The Blind Deception

WallsHaveEyes

"Look how hot he is," Aloere says, leaning slightly to give me a better view of her phone. I glance over, barely humming in response.

We had two very different tastes in men. While she was all about any attractive rich guy, my heart belonged to 2D characters and men from K-pop groups. Not that I fetishized them or anything—I found them attractive, sure, but I didn't sexualize them. I had my boundaries as a fan. Still, you can't deny a hot face when you see one.

I had my fair share of fangirling over some shared celebrities too—Harry Styles, young Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio—but it never got to the point where I followed their every move on social media like I did with BTS and Stray Kids.

I was about to say something, but before I could, I realized she had already left the room, leaving me alone again. That had become a habit of hers lately.

Recently, it felt like my mom had stolen my best friend. Every time Aloere came over, they'd slip off somewhere to have private conversations, leaving me behind. It wasn't like I didn't want them to bond. In fact, it was good seeing my mom give her attention. Rere had lost her own mom when she was just 13. But that didn't stop the pang of jealousy that overshadowed me.

Jealousy wasn't something I often felt, and the fact that I was feeling it toward my best friend made me feel awful.

I shouldn't be jealous.

Rere had gone through so much, and having someone like my mom around was probably a comfort to her. I reminded myself of that constantly. My family was her family now. And having a mother figure in her life was something she needed.

But still... I couldn't shake the feeling of being left out.

Deciding to put the memory aside, Aemilia focuses on Noemi's phone. She's shocked when she sees a video of herself skating, clearly emotional, displayed on the screen.

"Why were you recording me, and who are you sending that to?" she asks, startling Noemi.

Noemi lifts her head and a smile spreads across her face again. She's way too carefree—Aemilia thinks, I could be a serial killer.

"Ah, just my asshole brother. He wanted to know where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing, so I told him I was watching my friend skate," Noemi replies, rewatching the video.

"How old is your brother? He sounds overprotective," Aemilia asks, curiosity slipping out before she can rein it in. She quickly clears her throat, trying to look disinterested, reminding herself that she doesn't want friends.

Noemi glances at her, narrowing her eyes as if she suspects Aemilia might be interested in her brother.

"19. He goes to our school, a senior. Didn't fail—just didn't go to school for a year because of circumstances," Noemi answers casually. "People used to think we were twins until I dyed my hair ginger," she adds with a shrug.

Aemilia's eyes move up to Noemi's hair, and she gasps. She seriously feels played. She thought Noemi was a natural ginger! But no, Aemilia's been bamboozled. So what color was her hair originally?

She shakes the thought away and tells Noemi it's time to go. As they grab their things, Noemi asks if Aemilia wants to come over. With nothing else to do and not wanting to go home to an empty house, Aemilia agrees.

Noemi inputs her address into the car GPS, so Aemilia has no trouble navigating to her place. As they drive, Aemilia wonders about Noemi's parents. She said she was always alone—are they like hers? What's her brother really like? Did she have a hard life at home? But that seems pretty unlikely because her brother seems to deeply care for her. Aemilia glances over at Noemi and sees she's fallen asleep, resting her head on her arm. She lives pretty far out, so Aemilia figures it's okay to let her snooze for a bit.