VICIOUS (II) : peter pan ouat

How to Make Anger

Chapter 7

I sit down in the Med tent, holding my hand out for Jared to look at. Hopefully it isn't broken, but I don't regret it for one second.

Jared just shakes his head, delicately touching my fingers. I wince, as he pulls away.

"What?" I demand. "It had to be done."

"You did not need to punch him in the face." Elizabeth shakes her head, passing bandages from the drawer to Jared.

Her hands linger on his, as he takes them in his hand.

"Gregory attacked you, did he not?" I ask.

She laughs. "No, he just called me a stupid bitch. And does it matter? Blaize already set him on fire."

"That's how things work around here." I enlighten her.

She'll get used to it soon enough. At least, I hope so

Jared shakes his head. "Unfortunately. Doesn't mean that you have to agree with it Liz."

She shakes her head, twirling some sort of medicinal leaf in her hand. She glances up at Jared, wiping the hair out of her face.

I reach into the pocket of my cloak, pulling out a long pink ribbon. It's so pale; I can only imagine it on the walls of a baby's room.

"Here," I hand it to her with my left hand, "I only use the green one."

She smiles, taking it, before pursing her lips together. Unlike Jared, she seems to be able to hold a grudge. Like him though, she seems to respect the decisions I make. Maybe not agree with them, but at least respect them. I don't think the other two girls will be so lucky to get such judgement from her.

Three. I keep forgetting about Alison.

"Do you know why it is she was yelling at him exactly?" I ask.

Her brow furrows as she ties her hair up. "He catcalled her."

Jared's eyes widen. "No, he did not. Something very vulgar came out of that boy's mouth and-"

"Yeah exactly." She corrects. "Catcalling."

He looks to me confused, and then back to her. She finishes her hair, letting one curly strand hang out in her face. Jared gulps, before raising his arms and shrugging.

"It's something people do now a days." I explain. "They shout out vulgar things at women they don't know."

His ears turn red as he looks down. "That's highly unorthodox."

"How do you not know what catcalling is?" She asks. "It's slang in America, is it not?"

"He's a little old." I tell her.

Jared rolls his eyes at this. "I am not old. You're just young."

Elizabeth treads forward with a pin, and as Jared holds the bandages in place she pins them down. "Like how old."

He shrugs, and is about to respond before I do for him. "Too old. Think Edward Cullen, and then think older."

Her eyes widen, obviously as creeped out as I am. The reference had to be made, because Twilight is popular enough that I can safely assume she's heard of him, and modern enough that Jared has not. It's the perfect mix, even if it's a little odd.

"I see," she begins, "old."

"No one will tell me what year it is." He responds. "I'm worried it's another century already."

Think another millennia, buddy.

"I think it's best for your health no one has told you." I chuckle, standing up. I bend my hand, wincing at the pain. "Remember the last time you got new information?"