Chapter 9: It's Easy To Ruin a Good Day
Not even a cloudy day in Elysia had the power to make Sorey's happiness from last night fade away. Sorey bounced out of bed with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning, waking up long before both Zenrus and Lailah. It was about 6:45 AM, but Sorey was bursting with energy as he rummaged through the kitchen and prepared breakfast all by himself, glad that he got to learn where Lailah put the toaster and bread.
So imagine their surprise when Zenrus and Lailah, weary from sleep, found the table already set and food freshly made. Both plates had warm scrambled eggs paired with lightly burnt and heavily buttered slices of toast. Even forks and knives had been brought out. Lailah and Zenrus both exchanged confused glances.
"Good morning!" Sorey came out from the kitchen, greeting them both with a radiant grin that stretched far across his face.
Lailah was the first to point out the obvious. "Oh goodness. Did you make breakfast for us?"
"Yep!" Sorey crossed his arms and nodded for dramatic effect. "I figured you guys deserved a little something nice," Although the boy displayed a cheerful, exuberant demeanor, his insides went rigid just from Zenrus' presence. He didn't dare show it, should Zenrus figure it out.
The old man smiled, right alongside Lailah. "My my. It looks fantastic. I had no idea you could cook."
"Well, I can cook a little bit…" Sorey sheepishly looked away, scratching his hair with one hand like he usually did. He still hadn't gotten used to hearing praise from Zenrus. "Mostly simple stuff, really. I don't know how to make anything big or complicated like beef bourguignon or mabo curry."
To Sorey, it was a miracle he had remembered how to cook at all. He had only been learning how to cook since his sophomore year, and his mother had taught him how to make simple things, starting with microwaveable items, then gradually moving him towards making breakfast and baking cakes. Selene had said that in time, he was going to need to learn how to cook, should he ever find himself living on his own. Why not start early, she had said. Sorey thanked his lucky stars his mother taught him how to cook simple stuff when she did.
Both recipients beamed. "Thank you so much, Sorey. This looks lovely," Lailah was the first to sit down and take a bite of some eggs.
Thankfully, to Sorey's delight, the food came out good. Lailah and Zenrus ate it without difficulty or complaint. He could see Lailah holding a hand to her own cheek, savoring the soft eggs and taking her time with every bite. Sorey didn't put much effort in his own breakfast, simply treating himself to a banana and some yogurt. Still, even with the happy atmosphere around him, everything felt heavy. The air felt heavy. The spoon in Sorey's hand felt heavy. The hand holding the spoon was starting to shake the minute he caught a glimpse of Zenrus's goatee.
Sorey's stomach lurched, tying itself into a knot in anxious, fearful anticipation. It was only a matter of time before something would set Zenrus off and make him yell and scream in anger. Erupt like a volcano and burn everything around him. Sorey scolded himself for thinking like this, thinking that something bad was always going to happen if he so much as did anything at all. That danger was around every corner. Painful echoes of angry voices from the past lingered, and Sorey winced, wishing they'd go away.
"Sorey?" Zenrus called for his grandson's attention.
"Eep! Y-Y-Yes?" Sorey jumped a little in his seat. He was glad he managed to finish the last of his yogurt.
"You finished your college letter, right?"
"Yes, I did."
A grin spread across the old man's face. "If you don't mind, I was thinking we could run over to Ladylake University and send the application in," He explained. "Do you think you could print out the letter? The application period ends in about three weeks, and we'd best get it done and over with."
The chestnut haired boy nodded, shaking his head vigorously. "Yes! You're right! I'll get right to it!" With that, Sorey darted out of the kitchen, happy to be able to escape his grandfather's stern eyes.
Get away. Get away from Zenrus. Away from the ticking time bomb. Don't get caught in the explosion, like all the other times before this one. A strange pressure crushed down on his chest as he walked away, something he always felt whenever someone was close to getting angry. When he got to his room, he found himself taking in short breaths, like he had overexerted himself. He was still catching his breath even as he logged onto Instachat. Of course, Rose was online.
This time, she was the one who sent him a greeting message.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Hey Sorey! Mornin'! :)
The crushing feeling was still there, but it lessened somewhat. Sorey smiled and typed a reply.
ShepherdSunshine: Hi Rose. What's up?
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Well? How was last night?
Oh. He had promised to tell Rose about his day with Mikleo. He typed a whole paragraph about his day, mostly mentioning stuff like playing Brutal Beatdown Sisters with Mikleo and talking about ruins with him. He didn't mention the talk he had with Muse. Rose didn't need to know that. But he did talk about how nice and welcoming they were, and how it felt strange but nice to have met another autistic person like himself. When he finished, he took time to print out the college letter, as he promised Zenrus. After all, Rose would probably take a while to reply, since she'd be reading that paragraph he typed.
Shortly after the letter came out from the printer, his computer pinged.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Nice! It sounds like you really like this Mikleo kid!
ShepherdSunshine: Yeah, I really do. He's nice and pretty and a bit of a jokester but he's also intelligent, mature, and down-to-earth! He's really cute, too! :D
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Cute, huh? :P Cute enough to ask out on a date?
Sorey yelped, his face turning an alarming shade of red. His fingers furiously typed out a quick reply.
ShepherdSunshine: No, he doesn't know I'm gay and I intend to keep it that way. And no, I'm not asking him out.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Awww, come on! You talk about this kid all the time! That pretty much tells me you're head over heels in love with him!
In love? With Mikleo? That couldn't be true. Sorey did like the idea of being in a relationship with someone in the far future, but only when he himself felt he was ready for one. He wanted the relationship to be real, true, healthy, and not superficial. Plus, there were too many things that could go horribly wrong, should he attempt to try it out and find himself exposed and vulnerable. No way was he going to risk it. Besides, he had enough to deal with.
ShepherdSunshine: I'm not, and for all I know, Mikleo might be straight. I don't want to gross him out.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: But he knows you're autistic, right? You said he didn't have a problem with it.
ShepherdSunshine: That's different! Being autistic and being homosexual are two completely different things! And the fact that I'm both just makes things more complicated! He might be fine with me being autistic but not with being gay! I don't want to ruin our friendship, and I already work hard every single day not to ruin what we have!
No. The last thing Sorey wanted was to lose Mikleo's friendship. Not when he worked so hard to cultivate the friendship they currently have. He had already been terrified about Mikleo dropping him like a hot potato the minute he found out he was autistic. Being accepted without question was a miracle in Sorey's eyes, and Mikleo knowing about autism was a lucky break for him. The fact that Mikleo even thought he was cool was still beyond him. The thought of Mikleo finding out he was homosexual and deciding not to be friends with him anymore terrified him even worse. Sorey knew all too well the stigma and ostracization homosexuals and people of other orientations had to endure. No way was he going to set himself up for disaster.
There was a tense silence, before Rose finally replied back.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: I'm sorry, Sorey. I didn't mean to make things all serious. I wasn't trying to make you mad, honest.
Sorey's eyebrows rose in disbelief. Rose thought she made him mad? Sorey certainly hoped he didn't come off as angry. Then again, it was far too easy for his feelings, emotions, and intentions to be either misconstrued or twisted around into something bad.
ShepherdSunshine: It's alright. If you think you made me mad, don't worry. You didn't.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: I know. You're sweet, and that's what I like about you. But at the same time though, I do think you should tell Mikleo sometime. I understand why you don't want to, but you can't live your life scared that stuff will go wrong if you so much as leave the house.
'Stuff going wrong is practically the story of my life,' Sorey thought. Sometimes he even wondered if the universe had it out for him with the amount of bad stuff that happened in his life, both in his childhood and even now.
Teachers telling him he wasn't trying, when he was trying his absolute hardest to figure out the problems and finish his work. They were no help whenever he asked them for help. All they said was, "Make an attempt. You don't need help 24/7."
