Time blurred as I packed my things and ran out of the classroom. I couldn't hear if anyone called after me, all I could hear was my heart thumbing in my chest. "Sienna... Skye's collapsed.... And... And she's not breathing." I heard the words echo in my head again and again, the helplessness in his voice, the pure fear.

  I couldn't think. All that remained in my mind were those words. Skye's collapsed and she's not breathing. I tried not to think of the worst, but the darkness kept creeping in like moths to a flame, destroying every light of hope with their dark and terrifying wings.

  My feet burned as I ran down the halls trying to find the exit. I pressed my hand against a locker allowing the cool surface to chill my burning skin. I needed to catch my breath, to gather my thoughts. I needed to be there now.

  A hand touched my shoulder and I turned to meet with the large blue eyes of my best friend. "Rya." I gasped out of exhaustion and surprise but happiness that she was there.

   "What's going on?" she asked, studying my face to see if she could get some sort of clue. Tears welled in my eyes and my bottom lip quivered.

   "Skye... she... she's collapsed and she's n-not breathing." Without a thought, she pulled me into a hug and held me tight. I let the tears spill down my cheek but pulled away quickly when a worry came to mind.

   "I... I-I have to get there. I have to be there for them, but the bus takes too long and –"

   "I'll drive you." She quickly cut in.

   "No." I shook my head. "I'll drive, you don't have to miss school for me." But she wasn't giving in.

   "You're in no state to drive and Roman needs you there safe and healthy. He doesn't need another person to worry about so let me." I gave in and she grabbed my hand as we ran down the halls to the exit and then to her car.

  The whole ride, my legs refused to stop shaking and my knees bounced up and down like crazy. I kept picking at my nails as my hands rested in my lap and bit the inside of my cheek until I could taste the warm, metallic substance of blood.

  Rya focused her eyes on the road, trying to take as many shortcuts as possible, going faster than the speed limit which showed how determined she was to get me there fast because Rya never went above the speed limit.

  We parked up and ran towards the automatic doors that whooshed open as soon as if felt our two-meter radius. It was packed for a weekday afternoon and the chaos inside the hospital only made the chaos inside my head intensify. Was Skye okay? I hated that I didn't know the answer. I hated how Roman wasn't picking up my calls or answering my messages. It made me envision the even more likely circumstance of running into a hospital room and seeing him crying over his dead sister's corpse. Rya grabbed my arm as if to bring me out of my thoughts and I knew she saw the havoc reeking inside my head.

   "Don't go there." she whispered to me. "Not just yet." She smiled softly and pulled me over to the front desk. Of course, it had to be that redhead bitch.

   "We're here to see Skye Lawrence." Rya stated as she looked us up and down.

   "You again?" she irritated raised an eyebrow when her eyes scanned me. Redhead bitch turned even more of a bitch after the Lawrences talked to the hospital to get my 'community service' removed as I saved Skye's life. They did and redhead bitch was mad because her reign of suffering had to end.

   "We're here to see Skye Lawrence." Rya gritted through her teeth. She stared back at her slightly surprised by her bitter tone.

   "Name?" she then drawled.

   "Rya McCoy and Sienna Callum." Rya answered quickly as she impatiently tapped her nails on the desk. We anxiously waited as the woman typed something in on her computer before happily turning to us.

   "Unfortunately, only family can visit her and you two certainly aren't family." She smiled sweetly, the crow's feet crinkling by her eyes.

  Rya leaned in and narrowed her eyes spitefully. "My parents have enough money to hire someone to set your body on fire and send your corpse through a giant blender without anyone saying a word, and so you either let us in or your hair isn't going to be the only part of your body that looks like its flaming."

  She looked alarmed at Rya and she pulled back, blinking a few times in awe and fear.

   "Good." Rya smiled. "Now can we go up?" redhead bitch fumbled over her words as she told us "sure", and we made our way up to Skye's floor. My legs took me onwards before I could think and I rushed down the halls, checking in each door to try and find them. I knew my best bet was the waiting room and so I sprinted there, my heart hammering against the cage of my chest, my pulse pounding so hard I heard the hit thrashing in my skull.

