//------------------------------// // 3. Bad Blood // Story: A Loving Angel // by TheWingman //------------------------------// *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BE-Click* With a yawn and a stretch, Gemini woke up as the timer on his alarm read 6 am. The sun was beginning to rise, warming his being with its light. All throughout his body, he felt well-rested, ready to conquer the day. From the mental health day and some much-needed R & R, he was eager to go to school. Everything was right as rain. Getting a shower and shave, he got his usual attire on, complete with his hoodie with his backpack in tow. With a relieved sigh, his nose caught the attention of something delicious smelling, practically drawing him to the kitchen. What he found made his mouth water. Orange juice, pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns, it was a freshly cooked breakfast. All of that, courtesy of Luna. “Morning, Gemini.” Luna sang as she sat with her sister, “I hope you’ve had a good rest.” “It was something I sorely needed.” He yawned as he stretched his back. “Oh my, this looks good.” He sat down in front of his plate, staring at his food with hunger. “You didn’t really need to do this, Ms. Luna.” “Oh, come on.” Luna chuckled with Celestia, “We both agreed that this is a perfect way to help start the day.” “Indeed.” Celestia warmly agreed, “Besides you look rather thin. A nice hot breakfast should warm you up for the day.” Nodding with a warm smile, Gemini dug into his morning grub. The fluffiness of the pancakes, the crispy hashbrowns, the sweet and salty crunch of the candied bacon, the sweet tanginess of the orange juice, Gemini felt like he was in heaven. The food warmed him to the soul, perking him up. Rarely did he ever had a home-cooked meal. “Oh god, that was good.” Gemini whispered, “That certainly hit the spot.” “I’m certainly glad it helped, Gemini.” Luna shot back, “After I get done cleaning up, we can get going.” After she did what she said, Gemini followed the two principals to their van and drove off towards the school. Gemini didn’t say much during the ride, only a few short acknowledgments. Apart from a hidden crush towards Celestia, he has a great appreciation for her and Luna’s efforts. If it weren’t for them, he shuddered to imagine what would’ve been. All in all, he was happy to be out of a situation that would’ve ended his future. Pulling up to the parking lot, they got out of the car, ready to start a busy day. “Celestia?” Gemini shyly asked, grabbing the principal’s attention, “I feel as though I’ve not said it enough but… thank you... for everything.” With that, he wrapped Celestia in a warm embrace which she returned. It lasted for a minute before the expecting principal broke it with a smile of her own. “Gemini,” Celestia said, “we’re just doing our best to look out for you in your situation. The pleasure is all ours. But, you’re welcome.” With a smile and a nod, all three entered the building, going their separate ways. Gemini went to his locker on the second floor to get his book for his first-hour History class. From what Luna told him, Time Turner was going to cover the Winter War. Placing the book in his pack, he gave a relieved sigh before shutting it, only to be met with a familiar-sounding voice. “Yo, Gemini!” Turning around, he saw the familiar sight of a blue-haired student wearing a leather jacket. It was his long-time friend, Flash Sentry. The two had been friends since freshman year after a conversation on the track during gym class. Since then, some would say they were almost like brothers. Together, they made up the leadership of the school’s guitar club. “I didn’t see you all day yesterday. What happened?” “Nothing really.” Gemini sighed as he closed his locker, “I was just too tired to come in yesterday.” “Really now?” Flash’s face drew an unamused frown. “Your tiredness had been going on for weeks now. Something must be going on.” Seeing his friend’s visible unease, he sighed as he put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, I understand if you’re upset about something but you shouldn’t have to feel ashamed talking about it. Don’t worry, I won’t judge.” Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Gemini sighed as he relented. “Things at home aren’t going so well, Flash.” Gemini said, “Between money issues, working weekend jobs, and my car now being taken away, I got kicked out. It was luck that Celestia and Luna found me when they did. Now, it looks like I’ll be staying with them for the foreseeable future.” Flash was a bit shocked as he had a bit of knowledge of his friend’s plight. It was the first time he really opened up to him about what was going on. Yet, he felt that Gemini was holding something back. “Is there anything else, Gemini?” His question was met with a sigh and a negative nodding. “No.” Gemini muttered, “Nothing more I want to talk about.” “Gemini, I understand if you’re uncomfortable about this. I’m not asking you to reveal anything all at once. If you ever need to talk to me, I’m always here for you, buddy.” With a reassuring smile, Gemini gave his friend a brief hug before standing up. “Thanks, Flash.” Gemini nodded before he walked off to Time Turner’s history class. Since the rest of the class wasn’t there, Gemini was the first one in. His entry was noticed by his teacher who shot him a slight smile. “Hello there, Mr. Blaze.” Time Turner greeted as he was looking over stacks of papers, “How are you this morning?” “Well rested, sir.” Gemini casually replied, “Sorry I didn’t come into school yesterday.” “It’s alright. The principals filled me in on your present situation and I’m sorry things ended the way they did. I’m just pleased that a resolution was able to be found.” “No need to worry about that.” Gemini said as he sat at his desk, “I make do with what I’ve got.” “As a teacher, it’s my responsibility to worry about the welfare of my students. You’re no exception.” Time Turner sighed as neatly sorted his stack of papers, “So, ready to learn about the Winter War?” “More than you can believe, teach.” Eventually, lunch hour came and Gemini couldn’t be any happier. Now, he no longer felt the need to spend that time catching some rest. Today seemed like a nice and sunny day that he decided to spend it outside with Celestia’s permission. Luna packed him some leftover dinner from last night that was warmed up and kept in a thermal bag: chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta. Eating the still warm meal, he breathed in and out of his nose as the cool summer breeze blew against his skin. It was an absolutely perfect moment for a good day. Wow, this… It is just perfect. Gemini thought to himself, Nice skies, lunch outside, finally free from all that shit, I can finally breathe now. Yet, one thought lingered at the back of his mind: Celestia. Ever since Wednesday, between her hug and that dream, he had a hard time deciding who she was to him. A guardian or crush, his heart, and mind were torn between the two. All in all, her warm and caring personality was what drew him to her. Celestia, I-I honestly don’t know what to make of her. She’s beautiful yet she acts so mo- His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sight, one he hadn’t seen since Monday. Walking up the street in front of the school was his father, Gray Smoke. His disheveled hair and unfocused posture were unmistakable to him. The second their gazes met, they both paused, neither moving a muscle. “Heh. Well, never expected to find such an ungrateful brat here.” Gray huffed as Gemini stood up. “Still going to this waste of time?” “I’m still busting my ass to get a diploma so I can be independent.” Gemini growled, “What do you want, father?” Gray Smoke got closer and closer to his son. His eyes looked bloodshot with a noticeable twitch. “Oh, you already know the answer to that.” Right off the bat, Gemini knew what he was talking about. After kicking him out, he comes to him during school to shake him down like a piggy bank. Every time, he always did as he demanded. Now, he wasn’t going to put up with it again. “Look, Father, the answer is no. I’ve quit my jobs yesterday and I’m not giving you any money so you could put more of that poison in your body.” Gray’s face changed from a neutral expression to one of anger. He never liked being told no, even by his son. “Didn’t all that meth you bought from selling my car last you that long? Of course not!” The next thing Gemini knew was that he was being held against the statue by his father. The back of his head hurt from the impact. Seeing his father hold him up against a statue made of concrete shocked him, not as much when he delivered a backhand to his face. “All right, you little shit.” Gray growled, “I know you have some money! Give it to me right now or you’ll get worse than hurt!” Monday was the moment where he reached his breaking point with him. Coming to his school, a place where he was thought to be safe to shake him down for cash, that was it. No more. “Fuck you!” His words were met with a punch to his face, knocking him to the ground. His face hurt and he struggled to get up as Gray hovered over him. He was angry that his father would stoop to such lows to fuel his high. He no longer considered him his father, just another junkie. “I’ve had it with you, Gray Smoke! You can go to hell for all I care!” “Oh, I’ll be meeting you there alright.” Gray raised a foot over Gemini’s face with the intention to stomp his head in. This was it, his father was going to either hurt him badly or worse. He closed his eyes and braced for the