Ashlandil

Andy had no idea what he'd just done.
I followed him nervously to the podium, hoping Kenali didn't kill Juliet as I did so. She kept withholding from sinning, but she would snap sooner or later, and today would not be a good day for that to happen.
Fuck I wish I'd known Juliet would be here, I would've locked Kenali in the bathroom or something.
I shifted my weight anxiously as I waited for the announcement and mandatory clapping to end; the lights were blinding me and I couldn't see the girls.
Finally, it ended, and I rushed off the stage, my eyes flicking for her. I frowned, seeing Juliet sitting at a table by herself, looking confused. I hurried to her, and when I got close I could see the dazed look in her eyes.
Dammit, Kenali.
"Hey, where's Kenna?" I asked, hovering by her side. Her head turned to look at me.
"Um," she blinked, looking around, "I think she said... Something about the bathroom?"
Poor girl. Kenali really whacked her.
I took off for the bathroom, and knocked on the womens door.
"Kenna, you in there?"
"Ashley."
Oh no.
I pushed open the door, hearing the undertone of fear in her voice. I stepped inside, locking the door behind me and stepping to her side where she knelt over the trash can, the scent of her blood strong in the air.
I knelt beside her, brushing her beautiful red hair out of the way.
"It won't stop," she managed, blood dripping between her fingers as she tried to press paper towels against her nose.
"I don't know what to do! This isn't supposed to happen so quickly," she whimpered.
Shit.
I looked at her in worry.
Every time I let her out of my sight, something bad happened. "You messed with Juliet too much," I muttered, grabbing more towels.
"I didn't! I just checked to see if she actually loves Andy, I swear." her eyes met mine desperately, but I believed her. I pressed the towels against her nose, seeing her eyes were red from crying as well.
"You know what you need to do to stop this," I told her, holding her hair back.
"I'm not sleeping with anyone --- or murdering them or ---." "Get off your high horse before you kill yourself, dammit," I snarled at her, and she winced. "You keep this up and you'll be dead by the end of the month. You're body is still between worlds, babe. You need to acclimate to this one soon, or there won't be anything left of you." my voice softened at the end, and new tears welled in her eyes.
"If anything does happen to me, Ashlandil, will you promise me something?"
I doubt I would keep it. "Sure."
She raised those big violet eyes to mine, shimmering with tears that literally made me already feel guilty, and slipped her hand onto my sleeve.
"Protect him, okay? Don't let my Fall be for nothing."
"I won't have to protect him," I muttered, wrapping my arm under her shoulder and helping her stand. "You're gonna be here for that even if I have to force you."
I swear she rolled her eyes at me. "You just said ---."
"I know what I fucking said, okay?" I grunted, hefting her on top of the counter. "But you'll be fine."
I peeled the sodden towel from her nose, seeing the blood had finally stopped, and tossed them away; most of them had already dissolved into nothing.
"There, see? It's all better. Just don't mind fuck anyone else for a while."
She glared at me, her nose red and raw looking. I patted her bare knee, appreciating even more how short that dress was when she was sitting down.
"Come on, Princess, we better get back to the party before they miss us," I told her, and pulled her to her feet. She wobbled slightly, and shook her head.
"I don't wanna go back; I can't look at them like that." she muttered, twisting her skirt between her fingers. "I'll just go back to the bus."
"I'll walk you then."
"I can walk by myself," she told me, almost hate fully, like I hadn't just stepped up and come to her rescue in her time of need.
"You are so fucking ungrateful," I muttered as I followed her out of the bathroom, no one even glancing at us as everyones attention was on a new speaker.
She sent me a harsh look over her shoulder.
I was going to give her absolute hell as soon as we got back to the bus.

Notes