Arguments

Emma

Emma watched as Gisa paced back across the floor for the hundredth time, muttering under her breath. If she wasn't so nervous that Gisa would set the curtains on fire she might have laughed at how ridiculous she looked.

Her feet slapped the floor unceremoniously and the scowl didn't match the outfit Emma had asked her to try on. The bright yellow and pink colors contrasted against the blazing red flames Gisa was conjuring and dispelling in rhythm in her hands. Emma shifted, Gisa's flames dangerously close to the jacket she was wearing.

She didn't say anything as she continued to attempt to fill in her worksheet for a class, but she was unable to concentrate as Gisa wandered back and forth.

"Please!" she shouted, smacking her pencil down. "Please take that outside or quit it!" Emma heaved a breath, "Stop pacing. I cannot concentrate on anything. And take that off before you scorch it. I worked hard on that. Why can you simply not relax and enjoy life?"

Gisa stopped in her tracks, turning to Emma with a dead glance. She threw the jacket onto Emma's bed across the room. "It has been silent for an entire month. Not a word from my mother." A shadow darkened under her eyes.

Emma frowned a little. They'd won. They'd broken the bond. Gisa was more practiced in her magic than ever. She didn't need to worry about it anymore. Emma had taken self defense classes to ease Gisa's mind, she'd created shortcuts on her cell phone in case of any danger as well as plotted routes and hiding spaces all around campus. Emma looked at Gisa, her face etched in a permanent scowl. But it wasn't just her mother that bugged her. Camden.

Gisa was dealing with the loss in her own way. It would take time, and perhaps some methods that Emma didn't understand. But stalking the papers for any suspicious movement and spending time going on the "field days" the school took to the beach only to stare at the island… Those methods were strange and didn't sound quite healthy.

"Look, I know you took a hard loss with—"

"Don't." Gisa said, as she shrugged a white t-shirt over her head, pulling her hair into a knot behind her head. One of her hands balled into a fist when she finished, something like steam escaping from her hand. "You should understand more than anyone that mother would not just give up."

Emma looked down to her page for a second. Of course there was some doubt that Audenzitios was hatching a new plan, but all four of them were so prepared, Gisa especially. And Emma thought that Gisa had been getting better. She'd seen her laugh last week, sparring with Jamison had begun to be less of a desperate release of her anger and more for fun and for exercise. She and Michael even studied in a group with some other students for a class she had with him. But it was as if the progress was receding. "Gisa she lost, you broke the—"

"No… No, I don't think my mother doubted how rebellious and stubborn I would be. The blood bond was the best she could do without magic on the island, but she had to have a back up plan in case I found out how to break them. They weren't that hard. Getting the creature to believe I could sell him Camden's soul was too easy. The blood bond was so weak. Mother would have known." Gisa stuck little blue earrings in her ears as she spoke, "Besides, she has people on this side… just like Hifuvé. There must be another person with the strength to break the wall. Maybe another creature like the shape shifter?" She sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. "She will win this. Even without her magic and her physical strength, her mind games are terrifying." Emma fought her wince and the rising anger as Gisa sent her a look, forcing her to think back on those thoughts Audenzitios had sown. "She is going to completely take over this country. There won't be a battle. She has some powerful creatures and people here on the continent. She'll no doubt have this place under lockdown…"

Emma stood slowly, calming herself, "You were the only one strong enough to wield the wand that might further her agenda, and you said no. You are incredibly strong and practiced with magic that even her creatures can't get to you anymore. Lawrence researched the creature that attacked us, and do you know what he found?" Without waiting for Gisa to answer she continued, "He was one of Audenzitios's generals from before. He led her armies Gisa. You took out one of your mothers generals. And now you're even more skilled than before!"

Gisa opened her mouth to fight back but Emma held up her hand, cutting her off. She put her books into her bag, "I'm going to the library now because I cannot handle another minute of your pacing." She shrugged on a coat she'd finished making the other day.

To Emma's dismay, Gisa said nothing, continuing to brood, flames appearing on her skin once more. She bit back a remark about use of magic out of the classroom setting and let the door click shut behind her.

Emma leaned against the wall, inhaling and counting to three before she slowly let her breath out. She would be okay. Gisa would be alright.

She almost ran into Lawrence as she rounded the corner into the stairwell.

"I am so sorry!" He said, putting a hand on her shoulder as she turned to look at him. She almost giggled at the pitiful face of horror staring down at her. Warmth flooded her at his answering smile.

"Don't be, I didn't even fall over or drop anything." Emma brushed a lock of hair behind her ear that had fallen from her bun, "Where are you headed?"

"I was going to go for a walk," he said, his smile easing a little. "I had to get out of my dorm before I went stir crazy. My roommate brought his friends in and they set up some sort of Wandering War Lords game or something? Anyway, they scream and shout so much that it is impossible for me to focus on anything. Even reading or something I'd do for fun. I just had to get out and go anywhere. "

"I know the game. I've seen Jamison, Ron, Sean and even prince Michael play it. They're all the same way." Emma sighed "I'm headed to the library. Roommate troubles for me as well." She began to walk down the stairs, Lawrence following her.

