Coping mechanisms

Neither could he afford to skip classes and hide it out like Joseph, not could he convince the teachers to teach him in his room like Helen. So it was pretty obvious that he had had it worst.

As a response, Jacob had taken to spending every waking minute, when he wasn't in class, training or in the dining hall, in the library. He would spend the whole day, and the better part of the night there, pouring over one book or the other, ignoring anyone who came to talk to him, until the librarian had to kick him out every night.

"I wonder how Aria is going to deal with it." Joseph muttered as he climbed down from the tree and walked back to the north tower, and climbed the steps all the way up to his room.

Ever since that night, Joseph hadn't really used wind bending for purposes other than training. He rarely flew, and had even stopped using bending to help with the daily tasks.

Joseph believed that since his bending hadn't been of any help then, it was useless. He was useless. Besides, flying just brought back too many memories of Aria.

He stood at the door of his room and stared up at the door a few steps above. The door of the room Joseph had loved so much. The one he had associated with prestige and power.

But now, all that door represented was Aria. He could never forget how grumpy he had been when Aria had lasted longer than him in the fight. And how he had vowed that he would get the room back after six months.

But six months had changed nothing, other than widening the gap between him and Aria. She had lasted for almost half a day while he had just barely improved. Joseph sighed as he remembered how the new students had started arriving, and how there would be the fight to decide rooms soon.

"I will probably get this room now. Cause Aria won't definitely be in any condition to fight. But do I actually want it?" Joseph sighed to himself as he walked into his own room.

Joseph walked out of his room after an hour, having taken a bath and gotten into his uniform.

"Ugh! They've grown so long!! I need to cut these before they start interfering with training." Joseph groaned as he pushed back his platinum blonde hair that fell in his eyes.

Joseph was surprised to not find Helen in her room when he went to call her for their morning training sessions. "Figures. She's probably already gone to see Aria." Joseph said as he started to descend the stairs.

When he was almost halfway down the tower, Joseph flinched as he almost ran head first into a door someone had opened in his face.

"Who is god's name . . . " Joseph began, but his voice trailed off upon catching sight of a familiar face.

"Oh hey White." he said, eyeing the bulky figure of Jacob up and down. He couldn't help but notice that the other boy looked kind of tired and like he hadn't slept. He also seemed to have lost some weight.

"Hello Joseph. Good morning." Jacob muttered looking embarrassed. He hastily locked his room, wondering why wasn't Joseph leaving, and started walking down the stairs, after a last look at him.