All rights go to Shannon. But the oc's are mine!
"Then you simply multiply all three numbers," Karma's bastard of teacher droned on, meaningless dribble that the ginger already knew. To be fair though, elves were significantly more intelligent than humans. It wasn't narcissism talking, rather than a well known fact.
But that doesn't necessarily make them better, Karma thought bitterly, tracing the barely visible, thin jagged scar that wound its way around his wrist. Yes, I know that first hand- how vile and evil they really were.
A memory flooded his mind, as clear and vivid as the countless times it's occured three years ago. Of midnight blue orbs, cold as ice and simply murderous, gazing at the beaten and mangled red-head curled in a fetal-position on the floor, without even a sliver of guilt.'What are you doing on the floor, ya bastard! GET UP! I own you! I HELPED CREATE YOU! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING FOR ME! GEEEET UPPP!' Karma could still hear his frosty, unforgiving voice even now. Even after three years.
The ginger peered under his desk to see his hand shaking violently. He grabbed onto it, and it immediately stilled. No, he couldn't have a panic attack here, not now. Not in the school, where SHE could see it. He didn't want her to worry. And so, Karma attempted to control his labored breathing and calm his hammering heart.
Once he was tranquil, the eight-year old boy then shivered at the memory. If Karma hadn't possessed Elwin as a physician, he sure as hell would be long dead by now. And at the hands of his own father no less- if that's what you could even call him after everything he's done. The word left a bad taste in Karma's mouth, like the sour candy he often bought at the supermarket.
The ginger supposed he should consider himself lucky, for he had no markings to speak of-due to elves advancements in medicine-besides the one on his wrist. No marks for all to see on the canvas his father-he forced the word through his head with great difficulty- had brutally painted on. No momento of his cruelty. Medicine was the only good thing about elves. They could still all rot in hell for all he cared. Elves weren't supposed to be able to abuse their own sons. Their minds were supposed to break if they even tried. Apparently, all that was bullshit.
Karma also counted it as a blessing that he looked more like his mother-the one that had left him to the wolves- so he'd never have to gaze at his father's face and have the overwhelming urge to stab himself, to cause himself harm like THAT man had done to him- a child.
Karma chuckled darkly to himself at the thought. With his appearance, it was like looking in a mirror, the face staring back at you the younger, male version of Alice Albone: same tomato red hair, that, in stark contrast to his 'mother's' frizzy mop, was artfully and carefully disheveled. Same dimple on the right side of his cheek. And same shade of blue eyes that reminded most of the sky on a cloudless day.
His dashing good looks being like his bitch of a mother wasn't ideal, but it was better than looking like THAT bastard. It was easier to think of her, since he hardly knew, nor cared to know, the woman that abandoned him and his so called 'father' at all.
Karma shook his head. No, stop thinking about them now. Happy thoughts, Happy thoughts, he reminded himself. Then it hit him like a punch to the gut. The one thing that always made his heart cry out in joy by just being near them. The one thing that made life worth living.
His best friend: Evanne Williams. She sat at the front of the class; he could scarcely see her curly brown pigtails that he always wanted to release from their confinements and rake his fingers through. He wondered if the locks felt as smooth as they looked.
The ginger wanted it as much as he wanted to kiss her lips- plump and glossy and ready for the taking as they were.
Normally, a third grader wouldn't have such thoughts of his best friend.
Evanne Williams WAS, and always will be, Karma's best pal- but he'd always desired more.
He wanted to entwine his fingers with her own for hours on end without it seeming strange. He wanted to kiss her on her delectable lips without being punched in the face- which, she'd most undoubtedly do if he ever tried before confessing, as she had a short-fuse not many got to see due to her overwhelming shyness around people she wasn't close to.
Karma smirked at the fact he saw a side of her, his savior, no one else but him got to see- and he planned to keep it that way. His smirk then fell into a comfortable frown.
But it wasn't as if she could take a hint about his feelings at all, in the first place! Everytime he so much as complimented her, she'd stare at the ginger like he had two heads or something. As much as he adored the brunette, she was dense as a rock.
Suddenly, he was jolted from his thoughts by the ringing of a bell, signaling the end of school. But as he stood and began to pack his things, someone grabbed his famous blue sweatshirt.
Karma resisted the urge to pivot and sock the harpy in the nose, as her screeching voice invaded his ears, nothing like the sweet, melodic voice of his Eva.
"So Karma, my daddy says I can stay out late since it's a Friday. How about we hit the yogurt place or the playground together?" Alison-the school's resident mean girl-asked the ginger, batting her tub-worm lashes in a flirty manner. While it may have seemed attractive to the other boys she'd seduced-like the flirt she was-it just made Karma wanna hurl.
He quickly tore her invading arm off his jacket.
"No thanks. I don't go out with whore's like you," he replied, before stomping away, leaving the blonde stunned and a tad bit annoyed that her attempts to get closer to the handsome boy had once again been foiled.
Sorry bitch, but there's only one girl that I have eyes for, he thought. Said girl immediately bonked him on the head once he arrived where she stood in the doorway.
