Rebel Love
Chapter 11-A Veg Friendship
By Kitten Starr
Vega paced his room for hours. Had she not told him they were friends? He was mad because he cherished their relationship and she didn't seem to care. When he came to her room for their regular midnight chats, she'd brush him off with a lie. The most common being she was too sleepy or the doctor told her she needed her rest, though the latter wasn't totally a lie. He feared the worst and nothing lately seemed reassuring. Some nights he would cry himself to sleep. He couldn't see why she would ditch him. Friends weren't supposed to lie to one another. He didn't know whether to trust her or not. In most ways, they were complete strangers. The more Leena distanced herself from him and the other members of the team, the more she grew into a ghost. He hated to admit it, but she was fading fast. It wouldn't be long until something would have to be done. She relied heavily on her Lightning Saix Ultima. He had overheard her conversation with the non-respondent Zoid. Vega was jealous. He would have to make her listen. He had to help her. She was his only friend and he wasn't going to let her slip away into the ocean of loneliness she had began to swim in.
"Alena, come back to me. You're the only real friend I've ever had." Vega wrapped his arms around his drawn up legs and gazed into the flames of fire. What was he missing?
-~*~-
Leena needed someone to talk to about the way Sarah was acting. She wasn't herself. Over the past week, she would isolate herself in her office and stay there for hours. Then, when something didn't quite go her way she would get mad. She had snapped at Leena for the smallest things. It was irrelevant and Leena was becoming frightened by the spontaneous outbursts. Vega had known Sarah the longest and so he was the one she intended to speak with.
Leena left her room in search of Vega. First, she tried his room. When she had knocked several times and didn't receive an answer she left. She tried the kitchen second and was disappointed he wasn't there. There was only one other place he could be, the hangar. Leena left the kitchen and made her way to the Zoid hangar. She wondered what he'd be doing there. It was past training session.
Leena crossed the lot and marched up the steps that lead into hangar. She went through the automatic doors and down the corridor. She punched in the code to the door that kept their Zoids safe. After it swooshed open she was about to just barge in with a wide smile on her face when she saw Vega standing at the foot of her Zoid. He seemed so sad. She contemplated what was wrong with him. He didn't look hurt, just upset. And, why was he staring at her Zoid?
She walked softly against the concrete floor and stood behind her friend. She laid a hand lightly on his shoulder and turned him around. She was genuinely worried. She had never seen Vega cry before.
Vega looked up at her. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and stood erect. He didn't want her to see him like this.
"Vega, what's wrong?"
Vega caught the liquid worry her voice held for him. "Why should I tell you? You don't care."
"I would care if you'd tell me."
Vega caught himself from saying what he really thought of her at the moment. "You haven't been around for anyone to tell you anything. Why now?"
Leena looked at him. She was confused. "Veg, what do you mean? I haven't been anywhere."
Vega raised an angry eyebrow at her. "Don't call me that! Only a true friend can call me that." He turned around and folded his arms tightly across his chest.
Leena pulled her hand away. She had never taken in consideration of Vega's feelings. It made her feel selfish and it should have. She had forgotten how sensitive he was. She knew she'd have to restore his trust in her. She had let him down on so many levels. She felt terrible.
"Vega," she began.
Vega still had his back turned to her, but he could here the sniffling sobs behind him. His eyes softened and he was sorry the moment he turned around and saw Leena on her knees sobbing uncontrollably. He lowered himself on one knee and held her trembling body in a tight hug.
"Leena, whatever it is, don't cry."
"It's just that I don't know who I am. You and Sarah have offered me so much and I'm very grateful for that. But I just need to know where I truly belong."
Vega smiled down at her. "I didn't mean to be so harsh on you, Alena. I never even considered what you might be going through. Are we still friends?"
Leena pulled away from him and laughed. "I hope so."
Vega's smile broadened as he wiped the last tears of sorrow off her cheeks. "Just tell me next time."
Vega stood up and offered a hand to help Leena up. She took it gratefully and pulled herself up. Both regained their composure and was about to leave when a soft noise came from somewhere in the hangar.
"Alena, what was that?"
Leena looked back at her Saix. It couldn't be, could it? Vega turned around and followed her gaze.
"No way, Alena. That couldn't have come from your Saix."
"Then what else could it have been?"
"I don't kno-" Vega was cut off by another roar. It was louder and fiercer this time. "Okay, maybe it could be."
Leena walked over to her Saix and laid a hand on its sleek black exterior. "What is it, boy?"
The Saix let out a soft growl and then remained quiet. "So, I haven't been imagining this from him."
"You mean he's done this before?" asked an awed Vega.
"Well, at first I thought it was just my imagination. But, then just now. I mean we both didn't imagine it."
"Wow," was all Vega could say.
Vega took Leena's hand and led her out of the hangar. They needed to talk. Leena only hoped he'd understand what she meant when she explained Sarah's unusual behavior.
-~*~-
Jamie had been back for a day and a half already. He still hadn't found the courage to show the gang his pictures. Constantly, he flipped through the snapshots. How could this have happened?
He stayed in his room for hours and finally decided he'd tell them that night after dinner. He could only hope he could refurbish their faith that Leena was okay. Evidently, no one was dead because it would have been broadcasted. It was going to take a lot of convincing on his part to make them believe Leena Toros was still alive.