A kid's mother yelling at Sorey for tripping on a dog's chew toy and his hand falling into her daughter's birthday cake by accident. She was absolutely convinced he did it on purpose, but that wasn't true. Of course, nobody else told her otherwise, and the mother was still belligerent even as his own mother tried to clarify things. Nobody asked the other kids, and nobody asked him.
Strange people yelling at his mother for things she never did or said, and not believing her no matter what she told them.
Parents petitioning for Sorey to be pulled out of his second grade classroom, claiming that he was disruptive and shouldn't be in school with normal kids. That he was doing nothing but hold people back and make everyone uncomfortable.
One of the fourth graders breaking the art teacher's window with a hardened piece of clay, and convincing everyone that Sorey was responsible.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: You were afraid that Mikleo would hate you if he found out you were autistic, and he doesn't. You were afraid Isaac would hate you when you tried asking him out, and he didn't. You always worried yourself to tears whenever you had to study for any test at all, especially math, and you pretty much passed them all with flying colors. Hell, you're even afraid of your own grandfather because you think he'll disown you if you do anything at all, and you're too scared to even talk to him despite living with him for about a month now. That's the thing, Sorey. You're letting fear completely cripple you inside and out.
He winced. She was right. About everything. Just like Mikleo, Rose could read him like a map, though that was because Sorey had known her since third grade.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: I'm not saying your fears aren't valid or justified. But a lot of things in life might turn out to be super awesome if you try them out. Who knows? Maybe your grandfather is actually a nice person who really loves you. Maybe Mikleo will be okay with you being gay. You never know until you try. You shouldn't spend your entire life scared that things will always go wrong. Because let's face it, shit happens all the time and there isn't much we can really do except deal with it.
'But what if you don't want to deal with it?' Sorey thought. He knew Rose was only trying to be helpful and supportive. That was what he liked about her. She was straight up with him, and never made him feel like his problems and feelings didn't matter. But the reality was, she wasn't him. She wasn't like him. Some things in life he didn't want to deal with. Some problems he didn't want to fix. Sorey wanted the problems to go away. There were plenty of things that happened that he wished had never happened or existed in the first place.
Of course, life didn't come with magic spells that you could use to just wish stuff away. Not like in the Celestial Record series.
And in a way, she was right. Things had worked out before. Sorey forced a smile and typed a reply back.
ShepherdSunshine: Thanks, Rose. You're a good friend. Anyway, I'm changing the subject here, but...do you sometimes dream of stuff that happened in your childhood?
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Yeah. That's happened. Why?
ShepherdSunshine: The night before last, I dreamt about the day I first met Bridget. You know, back when her dad was still abusing her and depriving her of food.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: Ugh. Don't remind me. I seriously hope he stays in jail until the day he dies. If he ever gets out, I'll hunt him down and chop'em to bits! Nobody hurts sweet Bridget! Nobody!
He knew she was just being dramatic. Still, he appreciated her compassion for her friends, both him and Bridget.
ShepherdSunshine: Yeah. I'm glad her mother got her out of that bad situation.
It was here that Sorey remembered. He needed to go downstairs and give Zenrus the letter.
ShepherdSunshine: Whoops! Gotta go. Zenrus and I are going to Ladylake U to hand in my application in person.
MostHatedCharacterInTheGame: K! TTYL!
With that, he signed right off.
Like Zenrus said, Ladylake University was surprisingly close by. It only took about fifteen or twenty minutes to get there without hitting traffic, and Lailah had done some research as to where to hand in the application, so they were prepared. It also didn't take long to hand in the completed application to the enrollment office. The only catch was, they did need to pay a $50 fee. That always confused Sorey whenever he applied to any college. Why would schools make applicants pay enrollment fees when there was a chance they wouldn't get accepted? It didn't help that said fees couldn't be refunded should the applicant be rejected, so what exactly was the point?
After that, the next week was rather quiet. Uneventful but relatively happy, especially since Sorey still went to the castle to see Mikleo.
"Well?"
"Hm?" Sorey turned to look in Mikleo's direction as they sat on the second floor.
"Think you'll get in?"
Sorey rested his chin on his fist, his green eyes dreamily looking at the broken walls before him. Some debris was scattered around on the floor. "I don't know. I'd love it if I got accepted, but I've been rejected from five different colleges. For all I know, Ladylake might not want someone like me going to school there."
"Aren't you a pessimist," Mikleo nudged Sorey's arm with an elbow, taking care not to hit too hard. "Come on. If I can get in, I know you can. You'd be surprised at how high Ladylake's enrollment rates are."
In all honesty, Sorey always hated it when people said, "If I can do this, I know you can too." That was never true, as far as he knew. They weren't him. They didn't know what going through life was like for him. Something that may be easy as pie for some was like climbing to the top of Rayfalke Spiritcrest mountain for him. He knew that they meant well, so it wasn't like he hated it when people tried to give him helpful advice or support. Even so, it was still hard. But he didn't feel like telling Mikleo this. He was already being so good to him. Sorey didn't want to seem ungrateful for his kindness nor hurt his feelings, so he remained silent.
"Besides," Mikleo continued. "Even if you don't get in, there's more to life than college. A lot of my mom's friends haven't gone to college but they're living pretty good lives."
"I guess…"
Mikleo was right. Sorey had read many stories online about people who had disabilities or physical ailments living on their own, getting jobs, and becoming successful through hard work and support from friends and family. Selene had collected many memoirs written by autistic people, books on how to raise an autistic child, and many other tomes on the subject. He still remembered the shelf that was in his old dining room, full of all the books she collected. Gardening books, romance novels, cookbooks with lots of recipes, autism books, etc. Of course, whoever was in charge probably threw them all away when the house was cleared out. For all Sorey knew, they weren't there anymore.
"Sorey?"
"Hm?"
"You weren't freaked out when I…" Mikleo looked down at his own crossed legs, averting his friend's gaze. Sorey knew that look all too well. He himself had done it many times throughout his life. But it wasn't like Mikleo to suddenly be sheepish or nervous. "Y'know…"
Sorey blinked once, twice. Then it clicked. Was this about the tickle fight from the week before?
"No, I wasn't," He told his sheepish friend reassuringly. Sorey flashed his 1000-kilowatt smile, so bright that it could make even the most hard-hearted people melt like ice being exposed to a flame. "I will admit, I only let people I love and trust with my whole heart tickle me, and only when I give permission or instigate it."
"Sorry," Mikleo ran a hand through his misty white hair. Regret began peppering his lilac eyes, things he hadn't taken into consideration at the time suddenly creeping into his mind. Of course, most autistic people he knew didn't like being touched, especially without their consent. For all Mikleo knew, he might have overstepped his boundaries and not even realized it. Guilt suddenly seized him. "I probably should have asked permission. I know most people don't like being touched. I'm sorry if I crossed any lines."
A bulky but gentle hand slipped into Mikleo's, wrapping it up in protective fingers. "It's okay! You didn't!" He shook his head for emphasis. "I...actually liked it," Sorey confessed, his green eyes soft and gleaming with adoration.
It was enough to make a smile return to Mikleo's lips. Whether it was their holding hands once more or Sorey's reassurance, Sorey couldn't quite tell. But he did feel something warm lurch in his chest. Goodness, Mikleo looked so cute. Warmth completely overtook both boys, and not just because of the summer heat.
Green eyes looked down at the hand clutching Mikleo's. That was when he saw it. Mikleo's hand was quite small compared to his own. Sorey held it upward to get a better look. Then he let go and straightened his hand out. Oddly enough, Mikleo didn't take his hand away. He just held it up against Sorey's, their palms flat and making contact.
