Facing Phantoms, Pursuing Flowers

Slipping Away

Eyes showing a hint of brokenness, Melody went to the bathroom of the Cricket Club the next day at training to try to cover up that she'd been crying.

The situation was immensely awkward as Nam knew, but didn't know how to help Sota and Melody.

When Yuzuru came bouncing into the rink, he immediately noticed something was off. He looked back and forth between the 3 of them, and no one said a word.

Later during break, Nam told Yuzuru everything. And Yuzuru sighed helplessly.
'So much for Selody.'

The rest of training was done without any communication between any of them. Coach Tracy Wilson finally noticed but didn't want to get involved and mess things up, so she just ignored it, although it was even awkward for her, because the Cricket Club has never ever been this quiet.

After the guys left the rink, Melody tried her Flip once more and fell hard. She squished her left shoulder from the fall. She lay on the ice for a while longer, looking up the ceiling.

For a while, she just lay emotionless, and the next minute, she had more tears raining down her face.

Feeling frustrated at herself for crying yet again, she yelled without thinking, 'WHAT DID I DO??!'

Yuzuru and Nam were leaving then and heard her sudden outburst and turned to face the rink. The sight they saw wasn't a pretty one. Melody was sprawled across the ice, her face was red and her long black hair was in a mess in front of her face.

After that outcry, she curled up in a ball sideways and let the ice numb the pain: the pain from her fall and the pain in her heart.

After she got up and cleaned herself up, Yuzuru was waiting for her, and walked with her.
'He overheard you say.....That's why he's so heart broken.' Yuzuru explained.

'What? But I- when did he hear me say that? I only said it to my sister.'

'I don't know, but he heard it and that's the reason for his behavior. It's not as if he doesn't care for you anymore, he still does, very much so. He just doesn't want to tell you how much'

'Well he sure has a funny way of showing he's care.'

'I think he's just waiting'

'For?'

Yuzuru stared at her in disbelief.
how dense can this girl be?

'What? Why are you giving me that face?'

'Nevermind'

...

Not long after, she was on the bus back to Kingston again. But before her bus left, she turned and looked out the window and saw him opposite of her bus stop, running to catch her.

But whatever he had to say, she didn't feel like hearing it now. So she avoided eye contact.

Sota stared with eyes that reflected longing and hurt, and sang all he wanted to say to her out loud, even if she couldn't hear him.

Cause it only breaks my heart,
To see you going through this,
To see you going through this,
And there's nothing that I can do.

And it only breaks my heart,
You don't have to do this,
You got nothing to hold on to,

Cause you keep slipping away,
A little bit more everyday now,
Feels like I'm running in places,
You keep slipping away, away.

Just when I get you alone,
It feels like I'm on my own,
The tears running down from your face,
You keep slipping away, away.