Chapter 11-A Veg Friendship
By Kitten Starr
Vega paced his room for hours. Had she not told him they were friends? He was mad because he cherished their relationship and she didn't seem to care. When he came to her room for their regular midnight chats, she'd brush him off with a lie. The most common being she was too sleepy or the doctor told her she needed her rest, though the latter wasn't totally a lie. He feared the worst and nothing lately seemed reassuring. Some nights he would cry himself to sleep. He couldn't see why she would ditch him. Friends weren't supposed to lie to one another. He didn't know whether to trust her or not. In most ways, they were complete strangers. The more Leena distanced herself from him and the other members of the team, the more she grew into a ghost. He hated to admit it, but she was fading fast. It wouldn't be long until something would have to be done. She relied heavily on her Lightning Saix Ultima. He had overheard her conversation with the non-respondent Zoid. Vega was jealous. He would have to make her listen. He had to help her. She was his only friend and he wasn't going to let her slip away into the ocean of loneliness she had began to swim in.
"Alena, come back to me. You're the only real friend I've ever had." Vega wrapped his arms around his drawn up legs and gazed into the flames of fire. What was he missing?
-~*~-
Leena needed someone to talk to about the way Sarah was acting. She wasn't herself. Over the past week, she would isolate herself in her office and stay there for hours. Then, when something didn't quite go her way she would get mad. She had snapped at Leena for the smallest things. It was irrelevant and Leena was becoming frightened by the spontaneous outbursts. Vega had known Sarah the longest and so he was the one she intended to speak with.
Leena left her room in search of Vega. First, she tried his room. When she had knocked several times and didn't receive an answer she left. She tried the kitchen second and was disappointed he wasn't there. There was only one other place he could be, the hangar. Leena left the kitchen and made her way to the Zoid hangar. She wondered what he'd be doing there. It was past training session.
Leena crossed the lot and marched up the steps that lead into hangar. She went through the automatic doors and down the corridor. She punched in the code to the door that kept their Zoids safe. After it swooshed open she was about to just barge in with a wide smile on her face when she saw Vega standing at the foot of her Zoid. He seemed so sad. She contemplated what was wrong with him. He didn't look hurt, just upset. And, why was he staring at her Zoid?
She walked softly against the concrete floor and stood behind her friend. She laid a hand lightly on his shoulder and turned him around. She was genuinely worried. She had never seen Vega cry before.
Vega looked up at her. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and stood erect. He didn't want her to see him like this.
"Vega, what's wrong?"
Vega caught the liquid worry her voice held for him. "Why should I tell you? You don't care."
"I would care if you'd tell me."
Vega caught himself from saying what he really thought of her at the moment. "You haven't been around for anyone to tell you anything. Why now?"
Leena looked at him. She was confused. "Veg, what do you mean? I haven't been anywhere."
Vega raised an angry eyebrow at her. "Don't call me that! Only a true friend can call me that." He turned around and folded his arms tightly across his chest.
Leena pulled her hand away. She had never taken in consideration of Vega's feelings. It made her feel selfish and it should have. She had forgotten how sensitive he was. She knew she'd have to restore his trust in her. She had let him down on so many levels. She felt terrible.
"Vega," she began.
Vega still had his back turned to her, but he could here the sniffling sobs behind him. His eyes softened and he was sorry the moment he turned around and saw Leena on her knees sobbing uncontrollably. He lowered himself on one knee and held her trembling body in a tight hug.
"Leena, whatever it is, don't cry."
"It's just that I don't know who I am. You and Sarah have offered me so much and I'm very grateful for that. But I just need to know where I truly belong."
Vega smiled down at her. "I didn't mean to be so harsh on you, Alena. I never even considered what you might be going through. Are we still friends?"
Leena pulled away from him and laughed. "I hope so."
Vega's smile broadened as he wiped the last tears of sorrow off her cheeks. "Just tell me next time."
Vega stood up and offered a hand to help Leena up. She took it gratefully and pulled herself up. Both regained their composure and was about to leave when a soft noise came from somewhere in the hangar.
"Alena, what was that?"
Leena looked back at her Saix. It couldn't be, could it? Vega turned around and followed her gaze.
"No way, Alena. That couldn't have come from your Saix."
"Then what else could it have been?"
"I don't kno-" Vega was cut off by another roar. It was louder and fiercer this time. "Okay, maybe it could be."
Leena walked over to her Saix and laid a hand on its sleek black exterior. "What is it, boy?"
The Saix let out a soft growl and then remained quiet. "So, I haven't been imagining this from him."
"You mean he's done this before?" asked an awed Vega.
"Well, at first I thought it was just my imagination. But, then just now. I mean we both didn't imagine it."
"Wow," was all Vega could say.
Vega took Leena's hand and led her out of the hangar. They needed to talk. Leena only hoped he'd understand what she meant when she explained Sarah's unusual behavior.
-~*~-
Jamie had been back for a day and a half already. He still hadn't found the courage to show the gang his pictures. Constantly, he flipped through the snapshots. How could this have happened?
He stayed in his room for hours and finally decided he'd tell them that night after dinner. He could only hope he could refurbish their faith that Leena was okay. Evidently, no one was dead because it would have been broadcasted. It was going to take a lot of convincing on his part to make them believe Leena Toros was still alive.