"Don't you room with your sister?"

"Even sisters fight." Emma said with a shrug. Not really. She and Gisa sometimes believed or thought different things, but they'd never truly fought before. Even this disagreement wasn't truly a fight… right?

"Mind if I join you on your way?" Lawrence asked. "I promise I will leave you alone to study when we get there. Besides, you look like you could use a little cheering up…"

Emma nodded, he wasn't entirely wrong, "Sure, I'd like the company."

"Hey, you seem stressed, are you okay?" Lawrence asked, looking straight ahead as the two of them continued to walk.

"No I'm fine, just a fight with my sister. I hate being on bad terms with her."

He pushed open the door outside, the gentle wind stirring up the loose hair around her face.

"Your brows are furrowed," he chuckled a little bit, turning to face her. A smile began to bloom on his face as she cursed her inability to conceal anything, "Is that really what's bothering you though? My sisters were always at each other's throats but they love each other. You love Gisa too, correct? This can't be what's bothering you."

Emma sighed, debating. She and Lawrence had gotten to know each other quite well, taking many classes together. They even studied regularly. Despite what she had thought of him before, he really wasn't so bad at all, "My sister's boyfriend from the island… he died." Emma said simply, folding her hands. "And… I really thought… Everyone thought that they'd be together forever. He was her soul mate." Now Emma was trying to bite back tears.

Lawrence exhaled swiftly, running a hand through his hair. "Wow, I'm so sorry. Is she not taking it well?"

Emma bit back a retort. Of course she wasn't taking it well. "Lawrence, they were going to get married. I knew it. They were going to be the other one's forever and he's just gone completely. She's a ghost. I thought she was healing, but she spends her time staring at the island where he lived and she reads his letters over and over. She has photos of them together that never leave her side. She cried when she heard, and she hasn't cried since. I try to tell her that she needs to talk about him, to cry about him, but she just gets angry…"

She could see Lawrence tense up a moment before he asked, "Has she been… is she alright I mean… physically? She hasn't—?"

"No, she's beaten herself up mentally but she hasn't done anything else." Emma's eyes turned to his, her heart beat a little faster, "Should I… be worried about her?"

"Has she taken any time for herself? Has she told anyone at the school and asked for a break or anything?" Lawrence asked. He motioned towards a nearby park bench where she sat beside him.

"She hasn't told anyone." Emma sighed. "She's probably too scared for someone to know she's vulnerable. She went to class the day after she heard the news. She's been running herself ragged. She… she goes to the gym every day with Jamison, and she drives him and herself into the ground. Lately Jamison has asked me to come by to watch in case Gisa did something else. But even I haven't been able to calm her down recently like I have in the past."

"Has she thought of getting help from someone else?"

Emma could tell he was hesitant. She cast an absent glance around the square. Even in the winter it was still warm enough for only a light coat and perhaps a scarf, but a chill ran down her spine despite it. "It is… it has been hard for us to adapt here. It was a survival of the fittest world on that island Lawrence. To ask for help was to expose weakness. That almost guaranteed trouble. She's having a harder time accepting the fact that it is okay to ask for help here." She shivered as a sudden breeze blew by, raising goosebumps on her flesh.

Lawrence was quiet a moment, the only sound being their feet on the graveled path. He inhaled just as Emma was about to speak, "I'm really sorry Emma. If I could change it, I would." He paused, looking at his feet. "I had no clue what you all would be like when you came. We were all worried about our own safety and our own interests. None of us stopped to consider your point of view." His breath clouded for a blink of an eye in the air in front of them. "We never stopped to ask if you were willing to leave your homes. If you were scared of a new place. We expected you guys to just be thankful and to fit right in. But… I've come to know that things aren't that simple. The world isn't black and white."

Emma clamped her lips together to keep from revealing how much his words touched her. "I think we all have grown from this. Myself, the others from the island, as well as all of you. And… Well, it has been rough sometimes, but I've made amazing friends, I've been given a chance to chase my dreams. We didn't have any colleges there. " Emma smiled, "Even if there are students that don't understand, students that look down on us and think we're different in a negative sense… I'm happy now. I have people who don't treat me or see me that way, but as another person equal to themselves. Even on the island I rarely found people who treated people equally, even if we were all in the same hell."

Lawrence nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm really glad you're here. You're probably the only person I really talk to around here. I don't get along with my roommate and I don't really have friends. More acquaintances I suppose. The ones I see in marching band or in study groups. I'm glad you seem to like it here."

Emma's cheeks flushed, and she didn't bother to suppress the smile on her lips. "Well, thanks for walking with me. I really do feel better." She cast her eyes over to the sprawling library with its four marble pillars at the top of the steps spanning the length of the front of the building. "Are we still on to study for the test this week? The chemistry final is only two and a half weeks away!"

