SM Monthly Submission - Friendship
Title: Girls Don't Cry
Author: Arabian Red
Theme: Friendship
Genre: General
Version: AR
Rating: PG (I know, I can't believe it either!)
Ummm, so not what I had on my list, but it kinda wrote itself so I can't really complain. And, I'm WAY behind on prompts, so yeah. ^^;
The feeble squawk somehow managed to reach her ears, despite the snickering and goading from the group of boys who surrounded the fallen raven. One boy, the one with flaming red hair, had knelt beside the bird, using a long stick to jab at the defenseless raven. Another boy kicked dirt at the poor thing. It managed another feeble squawk, pleading for mercy.
“Hey, stop that! STOP!”
The little girl ran toward the group of boys, who she had immediately recognized as Rubeus and his posse. The flaming red hair was unmistakable. She burst through the small, automatic circle that the boys had formed and shoved Rubeus with enough force that he plopped on his butt. She positioned herself in front of the twitching raven and summoned her fiercest glare.
Rubeus had scrambled up and shot the other boys a glare at the snickers they just managed to stifle. He stretched himself to full height. He was nearly a head and a half taller than her, and at least a year older than her, but Rei remained unfazed. Instead, she glowered up at him, hands on her hips.
“Didn’t your mommy ever teach you to mind your own business?” Rubeus scowled down at her, as a menacing glint crossed his eyes. He always knew exactly which buttons to push with everyone he ever bullied, and this one was no different. “Oh wait, you don’t have a mommy.”
“Don’t talk about my mommy!” Her eyes flickered with something other than anger, for just a brief moment, before the amethyst hue hardened. “And leave that bird alone!”
“Or else what?” He taunted, as the other boys around him mocked her with sarcastic ‘ooooohhs.’ He closed the gap between them in two quick steps and shoved her aside, picked up the stick again, and was about to put the bird out of its misery (not out of mercy, but because he knew it would traumatize her), when she tackled him to the ground.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Jadeite jerked his head in the direction of the chants, where he recognized members of Rubeus’ gang. He knew there would be trouble, as Rubeus seemed to be capable of nothing else. Rubeus and someone else, someone much smaller than the red head, tumbled around the dirt in a brawling heap. He caught sight of long, raven hair for a split second, and his heart sank. Since when did Rubeus start picking on girls?
He sprinted towards the group, running as fast as his legs would carry him, as he knew the fight would not last long. Rubeus’ size advantage would be too much to overcome, especially in a prolonged fight. He shoved past the groupies, who all knew better than to mess with him, and yanked Rubeus off the girl.
“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Jadeite snarled, as his hands curled into fists, ready for a fight. He noted with satisfaction that the fight had not been as one-sided as he had thought. Blood flowed from Rubeus’ nose and dripped down onto the dirt.
“This ain’t over. Count on it.” He swiped at his nose in disgust, smearing his blood over his hand before wiping it on his shirt. He motioned for the other boys to follow him, as he stalked away from the blonde.
Coward, Jadeite thought to himself, as he watched the other boys follow their leader. His hands remained balled in fists until the last one was well out of range. Jadeite knew he was a far more formidable foe, something Rubeus had learned the hard way. And he knew the bully would not risk losing two fights in a single day.
As soon as he was sure they would not try to double back and sneak up on him, he turned to the girl, who had managed to sit up. Her head remained bowed, hiding her face under a sea of black. He heard the occasional sniffle, as her hands swiped at her eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay. You can cry.” He knelt down in front of her, trying to get a better assessment of the damage Rubeus had caused.
“I’m NOT crying!” Her head shot up, and the force of her glare knocked Jadeite back on his butt. He had never quite seen eyes with her coloring, a dark, yet clear shade of purple. Anger and determination burned in them, even under the glimmer of a watery facade.
“Okay, okay, I believe you!” Jadeite refrained from asking what she would call it then, when tears streamed down her face like twin rivers, as he suspected she would only yell at him again.
“I’m not crying,” she reiterated, as she sniffled. She shot him another glare, as if daring him to contradict her. When he merely stared back at her, she continued, “He hit me in the eye. They won’t stop. I’m NOT crying.”
“I said I believe you,” he repeated, as he stifled his amusement. He peered at her, where indeed, the makings of a black eye had started to form. “You’re going to have a nasty shiner.”
“Shiner?” She tested the unfamiliar word.
“A black eye.” He told her. “He got you good, didn’t he?”
“I got him better,” she huffed, a proud glint in her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah you did,” Jadeite murmured, unable to resist the smile. The upper corners of her lips began to curl, before she jerked her head to the side, breaking their gaze. Her lips immediately curled downwards, as a concerned frown erased any trace of mirth. He watched as she crouched over something small and black, and that was when he noticed the bird.
“Wait, you shouldn’t touch-“ His voice died in his throat as she tossed him another glare, this one more defiant than angry, as she reached out and wrapped her small hands around the animal. Jadeite watched in amazement, as the raven squawked and struggled for a brief moment, but as she brought her head down to the bird and whispered something he did not quite catch, it stopped fighting and relaxed in her hands.
“My grandpa can fix him.” She gingerly picked up the bird and headed down the same path Rubeus and his friends had taken earlier. Jadeite fell in step beside her, and she shot him a surprised look.
“You might run into Rubeus again,” he told her, as he kept his gaze fixed on the road. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in the side of his face, but he did his best to feign ignorance. After what seemed like an eternity, which in reality was only a few seconds, she seemed to deem him worthy of being her escort and shifted her attention back to the road.
