#llfanfic

I did not realize what I just said until Chika-chan asked me.

“You-chan, what did you just say?”

“E-Ehhh? What did I say?”

“That’s what I’m asking you. It was something like ma.. maha- What was it again?”

Heat came up to my face almost immediately as I wave my hand violently in front of Chika-chan to deny it. “I-I did not said a-anything C-Chika-chan!! Y-You must be hearing things!” I chuckled nervously.

“I’m sure you said something You-chan.”

“I didn’t... W-wait Chika-chan too close!”

Despite my complaint, Chika-chan leaned even closer and stopped when our noses were almost touching each other.

“You-chan… What did you say?”

“O-Okay I will say it again but first, let me off with the Dia-styled interrogation. A ha ha”

“Hehe.. Sorry I had no choice.” Chika-chan grinned as she leaned back to her seat.

“What I said wasn’t Japanese. Remember my cousin visited last Sunday, right? She let me read her term paper about Asian languages and I learned it from there.”

“Ahh.. So what does it mean?”

“E-Ehh?”

“The one you said You-chan.. What does it mean?”

“D-Don’t bother yourself over it… A ha ha ha.. It was just an expression. And besides, I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Aww… Really? You looked so serious when you said it earlier.”

“It’s nothing much I promise.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

I mentally sighed to myself when Chika-chan finally let me off the hook. I can’t believe I actually said it to her.

Mahal kita, isn’t just an ordinary expression. It is a Filipino expression. It means, I love you. It’s been a while now since I’ve realized my feelings for Chika-chan but I am not prepared to confess to her yet. I was just overwhelmed by her at the time that I couldn’t resist my feelings and the words slipped out of my mouth.

A second time followed that incident… and then a third… and then a fourth, and so on until saying it became a habit to me. With every passing day spent with Chika-chan, my feelings for her just kept on growing. It’s on a level where I can’t stop it anymore. Most of the time I say it to her through texts. When we’re with the other members, I just whisper it to her. And then, there were also some instances where I say it to her out of the blue. It usually ends up with her bugging me to tell her what it really means. Riko-chan, and Hanamaru-chan accidentally overheard me one time and asked what it means too. I was extremely embarrassed at that time but was relieved upon knowing that they didn’t know what it means too.

“It’s nothing, really.”

“That’s what she always says but I don’t think that’s just it.”

“I’m curious zura. Tell us what it means You-chan.”

“I’m curious too You-chan.”

With the three of them staring at me as they wait for my answer, I gave them a “Yousoro!” and ran away. They chased after me until Dia-san scolded us for playing around and so I got away with the topic again.

I guess I got too cocky with myself getting away with it every time. I thought I will be able to keep the real meaning of those words from Chika-chan forever. But I was wrong. I was lucky enough that I was able to hide it from her for quite a long time.

It happened during that time when Riko-chan was in Tokyo for her piano recital and we were preparing for the Love Live preliminaries. After that night when Chika-chan came over to my house, we started to practice together more often, giving us lots of time alone again. We were sitting on the bench for a short break.

“See! We can do it You-chan even with the way you move. You didn’t have to match Riko-chan’s move!”

“Yeah. You’re right Chika-chan!”

After giggling to each other for a short while, silence fell upon us. I was reminded again of everything we encountered to reach up to this point. I smiled to myself realizing again how fun it is because we’re doing it together with everyone.

“Thank you, Chika-chan.”

“Ehh? For what?”

“For everything.”

“You-chan…”

Facing her, I looked directly into Chika-chan’s eyes and told her the magic words once again. “Mahal kita.” I softly smiled to her expecting that she’d be asking me about its meaning again. But I was taken aback with the next thing she said.

“M-Mahal din kita.”

Her pronunciation was just as bad as mine but the thought came across. I at least know that she said I love you as well but, there’s a word I am not familiar with.

What does ‘din’ means?

W-wait.. D-Does this mean Chika-chan already knows the meaning of those words?!

As I argue inside my mind, I realized that Chika-chan is staring at me with her face flushed. This reaction only confirms that she already knows the meaning of those words. It took all my remaining courage to ask her my next statement.

“C-Chika-chan… S-Since when did you know?”

“Not too long ago. You’ve been saying it a lot recently just like your Yousoro. So, I felt like I really have to know what it means and asked Mari-san to help me.”