Sorey couldn't hold back a merry giggle. "Wow, Mikleo! Your hands are so small!"
The smaller boy's cheeks sported a dust of red. "Yeah. I get told that a lot."
After spending more time in the castle, Sorey and Mikleo walked towards the mansion together. Mikleo had suggested it, and Sorey couldn't bring himself to say no. He did want to show Mikleo his room and more of his books, but it was almost three thirty, and Muse always wanted Mikleo back at the house by four. When Sorey opened the front door, he turned tense, freezing in place. Being observant, not even Mikleo missed the way Sorey turned rigid just at the sight of whoever greeted them. Standing before him was Zenrus, smiling up at them.
"Hello, boys."
"Hi, Gramps," Mikleo smiled back and greeted him like it was the most normal thing in the world.
For Sorey, hearing Mikleo be so casual with him made him go completely pale with shock, like he had seen someone deface an important relic. Mikleo really did refer to Zenrus as Gramps, and the latter wasn't even related to him! Sorey was sure lightning would strike at any minute.
'Mikleo! Don't call him Gramps!' Sorey screamed in his mind. How Mikleo even had the courage to call him that and not risk certain death by yelling or harsh scolding was still a mystery to the chestnut haired youth.
To Sorey, it was a miracle that Zenrus didn't explode right then and there. "Thank you for bringing Sorey home, Mikleo. He enjoys your company immensely."
There was no denying that. Mikleo put a hand on his hip and smirked. "True that. He's helpless without me to reel him in."
"Hey!" Sorey protested, mostly just for the show of it. "No I'm not!" Sure, Sorey did know Mikleo was only teasing, and in a playful manner at that, so he wasn't truly upset. He loved Mikleo too much for that. He figured he'd at least pretend to be offended, or else it'd ruin the fun.
After a sufficient pout to assert that he most certainly wasn't helpless, the boys went back to smiling again. But...in some way, Sorey knew that what Mikleo said was true. Sorey would be out on the streets if it weren't for Zenrus, and he still had no knowledge of how to fully support himself on his own. Of course, Mikleo didn't know this, and Sorey figured there was no point in bothering him about it.
"By the way, boys…" Zenrus began, stroking his beard. "Lailah and I plan to go to the Mabinogio Museum tomorrow at eleven, and since you boys like ruins so much, I thought maybe you two would like to come with us," He suggested. "There's a new exhibit on display."
A museum? New exhibit? It took only seconds for Sorey's green eyes to suddenly glimmer with the thrill of discovery. He hadn't been to a museum in months. Even Mikleo found himself smiling brightly at the thought.
"Awesome!" Sorey cajoled. "I'd love to go! What do you think, Mikleo? We should totally go!"
"Yeah. I'd like that. But I'd have to clear it with my mom first," Mikleo explained. Unlike Sorey, the aquamarine haired boy was more composed, and didn't let his emotions run wild. That didn't mean he wasn't excited about the trip. Sorey could feel it.
Before Mikleo could go on, Zenrus interrupted him. "I already did that for you."
"What?!" Both boys yelped.
Zenrus nodded. "I called Muse just an hour ago, and she said yes."
Without a word, Mikleo yanked out his phone, sending his mother a text. Sorey leaned closer, watching in awe as his friend's slender fingers pressed every button with blinding speed. It took about a few seconds for his phone to ping, indicating that she had replied back. Mikleo's lilac eyes widened when he opened the text. It was a big fat yes, typed in all caps, with a smiley face emoticon right next to it.
Typical Muse.
Mikleo fired a glare in Zenrus's direction. Not an angry one, Sorey could tell that much. "Damn you're good." Oh yeah. Zenrus wasn't a slouch.
"Well? What do you say?" Zenrus inquired.
"We're in!" Mikleo announced.
"Yaaaaay!" Unable to contain his glee, Sorey took Mikleo's hands into his own and jumped up and down, just like when they first met. "This is great! We'll get to see some cool exhibits and ancient relics! Man oh man, I can't wait!"
Unlike before, Mikleo wasn't surprised. In a way, he knew Sorey was going to get excited. But he didn't mind. After all, Sorey was happy, just like he was, even if he was much more open and earnest about showing it. There was nothing wrong with being excited about a trip to the museum. Mikleo simply let Sorey jump up and down, letting his hands and arms bounce to a tune he couldn't hear. Even Zenrus couldn't help but stifle a laugh. But it must be confessed that he hadn't seen Sorey this happy before. His eyes bright with cheer, a smile more radiant than a newly blooming sunflower, his voice going up an octave, laughter happy and carefree…
Why wouldn't Sorey be like that in front of Zenrus? The old man couldn't help but wonder…
"Oh! Mikleo, come see my room!" Once he stopped jumping, he dragged Mikleo up the stairs, clinging to his small, tender hand the entire time.
Zenrus smiled as he watched the boys sprint up the stairs. But a frown replaced the grin shortly after. Sorey looked so joyful, but not once was he ever like that when Zenrus was around. Was Sorey deliberately hiding his emotions and true feelings from Zenrus? Why? As far as Zenrus was concerned, there was no need for Sorey to be so formal and rigid around him. Why didn't Sorey feel as though he could be himself around his own grandfather? The support book said that Sorey was struggling with issues regarding his self-confidence and trying too hard to be someone he wasn't.
The old man couldn't help but lose himself in rumination.
The minute Mikleo took a step into Sorey's room, he could see the latter grinning like he had won the lottery. As far as Sorey was concerned, he finally found someone he could invite into his sanctuary, his world, the center of his universe, the place where Sorey felt he could be himself without hesitation or fear. Someone he trusted.
"Well, this is my room!" Sorey extended his arms outward, like they were airplane wings. "I've only had it for a month, though. I've got some cool books I wanna show you!"
For the next few minutes, all they did was talk about books. Only the ones Sorey had with him, but that was alright. They were just too happy enjoying each other's company to care about anything else around them, Sorey especially so. His entire being was warm with nothing but joy. Finally, he got to have someone over, a friend, even if their time for today was short due to Mikleo's incoming curfew.
An idea hatched in his head. "Oh! I have something for you!" Sorey raced over to his dresser, pulling out one of the drawers and rummaging through his shirts. He pulled out a small clay goat sculpture, showing it to his friend.
"What's this?"
"I found it in the castle," Sorey explained. "I think it's a goat, but I don't know for sure. I like to think that it is, though."
Mikleo examined the goat sculpture closely. "It kinda looks like a ram to me, with those stripes on its sides."
"But rams have curly horns, don't they?" Sorey inquired. "Goats have straight horns, and these horns are straight."
"Some goats have curly horns. I've seen some."
Sorey raised an eyebrow. Most of the goats he had seen, including the Hyland goats here in Elysia, all had straight horns that didn't curl into perfectly round circles. He made a note to look some up later. With a soft grin, he held the clay goat to Mikleo. "Here. You should have it."
This time, Mikleo was taken aback. "How come?"
"Well...you've been nothing but nice to me this entire month, and you didn't need to be," Sorey explained, gently opening Mikleo's hand and putting the clay goat right inside. It fit perfectly in the boy's small hands. "You've always been there for me, even though you have your own problems and life to worry about. I mean, I don't even know why you'd rather hang out with some weird autistic kid who goes on and on about ruins and ancient relics and the Celestial Record all day long."
From anyone else, it might have sounded more like a miserable attempt at guilt-tripping someone into befriending him or wooing Mikleo into staying with him. But even after a month of getting to know him, Mikleo knew that Sorey was far too genuine for that. He meant every word he said, sappy as it was-sappy but true-and to say Mikleo's heart warmed at the kind gesture would be an understatement. Mikleo held onto the clay goat and held it close.
