"Alright, girl, it`s time to spill," Clary said as she and the girls poured into her room with their arms full of junk food. It was after dinner but they had make sure to have a light meal before hurrying back to their room.
"Spill what?" Jia asked as she watched Zoey drag her mattress on to the floor before transfiguring it big enough for three girls to sleep on. She pursed her lips and have her friend an impressed nod. She was getting better at Transfiguring magic.
"Don`t start that again Jia of House Norvel," Rose said a she moved to drag her mattress down and repeated Zoey`s spell, making two beds big enough for six girls to sleep on," We can tell something's wrong, today just proved it. You couldn`t even free yourself from a Arcanta`s nest. If the boys, Jaz and Fiona hadn't been there, you would have been spider food."
Zoey grabbed her roommate`s en-gloved hands and pulled her down to the floor, "Yeah, that was supposed to be easy for someone like you."
"Not that I am against Dylan rescuing you. It was so cool," Fiona gushed.
"Fiona!" the other girls scolded the lava sorceress.
Fiona held up her hands defensively, "What?! It`s true."
"We`re supposed to be focusing on Jia`s safety here," Krya reminded her.
Fiona pointed Jia who was opening a can of soda with a grin, "She`s safe here, isn`t she? I think what you were supposed to say was that we have to focus on her state of mind."
Kyra pursed her lips and nodded, "True."
Rose snapped her fingers I front of Jia to get her attention, "So spill, girlfriend. You`ve been avoiding the topic long enough."
"Jia, it's us. We`re your best friends," Zoey encouraged her," You can trust us."
Jia held up and hands to calm her friends down," Okay, okay, you guys," She then ran a hand over her mouth, "It`s Tristan…. we…we sort of... kissed."
The girls all exchanged shocked glances before yelling, "What?!"
"You girls asked," Jia defended herself.
"Okay, I was not expecting that," Rose said as she picked up a sweet caramel bonbon and popped it into her mouth.
"Ha!" Kray then turned to Clary and held out her hand," Pay up Clary!"
Clary looked disappointed as Jia frowned at the two girls, "You bet on me?"
The two roommates suddenly looked slightly embarrassed, "Umm…"
"Forget that, repeat yourself once more because I`m not sure I heard you right. You and Tristan kissed?" Fiona asked. The red haired girl was now seated in front Jia and shaking her shoulders.
"Yes." Jia answered as she tried to push her away.
"That`s it! I`m calling Roy and telling him to kick his ass!" Fiona yelled. She then turned to reach for her phone when Jia tackled her, narrowly missing the open bag of chips beside her, "Fiona, don`t!"
Fiona pushed her friend away as she sat up and watched Jia grab her phone before putting it on her nightstand. The lava sorceress her a look that said are-you-kidding-me?
"When did you guys kiss?" Kyra asked.
Jia gave her attention to her, "That time when I was helping him with his assignment and I flew back to school."
"But before he got together with Jasmine?" Zoey asked.
The lightning sorceress nodded, "Yes."
"That dog!" Zoey roared, she turned to Fiona and Kyra," You call Roy, Kyra can call Mike and I`m going to call Cole. Let those three beat him up."
Clary arched a brow at her blonde and sweet friend, "Since when are you violent?"
"Since my friend got her heart broken," Zoey said as a matter of fact.
"Is that it? "Jia`s eyes started to burn and the girls exchanged sad glances, "Is my heart broken?'
"Tell us how you feel right now," Kyra encouraged her.
"Honestly?"
The girls nodded.
Jia struggled to get the words out, "Like I was thrown into a lava pit, pulled apart, had my nails ripped off and then thrown into the dark whole with Arcana Spiders suffocating, me."
The girls went quick as Jia sniffed before Clary cleared her throat, " Well…that`s a very harsh description."
Jia shrugged at them as she caressed her necklace, "It`s how I feel right now," She then stopped and glanced down at her charm, "I keep looking at the necklace and I want to throw it away so badly but..."
"But...?" Fiona asked softly.