“A-ah.. I see…” I turned away from Chika-chan trying to hide my embarrassment. I can tell that my face is redder than hers. There was a few minutes of silence between us again until Chika-chan broke the ice first.

“When I first found out what it means, I couldn’t believe it. No that’s wrong. It’s not the meaning of the word that I can’t believe. Rather, it is the fact that you have been confessing to me all this time. A ha ha ha.. I’m a bit embarrassed to talk about this actually.”

Chika-chan shyly scratched her head as she continues, “But after I remember all those times that you told me, I realized how stupid I am not to notice your feelings. I really am dense, huh?”

“I-It’s not your fault Chika-chan! I should have just told you directly. And I should be apologizing for taking advantage of the situation. And I even lied to you that it doesn’t mean much. I.. I-”

I was cut off from my words and my mind suddenly stopped responding when I felt Chika-chan’s warm hands touching my cheeks. She inched closer and gave me a serious look.

“You-chan… After thinking for some time, I decided to respond to you. That’s why me and Mari-san looked for how to properly answer you. You-chan… Mahal din kita.”

“Chika-chan, I only know very little of the language. Can you please tell me the complete translation of what you jus- Chi-ka..chan?”

I froze in place when Chika-chan leaned even closer. Her proximity got me worried that she might hear my raging heartbeats.

Several days passed and neither of us mentioned about it, though I would have to admit that there’s something between us every time our gazes meet. And ever since the incident, I started noticing her more. Kurosawa Dia-san, our student council president that was against to our idea of forming a school idol group before. She is now one of the mother figure of our group who watches over everyone.

If someone will ask me about my first impression of Dia-san, I would say, scary and strict but very admirable. Everyone can see that, as the student council president of a school that is may shut down in the future, she’s doing a great job at keeping everything in order. And we can all see how much she really cares for the school and the students. After getting to know Dia-san more, I found out that being the president and a role model student is not the only admirable things about her. Her sense of responsibility goes further than I can imagine. When she takes charge of something our group needs to do, you can expect that everything is planned out neatly and as much as possible she will make sure that it will be followed. And then, seeing her as Ruby-chan’s elder sister is another story. I sometimes envy Ruby-chan for having an older sister like her. Her strict and scary image loosens when Ruby-chan is involved. Her sweet and caring side shows and it is always a refreshing thing to see. And when she let her guard down, her clumsiness shows to which everyone finds as very adorable.

I haven’t even mentioned about how beautiful she is and her model-like figure. What is there to not like about Dia-san? The person Dia-san will fall in love with, will be very lucky.

I talked too much about what I think about her. How can I not? There is so much to say about Dia-san and I would like to know more about her. I want to understand her better. And I want to know why she stole my kiss just like that. Does she even know that it was my first? I’m not really the one to talk though because I let her do it. And even let her do it again and again.

We haven’t talked about it once when it happened again. The second time happened when we accidentally met each other in the school’s comfort room and we happened to be the only ones in there. I was about to exit the room when she opened the door, about to go in.

“D-Dia-san?” was my reaction upon seeing her so suddenly.

“R-Riko-san?” was her reply with the same tone as mine.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before she made her move. She pushed me further inside the rest room as she locks the door and her lips on mine. This time the kiss was longer that it gave me time to consider kissing back. But before I even decide on that, she pulled away.

“S-See you later Dia-san” was the only thing I was able to say as I ran away from her. I ran away not because I wanted to get away from her but because, embarrassment and excitement was taking over me. And just like the first one, we did not mention about it to each other.

From then on, it became a frequent incident. Whenever it will happen to be just the two of us, a kiss will occur. Dia-san is always the first one to make a move. One time it happened when we were both retrieving things from the stock room for our P.E. class. It was probably the second briefest kiss we had. Because the briefest kiss we ever had was also the most surprising (on my side) and most nerve-wrecking kiss we ever had. It happened when we were trying the new outfits You-chan made for our next live. I was about to step out of the changing room when I heard Chika-chan asked Dia-san to check if I was done already.  I thought that I should just walk out so that she won’t have to check me. As I was about to do so, the door opened and Dia-san dived in just like that. It may have been just my imagination but I think she grinned at me for a split second before turning back to Chika-chan and tell her that I was ready. She left me there, frozen in place because of her sudden actions.

