They Say Opposites Attract

XXXI. Nostalgia

Chloe, who was still holding onto me, glared at Kate. Despite its simplicity, I found it surprisingly hard to piece together just what exactly was going on.

I lightly tugged at Chloe's shirt, at which she moved her attention to me. Having left my notebook on the porch where Kate stood, I decided to use sign language to communicate.

"'Why am I being so mean?'" Chloe repeated outloud before blowing out a long sigh. "Miko... she's.. she's not who you think she is. Not only that, but she treats everything like a game," she tells me in a soft tone. Though, when she saw my hesitation, she shifted her gaze back at Kate before looking back at me.

"Did you ever tell her about that?" Chloe asks, giving a brief gesture towards my neck. It was so brief I almost missed it. Either way, I would've known what she was referring to. My voice.

The story I told Kate is the same story I tell myself. And then there's the truth. The truth about what really happened to my voice.

"Do you trust her less than you trust me?" Chloe asks me, tilting her head to the side slightly as she places a hand in my hair again. I couldn't help but glance back at my mom, who stood in the same spot, looking back at me with a worried expression.

My gaze then shifted to Kate, who wore a regretful expression instead. Her gaze was drawn to a spot on the ground and it was clear she was shaking. For what reason in particular? I wasn't sure.

I hesitated again before giving a slow nod in response to Kate's question, not looking at her. The silence that came after my reply stretched on for a few moments before Chloe spoke up again, making me look up at her again.

"Then," she started, biting her lip nervously before continuing. "How about dating me again instead?" She asks me, earning herself a few gasps of surprise from not only me, but my mom and Kate as well.

Before I could respond, the other girl spoke first. "Hold up, you can't just come here and do that!" She yells a bit loudly. I couldn't help but notice the lack of proper emotion in that statement.

Chloe must've noticed it too.

I wrapped my arms around Chloe's waist before saying my next statement in a near whisper, "If we can keep it from your parents." I tell her this with a small nod in response before burying my face in her neck like I used to.

Before anyone could say anything further, I reached out and grabbed onto Chloe's hand. With my thumb, I drew a few symbols on her palm, the way she taught me to. As promised, she translated silently. After a moment of hesitation, she asked if I was sure about what I asked her. In which I gave a nod in response. She sighed at that before saying, "Okay."

Chloe held me close to her as she speaks up loud enough for Kate for hear. "She wants you to know that 'she wanted to trust you, but she trusts me more. And that she knows of what happened between you and Raven.' Whoever that is.."

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There was more arguing after that, but I had decided to go back inside the house with my mom. She had told me that she was worried for me, at which I had no response. So, instead of arguing, I just decided to sit on the couch with her in the living room, cuddled close together like we used to.

It wasn't long until Chloe knocked on the door, walking inside. She saw us in the living room, so she took a seat beside me. I looked over at her, in which she returned with her own gaze. "Miko.." she whispers before forcing herself to look away.

I tilted my head to the side as my mom excused herself from the room. I lifted my hands up to use sign language, but she placed her hand on mine. Her way of wanting to speak first.