Still a Girl
Hehe...surpriseeeee Asch...
“I’m not c-crying.”
“Of course you aren’t.”
But Aschelia still sat down on the bench next to the girl, hand moving to grab the side of her head and forcibly pull on it, forcing the girl with her face hidden in her hands to tilt towards her the slightest. The brunette followed her unsaid commands, leaning into Aschelia, head resting on her shoulders. Aschelia did nothing more than that, resting her hand on the girls shoulders, wondering if she should attempt to do more to consoling her crying friend.
Lydia, for how cheerful she was, running around with her pigtails, antagonizing Aschelia into arguments, beating the boys in spars, always ready to take on the world, was still a girl on the inside. Still got hurt by everyday things, a comment that had been said one too many times, been home alone once too many. Aschelia knew that the girl hid her worries behind a smile, denying that things were wrong, skipping off and using a distraction to stop the flow of questions, her own quirky personality able to diffuse the questions if anyone other than a close friend asked. To her friends, she was an open book.
It was why the red head knew to go after his friend, when she had stated that she better be getting home. A comment had been made, off handedly, striking a cord in the girl, making her retreat before the people she didn’t know as well.
“It’s…stupid…” Lydia had calmed down some, deep breaths taking place in between small sniffs, shoulders relaxing as she took in the red-head comfort.
“Good thing you’re already an idiot.”
“Hah…” It was a weak laugh. That wasn’t how she was supposed to respond to that remark.
“C’mon now. Chin up.” Aschlelia huffed.
“Don’t want to.”
“Don’t care.”
Her weak chuckles worried the red-head, having expected a different reaction from the rambunctious girl.
“Stop acting weird! Go smack him around if he offended you that much.”
“I don’t think I can smack the Emperor.”
“Do it anyway. He deserves it.”
There was an appropriate chuckle, one she expected.
“A good whack with my sword.”
“With both swords.”
“Ah, twice the power then.”
“Make him think twice.”
“Hehe…what to do about the guards though.”
“You think you were doing this alone? I got them?”
“You’re going to help me?”
“Like I said, the Emperor deserves it.”
That was much better, Lydia having shifted to sit upright, wiping tear trails away, hints of a smile appearing again. Aschelia had let her hand drop, resting behind the girl as she got herself together. Lydia took a deep breath, finally calming down fully and turning her head to face the other girl, hands shifting to rest on the edge of bench, legs folding underneath her.
“Heh…thanks…Aschelia.”
“Hmph.” Was Aschelia’s only verbal response, head turning to look out at the road in front of them, silently accepting the thanks.
“Suppose we should keep the swords in their scabbards, don’t want to kill him after all.”
“Oh right. I’ve been in jail already, no thanks.”
Aschelia blinked, looking to her friend, genuinely surprised for once, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “What? What did you do?”
“Uh…Long story short…bad guys wanted to kidnap me.” Lydia confessed, chuckling the event away, one hand reaching up to tug at one of her pigtails, fussing with the hair as she looked away, red tinting her cheeks.
“Uh-huh...then why are you acting so guilty?”
“I don’t know!”
“…”
“Hey! Get back here!” Lydia called, her friend having abruptly got up and started down the road. Getting up herself, she took off after her friend, who just increased her pace to get away.
“Convict.”
“I’m not a convict! Get back here. Ascheeeliaaaa!”
