TROUBLE [twd]

mirroring events

Nanami and Sakiko refused to leave each other's sides after the scarring event. Nanami had to return his friend's clothes he'd borrowed to him and told Sakiko not to go home without him and to wait at the diner or store until he got back.

The sight of the tobacco store made Sakiko feel nauseous and she brings her hood over her head as she gets closer.

Daryl had seen her enough times to recognize her, though. Go figure her luck.

As he steps in front of her, Sakiko fights the urge to cry building up.

"What was it this time?" Daryl questions.

"You weren't here," her voice breaks.

Confused, Daryl bends down, "What?"

"You were supposed to be here. You're always here," she whispers.

"At the shop? Kid, I ain't that much of a chain smoker," Daryl huffs.

Sakiko doesn't react, her hooded head staring at the ground as a tear slides down her cheek unnoticed by Daryl. Daryl reaches to pat her shoulder, the girl instinctively flinching.

"Kid.." Daryl trails off.

"I know what you meant by it getting worse now," she admits.

Daryl's heart speeds up, internally panicking as he wondered if his worry had come true. Sakiko sniffles the tears out of her eyes before looking up to him, the sight breaking Daryl's heart within a split second.

Sakiko held a scar on her upper cheek and a tear in her lip. Nanami had gotten away with no visible injuries, his being able to be easily hidden away by his clothing where as she adorned the two cuts on her face. Not that anyone would pay much attention, though. They were still on summer break and Sakiko, as she'd already informed Daryl, had no friends. No one was around to question the marks.

"When'd it happen?" Daryl finally asks, his throat constricting.

"It was just me first. I ran out and came.. I came here. I didn't mean to stay out all night, it just happened," she reveals, looking to the spot beside the door that she'd sad at for hours, "I went back yesterday morning. Then, it was both of us."

"You stayed out here all night?" Daryl asks, wondering if he'd heard her correctly.

"I didn't mean to," she sighs, looking back to the ground.

"How's your brother?"

"He's okay. I'm waiting for him now.. He went to a friends to drop something off."

"And you?" Daryl asks, trying to look to her from under her hood again.

"Do you want me to say you were right?" she asks, looking back to him.

At the sight of her scars, Daryl feels his stomach churn once more.

"Cause you were. Is that what you want?"

"'s not what I want at all," Daryl denies.

Their eyes stay on each other a bit longer until Sakiko sighs again and looks away.

"My aunt said she doesn't want us after all. She said that I'm too much to handle and she doesn't want to deal with that. I guess you were right about that, too."

The bit of hope Daryl had for the kids to get out before things got even worse vanishes at her words and he finds more stress setting in again.

"Am I like you now?" Sakiko wonders.

Daryl gives a short nod.

Sakiko puffs out another exhale, all but throwing herself to sit on the concrete and hiding her face in her jacket sleeves. It was hot and she hated wearing it, but the jacket hid more bruises.