He noticed the faint sound of the clock ticking in his room. Waking up to it always irritated him, but he never did anything about it. He turned to his side and looked at the empty wall. The picture wasn't there.
He got up and walked to his dresser; he grabbed his clothes and looked back at the wall, but there was still nothing there. He walked out of his room and continued to do everything else the same as he did yesterday, and the day before. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up; nothing about him will ever change.
You'll always have that same disgusting look on your face.
He opened the front door and turned around. No one was there to greet him or say goodbye, but he still looked, as if doing so would somehow bring them back.
"I'll be back late today." This time, he wouldn't wait for a response that would never come; he closed the door and walked down the stairs. He didn't get his bike and, instead, walked out onto the road. A car started honking at him. He looked at them and...
His vision becomes distorted as he falls to his knees.
It was quiet now.
He got up and stretched his arms out as he leaned his entire body back. He looked down the road, which seemed to go on forever, but there was nothing for him to see. Everything was gone, except him.
As he continued walking down this quiet road, he noticed places he'd been to before. A bakery with a vibrant flower garden. A dog park with too many dogs. An arcade that had no hard games. The sushi restaurant where he had his first...He stopped walking.
There was a gentle smile on his face, as he remembered it: their first date. But as another memory surfaced in his mind, he walked away from the restaurant. He kept walking, without looking at anything else.
It was only when he reached the school, that he stopped walking again. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, but he didn't do anything with it and put it back. The complete silence emphasized even his most subtle movements.
His vision becomes distorted and he loses control of his body.
Shit.
When his control returned, he was lying, flat on his face, against the concrete. He got up and patted down his pants a bit. Without a hint of worry on his face, he kept on walking again. It wasn't quiet anymore, but he still couldn't see anyone else.
|●○○|
"Thank you for the wonderful food sweetie." As he said that, I got up and grabbed both our plates. I made sure to not make too much, so it wouldn't take long to clean up.
"You're welcome." And as I say that, I start humming my way over to the kitchen and drop the plates into the empty sink. I wash my hand and walk over to the stairs, but I stop for a moment.
He remembers what I told him yesterday, right?
"You'll be fine for dinner tonight, right?" I raise my voice when I ask him that, to make sure he can hear me, even though that's never been an issue for him. I lean forward and see him from around the corner.
"O-of course sweetie." I'm a little worried, hearing, and seeing, him answer my question like that, but I know he'll be fine without me. Besides, he's too old for me to be worrying about him so much. I have my own worries to be worrying about right now.
"Okay." I walk up the stairs and head down the hallway. The door across from mine was left open, so I close it and go into my room. I sit down on my bed and lay across the sheets.
What kind of face would he make, if he knew I-
Before I can finish that thought, a notification pops up on my phone. I read the name "Juli" and unlock my phone to look at my messages.
「good luck!」
I feel relieved seeing that message from her and start typing out a response.
「thank you」
「ill let you know how it goes」
I pick up my things and walk out my room, then down the stairs again. I peek around the corner again, to find Dad sitting on the couch, typing something on his laptop.
"Dad, I'm leaving. Don't get lonely without me." I say that without raising my voice this time, expecting him not to hear me. But, as always, I watch him look away from what he's doing and at me.
"Good luck at school today. Drive safely. And have fun on your date!" I walk over to the front door, without saying anything back to him, but I stop when I get to the door.
"Bye!" I yell that out with an awkward grin on my face and walk out the door. I can feel my face burning up, as I open the door again and look at him still looking at me.
"Honestly...thank you." I can see him smirking all the way over there, and I close the door again. He didn't have to say it so loud...I catch myself humming as I walk out the driveway and get in my car.
|○○□□|
He walked into class and noticed she was on her phone, with headphones on, probably watching something. He walked over to his seat and sat down. He looked back at her, still looking at her phone, and felt oddly comfortable. Simply watching her like this, made him feel relaxed somehow.
As he creepily stared at her, a disgusting grin grew on his face. Before he realized it, he had stopped thinking about anything. He didn't even realize she had noticed him staring at her. Now he did.
Blood rushed to his face, seeing her looking confused. He thought about looking away from her to hide his embarrassment, but he, instead, tried to calm himself down first.
What kind of face was I making? When did she notice? Why hasn't she said anything yet?
Distracted by his own worries, he failed to consider greeting her an option and continued to remain silent.
"Good morning?" Her greeting was quite stiff, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what he managed to do yesterday. Her voice dispelled his worries, as if he'd actually been worried.
