Chapter 10

"And you never told anyone this, why, exactly?" Chichi demanded, anger and hurt fighting for control of her voice. The anger seemed to be winning as her face was slowly turning redder.

"I was told it wasn't my secret to tell, but if she's going to be a little brat and avoid everyone, I'll tell everyone for her," 18 replied blandly.

"I don't care who says it, I just want to know!" Chichi said, her voice borderlining a shriek.

"It's really not your place to tell anyone," 17 spoke up. A chill seemed to run through everyone there as the ice in his voice; never had they heard someone speak with such cold malice before.

"She's being a little brat, and you're not helping matters. You've always had a soft spot for her, haven't you, 17? I guess you would have had to, since you're part of the reason she left. You're not being any better than her, you know. You're a coward," 18 replied, her voice just as frigid as 17's was, her ice blue eyes matching the coldness in her voice.

"Maybe I am a coward, but at least I'm not a vindictive bitch," he spat. The two glared at each other for a moment longer before a timid voice spoke up.

"What's going on in here?" Emily said, confused.

No one said anything. It's not like Emily had really expected them to, but with all the arguing going on, she thought at least one person would talk to her. Sighing, she turned around and began walking out, intent on going back to the training session. "I don't know who the bigger coward is. It's a tie between Emily and 17," 18 said, her voice light as if she were making small talk.

Emily froze. Just keep going. Don't fall for it, her brain told her rationally. Whip her ass! teach her a lesson! her pride whispered, goading her. She decided to listen to her brain this time and continued walking forward until 18 decided to open her mouth again. "Maybe it is Emily that is the bigger coward. She is the one who disappeared for three years and dropped her child off without no explanation."

Get the bitch! her mind now said.

Emily swiftly turned and marched right up to 18, anger blazing in her eyes. "You're really going to call me a coward for that? For being afraid that my mother would finally disown me for good, for being afraid that everyone would think of me as less of a person, for being afraid that I would end up alone even if I did tell everyone? You don't know what the hell I was going through. You didn't know that Mom and I fought to almost every night until one of us starting crying. You didn't know that I was so depressed after I left I barely functioned properly. You didn't know that I wanted to keep her, but knew, just knew, that if I did she would have an awful life. I chose that day to give my child the life she deserved. Are you really going to call me a coward for that?"

Silence. Not that it was something new around here, but this one held more shock in it than anything else. 18 didn't even look at Emily. She simply turned around, picked Marron up, and walked out of the room.

Emily had turned to walk out the opposite way when someone else finally decided to speak up. "You… you were pregnant when you left?" Chichi said quietly, shock written all over her face. Emily turned halfway and nodded. "How did I not know… How did I not see…" she continued, more to herself this time.

"You didn't want to see," Emily replied, her voice barely loud enough to carry throughout the room. "You didn't want to know what you had always said about me was true."

"I never really meant any of it," Chichi said, tears finally beginning to form in her eyes as she shock wore off. "I was just so angry… I realize now how wrong I was. I am so, so sorry for the way I reacted to you… You were hurt over you father passing, more than I ever realized, and I never made it any better, did I?" Chichi looked to her only daughter as tears spilled down her face, sorrow and regret etched into her features.

Emily quickly strode back to her mother and wrapped her in a hug. "I forgive you, Mom. I forgive you."

I don't have an explanation for anything I write anymore. It all just comes out and I'm like, "Yeah, that looks good, better post it before I change my mind."

I seem to be on a roll today so mayhaps there will be another chapter posted in a few days!