Sunny days, starry nights, soaring skyscrapers, bustling streets, and neon lights that beamed on the roads —Saia navigated through the depths of it all. Her endless pursuits to ensure her academic skills were frantic, but for her, they always came up short. She would come home exhausted and so burnt out she would tune out the world with her favorite music. The continuous cycle of her life seemed to have no end; however, with each passing day, she felt like she was getting closer to something. She always wore her cross necklace to symbolize the kind of hope she sincerely strives for. Her family would tell her every day that "change will come at the right time."
In the meantime, day by day passes as she continues to strive endlessly. In her little neighborhood, she was known to be the kind young lady that she is. She helped out the community in her unique way. Whether that was giving instructions to the best of her abilities, helping out at the elementary school she'd attended during her youth, or just reading about it in the library. Her presence was just a marble for those around her, even if she had her quirks. Within her, she felt…something, a continuous motor raging on, and so she did.
She stopped by one of her favorite corners, specifically Pota-toes?.
"Hi, Saia! What would you like?"
Saia smiled with great excitement at the delicious bowl of French fries.
She pointed towards her favorite combination: barbecue-seasoned french fries.
"The famous go to huh! Let me prepare it for you!" Saia observed as Mrs Angel whipped up the delicious bowl.
Saia retrieved the bowl and nodded in acknowledgment. She began to devour the brilliantly seasoned bowl of french fries. Cars, people, all pass, living out their existence. Her neighborhood bustled, but it was, for her, a sort of peace in a way.
From a distance, she heard someone cry —a kid, perhaps. She continued stuffing fries into her mouth as she slowly approached the kid, who was sitting by a bus stop. The kid appeared to be a student from Winter Springs. As she approached, the kid noticed and quickly began to wipe away his tears.
Saia gestured that the boy was okay with a thumbs-up.
He sniffed and sort of nodded, masking his true self.
Saia offered some of her beloved fries to the boy, but he declined them quickly.
"How come you don't talk? Are you weird?" he asked.
Saia expressed that she couldn't, but could understand him.
"Ohh, I'm sorry," the boy quickly lowered his head.
Saia quickly gestured that it was alright in a way he could understand. She then whipped out her phone and used it as a means of communication.
She typed, "What happened? You don't have to speak,"
The boy's eyes glittered; he eagerly wanted to share now, there was something within Saia that just unlocked.
He typed, "Kids at school make fun of me cause I'm small."
Saia frowned with him, "I hate that happened to you."
Yeah, don't know why they have to be so mean," he added.
"I know what you mean. I can't even speak." Saia resonated with the boy; something within her stirred.
"It's okay to feel upset or angry."
The boy smiled as a gesture of thankfulness.
"I'm Saia, and I'll be your homie whenever I see you around," she typed.
"Okay, I'm Paul," he responded.
The bus he was waiting for had arrived, and Saia stood with him, ensuring that he got onto the bus safely. The boy was in a better mood now, which made Saia feel much better. She noticed he was sitting by a window seat, waving goodbye to her. The bus passed into the distance, taking him to wherever his next destination would be, or school perhaps because it was obvious.
—
A short boy, seemingly nimble, on his way to class, held his backpack high on his back, but his eyes gazed below. A muddy floor, suppressed air, and a hint of dreading doubt flustered over his walk. Nothing to look at, look to, but within himself. That's what it feels like to be Ethan. It was like a continuous cycle with no end for him. Every day shrinks him further and further. He held onto the straps of the backpack tightly. Almost tearing off entirely at this point.
He would be pushed around, mocked, and isolated every single day. His efforts at communication are instantly shadowed, such is the life of an ordinary, awkward kind of guy. The type of guy who sits alone, idling in his thoughts. At least he had his music, something to help fill that void. Made him feel something at least. Just couldn't describe it at this time. Within him, he felt nothing. Maybe, just maybe, he feels that slight spark of flame, but many more times the light is snuffed.
"What are you doing, 'jit'?" He's pushed to the ground by the annoying Conrad. Conrad is held by his marvelous girlfriend and some of his stupid goons.
Ethan held his knee because he felt it shock as he landed right on top of it.
He didn't say much but rearranged his glasses.
"Dude, honestly, why are you so freaking short?" He held Ethan's head like a bowl. His friends laughed as they surrounded him.
Ethan looked away softly.
"What a twonk," Belle giggles.
A book gets rocketed over the back of Conrad's head. Dazzling him for a split second.
The group looked and saw that it was Saia with her girls: Scarlett, Sada, Sam, and Summer. They look madly disappointed in Conrad, his girl, and their so-called posse of boys. The "SSSSS" group was truly S-rated beyond belief. They are beloved by many of their classmates. Everyone has started to see the commotion between the two rivals.
Conrad looked intently upon Saia, who and her girls brushed their eyes upon the inferior humans.
Saia crouched and reached for Ethan's hand as she softly brushed her hair with her other hand.
Ethan's world slowed around him. His eyes locked onto hers. He can feel the beat in his chest.
