Time Heals Nothing

     Benji realized how more put-up with the situation she had been than he assumed. The initial thought was just that she didn’t want to deal with another sponsor, but he now realized how wrong that though had been. He sat down next to her, getting a little more serious and said, “Listen, I hope you understand I’m not trying to be an asshole. I just met your sarcastic front with my own.” Benji paused as he tried to think of a way to clean the slate and to try to get her to be a little more open minded. Benji had learned enough in life to know you can’t make someone do what they don’t want to or it will be completely counterproductive, so he made sure that wasn’t something that would ever happen. Benji sat up and saw she was waiting on him to continue so he broke his pause and said, “I didn’t know you didn’t want to come here. Can you educate me on the situation and why you’re here still as a junior if you’re not dead-set on graduating?” He thought that would be a good start. She seemed surprised so he added, “I don’t want to make you think you have to tell me your life story, but as a sponsor, I want to know where you’re coming from so I can approach things properly. On top of that, I don’t want to waste either of our time. I think it’s only fair that we kinda explain ourselves and then give the sponsor/sponsee thing a try for a few weeks before just immediately scrapping the idea. What do you think about that?” He scratched the back of his neck as a nervous tick as he awaited her response to his new approach

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 - 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐢

          Clara felt every muscle in her body tense as the presence of her sponsor drew nearer breaking the personal space bubble around her. Her breathing hitched, lungs momentarily forgetting their function. It wasn’t often that anyone dared to get so close to her demonic form. “Really? Could have fooled me with the sarcastic asshole act. Maybe you should be an actor and drop the whole hero thing.” A soft laugh escaped her parted lips a the notion that anyone in the rehabilitation program wanted to be there. It was very superhero of him. “Because it’s this or prison, and do I honestly look like I’m fit for prison? They would suppress my powers.” The last sentence ended in a whisper, speaking more to herself than to him by that point. “Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine then.” She crossed his arms over her chest in a self soothing act. 

Benji busted out laughing. “That’s the first good comeback I’ve heard in years. However, if you want my comeback, you’ll have to scrape it off your mom’s teeth.” He smirked as he let what he said sink in, and then he asked, “Have you always been this bitchy, or do you just have an undying hatred for the male population? You’ll have to shape up if you plan to graduate.” While his words seemed basic, he knew how real they were as he’s seen how quickly things can go south without the right effort and mindset.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 - 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐢

         The crease that formed between Clara’s brows only deepened into a crevice as Benji laughed. She didn’t find the same humor in their conversation that he seemed to. “Clever.” Her eyes rolled to meet the back of her eye sockets, showing no outwardly noticeable difference in the yellow of her eyes. She didn’t take his words personally. It wasn’t the first time her mother had been used against her and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. “Hmm,” she pretended to ponder on his question, tapping the front of her chin with her index finger. “Maybe a little bit of both.” Dropping her hand, she leaned back in the chair where she sat, a deep sigh forcing its way out of her lungs. “Who says I want to graduate? It wasn’t my idea to come here, you know that, right?”

“I could have told you that. Have you seen how much help you need?” His rebuttal was full of contempt at her already negative mindset. He had dealt with this before and already wasn’t looking forward to all the extra effort he would need to put in. He was hoping for an easy sponsee this time around with it being his last semester, but his lifelong lack of luck when he wanted some struck yet again. He was not gonna let this ruin his last semester though. He was gonna give her a run for her money.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 - 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐢

       Clara’s brows pulled together at the bold statement. The need for help was relative in this situation and from her side it was more apparent to her that he was the one who needed help than the other way around. “Me? I think someone needs to help you with that stick up your ass? Can you feel that in your stomach?” She paused, allowing herself a moment of silence. “Are you even able to slouch with that thing all the way up there?” She questioned, letting the irritation in her tone nip at him. 

          “You have come into my life when I needed you most.” Dry sarcasm dripped from each word as the sentenced escaped her mind, filling the room around them with an air of what was to come. Clara fervently disagreed with the program and it’s ability to rehabilitee whom it saw to be criminals. It was all very black and white while the area she occupied was more a grey. She didn’t belong there. She didn’t belong in the program. And yet there she was forced to be somewhere surrounded by those who could never understand her. It was Xavier’s all over again. An ironic hell. 

          “They’ll expect you downstairs soon.” She motioned towards the door that led to the lower level. Her tail flicked in annoyance at the idea of everyone that had gathered in the common area. She had never been one for crowds, even back at Xavier’s but that distaste had only grown as the events of her life unfolded. 

They hadn’t spoken much since she disappeared years ago. When they were just kids, the two of them bonded over their physical mutations. He was practically glued to her side. Now with all their time apart, they’d both changed so much. She mentioned that he was easy to love and he glanced up at her. Brows furrowing with confusion. Wondering what she meant by that before she continued speaking. The implication that she wasn’t beautiful hit him as sharp as an arrow to his heart. Wren leaned a little closer to her and stared into her yellow eyes “Do people still say that to you? You know they’re wrong, right? You’ve always been beautiful.” 

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 - 𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐧

         “I don’t listen to what people say about me anymore.” She replied flatly. If she listened to all the things others said about her she doubted that she would have been where she was. Instead it was likely she would still be hiding in cave somewhere too ashamed to be seen in the light of day. It wasn’t who she was anymore. It wasn’t who her grandfather would let her be. She was proud of her differences - of her cobalt colored skin, of her golden hued eyes, of her pointed tail. They all came together to make her who she was and that was something she was proud of, whether or not others thought she was beautiful. “I hear it. Opinions can’t be wrong. They’re opinions. You think your pretty words are gonna work on me?” Clara asked, head cocking to the side as she peered up at him through lashes. “Do they always work on people? I bet so, Angel.” 

        “You’re easy to love.” She shook her head, turning her gaze away from him momentarily. The words slipped from his lips so easily she didn’t have time to think about what they may imply. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth she nervously chewed on the skin until she thought of a way to remedy it. “With the wings and all. People love it I’m sure. We can’t all be beautiful though.” As she spoke her tail flicked back and forth, the only indication of the anger she held in her heart. 

       “It sounds like you made it up.” Clara blinked at her old friend, astonished by the scarcely credible story she had come up with. For someone who’s mother came up with whole worlds based on fantasy it was a little bit of a let down. “The point is to make it sound like it wasn’t made up.”