Onism || Oh Sehun

Chapter 39: Her

"Annalise was one year older."

With reluctance, Mirasol took out the worn-out picture she always kept in her wallet. She handed it over to Doctor Ahn before her.

Two girls stood in the picture side by side, both clad in high school uniforms. They look nearly identical. If you were to see the two girls together at first glance, anyone would believe they would be identical twins. However, not so. On one, a beauty mark was faintly seen at the corner of her eye.

That one was Annalise.

"Annalise-unnie... or rather, Ate Annalise since that's what I call her since we lived in the Philippines. She was always confident in everything that she did. Outgoing, athletic, friendly. She always have been well-liked in school, very popular."

{ A/n: Ate (pronounced like ah-teh) means older sister in Filipino/Tagalog }

Mirasol sighed nervously. She really hadn't talked about her in so long. No, she knows why she hadn't. It was because Jovelyn didn't let her. She made her forget her real sister.

"Have you and your sister have your differences?"

"No!" The word had come out her mouth a little too fast. Mira pursed her lips and recollected herself. "Not really. I've always been the shyer one between the two of us but she took care of me well no matter what. I always been kind of a loner back then, I didn't talk to much people besides my sister. She tried hard to help me out of my shell."

"How so?"

"Well, she told me to join the tennis team, and I finally joined it my third year, her last year of high school." Mira's gaze glazed over as unwanted memories penetrated her brain.

"It looks like that the club must be somewhat connected to what may have happened to her."

Mira bit down on her lip to the point she could taste metal on her tongue. "Annalise was looked up at and incredibly respected in the team. Every girl wanted to be her and every guy wanted her. When I joined the team, everyone was very kind to me... but that only lasted for like the first couple of months. When they found out how awkward and how much of a loser I could be, they didn't want anything to do with me.

"They were all... pretty wild. They partied, drank alcohol, and all that shit. When I found out that's what Ate Annalise's sleepovers at a friend's house were, I was completely shocked. I wanted to quit the team since clearly everyone expected me to be a complete clone of my sister. But I didn't... because the coach actually wanted me to stay. I played well and won medals, so I can see why. And Annalise... she said she was happy she gets to play tennis with me more than just whenever. We were both pretty passionate about the sport so how could I really quit?"

Mira's eyes dropped to the ground, her eyebrows furrowed together. "She may have made some questioning choices but she was always so good-hearted. She knew her limits and all that, knew not to go past what she feels what was wrong."

"So, why?"

Yeah, why did she have to die?

"There was this major asshole on the team, Alex Rivera. Everyone absolutely knew he had a thing for Annalise but my dumb ass didn't know. And then I ended up having a crush on him. He was handsome, I guess no one can help it when you're so young. And of course my sister found out about it and she managed to set me up with him. Alex and I were supposed to have our first date one day but you know what he had the audacity to say to me?

"He told me hey can you give your sister a good word of this? He was on a date with me and he just did so just to get brownie points with Annalise! I never felt so humiliated in my life. At that moment, I hated everything, I even hated Annalise for doing that to me. I don't know why I was so incredibly angry at everything... so when she came to pick me up after I called her, we argued so much..."

Mirasol choked on her words.

"It was raining so hard that day... and..."

Car screeching echoed in her mind and suddenly she was thrown back into her memories. She became breathless when she remembered the flash of white light that happened before the crash. Then the darkness and the heavy stench of gasoline and metal.

Doctor Ahn had handed over his box of tissues. Mirasol gratefully took it and wiped at her eyes and her running nose. She managed to calm down her jagged breaths. "When I woke up in the hospital... she was already gone."

"Mirasol, do you want to stop for today? You've made a lot of progress, we can pick this up on a different day."

"I-It's okay. I feel that if I don't let this all out now, then I would never be able to talk about it again."

Exhale.

Mirasol continued. "I blamed myself so damn much after that day. I lost my sister because we argued over something stupid! No one looked at me the same way, I'm sure everyone started looking at me like a murderer... even my own parents... I was sure of it even though they told me over and over that it wasn't... they lost a perfect daughter and was left with me."

"Was that when Jovelyn came around?"

"Y-Yes..."

<< you should've just let me have your body, mira. your parents lost all chances to have that perfect child >>

A headache began to burst. The 22 year old lurched forward in her seat, falling onto her knees. The pain was unbearable and a screech left her lips. Her own vision became hazy and it felt like she was being swallowed up by a hole.

Stop.

Stop.

What are you doing?

Exhale.

The girl slowly stood up from the floor and wiped at her hands and knees. Her eyes instantly met with the doctor's just before he would scribble something down on his clipboard.

"Interesting. Jovelyn, I presume?" Doctor Ahn murmured as he crossed his leg over the other. He looked far too calm for the lass, and that made her angry. "Why don't you sit down and chat with me?"

"I'm supposed to have this body," Jovelyn hissed at the man before her. "That's what I was made for! Mirasol wanted to be the woman everyone wanted her to be, and that's me! Why am I being restrained? Why am I suddenly not strong enough?!"

"Because Mirasol clearly found faith in herself," the doctor hummed, his expression not once changing at the personality's expense. "She may be struggling with herself now but she managed to find enough courage and confidence to not rely on you anymore. I don't think you were ever supposed to take over."

Jovelyn was fuming. She started to storm over to that man, hands up ready to strangle him to death.

But a pain overcame her.

She halted in her tracks, just a mere foot away to make contact with the doctor.

Jovelyn felt like she was being ripped from the inside out.

She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

But only for the girl to jolt herself awake a second later.

Her eyes met the doctor's again.

"Mirasol, welcome back. You're doing amazing today," the doctor told her, as he held out his hand for her to take.

Mirasol took it and stood back on her feet, only to look terrified over what just happened. "J-Jovelyn was able to—"

"But you were able to get your body back with your own will. I could already tell how frantic Jovelyn looked. She's scared," Doctor Ahn grinned a little. "You're doing well, Mirasol, for pushing yourself to letting out everything. Just endure it a little more. Your family, friends, and I will be here to help you, I promise."