OVERLOOKED ㅤkotlc

072

The walk to the Sunroom feels numb and heavy. It's weird to walk there without her beside me.

I at least came here with her, and now I'm leaving with nothing? That's a cruel and funny twist of fate, if you ask me.

I reach the Sunroom and she's already here, of course she is, it's 5:01 in the morning and she loves being timely, because she's too perfect for my dirty self, is that right?

These thoughts aren't fair! a small voice in my head says while the voice just laughs.

She glances at me, then looks back at Ruy, who stands here alone. Her gaze is so cold and empty to me—it's warmer even to Ruy, our enemy?

"You didn't forget anything?" he asks me, taking in how I stand here with nothing, then how Rosaleen stands here clutching a cat plushie. It has green eyes, and it's definitely a coincidence, but bile rises in my throat nonetheless.

"No," I say, and I'm surprised my voice doesn't shake. "I have everything." Lies, because then why am I empty?

Ruy stares, then sighs and reaches into his pocket and holds out a small box.

I stare at it blankly. "What," I say.

"Tomple prattle pin," he says, just as flatly. "You seem like you'd like tomples."

My eyes stay surprisingly dry. I probably look very devoid right now. "Oh." I take it. The only thing that betrays everything inside me, is how I tense my mouth, to stop it from shaking.

"Thanks."

Ruy doesn't reply, only dips his head in a polite "you're welcome." Everything between us has turned to Nothing at all.

He steps back, turning his attention to Rosaleen, who pretends like she wasn't watching.

I'm more transparent than her, I think, so she must've picked up on how close I am to losing it. But she remains blank.

A sudden urge to apologize rises to my lips, but then she tilts her body away from me; and it dies there, because I don't have the capacity to keep it alive.

"Ready?" Ruy asks us both.

"Yes," she says, quickly. She just wants to go home. Me too.

I nod. "Yeah."

He holds a crystal to the light. "This'll take you to Foxfire's LeapMaster—and then you can go home." His gaze cuts through us, or maybe just me. "Try anything and we'll push back."

His cold words don't match Melia's from last night.

I've seen him when he's happy and vulnerable and forgiving, so where'd it all go and why can't I bring that out now when he's so cold?

Rosaleen goes first. She disappears, and I stare at where she once was, before looking at Ruy.

For some reason, I'm expecting something from him—an "I'll see you around," maybe even "Take care, Dex"—but he doesn't say a word.

And I'm too scared to, so I don't either.

Perhaps that's both our faults.

I cross my fingers and go next.

And then I'm back where it started; at Foxfire, where the halls are empty and where She and I are strangers.

AUTHOR'S NOTE !

almost forgot to post but anyway hi! there's probably not gonna be an update for a while after this one unfortunately, HANG IN THERE LMAO

feel free to check out my other stuff during the wait pspsp (not me self-advertising?!), thanks for reading ly! :D