Catch Me

Don't Let Me Go

May 25, Sunday

6:40pm

"Ugh!!!!!!!!" I screamed loudly enough that Aranea came into my room to see what the damn hell was going on. Or she probably wished she was hearing my scream right that I was being murdered.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly like she ran up the stairs just to ask the question.

I looked up to shoot her a scowl. "Nothing. I just can't get the hairdo right." and I gestured to a picture of Megan Fox's wavy hairdo in the movie Jennifer's Body at the prom scene. Well, before she went ahead and ate her best friend's boyfriend's insides in a murky swimming pool, that is.

It was prom night. Whoop-de-do.

I was already wearing my black prom dress and had been working on my hair for about an hour.

Aranea asked if I needed any assistance.

I heaved a sigh of resignation and let her help, reminding myself that I was already fashionably late. But I wasn't Kanaya Maryam, so... just late. I sat on a chair in front of my dresser as Aranea worked on my Jennifer Check hairdo.

After a few minutes she asked, "So who's your date?"

I couldn't help throwing her a look through my mirror. She never asked about what was happening in my life before. What was with the older-sister-trying-to-bond-with-her-little-sister attitude?

"What?" she questioned innocently.

"I don't have a date," I muttered then shrugged, "may8e I'll hook up with Kanaya again."

Aranea frowned. "What happened to John Eg8ert?"

I stared at her again with incredulity. "What are you talking a8out?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't think I hear you talking in your sleep sometimes, saying his name? Or see you in the hallways with him?"

I frowned. What on earth was she doing watching me anyway? She wasn't mom. "So what if I hangout with him? That doesn't prove anything. And may8e I sleep-talk his name 8ecause he's so annoying, he annoys me even in my dreams." Talking about buck-toothed Egbert made me sad. Remembering again when he wanted to go to China instead of staying here. ...With me.

His stupid flight was scheduled today, and shook my head to forget the image of him bording a plane.

Aranea shook her own head too. "It's not just that, you know. The way you look at him. Your eyes give you away that you're particularly fond of this boy."

"May8e I should shut my eyes then," I replied with a grimace. "Honestly, I don't even know why you're 8othering to keep up your whole charade of 8eing nice to me. I still h8 you for making my life misera8le enough ever since mom died 8ecause of me."

I saw her face crumple with hurt at my words. It made me a little guilty about bringing the subject up again, when we haven't mentioned it in years. Just a little.

"What?" I mumbled. "It's true."

She sighed and I thought I saw her square her shoulders, as if bracing herself. "Look, I know I gave you a hard time for years 8ecause of what happened to mom."

A hard time? She practically ignored me for the past ten years.

"8ut I've changed," she continued, "and I'm sorry, Vriska. I really am." There were tears in her eyes that made my eyes widen.

I cleared my throat. "Uh... yeah, okay. You don't have to get all teared up, sis." There wasn't any point in playing hard to get. I wanted this moment to happen too.