in the ataraxis of aftermath

bosque retorcido harbor

Was it always that awkward? Saying goodbye? Naoko wondered, blearily, the next morning. Keyla had trailed after her, perkily offering help and chatting the whole way through their trip through the museum. She had only been quiet on the train ride home, instead busying herself by throwing quick glances at Naoko and chewing on her lip. If Keyla had something to say, she should have just said it, Naoko thought bitterly, which she immediately recognized as unfair, especially coming from her.

Keyla had ended up getting off at the station to the mall, after an awkward few minutes of her pointing out that her stop was coming up and looking at Naoko for some reason, expression unfamiliar. After the third time, Naoko had agreed once, softly, and Keyla had stopped mentioning it.

Naoko sighed now, cupping her head in her hands and wondering for the nth time if she should have done it differently. She had offered to meet up again (again!) today. Why? Why had she done that? Naoko let out a long breath and rested her forehead against her knees.

What were they even going to do today? Naoko had no plan! Well, she supposed she did have a plan, but it wasn't a plan made for two people! She didn't know anything about Keyla! For all that talking, the other girl managed to be surprisingly secretive. Well, that and/or Naoko hadn't exactly been paying the best attention. She was just trying to focus on not...

...messing this up.

---

Despite her reservations, Naoko found herself stepping off the train tracks onto the platform in front of the mall once more. Albeit, her feet dragged a little more than usual, sinking down with the weight of water and dread.

But Keyla was there, at the doors, perched on the stairway, shoulders hunched, eyes focused, like an owl about to take flight.

"Naoko!" She explained throwing her arms (wings?) out wide as she spotted the girl walk in. "C'mon! I have something to show you!"

Those words themselves didn't scare Naoko. Keyla had said them at least a hundred times during their museum trip (most of which had led to sights that were, admittedly, fairly underwhelming). No, it wasn't that. It was the way she said it that made Naoko nervous.

Keyla kept glancing over her shoulder at Naoko, smiling widely whenever she caught Naoko looking. But once she turned away her smile was tugged downwards. Was Keyla nervous too? It was an odd thought to toy with but her mind snagged onto it, clutching it with desperate claws and shredding it to pieces.

Why would Keyla be nervous? She had done this sort of thing multiple times before? She had no real reason to be nervous. Unless she was taking a risk... (Oh no, what if she was taking a risk?) What kind of risk would it even be? What kind of risk would make even someone like Keyla feel squeamish?

Naoko almost ran into Keyla's outstretched arm as the other girl stopped suddenly.

"Ta da!" She beamed over at Naoko.

Naoko tore her gaze away from Keyla and her eyes landed on what was, undoubtedly, certainly, for sure, absolutely, the surprise.

"A boat," said Naoko, stunned.

"Yeah!"

And indeed it was. A small dinghy with a bench and oars and flaking coats of teal paint. It was in surprisingly good shape, with no leaks or pooling water inside.

Naoko wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this.

"Is this how you get around?" Naoko asked, because that was the first thing that popped into her mind after an awkwardly long silence.

"Yeah, sometimes," Keyla put her hands on her hips, staring at the boat proudly.

Sometimes? What did that mean? Naoko thought.