Everyone could’ve seen that! What is she thinking?! I raged in my mind. Thankfully, no one seemed to have seen what happened. They were too busy checking their outfits.

Along with our secret moments together, a few changes in our behavior became obvious to the other members. During one of our mini unit meetings, Mari-san mentioned out of the blue about how much Dia-san seemed to be in a good mood recently.

“Why Dia-san all of a sudden?” Yoshiko-chan asked after taking a sip from her drink.

“We’re taking a break anyways so why not talk about something else? And besides, aren’t you two curious for the reason behind the happy happy mood of our student council president?”

“Miss school director, you should know better about that and also Kanan because you two are her best friends.”

“But Yoshiko-chan, I wouldn’t be asking like this if she told us anything. When we asked her, she said it was just our imagination. Riko what do you think?”

“M-Me? I don’t have any idea.”

If it was only Yoshiko-chan here, my stutter would have gone unnoticed. But nothing escapes from Mari-san. She gave me a suspicious grin before speaking again.

“Hmm… If you say so. But Riko, I noticed that you’ve been in a good mood lately too. Is there anything you might want to share to us?”

“T-there’s nothing in particular.”

“Lies! There’s nothing you can hide from the fallen angel Yohane! Speak up little demon! What are you hiding?”

Yoshiko-chan may be slow at catching signs, but at times like this, she can be persistent which only made it worse. Now both she and Mari-san are trying to get me to spill the beans.

“W-Well,” I started, “all I can say to you two is that, yes something happened but I don’t know if I can say that it’s a good thing. Now, shouldn’t we resume our meeting? This break has taken too long. “

“Don’t leave us hanging like that. Tell us everything, right Mari?”

“Riko is right. We must resume our meeting or else we’ll get scolded by Dia for not getting anything done. We should let her off for now, okay? “

Yoshiko-chan frowned but agreed anyways. I mouthed a thanks to Mari-san but her wink gave me some chills. I then thought that she is definitely going to ask me about it in the future. But before she even does, Chika-chan and You-chan beat her to it.

It was one after school, and there was no rehearsal because we decided to take the day off. I came with You-chan to Chika-chan’s house to do some homework. Out of the blue, Chika-chan asked me…

“Riko-chan, you’re in love aren’t you?”

“W-W-WHERE DID THAT COME FROM CHIKA-CHAN?!”

“Calm down Riko-chan, I was just wondering.”

“But that was so sudden Chika-chan, even I was surprised. Though nothing is more surprising than how Riko-chan reacted… Does that mean~”

Chika-chan and You-chan inched closer to me with their expecting eyes.

“U-Umm… O-Okay I’ll tell you.”

“Yay!!” they both cheered in happily.

“I don’t know if it’s love or anything. Maybe like? Attraction? Infatuation? Crush? Curiosity? I don’t know. I can at least say that there is something. The way we are before and the way we are right now is a lot different, and I like it.”

“So you mean, there isn’t anything clear about your relationship status with this person?”

Why is Chika-chan sharp at times like this only?

“Yes. If anything, I can say we’ve gotten close. Or maybe not? There really isn’t anything about us and now that I realized it…. Arrrhh! What do I do Chika-chan? You-chan?”

The two patted me on my back. “There... there…” they said trying to comfort me.

“First thing, is it anyone we know?” You-chan asked.

I nodded starting to feel the heat on my face.

“Someone we know? Whoa, I almost thought you’ve got someone you left in Tokyo. Haha- Wait, the only ones we know are…”

“Our classmates, and members of Aqours, right Chika-chan?”

“Yes. No one else- Ehhh?!! Really RIko-chan?!”

Right at that moment, I felt my face burning up already and hiding it from them would be futile.

“That is right Chika-chan, You-chan…”

The excitement on their expression just doubled when I admitted it to them.

“So who is it Riko-chan? Tell us! Tell us!” they both said in unison.

“Is it by any chance, You-chan?’

“Or maybe Chika-chan?”

“S-Stop teasing me you two!”

I backed away from them because they already leaned in too close. They apologized as they realize it.

“Why are you two so excited about this?”

“Anyone would be excited by this. Our Riko-chan is in love right now. We must know if they deserve you.”

“You-chan… Chika-chan…” I didn’t have enough time to appreciate their thought because Chika-chan started again.

