Intermission, deux
"Juri! Juri!"
It's too late. She's going. Gone.
No, no, no. Not yet. Not like this. I need words, some plan or plot or clever ploy to get her to come back to me, even just a final jibe, one final dagger in the back, something to wound her, anything to keep me in her thoughts, burning in her heart. I am the master manipulator, queen bitch. I am the girl in the locket. I am Shiori.
She walks stiff and upright like a soldier. Like always. She won't look back. She will continue walking in that perfectly straight line away from me until she is out of sight, and further than that. She won't speak. She won't cry. She will be brave, and stubborn, and in pain.
She will remain, to the last, good.
I open my mouth.
And choke.
"Juri!"
No, I won't do it. I won't ruin her. I can control this. I don't have to be this person. I can walk away. No more games. Time to give it up. Time to grow up.
"I…I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Juri!"
No. Stop. It won't make any difference. Nothing will change this way. We're just going to go round and round again. Oh, it'll start off okay. She'll be good. Even I can be good, for a while. But I just can't match up to her. The more she opens up, the closer she lets me get, the more I can see her true self. And then it'll start. The jealousy. The pettiness. The little bursts of spite, building up, until I hate her.
I'll hate her. And I'll hurt her. The same spirals. Again, and again, and again…
But—
"Please!"
She hesitates.
My heart leaps and clenches at the same time. I shouldn't want this. But I do. I want more than anything for her to turn round right now. After all, there's a chance—a small, small chance that it could be different this time. Can't it?
I've changed, haven't I?
She keeps going.
…I guess…
…..not.