"Thanks. I'll take good care of it," He then fixated his gaze onto Sorey. Right in the eyes. "And I'm happy to be your friend. Don't say something like I deserve better or would be better off hanging out with normal people."
Remembering what Muse said about kids bullying Mikleo, Sorey winced.
"Besides, my mom says it's the quality of friends that matter, not the quantity," Mikleo said.
"Definitely agree with you there."
Sorey wanted this moment to go on forever. Unfortunately, it was time for Mikleo to head home for the day. Even so, Sorey was still happy for the rest of the day. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to get here.
The Mabinogio Museum was every bit as museum-like as Sorey envisioned it would be. A large, hulking building that took up several acres of land, standing taller than every house in Elysia combined. Of course, it didn't stretch as tall as a skyscraper. Luckily, there weren't any skyscrapers in the area, so the museum was basically the biggest building in all of Elysia, so there was no competition. Every exhibit was divided into their own sections, all detailing different time periods from long ago.
Skulls and skeletons of animals long extinct. Monoliths and stone slabs adorning ancient text and symbols that no one could decipher. Recreations of historic events such as wars put on full display. Ancient relics and old tools that old tribes of people used to use in their daily lives. Statues and sculptures so massive that Sorey couldn't help but wonder how anyone managed to get them inside even one room. Old vases and artifacts confined in glass cases for protection. Sorey marveled at every single display in the museum, jade eyes sparkling with unbridled, unrestrained joy.
"Oh my gosh! This place has everything!" Sorey cried, running from display to display like he had too much sugar. "Look! It's a replica of Persepolis, the holy city from one of the eastern countries! Oh! Is that a monolith?! I wonder if it was ceremonial in nature? Wow! I don't think we've checked that monolith out yet! Holy moly, this display talks about what life during the Temperance of Avarost was like! Oh, oh, oh! Look! It's the preserved corpse of a slave from the Phoenician era! How did they even manage to keep it from decaying all those centuries?"
There was no denying it. Sorey was in heaven. Everyone could see it plain as day. Sorey didn't even notice that there were other people staring at him. Or if he did, he simply didn't care. The joy radiating from his entire being was unmistakable, and there was no way nobody could take their eyes off of the exuberant, gregarious boy. Not even Lailah or Zenrus, who were too busy just trying to keep up, though they did their own fair share of admiring the artifacts, displays, and other things the museum had to offer.
"Yeah. I've been here lots of times before, and it's great," Mikleo added. "The curators here really know how to organize everything so neatly," Both boys couldn't help but take time to appreciate how much time and effort the museum employees and curators must have put in to organize such a collection of well preserved artifacts. Whoever they hired to create all the displays and recreations definitely deserved some credit as well, as far as they were concerned.
At one point, a crowd gathered in one section dedicated to the Era of the Gods. "Sorey! Mikleo!" Zenrus beckoned for them to come to where he was. "This is an interesting piece. Have you seen this yet?" Once the boys approached him, Zenrus pointed to the object in question.
Hanging on the wall was a long, delicately-woven tapestry, with the borders adorned with intricate flower designs, along with other symbols. Depicted on the tapestry was a scene from the past. A shining light floated in the sky, with beams raining down on a group of people who raised their hands towards it in worship. Every single person in the tapestry wore thick, colorful robes, their bodies adorned with fine jewels and accessories. Some of the people in the tapestry carried items such as golden vases, swords, staffs, crowns, and other things.
"Wow!" Entranced by the enchanting designs, Sorey's green eyes were glued to the tapestry, unable to look away. "That must be depicting the Phoenicians as their prayers were answered by the Gods!"
"Yes," Lailah agreed, reading the information posted underneath the tapestry. "It says here that when the Phoenicians were at the lowest point of their lives, the god they gave their offerings to finally answered their prayers, granting them a lifetime of happiness and prosperity."
"The same thing happened to the other tribes, such as the Sidiki Tribe and the pilgrims who came from the land of Ratatosk," Mikleo elaborated further. "Only they all depicted the gods very differently."
"That's right!" Sorey held his index finger up. "The Ratatosk pilgrims chose to depict the gods as-"
Unfortunately for Sorey, he was bereaved of the chance to finish that sentence. The awful, ear-splitting sound of a crying child who was only ten feet away silenced him into paralysis. It had come so suddenly that Sorey found himself unable to find it in him to cover his ears. The noise of the crowd intensifying around him was of no help either. It didn't take much for Mikleo, Lailah, and Zenrus to notice the distress laced into every corner of Sorey's face. It was like an explosion had gone off, the child's crying being the blast itself and the crowd being the aftershock.
Then, a set of small, gentle hands cupped Sorey's ears, blocking the noise. Sorey's eardrums still throbbed and stung, but the child's crying was no longer so loud that it seemed to crack his skull from the inside out. The warmth protecting his ears from the world's deafening noises felt safe, tender...familiar.
"Is this better?" Mikleo asked.
That explained it. Mikleo's hands shielded Sorey's hypersensitive ears from the child's crying. A grateful grin spread across Sorey's face as one of his own hands wrapped around Mikleo's, further muffling the child's screeching.
"MOMMY I WANNA GO HOOOOOME! THIS IS BOOOORIIIIIING!" The unruly child screeched in that high pitched voice, making almost everyone cover their ears, even as his mother dragged him away from the exhibit.
"Thanks, Mikleo."
"Don't mention it," Even as the child left, Mikleo's hands were still on Sorey's ears.
Zenrus and Lailah could only watch the scene before them unfold, all smiles. "My, Mikleo's quite conscientious, isn't he?" She asked.
"He always has been," Zenrus noted. "We should move on. I'm sure Sorey needs something to take his mind off of that child's whining," Since the support book Selene made mentioned that Sorey's senses were amplified, making him hypersensitive to certain things like some textures and sounds, he wondered if the child's crying sounded like a bomb going off. It certainly came right out of nowhere. Anyone would want to cover their ears. He put a hand on his goatee. "The poor mother. I wish I could have taken time to offer her some advice."
Decades of living and raising children have given Zenrus some insight on how to raise a child, Sorey's support book notwithstanding. He had even given advice to some of his neighbors whenever they needed help dealing with their own children. Of course, not even Zenrus was so naive as to think that one method worked on every single child, and with the younger generation wanting and requiring different things, he knew he needed to take the passage of time into consideration as well.
Zenrus approached Sorey with a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about that, Sorey. Are you alright?"
Finally, Mikleo removed his hands from Sorey's ears.
"Yeah. I think," Sorey ran a hand through his chocolate locks, releasing a sheepish laugh. "Man, my ears hurt."
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Lailah suggested. "There's no rush. We still have time to see everything."
"That's alright!" Sorey waved his hands. "I can manage. I still wanna see Emperor Balan's sarcophagus."
To Emperor Balan's sarcophagus they went, along with other exhibits and recreations of ruins. But this was only the beginning of a chain of events that would completely wreck Sorey from the inside out. They went into a small theater to watch a short documentary on the Oracle of Delphinia shortly afterward. When the movie started, Sorey felt as though he was trapped. A screechy staticky sound scratched at his eardrums, and the audio was at such a high volume that every time the narrator spoke, gunshots seemed to ring at every second that passed. At first, Sorey simply covered his ears, figuring it'd be best to grin and bear it. After all, he had wanted to know more about the Oracle of Delphinia.
Unfortunately, the screeching, ear-splitting noises persisted, not letting up even a bit. Sorey found himself unable to relax. The next thing he knew, it seemed like the entire theater was getting smaller and smaller, trapping him inside. It was a full house, so every seat was taken. The air around him grew thin, and a thick, oppressive pressure crushed down on his chest. Sorey squeezed his eyes shut when the narrator began talking about the god who cursed Delphinia to her eternal slumber.
