Method to the Madness

“I still don’t get how you managed to hurt your ankle,” I teasingly complain. Alyson and I have always had our own little spot we went to that just the two of us knew of. It was out in the woods, near a creek, where we could just sit together and be in each other’s company. We may live exactly next to each other, but our parents were paranoid that we were secretly dating and didn’t like to leave us alone. Hence why we sneak out into the woods…

At the moment, I’m walking along the sidewalk, Alyson on my back. She insisted she could walk on her own, but after tripping in the creek, her ankle was swollen and bent at an odd angle, making me think it might be fractured or broken. So I picked her up piggy back style. She’s pretty light, so I don’t have to worry about her getting heavy on me, and she doesn’t have to walk. “Should I take you in my house, or should we dare your house?” I ask. We’re approaching Maple Street, the street we both live on, and I don’t know which house she’d rather us go to, to see to her ankle.

“I don’t care.” She has her head resting against my back, arms wrapped around my neck, and I can feel her cheek pressed against my back. I wonder if she’s sulking, and the thought makes me laugh. “What?” she asks sharply, obviously in a bad mood.

I shake my head, deciding to keep my mouth closed. “Nothing. Nothing. I just had a funny thought,” I say.

Her eyes glare daggers into my back, or it feels like it at least, and suddenly she’s wiggling all around, trying to get down. I have to stop and assume an iron grip just to keep her from falling, my mouth set tight. “I can walk on my own!” she insists vehemently.

Sighing, I wake the little fit out, and when she becomes still again, start walking once more. “No, you can’t,” I say firmly. “You hurt your ankle really bad, and the only way I’m letting you down is to put you on a couch and get an ice pack for that ankle.” I pause. “Now, do you wanna tell me what that was about?”

“You laughed at me,” she accuses sullenly, and I shake my head in moderate wonder. That’s what it was about?

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” I tell her, still walking down the sidewalk. “I was thinking about what happened, and how you even managed to trip after how many times we’ve gone down to that creek. Then I thought about you, and how you’re being pretty silent. You’re acting like you’re sulking, and that’s what made me laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed you actually sulk before,” I explain. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

For a moment I have to wonder if she’s upset with me, or what she’s feeling at all, then she sighs. “It’s okay, Eli. I’m probably just in a bad mood ‘cause my ankle hurts. Nothing to worry about.”

In my relief, I find myself sighing and smiling. “Great,” I say, feeling better now. “So, your house or mine?” Persistence happens to be one of my greatest virtues, or so I think though most others disagree, and in this instance, it earns me a snort from the girl on my back.

“You’re incredible.”

“Why, thank you,” I grin.

“I didn’t mean that in a good way.” I feel her shaking her head, my grin remaining. We’re on Maple Street now, approaching our two houses. “Let’s just go in your house. It’s closer, and you’re more likely to have bandages. Plus your mom makes really good cookies.” Imagining her beautiful blue eyes dilate at the mention of cookies, I smile, though I smother the laugh this time. Better that than having to explain myself again.

“My house it is,” I say dutifully and steer us in the direction. Unfortunately, when we get there, I can’t open the door because Alyson’s still on my back. I’m pretty handy with my feet though, and manage to press the doorbell with my foot, at least a couple of times before I have to use it to stand again so as not to tip us over.

It takes a few seconds, but then someone answers the door. My mom blinks at the two of us, and I grin at her sheepishly. “Ally fell, and we think her ankle may be fractured or something,” I explain to her. “So, I haven’t been letting her walk on it. Plus, I think she might be craving your cookies- oww!” I complain when said girl hits my back, hard, as soon as I start talking about the cookies. “What?! It’s true!” This earns me another hit, and I groan. “Mom, let me in before she kills me!”

“You two-” she shakes her head as she steps to the side and lets us in. “I’m not sure when you’ll ever grow up.” I simply grin at her, choosing not to answer as I carry Alyson inside and set her down gently on the couch. I even prop her feet up on the table, even though we’re really not supposed to do that. I notice she’s scowling at me, and just shrug, making sure she knows to stay still before I bound into the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack out of the freezer and returning with it. I set it gently on her swollen ankle and then sit beside her.