"OW! What was that for, Eva?!" he whined.
"That was for your bad mouth, idiot. Seriously, how do you even know those words!? Am I gonna have to wash your mouth with soap again?" she asked, exasperated.
Rubbing his noggin, sky blue orbs turned to glare at his best friend. "You and your parents are just the equivalent of preachers," he muttered under his breath, which, in turn, earned him another smack.
"If you don't stop cursing, I'll tell Dove you beat up Josh and sent him to the infirmary," she threatened.
A shiver crept up Karma's spine. Being on the bad the side of that Crone was NEVER a good idea.
"Yeah, well, he had it coming," the ginger grumbled, turning away.
Evanne's expression then turned solemn. She sighed. "You don't have to protect me, ya know. I can handle myself. But my bangs are taking forever to grow out. Maybe I should get contacts..." she trailed off sadly.
Eva possessed heterochromatic eyes- her right eye a dark brown, almost black color, with flecks of amber inside the iris, the left an aquamarine with mint green flecks and half covered by a brown side-swept bang. Because of this, she was often bullied, and Karma, to protect her, often beat up said bullies.
Personally, he adored his friends orbs for everything they were. They sparkled like jewels in the sun and were warmer-kinder- than any elvin orbs he knew.
"Your eyes are gorgeous Eva," he complemented, reaching out to grab her hand and give it a comforting squeeze. Her stunning pair of eyes were downcast.
"Yeah. At least to you," she whispered.
Karma could tell the subject was bothering her more than she let on, but knew better than to pry. So they just stood there, hand and hand, as students bustled to and fro in the halls.
"Well," Eva said with a smile, as she stretched. "Whatever. It doesn't matter now. Let's go Karma".
That smile never reached her eyes, Karma noted. Still, he followed the brunette down the looming concrete steps onto the sidewalk.
"I'm beat. Those exams were hard. How about we get some frozen yogurt on the way home?" she questioned, leaping from the top of the stairs. She landed nimbly on her feet- like a cat. The ginger scrambled after the girl.
Here she goes again- Karma thought angrily. Changing the subject.
"Eva.." He began, so frosty in fact, that one might think they were smack dab in a raging blizzard, rather than the sweltering summer heat of June.
"I'm in the mood for mango… or maybe…. strawberry… eh, I'll see when we get there," Evanne contemplated.
"Eva…" he said, his words almost a growl as they tread past the old abandoned ice-cream shop across the street.
"What are you gonna get Karma?" she asked, swiveling towards him with a forced-grin. "I'm guessing… Fruit Punch? Seriously, you should try out something new for once, idiot. Getting the same thing every time is just plain boring."
"EVA!" he finally exclaimed. She halted in her tracks.
Karma placed his forefinger and thumb on the bridge of his nose. "Eva, please. Just talk to me. This is obviously bothering you. Please. I'm your best friend. I'll always be there for…. WAIT, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"
She had stopped responding completely. Heterochromatic eyes sparkled as they survived the alley way they had halted at. Karma wanted to crush the idiotic fluttery feeling that bubbled up in his chest at the sight of that look. Not now, stupid heart!
"Eva. Hello? Anybody home? EVA!" he questioned, knocking on the brunette's head. The ginger relished the feeling of her soft curls beneath his hand- like touching silk.
Her pointer finger then went out to shoosh him. His face erupted into a blush he prayed she wouldn't take notice of.
Knowing her, she probably wouldn't.
"Shhh," the brunette said, before she gasped as if she had solved one of those famous murder stories. "THIS IS THE PLACE!"
"What place?" Karma asked. But just as the question slipped past his lips, Eva had already sprinted to the end of the narrow pathway, bolted around the corner and vanished from his line of sight.
"Crap. That crone is gonna murder me if I lose her," the red-head grumbled.
He could already imagine the crimson-haired demon standing over his bloodied and mangled body with a sadistic grin on her grotesque face. Karma shivered and his heart began to pound so loudly it was if a hammer was hitting a nail against his chest.
If he had any chance of survival against that mad-woman, he had to catch Eva! The boy then sprinted into the narrow pathway.
Dashing around the corner, he spotted three trash cans ahead.
His mind pushed against gravity, and when he felt the familiar resistance in the air, focused on the energy to propel himself over the metal bins.
Once his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he began to spread his consciousness to Evanne's own in order to track the brunette's whereabouts.
There you are, Karma thought, eyes narrowing, as his mind hit the deafening, awed thoughts of his best friend. He didn't even stop to think of WHY she was so wonderstruck, as he his sneakered feet were already pounding over a sand dune towards the figure ahead: Evanne.
She stood at the fine line of where sand gave way to wood chips, mouth catching flies, eyes the size of saucers at the sight before her.
Karma halted to catch his breath. "Hu hu," he puffed out, hands on his knees. "Eva… don't… run.. Off….like...that."
He walked over to stand by Evanne.
She tugged on the sleeve of his blue sweatshirt.
"Look," she commanded simply, a crooked finger reaching out to point at the scenery ahead.
