Carry On

Chapter III: Orientation Camp--Levi Ackerman... Nah Just Joking

Chapter III: Orientation Camp—Levi Ackerman… Nah Just Joking.

Flashback*

“So… Has anyone ever lost a family member before?”

This question was spoken bluntly by the teacher. A silence enveloped the class. Liza looked at the faces of the class. Some tried to remain optimistic but failed, while some looked pretty shaken. Nobody’d ever lost anyone. Those idiots didn’t know what it felt like to lose someone. They all had nice, warm parents, majority of the class probably had an older brother or sister. And they probably disliked them because they were interfering with their lives.

Humans never ever treasure what they have. Until they’re gone.

But she didn’t raise her hand. What was the point of raising her hand? She didn’t want to talk about it. And most of all, she didn’t want to see those pitying expressions again. She didn’t want that at all. It wasn’t as glorious as everyone thought it to be, singled out in the middle of class. Feeling those scrutinizing eyes on you, seeing the pity on their faces, hearing the teacher give you her condolences… She didn’t want that. She had her pride, she had her dignity. She just wanted them to leave the matter alone.

She really didn’t understand why so many people wrote fictional stories about orphans during the twenty-first century. Really, she wouldn’t have minded if it was during a war or some other thing, but really? Not everyone’s an orphan, you know?

Off track, she reminded herself.

And to her horror, after seven seconds of silence, her sister raised her hand.

What is she doing? Incredulous, she stared at Elisse.

“Ah… Elisse, my condolences. Do you want to talk about it?” Her teacher asked. Several members of the class stared at Liza curiously, wondering why she didn’t put her hand up. After all, whoever who’d died was probably related to Liza too, right? They were sisters.

No, they were wrong. He’d long disappeared from her mind, from her thoughts. All she had were memories which she didn’t want to remember.

Memories which were surfacing right now.

Elisse opened her mouth, ready to speak. Then she glanced at Liza, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.

Be a good sister, Lisse. Your sister was closer to him than anyone else, so try to put yourself in her shoes, alright? Don’t talk about him in front of her. It brings up the memories. Their mother’s words resounded through Elisse’s mind. I have to be a good sister… Again. Have to keep up my image of the perfect girl right now. Have to think of Liza. Right. She closed her eyes, before doing the same to her mouth.

Then she shook her head silently.

No. She didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t want to talk about it because her little sister was still there.