Lies

Chapter 38

Kagami

The whole situation here is dull. Lexi, Aero, Felix, and all of Lexi's friends she knows are chatting away while I stand here like a statue. Everyone is enjoying their time as I continue to eat the popcorn in this bowl. I've been here for two hours now.

TWO HOURS.

I'm not angry at Lexi or anything, she's hosting and so that comes with a lot of responsibilities. However, standing here snacking while everyone talks about unimportant topics has made me wish that I brought a book.

And suddenly a thought crosses my mind.

Lexi has manga in her room!

Everyone begins making their way to the backyard as I slip out from the kitchen. I make my way towards her room down the hall. She left it unlocked since I had put my belongings in there when I first arrived.

I knew from the start that we wouldn't have a lot of time to hang out together, but even so I wished for something to happen. Why am I so unapproachable? Do people really find me that intimidating?

My hand fiddles around the wall to find the switch to light up the room. The bookcase Lexi has is filled with mangas and at first instinct I look at the top shelf. She had volumes six through nine of Skip Beat. I'm still waiting for the main female character to get her damn revenge.

It's always such a slow development when it comes to those types of manga but it's worth every second. My finger traces the laminated cover as I pull it out from its numerical slot. The words are written in Kanji, but a small English translation below.

She must've not read this far since the book looks brand new.

I take a moment to flip the pages of the book and the scent of a freshly printed book hits my nose. Without thinking I take a seat on her bed and begin reading the first page. I stopped reading this manga a few summers back since I was getting tired of the plot never going anywhere, but this party gives me a good reason to start up again.

I'm not sure how much time goes by, but I notice that I was able to get a good stack of pages in before any interruptions. I take a look at my watch and notice that I've been away from the party too long, but apparently not long enough for anyone to be aware.

I'm not sure whether I should feel insulted or relieved. I place the book back in its slot and head into the bathroom across the hall after closing Lexi's bedroom door. Sadly, Lexi's bathroom doesn't work due to plumbing issues. My hand reaches for the knob as someone pulls it open.

Felix is pushed against the sink as some random girl locks lips with him. She slides her hands up his chest, while his hands are clenching the edge of the sink. They don't seem to notice me, not until I knock.

"Tsurugi." Felix breaks from the girl and shoves her off.

I'm not sure whether to not be surprised, saddened or angry. I can't seem to choose, so all three it is. I hold my unbothered stare as they fix themselves. Felix wipes his lips off and part of me winces. I can feel the fury bellowing below.

My arms cross as I try to hide my feelings.

I'm jealous. I'm jealous of this girl and I don't know her. I'm angry that Felix doesn't seem to care about how he hurt me. I'm sad because he probably never liked me. I'm confused and shocked because I thought I knew him better.

His hair is tousled, his lips are red and his shirt is a bit wrinkled. The fury begins from my toes all the way to my heart. The blood rushes to my head as well as the heat. My mind is screaming at him. But I have to look at him with indifference.