Chapter Thirteen. It's a little short but i hope you can forgive me. it just seemed so right to leave it off at a cliffhanger.

I don't own Neopets. Tamara and all them are mine.

This is my fight
Chapter Thirteen

The weeks following my session with Jessica was both stressful and long. The upside was, people no longer skirted around me. Everyone, except Bella that is.

Hostilities between me and my former friend grew to a near-bloodbath. It even gotten to the point where our neopets no longer greeted each other in passing and glares were exchanged between Bella and me. I soon became aware (from Thor's description) that Bella blamed us for Maya's death. But, most of her anger and frustration was directed at me.

I brought this up in my forth meeting with Jess.

"There might be a reason behind her accusations." Jess said.

"Like the fact that Thor and I were up there with her?" I asked.

"That's a possibility." Jess nodded, sagely. "But I don't think that's it."

I was silent. Blaming me for going up on the mountain was bad enough. Adding to that blame was overkill.

"Tell me, Tam, when you got back to campus, what did you do?"

"I told Teresa what happened and went to my room." I said, flatly.

"So, you didn't seek Bella and tell her."

"No."

"She found out herself."

"Yes."

Jess didn't say anything for a while. I could tell she was thinking through the multiple possibilities before coming up with an an answer. "Therein lays the problem, Tam."

"What?"

"See, when you are in a group, members of the group count on each other to tell one another if something happened to one of there number." Jess explained. "In the same sense, Bella counted on you to tell her when there was something with Maya. Just as she would count on Maya to tell her if there was something wrong with you." She paused. "Now do you understand?"

"A little." I said, touching the tip of Fangore's ear.

"So, in Bella's mind, you weren't a true enough friend because you said nothing. You did not go to her and tell her what happened. You did not even to offer to cry with her."

"Cry with her?" I asked.

"It's more healing than crying alone." Jess said.

"I cried with her at the body viewing and the funeral!" I said.

"Yes, but you didn't cry with her the day of Maya's death." Jess said.

My jaw snapped shut. I glared at my counselor. Of all the times to pay attention, she chose now.

"We had a mourning ceremony in the dorm lobby that night." I said, trying to defend myself.

"Did you cry with her then?" Jess asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"She wasn't there." I said. I had remembered Bella coming back a few minutes before midnight. The ceremony had been done and the lobby was almost empty. Thor was still there; holding me while we both cried. I remembered looking up, face streaked with tears, and seeing Bella come in. She said she had been down at the pond, thinking. We had a group hug, but only I cried.

"Where did she go?" Jess's voice cut through my memory like a blade.

"The pond." I said.

"Suicide?"

"No. She wasn't injured or even damp." I said.

"So, she was just there thinking."

"I guess." I said, snuggling deeper into the chair.

"Do you think that your friendship with Bella will ever be mended?"

I snorted. "Probably not." Fangore whimpered. "We're both stubborn and bull-headed. It's gonna be a challenge."

"Just try." Jess encouraged.

I nodded, though, in truth, I had no desire to mend my friendship with Bella. She had accused me of untruthful things before (jokingly or not) but I was sure I could not stand it without Maya there. She had acted as a buffer between us.

Jess rustled through some papers until she came up with a poster. It was one of many hanging on every post and wall around campus. The poster advertised practice Battledome fights that took place twice a year between two students until one was the winner.

"Tam, you are aware of the competitions coming up, right?"

I nodded.

"Have you considered signing up?"

I shook my head.

"Anyone can apply, Tam." Jess said. "The year end competition is attended by the bosses of the Neo-Trainers League. They are ones that decide who would be good Trainers and who need more practice. They do this by judging a combatants fighting techniques and how they hold themselves in battle. If you're really good, the NTL will even order an early graduation for you."

"Do they have that much power?" I asked.

"The NTL built this place. They designed the rules, the layout, and the guidelines for living as a Trainer." Jess said.

"And you think I should apply." I said.

"Yes." Jess put the poster aside. "Tam, in the short time I've known you, I think the competition would do you good. You have a lot of character and you have wonderful insight. That will take you far."

I leaned my head back as far as it would go. I let out a loud sight and closed my eyes. The competition would keep my mind off things. Plus, the sooner I got away from the school and the memories of me and Maya the better.

My eyes opened. "This is my fight." I said. "I'll sign up."

"Good." Jess smiled. "The sheet comes out in two days. It's a 'first come, first serve' basis. I'll be in the stands when my schedule is free."

"Thanks Jess." I said.

When the sheet came out, I was one of the first ones to sign up. Within twenty-four hours, Fangore and I became third in the list of combatants. But my opponent decided to go anonymous. Kara was first facing off Jason. I wished my roommate luck. Kara smiled and thanked me before taking off to the training field with Callaban to practice.

Two weeks later, the fake Battledome field was filled with excited fans, locals, parents, and students (who either hadn't applied or their time wasn't up yet) lined the stands.

Kara peeked out of the gateway and gasped.

"I see them! Tam, I see the bosses!" She grabbed my shoulder in a vice-like grip.

I winced and pulled away from my nervous roommie. "Calm down, Kara." I advised. "I'm sure you'd do fine."

Kara checked her complexion in the polished surface of a decorated shield. Then, she knelt and adjusted the leather armor Callaban was wearing. She patted the cap adorning the Dire Lupe's head. "Okay, Callaban. Let's show those bosses what we're made of."

Callaban let out a thunderous bark and licked his mistress's sweaty face. Then, they sauntered out just as their names were called.

Kara did rather well against Jason. So did the group ahead of us. But, when our names were called, I was dumbfounded over who our opponent was.