He was supposed to meet Endymion and the others, but that could wait.
Author: Arabian Red
Theme: Friendship
Genre: General
Version: AR
Rating: PG (I know, I can't believe it either!)
Ummm, so not what I had on my list, but it kinda wrote itself so I can't really complain. And, I'm WAY behind on prompts, so yeah. ^^;
The feeble squawk somehow managed to reach her ears, despite the snickering and goading from the group of boys who surrounded the fallen raven. One boy, the one with flaming red hair, had knelt beside the bird, using a long stick to jab at the defenseless raven. Another boy kicked dirt at the poor thing. It managed another feeble squawk, pleading for mercy.
“Hey, stop that! STOP!”
The little girl ran toward the group of boys, who she had immediately recognized as Rubeus and his posse. The flaming red hair was unmistakable. She burst through the small, automatic circle that the boys had formed and shoved Rubeus with enough force that he plopped on his butt. She positioned herself in front of the twitching raven and summoned her fiercest glare.
Rubeus had scrambled up and shot the other boys a glare at the snickers they just managed to stifle. He stretched himself to full height. He was nearly a head and a half taller than her, and at least a year older than her, but Rei remained unfazed. Instead, she glowered up at him, hands on her hips.
“Didn’t your mommy ever teach you to mind your own business?” Rubeus scowled down at her, as a menacing glint crossed his eyes. He always knew exactly which buttons to push with everyone he ever bullied, and this one was no different. “Oh wait, you don’t have a mommy.”
“Don’t talk about my mommy!” Her eyes flickered with something other than anger, for just a brief moment, before the amethyst hue hardened. “And leave that bird alone!”
“Or else what?” He taunted, as the other boys around him mocked her with sarcastic ‘ooooohhs.’ He closed the gap between them in two quick steps and shoved her aside, picked up the stick again, and was about to put the bird out of its misery (not out of mercy, but because he knew it would traumatize her), when she tackled him to the ground.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Jadeite jerked his head in the direction of the chants, where he recognized members of Rubeus’ gang. He knew there would be trouble, as Rubeus seemed to be capable of nothing else. Rubeus and someone else, someone much smaller than the red head, tumbled around the dirt in a brawling heap. He caught sight of long, raven hair for a split second, and his heart sank. Since when did Rubeus start picking on girls?
He sprinted towards the group, running as fast as his legs would carry him, as he knew the fight would not last long. Rubeus’ size advantage would be too much to overcome, especially in a prolonged fight. He shoved past the groupies, who all knew better than to mess with him, and yanked Rubeus off the girl.
“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Jadeite snarled, as his hands curled into fists, ready for a fight. He noted with satisfaction that the fight had not been as one-sided as he had thought. Blood flowed from Rubeus’ nose and dripped down onto the dirt.
“This ain’t over. Count on it.” He swiped at his nose in disgust, smearing his blood over his hand before wiping it on his shirt. He motioned for the other boys to follow him, as he stalked away from the blonde.
Coward, Jadeite thought to himself, as he watched the other boys follow their leader. His hands remained balled in fists until the last one was well out of range. Jadeite knew he was a far more formidable foe, something Rubeus had learned the hard way. And he knew the bully would not risk losing two fights in a single day.
As soon as he was sure they would not try to double back and sneak up on him, he turned to the girl, who had managed to sit up. Her head remained bowed, hiding her face under a sea of black. He heard the occasional sniffle, as her hands swiped at her eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay. You can cry.” He knelt down in front of her, trying to get a better assessment of the damage Rubeus had caused.
“I’m NOT crying!” Her head shot up, and the force of her glare knocked Jadeite back on his butt. He had never quite seen eyes with her coloring, a dark, yet clear shade of purple. Anger and determination burned in them, even under the glimmer of a watery facade.
“Okay, okay, I believe you!” Jadeite refrained from asking what she would call it then, when tears streamed down her face like twin rivers, as he suspected she would only yell at him again.
“I’m not crying,” she reiterated, as she sniffled. She shot him another glare, as if daring him to contradict her. When he merely stared back at her, she continued, “He hit me in the eye. They won’t stop. I’m NOT crying.”
“I said I believe you,” he repeated, as he stifled his amusement. He peered at her, where indeed, the makings of a black eye had started to form. “You’re going to have a nasty shiner.”
“Shiner?” She tested the unfamiliar word.
“A black eye.” He told her. “He got you good, didn’t he?”
“I got him better,” she huffed, a proud glint in her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah you did,” Jadeite murmured, unable to resist the smile. The upper corners of her lips began to curl, before she jerked her head to the side, breaking their gaze. Her lips immediately curled downwards, as a concerned frown erased any trace of mirth. He watched as she crouched over something small and black, and that was when he noticed the bird.
“Wait, you shouldn’t touch-“ His voice died in his throat as she tossed him another glare, this one more defiant than angry, as she reached out and wrapped her small hands around the animal. Jadeite watched in amazement, as the raven squawked and struggled for a brief moment, but as she brought her head down to the bird and whispered something he did not quite catch, it stopped fighting and relaxed in her hands.
“My grandpa can fix him.” She gingerly picked up the bird and headed down the same path Rubeus and his friends had taken earlier. Jadeite fell in step beside her, and she shot him a surprised look.
“You might run into Rubeus again,” he told her, as he kept his gaze fixed on the road. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in the side of his face, but he did his best to feign ignorance. After what seemed like an eternity, which in reality was only a few seconds, she seemed to deem him worthy of being her escort and shifted her attention back to the road.
He was supposed to meet Endymion and the others, but that could wait.