Why Won't They Tell Me?

Troubled Two

Two walked out the door and closed it, sniffling slightly.

"What have I done?" He whispered to nobody.

He went down the stairs intending to go to the livingroom, where Eight and Nine were talking with Five.

"I don't think he knows about the Terrible Twos, we never told him."

Two froze, leaning toward the conversation without being seen.

"Why? You do know that he'll find out sooner or later, and I'd rather that it'll be on our own terms than him finding out and thinking we lied to him or something."

Nine sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"I know, I know, but, how would you feel if you were told you were practically an accident waiting to happen, and you never knew? I don't think he's ready for that."

"Let's get somebody he trusts to tell him, isn't Two here?"

Two's eyes looked to the ground, if only they knew he messed up, if only they knew that he spilled the beans before they were cool enough.

"What have I done?" He repeated.

"Yeah, Two's here, Four is talking with him right now, let me go and get him."

Two edged closer to the wall, waiting for Nine to get up there.

"Two? What are you doing here? Are you done with Four?"

'More like Four was done with me.' he thought.

"I-I blew it.."

"Blew it?"

"I messed it all up."

"Messed what up?"

"I hurt him, Nine, what have I done? I told him everything, One told me not to- I know I shouldn't have... He doesn't like me anymore!" Two couldn't keep track of his words, crying and falling to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..Please forgive me!"

Nine grabbed him by the shoulders and turned Two towards him.

"What happened?"

"I-I.. I told him."

Five and Eight had heard the ruckus happening on the stairs and came to investigate.

"Whatever is the matter, Two?" Five asked, sitting next to the sobbing number.

"I told him! I told him everything! Okay!?" Two shouted, the room suddenly feeling like it wanted to crush him.

"Told him what?" Five prodded, placing a hand on him back in a vain attempt to confort her friend.

Nine seemed to reach an understanding and gasped.

"Two?.. You didn't.. tell him about.. that? Right?"

Two only squirmed closer to Five, burying himself in her arms.

"Two. Did you tell him about the Terrible Twos?"

Two abruptly found the floor very interesting, refusing to meet Nine's eyes.

"Two please tell me you didn't.."

Two, overwhelmed, slipped out of Five's hold, ran down the stairs, and rushed out the door.

Eight and Five decided to pursue him, while Nine opened the door to the room Four was staying in.

There he saw him, too close to the window for Nine's confort.

"Four? Where are you going?"

The look Four gave him set him off.

"Away." He replied.

"Away? To where?"

Four was getting closer to the window, once he was within arms reach of it, Nine heard his voice again.

"To be with my real friends."

'Real friends?' Nine thought, 'What did Two say to him?'

"But we're your friends."

Four just shook his head no, and opened the window, climbing on to it and looking back once more.

"Then you should've thought twice before calling me the villain."

Nine wanted to cry out, to run to Four and tell him that they didn't want to hurt him, to hold him close and listen to his feelings.

But just like that, Four was gone.