Through Everything

A Duo Above the Rest

"Why not?"

With nothing but a weak shrug in reply, Luna began to fiddle with the loose ends of her bandage. Jia eyed her with caution, apprehensive of Luna's sudden meekness.

"I can't kill you." began Luna in a slow faint whisper-like tone, her voice heavily dusted with remorse. "And I don't want to."

All this while-when Luna wasn't hitting Jia against something-her hands were glued to the knife. Jia had noticed that.

But now, her pale fingers curled and uncurled themselves through the loose ends of her dressing, even though the knife was only a feet away from her foot.

As Jia pondered over this, Luna let out a sigh. Jia turned her glance away from the dressing and looked up at her friend.

"I know I can finish you off if I wanted to, but I won't." The stack of chairs let out a slight rattle as Jia leaned against it. 

"I don't want to do it because after i'm done, i want to look down at you. I want to see you living life happily....." She trailed off, not knowing how Jia would take all this in. The decision to end her life had been hard enough as it was on Luna; the last thing she wanted was to reveal someone else. 

But opening up to Jia.....made her feel different. Luna still felt astray.....but not as lost as she did up to now. Up to this moment.

"More than anything, " she began once again. "I wanted to see you happy-without me being a burden. Without me to ruin things....to break your heart."

"What happiness do you think i'll get without you?" asked Jia, swallowing back remorse-filled tears. "If you go, you won't just be breaking my heart. Leo, your Mum and Dad......and most of all," Her eyes shone with realisation. "Sophia."

Luna shoulders lifted up at once. In response, Jia went on. "You have no idea how much she's done"-Jia pointed a passionate finger at the door-"and still is doing on the other side of that door."

"What are you saying?" 

Jia scoffed at Luna's apprehension. "Well, let's see. When she found out you were in trouble, she got the entire class together, delegated and found out where you were, sent Rose to bring me here and manipulated me enough to get in here and stop Ivy."

Luna rubbed the side of her neck and raised an eyebrow at Jia. "You serious?"

"More than ever." She continued, "And you know what the craziest thing is? She did all of this not just for you; but for me too."

Luna's eyes opened wide in astonishment. 

"She wants to see us together-that's proof enough for me that the two of you didn't plot against me." Her smile died down and she fixated on Luna's bandaged arm.

"She moved mountains for you, and all I did was.....end the one good thing either of us ever had."

Without a word, Luna plopped herself down on the concrete, gripping the concrete beside her.

"I guess it's time for me to....talk." She patted the floor beside her. 

Getting on her knees, Jia sat herself down next to Luna, their backs leaning against a stack of foldable picnic tables.

"I'm not really good with feelings........or emotions....but there are things I need to get off my chest. Things I want you to know."

Luna rubbed the back of her neck feverishly, fighting back question marks of whether opening up to Jia was the right call.

"Take your time." said Jia, reading her mind. "I'm not going anywhere." 

Luna watched as Jia took off her blazer, scrunched it up into a ball and tossed it to the side. They both knew it-this was the Jia she needed now.