June tells me to go up without her. She said she needed some time. So I start up the stairs alone. Eden probably forgot about us since no one came to get us. I wander outside Tess's apartment for a while. June is taking longer than I expected. I end up knocking at the door thirty minutes after I left June alone.
"Daniel!" Tess's voice rings out in the hallway. She gives me a big hug. She has gotten bigger since I last saw her but I still have to look down to stare her in the eyes.
"Hey Tess, it's been a long time, yeah?" I say giving her a one arm hug.
"Hey, this is Pascao, I don't know if you remember him very well but you and Pascao helped with the failed assassin of the Elector. Do you remember that?" Tess stands next to Pascao, he seems familiar
"Yeah, I think so." I also remember Tess refusing to leave with us but I decide to leave that part out. I do not remember who the other girl was.
"Anyways, Eden has been telling me about Antarctica, I hear you are part of the AIS." I wish Eden hadn't said that, it's not really something I like to show off.
"Yeah, I guess," I respond. "But Eden is the real impressive one, he goes to college, and he has all those friends." Tess looks at Eden, I'm pretty sure she already knew that but she still seems to show some interest.
"Really? What have you been studying?" Tess says intrigued. Eden launches into an explanation of this drone motor he has been tinkering with. Pascao is abnormally close to Tess. Every once and a while he puts his hand on her shoulder or makes some remark involving the two of them. I make sure he sees me giving him a warning look. Maybe June will know what's going on. June has been gone for a least an hour now. When I left her she said she wanted to clean up a bit. Her makeup was a bit runny but I don't think that's what she meant by that.
"So Daniel, do you know where June is?" Tess brings me back into the conversation.
"Eden tells us that you two ran into her on the way here and came together."
"Uh, yeah we did, but I went up shortly after Eden and she said she needed to do something. Didn't tell me what though." I say.
"Oh," Tess says.
"Tess, I heard you have been working at the hospital recently," Eden says trying to save the conversation from an awkward moment. Thankfully he is successful. Eden has gotten better at talking to people, he's almost as good as me. Tess and Eden talk about how the technology Eden is working with could help more in the hospital, Pascao just looks plain confused. I let out a laugh of joy because I never thought this would happen. I never thought Eden and Tess would be sitting in a Ruby Sector apartment talking about ways to improve the Republic.
June finally arrives. We all sit down at the table, June sits next to me. On the surface, she looks like nothing has happened, but if you look a little closer you can see the lingering redness under her eyes. Her nimble fingers pick up her utensils to eat, that's when I notice it. A ring made of paperclips scarily close to mine. Is it just a coincidence? I doubt it, they both have a special look to them making it obvious they were handmade. Her's is about as worn as mine, they were made around the same time. What is going on, Why won't people tell me what is going on?
Tess and Pascao clear our plates, I can tell Day knows something is going on between them. He doesn't look too happy.
"Do you know what is going on here?" Day says skeptically. I laugh.
"Well, they are living together Day what do you expect?" Day's face blushes in surprise.
"Living Together!" Day's reaction sends Eden into a fit of laughter. "Tess!"
"What? What happened?" Tess's head peeks out from behind the wall dividing the dining room and the kitchen.
"You have been living with Pascao?!" Day almost yells. "Your twenty five! You can't be living with anyone?!" Tess laughs.
"Day, I'm twenty five, some of my friends already have children by now." This only fuels Day.
"Children!?" Now everyone is laughing.
"What children?" Pascao walks into the room. Eden covers his mouth to suppress his smile.
"You want to have children with him?" Day says pointing his thumb in the direction of Pascao.
"What's wrong with me?" Pascao says new to the conversation.
"Nothing," Tess says calmingly.
"Are you kidding me? He's Pascao there is so much wrong with him?" Day says. We all laugh even harder. Eden runs to the sink to spit out water he couldn't hold in his mouth. Tess starts to comfort Pascao who is probably not hurt by Day's words, just wants all the attention from Tess he can get. I say I need to get some fresh air, a good enough lie for them to leave me alone on the balcony. I let a breath out that I didn't know I was holding in. I rest my arms against the railing and let my shoulders slouch. The JumboTrons display a rainbow of colors reflecting in the puddles around the streets. The glass door opens behind me.
"Eden left. I thought you could use some company." Day says. I nod not knowing what to say. "It's weird being back, seeing Tess living in Ruby and everything."
"Must be hard. Do you wish you stayed?" I say.
"Yes," Then he adds, "And no."
"I can understand that." Day touches my arm ever so slightly.
"Your cold." He says. Day starts to take off his jacket before I stop him.
"Day-"
"I like when you call me Day." He interrupts making me stop. "No one calls me that, except you."
"Oh, I didn't know." I say and after a while, I add, "Does that bother you?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything right now except things are different."
"Different?"
"Eden is all grown up, I can't even remember how he became blind, Tess is dating people, you, you, I can't even remember you aside from the fact that I loved you." He loved me. Loved as in past tense. "I don't know if I am supposed to love you still. What happened June? I loved you and then I left. How terrible of a person am I, yeah?" His head is in his hands, all I want to do is comfort him.
"I'm worse," I say.
"You should go home, I can tell you are tired," Day says instead of pressing me. I should argue but I am too tired to. I guess that only strengthens his case. I nod instead. Me and Day both go inside.
"Hey I'm gonna go, I have to go to work tomorrow." Stupid, I have to go to work almost every day. Tess notices my sleepy eyelids thought and my excuse is more than enough to know I'm drained. I pull on my coat and leave as Day is saying goodbye to Tess and Pascao. My head is dizzy, did I drink too much tonight? No, I didn't drink at all, I was too nervous. Then why can't I think straight? All of the sudden my forearm hits the side of the wall. Did I do that to support myself subconsciously or did I fall? I rub my eyes trying to stop my vision from blurring. Someone is behind me. Who? Didn't I come here alone? I only realize it's Day until after he has picks me up. His arms hold me like a baby. Before I can stop myself I let my head rest on his chest and my hands brush the front of his shoulder.
"Your eyes, they have flicks of gold in them." I hear him say before I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.