Rising Shards

“We’re sure in here a lot, huh?” Iris asked.

Maia didn’t answer. Iris freaked out a bit earlier that she was in a coma or something, but the medical staff back at school said she just needed rest. Maia could be a heavy sleeper at times, so Iris wasn’t too worried about waking her up. The nurses said she could stay a little bit longer.

“I’m…really sorry,” Iris said. “I know you can’t hear me, and so I’ll probably have to say it again when you’re up, but I’m. Yep, really sorry. And not just about today. Well, a lot about today. I didn’t really help at all there when Scrungy like. Kinda kicked your ass a lot and stuff.”

Maia didn’t have any major injuries, but her black eye had swelled even more and was very noticeable.

“But I don’t want to sound like I’m ungraceful or whatever!” Iris said. “Because I’m like, super graceful for what you did. That’s the right word, isn’t it? I feel like it maybe isn’t. And that you’d be making fun of me for saying the wrong word. But anyways. It was really cool what you did. And brave, too. Scrungy kicked my ass so fast back in class, and you lasted like a lot longer.”

Seeing her bestie get in a vicious fight with her ex was a surreal feeling, and one much more complicated than Iris was used to or prepared for. It wasn’t something she could just brush away and move on from, as much as she wanted to.

“And it does have me thinking, like,” Iris said. “I’m scared that things kinda sucked for you a while ago. Like, how to put it…”

Maia’s face twitched, her whiskers moving slightly. Iris found it very cute.

“When we first met, and I was with Olivia,” Iris said. She stared at the floor tiles, finding that they filled her with less guilt than the sight of an injured Maia, allowing her to form her words a tad more easily. “Olivia saying it made me think that, let me start there. In the fight she was all, like. Jealous of you. I think. And if Olivia felt bad with how good of friends we were like she said, I wonder if you felt bad that like. I would talk about Olivia all the time. Vent to you about all my issues. All that crap. And yet you still put up with me. And drove me to see her after we broke up and I tried to patch things up.” Iris blinked. “I don’t give a crap what Olivia thinks nowadays, but I do care what you think. You’re like, a really good friend. I mean, we’re best friends, obviously.”

In a way, it was kind of easier to let the words flow with Maia being asleep. She might have had a similar “let’s just forget about this and move on” reaction like Iris usually had to things had she been awake.

“You mean a lot to me, and I keep saying I want to show it,” Iris said. “But I want to do even better. Because sometimes I suck at it. And have sucked at it in the past. Because yeah, you’re like. The best person.” She tried to really come up with what she wanted to say to express what was in her guts. “What you and I are is like, really awesome. And what me and Olivia were was like. Really not awesome. So I don't want us to be like me and Olivia. I want us to always be awesome. You get me?" Maia obviously didn't respond. Iris sighed. "I don't really get me right now, so I don't blame you. How about this. We’re gonna have a really great B.F.S. sesh after this, alright?”

Maia groaned, starting to stir.

“MaiMai?” Iris asked.

“Dude…shut up.” Maia said, rolling over. “Trying to sleep here.”

“Alright…” Iris said. One of the nurses peeked into the curtained off area and gestured that it was time for Iris to go. “Sleep well, MaiMai.” When the nurse was out of sight, Iris leaned over and lightly nuzzled her forehead against Maia’s for a second before leaving.