inevitable. Before he could, he was interrupted by an audible huff. “Just what in the hell are you doing?” From the school came Principal Celestia herself. Having watched the beginning of the exchange from her office, she knew there was going to be trouble. “Mr. Smoke, why the hell did you hit your son? “Because he needs to know his place, ma’am.” Gray snarled. “He disobeys me time and time again and never gives me the money when I ask of it.” “Ask of it? Really? You call assaulting your son for drug money ‘asking’?” Her words caught the tweaked out adult off guard. How did she know about his drug use unless his son ran his mouth? “That… is none of your goddamn business, lady.” Gray scoffed, “Now, get lost while I teach my son a lesson.” Celestia would not stand for it one bit. Ever since she became pregnant, her motherly instincts kicked in. Seeing the student that is living under her roof being assaulted by his drug-addled father set off her anger. No one hurts a student on her watch “That’s just about it!” Celestia blurted out with anger, “Get the hell out of here before I call the cops!” In his mind, Gray Smoke knew that no one tells him what to do, even some pregnant woman. Turning his attention to her, he knocked her to the grass with a swift backhand, causing her to fall on her side. Though her precious cargo didn’t get hurt, the worst she suffered was a bloody nose. She was honestly surprised that he was motioning to follow it up. However, the sight stirred something inside Gemini. His anger bubbled to the surface, mixed with a dash of disgust. It sickened him to his core that his father would even attempt to attack a pregnant woman. As his vision became tinted with red and anger, Gray Smoke was fixing to kick Celestia in the stomach, hurting the life yet to be born. For Gemini, that was the last straw, no more. Without a thought, he tackled his father to the ground before the kick could connect. From there, he wasted no time in assaulting his face with a flurry of punches, all the while shouting a litany of curses. It was like a moment of catharsis for him as the adrenaline and anger were being expended in his assault. Even when his father stopped moving, he still kept on landing blow after blow, bloodying his face. It was only through the calm reassurances and pleas from his principal that he relented. “Gemini!” Celestia spoke up, “Calm down, it’s over.” As his mind snapped back to reality, he gave Celestia a blank stare bordering on shock. “It’s going to be alright.” Then, his view snapped to the unconscious body of his father, face bloodied and laying on the grass. Processing what he did, he looked to his bloodstained hands as the reality sets in. His head became light as his stomach began to churn. Shortly after, he felt faint as his vision became pitch black, collapsing to the ground. Are you going to charge him? No, ma’am. This was a clear case of self-defense and in defense of you. Mr. Smoke was the first to attack. Thank you, officer. What’ll happen to his father? Seeing as how he was found with a sizable amount of meth on his person, he’ll be charged with possession along with assault once he recovers. As for his wife, she’s also charged with possession. But, may I ask about your relations to the suspect’s son? To make a long story short, he was kicked out after his parents sold his car for drug money. We’ve found him at a park and took him in to live with us. He had nowhere else to go. I see. Very well, that’s all I need to hear for now. Take care, ma’am. I’ll contact you later about any additional details. You too, officer. His eyes slowly opened, vision still blurry. While his vision refocused, Gemini deduced that he wasn’t outside but inside the nurse’s office. He laid on a bed, flanked by curtains. Right next to him was Celestia herself, gently stroking the back of his hand. When she noticed his eyes open, hers lit up as she breathed a sigh of relief. “Gemini, you’re awake.” She whispered as Nurse Redheart walks in holding a clipboard. “How is he?” “Apart from a minor scrape on the back of his head and a bit of a bloody nose,” Redheart spoke as she flipped through her notes, “He’s going to be fine. Though he fainted, I doubt any of that caused it.” She then looked to Gemini, still shaken and silent about what happened earlier. “Mr. Blaze, are you alright?” Still nothing, not even a response. He just sat there only acknowledging their presence in silence. “Oh dear, he’s still shaken from that.” “He did just beat his father senseless.” Celestia sighed, “If I had to guess, part of the reason was me.” “He did nearly injure your unborn child. I think that was why. He does live in your house from what Luna told me. When you both get home, talk to him. He’ll feel better with an ear to vent to.” Just as Gemini sighed