Chapter 20

Maybe Rousseau Was Right...

-~:{+}:~-

"Good to see you've finally shown up, Madam Prez!"

Looking up, Elise smiled at the approaching Art Club president.

"So Vii, how was that college interview!? An Ivy League school, wasn't it!?"

"I suppose it went well." replied the shy girl.

Sitting down at the desk, the entire club was abuzz. Most were excited for the upcoming prom, and the art club fortunately moved on auto-pilot, building and painting decorations for the event.

"I'm still amazed you got this opportunity, regardless of if they accept you or not!"

"I guess. My mom still hates the fact I'm not going to be a doctor like every other asian out there. It was a fight just to take russian classes."

Elise didn't doubt that. She probably lucked out with her mother, even though she constantly pressured Elise into going for a medical career. Violet had the stereotypical asian parents through and through. Apparently pursuing a career with NATO and international politics just never seemed good enough for them. All signals pointed towards competing for a parent's love.

"Hey, maybe you should go tell Mr. Kraw that you're back."

"I'd rather not..."

Looking over, many of the club members were out working on a giant project outside - a series of backdrops for prom. Running around, ordering people to do things with an innocent smile on, a blond underclassman chatted with the art teachers. That smiley girl who could barely raise her voice. One you would never suspect. She stammers in public speaking. She never shows a frown on her face. She knows just about everyone. A "corrupt politician."

"I know when I've been replaced."

Violet's gaze hurt. Elise closed her eyes.

-~:{+}:~-

Sitting on the balcony's edge, the two girls watched the sky transform into evening. A mixture of colours familiar to Elise painted the sky, the clouds, the city below. Soaking in the hues like a sponge, these values resembled those country sunsets she'd see in the summer, visiting relatives, gazing over endless fields of grain, and a long stretch of road. Silence felt welcoming.

"The pollen reflects the vibrant colours…" Only with the wind did Elise dare to whisper. She spoke almost haphazardly, thoughts somewhere else, not knowing what to expect. Silence. It felt endless. Lily only had an overhearing of what happened earlier, but she digested it for a long time.

"Elise… If I died, do you think anyone would miss me?"

"…what…What kind of a question is that..?"

"An honest one."

Elise gulped at the strange, almost monotonous tone coming from this middle-school aged girl.

"What an ill question to ask someone."

"It probably isn't something people in your world worry about, then… You aren't bound by clocks..."

"No. It is." She gazed up at the sky. Endless depth beyond the few clouds. Dizzying. This teenager may not have had the stereotypical drama of others her age, but perhaps the subtle poisons that surrounded her may have been even worse, even more sickening. Watching people around her, living lives where illness is just around the corner, illnesses of all types. Where illness thrives, misfortune follows. Perhaps it's like a contagion? Maybe that same illness mutates into many forms. Could that be the source of that misfortune?

"I suppose I have nothing to complain about. Having clocks gives you reason to think such things. But still… I wonder sometimes too… Would anything change? I used to think that way, at least, some time ago. I suppose I still do a little now, when you bring this up."

"…Then… what exactly is the point of saying we're all individuals if even you - you with an irreplaceable heart - why say stuff like that?"

That was it. The last bit Elise had left. Such an emotional drain this entire situation remained. Lily's blue eyes contrasted the orange light, just like leaves against the sky of autumn. It's as if it served to spark something in Elise. A reminisce. In emergencies, she would close her eyes.

"We make our own worth…"Refocusing her stare at the blond girl, for once, her gaze became, piercing. "I've learned that the hard way."

{I'm done with this. People shouldn't think this way. Never again. Not on my watch! I don't give a fuck if I'm being some idealist young female!}

Helplessness. That was her disease. And she stood, more than ready for a cure.

"And, Lily, if something happens to you, I wouldn't forgive myself. I've already agreed to take your place until I find a way home, remember."

Obvious surprise marked Lily's face. She had never heard anything of the sort before. The little princess found it remarkable, an entirely new concept. Did she really mean something to someone else? She's not just a cog in the machine? Could she define the self, her self, even a little from the other white pawns and the other Lily's?

"Am I really an individual?"

A nod 'yes' and a friendly hug replied.

"Obviously. If there was to be someone else to replace you, they may be similar, but, they definitely won't remember this. You know what? I think you kinda inspired me - Wait!? Are you crying!?"

"N-No! I don't cry!" Sniffling, the girl had no real idea why tears were dripping off her chin. Entirely unexpected, and definitely something she wouldn't admit to, Lily tried to wipe away the salty water with her sleeve. "You Outsiders make everything strange, I guess."

"Hmm, I might as well take that as a good thing."

"Since it's evening, we should have tea. Everything is pretty at this time, because all the colours of the sky are picked up by the walls. I'd bet you'd like it."

Twirling around, all her petticoats made a little rustle sound, and she dragged Elise off, that glass case of emotions making the two fairly hungry.

"You know, Lily, you kinda remind me of some people I knew back home…"

Notes: Okay, with school finally over, I've updated! I really apologize for this wait, and really, you've got plenty reason to hate me, but it's better than nothing, right? It was really difficult to write this chapter, it was interesting figuring out how Elise would calm down over something like this. And Lily gets another shade to her. Also back to rewriting previous chapters I didn't quite get to yet. And flashbacks. Gotta love the flashbacks… right? I'll probably make the next chapter longer. Also, writing in the middle of the night. If there are mistakes, I'll try to get them later.

Refernces: Rousseau had this concept that humans are more or less a blank slate. People who aren't part of some sort of "social contract" are innocent in the same way we believe children are innocent - they don't have good or evil. I might just change that title later...