"Ah, good morning." He returned her greeting, albeit while still acting flustered, and noticed her headphones lying on her desk.
"What were you watching?" As he asked her that, his embarrassment slowly went away. Maybe he actually was embarrassed this time.
"Were you watching me?" She blushed a little, as she asked him that, and he began feeling embarrassed again. She didn't seem bothered by it, but he still felt guilty. Though, it's more concerning that she doesn't mind what he did.
"I was wondering what you were looking at. You were really into it, so I didn't want to bother you." His nervously put-together response was a little too honest. He could have left out the part where he had been gawking at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She immediately fired back at him with another reasonable question, but she seemed more embarrassed than him now.
"I..." He started saying something, but couldn't think of anything. At this point, he had given himself two options: be honest or make up an excuse. That is to say, he had no clue what to say.
Then, suddenly, he remembered something she said to him yesterday and a wave of relief washed over him. If it was fine for her to say something like that, then surely...he could too.
"You were so cute that I couldn't look away." The words left his mouth, in a moment of sheer desperation, and once that moment ended, he realized something. He was insane to think this would work.
"What...?" She was blushing even more now, after hearing him spout such an embarrassing one-liner, and he was just as embarrassed.
"So, what were you watching?" Hoping that she would go along with him pretending he didn't say that, he repeated his initial question to her.
"I was watching a cake tutorial video my friend sent me." She still seemed embarrassed, but she decided to throw him a bone on this one. He was glad that she answered his question this time.
"You like to bake?" He asked her that, knowing full well what her answer would be. It's not like he's completely uninterested, but he already knows she does.
"I don't just like it. I love baking." For some reason, her eyes seemed to sparkle as she said that to him with a slightly raised voice. She picked up her phone and held it out to him.
"We made these pancakes together yesterday. They were so good. Just remembering it is making me a little hungry again." Her ecstatic tone while talking about it made it seem more interesting to him. Although, he was mostly just happy to see her so excited about it.
"They look great. Is that what you two were doing yesterday?" He said that without realizing how easy it would be to misunderstand, but it was already too late for him to realize it now. He really needs to work on his phrasing.
"How'd you know it was yesterday?" Her confused tone was reasonable, considering the way he worded what he said.
"Oh, I saw you two walking together when I was leaving school." He managed to correct his mistake, without realizing he had been misunderstood, this time. Is he not doing it on purpose?
"If you saw me, you should've said something." She seemed annoyed now, which confused him. He hadn't even considered saying something to her yesterday, so he didn't think anything was wrong with what he told her.
"I'm sorry." He apologized to her, not because he felt bad for what he did but for upsetting her. His insincerity is honestly disgusting, but it's nothing new.
"So, if you see me again, you won't just pass me by without saying anything, right?" She was a little happy now, but she still seemed bothered. He didn't want to turn this into something bigger than what it was, so he realized he just had to give up.
"I promise I will." He reluctantly said that to her, only because he felt guilty. Though, he had no intentions of following through with what he promised.
"Good. Don't go forgetting about it this time." She proudly made that remark with a smug look. He felt relieved, seeing her no longer upset. Though, he still had one thing he needed to do.
"Hey, are you doing something today?" He asked her that all of a sudden and she seemed taken aback. As was I. This isn't something he would do, not even in a million years.
You're doing this on purpose,
aren't you?
He shuddered for a moment, but no one else noticed.
"I am, but why are you asking?" Once he heard her answer, he zoned out her voice and prepared himself. It's almost like he actually felt nervous.
"Do you want to go out with me then?" Instead of answering her, he asked her a question of his own. She began blushing and looked completely starstruck.
"Umm...I...would like that..." She started awkwardly twirling her hair as she mumbled something under her breath, but that couldn't hide how red her cheeks had become. I actually feel a little bad for what's about to happen.
"Is it alright if I choose where we go then?" He pulled out his phone without thinking to look at how she'd react to what he said and started looking something up.
|○|
"You want to go out with me...somewhere?" I felt tense, and anxious, asking him that, but he didn't even bother to look at me at first. Surely, that's not what he meant...right?
"Yeah?" He finally looked at me, but now I wish he hadn't. I felt a sharp pain in my chest seeing him look at me so worried.
"Are you okay?" He looks even more worried now. He hasn't realized that I misunderstood what he was asking me.
Why did I have to think that?
I'm so stupid.
