"My girlfriend's savior!" Jeran said, already slightly intoxicated as we met him at the bar. There were a lot of people in there that night, all involved in their own lives. I got the occasional look from someone who didn't like me, but I ignored it. If I didn't, I'd flip, and apparently, that's just what everyone wanted.

We were in one of the various dive bars in the Academy's Party District, one that we frequented the most. The bartenders tended to know us, although someone new was there today. But he looked friendly enough.

Jeran slapped me in the back, causing me to slightly stumble forward before facing the bar again. "A pickleback shot for one of my favorite heroes." His dirty blonde, loose curls bounced, and his caramel-colored skin already had a sheen of sweat coating it. You'd think with his large, muscular frame, he'd be able to hold his alcohol better. But given how his golden eyes were accented due to their borderline bloodshot, he couldn't.

The man behind the bar smiled and then grabbed the Jameson and pickle juice shots, placing them in front of me. I didn't hesitate to throw them back.

"Atta girl," Jeran said. He looked back at Cecily with a bright smile. "How was your briefing today, baby?"

She smiled, running her hand through his hair as she sat beside him on the barstool. "Good. They've told me everything I need to know about Scar and any updated information they've got from one of the two survivors."

If the survival rate bothered him, either he was too intoxicated to show it or did a very good job at hiding it. "Hell yeah. And you'll be one of them. A victor."

I sat next to her, hoping that to be true. It felt like a suicide mission—a death sentence—to send her off over there. The town he fought most people in had been abandoned for years, a perfect spot to battle him without harming civilians.

Only caveat was that you were alone with him.

"Why don't they send more of us?" I practically seethed. "Why just you?"

She looked at me calmly. "He's a powerful enemy, but sending in too many of us at once can cause him to act more erratically."

"That sounds like a crappy excuse," I grumbled. "It's like they love sending out scapegoats."

"Hey," she said, her eyes softening. "Stop it. Okay? I'm going to be fine."

"How do you know?" I pressed.

"Because I do!" she said, a bright smile on her face.

Our other friend, Joseph, joined us a few seconds later, planting a friendly kiss on my cheek before taking the seat next to me.

"What're you losers talking about?"

"Her taking on Scar," I said before Cecily could try to change the subject.

"Oh god, Azira, please, let's just push past this, okay?" she begged.

I relented, turning to the bartender who'd just finished making Jeran another drink. "Can I have a margarita? Salt on the rim, please."

"Yes, miss," he said. A few minutes later, I fought the urge to chug the whole thing down as he placed it in front of me. I took a still far too large sip before turning to Joseph, who was looking at me in amusement.

"What?"

"You're a worry wart, you know that?"

I nodded. "My flaw."

"A blessing and a curse," he said. "It's good to worry, but obsessively so will only hurt you. She's going to be fine."

I restrained myself from arguing, knowing it would only further prove their point that I was worrying too much about this—I would have to let this go. Did I want to stress her out more before she left? What good would that do, me not enjoying the time we had now?

But there was that gnawing in the back of my head that told me it wasn't going to be okay.

Cecily talked to Jeran while I spoke to Joseph. We always had a good time together, even if we broke off like normal people into our own individual conversations. The problem is, this time, I think she really needed a break from me.

No matter. I understood because I still couldn't stop thinking about it.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"When are we going to go train together?" Joseph asked, nudging me playfully. "You keep blowing me off."

"It's not purposeful," I said, a slight buzz in my system making my lips looser. "I was just... busy today."

"Oh, I heard the announcement requesting you," he said, leaning his head into his hand. "What'd you do now?"

I felt a tickle of laughter crawling up my throat. I tried to keep a straight face, but I couldn't help the grin from spreading. "Y'know, Lyla?"

"Oh, intimately," he said, winking.

"Ew!" I gagged, my glee immediately subsiding. "How could you even tolerate her personality enough to slide into bed with her?"

"Who needs personality if she's willing to spread her legs?" He looked unapologetic, and being that it was Lyla, I couldn't help but feel no pity for her being used that way.

"Yeah... well, anyway, her power's a kryptonite to Cecily," I said, explaining our exact encounter.

"Dang, you got her to scream louder than me," he joked once I was done, and I swatted at his arm.

"I'll spit in your drink," I threatened.

"Might as well kiss me then," he teased. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, that was a nice thing you did for Cecily, though." His gray eyes sparkled as his curly hair draped over his brows. He pushed it away from his forehead, exposing the perspiration.