“So tell us Riko-chan, is it me or You-chan?”

“E-Ehh? W-Why do you think it will be either of you?” Oh shoot- Why did I say it that way… “A-ah I.. I mean-”

“So we don’t stand a chance for you Riko-chan?”

“Are we not good enough for you Riko-chan?”

Chika-chan and You-chan started sulking in front of me and I didn’t know what to do. But then suddenly, both of them started giggling and I figured that they were just teasing me again. I yelled at them for their actions.

“Sorry Riko-chan. Your reactions were just really cute.”

“We can’t help it. Tehee~”

“But seriously. I’m the one who doesn’t stand a chance.”

“E-Eh? What do you mean Riko-chan?”

“You two are my best friend and I know better than anyone else that you can be perfect for each other.”

My innocent statement left them stunned with their flushed cheeks. They stared at me with their ‘ehh’ expression then they stared at each other only to look away about a second later. Thanks to that statement though, I was able to stop them from asking further. After a minute of awkward silence, Shima-san came in with snacks for us. The topic was never brought up again after that and we just continued with our homework.

Since that incident, I started to wonder to myself about what to do with my feelings for Dia-san. The more we do it, the more I get confuse about her actions, and also the more I realize that love is the only way to describe my feelings for her. It wasn’t her kisses that got me thinking about her, but Dia-san herself.

Should I confess?

But what if she rejects me?

She’ll probably stop the kisses.

So what? It’s not what is important! It’s not her kisses I want from her! I want her to know my feelings and I want to know hers too!

My thoughts are battling inside my mind that one night. In the end, I did not decide on anything. I lacked sleep because of it and went to school the next day feeling tired and sleepy first thing in the morning. I still managed to focus in class anyway. But by the time our practice started, I am already too tired it didn’t go unnoticed to the other members. Chika-chan and You-chan were the first ones to approach me and asked if I was alright. I did my best to reassure them but then Mari-san chimed in.

“Why don’t the two of you take Riko to the infirmary. She looks like she needs some rest.”

“There’s really no need for that-”

“One of you should carry her bridal style then. Who would it be?” Kanan-san added.

E-Eeh? Why should that be?

For a moment I think I saw Chika-chan and You-chan stared at Kanan-san and Mari-san curiously but then they looked at each other as if they got the message. That wink Mari-san gave them made me suspicious.

“We should decide this by rock paper scissors then You-chan!”

“Agreed!”

They could only ready their hands for the first round of their rock paper scissors. Dia-san took everyone by surprise especially me, when she suddenly swept me off my feet, in more ways than one.

“I will be the one to take her to the infirmary. Please excuse us” was all she said to everyone before leaving them with their mouths hanged open.

My mind was too hazy with the sudden turn of events. I couldn’t think straight.  I was probably staring at Dia-san the whole time until we got into the infirmary. She settled me on one of the beds.

“The nurse seemed to be out. And I can’t just leave you here by yourself. I guess I should stay here with you.”

“N-No Dia-san it’s alright. I can’t have you miss practice because of me.” I said trying to reassure her but it didn’t help. And it was only then that I realized Dia-san seems mad about something. It didn’t take me long to find out why.

“Why? You’d like it more if either Chika-san or You-san stayed here with you?”

“E-Ehh? It’s not like that Dia-san.”

It wasn’t the first time I was alone together with Dia-san, due to our secret moments together, but it’s probably the most intense one. The way Dia-san stared at me feels so intense I feel like I could melt.

“If it isn’t that, then what is it? What’s wrong with me staying here with you Riko-san?”

I didn’t know how to answer her question. It was just the two of us inside the spacious infirmary of our school but somehow I felt myself cornered. Dia-san must have noticed it too. She turned her back on me before speaking again.

“Forget it. And I’m sorry for my rude behavior just now. I will take my leave.”

I knew how much she tried hard to hide it from me but she failed. I knew she was hurt but I couldn’t understand why. At that moment, I knew I would regret if I just let her leave like that. And I wouldn’t want to let things go that way. So without thinking, I made my move.

“Dia-san! I don’t understand you at all!”

She turned around to me just as I have expected. To her surprise, I was in time to reach her when she faced me. I tiptoed for a bit to reach her and without any hesitation, I went for her lips. It was the first kiss I initiated. I pulled away a second later.

