Dedicated to Marvel_Queen08

I crouched by the side of the road looking to see anyone on a motorcycle. I groaned as I felt another sneeze coming up. I was definitely going to get a cold with the way my body was being hit mercilessly by the rain.

My ears perked up as I heard the steady humming of a motorcycle drawing closer. I got up excited nearly falling back because of the squishy soil. I looked desperately at the road that was still empty, I moved slowly towards the middle of the road and strained my ears but I couldn't hear the motorcycle anymore.

Probably a mistake

I moved under the canopy of trees to shield myself from the rain careful to keep my distance from the lake. I would have gone home but my feet turned to lead anytime I imagined my mother crying and my father angrily sitting by the front door. The crunching of leaves and snapping of twigs in the distance made me stop in my tracks and peer into the distance, cursing as the rain hit my eyes.

My eyes widened when I saw a figure in a black raincoat running fast towards me. I put my hand in my hand in back pocket but my pepper spray wasn't there. I bit my cheeks as I quickly grabbed a tree branch, to at least offer some protection before and hid behind a tree.

"JOY!!!"

I dropped the branch as I recognized the voice.

"K-Karla?"

I moved out and started to go to her, making out her fiery red hair peeking out from the hoodie. Finally, the emotions I had been holding deep down within me were free to roam. And with that, I knelt on the cold ground and burst into racking sobs.

Karla hugged me while I cried my eyes out on her shoulder. She stroked my head and patted my back.

"Come on. Lets get you warmed up." She said gently lifting me from the ground.

She took off her and gave it to me. She didn't give me time to protest as she quickly slid my hands through the holes and buttoned it up at top speed and then jogged with me lightly to the road. I looked round for her motorcycle but I couldn't see it until we went down a steep bend and there it was – hidden away in the greenage along with the helmet that Astro had given her. I swallowed the guilt that was building up. The little patch on the raincoat that water passed through, the skid marks that went along the bend and the subtle limp Karla had told me everything.

What if she had gotten seriously injured?

"I was careless driving at that speed." Karla whispered still looking straight ahead.

I didn't know if she was good at reading people or my guilt was just that potent.

"How far is your house?" I asked, feeling the rain increase.

Karla looked at the signs and then looked tiredly at the road. "It's still pretty far off."

I bit my lips. Karla's outfit was soaked with water and my guilt was about to overflow. I saw Karla debate with herself for a while before talking. "I know somewhere we can go."

She started walking down a road I knew belonged to top power players in California. I followed uncertainly until we reached a small but beautifully designed house. She pulled out a large number of keys and sorted through them until she finally found one and inserted it into the doorknob, jiggled the door and it opened.

"Is this illegal?" I asked cautiously pulling my soaked sneakers from my legs.

She just waved her hand and climbed upstairs. "It's one of my parents' houses."

I just ignored it and plopped down on the couch relieved that I wasn't getting beaten by the rain anymore. My heart still twitched and clenched but I think I had finished my reserve of tears since my eyes didn't release anymore feelings. I saw Karla come out in new clothes and she passed me some clothes.

"You should change into warm clothes." She said pointing to the room she came out from.

I nodded and collected the clothes gratefully. I looked around the room, there wasn't anything personal and it didn't look lived in. I ran my hand over the wardrobe to see that it was still clean.

Someone must be cleaning it.

I quickly changed and moved out of the room. Even if it was unlived, it still made me feel uncomfortable to stay in there. I moved down the staircase to see Karla huddled up in a thick blanket, holding a book and cradling hot chocolate. I moved to the kitchen and fumbled around looking for rice to stick Annabelle's soaked phone into.

"Do you need something?" She called out after I opened the tenth cabinet and I couldn't see anything.

I shook my head not wanting to feel utterly useless. "It's okay. I'll find my way."

I fumbled even more in the kitchen and I felt Karla's presence behind me. "What do need? I'll help you with it." She said opening the cabinets.

I started to feel my chest clench with anger.

Just why couldn't I do anything by myself

"I said I can do it by myself" I screamed.

Karla blinked rapidly and I could her aura grow softer. "You don't have to grow through everything alone."

I laughed. Why did she make it seem like this was anything more than rice? "I just need some rice."

She bent over and opened a little cabinet I was I had checked before. But she stuck her hand inside and pulled out some rice in a ziplock bag. If it was possible for me to turn red I would've done so in that moment when she passed me the bag all calm and collected. I muttered a thank you and a silent prayer that the phone would be salvaged as I stuck it into the bag.

"Wasn't that easier?" Karla asked hopping on top of the kitchen counter.

I leaned back on the counter looking towards her but not focusing on her. "Yeah, but it made me feel useless."

"Why? You're just asking for help." She said.

I ran my hand through my soaked braids. "People won't always be there to help. I have to learn to be strong enough to fight my battles alone."

I felt Karla scoot closer and she started to pat my back softly. "You're pretty strong you know."

I chuckled feeling slightly offended as I looked up at her. "Even as strong as you. A black belt in karate."

"Every warrior fights differently." She whispered. "Even though its true battles can only be fought alone. You have people who'd take little breaks from their battles to cheer you. To give you the strength to fight on."

I looked down at the polished tiles, using the design to distract myself. "Not everyone has that time."

She lifted my face and stared directly at me. "Of course you do. Because at the end of each battle, everyone would love to see their friends. They would love to see that Joy came out victorious."

My eyes watered and I wiped it with my sleeve laughing. "When Astro said you give good advice I didn't know he really meant it."

I bit my lips instantly regretting the words as they came out from my mouth. I looked at her fingers, still seeing the ring there. I wanted to apologize before she spoke. "I don't really know how to take advice though."

I glanced at the chocolate which had long grown cold. "You really like him don't you."

My heart clenched. "I do. That's what makes it so painful that I have to say goodbye."

She hugged me while I cried my heart out again. I heard her phone ring loudly and she hopped down and grabbed it, quickly walking back to the kitchen.

"Please have you seen Joy? I have been looking for her everywhere. She just disappeared from school. She not at home, she's not picking up, no one has seen her, and I'm so worried." Annabelle said desperately.

I felt guilt rear its ugly head again when I heard Annabelle's voice breaking like that. The rain hadn't stopped and I could hear the rush of rain on the other side.

"She's with me." Karla said.

I heard Annabelle cry with relief. "Jayden she's with Karla."

Jayden sighed with relief and Annabelle spoke quickly. "OK so I don't have time, just tell her not to worry that we didn't get into much trouble and that I'll call her later. We have to sneak back into detention."

I smiled to myself happy that I had people that were worried about me. Karla started to prep new cups of hot cocoa. We went back to the living room and sat on the floor.

"Can you help me loose my braids?" I said.

She looked unsure but sat down nonetheless as I scrolled mindlessly through her phone and she helped with my hair while talking.

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AN
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