I'm posting this up first, because I think Eve came up with this idea, and also because she wrote it first. Any consistency errors are my fault. :) I edited this, she wrote it.

Review please guys. I missed you all because I'm lazy! :)


Chapter 8: The Fight

Julia…..Eve

My heart stopped. My lungs failed. If I had color in my face, it would have most likely left me.

"My God," I moaned quietly.

"Hey Stiff," Daniel's voice was too cool and collected. His eyes followed mine to the board where his handwriting was scrawled. "This fight should be interesting." I stiffened more and he noticed. "It'll be okay, I trust you." I should be scared. Hell, positive is screaming at me to break his neck. But I'm so scared; I'm desperate for any source of comfort.

"Thanks for the confidence boost," I grumbled. He smirked, and one of his plethora of lip rings glinted in the light. I felt his overly warm hand on the small of my back and I squirmed slightly. We walked past Sin and Ten, the latter muttering something that sounded like, "Wrath, lust, and what the hell is with all this envy? I swear to God, I will shoot you if you don't calm down." Why is Sin's eye twitching like that?

By the time we get to the fighting ring, Julie is there, mouth open, glaring eyes fixed on Daniel. Then me. It's funny how we can have a conversation with our eyes.

"No."

"You have to."

"I won't fight her." She speaks defiantly.

Daniel starts away from me to her. "You'll have to hang from the Chasm." I feel someone-most likely Ten- tense behind me.

"FINE!" she shouts, turning toward the exit.

Think, think, think, think. Come on think Eve. Posi said.

You're Stiff for a reason. Think! Neg. said. Her fingers grip the door handle. My breath hitched. Her survival is far more important than mine.

"COWARD!" my voice rang out. I felt the confusion radiate from everybody. Never in my life have I been so happy to lie so easily. "Are you such a spineless whelp that you can't even hit me?" She winces, but I know she knows what I'm doing. Say something that cuts deep. "It's a good thing your father's dead," she twitches, "so that he doesn't have to ever look at you again. A miserable excuse for a daughter." God, I feel horrible.

She darts at me. I think it is I who squeals, it might be that hippie that stabbed Vincient. I hear a sickening squelch. My first thought is, who is fighting. I swallow and a metal taste nearly chokes me. Oh, right, I'm fighting.

I hit the cement. Hard. An explosion like no other courses through my skull, like someone drilling through my head. Why can't I breathe? Oh. Julia is kicking my stomach. And stomping my legs, arms, and neck… whoa, I really ticked her off.

Through one swollen eye, I see Ten make his way to stop her, but that one Erudite with brown hair beats him to it. What is his name? Stephen? Shawn? No, it's Samuel. Samuel pulls her off. I feel myself being dragged and I fear someone yell, "Buzz off, Dan!" and a new pair of hands hold me. Stone cold hands.

After much movement, I am laid down on something soft, and something warm is placed over me. A few annoying strands of my hair escape the bun and fall on top of my face, but I am too tired to blow them off, but I keep on scrunching and un-scrunching my face slightly. Familiar cold fingertips brush them away.

"It's okay, Killer," a soft sweet voice says. Who calls me Killer? Sin? Ten? Julia? Wait, Vincient calls me Killer. Why can't I think straight? A soft, cold pressure on my temple stops my train of thoughts. My hand is enveloped by something cold. "You'll be fine, Eve, I swear."

I hear someone wailing in the background, "Oh, God, Cherry. I'm so sorry. Oh, Eve. Oh, God."

"This will help her sleep and numb the pain," A new voice says behind me, and footsteps make toward me. The hand tenses.

"Killer, look at me," I rotate my head to him; his black eyes are pretty. Around the pupil is a very fine, very dark gray line. I feel a sharp pinch and I am too afraid to see what it is. Needle, my thoughts tell me. I hate needles.

The world is fading. My toes feel prickly, now all my legs. I can't really feel the hand anymore. Or my neck. My body feels like it's full of bees, buzzing around aimlessly. I'm really tired.

"Julia, she'll forgive you. Calm down," a deep voice says while I close my eyes.

"No, she won't. I did badly. Oh, God. Eve, I'm so sorry Cherry. Oh, God," a hysteric soprano voice cries. I think I know that voice. But I'm too tired to try to remember.

Another cold pressure. A kiss, maybe? No, no one would kiss me here. "I'll be by later to pick you up. You can't stay here at the infirmary all night. Don't worry Eve, I'll take care of you." The soft voice says. I think it's my favorite voice. That is the last thing I hear before I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.