  I turned the corner and felt relief shower across my body. He stood there, pulling at the roots of his hair, pacing around the room.

   "Roman?" I whispered almost to myself. "Roman?!" I then said aloud, and he turned to see me. He froze and before I knew it, I was running until I felt my body embraced in his arms.

   "Sienna..." He whispered into my hair and I could hear the sadness leaking through. He held me closer to him, eloping me in his body, keeping me tucked close to him. I pulled away, fighting the ache to remain there.

   "Is... Is she okay?" the expression on his face said one word. Pain.

   "They took her into a room. I... I don't know what's going on." My heart broke at the fright in his tone.

   "It's going to be okay." I cupped his face with both of my hands.

   "You don't know that." He swallowed, holding back tears.

   "I know." I shook my head sadly, doubt creeping in. "But I know Skye and... and she's a fighter." And she doesn't care if she dies. That was the scary part. Would she fight? She had to. She couldn't let death win so easily. "D'you know why she collapsed?"

  A sigh left his lips, little and shaky. "She looked even paler than usual when I first came to see her, she wouldn't get out of bed but the minute she did, she complained that she was dizzy and then... she then..." he couldn't finish his sentence and the redness that rimmed his eyes deepened. "I couldn't save her." he suddenly whispered. "I... I-I tried to wake... wake her up but she wouldn't."

  I didn't say a word and wrapped my arms around his waist to hug him tighter. "I know." I murmured. "I'm here."

  Footsteps came rushing down the halls and shouts could be heard.

   "Roman?!" I recognised the voice as his mother. We pulled apart to see both his parents frantically running down, both of their faces filled with worry. Samantha gripped her son into a tight hug, so tight it looked like she never wanted to let him go. She pulled away as Mark came running down and hugged his son the same way she did.

   "Oh, Sienna." Samantha noticed me and cracked a sad, hopeful smile before pulling me into a hug. It surprised me, but I fully embraced it. "Thank you for being here with him." She whispered in my ear and I heard her voice crack as she did so. Both of his parents pulled away from us.

   "D'you know where she is?" Mark asked desperately.

   "They took her into a room, I don't know what's happening inside –"

   "What d'you mean you don't know what's happening inside? You did bother to ask?" he suddenly interrogated Roman who looked taken aback himself.

   "Mark," Samantha rested a hand on his shoulder, "We're all scared."

   "No." he pulled out of her grip. "I'm going to find out what these fuckers are doing to my little girl!" he walked over to a doctor and started some sort of argument. Samantha sighed and looked back at Roman and I.

   "You kids sit down; I'll sort this out." She smiled softly before walking over to her husband looking like he was about to punch the poor doctor.

  I glanced back at Roman whose eyes were fixated on me. "What?"

   "How did you get in here? Weren't you stopped at the front desk?"

   "Rya always has her ways." I answered and turned back to see her awkwardly standing there. She gave him a little wave and a small, sympathetic smile.

   "Thank you." Roman nodded gravely. I had never seen him so thankful before. "Thank you." He said again and looked down at the floor. I could tell where his head was going, I saw the darkness creeping in.

   "Let's sit." I suggested. "My feet hurt." He looked down and noticed my heels and cracked the tiniest smile I'd ever seen. We moved to the seats and sat down. Rya told us she'd get us some coffee and wandered off to the refectory realising to leave Roman and I for a bit.

  We didn't say much, in fact, we didn't say anything at all. We waited there. Sooner or later, his parents came back, confessing that the doctors revealed nothing of Skye's condition and sat down with us. I noticed how Samantha held her husband's hand and he brought it up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. My heart melted at the sweetness and looked back at Roman. He was staring at the floor, elbows braced on his knees, hands clasped in between.

  I felt so useless.

  There are times when you are a child when one of your classmates asks you if you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be? Usually, I always answered with the classic 'to fly' or 'super speed', a few months ago, I would have answered 'wisdom'. Now? To absorb pain. I wanted to take the pain away. Away from Roman, away from his parents, away from Skye. I wanted to take it all so they could feel an ounce of relief and happiness, and I would let that pain sink me into its dark waters, but I'd keep my head above water, no matter how badly it hurt, I'd keep my head above the never-ending tenebrosity so I could see them be happy. And, for some reason, that could cure me. Whether I'd still be in those waters or not, that image alone would make me feel better.

