The Understudy of an Alchemist

17. The Last Goodbye

In my entire thirteen and a half years on this earth, I'd never heard frogs so loud before.

Twisting beneath my bed sheets, it seemed that no amount of shifting can muffle the noise, and with a final exasperated sigh, I lift up my pillow, and slam it over my head. This wakes Yang, who is curled up beside me, as he lets out a disgruntled moan.

My parents will be here in the morning. I think sadly. I was just so confused; confused by what Varian had done. It had to simply be a dream. I'd thought over, and over again. It felt like the chapter of some action novel that I'd read once. The beautiful Princess who had had her fiancé betray her, and steal the valuable gem for himself.

But it was not like that book. Varian and I were not engaged for starters, nor was I a Princess. And he hadn't technically betrayed me, but then he had at the same time. I had no idea what to do. I wanted to bonk him over the head with a rolling pin, while wanting to hug him at the same time.

He wasn't some dirty, evil criminal; he was my best friend. And best friends don't try to convince the other not commit crimes. Best friends play silly games together. Best friends sleep over at each other's house; and then when they finally grow up and become work colleagues.

But Varian... he wasn't paying this game right. He was getting it all wrong, he was ruining what we'd both worked so hard on. And that was not how you played the game.

However, despite all the confusing thoughts surrounding me, I could slowly feel sleep creeping up from behind me. The record breaking frog calls outside aren't enough to keep my wide awake, rather the exhausting activities that I'd performed today are finally catching up with me.

Yang too has settled back to sleep, his warm body is vibrating from the purring, like a lullaby. My eyes start to water under the closed lids, something that they would do when I was falling asleep. Against my will, I found myself releasing a small yawn, before the delicious warmth swallows me whole.

~*~

The first thing I hear is loud growling.

In fact, this was probably what woke me up. As my eyes blearily adjust, the growling seems to be increasing in velocity. If I wasn't so tired and confused, I think that I'd be terrified.

But as my slushed brain begins to process what is going on, it hits me like a brick; it's not growling, it's Yang purring. Where is Yang? Frantically, against my throbbing head's wishes, I rise into a cross legged position.

He's not on the bed. He must still be in the room however, because I can still hear his purring even louder than ever. I want to call him, or make clicking noises with my tongue, yet my brain still hasn't woken up yet, I struggle to form the words.

As my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, something catches my eye. It's the chair in the corner. Am I.....am I imagining it?? But I'm not, there's someone sitting in the chair.

Now the panic sets in.

I cannot see their face properly in the dark, but upon closer inspection, I notice that Yang is sitting up on their lap, purring loudly. This causes me to relax slightly. Although my cat is an absolute marshmallow with people, he was very shy with new people, to the point of hiding behind the kitchen pantry for five days. He wouldn't be sitting on the lap of someone unfamiliar.

It takes several minutes to process who I am seeing. And I don't know whether I am relieved or panicked to see them.

"Vari...wha??" I'm shocked to hear the words escape my mouth. They sound slurred, groggy; as if I were unable to comprehend the words. Shooing Yang off his lap, he rises to his feet, and begins walking over to me.