Lotus

Kai - 22: Sorry

      PLEASE STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE AT ALL TIMES BEFORE STEPPING OFF THE PLATFORM.

     “Rina!” Kai called.

     He waved his arms up and around in the air as he ran frantically towards her. She turned and looked at him coldly.

     WATCH OUT FOR THE GAP WHILE ENTERING OR LEAVING THE TRAIN.

     “What are you doing here?” he asked.

     “I go to school here,” she replied. “I’m going back home to see Lindy.”

     “Oh… are you guys going to Jason’s vigil later?”

     Rina ignored him and lifted their bag onto her shoulder. She turned away and looked down at the rusty, metal train tracks below. She wanted to avoid all eye contact with the eager boy hovering around her. If she were to look him straight in the eye, she knew she would start crying.

     “Rina… aren’t you sad?” Kai asked.

     “Of course I’m sad.”

     “Have you spoken to Ren?”

     She was silent, still bitter that Ren had never called her back.

     “Um… about the other night… I’m sorry for what I said to you,” he told her. “Ren yelled at me already.”

     “I’m over it.”

     “So what have you been doing lately?”

     “A trigger went off in Rina’s head. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, ready to explode.

     “I’ve been visiting Jason every day… that is, until he died,” she said. “I came to visit him right after my classes ended, right up until visiting hours were over…And what were you doing all this time?”

     “Ren and I were staying at my place… for a memorial gathering for my sister’s birthday.”

     Rina’s eyes softened.

     “It snowed a lot where you live, right? Well where I live, the weather was so bad that the power went out for days,” he explained. “No heat, no electricity, and no phone. Nothing. That’s why we never called you back. Actually, we tried to, but nothing would go through. We’re lucky we even made it back last night.”

     Rina lowered her head.

     “I’m sorry,” she said.

     “No, I’m sorry. You had to deal with everything on your own.”

     AN EXPRESS SIX TRAIN IS NOW APPROACHING THE STATION.

     “Are you getting on?” Rina asked.

     “No… I’ll take the next one.”

     “Alright.”

     The train stopped and the doors opened. Rina stepped in without turning back. She couldn’t dare to because she already looked into Kai’s eyes. She had already started to cry.

     Hours passed. Rina and Lindy arrived at the funeral home. Lindy held her friend’s hand, squeezing it if she felt that Rina was too shaky. Rina held in her tears as she walked into the main lobby and down the hallway. They passed by many mourners. Most of them were boys around the same age as them. Rina figured that they were his high school classmates. There were also some older adults, Jason’s relatives.