They Say Opposites Attract

XXVIX. What Truly Happened? (Part 2)

[Kate]

It was since that moment that it was my turn to worry. Sumiko's mom's response to my harmless question turned it into one with a path of rose bushes. I simply couldn't help but worry for what might've happened in Su's past.

To my knowledge, she seemed to have had a somewhat normal childhood... well, outside of the fact that she lost the ability to speak as freely as a person should.

Now that I think about it, Su did indeed mention that her last girlfriend bore the name "Chloe". If it were any other person, I would've simply asked her, but... something was definitely stopping me.

I stared up at the night sky almost blankly. There were few cars out and even less people, so there was a calming silence that encompassed the night. Human curiosity is definitely a force to be reckoned with. There's no pushing it aside.

And for better or worse, I am indeed one of those humans. The thing is... I really want to know — not just for curiosity, but if it really is that bad, then I want to at least make sure she never has to experience it again. But at the same time, it might be a memory that Su doesn't ever want to relive.

I couldn't help but think back to what I told Raven.

I lied to her.

And I couldn't help but remember the conversation between me and Su on my "first day" as well.

I lied to her.

So I deserve truths of I can't give them myself?

"Raven," I had spoken up when I finally managed to get both of us alone. It wasn't hard at all to lure her away from the crowd; a simple excuse about it being related to her ex was enough. But of course, it was a lie.

"What is this really about?" Raven asked me in a stern tone. So she knew that my excuse was a lie. That makes things easy.

I let my gaze travel along her features, before stopping at her eyes. "That girl. Sumiko," I tell her as I lean against the wall of the restroom. I couldn't help but notice how she tensed at that name. "I've noticed what you've been doing to her."

Before I could continue, Raven spoke up, a sharp edge in her voice. If I were anyone else, I would've definitely been even slightly intimidated by the blades formed by her words. But of course, I'm not anyone else.

"That is none of your business, kid," she growls at me, making me roll my eyes. "And besides, she's just like everyone else. She-"

"Is human." I cut in. I did so in such a way that made Raven avert her gaze away from me. "She and Aimi are alike, you know," I continued as I took a somewhat cautious step towards her. "How do you think she would feel about this?"

A muscle tensed in her jaw at that before I found myself held roughly against the wall. "It doesn't matter," she near shouted at me angrily." As amusing as it was to see her in this angered state, I wasn't here for manipulation.

But it was her reminder in particular that made me snap back to reality.

"It doesn't matter! Aimi is dead and soon enough, it'll just be a damn memory," she shouted at me. Though her voice might sound angry, this wasn't something to laugh at.

I sighed in annoyance before saying as calmly as I could, "Aimi left a message for Claire to give you, remember? Why do you think you haven't been told what it is yet?"

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I put my face in my hands and sighed loudly. The story hadn't ended peacefully as anyone would have hoped, though. The issue being within the fact that we did physically fight a bit afterwards.

To avoid questions as to why my arm was bruised, I had worn a jacket in my "first day". I say first day, but really, I've been going to the school for much longer. It took a bit of "peaceful and unmotivated with no strings attached at all negotiating", but I had managed to have the school system register me as a transfer student.

You might call it manipulation, but I call it being logical and using the advantages given to me. They call me a problem child, but that's not true at all.

I scoffed at that before getting to my feet. "Who am I kidding... if anything, I'm every bit a problem child," I tell myself as I feel a tug on the back hem on my shirt.

I looked over my shoulder to see Sumiko looking at me with a worried expression. She had a notebook and pen in hand and she was wearing clothes that didn't seem suited for the outside at all.

It took me a moment, however, to realize that she was showing me a page out of her notebook. I quickly read it outloud, "'Why do you want to know?'" She asked me without speaking.

Sumiko nodded in response to my repeat of her written words before lowering the notebook. She regarded me with eyes that were almost too shadowed by the night to see. Despite this, I could tell that her eyes were watery.

I shifted my gaze to the ground I stood on top of before answering her question after asking, "Did... your mom tell you?" That I wanted to know your coming out story? I wanted to say that last part, but something stopped me.  Perhaps it was her expression?

Miko gave a slow nod in response. She was now clutching her notebook tightly to her chest. If it were an attempt to hide her shaking, then it wasn't working all that well.

I blew out a sigh before I actually answered her question. "I... wanted to know about your ex," as soon as I stared talking, I knew it was a bad idea. But I couldn't stop the words from coming. "If I knew how she held you both together, then I was hoping I could do the same or something similar."

Sumiko bit her lip roughly at that. So roughly that I could see blood dripping from her lips. I took a step towards her instinctively at that, but she took a step back. "Are..." I started, my voice trailing. "Are you mad at me?"

Sumiko took a moment before shaking her head in denial. False denial. She definitely hesitated... right? Sumiko brought her notebook close to her face before she stared writing again. The action made me wonder if she could read what she writing well enough in this darkness.

After a moment, she showed me what she wrote, but her gaze was averted to something off in the distance. Like before, I read it outloud, "I'm not mad. It just hurts to remember. You remind me so much of her." Sumiko closed her eyes as I finished. I could guess that she means her past, but also that "her" refers to Chloe?

When I asked as such to confirm my assumption on the latter part, she gave a slow nod in response. Is that why she feels so comfortable around me?

Despite thinking this myself, I knew immediately that that was indeed not the case. She feels safe around me. With her inability to trust people as freely as she should be able to, she must always feel tense and on guard.

"Su," I started, making her look over at me in question. "Though it wasn't my intention..." I paused as I considered my next words. "I fell for you," at these words, I noticed how her face turned red slightly. "You can treat this as it is. No holding back. But if you don't trust me, then that's that." I tell her. With that, I stepped around her, patting her softly as I did, before walking back in the house.

We may be a thing now, but... will it last if it is?