The Harder I Swim, the Faster I Sink

Chapter Six

"Hey Laika, we're going out. Want to come?"

Laika looked up and saw Bella, Selene, and Adara waiting at the door. In the weeks since Selene and Adara's arrival, the three had become close friends and went out almost every night. Sometimes she felt left out, but then she had Marisol and Emily to comfort her. Mari had a big collection of old movies, and they watched them sometimes. Not tonight, though. Tonight Laika was writing home.

"No thanks. I'm busy tonight."

"Okay, we'll be back around eleven then. We're going to see The Willow Maid."

"Have fun." Laika looked down just as the door shut. She heard her friends' laughs in the hallway, slowly fading away, and refocused on her letter. Her father was sick again, and she was enclosing some medicine she had purchased in the city. She was also sending a block of coffee for her mother, and a strange leaf she had found for Ayden, although she didn't know if he would get it. He was still in Silverveil training for a big tournament in the spring. It seemed like he had forgotten her, although she knew that wasn't true. He was just busy ... right? She decided to add a note in asking about it.

By the way, I haven't heard from Ayden in many weeks. Have you? Last I heard, he was in Silverveil. Has he written to you? How is he? I miss him. Would you tell him that? And ask him to visit me soon.

She signed the letter and sealed it. She would send the package and letter the next time she visited the post office.

Laika got up and stretched, then walked out onto her balcony. It was her favorite thing about her room, besides the large desk. Almost every room in the palace had a balcony and a little garden; hers was composed of a bunch of violets and a morning glory vine growing across the balcony rail.

Outside, the half-moon showered the city with silver light. Beneath her, gabled roofs stretched down to the city walls, each one lower than the other. That was so that in the event of an attack, archers could be posted on the roofs and shoot at the attackers without fear of hitting their lower-posted comrades. If she craned her neck, Laika could see the Empress General's high tower shooting up into the sky, the moonlight filtering through the translucent crystal.

Abruptly she turned and headed inside. She picked up a book on the history and Coppernia and sat down on her bed to read it, slowly drifting off as she read. Finally, with a jaw-cracking yawn, she closed the book and went to sleep. Her dreams were filled with dragons and girls with shining copper hair founding nations.

Three days later, it was Candlemas, and they got a week off. Laika packed up all her stuff and prepared to go home. Adara and Bella were staying at the Palace over the holidays, Selene and Marisol were staying with a relative in sunny Beaufort, and Emily was taking the train with Laika to Ellesmera. It turned out her grandma was elvish, although Laika would never have guessed.

Now they stood on the platform, Laika inhaling the familiar scents of pine sap and lupine flowers. Emily waved goodbye and went to stand by an old elven lady leaning on a cane. Laika smiled at her and made her way through the streets of Ellesmera to her home tree. She gathered her baggage and then knocked.

There was a minute, and then the door flew open. Her mother rushed out and embraced her, showering her with kisses. Laika greeted her just as joyfully, and after a minute of pure joy, her mom backed off and helped her carry her stuff inside. Her dad came hobbling out of his room, leaning on a cane and breathing heavily. Laika hurried to steady him, and then hugged him hard. "I can't believe you're here! I've missed you guys so much, you have no idea."

Her mom laughed. "We missed you too, sweetheart. Come upstairs, there's somebody waiting to meet you."

"Ayden!" Laika cried, running upstairs to her room. There was someone standing at the balcony, facing away from her, who turned when she came in. Her heart instantly fell. It wasn't Ayden. It was another guy, one who she'd never seen before. He extended a hand to her, smiling.

"Hello, Laika. I'm Dr. Gordon. It's nice to meet you."

Laika looked uncertainly at her mother, who put a hand on her shoulder. "This is Dr. Gordon, Laika. He wants to meet you."

"Mr. Locklemore sent me," Dr. Gordon said, smiling as he extended a hand. "He sends his sincere apologies for not being able to be here himself."

"Who is Mr. Locklemore?" Laika asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

He stared at her dumbfounded for a moment. "Mr. Locklemore ... Ayden Locklemore."

"Ayden sent you?" Laika plopped down in a bean bag chair despondently.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Locklemore sends his sincerest apologies for his absence, but he had a conflict that couldn't be avoided. He wishes you well and hopes your stay at the Palace has been enjoyable."

"How is he?" she asked eagerly, brushing his comments aside.

"He's fine. A little stressed out, of course, but altogether he's happy as anyone could be."

"Really?"

Dr. Gordon must have sensed the hint of disappointment in her voice, for he added, "He misses you very much."

"He does?" She perked up. "Did he say that?"

"Ah, well, he ... he, um, implied it."

"Blast," Laika growled, getting up and stalking around the room. "Well? Has he been enjoying himself? Partying all night, surrounded by adoring fans? I bet he has. I bet he's forgotten all about me, his best friend. What a jerk." She kicked the wall and folded her arms over her chest. "I can't believe him," she muttered, stalking over to the balcony. "Whatever happened to best friends forever? Whatever happened to Ayden and Laika, the unstoppable duo? Now that he's famous, he's forgotten all about me. He barely writes. He sends a messenger to meet me. He's 'too busy for me.' How dare he! Well, I'll show him. I don't care about him at all. Let him have fun without me; it's not like I care. I don't care at all. I don't -" Suddenly she flung herself onto a chair and started sobbing. Dr. Gordon looked like Laika had suddenly transformed into a three-headed monster before his eyes. Laika's mother hurried over to comfort her daughter, stroking her back and making shushing noises.

"Should I - should I go?" Dr. Gordon mouthed, pointing towards the door. Laika's mom nodded and waved him away. He escaped with a sigh of relief, shaking his head as if to clear it. Crying girls made him nervous. He was always afraid they'd do something drastic, and that terrified him.

Upstairs, Laika was still crying her heart out. "I thought we were FRIENDS!" she sobbed. "I thought he CARED about me! But I guess I was wrong. I never meant anything to him. He's just a lying, horrible, no-good, very bad jerk! Ugh!"

"I'm sure he's very busy," her mother soothed. "It's not easy being a star. He probably doesn't have time to write or come himself -- after all, he's got a very strict training regimen."

"So? If he really cared he would make time. No, I'm afraid he just doesn't value our friendship anymore."

"I'm sure he values your friendship very much, Laika. But people grow apart! You haven't seen him in a couple months, and already you're drifting away from him. He's probably doing the same thing. Now what you need is to go out, make some new friends, and always cherish in your heart the times you two spent together. And maybe he'll try to revive your friendship! Who knows. But for now you need to let him go."

"I guess," Laika sighed. "I just, I thought we were going to be friends forever."

"I know, sweetie. I know." Her mom stroked her back for a few minutes longer and then Laika sniffed and sat up. She gave her mom a wan smile.

"Wanna go downtown?" she asked. "If I remember right, there should be an arts market open."