In My Hands, Know Suffering

35: To Hold The Words Tight

They say that a handwriting reflected the kind of character a person had. Well, it wasn't really far off from being true. Siniyah got a glimpse of the notes that Castellone handed for Abrielle. She had raised her brows in the assumption that someone else took them down, also amazed at how organized they were. But she realized it was really his. She glanced at Abrielle from her desk, her friend was trying to read one of the notes that Castellone brought for her. A small smile formed in her lips. Perhaps there was still hope?

The events of last night, when Abrielle tried to escape, alarmed her. She didn't want to leave Abrielle for longer times for fear of it. She didn't want to return to their room and see her sprawled lifeless on the ground. She wanted to make sure that she was safe. Right now, knowing that Abrielle had to heal, she hoped Castellone would say the right words this time. To take her back to the surface.

Abrielle looked at her while she was trying to answer a few questions. Her bandages, from the rape, were gone. The only thing left was the one wrapped around her rib cage and the one covering her left wrist. But, some of the deeper wounds were still mending that left scars from inside her as evidence of what she's been through. Those were the injuries that Siniyah begged for Castellone to take away.

"What?" Abrielle asked. She placed the papers down when she caught her friend smiling. She was a bit embarrassed to show that she was still interested despite last night. She couldn't help it, his hand writing never ceased to amaze her.

"I've been thinking," Siniyah just had to ask. "Will you ever forgive Signo?"

What would anyone expect from that question after being harmed by the subject? Abrielle's face was plain, it was obvious there was no lightness in an unexpected query. "Why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

Siniyah shrugged, she was actually curious as to what Abrielle's answer might be. "I just wanted to know."

Abrielle took some time before answering her friend. She glanced back at the notes. Some pages flipped as a subtle wind blew through the slightly opened window. She could hear the voices of students who were either done with class, or were just attending one. "I don't know."

"Figures." Siniyah said before glancing down her own review materials. Silence hovered in their room for the rest of the afternoon as they tried to prepare for the coming exams. She soon found out she couldn't study well the longer she looked at her books, all she could think about was what Castellone told her. About the drugs.

She felt there was definitely something about to go wrong when he spoke of the pharmacy she was working in. She had a night shift that same day and while she no longer had afternoon classes, she couldn't shrug off the feeling that hung in the air between them when he said those. She couldn't possibly skip the shift since her companion took a leave to visit one of his sick parents.

It boggled her more, never really giving her peace when all she wanted was to study. But a certain distraction was along the way, at least for Abrielle.

A knock sounded their door and they looked at each other. Siniyah stood knowing who the person behind the door was. She immediately grabbed her bag and books and headed for the door. "I'll get it."

Abrielle simply resumed to reading while her friend answered it. She heard it close behind her as Siniyah stepped out. It was probably just one of her classmates for a make-up class or so.

Siniyah hauled her bag on a shoulder. Castellone's face painted an uncertain look, he was nervous, she could tell. "I swear if you hurt her again, I'm totally calling the cops on you this time."

Castellone raised his hands in surrender. "I just wanna talk, I promise."

Siniyah narrowed her gaze sternly. "She's in there."