"Sorey?" Noticing the boy's distress, Zenrus tried to get his attention. "Are you alright?"
No, he wasn't alright. By Maotelus, Sorey wanted to get out of here. Away from the noise. Away from feeling trapped. Away from everything.
"Do you want to leave?"
Sorey nodded, bobbing his head up and down like he couldn't do it fast enough.
"Alright. Just don't go anywhere."
The overloaded youth sprung from his sea, barely managing to push through the crowds of people that attempted to swallow him up. It didn't help that the seats were very close together, and many people had to move their legs just to give Sorey room to leave. He made a beeline for the door, running right out with the sunlight coming through the large windows welcoming him. He leaned against the wall before falling on his rear, wrapping his arms around himself, and rocking back and forth. He needed to get that trapped feeling out of his system. Feel himself breaking free from that confined space, pushing the noise out of his ears. Everything inside him felt like it was going to burst. No way was he going to let himself fall apart in a museum of all places.
Quietly he motioned himself back into his world. No more noise, no more crowds threatening to suck him dry of all his energy...True, there were still people going to and fro, but it was far more pleasant than the staticky audio from inside the theater. It helped that the doors leading into said theater were thick and didn't let any noise out. Sorey wasn't sure how long he stayed outside the theater, sitting on the soft bench and composing himself, but after a while, the doors opened, and a wave of people spilled out from the theater.
"Hey," Mikleo sat right down next to him, a gentle hand resting on Sorey's shoulder. "You alright?"
"I am now. Sorry about that. It was way too loud in there."
"It's alright," Lailah shook her head, her large ponytail mimicking her gesture. "You shouldn't apologize for something that isn't your fault."
Sorey smiled back at them. Boy, was he grateful to have them here. They were so understanding and kind, and they didn't need to be. But when he saw Zenrus, there was naught but a frown on the old man's face. His eyebrows furrowed. Sorey froze. He knew that look anywhere. Years of seeing it on the faces of teachers, strangers, and angry people didn't make seeing it any easier.
Shame.
"Lailah's right," Zenrus suddenly told him, smiling once more. "You don't need to force yourself to do anything you don't want to do."
"There's still a lot more we haven't seen," Mikleo said. "Come on. I want to show you the ritual sword display on the second floor."
Ritual swords? Sorey beamed. He definitely liked that idea. Taking Mikleo's hand, the quartet made it to the second floor, where the rest of their trip went nicely. Later, they stopped by the gift shop. Sorey had brought twenty dollars with him in case he wanted to buy something, but there wasn't anything of note that he wanted badly. He thought about buying Mikleo a gift, but remembering he already gave him the clay goat from the castle, he decided against it. He didn't know what Lailah and Zenrus liked, and didn't want to get them something they wouldn't like, so he held off on buying something for them. Thankfully, they didn't spend too much time in there.
"Is anyone hungry?" Lailah clasped both hands together. "There's a little diner near here, and they have great steak!"
"I'm cool with that! All this running around sure does make me hungry," Sorey happily accepted Lailah's offer, rubbing his stomach with one hand.
Mikleo crossed his arms. "Try not to eat too much, or else you might explode."
Sorey shot a glare in his friend's direction. "What? What's wrong with indulging myself?"
All three of them giggled, sans Sorey. Of course, he knew they were just being silly, so he wasn't offended.
Too bad that later on, Sorey was going to wish he had never done to that diner.
The moment they walked in, it was immensely crowded. So much so that the waiters had to bring out extra tables, many of which were just two feet away from each other. Sorey, Mikleo, Lailah, and Zenrus wound up being seated at one such table, which was just two feet from another one that was soon taken up by an old man and his wife. It took about twenty minutes for them to receive their drinks, and another twenty just for their appetizers. It took even longer for their early dinner to arrive. Good thing they were patient and kept themselves occupied the whole time, so waiting didn't prove to be a problem.
"That was so cool!" Sorey exclaimed after taking a bite out of some breadsticks. "I always wanted to see ancient tools that the Sidiki Tribe used to get by, but I had no idea they were all on display at the museum! Man, just thinking about how they managed to survive in such harsh conditions really leaves me in awe of what people can do."
Mikleo, Lailah, and Zenrus all listened happily, eating their food and allowing Sorey to talk, talk, talk about their recent trip. Unable to contain his excitement, Sorey continued to palaver on about the museum and all he had seen.
"And did you see the Vase of Valencia? It was so pretty!" Sorey stretched his arms outward, his green eyes sparkling with joy. "The paintings basically tell the story of Valencia's founding in and of themselves! The soldiers riding their horses, spears in hand, taking down their cruel emperor and reclaiming the freedom they've fought so hard to take back...I wonder if whoever made the vase risked his life just to paint the designs on it?"
"He must have," Mikleo quipped after eating a piece of steak. "In those days, the early Valencians weren't allowed to do much of anything, so he probably made it in secret when the regime turned corrupt later on."
As he listened, Sorey simultaneously munched on his chicken parmesan, allowing his ears to take in the conversation going on around him. Even though the diner was crowded, the noise wasn't as deafening as it was back in the theater, so Sorey was able to eat his food in peace.
"I took an art history class once in college," Lailah threw herself into the conversation. "And we studied the Valencia civilization. It was said that Emperor Hengist, once he took the throne and began abusing his power over the people, set laws that forbade people from creating any form of art unless it was for him and him only. They were not allowed to even tell of previous emperors or tell the truth of what happened during his reign. Hengist was very selfish and vain, and even as he committed grave transgressions, he still believed he was a holy man worthy of receiving endless praise from the gods."
"I know, right?" Sorey exclaimed once he finished his dinner. "That reminds me, aren't the actual ruins of Valencia still around? Oh man! I'd love to go see them in person someday!" Dreamily, he looked up at the ceiling, completely lost in his lofty thoughts. "Just think! Exploring the ancient ruins and secret passages that lead to-"
"HEY!" A loud, brusque voice suddenly cut Sorey off, scaring him silent. Surprised, the boy turned toward the source of the noise. An old man, taller than Zenrus, with flat grey hair that went down to his neck, glared daggers at Sorey, his angry face a whirlpool of wrinkles. Sorey shivered. "Keep it down over there, kid! Some of us are trying to eat in peace!" The old man roared.
"Landon, please calm down. There's no need to shout," His lady companion advised calmly.
"Oh!" Sorey held a hand over one of his ears. "I'm sorry. I'll be quiet."
Sorey shrunk into his seat, silenced by the old man's outburst. Unfortunately, even after Sorey sipped his water quietly, Landon, the old man at the table next to them, still didn't seem satisfied. "Tch! Kids these days! They have no freakin' respect for their elders! Don't their parents even bother to discipline them right anymore?! And where's my grilled sweetfish?! I've been waiting for an hour!" He grumbled loud enough for everyone at the next table to hear.
Just hearing that was enough to make Sorey shoot a glare of his own, right in Landon's direction. Why was he making Sorey out to be some bad kid? All he did was talk about ruins. Sure, Sorey had been told that he could be loud when he got excited, but he never raised his voice on purpose, especially not to intentionally annoy people. That was the last thing Sorey wanted. That remark Landon made about parents especially offended Sorey.
'My mother raised and disciplined me just fine, thank you very much,' Sorey thought, barely managing to keep himself from saying it out loud.
"Don't worry about him, Sorey," Zenrus told him reassuringly, still nibbling at his grilled sweetfish. "It is rather crowded in here, so of course it's going to be noisy."
Not wanting to make any noise, Sorey simply went back to his food, nibbling on the noodles that came with the chicken parmesan. Then, he felt something odd on his arm. At first, he thought it was an itch, so he simply scratched his arm and went back to eating. But the itch was...moving. Something was fluttering on his arm, making contact with the bare skin. Annoyed, Sorey looked over at his arm, hoping to find the cause of that itch.