I dabbed a napkin over his forehead as he sheepishly said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweaty," I said, tossing the napkin at his chest playfully. He chuckled before taking another swig of his beer.

Sometimes I didn't know where me and him were. Things would be good, playful, flirty, and then other moments cold and distant. Either way, his sleeping around wasn't going to stop, not for me—I either added to his body count or threw in the towel.

The towel was the better option.

I gulped down the rest of my drink and sighed.

"What?" he asked.

"You ever want to leave the Academy and get some fresh, non-Academy air?" I asked, not wanting him to know I was secretly thinking about how much I liked him and couldn't show it.

He leaned forward against the bar, watching the bartender make another cocktail for Cecily.

"Yeah," he said. He looked at me with a sly smile, leaning towards me as his breath tickled my ear. "I can sneak us out. One day, really quick. We can go to the city, just you and me."

I dreamed of living in the city. I remembered going there often as a kid, amazed by the tall skyscrapers and bustling atmosphere. Most heroes used to live there until villain activity got too intense, and they had to be recalled back to the Academy.

I gazed at him, hardly able to contain my joy.

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you're up for it."

"Who the hell do you take me for, a punk? You know damn well I'm up for it."

He smirked. "All right then. Sunday morning. We'll leave early and get back for dinner."

"Oh, you're so on," I said, excitement bubbling over my chest.

"See you then," he said, chugging down the last beer before hopping off the barstool. He gave me a lingering, intense gaze before placing an almost tender, soft kiss on my cheek. He left without another word, and I could feel the heat his lips left in their wake.

***

Jeran could hardly walk as Cecily, and I carried him back to their apartment. I mean, I guess our rooms technically constituted as apartments—after we'd graduated, we moved into places with their own bathrooms, kitchens, closets, everything. But sometimes, they still felt like dorm rooms because we were still stuck within the Academy.

"Whoa there, don't fall, Jeran," Cecily said with a laugh as he wobbled into her.

"I'm tying meh bst," he slurred.

"Try harder, you alcoholic," she joked.

We kept walking, and she looked over his shoulder towards me. "See what I'm dealing with?"

"Oh, my heart breaks for you," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes but unable to fight the smile forming. "It must be so hard to love someone and have to take care of them."

"Dn't be bit...ter." Jeran laughed, his left arm draped over my shoulder lightly, and his hand reached over, softly slapping my face. "You... find someone. Like... like Joseph."

I rolled my eyes. "Joseph wants to be in too many women's pants. I refuse to be one of them."

He took a deep breath as he concentrated on his words. "Well, if... you wanna get laid... there ya go."

I glared at him. "You are an alcoholic."

"Shut it; you... suck," he said.

Cecily unlocked the door, and we dragged him inside to their bedroom. He collapsed onto the bed with a bounce. She looked down at him and shook her head with her hands on her hips. "This man..."

"Your fault for leaving him to his own devices earlier."

"I know. Should've known that if we took too long, he'd drink himself happy."

I chuckled and shook my head. She looked at me in slight apprehension. "What were you and Joseph talking about earlier?"

"Anything we could think of."

"Right."

"What?"

I followed her out of the room as she entered their kitchen. She leaned her back against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell me the truth. Are you thinking of sneaking out with him?" My mouth dropped open. That whole time, I thought she wasn't even paying attention to me; she and Jeran were engrossed in their conversations. "I thought so."

"Okay, so what if I am?"

"Zira. Really? You know exactly what will happen."

"Come on, I'm bored here!"

She uncrossed her arms and shook her head. "You know exactly where it'll lead should you go through with this."

"Enlighten me."

She sighed. "Okay, do what you want. I'll try to cover for you should people wonder where you've gone, but know that this is exactly what people want. They want you to mess up. Eyes are on you always."

"Don't worry, I'll be good, Mom," I said sarcastically.

"Very funny," she said, unimpressed.

"Come on, don't be mad!"

"I'm not mad. I'm concerned."

"Don't be. I'll be fine." I blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm the one who has a real reason to be concerned."

She threw her head back slightly in annoyance. "Scar isn't going to kill me. So no, you don't."

I folded my arms across my chest. "But you could die. And that's what scares me."

Her expression lightened some, and she pulled me into a gentle hug. "Please, don't worry about that. I'm going to be fine, I promise."

"I guess," I mumbled, hugging her back. She was like this frail woman but always felt more powerful than me. I don't know how she exuded such confidence in such a small stature. "All right, it's late. I'm going to go. But I'll see you for training tomorrow?"

"You know it," she said.