Ulterior Motives

Chapter 22 If I Could Turn Back Time

Natsuki's POV:

  "Sayori you don't mean that, come on-" I try to stop her, but she looks back at me with such a broken expression I can't hold on to her, I can't hold her back, my hold slackens.
  "Just leave me alone Natsuki." She growls yanking her arm away. "I want to be alone." I just dumbly watch her as she walks away head down arms wrapped her middle.

  I feel so worthless, like I'm such an awful friend. I just let her go.
   "What was that Monika?" Yuri demanded sharply making me jump slightly. MC cowers behind me and Annie leans against the wall uninterested.
   "Just shut up Yuri!" She grumbled shaking her head, Monika looked just as upset as Sayori, if not a bit worse.
   "No, you always act like some holyer than thou queen bitch! Well guess what you actually made a mistake and you need to own up to it!" She snapped harshly and I gulped, oh no cousin fight, what was I supposed to do?

   "Yuri leave me alone okay?! You're making me feel worse." She murmured and Yuri bit her cheek glaring at her cousin bitterly.
   "And what about how you made Sayori feel Monika huh? You know you like her, I don't understand  why you would react so harshly to her." She exclaimed and Monika scowled at her hands that were clenched against her sides, holding fistfuls of her skirt.

  "Because, Because my dad I don't...he doesn't... what would my parents say? Yuri your mom and dad love you, they respect you. My parents look at everything I do and think it's a joke. Oh look little Monika trying to be smart. They think me being bisexual is a phase...I...I'm scared okay? I'm scared of what they'll think, of what they'll do, I'm terrified of bringing Sayori into all of that....I just...I ....I'm terrified of being me and what they'll say...." she sniffs looking at the ground dejectedly and I look to Yuri who looks shocked by Monika's declaration of powerful emotion.

  "So you don't like Sayori then?" Annie whispers and Monika looks up sharply. Her jaw is  clenched and her eyes are ablaze with rage.
   "Are you kidding me? Like Sayori? Do I like Sayori?" She laughs erratically as she walks closer to Annie, similar to how a lion stalks a gazelle or a cat a canary. "Do I like Sayori?" She laughs shaking her head as she stares down at Annie bitterly.  "To answer your question I used to like Sayori, but then she joined the literature club and that ended." She whispered seriously and I gaped.
  "Monika-" Yuri tried and Monika silenced her with a wave of her hand.

   "So to answer your question no I don't like Sayori. " she looked over at Yuri, MC, and Myself, a smile was spread across her face.  "I love her, the way she laughs,  the way she smiles...her eyes, her hair...everything about her makes me feel so alive and happy. " she laughs softly wiping the tears from her eyes.
   "Monika what do you want? What would make you happy?" MC asks gently and I stare at him in shock. When did he get so enciteful?  Monika looks at him sadly.

  "Of course I want Sayori, she makes me feel so happy. " she murmured wringing her hands nervously.
   "Well if she makes you happy then I say go for it!" MC encouraged with a smile. "Because if Natsuki and I are honest, Sayori has liked you for a long time." He added and I looked back at Monika who looked dumbstruck.

  "Sayori likes me?" She whispered in disbelief and Yuri smiled at her cousin with admiration. Monika's face split into a wide smile. "Sayori likes me too!" She exclaimed bouncing in place happily. "Sayori likes me!!!" She laughs happily and I grin.

  "Go for it Monika!"  I encourage and she looked to me with a grin. Then something flashed across her face and she looked down at her maryjane shoes.
  "But I said such awful things to her...she probably hates me now.." she sniffed biting the inside of her cheek as a few tears escaped her eyes. 

  "Hey don't beat yourself up, it's Sayori we're talking about here, she's the most forgiving person I know." I reasoned and Monika rubbed her eyes again and smiled timidly.
    "Do you really think so?" She asked softly and I nodded confidently.
      "I know so, now come on let's go to her house and find her." I encouraged and we all started from the room and down the hall. I knew Sayori had like a ten or so minute headstart, so most likely she was either almost home or just getting in the neighborhood. 

   "Poor Sayori I tried to warn you now didn't I?"
I frown at the sound of Annie's voice as it fills up the school.

"Monika is popular, you're a nobody, Monika has two successful parents, your parents can't even be in the same room together, your mother hates you, Monika is pretty, perfect and everything you're not...why would she ever waste her time on someone like you?" 

Anger fills my body, I'm shaking with rage as we reach the top of the stairs, where we can see Sayori. Annie's sneering at her and Sayori's expression is heartbreaking.

  "I just..." her voice is small, timid and Annie laughs loudly. Monika is clutching the stair railing her eyes seem aflame with anger.
  
  "You just what? Thought you'd actually have a chance with someone like her? Please don't kid yourself Sayori! You heard her in there didn't you? She didn't want anything to do with you! She didn't stop you from quitting because she could care less about what happens to you!" She whispered harshly. Sayori sobbed a pained sound leaving her shaking body as she cried.
  
"I just...she was so nice...at my house..." Sayori is defending herself adamantly, desperately. Annie laughs at her again and I'm too angry to move, my whole body is shaking and Monika,  Yuri, and MC aren't much better. 

  "Honestly Sayori how dumb can you get? She was using you! She needed members for her club, now she has enough members and she doesn't need you. You must feel so embarrassed, if I were you I wouldn't even want to be alive. In fact why don't you just do the world a favor and disappear Sayori?" 

Sayori burst into tears, her expression was heartbreaking and defeated. Monika surged forward, hand outstretched as Sayori ran for the front doors to the school.
   "Sayori wait!" But Sayori doesn't hear and continues on, sobbing painfully.  I unfreeze slamming Annie into the wall. She has the decency to look shocked.

"What the hell was that? Why did you say that to her?" I demanded and Annie looks down at me.
     "I was only enlightening her to the truth."  She snapped and before I could respond Monika looked at her with a murderous glare in her green eyes.
    "No, you just were being a petty bitch, don't you ever come to my literature club again. If you ever talk to Sayori  again I'll kill you!" Monika growled then stormed past us out the door. 

To Be Continued...