Sitting on his arm without a care in the world was…
It was…
It was-
A stinkbug.
A pesky little pest, with a brown body, six bent legs, two antennae, and a reputation for releasing a noisome, awful-smelling odor if someone even so much as touched it.
A stinkbug was walking along his arm, probably making it smell like garbage.
Sorey froze. The bug's legs were skittering along his arm. This awful, disgusting, foreign body was making his entire arm feel like it was being attacked by a whole army of them. Everything around Sorey became nothing but white noise. His eyesight blurred, his mouth trembled in fear, and he saw nothing except the stinkbug on his arm. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. All he thought about was that this stinkbug needed to go, and it needed to go RIGHT NOW.
Fear completely overtook him, shooting from his toes all the way up to his brain, coursing all throughout his entire body. Where had this thing come from? How did it get here? How long had it been there? Why was it here? Did it somehow get onto his food? The more he looked at this ugly little thing, the more the fear completely suffocated him, leaving him completely blind to everything around him. Said stinkbug had no care for its massive host, as it simply walked further down his arm without a care in the world.
"Here's your meal, sir-"
It was here that Sorey's body suddenly took on a life of its own, even as his heart told it not to move. But Sorey's arm didn't listen. With a loud, high pitched yelp, Sorey's arm suddenly flew upward, flinging the monstrous, insectoid beast into Maotelus knows where. The arm ran into another foreign body, pushing it toward Landon's table. Crashing plates and splattering noises overloaded Sorey's ears. Everyone's eyes suddenly went wide upon hearing the crash, and their mouths agape.
"Sorey! What happened?" Worried, Mikleo put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Both Zenrus and Lailah stood up in alarm, wondering the same thing.
"Stinkbug!" Sorey yelled, his green eyes shrinking to the point of becoming only dots. The fear was completely etched onto every corner of his face. "There was a stinkbug on my arm! Uuuuuugh!"
"Dammit!" Landon's loud, brusque voice suddenly pulled Sorey out of his fear-controlled tunnel vision. He looked down, seeing a broken plate and the remnants of a grilled sweetfish lying on the floor. Greens and seaweed were scattered all around the now ruined fish.
No longer did Sorey feel the itch on his arm, and from what he could see, the stinkbug was gone. But the sight before him suddenly rammed into Sorey like a speeding freight train. 'Did...Did I do that?!' He had felt his arm hit something when he flung it upward. He looked up. A frazzled waiter with curly black hair scrambled to the floor to pick up what was left of the ruined dinner.
It hit Sorey right then and there. He accidentally knocked over someone's dinner!
"I waited an hour for this meal and now it's completely ruined!" Landon roared, his voice going up several octaves.
'Oh no! This is my fault!' Remorse sat right next to fear as Sorey stood up from his seat. Something had to be done about this. He had to fix the problem, not make it worse. Realizing his transgression, Sorey walked over to Landon, his entire body shaking.
"You see what you did?!" Landon wasted no time roaring right into Sorey's face, not caring that he was so close that their noses almost touched. Sorey winced as spit flew onto his cheeks. "You ruined my anniversary dinner with my wife!"
"I...I...I…" His vocal cords were close to shutting down. But he couldn't let them shut down. Not here, not now. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to ruin it! It was an accident!" He sputtered. He hated how he sounded like he was making excuses more than anything, but what was he supposed to do? It really was an accident, and Sorey didn't ruin Landon's dinner on purpose. He could tell that Landon was not going to believe him. Not one bit. Of course he'd still be mad.
Then something flashed in his mind. He still had twenty dollars in his pocket. He could pay for the ruined dinner! "I can pay for it!" Sorey scrambled through his pockets, pulling out a crumpled bill. "How much is it? Here, I'll pay for it so you don't have to!"
"Sorey-" Mikleo stood up, holding a hand out.
"If you want, you can even have the rest of my food-"
Yet again, Sorey was bereaved of the chance to finish his sentence. A stone hard blow struck the boy right across his face, almost sending him right to the floor, had he not managed to keep himself balanced. How he managed to keep standing after that, not even Sorey knew for sure. But he felt the hard, calloused hand strike his face. His swelling, reddening cheek stung, like a hundred bees drove their stingers into him. Sorey could only stare in utter silent horror as Landon's angry face locked onto him, eyes full of unrestrained fury.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Landon roared, his hair standing up all around him, making him look like an angry lion ready to pounce on its prey. All of a sudden, that same hand grabbed at his shirt, pulling him close. "Sorry isn't gonna fix this, you brazen little-"
"Landon, please stop! You shouldn't have done that!"
"Are you insane?!"
"Everyone, please calm down! Let's just talk about this like civil-"
"HOW DARE YOU STRIKE MY GRANDSON!"
Oh no. That was Zenrus's voice. Flailing arms pulled on Landon's arms, freeing Sorey from his grip. But Sorey wasn't free at all. He was trapped. Millions of eyes stared right at him, gawking, wondering, assuming, watching the awful scene unfold before him. Nothing made sense anymore. All the noise that bombarded his ears became a confusing, muddied mess. His head reeled. His skin burned. His whole body was shuddering with a combination of fear, shame, and guilt. He could hardly see out of his blurring, throbbing eyes. There was no room for him to even think.
But he knew one thing for sure.
Everyone was angry, and yelling, complaining, and scolding overwhelmed him.
He had completely embarrassed Zenrus, Lailah, and Mikleo in front of everyone.
It was all his fault.
His worst fears had actually come true.
Unable to watch the scene unfold before him, Sorey finally found strength in his legs and ran. Away from the crowded tables. Away from the mess he made. Away from the explosion of sound and the many eyes that assumed the worst about him. Sorey needed to get out. Get out. Hide. Go somewhere. He couldn't stay here. He didn't care where he wound up. All he wanted was to go somewhere quiet. Of course, where could he possibly find someplace like that in a diner? Diners were full of people. Even the bathrooms would be occupied.
At this point, there was no being picky. Sorey made a beeline for the bathroom and hid himself in the handicapped stall. Oddly enough, the bathroom was empty. No one was inside, even though the diner was full to bursting. Overwhelmed with guilt and shame, Sorey buried his face into the tile walls and bawled. This shouldn't have happened. None of this should have happened. This was supposed to be a fun day. A fun, happy day for everyone. Now it was completely ruined. Sorey cried and cried, passionate wails bouncing off the walls, no thanks to the corners that made his crying louder than he intended it to be. But at this point, he didn't care.
He had no energy to do anything except wail and curse himself for freaking out. For not being able to just flick that damn stinkbug off of his arm. For bumping into that waiter, thereby spilling Landon's food. For not having the decency to just keep himself quiet and act like a normal human being. For ruining everyone's dinner. For embarrassing Lailah, Mikleo, and Zenrus in front of a huge crowd of people. Already, Sorey could picture Zenrus in his mind, yelling and screaming at him for his transgression, throwing him out onto the street to spare himself the trouble of raising such a burdensome boy.
Dear God, no...Sorey didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to be out on the streets, all alone with no family, no friends, and nowhere to go. Being gawked at simply for being around was bad enough. He didn't dare let his imagination conjure up images of being gawked at for sitting on the streets, begging for food and money.
"Sorey?"
A hand flew to his mouth, preventing any more wails from spilling forth. Was that...Mikleo's voice?
"Sorey? You in here?"
Did he really need to ask that? Of course he was here. Where else would he be? He couldn't drive, so obviously he couldn't just leave the premises, and he definitely couldn't just leave Lailah and Zenrus hanging. Sorey buried his face in his hands, his fingers damp with tears. Soft footsteps echoed on the bathroom floors, made loud by the intense silence.
