Chapter 2

1946 (New York): Kayla

Something doesn't feel right. Normally I can understand Fiore, but now I'm so lost. I wonder what's wrong; she didn't sound right on the phone. I'm hoping that she'll tell me what's wrong tonight. Goodness, it's pretty chilly tonight. Good thing I brought an extra jacket for Fiore. She's so full of herself sometimes that she doesn't always carry a jacket around. Honestly, I don't know why she chose to talk in such a remote area. Not only are there few lights but there are nearly no people. I got here fifteen minutes early just so she wouldn't think that I stood her up; now I'm glad I came early so she wouldn't have to wait here all alone. Lalette would probably make fun of me if she heard that thought. Sure, we're immortal and can't die, but Lalette keeps forgetting that we can still feel pain. After hearing about what they did to Dallas, I wish Lalette and Fiore both would stop being so full of themselves. So what if we're immortal? We can live forever, but will we be smiling or crying?

"What are you looking so morbid about?" asks Fiore as she walks under the bridge and into the feeble light that I am under.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking to myself again. Haha…yeah. You know me, I do that."

"Are you so sure I know you?" Fiore's voice is cracking. I can tell that she's been crying; her eyes are slightly red.

"Fiore…what is wrong? Have you been crying? Tell me." She flinches when I try to take her hand. Something is definitely wrong. She stares at me as if I were some sort of monster. I don't understand. I try to recount the events of the day, but nothing seems amiss. After Maiza and I got up, we went to the local café for breakfast with Fiore and the rest of the gang. I remember everything was jolly and light. Isaac and Miria just came back from another one of their adventures. As they were imparting their highs and lows, we were all happy. I remember Fiore even started chocking on her coffee because she was laughing so hard.

"Kayla…" She stops. It is apparent that she is going through some sort of internal struggle. I've known her for too long. I can tell that she's settled on a decision that she doesn't like; the left corner of her mouth is downcast. I try to lighten the mood and hand her my other jacket.

"Oh Fiore, Fiore, I knew you'd forget to bring a jacket. Why don't you take this one? I bet this cold is freezing your wits. Don't want your teeth to start chattering now, do we?" I hand the jacket to her and feel fifty pounds lifted off my chest when she takes it. She looks at it, however, and doesn't put it on.

"Why? Why do you do this to me? You feign kindness and you butter up lies to feed me." I blink at her. She cannot be serious. So many thoughts run through my head at once that I don't know what to think. I don't know how to handle this. The last time I saw her today was at breakfast. She and Lalette left to go back to their place while Maiza and I left to go shopping for groceries. "Why don't you say anything? Nothing to say, Kayla?"

"I'm sorry I'm stupid. Will you please tell me what you are thinking? I'm so lost right now. I don't know what to say…" My voice is starting to tremble as well. I refuse to cry. Those tears would be like little bombs dropping into our conversation—she will think I'm trying to manipulate her into feeling guilty.

"What really happened with Warren?" Fiore has asked my long-time dreaded question. Too many thoughts in my head at once. I shake my head. How could she know? We all agreed to tell her that Firo ate Warren without knowing who he was because they were fighting and it was a live-or-die situation. Is it my fault for making the final decision not to tell her? I wanted to save her the grief of knowing what Warren had become. She just loved him so much that I didn't have the heart to tell her. From Warren's memories, I was sure that she knew absolutely nothing about his…other activities. I don't understand why she'd ask this question now. There's no way she could know the truth.

"Darling, what do you mean what really happened? Are you alright? Why don't we go back? It's so cold out. You're trembling…"

"No. Don't give me your facade anymore!" Within two seconds I was flat on the floor with a gash the size of my forearm across my stomach. I can't hold it anymore; my tears pour onto my face. It's Fiore, I can't hit her. She glances at my knees, and I know what she's about to do. It's a method to interrogate people that Firo taught us a few months back. If I hadn't known her so well, I would have been caught. Before she could land her blow, I run.

"FIORE! Please! Will you just talk to me? There has got to be some sort of misunderstanding!" I scream as I scramble to flee the deadly strokes of her blade. But she won't listen. I don't even know why I try. Ever since we were little she would let her anger override all of her senses. I don't know how much longer I can run for. She has always been stronger than me, faster than me, smarter than me. I only have a second to think "shit" before I slip on the black ice on the road and fall headfirst into the ditch. She approaches, and I start to cry again. Normally when I fall, she'd be the first to help me up. Now she straddles me and pushes me down to keep me from getting back up. What the hell happened?

"I'll ask you one more time, Kayla. I hate it when you lie to me. What. Happened. To. Warren?" The grip that she has on my shoulders is painful. But that is nothing compared to the pain of seeing her tears fall onto my face one by one and tasting their bitter saltiness as they slide into my mouth. My heart, it aches.

