Yuki -

My stomach growls in a furious attempt to get me to notice it, but I’m too busy staring at the small comets of rain shooting themselves across the windshield. I was waiting for Will to grab us a party supreme package of tacos, but my mind seemed to have drifted as the cold air conditioning blew across my puffy face.

These past few days have been the same routine. Watching movies with Will and Tony, his brother, eating take out or something Tony and Will whip up. (I, usually making the desserts or watching with a blank face.) Long freezing cold or lividly hot bath to help me feel something as I stare blankly at the tiles walls surrounding me, numbness creeping into my brain. Leftovers for dinner. Watch another movie. Try to draw and paint, only to stare at a blank canvas until WIll awakens me from my art block for more dessert.

I know they were trying to help me, but I just felt like I couldn’t even protect myself.

Thankfully my parents (I, using that term lightly.) were gone for another couples therapy retreat. Not to save their marriage -that in itself was a sham- Jin-Hyuk found out some of his investors were going to be there. Go figure.

Luckily for me, that meant they had no idea I was missing school. The only sign I was, were emails sent out by the school. Tony, a hella smart programmer, knew how to intercept them. Must be nice having a computer genius for a brother.

I yawn and stretch out inside the cold truck, realizing my eyes had grown strained from forgetting to blink in my daze of thoughts. I had been completely bored out of my mind, not even being able to use my phone in fear of falling back under his spell. That was his ability. Like Naomi, but more twisted. Instead of reading your aura, he could change it. He could read you and knew the exact words for you to slip those panties off. Even if you didn’t want them off.

A loud knock on the window removes me from my painful thoughts, and I look over to see Will wearing a tee in the pouring rain, his waterproof jacket covering the box of tacos. I watched him attempt to open the door with his elbows, pleading me silently to help him out. I shake my head, snapping out of my daze and reach over to help him in.

“Want one now or when we get home?” He asks, before shaking all the water out of his hair and onto me, like a dog. I scrunch my nose and take a taco from the dry box, trying to keep his hair from dripping on them.

“How many will Tony eat, do you think?” I ask, marvelling at all the tacos in front of us.

“No clue.” He murmurs, before picking up a taco and holding it up next to mine, the chicken spilling out slightly.

“Cheers?” He asks, before sticking out his pinky and giving a haughty laugh for effect.

I smile to myself, and do the same, before knocking my taco against his and taking a bite. Some of the contents spill onto my lap, and I wince as hot grease spills onto my pants, finding their way into fresh cuts.

I try to cover it up, not wanting him to know they were there. He doesn’t notice.

The truck slowly pulls out of the parking lot before hitting the main road, rain pittering outside like water spirits begging to come in.

~

I stare blankly at the phone screen, the reflection of a scared puffy faced girl staring back at me.

I sigh before turning on the phone, the first time in two days. The second my lock screen pops up, a dumbass picture of Will and I at the faire, dozens of pings ring throughout the house. I wince, but notice WIll hadn’t head it, as he was still going hard on a musical while showering. He sang every role.

A few instant messages catch my attention, as well as an email from Will. It was the explanation about why he broke up with Monique. I decide to mentally bookmark it, to read at a later time and continue my quest of scrolling.

A few messages were audio clips from Naomi, she would ask if I was okay and if I need anything like notes from class, she would happily provide them. I don’t know how she would do that considering I can’t read Braille-- but it meant a lot to me.

I smile to myself as I listen to them, surprised at how calm I felt just by hearing her voice. A weird aching crave hits me, but I continue listening.

“Feel better soon, Yuki.”

“I miss you and Will, hurry up and come back!”

I smile, clicking on the latest one from her. This one sounded different, more serious.

“Hey… I’m not sure what's going on, but if you ever need anyone… I-I’m there. Not physically there but- Well you know what I mean.”

My heart skips, and I listen to it twice over, listening to ever stutter and lisp her tongue forms. It made me feel odd. She was so sincere. It was a nice feeling.

I sigh happily before scrolling through the rest of the texts, trying to figure out what else I might have had missed.

Cosmos Pizza. Saturday. Our usual booth. - Z

It was sent today, as if he knew I would disappear for so long. He knew.

He’s playing with you he knew. The booth is in the back, they can’t hear you cry.

He didn’t hear you say no. They don’t hear you. You don’t have a voice.

I want to scream, but my heart once again chokes me in blood and silence, and I find myself clenching at my chest in panic. Today was Saturday.

He knows. He knows. He knows you. He’s in your head.

“Get out of my head.” I whisper to myself, clutching both of my ears in an attempt to silence the voice.

~

I leave a note for Will, smiling sadly when I hear him singing in the shower. I’m sorry. I have to go, I write. And make my way to Festus, a gift from my father, a gift to take me back. To him.

What would my father say? I haven’t talked to him in a while. He would give me that sad smile, and look at me with his greying eyes. He would hug me. And I would cry.

Father lives in Japan, he wouldn’t say anything to you, his coward daughter.

I climb onto Festus, and place my helmet on, tears pooling down my cheeks as I kick up the stand.

This is real. I revv up, out of the neighborhood and towards that damned pizza shop. This was real.

And there was no turning back now.