The next morning, we all slept in.

Princess was doing fine, but things were going to be overall boring now that there were no hero classes to attend. Dad still was interning with Shinsou-San, so I wouldn't be totally bored. Hopefully.

I also assumed that Aila-Chan and I would get to more dance lessons or something. I did have a guitar that needed dusting off.

And I really, really wanted to keep it that way.

I wanted to try and make breakfast for everyone, but I didn't know what Aila liked or wanted, so I only cooked for Dad and I--scrambled eggs with fresh veggies, including onions, peppers, garlic and spinach. If Aila wanted some, I could make her more, of course.

Aila woke up around 9:00 A.M. that morning, keeping Sleepy in her room. Dad was still asleep in his room.

"Morning, Aila-Chan," I said casually.

"Morning, Sami," She yawned. "Ooh, what smells so good?"

I froze. "Uh, I made some eggs. Do you want some?"

"Sure."

"Okay. I only cooked for me and Dad because I didn't know what you liked or didn't, so would you mind waiting a few more minutes?"

"Of course not," she said with a smile. "Take your time. I'm not all that hungry anyway."

"You can have mine if you want--" I said with a shrug.

"No, no, I can wait. I'm okay."

I paused before relenting. "Okay."

It was quiet as I finished making Dad's and my eggs, and cracked more for her.

"How many?" I asked.

"Two, please."

I nodded and started whisking them.

"Do you want an omelette or scrambled?"

"Scrambled, please."

I scooped Dad's and my food onto separate plates, then went to put Aila's into the pan.

"Anything you don't want in there?"

"No red peppers, if you can help it please."

I nodded. No red peppers.

Except for the sizzling of the eggs, it went quiet again. That horrible awkward silence settled again.

Now, I was no stranger to awkward silence, and I was even okay with it sometimes. Awkward silence was sometimes better than awkward conversation, but this was terrible. With Aila, she could make just about any awkward silence disappear for good, but here we are.

I gave her her eggs and she thanked me quietly, emphasizing that she really enjoyed the meal, and that I was a good cook.

Dad came out of his room like a zombie. I still felt bad for waking him up in such an irrational way, especially since he was already in the middle of a nightmare.

"Samiko," he said, "Don't worry about last night. It was good you woke me up."

He was telling the truth. That almost made me feel worse.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, okay?" He said, patting my hair endearingly, pulling me into a hug.

I didn't return the hug, but I nodded.

I didn't move from his hold, and pointed to the counter.

"I made you some eggs. The coffee's fresh too," I said, with a kind of pout.

"Oh," he said lightly, almost as if he was surprised. "Thank you, Samiko. Did you get something for Aila-Chan?"

"She's making something for me right now," Aila said with a wave of her hand.

"Okay. Make sure you eat plenty, Sami. I'll be at the school for a little while. I'll text you when it's time for your training, okay?"

I nodded against him, then pulled away. He took his eggs and coffee and headed out. It was just me and Aila again.

And it was the horrible silence again.

"So…" Aila said, "Have you made any friends so far?"

I shrugged. "I mean...Kind of? Some of the kids like to talk to me before classes, and I'm civil."

She laughed. "That's good. Any one person you have in mind? I hear this year's class has some pretty cute guys in there."

My head swiveled to look at her, deadpan glaring at her.

She wore a catlike smirk on her lips, her head neatly propped up on folded hands. She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Oh, come on, Sami," She said, "There's gotta be someone that you think is at least a little cute. I watched the Sports Festival--Endeavor's son seems to be your type."

"What's that supposed to even mean?" I asked with a half-chuckle. I didn't look her way at all.

"Well, he seems strong, determined, he's 176, and I think he's the quiet type. You've met him in class too, haven't you?"

"What of it?"

"Tell me, am I right?"

She was right. But that didn't mean that she was going to win.

"And if you are?"

"Haha, I knew it! You fancy him, don't you?"

Who talks like this?!

"The thing is, Aila-Chan," I said, "He is attractive. I find him attractive, and we talk and get along with one another. That does not mean anything."

"M-hmmmm…" She hummed, unconvinced, "Sureeee."

I sighed. "I like him better as a friend. He's four years older than me, and I am only twelve, and I don't need anything else making my life as complicated as it is," I said.

"Okay, that is true," she relented.

