Rising Shards

It did occur to me that Lillia was just pretending to confide in me there or was an imposter and I was about to be kidnapped or something. I apparently was developing an odd fear of getting into cars when I didn’t know the full story of why. Maybe I was just raised well to be naturally cautious of suspicious vehicle scenarios, I’m not sure. I made mental note to extend that cautiousness to people offering to take me into the void. In this case, I still ended up getting in the backseat of the van while Lillia sat next to Ko in the middle seat.

“Pfft, why’d you buckle up?” Ko asked, which wasn’t the best start to an apology.

“It was just reflex!” I said. “I get in a car, I put my seatbelt on, it’s common sense. I thought we might drive somewhere too, I dunno…”

Kai slugged Ko in her arm.

"Quit hitting me!" Ko said. "You already freaked that dude out when you decked me in front of the gas station." Ko rubbed her jaw, which was slightly swollen.

"I've hit you way harder for way less," Kai said. "We punch each other all the time, you can take it. Plus, you really deserved it this time."

"I dunno if my actions warranted violence." Ko said.

"You absolutely deserved it." Lillia said, her arms crossed.

"Oh..." Ko said. She looked downward, as though she expected Lillia to take her side.

"And that punch was my apology to you too, Zeta." Kai said. "I did drive her here and all."

"Oh, no worries...?" I said. The Matora sisters always freaked me out with their ease of inflicting violence on one another, but I couldn't help but feel a little better knowing that Ko got hit because of how much of a jerk she was being. Ko wasn't on my side and probably wouldn't ever be, but it felt like I had a surprising new ally in Kai.

“We can drive around if you want,” Kai said, still sitting in the front seat. “I’d rather do that than just idle here. So Zeta had it right. Ko, you buckle up too.”

“We’re just gonna be going around the block…” Ko grumbled.

“I don’t want to get a ticket again, remember how pissed Mom and Dad were? And whose fault was that?” Kai said.

“Fine, but don’t tell them why that one was my fault,” Ko said as she clicked her seatbelt. Lillia did as well, and Kai drove us around the neighborhood.

For a bit, nobody said anything. I wasn’t sure what the point of this was if we weren’t going to talk. But I wasn’t going to be the one to speak first there. Finally, Ko spoke, but it sounded like she was talking to herself more than anything.

“Why did I do that? I’m so stupid.” Ko said.

“Well, you answered that on your own,” Kai said. “It’s because you’re stupid. You always make everything a dumb competition. I mean, like, why would you try that with Zeta? Are you that dumb?”

“Apparently.” Ko said.

“Like have you seen her and her girlfriend together? And you thought she was into Lillia?” Kai asked.

I fidgeted with my seatbelt a bit but had to smile at that.

“Well, Kalei said…” Ko said.

“And you believed her?” Kai said. “So you got what, jealous now and/or had to be all tough and had to try and ruin Zeta’s day to look big in front of Lillia?”

“Maybe…”

“That’s like trying to fistfight a two-year-old,” Kai said. “You don’t win anything for winning, you just look like a jerk.”

 “I think you’re more than a jerk if you try to fistfight a child.” Ko said.

“It’s just a…metaphor or something,” Kai said. “Like a fight your opponent is so ludicrously outclassed in that it just is mean. Like a boxer in their prime fighting an elderly store greeter.”

“I get it. I suck and am a jerkass.” Ko said. “Did you have to remind me how much of a jerkass I am after Lillia just did a few minutes ago?”

“Maybe, because there’s still a part you’re forgetting.” Kai said.

Lillia nodded. “Zeta was courteous enough to speak to you again after what you pulled.”

“I know, I know!” Ko said. She sighed and turned halfway to face me. “So you really aren’t into Lillia?”

“No,” I said.

“You sure?” Ko said.

“I think she’s super cool, but I just like Oka!” I said.

“Huh.” Ko said. “And you didn’t cheat on your last girlfriend?”

“No…” I said. I didn’t want to talk about this one again, but this was a clear the air kind of night. “Long story short, I started dating someone who neglected to tell me they were already seeing someone. And that someone they were already seeing turned out to be Ovie, who didn’t buy that I didn’t know. I’m…pretty sure I didn’t know. I feel really bad about all that. But then that girlfriend treated me like total garbage most of the relationship, so it wasn’t like any of that was any good for any of us. That girlfriend was the one who did the whole Fang Moon Web thing, so I hope that…explains that.”

“Damn.” Ko said.

“Ko. You’re still forgetting an important part of this.” Lillia said.

It was very satisfying seeing someone talk to Ko like that, especially seeing her slink down in her chair a bit. From experience I know how a sister can be in that regard, but Lillia brought the retribution to another level. Lillia sounded even more commanding than normal.

“Faleur…I’m sorry. I was a total jerkass tonight.” Ko said. “I just heard that stuff about you…I guess I shouldn’t believe everything I hear like that.”

I was hurt by the whole thing, and it definitely didn’t want to make me be big time friends with Ko after that, but she did sound genuine in her apology at least.

“It’s OK,” I said. I almost reflexively said ‘we’ve all been there,’ but I couldn’t think of any time I considered doing something like what Ko did. I guess if I had to relate to it, Ko was maybe worried she was in danger of losing Lillia? If I was scared I was going to lose Oka…I dunno, I wouldn’t do something like this. Even gaming it out in my head I was still kind of confused, but I wanted to move on, so I confirmed with a firmer statement. “It’s alright.”

“And Lillia, I’m sorry again to you too,” Ko said. “I’ll make it all right, I promise.”

“You’re off to a decent start.” Lillia said.

Kai pulled to a stop near Kalei’s house again.

“So…is that it for tonight?” Ko asked. “I mean, I’d get it, but—"

“I’ve been sitting in my damn car for an hour here,” Kai said. “Can we just beg Kalei’s mom for forgiveness so we can go inside and get something to eat? I forgot to buy anything at the gas station because I saw your vacant doofus expression and had to get you out of there. Punching that stupid look off your face took a lot out of me, too.”

“I think we still have pizza left.” I said.

There was a thunk towards the front of the car. Kai yelped and rolled her window down. “Don’t put your faces on the glass like that, freaks!”

Latte and Roux were leaning on the car, holding up bags of snacks they procured.