Chapter 43: If Only I Could Go Back
Time for a bit more information about Galaco's past relationship with Oliver. Hopefully this doesn't make her seem as creepy as before.
Galaco's POV~~~
Pillow, check.
Cover, check.
Light, check.
Pajamas on, check.
"Crap, almost forgot to brush my teeth."
I chuckle at Oliver's outburst and grab my own toothbrush and toothpaste. Oh, and some bottled water I brought with me.
This vent doesn't let me move around much, but at least I'm right below his room, letting me hear every silly thing he says. Or that sigh he makes when he realizes how late it is. Even that little squeal he makes when he sees a scary shadow.
Just when I crawl over to where the bathroom is, I hear the faucet being turned on and begin preparing my toothbrush. You know, if it wasn't for the floorboards and me secretly being in this vent, this could be a sleepover. A sleepover that two best friends have often. I smile at the thought and run the brush along my teeth as I think about it.
Later on, I spit into a cup and crawl back to my spot when Oliver returns to his room.
"I wish it wasn't raining outside. Should I ask Len to come and sleep with me?"
"I could sleep by your side," I softly reply, placing the cover on myself and pretending I joined him on his bed. Just lying next to him is a dream. There is no distance between us in a situation like that.
I hate any distance between us. And it's been killing me to know that he won't even speak to me because I freak him out. Are my efforts too aggressive? And over here I thought the guy wanted the girl to chase him. Maybe he does. Maybe Oliver's just playing hard to get.
He did get out of the UK though. His parents wouldn't explain much to me, besides the fact that they want a clean slate for him. Something about Oliver will live with his cousin and might make new friends. He went so far away, and everyone treated it like good news. Oh hey, he can make new friends and forget all about me. It's not a funny story to laugh at. Alone I went to deep, deep forest in my mind, back to the dark place where I once was. That's why I convinced my parents to let me come over here. Everyone noticed how miserable I was without him.
Without Oliver, I probably would have killed myself.
In that dark forest, it was like my hands were tied. I couldn't do anything to help myself. Then, he came along, with fingers so light that the strands became loose. The once rough branch-like thread became silk and fell off. He alone went there.
A young Galaco looked out of the classroom window, frowning at her classmates. They were all outside playing in the dirt and with toys. Boys and girls playing with each other, and she was all alone in the classroom.
Galaco turned at the sound of the classroom door opening. It was probably the teacher again. The only reason she ever came in and tried to convince her to play outside was because of half-assed sympathy and pity. To her surprise, a young blonde boy stepped in. Galaco eyed the bruise under his left eye. That was the boy she had just watched get beaten up outside.
"What are you doing?" he asked, rubbing his eyes to dry the tears. Galaco turned her head back to the window.
"Nothing."
"What are you doing all alone?" he asked, walking over to stand at her left. He laughed when his bully tripped over a rock and began crying.
"No one likes playing with me," she answered, staring blankly at the crying boy.
Golden eyes inspected her closely. "But you don't look scary or anything. You look pretty."
"R-really?"
Galaco looked down at her school clothes. No one had ever complimented her before.
"What do you like to do?"
Galaco paused before answering. "Sometimes I like to draw on the sand."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Well, let's go draw on the sand!"
"H-hey, don't just grab my hand! Where are we going?"
The boy closed in the circle and nodded for her to take her turn. Galaco grabbed her stick and drew a frown and two eyes in the circle. His small hand took the stick and drew a swirly mustache just above the frown. Galaco giggled at the silly face and placed some grass on the circle for hair.
"My name is Oliver," he said as he drew a unibrow on the circle. "What's yours?"
"I'm Galaco," she answered, putting the grass aside.
"Well Galaco, let's be friends!"
I turn to my right and sigh.
"Galaco, why are you crying?"
"Why isn't your dad home?"
"Those girls are stupid anyways. You are pretty, they just can't see it."
We were two best friends, always walking alone together. If he cried, I would cheer him up. If I cried, he would hug me. Where one tear fell, two had downcast eyes. The innocent heart of a child only knows so many things. His innocent eyes saw nothing wrong in me and accepted me for who I was. I knew who he really was too, not just the brave act he put out in school.
