𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝘿 on the 𝙎𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙎𝙆𝙔 - 𝚔𝚎𝚒 𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚊

23 - A New Time

For some reason, I found myself wondering. Wondering what? Wondering if there's an alternative universe. What if, reality does split?

Parallel universes only exist in fictional books. There is still no clear explanation if it exists in reality. Imagine, an alternative choice has made and turned out differently. That will be really cool.

Then there will be a different version of me in those other worlds. A different self, having a different life.

It is called variations.

In some instance, I wonder if there's a variation of me in a different world, would I be having a very beautiful life? Something that I could love. Something that I could be proud of because I have a loving family.

And at the end of the day, all I could do is to hope. To wonder.

I left school after the commotion happened with Shea. I bet I could no longer step inside of that school after all the things I (partly) have done. I sigh. I'm currently heading to the house with a heavy feeling. The realization has hit me with thousands of hard stones. I'm getting guilty just thinking about it.

Ugh, whatever. It has already happened. Like I can change anything.

Once reaching the house, I went inside. And something that really unexpected welcomed me.

Mother is here. She is sitting on a couch, all alone, no expression masks her. Her facial muscles are just loose. The best description of her is that she is almost a robot, like a mannequin displayed in a store.

And it is not the time that I suppose to care about her, but I should. Secretly inhaling air, I hide the discomfort behind a polite smile. "You're here," I said.

She was just staring me with emotionless eyes, and after a short silence, she speaks, "You're early to be here."

Coldness licked me in the face as her voice spreads across this place like a tide in frigid winter.

I only grinned, "You know that I have no interest in school, so."

"I knew that too well, daughter," replied mother, "You have no interest, but you always do the troublesome things. Is it fun?"

I frowned, "What do you mean?"

A smile crept on her lips, "I'm asking you the things you've done today, Lorraine."

It can't be . . . She already knows what happened in school. Then how? Perhaps . . . "You're an accomplice to Rise Yanagi?" Yanagi-sensei of my Trigonometry class.

"Right," she tells me, tilting her hear sideward to indicate an expression of taunt. "I actually hired her to look for you. And guess what, I never heard even a single good thing happened to you. Tell me, what do you really want? Causing a ruckus, for what, exactly?"

I clench my jaw, causing me to grit my teeth. "I did that out selfless retaliation. She deserves it."

"Oh, you mean immature retaliation? Mix with a little disgrace to my part," scoffs her, "A little bird told me that you used violence against someone, skipping class, and not taking your exams. You must have a valid reason, don't you? I wonder when will you ever grow up."

Such distasteful words. As I can see, this is no longer a normal conversation, but an argument. A strange sadness has gripped me. It produces sharp pain in me as if a stake has stuck on my chest.

"Can we just discuss in some other time?" Calmly, I reply to her.

Mother has that provoking smile. "Why can't we? Because you have done something disgraceful that you can't speak about it?"