reflection ● jason grace

Clara just wants her friends to live. Is that too much to ask?

 "Are you kidding me, Daria?" Clara snapped. "You could've died."

Clara didn't really know what to make of the unapologetic look on her friend's face. There was a brash look to her that Clara wasn't familiar with, almost fear-inducingly different than the girl she'd grown up with.

"I wasn't about to let you or Nathan actually die," Daria shrugged. "It's a broken ankle, I think I'll live."

"I agree with Clara and I agree with Daria and you know how that makes me crazy," Nathan said. He didn't look too great either, but apart from the light grazes he was mostly just stunned. Though that didn't stop him from talking shit.

"No one asked," Michael said, handing Daria some nectar to wash down the ambrosia square she'd just eaten. Nathan shoved him. "But regardless, you shouldn't be agreeing with Daria. That was insane."

"Is this a game?" Dakota asked, though everyone could tell it was meant to be sarcastic. "Are we pretending Daria can't hear us?"

It was still early morning, the hours before dawn, but with the adrenaline pumping through everyone's veins, Clara didn't envision any of them sleeping soon. The tight expression Daria was wearing to cover up the pain disappeared slowly as the godly foods set in, replaced with annoyance.

"Fine, but you were standing on the mast with me," she told Michael. "Why did you let me do it then?"

"Daria," Clara sighed. "No one lets you do anything."

Daria stared at her for a moment, lips parted in what could only be surprise. She knew that no one except Daniel had ever called her out in her life. Clara hated to be the first, but no one contested it.

"I see," Daria's voice was laced with thinly veiled hurt. "Anything else?"

"Oh, come on," Nathan rolled his eyes. "Don't be a baby. We're still all friends, aren't we?"

Daria clenched her jaw. "Allegedly." Then she shook her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to be a baby about it."

So Nathan and Daria being nice to each other had lasted less than a day. Clara glanced at Dakota who looked apprehensive about intervening even though they were the only one Daria would listen to.

"Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this," Michael looked at her with an apologetic expression. "But Nathan's right. You can't put yourself in danger like that."

"Why not?"

"Oh god," Nathan muttered.

"What?" Daria demanded. "I'm sorry for saving your life. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"You sound like Jason," Nathan snapped. "When we were kids. Jason and his stupid hero's complex. You remember that?"

"They're going to fight," Dakota whispered to her, motioning to Daria and the boys. "Might as well let them."

Clara bit her lip. "Yeah," she muttered, leaning against them. "Yeah, I know. I just wish..."

"They weren't?"

"Yeah."

Clara thought about it again. Dakota was perfect for her. She knew that they were dependably cool, like the Kool-Aid they drank. She didn't envy the people who would fall in love with the others.

"I'm not Jason," Daria retorted. "And what did you want me to do? What was the alternative?"

"What happened to your plans?" Michael asked sharply. "A week ago, you never would've been so cavalier. What changed?"