  Rya returned with coffees for everyone, the standard kind but it was all we needed. She even bought some snacks, but I felt too sick to eat.

   "Here." Roman's mom handed him a candy bar. He shook his head, holding up a hand to deny it. "Your sisters in there because she doesn't eat so don't you dare put yourself down that same route." I had never heard that sternness in her voice before and it was evident she didn't use it often as Roman's head shot up and, without hesitation, took the candy bar.

  I knew school was well over now as I looked up at the clock, so I decided to shoot my parents a text to tell them I wouldn't be home for dinner. Rya offered to buy everyone a sandwich but Mark insisted as he went to get some fresh air, but I also had the feeling it was to get out of this environment. Skye once told me that her dad felt guilty because of her condition and taking a look at him, I saw that guilt eating away, making him seem so hollow.

  Something pulled on my hair and I turned to my left where Rya sat. "Sorry." She cringed. "You had a piece of hair sticking up."

  I chuckled lightly but it didn't quite reach my eyes, "Thanks." I gazed down at her hand picking at the thin fabric of her sheer, black tights. The pearls on her bracelet illuminated against the harsh lighting of the hospital and the gold base and diamonds glimmered, forming reflective dots of light on the wall behind her. An abrupt thought came to mind.

   "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Rya." I quickly apologised. She tilted her head to the side, puzzled. "You were supposed to meet your secret admirer after school, I feel horrible, I've dragged you away from it."

   "You haven't 'dragged' me away from anything. I gave you a ride." She corrected.

   "But you didn't have to, I should've fought you more on it. You had the chance to meet one of the most romantic boys ever and instead you're here and I feel so selfish for taking that from you –"

   "Stop it, Sienna." She cut me off. "You are my best friend; no boy could ever compare nor take over that. Dude, if I died and you still needed me, I would resurrect myself and be there."

   "Even if you had crazy zombie hair?" I tried to lighten the mood but choked on my words.

   "Especially if I had crazy zombie hair." She smiled and grabbed my hand. "Boys come and go but sisters? We stay forever." She squeezed my hand and I held back the tears as a glaze came over my vision.

   "Thank you." I whispered. Just then, Mark came back with sandwiches, passing them around until he sat back down.

   "Avocado and smoked salmon? Damn this hospital is fancy." Rya whistled and lightened the mood instantly as we all chuckled at her reaction.

  I always wondered how she did it. Rya was never someone who broke down, I rarely ever saw her cry. I've seen her overly excited and happy, intimidating and independent, and so angry she could play jump rope with someone's intestines, but it was a rare occurrence where I saw her cry. Then again, Rya's whole family had tons of money and was bubbling with happiness. Her dad was a cardiologist and lived in a stunning mansion down the street everyone expected me to live down, and her moms only recently had to move out to NYC to do multiple business deals in the fashion industry. Yes, they owned their own fashion line together. Actual couple goals.

  Her home was one big ball of light, from the multiple chandeliers hanging on the ceiling to their happy smiles, they had everything you could possibly want which made me think Rya found it difficult to cope in emotional situations and that her defence mechanism for everything was humour.

  However, I wasn't the one to fully break down that wall. I knew that job was for someone else, and whoever that was, I wished them luck. She was a tough cookie to say the least. A touch cookie with a hard, sugar glaze.

  The sun had set by the next few hours, and it seemed like no one planned on making any moves.

   "You girls should head home, it's getting late." Mark said as Rya let out a loud yawn. I looked back at Roman who was still in the same position. I wondered what was going through his head. I wondered if there was a Greek Mythology story he was thinking of that he'd once told to Skye, if there was a piece of art she liked. Iris. The Goddess of Rainbows. Skye was so full of life and colour; she matched the title so perfectly. I began to think, to put myself at ease that if the worst happened, Iris would take Skye in her arms and lead her to her land on vibrancy.

