5
524words
Kyle threw his tray and beat up Ryan.
Then Kyle was called to the principal's office, and his parents were called.
But because there was a big SAT practice test tomorrow.
The parent meeting was postponed until the day after.
"Hey, Gloomy Psycho Girl."
Kyle didn't come back to class until the final bell rang.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder, walked straight to my desk.
"At lunch, you heard what that freak Ryan was raving about?"
I packed my bag, silently shaking my head.
Kyle sat on the edge of my desk, sighing dramatically.
"Man, sometimes I envy you people with “deep~story~”."
He paused. "Not like me. 'Handsome' sums it up. Simple."
Me: "..."
Seeing me still unresponsive, Kyle leaned in slightly.
"Hey, Lily, for that parent thing tomorrow... you'll back me up, right? I mean, that freak Ryan harassed you first... I was defending your honor..."
"He's not a freak."
I snapped back instinctively.
Not far away, that figure hunched in the last row flinched.
Again... Force for habit.
I added, "Anyway, it's between you two. I have nothing to say."
Kyle stared at me, stunned.
"Huh, how cold."
He stood up, hand back in his pocket, forcing a smirk.
"Guess our bond's pretty fragile after all."
Kyle turned and strode out of the classroom.
His footsteps heavy.
The next day, the practice test took up most of the time.
I didn't even think about Ryan's "I have too many memories now" comment.
Whether he was reborn or just fragmented memories bleeding through.
Didn't matter anymore.
If I never truly had him, then I never truly lost.
I just... watched fireworks that weren't mine, and when the show ended, found myself empty-handed and cold.
So this time, I just wanted to be a passerby.
The day after the test, it was cloudy.
Low clouds pressed down, making the world gray.
I walked out of the school gate with my backpack, heading to the bus stop as usual.
Behind me, footsteps followed, not too close, not too far.
I walked, he walked.
I stopped, he stopped.
Streetlights stretched our shadows, then shortened them under the next lamp.
Over and over, until I finally stopped, annoyed, and turned around.
Ryan stopped too, standing in the yellow light, looking even thinner.
"What do you want?"
My voice came out colder than intended.
Ryan flinched but didn't raise his head, his voice barely audible.
"I..."
"Spit it out."
He finally lifted his head slightly, brown eyes filled with pain and confusion.
"I... remember a lot."
"In those memories... you... weren't like this."
His voice was thick, heavy with suppressed tears.
"You were... the only starlight in my life..."
"Why... why won't you shine on me anymore?"
My heart clenched, a familiar ache.
The pain I'd known for seven lifetimes, born for him.
I quickly smothered it.
"I don't like stars."
I heard myself say calmly.
"They're too far away. And already dead."
"Find another light source."
Ryan's pupils contracted violently.
His long lashes lowered.
"Don't follow me anymore."
I left him, and those words, behind.
