Chapter 15 ~ Alone with their thoughts

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"He actually ,really took me back to that nurse woman and had me stay there all day??!" Rei complained as she was finally let out of the infirmary . She had been taken back by Arloh who told miss Maya that she was acting light headed and the nurse suggested she stay and rested up under supervision for the rest of the school day.

But it was over now and everyone was leaving school to go home , Rei was finally free. "I'll never forget this betrayal Arloh" she swore in pettiness over and thought about kicking the door but paused in her motion and reconsidered it.

''Hey!!! Let's go!!" A voice called out to Rei and she turned around to find Chara walking over holding Rei's backpack in one hand. "Here's your bag.." she said as she arrived and handed the blaring pink bag to Rei . "This bag again?" Rei murmured abruptly, "what?" Chara asked ,no quite catching what Rei said.

"Oh nothing..... friend" Rei replied awkwardly.

"Let's never fight which each other again,okay?" Chara said , suddenly and pulled Rei into a hug.

"Ye...yeah...you're right, never again" Rei stutterered and after some hesitation decided to return the hug.

"Hmm you're calm ...and more agreeable than usual...maybe it's because you're not feeling your best" Chara said as she released the hug and stared at Remi with a squint for a few seconds. Remi just stood there awkwardly as she was being assessed.

"Anyways, let's get going" Chara said and took Rei's arm and led the way to the exit of the school building.

On the way, they met Trisha and Jerry who usually took the same route home,but today they were headed elsewhere,so both pairs said their 'byes' for the day and went their way, separate from the pair.

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"I've been feeling so stressed these days,I just feel something bad might happen" Chara blurted randomly as the two sat at the back seat of the almost empty bus.

*After observing for some time now,I think this person is also a close friend of mine like Arloh, so I shouldn't be wary of them* , Rei thought to herself and decided to drop the guard around Chara. "Wh..why do you feel something bad will happen?" Rei asked sheepishly.

"Ah you don't care as-" Chara stopped herself and looked at Rei,raising a brow. "Are you still sick or something?" She said and reached her hand out to feel Rei's forehead, which Rei reflexively ducked rather swiftly.

"What do you mean I feel fine" Rei said cluelessly , and started feeling her own forehead.

"Well usually when I rant about things I'm worried about you say.." Chara paused then took a deep breath "...shut up Chara you're killing the mood ,nothing bad will happen" she added, deepening her voice to mimic Remi's.

"Why did you talk like that" Rei asked ,staring blankly at Chara.

"That's you of course" Chara said with a chuckle and moved a stray hairstrand from her forehead.

"Wow, that's mean that I don't listen to you when you have something to say" Rei said softly ,clutching her bag and refusing to look Chara in the eye.

"Hmmm" Chara thought about it a bit , "I never thought of it as mean , but it is annoying sometimes when I really need someone to talk to"she said scratching her ear.

"Ahh.. maybe I was not a very good friend,I am sorry, a friend should listen to you even when you talk about your problems" Rei said and nodded to herself, still not looking directly at Chara. Chara stayed quiet for a bit, she leaned over to look at Rei's face. "Are you sure you're okay? This is nothing like you."

Rei simply nodded sheepishly.

"Its just... all our years of friendship, you've never apologized to me before" Chara paused and scratched her head. Upon hearing what she said Rei finally turned to face her ,still staring quietly. " I mean I understood..." Chara continued ".... but if you're trying something new and saying sorry..... then thanks I appreciate it" she said and smiled warmly at Rei. Rei felt nice to see her smile, she couldn't remember but she asked herself if it was true that she was really so cold to such a nice friend?

"I... I'll do better from now" Rei mumbled quietly ,then went back to staring down at the bag in her lap.

"Are you su...wait....Is this a prank?" Chara asked, still confused.

"Prank?" Asked Rei, who was equally confused.

"Ahhh whatever" Chara gave up and reached into her bag. "Snack?" She offered Rei a pack of gum from her 'infinite stash'.

"No thanks" Rei declined calmly.