"What!" Karma grumbled in annoyance. "This better be worth it since you practically forced me to sprint into…"
Then, his eyes broadened so wide you could see the whites of his orbs. One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed; the ginger had to rub his eyes to see if what he seeing at this very moment was a dream.
Is this really what I think it is? he questioned to himself incredulously, heart skipping a beat.
Before the boy, was an aged playground. It was small, with a set of broken swings built on the woodchips edge, and a tiny, twisty slide whose plastic end sat in a heap a few feet away. It was obvious why no one came to the play area anymore. And yet...
Karma ran his hand over the only swing that was still intact. When he brought his hand to his face, his palm was coated in a thick layer of dust. This place meant so much to him. This was where…
"We first met…" Eva whispered, almost reading his mind, as a sudden wind blew coils of the girl's hair to the right.
While they had indefinitely met before then, the moment he ran up to her-bloodied and covered head to toe in dirt- and happily hugged his future bride to be at this very playground, after a full year of being away from the brunette, was a particularly memorable moment for him. Especially when she hugged him-a stranger- back. The ginger smiled fondly at the memory.
"I recognized the alleyway mom and I took a shortcut through to get here," Eva explained, before pausing.
"I'm glad I came that day," she whispered. Despite it being but a breath, Karma, astonished, turned towards the girl. Her back was to him, hair whipping widely in the wind.
"What?" he asked.
Was he dreaming? He must be. Why else would those beautiful, heart-throbbing words come from the even more stunning pink lips of Evanne Williams? Was he dead! Karma felt his body to see if everything was still intact. Had he finally died from his father's abuse and gone to heaven? Plump, nearly feminine lips: Check. Soft, tomato red hair that he took hours styling every day: Check. Had to look his best for Eva, after all. White, scaly scarf that he protected like a dragon might protect their horde of gold: Doubly Check.
The ginger pinched his cheeks for the final confirmation. When he could still feel the sharp stab of pain caused by the action, Karma knew he was still very much alive. If god-or whoever was said to be up there, watching them, protecting them- actually existed, Karma would have given him his own arm in thanks for this blessing.
Evanne, meanwhile, puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. So cute... he thought fondly.
She then sucked in a breath, as if she preparing for something simply horrible, before swiveling to face her best friend. Chubby cheeks were coated in a beautiful, thick layer of blush that caused the eight year old boy's heart to explode in a fit of flutterings. And she hadn't even said a word to him yet.
"I MEAN, I'M GLAD I CAME THAT DAY!" she screamed, her voice so voluminous that the birds flew away all at once from their perches in the tree's around them. "Because…" Her clenched fist relaxed at her side. "Because... if I didn't… then I wouldn't have met you Karma," she finished with a smile.
And unlike the grin she'd forced through gritted teeth earlier, this one was soft and genuine and turned her friends insides to mush. God, how far gone was he that she could snag him by the throat with just one look?
"I'm happy you're here with me," Eva told him.
In the evening glow, her bronze skin caught the light in such a way that the eight-year old swore he saw rainbows glittering on the surface. Her dark browns curls framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her orbs twinkled. She was beautiful, ethereal- perfect in every way.
And, before the ginger knew what he was doing, he was inching forward, placing his hand on her lips, and kissing the spot where her lips where. They stood like that for a minute, time seemly stopping, sparks flying, before pulling back.
Her face was red as a tomato; if there were any people around, they would have thought she was doing a flawless impression of a human traffic light. Then, with a start, he realized he had just kissed his crush-no, he thought, it was more than a crush-on the lips.
Karma cursed himself a thousand times over for giving into his desires. But she had just looked so exemplary in that moment, her lips so delectable, that he just had to give her a smooch.
"W-why did y-you do that?!" she stuttered, still blushing, as she backed away from him and tentatively touched her lips.
"Because," Karma began. "I love you. "
The words came out easily- as smooth as butter. Usually, whenever he worked up the nerve to confess, one look from Eva's large, adorable heterochromatic eyes sent him into a stuttering, blushing mess. Not this time it seemed. Karma had been holding back the beast for four years now, and it felt magnificent-almost lightening- to have the load of his feelings carried off his shoulders.
He'd finally told her how he felt-how he'd always felt about the brunette- since the day they met three years ago. He just hoped she felt the same. She MUST have some kinda feelings at least. Even if they weren't romantic, she, at the very minimum, must ENJOY his company. They were best friends, after all. The red-head decided then and there that even if she didn't desire him as much as he did her, he'd still continue to love and protect her forever- no matter how much the rejection caused his heart to feel as if it had been shattered, run over by a bulldozer, and dropped from a ten story building.
But they just stood there, in silence, the wind whipping around them for what seemed like hours before…
She punched him the face.
"IDIOT!" she screamed, before running away.
Will probally post chapter 2 tomorrow. Too lazy right now. Also, for all those wondering how physical abuse is possible for elves, well... How I see it, is anger can often override , despite being an elf, Grady was about to burn off Brants arm. He probally would have regret it later, but it showed how powerful anger is to elves. So, with the right trigger, could physical abuse be possible for elves? I think so.