AFK - Away From Keyboard

Chapter 12:

Ren's POV:

   I am standing in a room with a girl that is acting drunk...

For once I have no idea what to do.

   Yue watched Myra exit. Then she sighed. "She left too." Yue laid down and slid off the bed so she was sitting against it. "Everybody leaves."

"I didn't leave." I pointed out.

Yue turned and stared directly at me. "But you will. Sometimes it's not their fault. Sometimes they have to leave."

"Yue...are you drunk?"

"What's drunk?" She blinked. Her eyes looked sort of...glassy. Like a doll's eyes; devoid of expression. Her features gave off the impression that she was depressed, but her eyes were blank. "Oh, never mind, I know now. I'm not drunk. How would I have gotten drunk? You've been with me all day."

"Are you sick?"

"I don't know if I can get sick." She giggled. I hate her giggle, it doesn't sound like it belongs to her. Then her giggle stopped.

"Uh oh."

"What?" I sat on the floor across from her.

"I forget." She replied blankly.

"Okay..."

"Are you going to leave?"

"No." In truth I kind of wanted to, but something weird was going on here. So of course I need to know what's going on.

"Myra wanted me to rest but I can't." Yue announced. "I can't 'cause then you have to leave and I don't want you to go too."

"Yue, I'm not going to leave." I yawned. Rey was probably wondering why I hadn't at least sent her a message. It was getting late.

"I know how old I am now. I didn't remember before. I'm fifteen."

"Me too." I mumbled. My eyes were starting to droop and Yue's mindless jabber was not helping my brain stay awake.

"Come sit or you'll fall asleep on the floor." Yue declared from the couch.

I went and sat on the couch, who knows what she would do if I said something she didn't like while she's acting like this.

Yue sat on her knees next to me, placing her head against my arm. "Do you hear all the people?" She asked quietly.

"People?"
"They were saying before: "She's waking up!" But now they keep saying that she's stabilized again and the reset will commence." Yue whispered. "I don't like hearing them. They were the ones who stuck me with needles in my dream. And there's something beeping."

I'm awake again, well...sort of.

Yue was quivering. Her eyes were still glassy, but she was crying again. Her lips trembled.

I brought both my arms around and held her close. That always seems to make her feel better. I stroked her cheek gently, wondering if her emotion thing was more serious then she let on. Had something like this ever happened to her before?

Yue shifted a little. "You're nicer than Kit. Kit laughs." She mumbled.

"Mhm..."

We sat in silence. The only sound was Yue's soft breathing and the rain that was now pattering at the window. Someone knocked outside the door and asked if I needed anything. I said we were fine. Then I messaged my sister and told her I got hung up. I offered to pay her if she would cover for me tomorrow. Thankfully she agreed by saying I didn't need to pay her, and luckily she didn't press for details.

When is Myra coming back? It's been almost an hour and I'm having a hard time staying awake.

Yue gasped and clenched her fists on her lap.

"You okay?" I asked drowsily, but there was no answer. She had fallen asleep again and now there was nothing keeping me awake. My eyes dropped shut, the last thing I remember before falling asleep was hoping I could convince my parents I was sick.