"Whattt?????!!!!!" Chara exclaimed in shock , causing the other people in the bus to turn around.

"What do you mean no thanks?!" Chara whispered agressively as she leaned in close to Rei, hiding her mouth with her palm.

"I just don't want one" Rei said blankly.

Chara let out a loud gasp,placing her hand on her chest .

" You must go home and get some rest immediately" she said sternly to Rei as she put the pack of gum back in her bag.

Rei let out a soft chuckle, there was no need to be wary of this Chara at all.

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Rei finally made it home . Chara had to remind her where she lived, and even got off the bus and walked her home . While she spent a bit complaining about not buying Rei's very bad prank of not remembering her home, she helped anyways to which Rei was greatful.

*But is this really my life? Why don't I remember any of this then and why do I not remember anything after being at Arloh's house that day until today, is this like a selective memory loss?* Rei pondered to herself as she opened the door to the apartment ,using a key like how Arloh taught her the other day. She walked in and looked around the house, it looked nothing like a conventional girl's room, but right now Rei didn't know what a girls room was supposed to look like so she curiously observed the neat room and neon lighting, she was definitely sure those weren't her choice, she didn't like how neon lights made her feel, she walked in and dropped her bag on the couch which had a gigantic plushie of some videogame character, but of course Rei currently had no clue about video game characters. "It looks like a spirit cast" she muttered as she curiously poked the giant plushie , she sat on the couch and looked around curiously , *I wonder where my family is , do I have a family? I don't remember ever seeing any so far* she wondered as she looked around. Then her eyes caught something hard to miss,on the wall in a corner there was a huge framed and heavily lighted photo of a guy holding an award and smiling proudly.the photo had its own light above it that shone brightly in contrast to the Cool hue lit neon room .

"Hmm , this person ...he kind of looks like..." Before Rei could finish putting together pieces ,A knock on the door interrupted her , followed by a ringing doorbell sound, which startled Rei. She jerked on the spot and turned around and started walking slowly to the door, she got to the door and leaned on it placing her ear and listening curiously. Riiiiiiiiing,the doorbell rang again and Rei jumped back.

"What is that ?" She whispered to her self.

"Remi darling, are you home?!" A woman's voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Remi?" Rei whispered to herself again in a confused tone.

"This boy is never home" , the woman's voice, complained as Rei wondered what the jingling sounds were as she still leaned on the door.

With a click sound and a turning doorknob the door flew open , smashing into Rei who was still leaning in close .

"Oww!!! Why!!" Rei exclaimed grabbing her head which the door banged into.

"Oh my goodness child what are you doing?" The woman who had let herself in gasper as she saw Rei on the floor in pain.

"Are you okay? Why were you at the door ,I thought you weren't home and let myself in" she explained as she rushed over to check on Rei who was grimacing in pain.

"I'm okay , I'm okay, " Rei said ,getting up and rubbing the side of her head, "who are you do you live here?" She asked casually.

"What?" The woman asked confused. "don't be silly, peanut, I'm your mother but I don't live here" she replied and chuckled as she made her way to the small corner in the room that served as the kitchen. She placed the bags she had with her on the table and started checking the cabinets and shelves, "I got you some food , fruit and ingredients, when last did you cook?" She asked casually as she inspected the kitchen. Remi, confused just stood and watched as the woman made her way to the living room next and checked for dust on the tables and appliances.

"I was worried you know,people your school told me you lost consciousness today, are you okay? I told you to visit me and you didn't, I knew I would have to come check on you myself " she showed concern and complained all in one breath as she finished her inspection of the living room and quickly adjusted a ceramic figurine sitting on the table top.

Rei still just stood there , not saying a word.

"What's going on ? Are you still feeling sick?" The woman asked and walked up to Rei and put her hands on her head to check her temperature.

"You're.... my mother?" Rei asked calmly as the woman felt her forehead.

