Landed Wings

chapter 13: OBSIDIAN



OBSIDIAN

“Yo, Ob, where’ve you been?”

“Why do you care Raven?”

I know I’m snarling at her but I can’t help myself.

“Bro, what is up with you? You’ve been in a funk ever since Ash skipped town.”

“She didn’t “skip town”.”

“Then what has you so angry?”

“Nothing, all right? Just leave me alone, I need to think.”

“About what?”

“Rave, just go away!”

“Fine! Go sulk by yourself.”

She stalks off down the hallway, leaving me by my locker. We usually go to class together, but today, I want to be alone. I knew Raven won’t let it go. She is my twin after all, and I wouldn’t have let it go either. And she’s right. I am in a funk. I finally get the nerve to talk to Ash and she skips town? Didn’t tell anyone goodbye, including her own mother? Where is she? I’m worried about her, but pissed too. She didn’t even answer me. Beautiful Ash. She walks around, restless and angry, and can’t see the face everyone else sees in the mirror. She looks like a warrior princess - long dark hair, black wings, thin, with just the right curves. I’ve loved her since grade school. It’s pathetic and sad, and the fact that it took me this long to say anything makes it worse. But she always seemed like she was above the rest of us, her and her righteous anger. And then she starts flying to the LandBound because she’s “bored”. Because we’re not good enough for her. Because I’m not good enough for her. What did I have to say or do, Ash, to make you stay? We couldn’t satisfy her impatience with life, so she turns to someone else. To some LandBound. I’ve always been good to Ash, always. And this guy sounds like trouble. The last time I talked to her, she was distracted and I could tell she was thinking about him. She was in a daze for days; even Ivory couldn’t get anything out of her. And then she leaves. I bet she’s with him. I bet that she ran off with a guy she barely knows and left the rest of her “friends” in the dust. I can’t believe I’m jealous of a faceless stranger but I can’t help it. I can feel it growing each day I don’t see her in the hallway, or in class. No one knows about my crush except for Pepper. Pepper doesn’t like her though. She’s always telling me to move on. I thought about asking Pepper out once. She’s pretty, with red hair and blue eyes, freckles, and red wings. And…Pepper is my friend, but even I have to admit something’s wrong with her, she’s so…cold. Everyone is pale compared to Ash. Raven doesn’t know how strong my feelings are for Ash, but she will soon. I move away from my locker, and go to class, already five minutes late.

“Obsidian Drave?”

“Here.”

Luckily, I slide in just as the teacher is reading my name off of roll call.

“Raven Drave?”

“Here.”

My twin looks over glares, and looks away. Great. I’ll have to answer to her now. It’ll take at least a month of groveling to get her to talk to me. Okay, maybe not a whole month, but Raven’s hard. Who am I kidding, so am I. I try to send her a thought, because sometimes she knows what I’m thinking. Raven, I’m sorry. I’ll explain to you later all right? She doesn’t move. I try again thinking harder this time. She jumps in her seat a little and turns around and stares at me. I think at her again, and this time she nods. She says that when I do that, it feels like something’s prodding her in the back of the head. For me, it’s as if she scratching. I look forward at the teacher, but I can’t focus. My mind is too full of a warrior princess.

“Ob, you have to tell us what’s wrong.”

“Yeah, we can’t take your sulking anymore.”

“Oh shut up guys, he’s just in a tiff because Ash left.”

Ivory rolls her eyes and looks at me. How doe she know?

“What?”

Her big brown eyes look innocently at me.

“You’re so obvious Obsidian. Everyone knows.”

“Everyone knows what?”

Persimmon squeaks up. I ignore everyone and try to

concentrate on the food. It’s pretty good today, mashed

potatoes, mac and cheese, and crème brûlée. The one thing I like about Volar High is the food.

“That Ob likes Ash. Boy, you’re so dim Pers.”

This from Sangria. I look up in surprise. I guess my temper is not the only one that’s short. Persimmon’s lip glossed mouth falls open and she looks hurt. She harrumphs and doesn’t look at Sangria anymore. Bramble looks surprised too.