My body tenses up when he suddenly puts his hand on my shoulder. He's looking at me so seriously, but I just want to look away.
"What's wrong?" He asks me that, but there's nothing wrong at all. It's my own fault for getting ahead of myself like that. I'm okay.
"I'm..." I need to tell him that I'm okay. It's just two words, but they won't come out. I can feel something beating loudly in my head. It hurts.
"I'm okay." The words finally come out. That's right. I'm okay. For a moment, I feel relieved, but he still looks worried. Why?
"I'm scared..." Those words come out of my mouth, all of a sudden, and a chill runs down my back. He looks relieved, but I'm terrified.
"I..." I shouldn't have said that. It's my fault. I have to deal with it myself. I don't need his help. Why did I say that?
"I thought you were asking me to go out as a couple..." I can feel the blood draining from my face and there's a disgusting taste in my mouth. What's wrong with me?
"That's...I mean...I..." I can't think straight. I can barely look at him straight on. I want to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
"I think I like you..." My head hurts. I can feel tears running down my cheek. I feel like I'm about to throw up. "Why did I say that...?"
"How could I feel calm right now?!" I feel upset all of a sudden, after yelling something I don't understand at him. The throbbing sensation in my head is gone, but I don't understand why.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Mena, why are you doing this to me?!" I'm yelling at him again, but I'm not even upset anymore. I look around the classroom for a moment, and it's empty. But...wait...when did he ever tell me his name...
|◇|
"You want to go somewhere with me then?" He asked her that while looking directly at her, hoping that doing so would raise his chances somehow. An extraordinary pain is swelling in his head, but he's ignoring it.
She seemed surprised by his sudden question. As was I. Her red cheeks made it obvious how flustered she was, but seeing her tugging on her hair made it even clearer.
"I'd like that." She had a stupidly sweet grin on her face, as she said that to him, and he acted as if he was surprised by her answer.
"It's okay if I choose where we go, right?" He asked her that, without pulling out his phone this time, and continued to look at her.
"Uhh, yeah?" She said that with a confused look on her face, which made sense since he asked her such an unnecessary question. He didn't seem to understand why she looked confused.
"Okay. Can I..." For some reason, his mouth stopped moving, before he finished what he was saying, and he felt terrified by something.
His vision becomes distorted and blood bursts from his face.
She looks at him, terrified by what just happened. He...
|◇|
"Okay. Can I have your number?." He asked her that, even though he already had her number, and took out his phone without looking away from her.
They exchanged numbers, and he looked at her contact on his phone with a strange smile on his face. He put his phone away and looked back at her. His eyes widened when he noticed her humming to herself so innocently.
His face was burning up as his eyes stayed focused on her reddish lips.
"I'm sorry." He said that to her, without caring about how she'd feel about it, and bit down on his lip. She wouldn't understand what he was apologizing for, but she would still be able to tell that something was wrong. So...
|◇□□□|
He leaned his back against the railing of the stairs and took out his phone. While looking at the few messages they had exchanged, a drop of something red splashed onto the screen.
He rubbed his forehead and got blood on his hand. A sharp pain abruptly came into his head for a second. He looked at his hand again and the blood was gone.
There wasn't any reason for him to worry about what happened just now, so he didn't. He began typing out a message to her.
「I'll be waiting outside by the stairs near the parking lot.」
He sent the message to her and turned off his phone, without waiting for her response.
A cool breeze suddenly pushed against his back, startling him for a moment.
He looked down at his hands, covered in blood, and nearly choked on his breath. He looked up at the two corpses in front of him and tried to walk toward them, but couldn't. He looked down at the chains tying his legs to the ground, which shouldn't have been there.
"Why are you crying?"
His entire body froze up.
"You're the one who killed them."
His phone fell to the ground, bringing him back to reality. He bent over to pick it up and noticed his hand was shaking. He ignored it and put his phone in his pocket. "I hope she gets here soon." He said that and leaned against the railing again. That disgusting look on his face was gone, but I wasn't happy about it at all.
|○|
I take out my phone for a second and start grinning to myself, seeing who sent me a message. I look to my left and feel a little embarrassed, seeing Juli, holding in a laugh, looking at me smiling like an idiot.
"You get a text from your boyfriend?" She asked me that, even though she knew we were just friends. I feel a little dejected, reminding myself of that fact, but I shouldn't let that bring me down.