Then, one spring day, as we were walking back home, I realized my heart had fallen in the sweetest form of love. The blossoming flowers fell on my face as I tried to sort out the foreign pace of my heart. I told myself that I couldn't reach it. His heart would be grabbed by some other girl. I alone had to go there, and I knew it. So, I began telling lies about how Oliver and I were together and what we did to push away the other. It was all true in my imagination. We did all of those things in my imagination, so it wasn't too hard to lie.
Then the distance began.
"If I have to go away someday, what would you do?"
"I'd run after you!"
"I don't want you running after me!"
"I'll still follow you! Even if I alone must go there!"
That fall, he was sent away to live with his cousin. After that, I truly walked alone down the school hallways and back to the path where we lived. Being with him so often made me realize how weak I had grown. Each step dissembled me, wearing me down as I imagined being in his mind, in his golden eyes. In that golden room where I used to stay with him. Now I was back in that deep forest where the only fruit was dirty and rotted in seconds. In that story, I was all alone. I realized I had to follow him where he was now, even if I had to abandon my family back home and live alone with no friends.
I snap out of my thoughts as I hear Oliver shift on his bed.
"Goodnight, Ollie," I whisper and turn to my other side, nuzzling my head on my pillow. I turn off my cellphone light and slowly close my eyes.
Len's POV~~~
"Bro, what was with all that thumping last night? Was Teto still in there with you or something?" I ask as the sleepy shota walks down the stairs. He looks at me with a puzzled face.
"Why would Teto cause any thumping-"
I give him a smirk as his brain processes my joke.
"Ew! No! Len!"
Back to cooking I go. "Yeah, I didn't think a girl would be crazy enough to do that with you anyways."
"Meanie."
Oliver slumps over the table and looks up at the ceiling as I set our breakfast down. He squints his eyes at the center and then sighs, banging his head on the table. "Have you finished the project yet?"
"What project?"
"That one where you had to read that book and analyze it."
I laugh and take a sip of orange juice. "Analyzing is stupid. If the writer says that she was in an island, it does not mean that the character was all alone and her state of mind had been set into survival mode like people who have been abandoned in an island have to think. It meant that the freaking girl was on an island."
"Isn't it kinda like analyzing women?" Oliver asked after nibbling on toast.
"But women are easy to analyze. You can tell all about a women from her voice, her body language and her face. If she's leaning towards you and biting her lip while casually looking down at your pants, she obviously wants the D. If she's twirling her hair and laughing at your jokes too much like she's forcing it, she wants the D."
"The D? My dominoes?"
I facepalm myself. "Your dick, genius."
His mouth forms into a small "o". "You could have just said that..."
"Anyways, no, I haven't even started on the project. I'll probably have Rin come over and help me with it."
"I wish I had a girlfriend who helped me with that stuff..."
"Just call Neru over."
"She's... not exactly the most pleasant person to be around now."
"Is it T.O.M.?"
"Who?"
I facepalm myself once again. "Her time of month, genius."
"Oh. Yeah."
"I hate T.O.M. too."
"Why-"
"You can't have sex during T.O.M. unless you want a bloody mess. Plus the girls are always PMSing during that time," I explain. "And when Neru's on her period, you better run. She's scary to be with in class."
Oliver groans and bangs his head on the table again.
"I wonder what she's doing now. I should text her."
Seconds later, his phone buzzes with her reply.
"She's ordering me to bring her ice-cream and sappy movies," he reads out loud and groans yet again. The poor man.
"I salute you on your brave fight to that bloody war," I say as Oliver stands up and puts his dishes away.
"I guess I'll be over with Neru today..."
How fun the next chapter will be with an enraged Neru and a scared and naive Oliver. Looks like Oliver will soon realize how deadly a girl's T.O.M. can be. I don't know why others haven't written about it, it's a hilarious move for comic relief. And did anyone catch the "Alice" reference? If you haven't heard that song, I suggest you go and hear it, it's a beautiful song sung by Miku Hatsune.
As for another update, I have morning rehearsal for One Act Play tomorrow morning, so I may be tired the rest of the day. But hopefully I'll write one before school starts again! Anyways, thanks for reading and review if you'd like to! Bye bye~!
