Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 35: To Stand Firm

XXXV.

If there was one thing I could conclude about waking up in a institution full of mutated, high energy teenagers, it was that being a human among them was no party.

Also jealousy sucked.

I didn't sleep that night, nor did I for the following two. I spent my days with Ally, not once running out of conversation topics whether it pertained to my life or her own. I learnt that she was born premature, and for that reason alone was segregated all through most of her life. Normani was responsible for her escape from Silent Hill; her positive attitude and incomparable tracking skills had proved more than once to be a valuable asset.

Since her arrival, Ally had worked together with Normani to help her build the base, taking one lost fledgling in after another in order to build a fair sized, yet tight knit community. They gathered their resources from small nearby towns, taking whatever they needed and using their natural mutations to give back whenever they could. Ally explained that those towns were as far as they happened to venture, for fear, and the need to support and protect their own was what kept them in the forest. 

In the meantime, Lauren had become so wrapped up in spending time with her new old friend that she had barely taken the time to check in on me. Not that I felt like she had an obligation, but quite similar to the feeling of not being chased through Miami, it made me feel unwanted. Besides I was Latina, I was allowed to feel whatever I wanted and no one was allowed to question it.

Another one of the more concerning matters was that Lauren didn't seem to have nearly as much motivation in regards to our original goal as she did before. I upheld my part of the deal, working with Ally a little every day to regain the strength and mobility I had upon leaving Ashland. Eventually I achieved just that, but agreed to let Ally keep the bandages on my arm to ensure that my scars weren't damaged further.

Lauren however, seemed to get further and further away from our original plan every day we spent underground. I had confronted her multiple times, only to be watched from across the room by some awkward fledgling who had nothing better to do with his time than eavesdrop. The response I received was less than satisfactory, ranging from "We'll still do it, we're just taking some time here" to "I haven't seen this girl in years, I thought she had died" even to the ever most frustrating "you're still healing".

So rather than continuously pestering her, I remained with Ally, who insisted on equipping me with a new outfit to pass the time. After trying on multiple options, she decided on a sleeveless tight top that was navy in colour and swept low against my chest. The piece also featured two symmetrical cutouts at my waist, (which Ally insisted were just there for fun) before getting tucked into a pair of black, versatile leggings . It was comfortable, and allowed for excellent range of motion with my shoulders and arms now properly exposed.

One lonely night I took a look in the mirror of my room and was very satisfied with what I saw. Aside from the complete lack of control over the electricity coursing through my veins, I looked pretty badass. With one arm bandaged up, a set of razor sharp blades pressed tight against my hips, and the muscles in my shoulders clearly visible, it wasn't hard to be proud of myself. The minimalist shirt Ally had chosen also allowed me to get a good view of Lauren's necklace that was pressed delicately to the centre of my chest.

"You look good." Ally's voice entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty tired, but all in all not bad." I replied honestly, turning around smiling. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Nah." Ally smiled. "A lot of it was you. Although the outfit was all me, you look amazing."

"That might be a stretch." I muttered, moving to sit on the bed and cross my legs beneath me. "I'm still right where I was when I got here, I don't know how to control it at all." I thought for a moment, then looked up at the girl. "Hey, what about you? Can you teach me?"