"Yeah. He's waiting for me by the stairs in the back." I say that, but I still don't know where he's taking me. I was hoping he would tell me, but he hasn't yet. I put my phone back in my pocket and look back at Juli.
"Aren't you gonna text him back?" I can tell she's worried about me, but I feel uneasy hearing her ask me that. I didn't think about it, but that should've been the obvious thing to do. Yet, I didn't. Why didn't I?
I don't think I should worry about it so much.
"It's fine. He knows I'll be there." I say that, but I'm not even convinced by my own words. It's strange, but I don't find it strange at all. I can tell Juli didn't buy it either, but she'll reluctantly accept it for now.
That's about as much as I can do as well.
I lean my head on her shoulder; I can tell she's flustered by me doing that, but she doesn't dislike it. "Thank you for listening to me earlier. I appreciate it, so much." I say that to her, while closing my eyes, feeling a little embarrassed. There was no need to do that, but I still did.
I open my eyes when her soft arms wrap around my waist. And suddenly, it's so quiet. I hadn't realized it, but it's only the two of us in here. I can tell she's blushing suuuper hard right now, and she's hiding her face from me. I put my hands over her shoulders.
"If he does anything you don't like, let me know right away, okay?" I can tell she really means that, and that makes me happy, but there's something else there too. I don't want to ask her about it right now, but I know I'll have to at some point.
We pull away from each other and she gives me a serious look that I rarely ever see from her. I feel a little sad having to let go. I can tell she does too.
"Now, go sweep him off his feet." Her encouraging words, along with that nonchalant attitude of hers, make me feel a little guilty, but I need to worry about myself right now.
"Yeah. I'll call you once I get home." I say that and walk away from her, since I know she's headed in the opposite direction from where he's waiting for me, but I turn around now and then to wave back at her.
I stop at the door and look back again, but she's gone now. I push the door open and walk outside. I see him leaning against the railing, staring up at the sky with a wistful look on his face. I can tell something happened, but I can't ask him about it.
|□|
"Mena!" He felt a chill, hearing that familiar voice calling out to him, and noticed Louise walking over to him. A familiar scene flashed in his mind as he watched her, but it didn't take her long to reach him and he quickly forgot about it.
"You ready?" He asked her that, knowing fully well that she would still be wondering where they would be going, but he decided that telling her that could wait. She looked a bit irritated by his attitude, but she reluctantly nodded anyway.
"Where'd you say you parked your car?" He asked her that since she mentioned having a car in one of her messages, he didn't know where it was. That meant that he didn't need to bother asking her what he already knew.
"It's not too far from here. But aren't you gonna tell me where we're going first?" She asked him that and started walking ahead of him. Seeing that, he caught up to her and walked next to her. He considered telling her, but he decided he wouldn't instead.
"Is it okay if I drive?" He asked her that, once they reached her car, and she looked at him, a little confused. She had probably been planning to be the one driving, but, more importantly, she still didn't know where he wanted to take her.
"Sure?" She hesitantly said that, but she seemed worried about something. He noticed that but decided to ignore it.
They both got into the car and she handed him the keys, as she took out her phone. He started up the car and music started playing, along with the wheezing sound of the AC turning on.
"So, you still not gonna tell me?" She asked him that one more time, as he backed out of the parking space. He came to a stop and looked at her with a smug grin.
"I promise you'll like where we're going. So just look forward to it, okay?" He said that with complete confidence, which he had for a completely shallow reason.
"Fine." She reluctantly agreed and let out a sigh as she looked at something on her phone. Hearing her say that, he looked ahead and started driving.
As he drove, he realized how quiet it was, even with the music playing in the back. He wanted to tell her something that was on his mind; he's had numerous opportunities to say it, but he couldn't convince himself to follow through.
"How often do you drive? You're really good." She seemed genuinely impressed when she said that. Hearing her words of praise put him at ease. He thought about the many times he'd driven her, but one time, in particular, was stuck in his mind.
"I don't drive that often, but I spent a lot of time practicing." He said that with a painfully blank expression on his face since he was hiding how he felt remembering the past.
"Your family doesn't make you drive them places?" She asked him that with unfortunate timing, considering what he was thinking about. He shuddered for a moment, but quickly forgot about it and calmed down.
"I don't live with my family." He said that with a fake smile plastered on his face. He only said the bare minimum to her, but he was still dreading how she would respond. He didn't want her to go digging up a past he didn't want to dwell on.
