Cherry Blossom Abyss

Flashback: saeko (age 14)

Was she....dead?

I narrow my eyes to look at her closer.

Her eyes meet mine.

Oh. It's her. Emiko misao.

All scratched up and beaten,collapsed against a wall behind the school.

"...the fuck do you want..." She snarls at me.

I raise my brows.

I shouldn't get involved with delinquents. They're only trouble.

I look forward to see a group of girls giggling,looking back at emiko and disappearing out of sight.

"...did they do this to you?"

Emiko spits out some blood onto the concrete.

"What's it to you?" She snarls.

I sigh. She was a lost cause.

"You're right. None of my business."

I go to walk off but she grunts.

"It was an accident,so don't go telling anyone different okay? My friends and I just had an argument...." She mumbles.

I look back at her.

"...you call those people your friends...?"

She doesn't look at me.

"They're the only ones who stick around..."

I tilt my head.

She was just...hurt... lonely....

Misguided.

Maybe she wasn't such a lost cause.

I reach into my bag and grab some peroxide and bandages,placing it down at her feet.

"I don't need your fucking pity." She spits at me, kicking the bandages and peroxide over.

I look up at her.

I reach into my bag again and grab a piece of paper,writing my number on it and putting it with the bandages,straightening them back up.

"If you need someone,call me."

I raise up and look at her hateful eyes.

"You don't have to do this alone. No one does. Call me,or don't. I don't really care either way."

I turn and walk off.

Except I did care ...

I saw myself in her.

But if I told her that,she wouldn't believe me.