Asuka had curled up at my side and was trying to concentrate about the problem that was keeping her a foxcoon. I wanted to help, but just wasn't sure what to do, so I kept quiet. Glancing over at Zero, I saw that he looked so sad and dejected. I couldn't just let him sit over there all by himself bathing in his own pity.
"Asuka, would you mind if I go and talk to Zero?" I whispered, afraid I had stopped her concentration.
She opened her eyes and smiled, "Sure, Ariel, I don't mind." With that she closed her eyes and again and continued on with whatever she was thinking about.
I walked back to Zero, who was sulking away from the group, while the others played doctor and helped Kara. We just couldn't seem to catch a break. It was like the quiet before the storm. Something big was going to happen, I could feel it. Finding Harmony wasn't going to be as easy as we thought.
I morphed back into my human form and sat next to Zero, who was still a panther. I pushed my matted, long blonde hair back from my face and behind my shoulders. The sun was beating down on us, but I ignored it as I turned to Zero, "I know what you are feeling."
"Do you?" he turned and glared at me, giving me the there-is-no-way-you-know-what-it's-like-to-almost-kill-someone look.
"Yes, actually, I do. I was about ten when my mom walked out on me. I was just a kid without a purpose or direction. I was getting picked on by these boys that told me I wasn't loveable, which is why my mom left and it was because of me that my dad died and the baby that my mom and dad had been praying for had died at birth. They just kept going on and on about how unloveable I was. That I didn't deserve to even exist. The teasing continued from there, none of which was any nicer than those. It was like I snapped.
"It was as though I was watching myself tackled that kid to the ground. I was starting to believe what he had said about me, and I didn't know what to think or do. I just acted out and started punching him in the face, breaking his nose and his left cheek bone. When I knuckles hurt too much for me to continue, I choked him until he was knocked out.
"I had thought he was dead. I couldn't believe what I had almost done. I found a payphone and called 911. No, I didn't ever kill someone, but on more than one occasion, I came close."
We sat in silence as we took in what I had said. I couldn't believe I had said so much about my life. I hadn't told anyone anything about my past. But, Zero just seemed so easy for me to talk to. He seemed a little shady, so maybe I felt I didn't have to impress him like I did with the others. I didn't know what I'd do if Asuka or Sky or the others found out about me. They would judge me and might not like me anymore.
Wow, I was starting to sound like a soap opera, and I hate soap operas. Shaking myself out of my little pity party, I wondered what kind of past Zero had. It seemed none of us had a real happy life prior to now, and I doubted that he was any different.