"Besides," I continued. "As bad as it sounds, he's in the hero course. If something were to happen to him, or whomever I decide to get into a relationship with, should they be in the hero course, it would be terrible. So, I think that I'll stay away from people in the Hero Course, at least until I'm old enough to handle something like that. I know it's selfish and maybe a little cruel, but a girl's gotta protect herself."

"...That she does."

I finally looked at Aila. She looked almost reminiscent. I figured she was thinking of her partner.

"Naomasa isn't a Pro, is he?"

"No, but he's a hero," she said gently. "I just wish I could be good enough for him."

I put her now finished eggs on a plate. "What do you mean?" I asked her gently, setting her food in front of her.

She looked at me, her expression hurt--not at me--but unreadable all the same.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. "I…"

She went quiet. I didn't press her. I was afraid I crossed a boundary of some kind.The silence wasn't awkward. It was heavy. It was full of words that were left unsaid. We ate our breakfast in that silence. It was just as terrible as the awkward silence.

When she was finished, she stood and nodded to me.

"Breakfast was very good," she said quietly, smiling at me. "Thank you."

I nodded in return. "I'm glad you enjoyed them. Would you like something to drink--I can make you some tea if you would like."

"What do you have?" She inquired mildly.

"Earl grey, honey vanilla chamomile, white jade and jasmine."

"I will take earl grey, please."

I nodded. "Coming right up."

.o0o.

After I made Aila's and my tea, I sat on our sofa and started my homework. I've been postponing it for the past little while, so I decided to catch up on it while there was peace, before I started my workout. Apparently, today's wouldn't be as strenuous, but just as active.

Whatever that means.

Anyway, the math was fairly difficult, but Moogle and Cahn School Online happen to be my best friends for that very reason.

The reading selection was boring, annotations even more so. But Dad wanted my thoughts on it, so I did it.

History was actually not all that bad. I watched a few videos, took some notes and did some expounding on it. It was quite interesting--how the Japanese Police Force was founded and developed over time. Different careers they had and started out with, which in turn developed into this career and this one. It was not everyone's cup of tea, but it was definitely mine.

Aila was in her room most of the day after breakfast, and it was fairly quiet.

Princess was asleep most of the day, which I was fine with, but the kittens were moderately loud and mewling. They were really fun to watch when I wanted to do something other than homework.

Around noon, Dad texted me.

Dad (12:03 PM):

Make sure you have a big lunch. Don't forget your carrots or grapes.

Samiko (12:03 PM):

Why, so you can steal them?

Dad (12:04 PM):

Don't sass me

Samiko (12:04 PM):

I'll eat my carrots AND my grapes

Dad (12:04 PM):

Good.

I laughed to myself, getting up to get a premade bento box (without the box) for myself.

I knocked on Aila's door. "Aila-Chan?"

I heard a sniff. "Yes?"

Damn. "Would you like a bento box for lunch? Without the box?"

"U-Uh, yeah...Sure."

I sighed. Fudge. Screw bento. Aila needed some kind of help.

I stood at the door, glancing at Princess who was looking at me expectantly as she was nursing her kittens yet again.

I tilted my head at her in exasperation. "What do you want me to do?" I whispered at her.

Princess just looked at me, then began licking her paw.

"Some help you are…."

I looked at the door, then at our sofa, then my door.

I suddenly remembered that Aila always liked to hear me sing. She especially enjoyed it when I played while I sang, even though I didn't prefer either of those activities.

But Aila needed me. She's the one that taught me the guitar…

Ugh………………

.o0o.

Aila was laying on her back, starting at the ceiling. She knew that there wasn't anything to do about what happened. There was nothing to fix it. She couldn't take it back, and she definitely couldn't tell Naomasa. Not after she's ghosted him.

Damnit.

She threw her fist into the bed, letting it bounce up and down before settling.

She let another round of tears fill her eyes, the familiar emptiness and pain filling her chest.

God, she was pathetic.

She heard a knock on her door and flinched. She almost sat up, but when her voice called her name, determined that it was only Samiko. She already broke down in front of the girl--what more could happen?

She sniffed. "Yes?"

There was the slightest pause. "Would you like a bento box for lunch? Without the box?"

She sat up then, crossing her legs on the bed. "U-Uh, yeah...Sure."

There was no response.

Now she could wallow in her misery.

Because that's productive.

After a solid five minutes, she heard Samiko's voice at the door once again. She didn't knock, though.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Uh…" She hesitated, looking for the black cat that now plagued her nightmares (just kidding). He was fast asleep in the corner. She let a loose smile paint her lips. He really lives up to the name, huh? "Yeah, come on in. Sleepy's in the corner."