Looking between his fingers, Sorey saw a familiar pair of black sneakers, white shorts, and turquoise shirt greet him. He didn't dare meet Mikleo's eyes. He didn't want to see shame or embarrassment.
"Are you okay?"
"Just peachy, thanks!" Sorey hissed, the retort coming out like it was seeped in poison. "Do I LOOK like I'm okay to you?!" He had no energy to keep his voice down. "Just go away! For God's sake, just go! I just embarrassed you, Lailah, and...him right in front of a bunch of people! Or are you here to yell at me about it?! Go ahead! Yell at me already! I know what I've done, so just get it over with!"
Mikleo didn't leave. Instead, he snuck into the stall and kneeled before the trembling boy sobbing before him. "I'm not embarrassed, and I'm not here to yell at you. No way," The glimmering tear tracks on Sorey's face were plain as day, with their having reflected the fluorescent lights in the bathroom. "That Landon guy was way out of line. He shouldn't have hit you."
Sorey definitely agreed with that. He nodded in silence. "I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to freak out...I really didn't…" He didn't know what else to say. Saying sorry obviously wouldn't magically turn back time and fix everything. Saying sorry certainly didn't ameliorate Landon's anger. But what else could he do? He had nothing else to offer.
"I know," Mikleo kept his voice to a whisper, hoping to soothe Sorey's throbbing ears.
It didn't help, but Sorey appreciated the effort. "A stinkbug...was on my arm. I hate them. I hate them with every fiber of my being. They stink and they're annoying and they make you smell bad and it's a pain to make the smell go away and I wanted it off me so so so bad and-"
"I get it," Mikleo sat down next to him.
"I didn't see the waiter there and oh man I should have just flicked it off my arm!" A new set of tears came spilling out, and Sorey was helpless to stop them. "Now I've gone and made everyone mad and ruined everything! I never should have come here! I should have just stayed at the house! All I ever do is cause trouble!"
Mikleo could feel his heart break in two. Sorey was taking this really hard. Then again, he couldn't blame him. Similar incidents had happened in his own life many times. But he knew Sorey never intended for this to happen. He wanted to reach his arms out and hug Sorey. He looked like he really needed it. But he didn't want to overstep or make things worse, so he just kept his distance. Even so, there was no way he was going to leave him here all alone.
"It was an accident. Shit happens all the time," Mikleo told him. "It's okay. I'm not mad. Nobody's mad at you. Honestly, you should have seen Gramps just now," Sorey peeked out from one of his arms, seeing Mikleo point his thumb towards the door. "He completely wailed on that Landon guy. It was actually pretty awesome."
All Mikleo got in response was more sobs. Unable to keep it in anymore, Mikleo wrapped an arm around Sorey and pulled him close. Sorey didn't protest. Goodness, Mikleo's soft arms felt so good on his skin, comforting him and offering protective warmth. Sorey buried his face into Mikleo's shoulder, letting more tears fall. Wretched, guttural sobs escaped his throat, and every sob he let out made his throat grow more dry. All Mikleo could do was hug his heartbroken friend and rub his back, hoping that the gesture would alleviate his pain somewhat.
Neither boy knew how long they stayed in that bathroom. Sorey sobbed for what seemed to be hours. By the time his frantic crying finally stopped, Mikleo checked his phone. It was five thirty, and the incident happened at four forty five. A whole forty five minutes. Not once did Sorey break from Mikleo's embrace during that time. His friend's arms, though small and thin, kept him safe from the cruel world exploding all around him. Finally, he gently pried himself from Mikleo's arms. His face was swollen, his cheeks red and flushed, and his green eyes puffy and red. But he was calm.
"Sorry…"
"It's alright, Sorey. Quit apologizing."
"Thanks. For being here. For doing this for me. You...didn't need to…"
"Stop. I wanted to stay here with you. Do you really think I'd just leave you here all alone and not help you? Though maybe I should have asked for permission first."
Sorey forced a sad smile out. "You don't need my permission to hug me. I'm always up for a good hug and cuddle!"
Finally, a grin tickled Mikleo's lips. "I can see that. You definitely seem like the type."
Of course, Sorey wasn't even close to feeling better. Some tears and sobs still came out. Sorey had no energy to even try to hold back. A tender hand stroke Sorey's cheek and brushed the persistent tears away. Mikleo's hand. Sorey looked up, meeting his friend's lavendar eyes. There was nothing but kindness and warmth in them. He didn't even have it in him to look away. Not a trace of anger, shame, or guilt was anywhere in sight, something he always saw in people's eyes. It was always too painful to even look in someone's eyes, because they would always look back at him with shame, scorn, or embarrassment.
"You did a good job getting yourself away from there," Mikleo told him. "I wouldn't want to stick around that idiot Landon either."
"Ummm…"
Both Sorey and Mikleo looked up, surprised by the sudden new voice. Two men, one of them in a wheelchair, stood in front of the open stall, watching them with perplexed expressions. Sorey hid his face in his hands shamefully. He was in no mood to talk to anyone except Mikleo right now.
"Is everything okay?" The man in the wheelchair asked.
Mikleo simply smiled and said, "We're sorry. Do you need to use this? We'll be out in just a minute. We're just having a bad day is all. I can handle this," He looked at Sorey. "Do you want to leave, or go to a different stall?"
The chestnut haired youth wasn't sure how Lailah and Zenrus were doing, and he didn't want to keep them waiting. As much as he didn't want to face them, he knew he had to eventually. Plus, he didn't want to keep these people waiting. "I'll leave. Let's go."
Quietly, the two boys left the handicapped bathroom stall and the bathroom in general without incident. Of course, Sorey tensed up the minute he saw that Lailah and Zenrus were within his vicinity. Lailah was the first to run over to them.
"Oh, good! You're both alright! I was getting worried," Being sweet and motherly as she was, Lailah was quick to greet them both with a relieved smile and a hug. "I'm so sorry about earlier, Sorey. Are you alright?" There was no anger. Only genuine worry and concern.
"I'm fine. For now, at least," Sorey looked away, not meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry I freaked out back there. I won't blame you if you're mad."
"Oh no," Lailah clasped Sorey's hand with one of her own. "Why would I be mad? I know it was just an accident. Zenrus knows it, too."
"Come on, Landon! Get over here!" Oddly enough, the woman accompanying Landon dragged him in front of Sorey by the elbow. Her braided black hair flung around with every gesture she made, her hand clutching Landon's arm, squeezing it like a vicegrip. "Now apologize to this boy right now."
"Are you kidding me, Bristol?!" Landon bellowed. "He ruined my food!"
"Yes, but it was an accident, and you did yourself no favors by slapping him across the face. That was absolutely unacceptable," Bristol scolded, her voice sharp and stern. "There are better ways to handle the situation. Now, apologize."
In all honesty, Sorey didn't want an apology from him. Landon didn't accept Sorey's apology earlier, so why should Sorey accept his? Besides, whatever apology he did have to offer probably would have come off as hollow or superficial. The fact that his wife was forcing him to do so told him all he needed to know. He didn't leave Mikleo's side one bit.
"I'm sorry for hitting you. There. Happy now?" Landon hissed the words out, still eyeing Sorey with scorn.
Palms hit the faces of both Zenrus and Bristol. "Honestly, Landon! Can't you at least act like you mean it?" Exasperated, Bristol turned to Sorey. "I'm sorry my husband hit you. As you saw earlier, Landon has a short fuse and he often lets his emotions get the better of him. But that's no excuse for the way he treated you."
At least his wife meant what she said. That was some consolation. "Thanks. I'm sorry I accidentally ruined your dinner," Sorey tried to keep himself as calm and polite as possible.
"It's alright. No worries! Your grandfather and friend explained everything to us, so we understand."