The woman paused a bit at the question, "silly, of course!! ,you are my son and daughter, do you have any siblings you're hiding from me?" She joked and pat Reis head lightly,

"come now we have to go somewhere , I think I know someone who can help use with the recent developments of your condition ", she said, switching back to a focused tone and walked over briskly to get her handbag from the kicthen table.

"Mom?" Rei called out in a voice that was almost a whisper .

"Yes dear?" The woman asked nonchalantly,as she looked down to close some apps on her phone .

"Can I have a hug?" Rei muttered ,staring at the ground sheepishly

"Oh?" The woman expressed suprise ,looking up from her phone, "you haven't asked for one of those since you were as small as a chair , awwww" the woman teased as she opened her arms and approached Rei for a hug . The hug was warm and comforting, Rei didn't understand why, but as soon as she heard she had a mother she felt the need to request something that only a mother's comfort could bring,something she felt on instinct that she was missing for a very long time, and for the first time since she woke up here that Friday night, not Arloh, not Chara, not anyone that she had met made her feel this way, truly safe. she reciprocated the hug and started to sob quietly.

"Oh dear what's gotten into you today" the woman asked and giggled as she started to softly pat Rei's . Rei liked the hug and would not let her mother go for a few more seconds.

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A door opened and Chara walked into a dark room and flicked the light switch on the wall to illuminate the room.

"Ahhh, a tiring day" she sighed and tossed her bagpack on the couch of the small living room,she made her way to the fridge in the corner of the room.

"Empty.." she closed the fridge and went to her room, it was a small part of the flat that probably should have been a closet, but her uncle insisted she needed privacy growing up and spent a fair amount to get reconstruction done in the flat and somehow created two seperate rooms in the space .

Chara threw herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling , the ceiling fan spun around slowly over and over, making a feint but noticeable creaking sound,

*Hmm, if that were to ever fall one day would it take off my head?*

"Ahhhh I'm so bored here I'm thinking nonsense" Chara complained and sat up from the bed. She walked back to the living room and slumped on the couch instead.

*I never really noticed how I didn't have many or any people to socialize with until now that uncle won't be around , it was really just remi even when he lived far away* she reached for her bag without looking as her brain wandered in the quiet room. "Maybe Jerry is right? I might be too reliant on Remi" she thought out loud and passed for a bit.

"And what's wrong with that?!!!!" She exclaimed , jumping out of the couch before realising she was yelling alone in a quiet room .

"Besides Remi is not a bad friend, he is even making efforts all the time, today he actually listened to my complaints and was very nice on the bus, a bit too nice..." She said and shuddered at the memory of Rei actually listening to her talk about her problems and even offer words of comfort."That was really new, to be honest Remi's behaviour was a little strange" she thought again then stared blankly for a few seconds and laid back on the couch . Her mind took a break for a while as she just stared blankly at the ceiling, the old grandfather's clock in the corner started to tick louder and louder. Chara stared at the ceiling, subconsciously registering every tick of the clock, the house started to feel even quieter and darker , she stared into the silence and recalled a memory of a cartoon she'd watch when she was little.. it was about a cat who somehow sounded like a grandfathers clock she had somehow never recalled that memory even when passing by that clock everyday..until now. It was supposed to be a funny cartoon , but it always made her cry, it felt uncanny to her. She'd run to her parents who would calm her down, she sat up and stared at the clock, she had no reason to be scared of the funny sound now, and even if she was she would just have to comfort herself.

As Chara started to zone out there was suddenly a soft knock on the door.

"Wha...who's there?" She got up and walked over to the door, she looked through the peep and saw no one, she opened the door anyways and as she saw who it was ,she stood In utter silence.. just staring at the doorway.

After a few seconds of silently staring at the doorway,Chara let out a big sigh and slammed the door shut. "Now I'm seeing images of my parents and even hearing them knock on the door..." She monologued as she headed back to the couch. "...maybe I am really that bored in this house". She laid on the couch just staring up at the ceiling,the clock still making loud clicks in the background , she would stay like that lost in thought for many more minutes before eventually falling asleep , if anyone else was in the room they would surely have noticed what looked like a streak of tears run down the side her face.

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