"Yeah of course." Lawrence said with a smile, "It was nice to chat with you for a while." He waved goodbye to her, a crooked grin across his face. Emma watched as he turned and continued on his way, arms dangling by his side, head moving back and forth as he took in the scenery. Snow began to fall, hurrying Emma into the building.

Emma waved to Claire, one of the receptionists with a smile. She waved back. Emma had come to know the whole staff at the library quite well since she started at the school. They were all quite sweet. Many, including Claire herself, had been offered jobs and lodging here by the king, after their homes and lives were destroyed when the villains of the land were fighting against imprisonment on the island. Claire had only briefly mentioned it, but Emma knew she had lost her daughter and granddaughter to a fire in their home; her son's body was never found. But the older woman still smiled, and seemed to be capable of joy even after all that happened. Maybe Gisa could be that way too someday.

Emma walked over to the glass staircase seemingly suspended in air that led to the study rooms on the second floor. She looked up after hearing steps on the stairs above her. She smiled as Sean noticed her.

"Hey! Long time no see," He said, hurrying down the last few stairs, kissing her briefly. "We missed you at the party last night."

Emma shrugged, "Sorry I couldn't make it. I was going out with Sophie and Mara. We'd planned it for a week. Maybe the next one though."

"So Sophie isn't still weirded out that you're dating her older brother?" Sean leaned up against the railing, a teasing smile perched on his features."

"Oh hush," Emma fought a giggle, "She's still weirded out, she teases me all the time, but it doesn't stop her from wanting to be my friend. Honestly it gives her more to talk about. I think she embarasses me more than we embarrass her."

"Now I'm curious to hear what she says about us." Sean smirked. "Care to share?"

Emma turned pink all the way to her ears at the thought of it, "No way." She replied, continuing up the stairs.

"Why not?" he whined, adding an obnoxious tone, following her up the stairs. When Emma didn't answer him, his pleas continued.

"You're really annoying," Emma said as she reached the landing with a laugh.

"Does that mean you'll tell me?" Sean asked.

Emma grimaced. She really didn't want to tell him. It was funny from Sophie, but Sean might get upset. With her, or Sophie. Maybe he'd take one of those teasing remarks too seriously. But the last time she'd withheld information from him…

"Look Sean, I'm just not comfortable alright? Nobody knows about it besides me anyway and I want to keep it that way." She'd said as quietly as she could among the other people in the restaurant. "It isn't that I don't trust you—"

"If you trust me, then what reason do you have not to tell me? I just want to know more about you Emma. Seriously. I have told you everything I can think of. I want this relationship to be fair." Sean said, swirling the straw in his soda.

Emma looked down at the nails she'd just had done earlier that day. "Sean I want this relationship to be fair too, but there are some things that are personal that anyone would keep to themselves."

"Give me an example." He demanded flatly, "If you can give me one, then I will drop the matter."

Emma leaned back into the booth. An example? This was kind of a separate thing all on its own. If she tried to explain or give an example, she'd all but give it away. Saying as much to Sean only clouded his features further.

"Emma, relationships are built on trust. I mean, I can only imagine what kind of relationships you'd have on the island," Emma winced, not bothering to correct him. He was right. She'd told him a little about dating on the island. "But here things are different. We try to trust each other and respect each other and treat each other equally. If you want something from me, but can't give what you take, then that isn't the relationship I'm looking for."

Emma's heart pounded at what he'd implied, but she still couldn't tell him, "Sean, I've told you everything else, why do you need to know—"

"Emma… why don't we call it a night." He stood up, straightening his shirt.

Emma's eyes shot to his, staring into the blueness of them, the way they seemed so… hurt. She looked down, her face reddening.

"Do you have your bus pass?" She mumbled the confirmation. "Okay, well here is thirty marks to pay for the meal, and here is money for her tip. Dinner is on me tonight. I just think I need to head home early. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Before Emma could object, he turned on his heel and walked from the building without looking back. She stared at the paper money he'd left on the table, tears gathering in her eyes. She should have just told him.

Emma shrugged off the memory. To avoid another disagreement she related something Sophie said. Sean scowled. "What an inappropriate little sister. She's truly a horrible human being sometimes." Sean said, shaking his head. "Seriously, I need you to tell me what else she said. I hardly find that language acceptable."

Emma continued to walk towards a desk. "Can we do this some other time?" she asked, suddenly tired, "I really need to study for my English quiz tomorrow. I didn't do as well as I hoped on the last one. And I also need to do some corrections on my essay before I hand it in."

Sean hesitated a moment before he put his hands up. "Fine. But call me when you're done and we can meet somewhere to talk afterwards."

"Fine." Emma said, sliding into a seat and pulling out her copy of a book as well as a binder full of notes from the semester. "I will call you later."

Sean left without saying goodbye, his footsteps fading as he returned down the stairs towards the lobby.

Emma opened the book, using questions from the last quiz as hints to what she might find on this one. Every few annotations and notes however she found herself wandering to the conversation she and Sean would have tonight. It left a sour feeling.

After studying for a few hours, and revising her rough draft a second time, She packed up her things and headed outside to call Sean.