Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 18: Injury

Nari woke with a warm fuzziness in her belly. She smiled as she remembered the events of yesterday. Chenn loved her back. She wasn’t alone. He cared. It still amazed her, but it was a good sort of amazement.

She got up in a daze. Then she shook it off. She had to get investigating. She’d already found out for sure that Amory did have the whole Book of Spells, the Wand of Winds, and the Scepter of Seas. It was all turning out with a full deck stacked all in Amory’s favor. For a moment, she almost despaired.

Being in love with Chenn was already blinding her to her true purposes.

She sighed and walked over to the bathroom. Vanessa stood in front of the mirror applying heavy Goth makeup. Nari gave her a skeptical look.

“Don’t you think a slightly more muted look would be better?”

Vanessa turned to look at her. One eye was painted with mascara and dark, bold eye shadow. Her lips were a deep black, and she had eyeliner half drawn around one eye.

Nari stifled a laugh. Vanessa looked so ridiculous it was hard even to manage a straight face.

“No, I don’t!” Vanessa hissed.

“Whatever,” Nari responded. “Hurry up, please. I want the bathroom to shower.”

“Buzz off! I’m using this bathroom. If you want to use the bathroom, go find someone else’s barrack, and ask to borrow theirs!”

“Umm… I think I’ll just wait.”

“You’ll be waiting a long time then. I’m going to take my sweet old time!”

“You know, you are one of the most stuck-up, prissy girls I know.” Nari was fed up with this; she had no idea why Vanessa wanted to pick fights with her all the time, but she was done with it. If Vanessa wanted a fight, she was going to get one.

Vanessa whirled on her. The eyeliner pen that had been against her eyelid streaked across her face with the force. “You! Get out of the bathroom right now, and leave me alone!”

Nari just stood there, refusing to budge. “You didn’t ask nicely.”

“What am I? A two year old? I don’t have to ask nicely!” She turned away from Nari, ignoring her as she tried to get rid of the line of eyeliner running down her cheek. 

“You’re such a jerk, Vanessa! You wonder why no one likes you.” Nari finally snapped, and her voice rose as she struggled to rein in her temper.

Vanessa whirled around punching Nari in the face. Nari wasn’t prepared for the blow, so it struck full force to the side of her head. It hurt badly, and Nari yelped, staggering backwards.

“That’ll teach you to call me a jerk!” Vanessa’s eyes blazed.

Nari was about to try to remark when Chenn walked in. He took one look at Vanessa’s face, and then he saw Nari’s face. It was all red and puffy.

“How dare you?” He hissed out.

Vanessa glared at him. “She was calling me names!”

“So you hit her?”

“Yes, and it’s none of your business.” She pouted.

“She’s my friend; you hurt her. It’s my business.” Chenn remarked, walking over to Nari.

“You have no right to use that acidic, snippety tone with me, Chenn Covalenti.” Vanessa attempted to slap him.

Chenn caught her wrist and glared at her. “And I suppose you had the right to hit Nari?”