TRUE COLORS

DAY 105

POV JAQI
"Yueyue ...Have you lost weight or am I wrong?"
I watch my friend eat some grapes during the lunch break. She hasn't been the same for weeks ... She looks dull.
"What? No!"she chuckles.
"Mmh ... Can you tell me what happens to you?"
"Jaqi, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you pretending to be fine, when it's obvious that it's not like that at all. You've lost weight and your face is so tired! Tell me, come on ..."
I look into her eyes, hoping that
she doesn't do as usual ... That she doesn't keep everything inside.
"Jaqi ..."
Her voice breaks and unexpectedly she starts to cry.
"Hey! Yueyue ... Come here ..." I hug her tightly, seriously worried about seeing her like this.
I look around and notice that some girls are watching us curiously.
"Come on" I say, and then I take her to the bathroom and lock the door.
I embrace her again and I let her give vent to all her tears.
"I'm not fine at my home, Jaqi ... I don't even know if to call it my home! I'm always alone, always. And when my aunt is at home, I feel constantly wrong . And that's when I was a child that it's like that, but now that ... Now that I got used to Su and Dylan ... It's so hard to go back to life before! I didn't think it was so hard! "
Yue ... Poor Yue. I would like to have at least half the strength and goodness  that her small body has.
"Why did you decide to leave Dylan's house? You haven't told me yet. Have you fought? I've noticed that you've been more detached from him for quite some time now."
"Because Sun Qian asked me."
"WHAT ?! THAT BRIGHT WITCH! HOW DARE SHE ?!" I scream.
"Shhh! Speak quietly, Jaqi! And she's not a witch ... Just ... Try putting yourself in her shoes! Her boyfriend who lives with another girl... Who wouldn't mind? So I thought it was the right thing to do. Dylan is fine with her, I don't want them to leave because of me."
"Shen Yue! You have to stop doing that! You can't always take the blame for everything! Damn, you're absurd!
Does Dylan know you left for this? "
"No and he must not know it, otherwise he would get angry!" she answers, her eyes widening.
"And he would be right, damn it!" I exclaimed.
She lowers her head and start crying again.
"Oh, honey ... Ok, ok, stop crying... Let's do this: you will come and stay with me, okay?" I propose.
She shakes her head.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to disturb you and your family, Jaqi ... That's my home, I have to give myself a reason. I'll be better, I just need time."
"Yue. You come to my house. It's an order" I say in a firm voice.
I stroke her hair and finally she nods with a small smile.
"Perfect! Tonight take your bags to rehearsal!" I wink at her and help her to get up.
"Dylan doesn't have to know it, though" she says.
"Ooook!"
Yue is not meant to be alone. No one is. She always tries to make herself small so as not to disturb ... Her pain is held tight, because she is seriously convinced that letting it go would hurt those around her.

POV DYLAN
I open the front door and Su runs to his room to do his homework. He is always very productive on the days when my classmates and I have to do rehearsals for the show ... He wants to be ready to go to Jaqi's house.
I sit on the couch.
Have these walls always been so gray? Has there always been all this silence? And why don't I smell any perfume?
Maybe Daddy is right when he says that Shen Yue brought color to his bookstore... He says it every time he talks about her to some of his clients or friends. Shen Yue ... What are you doing now? Surely she will be wandering around the house with her shorts and her wide T-shirts, humming songs that only she knows, smiling even at the pictures hanging on the walls. A laugh escapes me. I'm not saying I miss her, but ... It's strange not having her around.
And meanwhile it is increasingly distant.
I don't think she does it on purpose ... Maybe, simply by not living here anymore, things have changed. I just wonder if she'll come back ... It's been more than two weeks. "For a while" she said. But how long does a while take?

POV KIDO
"Yueyue! Look at me! Am I not handsome?"
We're all in Jaqi's garage. There are those who paint props, those who practice the lines, those who try songs ...
Yue turns to me, I'm wearing Gastone's clothes sewn by one of our classmate.
"I was going to say Unwatchable, but ... " she grins.
"Hey!" I take her nose between two fingers.
"Kido! Ok, ok! You're handsome!" she exclaims.
I let her go and we both burst out laughing.