“I was doing dragon research,” I say. “They’re real and I needed information and I found it—” Chills run through me and emotions rise, threatening to bubble over as my eyes fill up with tears. “And so much more. That woman at the library? The one I was arguing with? She’s like me, and she needs my help as much as I need hers. And if you care about me at all, you’ll offer your support because I really need it right now. I’m fighting too many battles, and I don’t want one of them to be you.”
“I just feel like you’re kicking me out of your life one day at a time. I don’t care about skipping school. I’d drop everything in a second for you. But it’s like that sentiment is one-sided. If I asked you to walk away from all of this because my life depended on it, would you?” I can imagine the glare he’s giving me right now, the hurt in his eyes.
I rub my temples. “That’s not a fair comparison, Max. There are lives depending on me right now. Yackros’ and Fyazum’s. If I don’t save them, the world is at risk. Everyone. I’m doing this because I love you.”
He cups my cheeks in the palms of his hands, resting his forehead against mine. “I want to believe you, Alita. I’ve always believed in you. I may not believe the same things as you, but I know that you would never deliberately lie. So tell me why this has taken over your life. I don’t think you’ve ever skipped school before yesterday, and you didn’t seem that bothered by it.”
“Let me show you, Max. You believe in me? Prove it. Come with me today for training. You won’t see a dragon, but you’ll be with two people who have. If nothing else, you’ll see that I took you seriously yesterday when you suggested I learn self-defense.”
He considers this a moment before nodding. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, my lips meeting his.
“We should probably get to class,” he says after we step back, in much need of air.
“I really don’t want to, but you’re probably right. I don’t need two missed days on my record. I’m hoping my parents never find out about the one.”
He chuckles. “I can only imagine the kind of trouble you would be in.” He takes my hand in his as we walk out, only parting ways when we reach the crossroads where he needs to go left and I need to go right.
Class is boring, as usual. I’m not surprised, just annoyed that I have to waste precious time on it. When the final bell rings, I’m out of there so fast, it’s not even funny. When I reach my locker, I stick around, waiting for Max to show up.
To be honest, I’m hoping he doesn’t. Whether he believes in me or not, it doesn’t change his stance on dragons. As soon as I can get Rohesia to give me some kind of proof or more pieces to the puzzle I’ve already begun putting together, I’ll show Max, and he will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they exist.
The only thing that will convince him further is seeing one for himself, which will be easy enough once Yackros is free. At that point, hopefully all of the dragons will be released from the bonds keeping them from our part of earth. They’ll be able to return, and life will go back to the ways of the world before they were banished.
“You ready to go?” Max appears beside me.
“Yeah,” I say, sounding stupid even to myself. I head toward the exit, wanting this day to end as soon as possible.
Max sits in the front seat, bouncing his leg. That stupid habit. I want to reach over and forcibly stop it, but I don’t. As much as I didn’t want him coming with me, I’m glad he’s keeping an open mind, and I don’t want to fight with him after we just made up.
“So, who’s training you?” he asks just as his knee stops going up and down.
“Um, Rohesia—the librarian,” I clarify when he looks confused. “She introduced us.”
Max just laughs awkwardly. “Well, how about that,” he says.
“I know it may seem odd. What you saw yesterday—our fight—was a misunderstanding. And once we sorted that out, we discovered we had a lot more in common than anyone could have imagined.”
“Ahem. I see. Well, I’m glad it worked out for the best. So, what are you two doing today? What kind of research?” He looks out the window, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.
“Max,” I say, exasperated. “If you didn’t want to come, you didn’t have to. I’m not trying to force this down your throat. I just can’t fight this alone anymore, and while having Rohesia is wonderful, I want you to be the one by my side.”
“I’ll always be on your side, Alita. And it’s not that I didn’t want to come. Please understand that this is just as hard on me as it is for you, and for the exact opposite reasons. I’m trying to understand. I’m trying to accept it. But that doesn’t mean I can just make up my mind and we’re good. I need time.” He picks at a loose thread on his shirt, refusing to look at me.
