Wired: Metta's Story

A Change In Scenery

Metta

Delphinium, California - January 1, 2013 - 1:45 PM

The house looked the same as it had that fateful day with Felix. Like it was frozen in time, still existing in a world where he would be coming home to it. Instead, there was Metta. He felt like a trespasser. Did he truly belong there? He had destroyed a man's life, and he got a house out of it.

"Instead of spiralling, why don'tcha come upstairs and show me where you want your stuff?" Metta jumped slightly. Rose was standing at the bottom of the stairs, eyebrow raised. She'd volunteered to help him move in, and carry his stuff for him if he paid her extra, because that was one of her jobs, after all.

"Y-Yeah, sorry." Metta smiled nervously at her. "Sorry. I know we're not in session right now."

"Dude, we haven't even had one yet." Rose let Metta pass her, which was possibly the only way he was making it up. No turning back now. He hadn't ventured up the stairs the first time. "And I've been listening to your agony for free for days. Not gonna stop you now just cause I'm your therapist. Which room?"

"I guess that makes sense." Metta considered the doors before him. He didn't know where three of them led. The fourth was slightly open. He could see it was a bathroom. There were plants in the hallway, as well. They were withered.

"Don't worry too much about the plants." Rose said lightly. "They were already like that, I think. Not because of me. I always take care of my plants. ...Can't be helped."

Metta stared at her for a minute. She always had a way of making things seem better than he thought they should be.

"...I don't know which room to choose."

"I think, for you..." Rose marched towards the door directly to the right of Metta. "This one. It used to be my dad's."

"A-Are you sure?" Metta bit his lip. "I-I don't want to feel like I'm intruding, s-so maybe... the third room...? A-Assuming the second one was yours?"

"Yup." Rose nodded sharply. "But I think you should take this one."

She opened the door and dragged Metta's suitcase in without waiting for an answer. He followed her across the threshold, nervously looking around.

"I-I don't know-"

"Exposure therapy." She took his hand and pulled him further into the room matter-of-factly. "It's less scary if you just get it over with, right?"

"...Right." Metta sighed. She had been telling him it wouldn't be good for him to place Felix on some sort of pedestal. Elevate him in his mind. Maybe staying in his room would help Metta to feel closer to him. Remember him as he was. "...Can I have a minute?"

"Sure. It's your house."

Rose shrugged and left the room. He heard her footsteps on the stairs. Once he was alone, Metta sat down on the bed. It was soft. Comfortable. He could get used to this. It wasn't the neatest room in the world. He might tidy up a bit. But he wasn't sure he wanted to move Felix's things around too much. There was a bookshelf with sciency looking literature. A familiar sight. More withered plants in the windows. A slightly open closet, some clothes fallen to the floor. And...

He stood up and walked over to the desk. There were some papers and knicknacks scattered across the top. Notes on SOULs, he could see. He picked up a metallic block. It pulled the other blocks up with it. Oh. Magnets. He smiled.

There were a couple pictures, too. Felix with another man, one Metta didn't recognize. Maybe his lab partner. Metta's gaze shifted to the other one, and he smiled. Definitely Rose when she was younger. She was adorable. A few teeth were missing, but... her eyes were the same. Bright, and catlike. Looking at this now, Metta could almost feel... how much Felix had loved her. He'd look at this while working here. While writing his final letter to her.