“I didn’t know.”

“Bramble, you’re slow on the uptake. Anyway everyone knows, you’re half in love with Ash yourself.”

Really? I can’t help but feel my jealously boiling over, and I feel like fighting Bramble. I shake myself. This is Bramble we’re talking about and he’s half in love with everyone.

“You guys are crazy. She’s my friend. I’m worried, that’s all.”

I realize that Raven hasn’t said anything, and I’m getting the scratchy feeling. What…the... Why…not…tell…me? Why hide it from me? Her thoughts are coming at me strong – she’s pretty mad. I get it. When you’re a twin, keeping secrets is the taboo of taboos. Sorry. I know she gets it when she shakes her head. She gets up and stalks away again. I sigh.

“Yeah, right Obsidian.”

It’s Pepper who talks. She smirks, because she already knew. Pepper never calls me Ob. She’s the only one who doesn’t. She says it’s undignified and doesn’t suit me.

“You know what Ob is short for? Object. And that, you are not.”

Pepper says stuff like that all the time.

“You, worried?”

I glare at her.

“Yeah, it might surprise to you, but I do worry about my friends.”

She says nothing, just smirks. Everyone is silent. I know they don’t believe me, but who cares? They all look at each other, except for Pepper and Persimmon.

“Do you guys know something I don’t? Have you heard from Ash?”

I’m trying to be casual but even I can hear the longing in my voice. I can’t believe no one noticed before.

“Yeah. She uh…left Ivory a note.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“No…in her note she said not to. It didn’t make sense but we talked about it and decided to tell you anyway…”

What could she not have wanted me to hear? Why would Ivory and the others hide it from me?

“Where’s the note?”

“Ob…maybe you shouldn’t read it.”

“Just give it to me.”

Ivory reaches into her book bag and takes out a note written on cream paper. It’s folded in two and says on the front To Ivory. That’s weird, it’s not her handwriting. I open it and it says, in her handwriting now, Isn’t his handwriting beautiful? If ears could steam and turn red, mine would right now. I asked him to write the outside because his handwriting is so pretty and I thought you’d appreciate it. I ran off with Mocha, Ive. I’m leaving you a note because I don’t want you to worry. Tell the others I’m alright. I wasn’t kidnapped; in fact, he tried to get me to leave, but I can’t. There’s so much I didn’t know, and so much I know now, but I can’t tell you. I’ll try to contact you again but if I don’t, please don’t worry or be mad. Oh, and Ive? I love you. :D



Signed

Your best bud Ash

P.S. I can’t explain why, but please don’t tell Obsidian.

I slowly hand the letter back to Ivory. I’m furious. With Ash, whoever this Mocha dude is, myself… I…I can’t believe she would leave…with him.

“When did you get this?”

My voice is super quiet, as it always is when I’m mad.

“A week ago. Suck it up Obsidian, and just be happy she’s happy. You’ll find someone else.”

Ivory’s words grate on my ears. I don’t want to listen, I don’t want to move on, I want to find a wall and punch it. I want to leap off a cliff and not open my wings until it’s too late. I want to cry, but crying is weak. And I’m not weak. I jump up from the table with cries of “Ob!” and “Obsidian!” following me, but ignore them. I rush out of the school doors and fly.

I feel betrayed. I know I shouldn’t feel betrayed. There was nothing between me and Ash. I know that and still I feel the same. She leaves and goes off with some guy she met a couple of times. Why didn’t she want to stay here with me? What is it about me that is so unattractive that I couldn’t convince her to stay? I’m a good-looking guy. Girls have followed me from grade school on. I thought being with Ash would be easy. She’s beautiful – so am I - isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work? But no, instead she takes me on as her friend, her buddy, the one she speaks with, but doesn’t confide in. All those years of picking up her books, waiting for her in the hall – for what? I would always fly with her, when she wanted it. I wasn’t blatant about my devotion, but I wasn’t subtle either. None of this makes sense. Ash is not irrational. Maybe impulsive, but not irrational. Why couldn’t she see the good guy staring at her in the face?