“Can’t really do much until we take that off,” I comment, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She sighs, leaning into me, and soon her head is resting against my shoulder. It’s a comfortable position, even for me, and a few strands of silky hair tickle against my skin. After a few minutes, I notice she’s shivering though, and I frown down at her. “Need me to get you a blanket?” I ask.

“Please,” she says, sitting up. I hop up, heading into my room, and grab the first blanket I see. Its ashen gray, uber soft, and very warm. I always use it whenever I need to warm up, and I know Alyson loves it. She’s even taken it home with her a few times in the winter, though she always gives it back the next day.

So I return, settling beside her and throwing the blanket over us both. My arm goes around her shoulders again, but this time she wraps her arms around me as well, leaning into me more. I lean back against the armrest of the couch, just enjoying my best friend’s presence for a while, since we’re both silent. “Better?” I ask softly after some time, when I notice she’s stopped shivering.

She looks up at me with those blue eyes of hers that I’m crazy for -but she doesn’t know- and nods softly, snuggling further into me. “Yeah. You’re really warm,” she admits.

We aren’t like this long when my mom returns. She gives me a curious look, but says nothing, knowing by now not to ask questions. Alyson and I snuggle up on the couch together a ton, but that doesn’t mean we’re a couple. We’ve known each other since we were kids, practically grew up together, and we’ve been the best of friends for years. Why can’t our family accept that like it is? “I brought you guys some of those cookies you were craving,” she announces with a smile, setting a plate down on the coffee table. “They’re fresh, which means they’re nice and warm. Chocolate chip.”

“Mmm, thank you!” Alyson suddenly moves out of my arms and takes up a cookie, taking a large bite from it, and I chuckle a bit. That’s definitely my Ally.

A week later was when the Selva came. Ally and I were having movie-night at her house, a weekend affair where we watched a movie and whoever was at the other’s house went home in the wee hours of the morning since sleepovers weren’t permitted. We had been watching Silence of the Lambs, our eyes fixated on the TV, silent as we watched, faces faintly illuminated by the light from the movie, though her room lights were off.

That was when the power went out. I used my phone to get us out of the room, starting downstairs with Ally right behind me. Her ankle had been broken after all and was in a cast, which thumped eerily on the wood as we tried to find the rest of her family. She lived with both her parents, an older sister, and the twins -a girl and a boy. The twins were about five, and could be annoying at times, but were incredibly cute. “Anyone know why the power went out?” I called ahead of us.

That was the first time I saw Crimson. Charcoal eyes, red hair- you could say she looked intimidating. She zoomed right past me and stabbed Ally in the heart with a wicked looking blade. Blood was everywhere, and I was freaking out. I pushed Crimson away and went straight to my friend, who was dying.

Alyson died in my arms, but for some reason, Crimson made me an offer then. She told me that Alyson would wake up again, not quite as herself, but very much alike, without any memories, and she would become someone who helped souls pass on. Crimson could either erase all of my memories of Alyson, everyone who had ever known her really, or I could go with them. No, I didn’t have to die, but I would keep my memories and I would be able to watch over her, to protect her.

I decided then to become a Guardian. This created a little more trouble for the Selva, who had to erase all memories of me and Alyson both from anyone who had ever known us, but to me it was worth it. I was taken under the wing of Forest, taught more about fighting than I ever knew before. I was also taught about magic, about why I would never use it, and about the Selva and the best ways I could protect Alyson.

The day she woke up, I felt relief. It had been weeks, and I was starting to suspect Crimson was lying to me. I was probably three days from a rampage through Purgatory, killing everything I could until they killed me. When I saw her though… I died on the inside. Alyson -my Alyson- couldn’t remember me. She thought her name was 0074, and I was a stranger she should be wary of. It took a lot of reminding, but I told myself I had to be patient.

Everything was okay because I had her back. And now that I have my own memory back… I honestly don’t know how I ever left her, and I know I’ll never do it again. I look down at her, resisting the urge to kiss her with everything I have. “Alyson Taylor,” I say instead. “I love you.”