  Then I prayed. I wasn't a firm believer in God, I found myself more on the agnostic side, but I still prayed, to whoever was listening, that they'd give Skye the life she couldn't have, the life she truly deserved with all the frogs and rabbits to make her the happiest girl in the world. I didn't ask for her to live, if living meant she'd be stuck here for further years to come, I'd only want her to live if she wanted to face this. If not, I supported her. Just like she wanted. A friend. I would be that friend.

   "Sienna?" Rya nudged my side.

   "Hmm?" I turned my head, eyes feeling heavy.

   "You coming?"

  I looked back at Roman, still in the same position. I was Roman's friend too. He wanted to fight the bad guys, he wanted to save his sister, he was so adamant on her recovery. He would shatter if the worst happened. I once saw the vulnerability in him when I first found out that Skye was his sister, and I felt the need to cradle it. I made a promise to myself that I would be there, and I wasn't planning on breaking it.

   "I think I'm gonna stay." I replied looking back at Samantha and Mark. "If that's okay with you guys?"

  Samantha nodded gently, "As long as your parents are okay with it, we always love your company." Mark also agreed with a nod.

   "Okay." I smiled softly in return. Rya gave her final goodbyes and left, a few minutes later, Samantha said she was going to buy a coffee and asked if anyone wanted any. I denied and leant back in my chair, turning my head to face Roman who had changed positions, so he leant back in his chair also, hands still clasped yet in his lap, and his head was angled to the floor.

   "You should go, you know." He suddenly spoke. I was slightly taken aback because he hadn't spoken for so long but wasn't too startled. He rested his head back against the wall and sighed. "I'll call you first thing in the morning to tell you any news."

   "I want to stay." I argued.

   "I don't want you worked up about this too. Besides, I'm not in the right state to be good company and I'd rather not be a dick to you."

  I sat up and turned my body to fully face him. "You told me that Aphrodite could see beyond the darkness in Ares, the parts that made him cruel and disliked, and she wasn't afraid of it. Well, I see beyond that, Roman, and I'm not afraid of it."

  He glanced back at me, surprised at the sudden strength in my tone but didn't say anything to argue back. Instead, I looked away and snuggled back into my chair, closing my eyes to find some sort of piece in the quiet chaos around us and soon I was swallowed into the sea of sleep.

❦❤︎❦

  The sound of wheels squeaking across the laminate flooring stirred me awake as morning broke. Rubbing my eyes, I surveyed my surroundings to see Samantha and Mark across from us, Mark asleep, head resting on his wife's shoulder, Samantha was awake though and reading a book with glasses perched on her nose.

  I was about to move until I felt something weighing me down. I looked down at my body to see it covered with a jacket. Roman's jacket. The size of it practically swallowed me but I smelt his cologne as I buried my face into the thick material. In all the time I had known Roman, I had never paid too much attention to his scent, but now it infatuated itself in my senses. It felt warm and comforting, like a campfire, but there was something else about it, something that reminded me of a forest adding a calming and fresh hint in. God, I loved it. I inhaled it once more and closed my eyes with a sigh. I felt like a creep, but I wanted to smell this scent forever.

  I stared at him, his eyes were closed indicating that he was asleep and the heavy rise and fall of his chest implied it was a deep one. After all the havoc of yesterday, I was happy to see him so peaceful.

   "You know he was worried about you the whole night." the voice of his mom spoke. I looked back at her as she kept her focus on her novel.

   "Huh?"

   "The whole night. He kept worrying about you." I narrowed my eyes in confused but saw my shoes on the floor. They were on my feet when I fell asleep. I now had my feet tucked into my body as my shoes stared back at me. My hair fell over my eyes as I leant forward. That was tied up too. I glanced at him and saw the bandana tied to his wrist.

   "You may never get that back." His mom noted. I chuckled lightly but felt every string in my heart pull as I stared at it. "I keep thanking you so much you must get bored of it... but thank you." She whispered gently.

   "For what?" I looked back at her.

   "For everything you've done for my family." Her eyes moved to linger on Roman. "I've never seen my son so happy than when he's around you. I was so... worried about him for the longest time." There was a wobble in her voice. "After Skye, I was so... scared. God, you have no idea how much a mother blames herself when something horrible happens to