"It's obvious that you already know. Why do you keep asking me? Let me explain what happened, you don't understand. You really don't. Please, Fiore…"

"No. No more lies, Kayla. But I can't let this go on anymore." Fiore is shaking her head so violently that my whole body shakes with her. Or is my body shaking from our hyperventilating? I don't know. Everything is so scrambled right now. Why? Why is this happening? At this moment, I wish I didn't know her so well. The look in her eyes allowed me a window into what she was planning to do. She's going to end me. She's going to eat me.

"I love you, Fiore." Those were the final words out of my lips before her agonized scream tore through my heart. My last thought was Maiza, and then I felt her hand on my head and closed my eyes.

1943 (New York): Lalette

I wish the streets weren't so crowded here. All of these people rubbing up on me, all of their filth touching me. I don't know why Kayla insists on going out so early in the day to buy groceries. She just wants to irritate me because she knows that I don't like being around so many people. That did not just happen. That man did not just spit on my shoes. Does he even know who I am? I'm going to—

"LALETTE! I found it! I told you they would be imported today! Come here! Come here!" Kayla is holding the largest apple-looking fruit I've ever seen. How she manages to emerge from a crowd of filthy men and women pushing against one another looking like she's ready to join a beauty pageant beats me. Her hair has certainly grown quite a few inches since we've been here. The way it bounces on her ponytail as she jumps and waves to get my attention only attracts more attention from the mongrels surrounding us.

"What is that? That can't be an apple…"

"Tsk tsk. I told you before. You don't listen anymore. I don't know what's going on in your head lately. This is some sort of fruit hybrid. I think the name that it goes by in this district is 'ruplerry.' Oh my. I can't even say it right. Don't laugh at me." Her smile is so genuine. Is that what Maiza likes so much?

"Is that why it's so crowded this morning? People coming out to get that thing?"

"Yes! And I got one. Maiza is going to be so happy. I didn't tell him about it yet though. I didn't want to get his hopes up. He's never tried one before. Honestly, I've only had this once before. It's really sweet though. But don't eat the seed. You'll regret it." Kayla is actually giggling.

"Turn left at that corner. I still have to pick up some vegetables."

"Okay. Maiza wanted some vegetables too, to make some soup tonight. Do you want to join us for dinner? I want you to try this fruit too. C'mon."

"Maybe I'll come by for dinner. I'll let you know tonight. Don't count me in quite yet." Like I want to sit there and watch the way Maiza looks at you. The way he always chooses to brush lightly across you when he walks by even though he has more than enough space not to. The way he smiles at you when you're not looking. The past few dinners that I've spent with Kayla like that have only worsened my mood. She doesn't make it any better by returning the same gestures to him.

"Oh c'mon, Lalette. You don't want to be all alone for dinner, do you? Firo, Miria, and all the rest are coming too."

"Okay okay. I'll come. Now come help me pick out some cabbage. I want to help make the soup tonight." Not like you'd be any help. You can't even cook. All you can do is cut that fruit that you're holding. What is that look on her face all of a sudden? She's dropped the carrot that she was examining.

"Lalette, is that Fiore walking towards us?" I turn around and it is true. Fiore finally came. My whole body feels less tense from seeing her. It feels so good to see a familiar face. Fiore doesn't look quite the same though. She looks tired. We shouldn't be able to age, but somehow she looks older. From the way she's walking and carrying herself, you would think she's at least seven years older than she really is.

"Fiore! I'm so happy to see you," cries Kayla, and I find myself echoing the same words. For a minute, we all forget about everything that's happened in the past years and just hug, happy to be united again. It's as if we're nine again and free of any troubles.

"I'm sorry I haven't been responding to your letters. I've just had a hard few months after reading what Lalette wrote in the letter. I'd like to meet this Firo." Kayla's eyes widen, and I am speechless as well. It's been quite a bit more than a few months since I wrote the first letter. After that Kayla and I took turns writing letters every month to her. Kayla didn't have the courage to write the first letter to Fiore about Warren's death, so I wrote it. We all talked about it and decided that it was best to write that Firo ate Warren. Now that I look at Fiore, I know that Kayla was right; Fiore wouldn't have been able to handle the whole truth.

"Fiore…what do you mean you want to meet Firo?" I hope she doesn't intend to start trouble with him. He really is a good person.

"No, no it's not like that. Your letter made it really clear that Firo had no other choice. I just want to ask him a question that I've been wondering for a long time. Since he has…his memories now. He should be able to answer it for me. "

"I don't think that'd be a good idea, darling. You should let it go. Firo doesn't like to talk about it. He'd been having trouble separating himself with those memories. It's been…difficult," Kayla looks pained. After all these years, it still makes me sad to see her like that. She would definitely understand her own words at this moment. It is silent for a while, so I decide to pat Fiore's head and take Kayla's hand.

"Let's go back. You should meet our friends. They're all really good people." I smile my widest smile, and Fiore smiles back. Kayla then hugs us and we all walk back.

"Oh Fiore, you don't understand how good it feels to see you. Maiza will be happy to see you too! It's been so long. He's waiting back at our house now." The sadness that I felt for Kayla's pain immediately evaporates when I hear those words—our house. Her's and Maiza's.