Shun

I didn't go into work the next day. When Alice dropped me off at the music store, I didn't go in. I waited for her to round the corner so she couldn't see me. Once she was out of my sight, I headed for the park, where I agreed to meet up with Fabia. Dan texted me later that morning, telling me that she would be there sometime in the afternoon. Which was later set up to be at twelve on the dot.

Alice would still be at work while I was at the park. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to confront this part of my past. I'd confront any other part, except this. The ghost of that dream from last night still lingered in my mind, and would pop up in my mind again. Replaying the dream like a broken record. Every part of that dream felt alive in my senses. From the feeling of the air temperature, the smell of the evergreen trees, and sound of the waves crashing against the rocks next to the lake. All of it was still fresh to me.

Like I had just walked from that world. My stomach was turning flips with not wanting. Like when you didn't want to go to school, and your stomach would suddenly begin hurting. And when you got home, you'd miraculously get better the minute you went through the door.

A bank across the street had a digital sign outside, and it flashed the temperature in red lights. The sign read that it was a comfortable 76, but to me it felt like somebody set the world on fire. I was slowly approaching the park. I could hear the sounds of children laughing and screaming, and parents yelling at them to stay near them or to not put something in their mouths. A kid was near the old metal swings, throwing a tennis ball for him little dog.

I stopped and watched the bright green ball roll to my feet. Both the boy and his dog stopped playing at looked at me from afar. I bent over and tossed the ball back at them. The boy missed the catch, and the dog ran after it once it hit the ground. The two of them resumed their game of fetch, and I continued on my way. I was nearing the bench under a large oak tree, where we agreed to set up our 'meeting', if you could call it that. The bench was on the other side of the tree, so I couldn't tell if Fabia was sitting there or not.

I walked around the tree, and saw her. I suppressed a growl from my throat when I saw her. Fabia saw me standing there. It reminded me of our first meeting. She had challenged Dan to a brawl and after she lost, she ran off. It was easy to track her down. I didn't believe she the enemy, but all this time she was mine and I didn't even know it. She was the one wanting to cause me harm, and I let her. "Shun. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." Her voice was soft, but that didn't calm the fire raging in me.

Fabia was now standing. She had changed a lot since I had last seen her. She was taller, her hair was longer, but she was still the same on the inside. I wonder how much I've changed since she last saw me. She did a slight grin and said, "You're looking great, Shun. Alice must be treating you well."

Apparently Dan and the others didn't tell her about Alice's baby. Good. I wouldn't want her to know anyway. I didn't like her trying to talk to me like nothing ever happened between us. Like we were friends still. Were we even ever friends? I could see this was difficult for her to try and find a decent place to start this on.

I wanted to make it as difficult as I possibly could. "Shun, I don't blame you if you still hate me. But at least talk or say something to me." She wants me to say something? "Ok. I'll say something. Do you know how much trouble you've caused me? Or all the mental stress I had to overcome to make some sense of what you did? Fabia, how could you just play with me like I was some toy? No, I take that back. Not how, but why? What kind of sick enjoyment did you get out of it?"

She was biting her lower lip, a act that reminded me of Alice when she was thinking. "Shun, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. No, I don't know what kind of pain it caused you, and I wish I did. That would be fair if I felt what you did. I didn't get any sick enjoyment from doing what I did."

She sat back down on the bench, already looking exhausted from an argument that just started. "Shun, I told you I was with Linus because I couldn't bare to hide it from you. When I told you, I went against my sister's wishes. She just wanted me to end things with you, without telling you the truth. I never wanted to be with Linus. I wanted to be with you. I still want to be with you, but that cant happen now. Serena never wanted me to be with you from the start. She said being with somebody from Earth would only bring trouble to Neathia. I didn't care what she said. But when she forced me and Linus to marry, I had no choice. Shun, do you believe me?"

Do I? This could just be another lie. My legs grew tired of standing, and I reluctantly sat next to Fabia on the bench. "You said earlier that you wished to know what I went through, am I correct?" She nodded her head. "Yeah. And I do. It would only be fair, that I suffer the same pain as you did." People walking through the park didn't pay us any attention as we talked. They just assumed we were two teens talking about nothing important. I didn't mind. It wasn't any of their business anyway.

"I froze, cried, and felt pain like I hadn't felt in a long time. I dealt with the reality that somebody could do something so awful to another person." Fabia was beginning to look extremely guilty. "But, I found truth. I found real love, and a person true to their words. And it's all cause of you." She didn't say anything for a long time. I held a steady gaze at her. One that she'd meet every time she looked up at me. A gaze that made her head turn away in shame for what she did, and what she lost.