worriedly, Celestia put a hand on the student’s shoulder. He didn’t flinch or anything. He just hung his head as he stood up. “Gemini, let’s go home.” Muttered Celestia as he just walked out without so much as a sigh. Throughout the car ride, he didn’t say anything even when Celestia tried talking to him. His mind was still in flux over what he did. On one hand, he did what he had to do for him and Celestia yet the knowledge of beating his father to a bloody pulp wracked him with guilt. Later that night, Gemini sat in his room looking out the window towards the moonlit sky. Though it was nine in the evening, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Quite a bit happened to him today and his active mind allowed him no rest. Too much was on his mind. As his rattled mind continued to work, Celestia silently entered the room, gently opening the door. “Gemini,” Celestia whispered, “why are you still awake? Are you able to sleep?” “No.” Gemini replied, breaking his silence, “There’s just… so much on my mind.” “Well, you can talk to me about anything.” She said as she sat down next to her student, “Now, what is troubling you?” With a sigh, Gemini scooched next to his principal and prepared to vent. “You saw what happened. Want to know why I did it?” “Yes.” Celestia cooed with genuine concern, “Don’t hold back, let your feelings out.” “Because…” Gemini started with a noticeable hitch in his voice as tears started to form. “I tried to keep my family afloat, only for them to indulge in their vices! I worked and worked to exhaustion and yet they didn’t even fucking care! NO! All they do is smoke that poison!” As he began to sob, Celestia began to rub his back. It felt good and loving as he never thought before. With a gulp of air, he continued. “After he punched me to the ground and seeing him hurt you, something inside me just fucking snapped! I couldn’t stand to see him hurt you, especially since you’re… you know! You were so kind to me, giving me a place to stay when I had nowhere else! I just had to defend you from him! It was my fault he hit you!” The dam of tears had burst and his emotions were released. He was glad that Celestia was alright but deep down, didn’t wish for his father to be locked up. He wanted to have done more for him. Now, he’ll be spending a decade or more behind bars. Most of all, attacking him was something he regretted but was necessary. Her motherly instincts kicking in once again, Celestia pulled Gemini into a hug. The warmth of her embrace had a calming aura to it as he lightly wrapped his arms around her. Though it wasn’t the first time he got a hug from her, the effects were the same nonetheless. It made him feel as if everything was going to be alright. “Shhh, calm down.” Celestia whispered, “What’s done is done. I’m safe, you’re safe, I’m here for you now.” Bit by bit, Gemini relaxed as his tears started to dry up. Yet, he didn’t want to leave her arms and the hug they brought. It felt warm, cozy, and right. It wasn’t long before Celestia decided to break the hug. “If there’s something I want you to do, please smile no matter what happens. Be happy for yourself. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you.” “Celestia… thank you.” Gemini meekly replied, freed from his sadness. “What are you going to do now?” Celestia sat in silence for a brief moment. Pondering, she decided that it was best to not leave him alone for the night. Celestia decided to keep on with the hug until she was absolutely sure that Gemini was calmed down. Feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat was enough to lull him into a steadily creeping calm. Instead of tightening his grip on her, he just laid more into her. It simply felt too good for him to leave it. Just a simple gesture can hold a lot of meaning to those who receive it and for Gemini... it was sorely needed. It also had a bit of an effect on Celestia herself as she too felt the pull of slumber beginning to take her. Though she would've gone to her own bed to sleep, she was much too tired to make the journey. Soon, just as Gemini yawned and shut his eyes, she too let out one of her own and fell back on the bed with Gemini still in her embrace. Just before her own eyes shut, she saw the peaceful smile on Gemini's face, something that stirred something inside her. Though she had yet to bring her own child into the world, the way she treated Gemini was akin to that of how a mother would. She knew she would already be a great mother but she felt that he had some hidden affections for her, something of a split between lover and mother. She knew his mind would be in conflict but how and when it'll manifest remains to be seen. Celestia hoped that she would be ready to help him through the conflict without causing him harm. All she could do was wait.