"My offer to pay for it still stands. I only have twenty bucks on me, though."
Bristol shook her head. "That's sweet of you, but there's no need. The restaurant gave my husband a new meal, and they decided to have everything be on the house," She told him, smiling brightly. "We don't have to pay for a thing! In a way, you actually did something good for us."
"It's always better to find the good in a bad situation," Zenrus quipped.
Sorey's mouth fell agape. Wow. That sure was nice of the restaurant to give them a free dinner. With that, there was no further incident. Lailah and Zenrus had long since finished their meals, so the quartet didn't stay a minute longer. They paid for their own meals and headed home. Even so, Sorey still felt like garbage. His body still trembled, even as he sat next to Mikleo in the back seat of the car. It hit him the minute he heard Zenrus let out a very loud sigh.
All of his fear, shame, and guilt suddenly rushed right back into his system, drowning him. Sorey didn't want to go back to the mansion. He didn't want to face Zenrus yelling at him, scolding him, casting him away forever. All of a sudden, the car felt like it was swallowing him whole. He yearned to get the heck out of the car RIGHT NOW. The minute Lailah pulled into the driveway, Sorey sprinted out of the car and ran up the hill.
"Sorey!" Lailah could only watch as Sorey ran further and further away.
"Wait, Sorey! Wait up!" Once again, Mikleo gave chase.
"Sorey! Don't leave!" Even Zenrus tried to give chase. Unfortunately, the joints in his legs ached, rendering him unable to traverse up the hill.
"Zenrus, please. Don't push yourself so hard," Lailah was quick to plant her hands onto his shoulders. "You're in no condition to go after him."
"I know...I know…" Even so, Zenrus hated feeling so helpless. His grandson needed him. He needed someone to ease his distress. As happy as he was about Mikleo being there for him, Zenrus wanted to be the one to help Sorey. It was his job as his legal guardian. But more importantly, he wanted to ease Sorey's pain. "But Sorey...I can't just sit here while he's upset and beside himself with sorrow."
Upset didn't even come anywhere near close to describing Sorey's feelings. No, Zenrus knew exactly what Sorey was feeling. Abject misery. But God, did it hurt to not be able to have the energy to go to where he was and help him! Console him, embrace him, tell him it wasn't his fault, that everything would be fine.
Mikleo didn't need to do much thinking to figure out where Sorey went. Even though Sorey had long since outran Mikleo by the time he passed Kyme's farm, there was no doubt in Mikleo's mind that he would be at the castle. His favorite place in Elysia. Once Mikleo got to the castle, he started looking in every nook and cranny for any sign of Sorey. He made sure not to go into the area where Sorey saved his life, as both boys considered that area to be off limits.
Good thing that it was quiet in the ruins, other than the occasional squirrel and bird popping in every now and again. Faint sobbing echoed in one of the rooms Mikleo passed on the first floor. Taking a peek inside, it was a room they hadn't explored before. It was pretty empty and bare, with the only furniture being large chunks of debris from the ceiling. Said ceiling mostly consisted of one strip of rock that resembled a bridge, with everything else completely gone. Walking inside, Mikleo could see a pair of brown boots peeking out from behind the big chunk of debris, along with a body rocking back and forth.
"Sorey?" Now Mikleo was worried. He could see that Sorey wasn't completely feeling better from earlier, but this new development came out of nowhere. What made Sorey sprint out of the car like it was on fire? "Sorey? It's me again."
No response. But Mikleo didn't need one. He could see Sorey rocking himself behind the debris. A small dose of relief warmed his heart. Good, he was safe. Mikleo stood just a few feet away from the side of the debris, keeping his distance, but keeping Sorey in his line of sight. Again, Sorey's red face had melancholy written all over it. New glimmering tear tracks lined his soft cheeks, burning his already swelling one.
"...Can I ask what happened?"
Again, no response.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me right now. But I'm worried about you."
Sorey knew he was worried about him. He could feel it, even as he kept his arms wrapped around himself like a force field.
"Is this about earlier?" Mikleo asked. "It's okay, Sorey. They're not mad at you."
He could see Sorey shaking his head. Mikleo didn't press on.
Finally, after what seemed to be a few minutes, Sorey finally spoke. "...I know he's ashamed of me."
"He? Who?"
"Ze...Ze...Ze…"
"Gramps?"
All of a sudden, Sorey sprung out from behind the debris. "Don't call him that!" He shouted, his voice already hoarse from all the crying he did earlier in the diner.
Taken aback, Mikleo backed off a bit, holding a hand up like a shield. "What's wrong?"
By now, Sorey's entire body was wracked with shudders, trembling like a leaf. "...You said you wanted to know why I don't refer to...him by name."
That was it? What did that have to do with what happened earlier? Still, this was a chance to figure out why. He couldn't let this opportunity slip. "I do. But you don't have to-"
"I admit it," Sorey choked out, cutting Mikleo off. "I admit it! I'm scared of him! I can't bring myself to bond with him! I'm scared to! And I get it, okay? I get that I shouldn't be afraid of or reject my own grandfather of all people! I get it! I get that it's not normal to feel that way! But…" With every word Sorey shouted, his voice rose several octaves, becoming more hoarse and dry. "That's the truth!"
"You're scared of him?" Mikleo asked, his blue eyebrows rising higher and higher. "Is this because he yelled at Landon?" That wasn't a surprise. Mikleo had seen Zenrus get angry, and when Zenrus was angry, he was not someone anyone would want to cross. Seeing him completely wail on Landon after he slapped Sorey across the face proved it. Of course Sorey would be scared after hearing him yell at him. "I get it. The noise must have frightened you. It's okay. That's not-"
"No!" Sorey yelled, banging his hands on the debris, not caring about the stone and gravel that dug into his skin. "No no no! You don't get it!"
"What don't I get? Why are you so afraid of Zenrus?" Mikleo's patience began to wear thin. Fiercely, he asserted, "Tell me, Sorey!"
Finally, Sorey shouted in the loudest voice he could conjure up, "Because I know he hates me!"
Silence. Neither boy knew what to think, especially Mikleo. He had never seen Sorey look so distraught, so beaten down by life. But what he said just now completely threw him for a loop. There was no denying that Sorey's expression right now was one of abject misery. Even so, Mikleo couldn't help but blink, repeating Sorey's words in his mind, hoping they'd make more sense the second time. They didn't.
"Wait. Let me get this straight. The entire month you've been living with Gramps, you've expressed no desire to even try to bond with him or give him a chance or call him by name because you think he hates you?" None of this made any sense.
Even more so when Sorey shot a tearful glare in his direction. "I KNOW he hates me! He always has!"
Mikleo sighed. So there was more to this than meets the eye. Of course there was. He silently scolded himself for not figuring this out sooner. Still, hearing what was coming out of Sorey's mouth continued to leave him completely flabbergasted. At the same time, he wanted to understand where this was coming from. Obviously, there had to be a reason behind it.
"...Why do you think that?" Mikleo sat down next to Sorey. "Do you want to tell me? I want to understand where this is coming from."
A sigh escaped Sorey's lips. Everything was too overwhelming to face. Even looking at Mikleo was too hard. Sweet, understanding, patient Mikleo, who Sorey thought deserved better than to listen to him whine. But he knew Mikleo was being here for him out of his own volition. For that, Sorey was truly grateful. However, how could he tell him the truth? Mikleo, who spent more time with Zenrus than Sorey did, who knew him better than Sorey did, who obviously had a different view of him...Sorey didn't want to hurt his feelings or ruin the image he had of Zenrus.
But it hurt just as much to keep it all in. He wanted-no, needed-to let it out. Maybe Mikleo would listen and understand. With that hope in his heart, Sorey spoke again, ready to reveal the truth.
"There was...an incident...when I was little…"