I only glance over, wishing I knew what to say. But he’s right. I stood in front of Yackros, looking him up and down, even staring directly into his eyes, and I still needed convincing that he was real and it wasn’t all in my head. I certainly can’t expect Max to just be okay with it. “I’m sorry I tried to force you to believe. I have seen dragons. I know without a doubt they’re real because one stood before me. But I struggled with it in the moment, unable to comprehend that it was real. I will give you all the time you need. And I really appreciate you coming with me, despite seeing things differently.”
He looks up at me and smiles. “Thank you.” He reaches over the console and takes my hand. “I’ve missed you. Thank you for letting me come, despite seeing things differently.”
I can’t help the fact that my heart melts a little. My cheeks warm up and I put my attention back on the road. The rest of the car ride is silent, and it’s okay. Things start to feel normal again. A small amount of pressure has been lifted from my shoulders, and part of my world is whole once more.
When we reach Rohesia’s house, I give Max time to take it in. It’s a tiny red brick house down a long straight driveway, with weeds on either side and nothing around for miles.
A small part of me wonders if this was a mistake. Did I let my excitement cloud my judgment? The feeling of unease that washes over me causes me to dry heave a little. Max shouldn’t be here. As much as I love him, he isn’t part of this world.
I try to hide my discomfort while getting out, hoping Max doesn’t say anything. He glances at me, but remains quiet. I nod, assuring myself that everything is fine, and we walk up the three steps to the front door.
The sound of the doorbell chiming through the house is the only thing I hear aside from a slight breeze tussling the tumbleweeds across the ground. The door squeaks as it’s opened. Standing before us is Rohesia in another dreadfully hot outfit much like yesterday’s.
She clears her throat, glancing over at Max. “Alita,” she says in a sickly sweet voice, still looking at him. “I don’t recall discussing you bringing guests. What is this about?” She finally turns to me.
“Rohesia, this is Max.” I smile the best I can. “Max, this is Rohesia.”
“Hello,” Rohesia says curtly. “I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting anyone but Alita, but we’ll make do. Come in.” She waves us inside, stepping out of the doorway so we can get through.
While the house looks tiny on the outside, it’s comfortably spacious within. “Have a seat.” Rohesia gestures to the sitting room on the right with the horrible colors as she closes the front door. I nod and proceed, sitting down on the newest-looking chair. Max takes the orange high-backed chair beside me.
“I assume you understand why Alita is here today, Max?” she says, sitting down on the couch facing us.
“I do.” He nods.
“And you’re okay with it? Being here while we discuss something you don’t believe in?”
He squirms a bit. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Honestly though, you can just pretend I’m not here. I’m fine with that. I’m here for Alita, to offer whatever support I can. I want to understand.”
“Very well. Pretending you’r
e not here should be easy enough.” She adjusts her position so she’s solely facing me now. I find her behavior a tad rude, but I don’t know what to do or say about it, so I try to let it go. There are other things to worry about right now.
“Alita, dear,” Rohesia says in the same sweet tone. “Please go get changed. We will meet you in the gym downstairs momentarily. I believe Wren is already waiting for you.”
I do as she says, even though I don’t want to leave the two of them alone.
18
I lie on the mat once again, feeling like I’m going to die. Wren is making me work so hard. I’m not cut out of for this. I moan, wanting to die. Well, mostly wanting the pain to die.
“Come on!” Wren shouts. “No breaks until you’ve earned it!” He claps, walking around me until I force myself back up.
It’s been like this for the last twenty minutes. I can see Max flinching out of the corner of my eye, and I tense up every time because I’m afraid of what he’ll do or say.
“You’re gonna die on that marathon if you don’t put some serious training in!” Wren says, a playful smirk on his lips.