"Thank you… You didn't have to do that," Ethan gently moved his hand away. He blushed quietly.
She turned and faced Conrad, and signed:
"What the hell are you looking at? Got anything else better to do?"
He stood disgustingly staring at Ethan instead.
Her friends, all in collaboration with the exception of Summer, argued and insulted the monkeys.
"You monkeys have no class."
"This is why you're single and a MALE."
"You're one dumb b-"
Summer slapped the boy before he could keep speaking. He was out cold from the simple slap to the noggin.
"Oop," Summer giggled, flustered as she proceeded to walk away with the group.
Saia closely walked by Ethan out of the situation as she left with her group. Ethan felt weird being this close to probably the most popular girl in the school; everyone has literally tried to learn sign language to some degree, even to be able to communicate with her.
He felt something. However, something within him flushed it away.
'Maybe she's just doing this because she felt obligated to…'
"Yo, so dude, are you okay?" Sada asks.
Ethan nodded, "Yes, thank you, it wasn't necessary."
The girls all faced him.
Saia punched his elbow and waved "no" with her finger.
Ethan gazed upon her sparkling eyes.
—
Later that day, 'SSSSS' had enjoyed an afternoon at the cafe. They chatted about the simple things, like how tiring school life was, and they had absolutely no idea what they wanted to do in the future. Saia always listened, since she couldn't speak much or chat. Even with the suffering days, they had no choice but to keep surviving, even if it was tiring. As Saia sipped her chocolate drizzle, she noticed a boy outside.
She saw that it was Ethan, the boy from earlier, walking alone to his home. She observed him curiously as they continued on their way. She then felt a desire to go out and reach out to him for some reason.
She signed to the girls that she would be right back.
The girlies all acknowledged her as she went outside.
Ethan kept strolling along to wherever he wanted to go, wherever that may be.
Within an instant, Saia tapped his shoulder.
"WuAHH," Ethan yelped, shocked that a random person would tap him in the middle of the town.
His eyes glowed when he finally saw who it was. He turned quickly, feeling embarrassed. Everyone talks about her and her group. 'Why would she want to even interact with me? Is she just trying to be nice again?'
"Thank you for earlier, seems like it's true that you're really kind," Ethan tried to keep his eyes away.
Saia tilted her head knowingly. She then gestured if he's all good.
"Just okay," replied Ethan.
Saia let out a deep breath.
Ethan stared at her and gulped. After a short pause, she then gave him a thumbs-up.
BoooOMMOOOO
Suddenly, there was a loud crash, one that boomed so loudly that it shattered the windows of the building blocks ahead. Both of them looked towards the crash as people began to panic and run.
"What the hell is going on? Ethan shouted.
The civilians kept running without saying a word in the panic.
Saia ran towards the source of terror, away from everyone, without a thought in mind. Ethan noticed this shortly after and then followed her to stop her. His legs trembled with every step, and his heart zapped him in every breath.
"SAIA, YOU MUSTN'T GO! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!" he shouted as he chased her.
Flames were beginning to engulf the street, and the buildings darkened. An indistinguishable type of smoke and ash overshadowed the sun. People were in a state of deep panic, and coughing could be heard from every corner. However, it was so hard to see anything that Ethan could barely keep his eyes on Saia. He continuously tripped and hit his head on debris and rubble. Somehow, he did not knock himself out with all the slaps he kept receiving.
She stopped to find a civilian stuck underneath a streetlamp and immediately began to assist the civilian caught underneath it. The civilian was having a hard time breathing since it was stuck on their chest. Ethan watched in terror, noticing the cuts and gashes on the civilian's body. He couldn't move; he was frozen.
'Cmon, Ethan,' he told himself. He ran to assist Saia, even as he trembled like a heating popcorn.
They successfully moved the streetlamp from the civilian, and the civilian was able to stand on their feet thanks to Saia and Ethan.
Saia then sharply turned to face the smoke's deepest corner. She could recognize a voice. Ethan rapidly noticed as well.
Saia rushed towards the voice, sprinting through the debris and rubble. Ethan followed, but he couldn't understand what could have caused so much damage and produced such thick smoke. She had found the source of this voice. She almost broke into tears when she saw it, but she held back and wiped them away.
It was Paul underneath the rubble of his school bus. It appeared to have crashed into something Saia could not make out. The boy's shouting weakened. Ethan had finally caught up, trying to also look for the safest way to get him out.
"Over here!" Ethan quickly pointed to a decent starting point.
Saia saw that there were no other students on the bus; they all had left. She felt angry.
They both removed the rubble that surrounded Paul and were able to recover him safely. Yet, right next to Paul, there was also a strange object.
"COME ON SAIA, WE GOTTA GO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON! BUT NOTHING GOOD IS HAPPENING HERE I THINK ITS–" Ethan shouted as he held Paul over his trembling shoulders.
She picked up the object, and it flashed open.
Object Integrity at 0%
"What the-?" Ethan questioned.
"Huh," Saia expressed.
Then a white flash evaporates their vision, and a powerful force envelops them.