Head in the Clouds

Chapter 12: Explain Yourself

"Explain yourself," Deidre ordered casually.

Ko opened his mouth as though trying to talk, but shut it just as quickly. He studied her face for any sign of fear, but there was none. Her eyes remained on him, her lips barely twitched and her breathing was so even and normal. He couldn't understand it. Did she even hear him?

"I said, 'We're all gonna die'," he repeated a little louder.

Deidre nodded, "I heard you the first time."

Ko leaned back in his bamboo chair and scoffed, "And you just don't care?"

Deidre shrugged, "I care, just not a whole lot."

Ko opened and shut his mouth again. What do you say to that? She was acting like nothing supernatural at all was happening here.

"Who the hell is this girl?" He thought.

"Are you trying to figure out why I'm not scared?" Asked Deidre as though she was already bored.

"I mean- yeah," he let out a singular chuckle from his red lips.

"I'll tell you, but you have to answer every question I ask," she proposed.

"I can try," he offered. There was something about his voice that just pissed Deidre off. Maybe it was the smirk he often dawned or the smoothness of his voice in general, but she just wanted to fight him again.

"Here's the answer: I'm just not," she replied.

A waitress approached their table and took their order. Ko ordered some soup, while Deidre settled for a sandwich. When she was gone, they resumed.

"So that's it?" He asked.

"That's it," she affirmed.

"You're just not afraid of death?"

"Not really," she replied honestly.

She was right though. She had shaken the fear of death long ago when she faced the wolves. It was out of necessity though. There's no way she could do all the things she does if she feared personal consequences.

"My turn," she said before Ko could object, "What happened to Nadja?"

The waitress returned placing the utensils in front of them.

"I don't know what happened to your stupid horse," he replied seething a bit.

Deidre clenched her fists on the table with her eyes focused on him.

"No knives, thanks," urged Ko to the waitress.

She nodded and swiftly took the knives away. Deidre calmed herself and unclenched her hands.

"I don't know what happened to your horse, okay?" He said a bit more calmly, "I just took her to get the last set of pieces back. That's when you found me in Callaco City. I never hurt her."

"Puzzle pieces?" She thought, "That's what he was putting on the panel. He caused the light!"

"Why did you do this?" Asked Deidre, "Why did make the lights happen?"

"I didn't know it would happen," he defended, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes every few seconds.

"What?"

The waitress resurfaced with their meal and placed it before them. Neither of them moved to take the first bite. Instead, they just sat there looking at each other.

"Am I supposed to believe you caused some sort of cosmic incident by accident?" Deidre asked in obvious disbelief.

"More like a purposeful accident," he claimed. She really wanted to fight him now.