“Hey, no need to be rude. She’s trying. Jogging is completely different than whatever all of this was. Lay off.” Max stands, glaring at Wren.
“Hey.” Wren puts his hands up. “No offense. I didn’t mean to be hurtful. It’s dangerous going into any kind of sport unprepared. If you tried to run a marathon, you could cause a lot of permanent damage to your body. There is no shame in taking things slow and training properly.”
“He’s right, Max.” Rohesia places her hand on his arm, pulling him away from the mat.
Max shakes his head. “I’m going to take a walk.” He disappears around the doorframe before I can say anything.
“Sorry. I just want you to be healthy. Don’t do something physically tolling if your body can’t handle it. Even with adrenaline, you can cause serious damage. And I’m not saying that to be mean. Just to watch out for you.”
“It’s okay, Wren. I know. He’s just—” I pause, trying to think of a word to describe what Max is. Nothing comes to mind.
“Angry? Overprotective?” Wren offers.
“He’s a wuss. Let’s not talk about his precious feelings when there are more important things at hand,” Rohesia snaps.
“Why would you say that? He’s my boyfriend. Even if he doesn’t understand all of this, that doesn’t mean we have to be rude. I love him.” I shrug, feeling defenseless, but knowing I can’t stand by and let her badmouth Max.
“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t know what love is. What you feel toward him is not it. Infatuation, perhaps. As for my issues with him, it’s everything to do with the way he treats you. He refuses to believe you, yet claims to care about you. He’s bad news, and you’re better off without him.” Her tone goes from laughing to dark in mere seconds, and it frightens me.
I clear my throat, wanting to get back on topic. I’m sick of people telling me how bad my boyfriend is. What I asked him to believe is difficult, and I can understand his hesitation.
“I’m sorry, but I need to go. I’ll come back tomorrow for the meditation session, I promise. But right now, there’s somewhere else I need to be.” I don’t let Rohesia’s protests stop me.
I rush up the stairs and down the hall until I reach the front door. The sun is blinding, especially compared to the dark of Rohesia’s home, something I hadn’t noticed until I came out of that gloomy cave.
Max is pacing in front of the porch steps, hand stroking his jaw, face turned down. How he’s out here even while upset, and not completely melted by now, I don’t know. It’s got to be ninety-something degrees. He looks up at me, concern in his eyes, surprise in his brows. He opens his mouth to speak, but I don’t want to hear whatever he has to say.
“We’re leaving.” I storm past him and get in the car, glad I drove. I get us on the road as fast as physically possible once he’s caught up with me and sitting in the passenger seat.
I can sense his need to ask questions. Hear the click of his jaw as he opens and closes his mouth repeatedly, unsure what to say, perhaps. But I don’t bother waiting for him to figure that out.
“I need to visit Yackros. But don’t worry—I’ll drop you off at home on the way. I’m sorry for everything I put you through today.” I feel like I don’t even know how to talk to Max anymore. I ramble and apologize for every move I make. Taking a deep breath, I turn the radio on because I can’t take the uncomfortable silence.
Max clears his throat. I watch him twist in his seat so he’s facing me the best he can. “It’s okay, Alita. I don’t know what I was expecting today. Perhaps something more magical. Something that would give me a sign, you know? Watching Wren put his filthy hands all over you was more than I could handle. Why not ask me to train you? We could go jogging, get your stamina up. We could go to the gym. I don’t have a lot of money, but I could help pay the fees for a trainer there.”
While his words are mostly nice, it’s his tone that grates on my nerves. “I don’t need to pay for a trainer at the gym, Max. Wren is doing it for free. And he clearly has the knowledge needed to teach me what I need to know. But thank you for the offer. I know you don’t like it, but do you really think it will be much different at a gym? Come on.” I roll my eyes.
“He was watching you way too much. L—”
“Max! Of course he was watching me. He is training me. He has to watch what I’m doing to make sure I get it right. What is he supposed to do, close his eyes and guess?” I look over and shake my head.
