An Ocean of Consequences

Chapter Six - Pt. Two

(1470 words)

I walked behind T and Serah on the familiar path to Garee's house. The two were having a blast, making the most of an otherwise mundane trip.

T kneeled down on one knee and Serah ran to his back, stretching her arms out straight to the sides. He picked her up by her underarms, stood up, and pushed her up above his head. He spun around slowly as we continued our path forward. Serah squealed with delight, a huge smile plastered across her face. Just watching her made me smile as well.

She looked young and carefree, despite all the turmoil going on around her. For the first time in a while, she looked like a kid.

When T's arms finally tired, he dropped her down to his shoulders, and she hung from his neck like a cape. She swayed back and forth with every step he took, giggling to herself. When she dropped to her feet, she ran back to me.

"Having fun?" I asked her, brushing her hair back from her face.

Her smile widened. "Yeah! T is so strong!"

T walked backward until we caught up with him, then turned to walk beside me. I ran my hand down his arm, silently thanking him. He smiled down at me as we continued walking.

So much happiness surrounded me, yet I could still not shake the dark cloud following me. I was struggling internally between what my heart wanted and what my brain was telling me was right. I never had a struggle like this before—my brain always won. It was not logical to develop feelings for a Starumite. They were our enemies, our invaders. But that was not enough to silence my desires.

We made it to Garee's and received a surprise when two men greeted me instead of one. "Markoh!" I exclaimed. I was very glad to see he and Garee were still going strong.

"Keerah," he said, leaning over to give me a hug. "How are you?"

I hesitated. "Great," I said. Even I did not believe it when it came out of my mouth. He gave me an amused look, but as usual, said nothing. "This is the humongous one. We call him T," I said as an introduction. They nod at one another politely.

Serah jumped into Garee's arms. He sat her on a stool in the kitchen and slipped her a sweet roll. She popped it into her mouth and smiled at me.

I shook my head as Garee gave me a sheepish look. "How's it going, Keer?" he asked, walking over to my side of the kitchen island and leaning onto it.

I mimicked his stance. "Fine. Good," I tried to find a word that fit.

Garee gave me a quizzical look. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" I said. He looked at me sideways with his bright hazel eyes. He was not buying it. "I just miss you, I guess," I told him.

He seemed to accept my lie as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Keer. This whole situation is just..." he trailed off, glancing at Markoh who was busy in the kitchen making tea. "Bad timing," he finished.

"It's fine," I lied. I missed him, but I wanted him to be happy, too. Even if it meant ignoring me for a while.

"Things at home are okay?"

"Yes. They're fine."

"You know," Garee started, removing his arm and standing up to look down at me. "Saying that word over and over doesn't make it true."

I sank my teeth into my lip. What was I supposed to tell him? That I thought I had feelings for the assigned guard that invaded my island? I could only imagine how that conversation would go.