"Wait, you live alone?" She seemed surprised by this sudden revelation, but that was to be expected. He was only in high school, yet he was living on his own already. Anyone would be shocked by that.
"Well, yeah. I guess I do." He answered her nonchalantly, despite how ridiculous what he was saying to her was. She seemed bothered by his matter-of-fact tone about it, but she was also worried about it too.
He couldn't tell her the complete truth, so, instead of lying and making up some half-assed story, he decided to just tell her some of the truth.
"What's that like?" She asked him that, seeming uninterested in the reason behind his living situation. He was surprised that she didn't ask him about it, but he wasn't happy about the question he had gotten in its stead.
"It's nice. Being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. It's a lot quieter too." He gave her a very surface-level answer, without giving it too much thought. He didn't want to think about his family any more than he had to, so he didn't.
"Don't you get lonely sometimes?" She asked him that, as he parked in front of their destination. He looked at her, and she was looking back at him. It was this part about her that he always found endearing. But now, he only found it to be a nuisance.
"I'm used to it." He said that with no amount of sorrow or bitterness in his tone. In his mind, being alone wasn't something that bothered him anymore. He couldn't even remember what it was like when it did bother him. He was used to it.
"Mena. I want you to look at me." He was confused by her words, which seemed silly. He was looking right at her, after all.
"What do you-"
"Mena." He was about to ask her a redundant question of his own, but she suddenly spoke over him.
"What do you see when you look at me?" She asked him that seriously. He could tell that she wasn't joking around. Still, he didn't understand what she meant.
"I see you?" He confusedly answered her, without acknowledging what she was really getting at. He's acting as if he really doesn't understand what she's saying.
"Why are you so sad then?" Her words cut deep into his psyche. He was nervous, and when he looked away from her, he wordlessly confirmed her worries.
"You can talk to me about-"
|◇|
"What's that like?" She asked him that, without showing any interest in the reason behind his living situation, which is surprising. He gave her question some thought.
"It's pretty fun. I don't have to worry about making food for others every morning and night anymore. And I don't have a curfew too." He enthusiastically answered her question, with minimal details about why it was fun or why having a curfew bothered him.
"You don't feel lonely living by yourself?" She asked him that, as he drove into a parking space in front of their destination. He looked at her, after parking the car, and she was looking at him.
"It does sometimes. But it's not like I can never see them again." For some reason, he lied to her. What he said wasn't true at all, but he acted as if it was as he answered her.
"Mena. Look at me." He felt oddly nervous hearing her say that to him, but he simply did as she said and looked her in the eye.
"Who are you looking at when you talk to me?" She asked him that seriously. He could tell she wasn't joking at all. He tried to think about what she meant.
"I'm looking at you." He answers her sincerely, hoping that she would accept his response. He began feeling nervous though.
His vision becomes distorted and the interior of the car is covered in his blood.
It disappears immediately.
"Why do you look so sad whenever you're talking to me?" Her words cut deep. He tried to look away from her, but she held his face in her hands, forcing him to face her.
"I want you to talk to me about-"
|◇|
"I'll listen to whatever you have-"
|◇|
"There's no reason for you to-"
|◇|
"I'm here for you, no matter-"
|◇|
"We can mull over it together, you don't have to-"
|◇|
A warm feeling was dripping from his nose, forming a bloody river down his shirt. His head was aching from an immense pain and he felt delirious.
The blood was gone before she could see it, but it was obvious that he was trying to control her again.
"What's that like?" She asked him that and he seemed relieved that she didn't show any interest in knowing why he was living by himself.
"It's a nice change of pace. I get lonely sometimes, but I feel at ease being able to do whatever I want without needing to hold myself back." He gave an unnecessarily honest response to her question. It's surprising that he would tell her something like that. Even if it was the truth; he lied to her about how he felt about it.
"Do you ever think about going back to live with your family again?"
|◇|
He suddenly started coughing up, as a waterfall of blood flooded down his face. He kept looking forward, ignoring the immense pain in his throbbing head.
She doesn't notice the blood or his intense gasping, as he continued driving.
□ □ □
"What's that like?" She asks me that same question again, which I've gotten tired of answering. I can barely focus on the road, let alone come up with another lie to give her. Wouldn't it be okay, if I just tell her the truth?
"I've hated it, living by myself." I stop at a red light and look over at her, and she's looking at me. She didn't feel sad, or pity me when I said that; she just wanted to hear what I have to say.
