A/N: I know, it's been a while. Forgive me?
"You need to watch where you're going." His deep voice rumbled.
"Says you," I spat as I scrambled to my feet, "you're a moving wall of flesh!"
The dark haired man turned his nose up slightly and raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?"
I rolled my eyes as I dusted myself off and checked for any cuts. "You're new around here, aren't you?"
"Been here for a couple of weeks now." He grumbled.
"Well you're a man of many words, aren't you?"
"Sure am."
I rolled my eyes and resumed running along the path, leaving the man behind. For somebody who was so visually appealing, there wasn't much to him in terms of conversation. What a shame.
My week had gone by without a hitch. I had stuck to my new diet and had even drawn up a new exercise plan. Things were looking good, but as most people know, good fortune can't last forever.
Liz, my best friend, had invited me out to lunch at a local café that we frequented often. Mostly because they had an all-day breakfast menu and Liz had a strange obsession for eggs benedict. I myself opted for some soup to warm me up in the cold weather.
"Golly, you'd think some customers would have a bit of decency, but nooo-". Liz owned the only florist in Blackbridge and I would often hear the stories of customers who we knew that would blatantly disrespect shop owners and their employees. "You can't please anybody these days," Liz huffed.
"Sadly not," I replied as I shovelled another spoonful of soup into my mouth. "Other than that, how is the business going?"
Liz sighed. "It's going good, but I guess lately… well, this wasn't how I planned my life out, you know? I was studying to be a nurse back at home."
"Yeah… it doesn't feel good."
Blackbridge was expanding, and the Edison group was finding more test subjects to fill it with. It wasn't for an experiment, but instead to take people like us – with powers – away from the rest of civilization. We caused too many problems in normal society, and we were suffering as a result of it.
"I know that there's nothing I can do about it now, but I just wish there were a way for me to remove my powers and go back to my family." Liz admitted. We were all on the same boat.
Before I could get another word in, a man slid into the booth next to Liz. His eyes were dark brown and his hair was flame-red. If it weren't for the cocky grin on his face, he may have passed for attractive.
"Hey," he said. "I'm Royce. Who are you?"
Liz let her hair fall in front of her face, masking her away from him. "Liz." She replied.
Royce raised his hand and tucked her long, blonde hair back behind her ear. "That's a pretty name for a pretty girl."
"Please don't touch me."
The man proceeded to extend his arm around her shoulders and she shrugged him off.
"Liz, are you oka-" I began.
"Shut up, girlie. She's fine with me." He turned back to Liz. "Let's ditch this place and go back to mine, and don't say no, because nobody says no to me."
"I'll pass. Can you please go?" She reached for her glass of water, when he grabbed her arm. And boy, did he grab it tight. "Let go of me!" She shrieked, only for him to grip harder.
"Shut up." He yanked on her arm. The next thing I knew, Liz's empty plate had flown towards his face, shattering into pieces on contact. Liz was a volo-half demon and used her powers to fling the plate at him. She had recently spoken so proudly to me about how she could finally control her powers, but now I wasn't so sure about that.
"You filthy bitch!" He barked, cradling his bloodied nose.
The commotion had attracted the attention of other patrons, and also the mediators.
Two yellow uniformed men stormed over, one restraining Royce, and the other…
"Liz!" I cried as she was yanked out of our booth by the other authority. Everybody knew what happened if you were seen abusing your powers, and it wasn't good. "Let her go!" I stood up, only to be shoved down again by the man.
Both of the men had Liz and Royce on the ground, putting them in handcuffs. I tried getting to them and swatting them away, but each time I tried, I was met with shoves and pushes. One of the men took a swing at my face, which connected with my nose and knocked me back onto my butt. I screamed at them to let Liz go. This wasn't fair! She was provoked!
While I was in the midst of crying and screaming, two arms wrapped around me and dragged me back. I turned around and used my fist to ward off whoever was holding me back. I punched him straight in the jaw, but the tall, green eyed man didn't let me go.
"Get off of me! I need to help Liz!" I screamed with tears running down my face.
He looked down at me, but his grip didn't get any looser. By the time I could swivel around in his arms to look at where Liz was lying face down on the floor, she was gone along with Royce and the authorities.
"No… no, no, no." I whispered to myself in disbelief as onlookers gawked at me.
"I'll get her out of here." The man with his grip around me turned to the café owner.
He practically had to carry me out of the establishment, as my knees buckled and I stopped functioning. After putting me into the passenger side of his car, he hopped in the other side and drove. It was silent the entire car ride. Both of us knew what had just happened.
Liz was dead. There was no doubt about it – she abused her powers.
He drove for ten minutes until he pulled onto my street. How did he know where I lived? To my surprise, he didn't stop in front of my house, but instead two houses down where he carried me through the door and into his bathroom where he wet a hand towel and cleaned my bloodied face up.
Still no conversation.
He left me in the bathroom where I stayed for fifteen minutes to get myself together. Was he even coming back? What was his deal?
I took another few minutes to cry and grieve, and eventually I had to face the inevitable.
As I was walking down his stairs, my legs buckled and I tumbled down to the bottom where I was met with the sight of him sitting on the couch. He looked up from his book and raised one eyebrow at me.
"You're clumsy." He stated.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. We both watched my best friend taken away to be killed. Did he not have feelings or any sense of sympathy?
"Who are you?" I asked. "I've seen you around, and I've bumped into you – literally – and I still don't know who you are." I paused, and with a sudden burst of anger I blurt out, "And how the hell can you just sit there after what we just witnessed?! My best friend is dead by now and all you can comment on is my clumsiness? What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He exhaled a breath and stood up from the couch. "My name is Derek Souza. Are you okay?"
I glared at him. "How could I possibly be okay?"
He motioned me over to the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. He came back with a glass of water. Setting it in front of me, he sat down next to me and began to talk.
"I know it's not easy, and what you're going through right now… a lot of us have too. You're not alone."
"That doesn't bring Liz back."
Derek fell silent. It was uncomfortable and I just wanted to go. I downed the rest of the water he brought to me and stood up. "I think I need to go."
Derek stood with me. "Let me walk you home."
"It's two houses down."
"I know." He persisted. "It's fine."
It was a silent and awkward walk home. "If you need anything, just come and get me. I'm sorry you've lost your friend and it's not fair." He said as we got to my door.
"Thanks."
"Before you go… your name's Chloe, right?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
He went quiet. "I heard your friend call you Chloe."
I nodded. "Well, thanks for walking me home." I said as I opened the door.
"No problem."
I closed the door before I burst out into tears. Sobbing, I collapsed on the floor and laid there for what felt like hours.
What was I going to do without my best friend? This wasn't fair.
Blackbridge wasn't fair, and I was determined to finally get out.
