Chapter 2: Can't Remember Why

With her house in view, I instinctively stopped walking.

I came here to meet up with her.

Me an early bird and her, a late ■■■?■■.

When suddenly, a blur of movement appeared in my vision.

Then —

"BOO!"

[.....]

Her voice rang, cutting through the morning quiet.

A sharp jolt ran down my spine, and I shuddered at the unexpected surprise.

Her warm smile masked her cold personality.

And by the time i got to my senses, that same smile shifted into a smug expression.

"What's the matter? Too shocked?" She teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.

[.....]

I kept the silent atmosphere before turning to look at her fully.

She stood partially hidden behind a wide post connected to the power supply. Her small and delicate frame blended seamlessly into the narrow space, making it easy to miss her at a glance.

"Well, I definitely didn't see that coming- I admitted, brushing off my lingering nerves.

"Anyways, let's go, we're already running late" I added.

She raised her shoulders in an exaggerated shug, clearly not buying it.

Truthfully, I had spent too much time with the cat earlier, completely losing track of time.

But at least I didn't have to wait for her today.

——————————————————

As we walked back to the dark alleyway and into the road, my gaze drifted towards where I had last seen the black furred cat.

She was.... G■NE.

But the trail of blood she left behind told me where she was headed.

It seems like she's back to her ■?■■.

Somewhere she still belonged.

Or at least, the place she thought she did.

A place where pain was normal.

Where suffering was expected.

——————————————————

[ Few minutes passed ]

In the road, we scanned for transportation.

Spotting an empty tricycle rolling by, we raised our hands straight, hoping to grab it's attention.

Despite the rush, despite being late—

I enjoyed her company.

Or at least, I told myself I did.

Because the moment I stepped into the vehicle, something shifted inside me.

A quiet fear. A vague discomfort.

A feeling that settled in my chest like a weight I couldn't shake.

It made no sense.

Public vehicles weren't dangerous.

And yet—

[ "I c■n't re■ember ■hy." ]

The tricycle jolted forward, the wheels sputtering into life.

The rattling of metal vibrated beneath me, and for a split second, I felt—

Cold.

Like something wasn't right.

Like something had happened before.

Something I had fo■gotten.

——————————————————

Trying to push the feeling aside, I turned to her.

Anything to distract myself.

"Heeyy, any assignments due today?"

She barely looked up, her tone casual — too casual.

"Hmmm, all I remember is that we have a history quiz today—"

[.....]

She paused.

Something flickered across her expression.

Something brief.

"Ohhh!! And also that English project- where we have to describe our biggest fear using unique adjectives without repeating a single word... That's probably all"

My lips parted slightly. "Ohhh... Right, that one."

I hesitated before asking, "Ehh-- have you finished it?

She let out a soft laugh. Too light. Too forced.

"Nahh, haven't even started yet -

She stretched her arms lazily, but her voice wavered — just a little.

" - and besides"— she exhaled, forcing a grin.

"I can just search online to look up synonyms when I'm stuck — no biggie."

It was small, but something about the way she said it….

Like she wanted to sound carefree.

Like she was co■vinc■ng herself more than me.

I let out a short laugh, trying to match her energy.

"HaHa... I'll probably just cram that thing... Can't be bothered." I said, forcing a chuckle.

The words left my mouth so easily. Too easily.

Like a hab■t.

Like something I'd been saying for years.

[ ….. ]

But when did it start?

When did I stop trying? When did "I'll do it later" become something so.... Normal?

And more than that—

Why did I even care now?

[ … ]

I glanced at her.

She still wasn't looking at me, her eyes fixed outside the window, fingers absentmindedly tapping against the seat.

She wasn't the type to cram.

She just… never started.

Never planned. Never prepared.

She made it look effortless—like nothing really mattered, like she was floating through life, eas■ly.

And maybe—

Maybe that's what pulled me in.

Maybe that's why I started doing it too.

Not because she told me to.

Not because she ever wanted me to.

She never once said, "Don't study." She never once told me to cram, to slack off.

But still—

I did.

Because being around her, it was easy to stop caring.

[ I wa■ted to experience her ea■y life ]

Because she made it seem like none of it mattered.

But here's the thing—

It did matter.

To b?th of ■s.

And we were just too scared to admit it.

[ .... ]

And in the end—

It wasn't the project that mattered.

It was the conversation.

It was the way we sat there, existing in each other's presence.

Talking about things that didn't matter.

And avoiding the things that did.

And after that—

Just silence.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Just… sil■nce.

Until finally—

We arrived.

The moment we stepped into the gates, her demeanor shifted.

The warmth in her voice disappeared.

The lightness in her expression faded.

The person beside me—

She wasn't the same anymore.

She was someone colder.

Someone who had lock■d something away.

And I never asked why.

Because deep down, I already knew—

Some things were meant to be hidden.

Some truths were easier to ignore.

And some fears...

Were never meant to be spoken.