Stuck In Paradise

A mini rest

Aubrey laid flat on her back, tears were streaming down her face as she looked at the black abyss above her. Her body felt like it was underwater yet she could still breathe. What the fuck just happened?

That was Mari. Mari was here. Then Mari left.

She...didn’t know what to feel.

She wanted to feel happy she saw Mari, upset she had to leave, angry that she left without letting them give her a proper goodbye again. She wanted to feel-

Her emotions were jumbled up right now and it hurts. She- Mari… She’s going to need a moment. This was too much for her to process.

She closed her eyes and swore she heard a voice.

“I’ll always be by your side.”

~~~~~~

Hero was sitting against a wall. Colorful coral was sticking out of the purple walls but they were too blurry to admire from his tears.

That was her. She was really here.

“You’re doing a great job and I am proud of you.”

...She was proud of him. She was still watching over them after all of these years.

He gave himself a small smile as he looked upwards at the coral.

He made Mari proud. That is all he has ever wanted.

He allowed himself to cry more. Was it happy or sad? Perhaps a mix of both.

He wished she stayed just a bit longer so he could ask why she did it and why she had to say goodbye...

~~~~~~

Kel was lying next to Hero.

He was too busy trying to catch his thoughts and process what just happened.

Omori had grabbed yet another black fuzz and stuck out his tongue. Guess it was a bad one.

Why was he acting as if he wasn’t fazed about what happened at all? He turned to Kel and sat down by him, the same dead expression on his face.

Kel hated it.

Why does he look so calm and collected? That was his sister! Shouldn’t he be crying with them? Then why...why does he look so dead inside?

Tears ran down his face as he looked at Omori.

Omori looked at him back. His face may be blank but...Kel doesn’t know.

Even after all these years, he could never read Sunny like Basil, Aubrey, Hero, and Mari could. He wished he could. Maybe he was feeling something and Kel couldn’t tell.

He couldn’t tell a lot of things. He couldn’t tell how badly Aubrey was impacted by Mari’s death. He couldn’t tell when he was annoying Hero to the point where he snapped. He couldn’t tell his own emotions.

He wasn’t good at anything except being “happy” and playing basketball. That is the only thing he is good at. Otherwise, he is pointless. Just another person who can’t help the people close to him.

He began to cry more. What he was crying about he couldn’t tell.

Omori suddenly put a hand on his shoulder.

Was he trying to comfort him?

...He leaned into the touch.

~~~~~~

The whole group sat for a while before Hero finally decided to speak up, “Are...you all okay?”

“No.” Both Aubrey and Kel sighed at the same time.