“That’s not what I meant,” Max murmurs. “He kept staring at your face. And continuously touched you when it was unnecessary. I think he likes you.”
“I turn to look him in the eye, trying to convey as much compassion as possible. “Why does that bother you? Are you saying that because we’re together, guys shouldn’t be able to have feelings toward me? Besides that, we A; just barely met, and B; I have a boyfriend. Or did you forget? You don’t need to worry about him. You know I would never hurt you like that.” Yay! Another issue to handle.
“I don’t want to lose you, Alita. Why doesn’t it bother you? Wouldn’t it bug you if you saw another girl flirting with me?” He holds his hand to his chest, seeming offended even though I haven’t answered yet.
I think about it for a moment. I don’t know a way to respond that won’t sound dumb or cliché. “Max,” I draw out his name. “That’s not the point. Would it be bothersome? A little, yeah. But I understand that you’re an attractive guy and other girls are going to look at you. They’re going to flirt. But it’s not about what they do—it’s about what you do. How you respond. Did it look like I was flirting with Wren? No. I was freaking out inside just trying to keep up on all the crazy workouts he wanted me to do. It was a lot of overwhelming information. If anything, my mind was fixated on how impossible the tasks before us are seemingly more and more impossible. I don’t need to fight with you when there’s nothing there. Can we please just drop this? At least for now, while I figure out some bigger issues?” I shake my head.
Max looks a little purple in the face, like he’s holding his breath. He exhales loudly and inhales equally. I let him take his time. Honestly, I’m already on edge, and I don’t know what else to say. I feel like everything I could possibly say to help him get past this has already been said.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. This is dumb. And you know, you don’t need to take me home before going to see your dragon. I’ll go with you.” He waves his hands as he speaks.
“Are you sure?” I look at him with confusion. Where did this come from?
“Yes, I’m sure. I keep worrying that you’re going to abandon me just like everyone else important in my life, but I feel like I’m just sabotaging myself by freaking out over every little thing you do. I’m with you, Alita. I’m with you. Let me meet Yackros.” He struggles saying Yackros’ name, but I think it has more to do with not accepting he’s real than not knowing how to p
ronounce it.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Even if I don’t quite believe all of it.
I feel a bit of relief as we reach Dragoon. The farther up the mountain we go, the faster the scenery changes. From ocotillo and sagebrush to trees and flowers.
Once we’re at the campsite and parked, I get out, rushing up the path, over the fallen tree stump, making sure my shoe doesn’t catch on it again. If one thinks stubbing their toe on small things is painful, they have no idea what hitting it against a tree trunk is like.
The closer I get to Runavelius, the more mystical the very air feels. Butterflies of odd colors flitter past my face.
I know I can’t enter the magical forest of dragons, but I lean against the tree that I’ve come to claim as my own. This is the place my life changed forever. Where before I lived in a box, now I’m free, aware of all the magic surrounding me. The truth of what humans’ lives should be.
Max catches up to me, huffing from running. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
I shrug, not knowing how to explain. “You won’t be able to hear what Yackros and I say because he can only speak in my head. Due to his circumstances, we can’t see him. But please, just be patient and wait. I will at least ask him if he’s able to communicate with you.” I realize how ridiculous this sounds. He gives me a condescending look, but he doesn’t say a word. And I leave it at that.
I sit down on the ground, feeling the grass around me, realizing how much longer the blades have grown since I’ve been here, after Yackros tuned me out because he didn’t want me to give up my life for his. He doesn’t realize that’s not what I’m doing. I’m freeing him so we can both live the life we want.
“Yackros?” I call to him in my mind. I want to speak aloud, but that feels even more awkward with Max here.
“Alita, oh, how I’ve missed your voice. But what are you doing here? I thought I was very clear on the matter. You cannot sacrifice—”
Sirens and Scales Page 300