"I've been trying my best to do everything I need to. But it all makes me feel so empty now. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Nothing has changed. I'm scared. How much longer will I have to live like this?" As I say that, I pull into the parking space in front of the place I was going to surprise her with and park the car. I look over at her and she's looking at me.
Why did I say that?
|□|
"Mena." As she called his name, she reached over and hugged him tightly. His eyes became watery, but he couldn't wipe them. He couldn't move.
"You're not alone. I'm right here." She soft spoke into his ear, with an endearing tone. He started laughing, hearing her say that.
"Why are you laughing?" She asked him that, with an embarrassed tone, while still holding onto him. He continued laughing, unable to stop himself.
Eventually, he calmed down and he leaned against her cheek, with a gentle expression on his face.
"Thank you." He said that to her and felt the heat from her cheek rise. He moved his hands up and wrapped them around her back.
"Uhh...you're welcome." She awkwardly said that to him, while still feeling embarrassed. He chuckled a bit, hearing her say that the way she did.
"I'm glad you're with me right now. Thank you for always being so nice to me." He began talking to her with a saddened tone in his voice, which confused her.
"Why are you-"
|◇|
There was a cold sensation wrapped around his ankles, as well as his hands. A feeling he knew all too well. He looked up and in front of him were his mother and sister. He tried to reach out to them, but his eyes widened the moment he noticed the dead look in their eyes.
"Now then. Kill Vale."
"Stop!" He screamed out in pain, but he couldn't do a thing to stop it from happening. His body started moving on its own and a loud thud resounded in his ears, as he tried to stop himself. He put his hand around his mother's neck and, in an instant, crushed it.
He fell to his knees, panting as he stared at the limp body that he was still holding onto. The blood in his hand was incredibly warm. Before it was too late, he attempted to heal her-
"Don't move."
His body was frozen still. His ragged breathing felt nauseating as he watched her cough up blood; a pool of blood covered the floor below her. It only took a few more seconds for her to fall over and hit the ground; she was dead. There was no way he could save her now.
"WHY DID YOU-?!" Blood trickled down his lip after he forced those words out.
"Why are already getting upset?"
"There's still one more to go, isn't there?"
He stood up on his own, breaking the muscles in his legs. His entire body was shaking, but he couldn't figure out where he was from here. He looked at his sister, who was still staring at him with a blank expression on her face.
"Kill her, Mena."
He walked over to where she was sitting and stood in front of her. There was no way he could stop it from happening. He slowly moved his hand up and grabbed her by the neck. His hand was shaking erratically as he tried as hard as he could to stop himself. In an instant, he felt his hand squeeze down and crush her.
"You did well."
The moment he released him, he fell to his knees once again. Even though he was able to move now, he couldn't look away. In front of him, were his mother and sister. Dead by his own hands. As he stared at their distorted bodies, their smiling faces they had the day he left flashed in his eyes.
"I...couldn't even keep my promise to you..." Tears poured down his cheek as he slammed his hands against the floor, crushing it.
"Why are you crying?"
□ □ □
"Mena?" Suddenly, her face was right in front of me, and I fell back in my chair. I hit the ground with a dramatic thud, but no one else seemed to notice. The blood was gone. They were gone. He was gone.
Why did I remember that now all of a sudden? Is it because I saw someone who reminded me of him?
It doesn't matter. I just need to...-
I laugh to myself with a bitter smile on my face and stand up. As I'm picking up the chair, I notice a mark on my hand and sit down. I look at Louise, who's gone quiet for a while now. That dead look in her eyes tells me all I need to know.
He's finally going to start 'getting in my way' now?
Good, this is just what I needed.
With this, I'll have all the pieces I need.
"Mena?" I look at her eyes but find nothing. He's not controlling her anymore. That's fine. I just need to get this over with so I can move on to the next step.
"You know what you want?" She has a favorite she always goes with, and it's pretty good, but she hasn't told me that yet, so I ask her a basic question like that instead. I'll just say I'll get whatever she's having and that'll be that.
I'll have to bring Virtril back soon, or he'll notice something's up.
Well, he still hasn't realized what I'm doing. I doubt he'd suddenly realize it now.
But still, if I'm going to displace him, I need to make sure he doesn't say anything unnecessary to her.
If she finds out what I'm doing, then there will be no plan.
I smirk and notice she's been scowling at me for a while now. That's embarrassing. I didn't realize I'd gotten distracted there. I laugh a bit and blush a little, which seems to be enough to satisfy her.
I'm glad she's so stupid.