"Sleeping?"

She chuckled. "Yeah."

The door creaked open and Samiko poked her head in. Seeing that Sleepy really was in the corner, she walked into the room.

She was...holding her guitar?

Aila sat up straighter.

"What--"

Samiko sat on the bed and Aila adjusted herself to sit in front of her.

"What are you doing…?" She laughed, wiping her eyes.

"I figured…" she started, "That I'd show you what I've been practicing. It's been a while, so bear with me, but…"

She strummed the strings on the guitar, tuning her instrument as she saw fit.

"I'm kind of surprised that you remembered how to tune it," she laughed.

Samiko shot her a glare. "I'm not stupid. If I know what it's supposed to sound like, then I can tune the stupid thing."

Aila laughed.

She tuned her guitar one last time, then settled finally, looking up at her aunt.

"Don't mind me if I mess up."

She began strumming the guitar in a soft, soothing, rhythmic tune.

There were two measures before she started singing.

"Lie number one: you're supposed to have it all together...And when they ask how you're doing, just smile and tell them, 'never better.'

"Lie number two: everybody's life is perfect except yours. So keep your messes and your wounds and your secrets safe with you behind closed doors…"

She looked up at Aila, and continued her song.

"Well truth be told, The truth is rarely told." One measure of gentle strumming, then silence.

"I say I'm fine, hey I'm fine, oh, I'm fine, yeah, I'm fine, but I'm not. I'm broken. And When it's out of control, I say it's under control, but it's not. And you know it."

Samiko's voice was rich. It was fairly deep, and very rich. She knew how to use her breath to get the most out of her voice, and she knew how to project with it as well. Her tea and exercises for her voice helped her keep singing, even if she didn't enjoy it.

"I don't know why it's so hard to admit it, when being honest is the only way to fix it." Samiko almost gave Aila a pointed look, "There's no failure, no fault, there's no sin you don't already know. So let the truth...be told."

She strummed the guitar strings in turn, playing the gentle tune again for two measures.

Aila drifted into her own world as she listened to Samiko's soft, rich voice sing the song. The lyrics were evoking. They were true. Aila thought all these years that she had to hide her pain, pretend like her smile was real, because no one else knew what she was going through.

But...as Samiko was sitting there, in front of her, she realized she was wrong.

Aila had lost her sister. Samiko lost her mother. Aila had been disowned by her mother, so had Samiko. Aila had been injured gravely in a villain attack. Samiko had lost her eyesight in her left eye. Aila had been a sexual assault survivor counselor and rescuer. She had seen and heard some terrible things on her missions. And Samiko had endured those things: she was a sexual assault survivor. And she never went to see if she was okay.

Aila was not the only one who had been through things in her life. Samiko has endured much of, if not most, of the things that Aila has, she realized, and she was half her age.

She was too afraid to think about Sho's experience…

Her mind returned to Samiko as she started singing, her voice powerful and passionate.

"Can I really stand here unashamed, knowing that your love for me won't change? Oh, God, if that's really true, then let the truth be told…."

Samiko looked at her aunt, a face of concern on her gentle features.

She strummed the last few chords, then set her guitar aside.

"What are you thinking?" She said gently.

Aila looked at her, sniffing deeply. There wasn't much to do or say to her. She just called her out--beautifully, sweetly, in a way that she wouldn't expect and that would make her feel….better, strangely--and she was speechless.

It almost made her feel bad to hide what she was keeping hidden from her now. That song, that gorgeously beautiful song...It told Aila she was safe. That, truth be told, all the issues she has, everyone has them. She's not alone. She was still sad about what she lost--who she lost--and she felt just as depressed, but she felt more free. More open to herself, more open to Samiko, perhaps more open to help, now. Because it wasn't just her. They were here for her.

She pulled Samiko into a hug, saying nothing, gently crying into the girl's hair.

They stayed like that for a bit, just in each other's presence, in total silence.

The good kind.

.o0o.

A/N: The song Samiko sang to Aila was called "Truth Be Told" by Matthew West. I skipped the second part of the song and the very end to save time and words (turns out it didn't work anyway) but it's a pretty good song. Go ahead and check it out.

We'll figure out what happened to Aila next chapter (or the chapter after. I don't remember. Still working out the details, hehe)!

Also...I have over 19,000 views!?!? Oh my gosh, guys! Thank you all!!! I love you all so much, see you next time!