She had been quieter than normal.
She hadn’t spoke much, after she came back, but lately she wasn’t speaking at all, responding in nods and hums.
She wasn’t shutting down, at least not fully. She did her homework, she did her chores, she helped with meals.
But she didn’t speak, or smile, or laugh.
Maruzen had noticed-how could she not? Her cute baby sister had become depressed-more than usual, it seemed.
And it was her big sister duty to fix it.
For all the times she hadn’t before.
She had burst into Bya’s room without knocking, and flopped on the bed before Bya had a chance to speak.
Bya slowly shut her textbook, staring at Maruzen. “Um.”
Maruzen laid a hand on her forehead dramatically, like a Victorian maiden. “My dear sister hasn’t spoken in four days! I fear she is withering away, and will not survive the winter.”
Bya glanced at the calendar, with JULY at the top in capital letters. She gave Maruzen an unimpressed look.
Maruzen sighed. “Come on, Dreamy. Talk to me! Tell me whats wrong.”
Bya just shrugged, and gently tried to push Maruzen off the bed.
The older girl didn’t budge.
“I can’t help if I don’t know what the problem is.” Her voice was softer this time.
Bya muttered something under her breath, hiding her face in her textbook.
“What was that? Dreamy, I can’t hear you if you’re hiding.”
“Nothing.”
“Aha! She speaks!” Maruzens smile grew an inch, even as Bya swatted at her.
“You can tell me anything, you know? Big Sis Maruzen is always here to help, no matter what-“
“But you weren’t!”
Both of them seemed shocked after Bya yelled, watching each other warily.
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t feel well. Please leave.” Bya hugged her knees to her chest, back against the bed-frame. Her eyes were filled with shame.
Maruzen couldn’t stand it.
“No, I think I deserved that a bit.” She smiled sadly, a hand on Bya’s knee. She scooted closer.
“I wasn’t there a lot when you were younger, huh? Wasn’t so rad of me.” Bya giggled, faintly. Maruzen took that as a win.
“But I’m not leaving again, Dreamy. I can promise you that.”
Bya sniffed, resting her head on Maruzens shoulder. “You’d be the only one.”
“Baby, that isn’t true.” Maruzen was stunned at her words. “All your friends-“
“They’ve been avoiding me.” She lets out a wet laugh. “But I deserve it, right? I left them for so long, without considering their feelings, of course they’d give me a taste of my own medicine.” Before Maruzen can respond, she continues.
“I thought coming back would be easy. That they would be happy to see me again. But…they’re angry. Who wouldn’t be? I’m so stupid for thinking I’d be welcomed with opened arms again. I was stupid for leaving in the first place. Just stupid, stupid, stupid-“
At that point, she had begun to hit herself with a closed fist, so Maruzen gently grabbed her hands, stopping her.
Her first instinct was to comfort. Hold Bya tightly and placate her with soft words and jokes.
But was that really what her little sister needed?
After a minute of silence, she spoke.
“Y’know, I ran away too, once.”
Bya’s head lifted marginally.
“I loved mom, I really did. But I preferred it when she acted like a best friend instead of a mom. So I left, rented an apartment without telling her.”
She ran a hand through Bya’s hair as she spoke.
“I still went to Tracen, but she couldn’t find out where I lived. When I first called her-gosh, she was pissed. Yelled for a good two hours.” She shook her head at the memory. “It hurt, yeah. A lot. It’s how I knew she cared.”
Bya frowned. “What if they just…don’t talk to me again?”
“Then it’d be their loss, for being such lame-os. But I think they will. Your trainer and your friend worked hard to get you back. They won’t throw it away.”
Byzantine let out a non-committal hum. They stayed like that, two sisters side by side, till the sun came up in the sky.