“You always do this kind of thing to me but never told me why. That is not like you Dia-san. You are more responsible than this! And you really should be responsible of me!”

“R-Riko-san?”

Our faces were both flustered with unbreakable eye contact. I wasn’t really thinking straight that time. I just had enough already and wanted to make it clear with Dia-san.

“I didn’t know what it was at first. You took me by surprise one day, then repeated it for a few more times, and then I started to feel something. Dia-san, as I got more curious about you, the feelings got deeper. And I am sure of it now. I love you.”

She buried face on my shoulders. My heart is beating wild against my chest but I can tell that the same goes for her. Her hands followed moments later pulling me into a hug.

“Did you really mean that Riko-san?” she whispered into my ear.

“Yes.”

“You know, I started with curiosity about you as well. I’ve been watching you secretly ever since Chika-san introduced you as the composer of Aqours. Before I knew it, I had fallen for you already.” She faced me again, not breaking our hug. “That day we first kissed, I was pretty mad like today. You talked so much about Chika-san and You-san after all.”

“Dia-san… Were you perhaps… Jealous?”

“D-Don’t even mention it!”

So cute~

“A-Anyway as I was saying, my feelings got over me. I wanted you to think of me too. When our gazes met, I couldn’t hold my feelings anymore and kissed you without thinking. And I didn’t think that it would happen again for a few more times.”

“Dia-san…”

“Hmm?”

“You’re a pervert, aren’t you?”

“Wha-”

Her reaction was just so cute I couldn’t help but giggle. I know it wasn’t the time to be joking but, I probably caught it from Chika-chan and You-chan. Dia-san’s face was still so red when we break the hug. I apologized for my sudden joke but she ignored me.

Eh? Is she mad?

I was starting to get worried when she finally spoke up again.

“You may be right. I am a pervert who took advantage of your kindness for letting me kiss you over and over again. All this time, I pondered to myself why are you letting me have my way with you.”

“I wanted it too Dia-san. Now, isn’t it your turn to tell me?”

I looked at her expectantly waiting for her to finally say it too. But instead, as I should have expected, her hand reached out to my cheek and pulled me in to a swift kiss.

We stared at each other for a good few seconds until she picked her scattered books panicky. And before I could make a move to help her, she had already gathered them all up.

“I’m so sorry zura~!”

“Ah- don’t worry about it Hanamaru-chan. It was my fault for not looking too.”

“I didn’t know you love to read that much zura~!” I exclaimed looking at RIko-chan’s books.

“I do have some books I love to read. Ha ha ha…” She replied while seeming to cover the titles.

We talked a little bit about the ones I read after she commented on the number of books that I was about to buy. And then we proceeded on paying our books and went on our separate ways.

I didn’t had the time to check the books after that because grandma sent me to run some errands. Only until before bedtime that I was able to check them The book most likely got mixed up with mine when it scattered with Riko-chan’s earlier.

“I should just give this to Riko-chan tomorrow.”

I was about to put the book on my bag when my eyes accidentally caught on the title. It reads as, HEARTCATCH 101 vol. 3. The title was interesting enough to make me open the book.

So this is what they call doujin. I thought to myself as I start reading.

I was too tired to check the time when I went to sleep. There was so much for me to take in and it was only the tardiness that made me sleep. I think I only had about three to five hours of sleep when I went to school. It was quite hard for me to focus during class because one, my head is aching due to lack of sleep, and two, my mind keeps on replaying the things I read on Riko-chan’s book.

As a bookworm myself, Riko-chan’s book was a surprise. It was my first time reading a doujin, not to mention, the genre was something I’ve never tried before too. The story was really good though, just that, I was surprised. I wonder if this is Riko-chan’s fetish that Chika-chan and You-chan were talking about.

When lunch time came, I asked Riko-chan if she can meet me at our clubroom when she’s done eating. I only reasoned that I have something to give to her, and she agreed.

There was still about fifteen minutes left before lunch time ends when Riko-chan arrived at the clubroom. The nervous look on her face tells me that she has an idea of what I am about to give her.

“This got mixed up with my books. I think this is your RIko-chan. Here.” I said handing out the book to her.

“T-Thanks, Hanamaru-chan.” She said taking it with her shaking hands. “You must’ve been charged for this right? Let me pay you.”

