Chapter 6: Two halves

Who knew she was this nice after all. Despite getting off as quite a B...well...I guess we got along after that little act of kindness. Don't be fooled though. After I taught her to set up a computer, she went into a complete competitive mode with me.

"I bet I can beat you in one game of COD!!!" Amari exclaimed.

I snickered and minded my own business knowing she would just lose after a whopping 5 losses against me already. By the way...an old-school game coming back is a pretty booming thing right now even in 3099. COD was resurfaced after the big king's son found one of its posters hanging in a game museum and said he would like for it to be remade this year despite it coming out about a thousand years ago. Yes. Our tech is high enough to restore old games that are basically considered as dinosaurs at this point in time. Anyway. After bantering with Amari, Marque then decided to pull a little game called truth or dare but with a twist.

"Every time we don't answer a truth and do a dare, we have to drink some sake!" Marque blurted out with a big grin on her face.

"I'm down! Just to beat your behind with some hellish dares and burning truths." Amari stared at me as she declared so.

I shrugged it off and decided to join anyway. For a big beefcake, she's quite competitively playful.

"Play...why does this word bring me pain..." I whispered in my own headspace.

"Why am I remembering things I buried in the back of my head..." I questioned myself.

"Bad memories are coming back just from a word? What is this? streets, rain, chatter, bottles, vehicles roaring out in the cold night...childhood...if I even had such a thing..." My inner voice followed.

Marque then snapped her fingers in front of my eyes since I looked like I spaced out for a hot second. I don't know why this happened.

"Hey! Earth to Sunae. You alright or is your internet making you lag???" She said pulling a dumb internet thing.

I sighed and shook my head, "Nah I'm alright." I replied to Marque.

She nodded and we proceeded to the game. It was normal afterward. Even so, my mind was conflicted with what had happened to me. Inner thoughts wondering why I saw these memories again...the rain made my body really cold. After our little game, Marque ended up being the first one to tap out because she couldn't even open her eyes from the alcohol. Lightweight. I didn't get much to drink and even if I did, I'm way too used to alcohol entering my systems by now. I chuckled and picked up Marque and placed her on my couch.

"Idiot." I whispered under my breath.

Meanwhile, Amari seemed woozy from the alcohol but still sane. At least. I looked at her and nodded to myself and walked off to get a spear foldable bed from my closet. I knew if she had gone home, something might happen. Her powers are something though...her body can adapt to any material she touches and basically turns into said material. Even if she had the power to be bulletproof or knife proof, being drunk like this would really mess up her control with her powers.

"Here. you should stay for the night." I said and prepped her bed while she wobbled around the floor.

"A-Are you sure...?" She drunkenly asked and tilted her head.

I nodded and said nothing else. I mentioned that I didn't get to drink much sake but when I did, it's because I avoided some questions about...my past. I never wanted to even remember. My head would immediately set itself on fire trying to find something else to think about when a thought comes across my head that may remind me of it. My childhood, my old home, my siblings, my...parents. Whatever. I shrugged it off nonetheless.

"This should be comfy enough for a drunk head like you." I innocently joked and helped her up onto her bed by the coffee table. My home was small but it's still a home anyway. Living in 20's home jungle is quite the excitement either way. I then grabbed the rest of the mess and bottles and threw them out before heading up to the bathroom to wash up but then decided I should go and put my clothes in the dirties in my room first. I smelled like alcohol from Marque spilling it on me when she started dancing all of a sudden. I sighed and took my jacket off and looked at myself in the mirror. I prefer wearing sleeveless turtle necks under my jacket and some sporty pants...I just also add some arm and leg sleeves to cover...some memories. I shook my head and woke myself up from the self trance I've been falling into ever since I was reminded of some things from that one word. Taking my top off pains me...why? Fresh wounds.

"Bastards really did me good on with a knife..." I said to myself looking at the bandage on my side and continued to fall into staring at myself and the marks I've brought with me. I then perked up feeling a presence.

"It's rude to stare." I said at the peeper spying on me as I stood with my sports bra on and my baggy jogger pants. I didn't look back. I sensed eyes on me...

A thud then rang the silent corners of my room. Drunk thud. Marque's too drunk to even move a finger so I'm guessing it's Amari waddling around. After that thud, I could hear a faint whining from the fall. I snickered and rolled my eyes as I continued to undress and got my bathrobe on.

"I-I wasn't staring!" Amari said with a pouty lip. Embarrassed obviously.

I scoffed, "Yeah right. Jee, I can't tell if you're red from the sake you stuffed your face in or from you being a creep on me." I commented and headed to the bathroom.

"Hey wait!" She blurted out making me stop in my tracks with my destination to the bathroom.

I silently turned my head but not all the way to look at her. I felt what she was about to ask. Just as I predicted from what just happened.

"Your scars are all over..." She rather gently said. Is she drunk or not? This chick really confuses me a lot despite having a 226 iq score...Sake and its magics am I right.

I turned my head forward trying to ignore my thoughts from flooding back, "Thanks for the concern but it's, unfortunately, none of your business." I said as I walked off.

I didn't hear any footsteps getting out of the room. She's pushy I can see that. As I sat in the tub, memories started to just...rumbled back. Earthquakes in my head opening up cracks I've been trying to seal away...I have to forget...It's been 12 years. Why. Can't. I. Forget.

A good 10 minutes of talking to myself passed. Amari's still in my room. I sighed and grabbed my clothes to get changed in the bathroom before walking out as I dried my hair.

"You're still here?" I said to Amari petting my cat on the window.

Amari nodded and looked away. She seemed to be sober, "I-I'm sorry for eyeing...the marks...just caught my eye." She explained.

I silently made my way to my drawers and grabbed my house sweater, "No worries." I replied.

"I'm a mixed martial artist...I stopped cause of my job here but since I got let go, I'm coming back to the jig...I couldn't help but think about your marks and how unusual it is for someone like you to have them since you uh...fight and think quite quickly..."

I lifted my head up, "Okay so the MMA stuff seemed...unnecessary considering it has no connection to what the topic is but sure...besides, I'm just...a normal person. I'm no one special to have scars inside and out. That's it." I replied.

She nodded and looked at my computer, "I never met my mom and my dad left me promising he would return...so I was in the streets for a while and got pretty beat up. I have a lot of marks too so I just...got curious if you had the same path as I did." she shared.

Path...another word triggering my memories...I looked away and stayed silent.

"Y-You don't have to answer if you'd rather keep it to yourself..." She said and got up walking to my door.

I stared down at my floor and spoke, "Yeah we're the same..." I said to her. Fidgeting is one of my ways to show discomfort and boredom. It's obvious which one I was feeling but I doubt she noticed.

She nodded and walked out the door, "Talk to you tomorrow...Oh and...sorry to pry..." she said and gently shut it.

I then pulled up my oversized sleeve and looked at my hand. The street lights hitting it perfectly and defined marks and other features.

"The same..." I whispered staring into my hand. How many times have I tried to melt away. My body just seems to be built to stop that. Flashbacks to that white room kept coming back. Kid blocks I used to be bored with even at such a young age that you'd think a kid like me would love those...toys bore me as a child. Only one stuck around my memory that had an impact on me. A not-so-good impact. A wooden Owl figure...Their heads turning in an unusual way making you think that no matter how close you get, they'll know where you are but once they're gone, you wouldn't hear them coming. The base of me...