"I do believe you though, but I don't forgive you. I may forgive you later on, but it may be a long time for now. Trust is a hard thing to regain back from somebody. Especially somebody you hurt with harsh lies like your's." I stood up from the bench, and took one last look at her. "I understand, Shun. I'm really sorry. I truly am. I just wanted to let you hear my side of the story, and I hear your's. I guess I better get going. Kato was nice enough to fly me out here quickly. Bye." I was about to walk away, when she stopped me.

"Shun! Wait! I almost forgot." What does she want now? She reached into her pocket and pulled out a long silver chain with a heart shaped locket on the end. "You dropped it out in the snow when you ran off all those months ago." She lowered it in my hand. The heart hit first, and the chain then circled around it. It was a locket my mother had before she died. "I thought I lost this either in the cabin or in the forest."

I stared at the silver charm, then opened it up to see the same pictures that were always in there. There was one of my mother when she was younger, and one of her and me when I was maybe five or so. I had only thought about the locket after Murucho and the others went back to Bay City, but never thought to go there and check.

I looked up at the locket and said, "Thanks." Fabia was gone though. She had left while I was looking the necklace over. I sat back down on the bench and closed the heart back up. I sat there, looking at my mother's name inscribed on the front in a smooth cursive. The letters were bordered by silver roses and thorns. It was her favorite necklace. I thought about all the times she wore it. Even when she was in the hospital. The memories cause a tear to swell up in my eye, and roll down my cheek. I was really glad to have it back in my possession.

Alice

I left out of the grocery store and turned my car onto the road. We had repaired the shattered back window from when one of Snake's friends went haywire and went shooting down the street in his car with a few other buddies. I parked the car in front of the music store, and walked inside.

I was expecting Shun to be behind the counter as usual, but Snake was in his place. "Where's Shun?" Snake shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sparky never showed today. I assumed he was sick or something. Guess that disproves my theory. I didn't think he was one to play hooky." I was worried. I dropped him off at the store at the usual time. What if something happened to him? I had just pulled out my phone to call his, when he walked into the store. "Sorry, Snake. I had to run a small errand before work."

Snake made a pfft noise and said, "Small? It took most of your damn work day. Do you know how busy this place has been? We've had the most work today than we've had all month. Just to let you know, you're not getting paid for today, Sparky. Next time, think before you run off and ditch work. You don't see me doing what you did, do ya? Huh? Answer me, Sparky."

Shun walked over to the couch and sat down, never saying a word to either of us. I noticed his cheeks looked stained from tears. "Shun, have you been crying?" I felt very concerned then. "Hey! Earth to Sparky! You still haven't answered my damn question!" Shun eyes narrowed at him. "Yes I heard you! No, I don't see you doing anything else but sitting here playing on a damn guitar and flirting with my girlfriend! Now I suggest you shut up!"

He stood up quickly and swung the door open, causing the bell to ding loudly. Snake stood there in shock, then said, "You can come back when you get off your high horse! Till then I don't want to see you in this shop! And I'm telling the boss that too!" I ignored Snake, and ran out of the store, trying to catch Shun. "Shun! Wait up!" I looked both ways on the sidewalk for him. No sign of him. I ran my hand through my orange hair and bit my lower lip. Shun, where'd you go?

I could hear Snake swearing loudly about Shun's stunt. I walked back in the store to retrieve my purse. "Your boyfriend needs to get over himself." That was the last straw. I connected the palm of my hand to his face. A echoed smack sound reverberated throughout the store. "No, Snake, you get over yourself right now and help find Shun! Because the reason he just left was partly because of you! Now call your boss and tell him an emergency just came up and you have to close up shop!"

He was rubbing the red spot on his face. I was never one to slap a person. The last person I hit out of anger was Lync. I felt my face heat up from my anger. Snake sighed and said reluctantly, "Fine. I'll help find the emo kid on the loose. But don't expect any more favors from." I slung my purse over my shoulder and left out the door with Snake behind me.

ok, just to clarify, i respect all reviews and such, but don't go complaining about somebody's story or whatever just cause YOU, one person, doesnt like it. if you read the whole story and in the end say you didnt like it, well that's your damage. you didnt have to read it from the start. you could of stopped reading it at any point in time. and being saracastic or something like that isnt going to bother me, so take it somewhere else please. if you cant say anything nice, then dont say anything at all. critic is always welcome, but being a complete butt about something won't get you anywhere. i respect your opinions and such, but sarcasm is only allowed in the stories. thank you very much. (this isnt really intended to anyone, just anyone who does this. if you read a chapter or two of a story and see you dont like it, dont read the whole thing to complain about it.) thanks. Read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~