“No need. Let me just give it to you zura. And besides…” I trailed off, unsure if I should finish what I was saying.

“D-Did you r-read it b-by any chance?”

“Yes…”

There was a minute of silence between us before I decided to say what’s on my mind.

“I do not usually read something like that but, I… I like it.”

“You do?” There was a hint of surprise on her face as if not expecting to hear those words from me.

“Yes. It was quite unusual for me, but I enjoyed reading it. There’s just something I can’t comprehend zura~.”

I borrowed the book from her hand and opened it to a certain page. It is the scene where one of the lead characters pinned the other against the wall. Apparently, it is called “kabedon” and it is one of the significant scene in the story. The relationship of the leads started to go to the next level after this part.

“What I don’t understand here is that, how come this kind of intimidation is counted as something romantic, Riko-chan? Under normal circumstances, getting pinned into a wall would either make you mad or scared right?”

Riko-chan giggled in response to me. But after a minute she smiled at me sweetly and said, “You are really cute, aren’t you Hanamaru-chan? And innocent too.”

I suddenly felt a faint blush form in my cheeks. There was no intent of teasing on her tone, but only pure admiration. My heart rate slowly started increasing.

“Hmm… Let’s see, I am not sure how to explain it to you but, there’s a way.”

“What is it zura~? I really want to understand it so please tell me.”

“Are you sure Hanamaru-chan?”

“Hai zura~!” I said with a determined expression.

Riko-chan borrowed back the book from me and read it quietly for a bit. She put the book down after, and released a small sigh. For a second I didn’t know what was going to happen when she suddenly gave me a sharp eye to eye. It was so sharp and intense, I got lost on her ambers. I didn’t realize we were moving from our spot until I felt my back hit the wall and then it happened. Riko-chan slammed her hand on the space beside my head as she continued to look me in the eye. I found myself in the same situation as the scene I was talking about and then I realized, Riko-chan must have been reenacting the scene for me, or rather, she pulled me into the reenactment too.

The feeling of getting intimidated is there as I have expected. Given our height difference, it can’t be helped. What I am not expecting was the great thumps the situation is causing to my heart. It must be Riko-chan’s gaze. It doesn’t contain pure intimidation. There’s something else and I am not sure if passion is the right term to describe it. But I feel like I would melt if I stayed meeting her gaze so I looked away.

“Don’t look away from me!”

Riko-chan’s voice surprised me so much that I found courage to meet her eyes again. It wasn’t a command but more like a plea. And then her expression softened as she spoke again. “Please look at me, and me only.”

Her acting was so good I forgot that we were just reenacting. My heart is beating like crazy when her line reminded me that we were just following what happened on the scene. I got carried away and I was still, when I closed my eyes unconsciously and waited for Riko-chan to do her next part.

I felt her inched closer as her scent started filling my senses. There was a mix smell of her sweat but she still smelled fresh and nice.

What am I thinking at a time like this zura~?!

I scolded myself internally. The faint blush I had earlier had long grown deeper as I wait for the moment. The next thing that should happen according to the scene never came, or at least did not came as how I expected it to be. My eyes shot open the moment I felt Riko-chan’s soft lips against my forehead. She may not have followed the script but, it felt so sweet, probably just as sweet as what actually happened in the scene. She pulled away and then our eyes met again. Riko-chan put a finger on my lips as she said the next thing.

“Hanamaru-chan, save the first for the person you really like.”

It was a picturesque scene. Riko-chan was smiling so kindly at me as the light shone upon her features emphasizing the beauty that is Sakurauchi Riko. It was perfect and heartwarming, I could only manage a nod.

“Good!” she uttered happily, pulling back her finger. “I guess you understand the significance of that scene now, right?”

“A-Ah right. Yes. T-Thank you zura~”

“Hmm~ I’m glad! Well then, we better get back to class now. Lunch break is almost over.”

“Oh right! We should hurry zura~!”

We were already out of the clubroom and just parted our ways when she called out to me and handed me the book.

“I think it’s better if you have the book. Just don’t tell the others about it though.”

“But why zura? You wanted it right?”

“I just wanted to see how the content looked in the release. I’m glad you liked it Hanamaru-chan. And as a reward, I’m gonna tell you another secret. It was written by yours truly. Don’t tell the others, alright?”

