Memory Lane

Part 22: Rat King

I confess what I did to Dumb, Fat, and Angry while sitting in a French-themed cafe. Chiyo orders a strawberry shortcake with a yuzu tonic and I ask for a chocolate crepe with a steaming cup of hojicha. We hadn't seen each other in a while so obviously we had to cut school to meet.

Texting about you hastened my recovery. I had so many thoughts and feelings about you that I kept bottled up inside, mostly because there was no one I could talk about them to. But letting Chiyo know that I was intimate with a victim of a murder she was closely following finally gave me an outlet.

I told her everything she wanted to know and more. As I was lying in bed, my thumbs did their best to paint a portrait of you. Blonde, blue-eyed, and all-American with a love for fish and swimming. Our matching water drop necklaces. The tattoo on your ankle. The small eternity of our relationship. I left out the most intimate details, the parts of you I wanted to keep for myself.

So by the time I met her at the cafe, I was sure she heard enough about you and started the conversation with a different topic. It wasn't entirely random. In the days I was bedridden, I was curious to know if Airi's bullies listened to my threats.

"They left her alone for a few weeks," Chiyo says after hearing my explanation for why I targeted them. "But they're picking on her again."

I pause mid-sip. Drops of hojicha slide down my chin. "What?"

"It's small things like stealing her sunglasses. They never get caught and they manage to blame it on other students. It's a different girl every time."

I let out a curse, briefly drawing stares from the other customers. I make a hasty apology before turning to Chiyo again.

"So it didn't work."

"Technically it did. You told them not to hurt Airi. They don't even speak to her in school. But they do threaten other students to get them to do their bidding."

I point out the video that I had of Fat. "I could expose her and ruin her mother's reputation. She would be expelled from St. Catherine's if I leak it."

"The main problem is Angry. She's the one with the vendetta against Airi. Fat and Dumb just like to join in. If you expose that video, it would put a target on your back. Fat would go after you and Airi wouldn't be better off."

I sit back, amazed. "You've really thought this through."

"It's not rocket science. That's how petty grudges work. Airi will have to apologize if she wants this to end."

If it was that easy, it would have happened already. At least, that's what I thought. I write off the option.

"Why don't I just threaten them again?"

She frowns at me, making a noise of displeasure. "That's exactly what you're not supposed to do. Now that I think about it, Angry could be acting alone this time. If she's getting other people to do her dirty work, she doesn't need Fat and Dumb in the same way. They would want that too since neither of them truly has anything against Airi. I think she just has to talk to Airi."

"But-"

"You could actually get in trouble with the police if Dumb or Angry came forward. They have physical evidence of what you did to them on their bodies. I'm betting that they took photos of those cuts and bruises. Don't be surprised if they try to blackmail you in the future."

I bury my face in my hands, realizing just how stupid I had been in confronting the trio alone. Rather than stopping my sister's bullies, I only encouraged them to find smarter ways to hurt her.

"Airi doesn't want to apologize, doesn't she? I'm guessing she won't tell you what happened with Angry either. It's a tricky place to be in. Maybe you should let her handle it by herself."