Jia`s eyes turned misty and this time, tears started to roll down at her face, "But I can`t," she then lifted at her head and looked at the girls, "Because Dylan also had a hand in making it, I don`t want to hurt him just because of his friend.
"Dylan is a big boy, he`ll understand," Rose pointed out. Actually she wasn`t really sure what Dylan would say or do but when he left them this afternoon, he looked like he was going to murder Tristan. Jia had been hurt, physically and emotionally. For all his lone wolf and silent ways, he`s shown that he does care a lot for her lightning wielding friend.
"I just want to stop feeling like this," Jia admitted.
Zoey shuffled over to hug her fiend from her left side and the girls followed suit," You will. It`ll just take time."
Clary reached forward and placed a pint of choco flavored ice cream on her friend's lap, "And lots of ice cream."
Jia gave her a gratefully smile before watching Kyra removed a few marshmallows and putting it on top of ice cream, "And other junk food."
"And your friends and family," Fiona added with a smile.
Jia smiled and nodded before reaching up to wipe her tears away. The girls stayed up with her, listening to her as she retold the event of the mixer, the beach day, the restaurant and the kiss Tristan shared with her. She did remember to omit the details about the Fair Folk and the girls asked questions when needed but never once did they stop her from talking. After that, towards eleven, they had turned on a movie and one by one they all drifted to sleep. Except for Jia. She watched her friends grow tried before slowly closing their eyes and sleeping.
Zoey, Clary and Rose were on one side while she shared her bed with Fiona and Kyra. She turned and slide out of bed before tip toeing outside onto the balcony before flying up to sit on the railing. It was wide enough for her to sit with her legs dangling over so she wasn`t worried about falling.
She sat on the balcony and stared up at the night sky. The weather was perfect for a night flight but Jia didn`t feel the usual lift that she would get before flying so she chose to sit on the balcony railing and instead studied the constellations. Her favorite constellation wasn`t out tonight but then again, it would only be visible during the year from her Castle window. The stars were beautiful and yet so sad. Jia sighed and scolded herself. The stars weren`t sad, it couldn`t be. It was just herself. She then stood up and was preparing to step off the railing when she felt a shift in the air.
Jia smiled ruefully, "You know, it`s not nice to sneak up on a sorceress, especially one as emotional as me."
She glanced over her shoulder to see Dylan standing behind her with his hands in his jeans pocket. He had changed from his shirt at noon and was wearing a plain black shirt and a black bikers jacket. Jia risked a glance into her room and saw that her friends were passed out on their makeshift beds. It seemed like crying and junk food can send anyone into a food coma for the entire night.
"How are you?" Dylan asked.
Jia tilted her head towards him, "Is that a trick question?"
Dylan looked away while running his hand through his hair," Stupid question, then."
Jia turned around and jumped down from the balcony, "Did you tell Roy?"
The Knight turned back to look at her," Chase and I have agreed to keep the incident between us and the girls. No one will know."
Jia wrapped her hands around herself, "Thank you."
"Jia, I`m sorry, he just…"
"Please don`t," Jia croaked and her body began to shake in an effort to not crying," Don`t defend him right now, I can`t... I don`t…"
She then started to sob as tears rolled down her face and put her hands up to her mouth to stop herself from getting louder. Dylan was suddenly in front of her and pulling her against him. That's when the dam burst and she cried into his chest. Dylan put hand around her head to cradle the crying girl and another on her back.
"I want to be angry at Jasmine and him," Jia sobbed," I really do but I…I can`t…Jasmine is nice, and she`s pretty, kind and smart and everyone likes her."
"Stop, "Dylan ordered her softly.
Jia hiccupped, "If...If he had gone out…. with someone else it would be okay with it but Jasmine…," Jia shook her head as she leaned back and hiccupped again," She`s a really, really amazing person."
"And you are too," Dylan reminded her.
"Then why? Why did he...? "Jia leaned into his chest and shook her head," I just don`t understand."
There really was no way to describe the ache in her heart and the twisted feeling in her stomach.