After a half hour or so, I had to sit. The sun was still beaming brightly, and my skin was turning red. My hair felt gross and warm against my neck, even though I was free of sweat. I got to my feet again and stumbled along. I had to fight to keep my eyes open to make sure I wouldn’t crash into a cactus.

Wait, isn’t this the direction I just came from? My head was swimming and my bones shook.  I need water now. I looked up; the white light of the sun sent a sharp pain through my head. I thought I saw a dark cube jutting from the land in the distance, but it kept blurring in and out of focus. I hurried towards it, falling to my knees several times.

“Help,” I coughed weekly. If this is a mirage, I’m gonna die here. I’m way too far from the portal for the others to find me. The cube grew in size, slowly, but surely. As I approached, I was sure it was real. A small burst of adrenaline shot through me and a small building with strange decorations came into focus. My new favourite word blinked on a neon sign: Diner.

A little green body with a giant head and black eyes stood by the doorway. Above him, a huge flying saucer that looked like it was built to imitate a crash into the building’s roof, cast a shadow. I shook my head. I’m hallucinating. Or I’m dead and went to alien Hell.

I pushed open the door and was hit by a cool blast of air. Blackness flooded my vision and my body succumbed to numbness. My cheek was pressed against a cool surface. I blinked the darkness away to find myself staring at the legs of tables and chairs. Someone knelt down next to me and put their hand on my head.

 “Get some water,” I heard a seemingly distant voice say. I rolled over to my back, feeling my nerves springing back to life. The floor was hard and everything ached. Hands grabbed my face and I focused on a man’s face in front of me.

“Are you okay?” he said. Panic took over me, and I pushed him away. I sat up and scooted back, bumping into someone’s legs. I tried to stand, but my muscles felt like rubber. The man that was kneeling next to me caught me by the elbows and led me to a booth. A bottle of water was set down in front of me. I tore off the lid and downed it in seconds.

I drank three more until I started to regain consciousness. Around me, I saw stupid Martian decorations pinned to the wall and little planets hanging from the ceiling. What the fuck?

Someone slid into the seat in front of me and studied me hard. “Do you need me to call anyone?” I shook my head violently. The last thing I need is cops. “What happened?”

“Hey, maybe she got abducted by aliens, Malcolm.” A woman behind the counter shouted dramatically in my direction. “They could have erased her memory! Oh my gosh, what if they’ve come for us all? We’re dooooooooooooooomed!”

The man in front of me rolled his eyes. “As if this diner wasn’t tacky enough, Angela! We don’t need your monologue.” Angela winked and the man let out annoyed laughter before turning his attention back to me. “You probably have heat stroke, you should go to the hospital.”

“No, I’ll be fine, really. I just need to look for my friends…” I squinted and studied the man’s face. There was something strangely familiar about it. “You’re name’s Malcolm?” The man nodded. “Malcolm Goode?” His eyes widened into a fearful glare. He leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone.

“How did you know that?” I felt tears form in my eyes.

“I know your son.” I smiled. “I know Sam.” Malcolm was speechless. He searched my face for an answer. “I’m Number Six,” I whispered. He smiled sadly and grabbed my hand. I sprung out of the booth and wrapped my arms around his neck. Malcolm laughed and gave me a quick hug before pushing me away.

“How is he?” He brushed some hair out of my face, and, although I had just met him, it felt like a fatherly gesture.

“He really misses you. You disappeared on him…He’s been bullied ever since. What happened?”

Malcolm looked at the floor. “I am a terrible father.” he said. “The Mogs—they did kidnap me, but I escaped a few years ago. I was concerned for my son’s safety, that’s why I never returned. You said you were with friends? Was Sammy with you?”

I shook my head. “I was with Seven and Eight and Ten.” He gave me a puzzled look when I mentioned Ella. “Long story. I left him with Four.”

Malcolm smiled. “He knows Four?”

“Yeah they’re, like, best friends.”

“How his Cêpan? Um, Brandon?” I looked away, first at the ground, and then at the stupid decorations. “He’s dead, isn’t he?” I bit my lip and nodded. “Yours too?” I nodded again.

“I was thirteen when she died,” Malcolm hugged me again, and I glanced up at the woman behind the counter and the man she was talking to see them giving us strange looks. “Why do you work here?” Malcolm burst out laughing.

“I really have no idea.”