Flesh & Bone (OMORI AU)

Chapter 7: Reunion

Most of the day was spent at Sunny's, everyone trying to make an effort to make Mari remember more things about the past. And it was working, but not well enough. She remembered her memories once they were brought up, but didn't know the specifics. She just knew the whole picture. Kel had neglected to tell Sunny about the voicemail he heard. He didn't want him to find out he was invading his privacy. And he was worried that the situation would make him feel worse. That the ritual didn't work properly. All because he didn't have a personal item of Mari's when performing it. Kel was quiet, which was off. He spent a lot of time just listening to his friends ask Mari questions, still wrapping his head around the sheer fact that she was right in front of him again.

Mari was happily listening to people talk, and answered the questioned asked. She was learning more every minute, but still felt there were pieces missing. It bothered her. She was learning more about herself, what she did before she died, and about her friends, but she knew there were gaps in between the memories that didn't line up. Was there something they weren't telling her about? She didn't want to ask. She just wanted to relish the positivity in the moment and just leave it to them to help her remember. She wanted to remember. Everything. Even the bad parts. But that would come with time. She knew that something was up. Despite being relatively naïve due to her lack of knowledge on the current day, she still maintained her intelligence. Mari had never been one to take people's shit. But she knew that in this case, it was detrimental. And she at least wanted to have a good time before she found out whatever was being kept from her. She just didn't know what that thing is. She had a pit in her stomach just thinking about it...

"Hey, Mari? Isn't that the dress you were going to wear to the recital?" Aubrey asked.

"That one recital you mentioned? With Sunny and I? I think so, I mean, that's the last thing I remember wearing before everything else just.. I donno.. vanished from my mind." Mari shrugged. "Don't know why I don't have shoes though, especially if I died in a car crash. Was the car crash after the recital or before?"

Aubrey gulped, looking at Kel, urging him to make up a lie. But he felt bad about lying to her. Sunny stared at the ground, saying nothing as he picked at the skin on his palms nervously.

"It was after. The recital was in the morning, and the driver's test was in he afternoon. You hadn't changed out of your dress yet." Basil finally said amongst the silence.

"Why didn't I have shoes on?"

"You liked driving without shoes." Basil said. That was actually a fact. She took off her shoes when driving, but always had socks on. He didn't want to bring up that to make her think more about it.

"Oh, hehe... That's kind of silly. But that does sound fun." Mari put a hand over her mouth when she laughed, just like she used to do. Kel smiled about it to himself. Maybe they were getting somewhere?

"Kel, you said Hero is coming tomorrow morning?" Basil questioned.

"Yeah... At ten. It feels so weird that of all times he decided to visit now. For the whole weekend. That's suspicious.."

"Dont think about it too much. I know it will be hard for him, but maybe if Mari sees him she'll remember more!" Basil grinned happily.

"You're actually right- But we cant just walk to your house tomorrow and show up with Mari." Aubrey snorted. "He'd pass out."

"Like Basil did." Kel laughed.

"YOU WHAT!??" Aubrey cackled with Kel, Mari joining as well. Basil managed to laugh a bit himself, and looked over at Sunny, who still kept his head down. His dark hair was covering his face, all he could see were his lips, which were trembling.