Warming a Frozen Heart

Discretion

CHAPTER 9

Discretion

-JC-

School is back. Anyway, I promised Kyousuke I would always wear the pendant he gave me. Luke, Erin and Kyousuke often tried to pry me out of my chosen isolation, and I just simply went by their wishes. It doesn't hurt to have really noisy friends when their noise actually cheers you up. We all hung out up on the rooftop, sometimes doing our school work there. Erin asked me to join the choir as a pianist since she was also there, so I complied- much to the joy and surprise of the choir members.

Kyousuke often accompanies me there, but I chose not to let him because his ever-so annoying, self-proclaimed 'girlfriend' Margaret always comes as well. The dense dog never knew why I didn't allow him and the slut to watch the practice.

"Hey, you staying?" Erin asked. "We'll all be home by four... which is two minutes from now."

"Y-yeah, I guess. I'm busy making a composition." Erin nodded and I proceeded to the music room. I went over to the piano and ran my fingers through the keys. Taking a deep breath, I recalled the lyrics and the keys. "I want you to stay with me forever... stay in my heart, cherish it together... never to forget, never to leave... stay by my side until I sleep..." I sighed and took out my notebook, adding a few lines and the chords to the lyrics. "Stay there and dream with me..."

I heard clapping outside the door of the music room, finding Kyousuke there. Startled, I accidentally crashed my hand on the keys, producing a loud and horrible sound. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"That was nice, I never knew you could sing and play the piano so well."

Heat crept up my cheeks. "Moreover, answer the goddamn question!" I retorted, shoving the notebook inside my bag and standing up. "What are you doing here?!"

He raised his hands. "No need to be mad. I just came here to fetch you."

"Didn't I tell you to leave?"

"I just want to fetch you, like always."

"Why?"

He gave me an annoying smile. "Because YOLO."

I sighed and followed him outside. "What evil spirit got into you to get me and tell me it's because I only live once, huh?"

"The spirit of a stupid dog." He opened the door and got us inside. "Care to sing that song for me again?"

"No," I spat. "Care to share!" he remarked, prodding me. "It's like the one you told me a few months back. Come on, Grumpy Cat, share."

"I want you to stay with me forever, stay in my heart, cherish it together, never to forget, never to leave, stay by my side until I sleep," I muttered in a continuously monotonous voice, not singing it properly. He sighed in defeat and sat down on his bed. "Fine."

***

I was on my way to the music room when I heard a small crash inside. Intrigued, I didn't go inside and tried to peek in through the small fiberglass window on the door. I saw two silhouettes near each other on the corner where the small bass drum was located. I figured it was the drum that caused the crash, so I opened the door to check if it was broken.

Instead of a drum with a hole on top, the sight of Margaret kissing Kyousuke greeted me on my way in. The air around the three of us suddenly froze and stood still as my anger slowly bubbled to its peak. Margaret broke away from the dog and gave me a flirty stare, as if trying to ignite my anger once again. But instead of pure, raging flames of madness, a tear suddenly made its way across my cheek. Before I knew it, another one came. Soon I was just plain crying and backing away. Kyousuke tried to approach me and explain, but my feet broke into an involuntary run towards the dorm, into Luke's room, and locked myself there, doing nothing except crying. This is just damn wrong. This is so wrong!

***

-Kyousuke-

I ran after JC and tried to unlock Luke's room. "JC!" I called, hitting the door with my hand. "JC! Let me explain!" I kept knocking and repeating the same words, but all I heard was nothing but sobbing.

Luke, who was walking at the corridor, saw what I was trying to do. He pulled me away from the door. "Get away from her first, man. She won't listen. Distance."

I stood still beside him while he knocked calmly. "JC... it's me, Luke. Open the door for me."

"You'll let that bastard in." I flinched at her clear voice. "No."

"I won't. I won't let him in, okay?" He gave me a look that repeated his statement. I nodded. "It's just gonna be me."

We both heard a bolt being removed and the doorknob being unlocked. Luke entered and stopped halfway to tell me, "Distance. Just... go first. I'll hear your side later."

***

-JC-

I slammed and re-locked the door shut after Luke got inside. I sat on the corner beside the door and slumped. He sat in front of me and finished drinking his canned soda. "So, what happened in your view?"

"Kyousuke and Margaret were kissing in the music room. I don't trust my perception on this case fully, but I think Margaret dragged him there and kissed him on purpose because she knew I would head there straight after dismissal."

"Hm... I trust your theory and your perception, actually. I mean, it's never wrong. All I should do now is hear Kyou's side." He sighed. "Don't cry anymore. You've cried so many times, JC. I just don't want to see my Grumpy Cat sister crying because of my friend."

"And I don't want my beverage fetishist brother telling me that," I muttered. "I'm not crying. I'm having an allergic reaction to life."

"Okay, okay. I'll go to the dog now, okay? Don't do anything drastic... again."

***

-Kyousuke-

"And then she just kissed me after dragging me inside," I continue. We were talking for a while now, Luke listening intently to me.

"So basically, JC's perception was right all along. God, I wish I was smart and reasonable as her..." He stood up. "Looks like you're gonna sleep alone for a while now. I don't know if you know this or not, but when JC's pissed, she's pissed, and you better get out of her way. Go away from her for a while, 'cause if you try to force yourself into her shell again, she'll just shut herself in tighter."

"Sure."

Days passed with JC avoiding me at all costs. She even refused to hang out in the rooftop with us just to be able to get away from me. She quit from the choir and spent all of her free time shut inside Luke's room, either crying or sleeping. In a matter of two weeks, Luke finally let me try to apologize to her, but she still wouldn't listen. Everyday, Luke and I would try different ways to get her out of the room and talk to me, but she sees our motive easily and shuts the door back.

"I think you should just apologize through the door. Getting her out there is hopeless," Luke declared. "It would work. The door's not soundproof anyway."

I sighed and leaned my hand on the door. Instead of supporting my weight, it opened ajar. Luke swung it open, ushered me in, and waited outside.

I looked around the room and saw the fireplace blazing with fire. On the hook near the flames was the necklace. I tried to get it, but it was too hot. Taking my handkerchief, I took it away and set it down on a desk before it finally reached combustion. I saw JC leaning on one of the bedposts at the edge of the bed, her back turned from me.

"JC?" No reply. I went a little near her. "Hey."

Her figure stayed still. I prodded her shoulder, but her head didn't turn. I moved across the bed and turned her around.

Her face and her lips were white and had a death-like look, her eyes lifelessly closed and in her hand was a bottle of ferrous sulfate.