," came a voice from the darkness.
"Xelloss?" Zel wasn't sure. It hadn't really sounded like Xelloss.
"Yes,"
Zelgadiss paused a moment "The hell are you doing in here?" He asked a little irritated. He wanted to be alone and that was proving to be more challenging than he had thought.
"Do I have to have a reason?" Came Xelloss's voice after a pause.
"Yes," Zel balanced himself between two tiles so that he could kneel.
"Too bad," Xelloss's voice was becoming breathier as though he was struggling to get air.
"Mr. Xelloss?" Sylphiel moved a little closer her voice tainted with concern.
Xelloss sighed and then took in a sharp breath as a short, soft cry escaped his lips.
"Xelloss?" it was Zelgadiss that spoke this time.
Xelloss coughed violently weakly laughed "Not that anyone cares but for what it's worth I'm sorry," another cry came from Xelloss only this one concealed.
"Xelloss?!" Both Sylphiel and Zel hurried forward to see Xelloss. He was lying on his side across the tiles, his knees drawn up halfway, his back curved, and his head down, eyes shut tightly in pain. His hands were pressed against his torso. He was covered in cuts and large marks that would soon turn into bruises.
"W-what happened?!" Sylphiel looked afraid to touch him.
Xelloss opened his eyes just far and long enough to see her but couldn't answer instead he coughed violently again bringing up blood.
"Xelloss what happened?!" Zel gently moved Xelloss onto his back holding him by the shoulders, his head resting on Zel's arms.
Xelloss was past the point of being able to speak instead he dropped his hands with a lack of strength, revealing a puncture wound below his ribcage. A crimson fluid spilled over his already blood drenched clothes and onto the tiles.
Sylphiel put a hand over her mouth in horror and glancing at Zel she ripped the bottom of her skirt, wrapping the cloth, and pressing it against his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Xelloss," Zel was as frightened as Sylphiel "Xelloss?" He brushed a long strand of violet hair from Xelloss's face. Xelloss coughed again bringing up more blood.
Sylphiel let a sigh of defeat as the blood continued to flow "No," hastily she ripped another strip of cloth.
Zel looked at Sylphiel and then quickly back at Xelloss. He felt his heart beat faster in his chest with fear as Xelloss's own pulse slowed "No,".
Sylphiel looked at her blood soaked hands and then to the cloth. Dropping the rag she let out a painful sob and began to cry uncontrollably. She couldn't help him. Neither of them could help him...but...
Zelgadiss felt a tear run down his cheek in realization that Xelloss would die. Although he'd never admit it Xelloss had always been a good friend...and now...
Xelloss's chest rose and fell only barely through labored breathing. A small stream of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, his head lolling to the side causing his shoulder length hair to cascade around him. Zelgadiss could barely stand it.
"Recovery!" Sylphiel's scream startled Zel and he looked in time only to see a blinding light.
Author's Note: As I said before I'm basing this on my high school and very violent fights are not uncommon there. Hehehe last time I (I always daydream and when I do I nuclear explosion wouldn't disturb me) was at a school fight I accidentally walked through it just as one guy was throwing another against the wall...you think I would have noticed what with the shouts and large crowd...then of course administrators ran in and one kid got taken away in an ambulance. Fights happen pretty much daily...so far I've walked through two...I will try to keep updating daily. The only reason I was able to today was because I've been sick and thinking I could make it to school, was proved wrong. I also figured out that it is taking me a while to type. I haven't eaten much lately...in other words...I hadn't eaten anything in a good while until I tried to eat some soup yesterday(which didn't work) and actually managed to keep about half a can of Chef Boy RD ravioli down. Anyway I've been typing VERY slowly because of my newfound lack of energy ::sighs:: oh well please keep R&Ring!
