Never Again

9

          "Do you-- like anyone at the moment?" she squeezed out. 

          Junkai paused. "Why are you asking me this?" His tone was changed now. It was more distant and unsure. 

          "I--"Emily started. "Do you like me?" She faced down. She was blushing madly now. 

          But Junkai didn't answer. He didn't answer for a long time. 

          Then he did.

           "I like you," he said slowly. Emily's heart stopped. It couldn't be. Finally, finally someone likes her, for her: not for her beauty, for her . . . 

          "But not in that way," Junkai finished. There was scuffle as he picked up her bag and handed it to her from the bench. 

           Emily took it in a daze. Emily couldn't look at him as he left. She couldn't bear to see his face, his elegant features arranged into pity, and his sorry eyes. 

         Every dream. Every dream she had, every one of those dreams weren't real. It was all just her imagination. Here she thought, maybe, just maybe he liked her. Maybe he liked her as much as she liked him. It was just that he was so kind to everyone, so kind that anyone would've thought toward romance. She should've known. She should've known he had treated her as a friend, as he would treat anyone else. 

          Crackle, crackle. A drop splatted on her arm. Then more came, more and more and more, until she was a dripping. 

         A sob pushed out of her lips. The walls tumbled down, brick by brick, step, by step. Salt water flowed down her cheeks. Her tears mixed with the rain. The world was crying with her. She had never truly felt this way about someone before. Sure, there had been crushes, small tingles and smiles, but never this. She never. . . was it love? She wasn't sure. Every small smile Junkai flashed with his cute canines, every little thing he did for her gave her hope. But that's what those things were: small. 

       She huddled there in the shivering cold as her teeth chattered uncontrollably. 

       A gray hoodie was placed on her head. She looked up.

     Roy stood there in the sun. The world seemed to brighten and whiten into clarity.  The golden light again filled the world. The only thing that ruined it was that he was deliberately looking away from her. 

      "Junkai's just kind of weird, if you know what I mean. That's all. He's not all that bad, really." When she didn't answer, Roy carried on.

     "Oh, would you look at that," Roy lamented. "The sun's out. Looks like I gave you that sweater for nothing." Emily couldn't help but break into a smile. 

      Roy smiled back. "Hey. I would call it your lucky day cause YuanYuan's actually going to invite you to eat ice cream. That's rare." Emily sat up and embraced him.

        Roy froze. 

        "Thank you," Emily said into his shirt. 

        Roy couldn't bring himself to say anything. It was like all the muscles and organs in his body had stopped working altogether. He felt freezing fire burning in his skin. Heavy feathers laying on him at all sides. A strange adrenaline, energy filled him all so unexpectedly. 

        They stepped into an ice cream shop and they both chose their flavors. Emily immediately  chose coffee. Roy, on the other hand, chose strawberry. Figures, Emily thought. The waiter said the price and waited. After an awkward pause, "So, doya'  wanna pay for it?" Roy said in a horrible western accent.  Emily giggled, but nonetheless, she still paid for it.

       Junkai continued walking on the sidewalk. He stuffed his hands in his blue raincoat when the rain started. The rain ended as fast as it has began. He didn't remember when or how he had started to stamp his foot fitfully. But, like the rain, it ended as fast as it had begun. He did it in circles-- over and over and over again. Then, with a loud splat, he landed on the floor on his butt. 

       His black hair dripped from his forehead and on his eyes, almost blinding him. He struggled to sit up. 

       "Here," Qianxi appeared, and offered his hand. Junkai smiled painfully and Qianxi lifted him up. 

        "I haven't seen you for awhile lately, Xiao Kai," Jackson said.

         Junkai just nodded, unable to say anything else.

            "Do you like her?" Qianxi stated out of the blue.

           "Huh?" 

            Jackson smiled. "Just checking." Junkai eyed him. 

            Jackson walked for five feet or so, then finally realized Junkai wasn't following him. He sighed. 

            "Maybe I do like her," Junkai said. "There's also a possibility I'm in love with her."

            Jackson stared back at him. "Me too."

           "Yeah, I don't know who she likes, but it's probably not me. . . " Jackson faltered.

          "It's probably you," Jackson said at him. "She probably likes you."

          "No, she likes you." Junkai cut him off. 

          "What?"

           "Remember that day-- that day she leaned on your shoulder? That's when I knew-- that's when I knew the one she likes is--is you." Junkai stopped.

           "We're still friends, are we?" Junkai voiced. Jackson searched his face.

           "Yes, of course we are dud. Come on, let's go see Fiona." Jackson patted him on the back with a little too much force. 

          "Ow," Junkai commented two seconds too late. 

         "It didn't hurt," Jackson said. 

         "Keep telling yourself that."

         A staring contest started. None of them looked away and none of them said a word. Strangers walking by would've never believed they were friends, (more like enemies). Finally though, they both couldn't take it anymore. They laughed. They laughed hard, and laughed and laughed together, a thing they haven't done for a long time since Fiona's accident. 

---

        "We should get Roy after this. He must be like a zombie, sleeping-- and he's missed out soooo much, oh my gosh," Junkai bubbled. 

        "He's probably eating," Jackson said with no emotion. 

        "Yeah, good point." 

        They both stopped talking as they reached the door. Junkai's practically already memorized the number. 310. He opened the door a crack.

         "Fiona?" Junkai asked. No one answered. 

          Well duh no one answered, you dumbo, Junkai scolded himself and pushed the door open.

        They both stared.

        No one was there, just some rumpled blankets and a necklace placed on the lamp stand. Junkai rushed over to it and picked the chain up. His hand trembled. It was the one he gave her, with the picture of them in it. 

       He looked out the door. Fiona, Fiona, where did you go? And why? He ran.

      "Xiao Kai!" Jackson yelled, but it was too late. Junkai had already disappeared from sight.