All Of Us - Part 1: Summer

Chapter 29 - Pina and Mun

- Evangeline -

Creaaak...

My eyes snap open. What is that noise ? I try to get into sitting position, but am sudendly overcome by a bout of dizziness and have to lie back down. What is going on ? I tentatively reach up and tap my head. Ouch - that hurts. Did I hit my head ?

Oh no.

The events of last night race eagerly back into my mind. Oh no. What have I done ? The memories come back in flashes: the water, closing over me; that girl, hurling herself at my body; the rock; my speech. Oh Sheso. How could I have told everyone ?

"Evangeline ?"

I spin around, ignoring the my head's painful response. "Aline ?" I croak. "What are you doing here ?" She stands a meter away from me. Her red hair is tied back behind her head and reveals a worried expression on her face. Behind her, I can spot a sliver of the hallway and realize the noise that woke me up was the door opening. "What d'yah mean, what am I doin' here ?" In an eyeblink, she's sitting on my bed, her body leaning towards me. "I was so scared for yah." Her bright green eyes are wide and shining. Are those tears ? "Aline... Did you hear about last night ?" I don't break eye contact, though all I want to do is hide under my covers. "About what I said ?" She bites her lip and nods. "D'yah... D'yah wanna talk 'bout it ?"

The wind whooshes out of me. All I can feel is my heartbeat and my fear. "Oh Sheso", I murmur, turning my head away. "Aline, I-"

"What are yah goin' on 'bout ?"

"I... Aline, I... " My voice is shaking. I hate it. "Aline... I'm so weak." A moment passes, then two. And then she hugs me.

And not just a small hug. A full-on, full-body hug. The breath is knocked out of my lungs. I must look ridiculous, with my arms stuck out straight before me and a stunned look parading across my face. Her face is buried in my hair and her arms are wrapped tightly around my shoulders, so tight I feel like I'm suffocating. Her stomach is pressed tight against mine, and I can literally feel her breathing, in and out, as rapid as a mouse's heartbeat. With a soundless sigh, I close my eyes and my arms around her. We stay for a few moments like that, long enough that our breathing rhythms end up matching. She breathes in, I breathe out. Inhale, exhale. I squeeze my eyes. I think I could stay like this forever.

"Evangeline..." Her voice is close to my ear and sounds weird. She is crying. "How... How could yah say such a thing ?" She chokes and has to pause. "A million words come to mind whenever I think of yah, but not one is even close to weak. I can't even imagine how it... What yah lived throug-"

"Then don't." My words are harsh but come out soothing. "Holding me like this is enough."

Aline nods, her face buried deep in my hair, before sniffling. "Though if you get snot on my hair, I will kill you, hug or no hug," I add. She laughs and pulls out of our embrace. Her face is red and splotchy, but a massive grin stretches from ear to ear. Suddenly, her features go... blurry ? "You're crying," she states, her voice flat with an edge of teasing. "I'm not. You're crying," I retort, laughing. With the back of my hand, I wipe my eyes before sliding my legs out from the covers. "Well, wanna get some breakfast ?" Her eyes twinkle and she gives out an excited "Yeah !" She bounces off the bed. I really want to follow her, but as soon as I push myself off the bed, I stumble and fall forwards.

Fast as lightning, she catches me in her arms. My head is pounding. "Ah, sorry," I try to chuckle it off. "Must have not gotten enough sleep." I push myself away, but she catches my wrist and asks me, hard: "What's wrong ?"

"Nothing ! Nothing, I said. I'm just a bit tired." She doesn't even try to point out my lie. Tugging on my arm, she makes me trip and come towards her. In one smooth, graceful movement, she pushes my bangs back and pokes me. I can't help but wince. "That's a nice wound you've got there," she points out. Her tone is steady but barely hides her anger pulsing underneath. "Now tell me who did this to yah and I'll go off to tear their throats out right now."