Butterflies and Puppets

Chapter 21

I'm standing outside of the hospital in a daze feeling numb.. I look up to the now dark night sky watching the stars twinkle. I guess I need to find out which stars you two are now... you have to have darkness to find the stars.

"Mayumi?" I look over to see my squad members standing there. I know their minds are going a mile a minute too, I never told them about my family. My past doesn't define me, that's why it's the past and you leave it behind you. My family doesn't need to be spread out because there's a rotten apple, you throw it away and never look back at it. I walk over to them and stand there in front of them.

"When is the next exam?" I ask crossing my arms. As my father taught me, don't let pain get in the way of your goal. Pain makes you stronger, keep pushing because great things never comes from comfort.

"Mayumi-" I hold a hand up in front of Ryota cutting him off and look at Sota.

"Tomorrow morning." He states eyeing me. "Make sure you have enough supplies for five days."

I nod looking at my team. "I'll see you guys in the morning." I say walking off I hear foot steps behind me.

"Do you want us to walk you home?" Ryota asks stepping closer to me.

"No, I don't want to go home.." I whisper.

"Then where are you going?" Buyuu questions causing me to stop walking.

"I-I don't know.." truth is, I don't know anything right now. I don't think people understand how stressful it is to explain what's going on in your head, when you don't even understand it yourself.

"Come on.. we'll take you home and we will stay with you." Ryota says pulling me into his chest and hugging me close Buyuu joins in and hugs me also causing me to cry more. This sucks, I hate people seeing me like this.

"Come on, let's get you home, no one cries alone our presence." Buyuu says as both boys pull away from me each one wrapping an arm around my waist supporting my weak tired legs.

We start walking to my apartment when a voice stops us.

"Mayumi?" Kankuro asks. I stop walking and look over to my left seeing him stand there.

"What are you doing out this late at night?" I ask sniffling.

"I was wondering if you were okay. You never came back."

"Never been better." I say coldly, I take a step then turn back to him. "Thank you, by the way, for making me take the first steps into a whole new chapter of my life. I'm not your puppet." I state as we continue walking home I could see a hurt expression on his face. But at this point, I don't care who I hurt.

We make our way to my front door as I unlock it.  I step inside letting my team mates in and close the door taking off my sword and sitting on the couch with my knees to my chest.

I don't even want to be here anymore. This place was always supposed to be my happy place, but it's always been a chamber of emotions lately. These walls have seen so much, too much and I only know half of it.

"Do you want something to eat?" Buyuu asks walking to the kitchen to find something I shake my head declining.

"You need to eat something." Ryota states sitting next to me.

"There are three bedrooms." I say softly. "Buyuu can have my room and Ryota can have the spare. Stay out of the bedroom on the left." I say getting up I feel their eyes watching me as I walk to the bathroom slamming the door. I lean back onto the door and slide down it. Sitting there for hours crying. I finally wipe my face and stand up looking in the mirror.