The Second Lie

Several months had passed since that night, and my mind was still in a complete mess.

During the day, throughout the night, I found that Neo was the only thing I thought about. Memories of those events would replay constantly, over and over, reminding me of what happened. No matter what I did, I wasn't able to forget a single thing that happened - especially not that damn smirk, or that confusing note she left behind.

"The best night is coming."

I still didn't know what that was supposed to mean.

In fact, every few nights since then, I'd been determined to find out. Just like I had done, I would slip out into the night while everyone else was asleep, and head to the rooftops. It was a stupid plan, I told myself, but I had hope. For some reason, I kept visiting that same place at the same time, just in case I would run into Neo again.

But, no matter how many times I followed that plan, I never once turned up with any clues or sight of that tri-coloured girl.

Riiiiiiiing!

Interrupting my thoughts like a hammer pounding against my skull was the sound of the school's bell, ringing in my ears. With a wince and a jolt of surprise, I looked around, only to see students already filing out of the large classroom. I sighed to myself, blowing a few strands of my fringe about in the process.

As I rose from my seat, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Immediately, I looked in the direction it came from, finding my surprised eyes meeting my sister's. "Hey, sis?" she weakly called, with a smile. "We're all going to head straight back to our dorm, okay? There's something we need to talk about."

Though curious to the sudden change of plans - usually, we would join Team JNPR, Sun and Neptune in the cafeteria at this time - I nodded my head, deciding to keep my mouth shut. Twitching her mouth in response, Ruby was quick to turn back around, following the rest of our team out of the classroom door. Silently, I followed right behind.

. . .

When we arrived at our dorm room once again, I yawned. The day had been pretty nondescript, even if it wasn't the end of the day just yet. As I was last to walk in, I shut the door behind me with a click, before climbing up to sit on my bed. It was the most comfortable spot in the entire room, after all.

With my legs crossed, I leaned over the side of the bed, looking down among the rest of my teammates. They all were talking in hushed voices, standing together in a small pack just between the two bunk beds. I blinked. "So, team... what are we gonna talk about?"

As soon as the innocent words came from my mouth, I received the three gazes that I expected. Looking up at me, Ruby, Weiss and Blake all shared the same kind of expression - one definitely more grim and serious than the one I wore. Tilting my head to the side, I remained oblivious to their intentions, waiting with a pout. "Uh, guys?"

"It's funny you would ask that, actually..." Blake explained, though it could hardly be called 'explaining'. I didn't get what she meant at all.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, Yang, it's been long enough... so, we need to talk about you." was how Weiss responded.

I blinked once more. "...huh?" That was the only word that came from my mouth as I stared back down, dazed at the response I'd been given. "What does that mean? Talk about me? But, I'm sitting right here. There's... not much to talk about if I'm in the room, is there...?"

Blake shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her gaze wandered around the room as she spoke, looking almost concerned about something. "Actually, there is... we need to ask you some things, that's all. Some important things." she continued. "It's been months now, since I first realised it... but... you've been acting a little strangely lately."

"Strange...ly...?" Mindlessly, I repeated what had been told to me. My volume was dropping with each sentence, and the pressure was just piling on. When I first walked into the room, it was obvious that I hadn't expected to talk about anything like this.

"Yeah... like Blake said. And also, it's all of us. I mean, we've all been noticing changes in you..." Ruby picked up, taking a seat on Weiss' bed. "Things like, like... how you've been eating so little lately, you've been skipping out on certain meals... you've been isolating yourself from the group a lot just to come here, and sleep during the day... you've been spending a lot of time alone, actually. You've been dazing out in class, talking to yourself..."

"...have I really been doing that much?" Taking the pause she took, I released the question on my mind, frown still on my face. The more I listened to my sister's saddened tone, the more disappointed I felt. The worst part was, I didn't even notice I'd been doing those things. I just acted in a way that felt right - and because a lot had been clouding my mind, those acts were what I found myself doing, apparently.

"Yeah, you have... it's been getting worse as time goes by, and to put it bluntly, we've all been worried about you. Even Jaune asked if you were doing okay a few days ago." she continued. So they were concerned about something, after all... still, that realisation only made me feel that much worse. How could I not have realised what I was doing? I felt so stupid.

"Is that... so..." I muttered, finding nothing else to say. I was at a loss for words, really. Although thoughts of Neo still lingered in the back of my mind, the guilt of this situation weighed it down. To be so caught up in other issues, that I subconsciously took on a different attitude... what wasn't there to feel bad about?

The room fell silent for a few moments, allowing me time to think and gather my thoughts. Even so, when Blake spoke up and broke that silence, I wasn't ready to give a response. "Yang, we just want to know if something happened... if something's bothering you. We all know you wouldn't do something like this without a reason." With my gaze averted to the side, I listened to her heart-felt words, guilt deepening. "Please... we're your teammates. Your friends. You can tell us whatever it is that's making you act differently, and we'll understand."

"We just wanna help you." Ruby added on the end. I glanced up just in time to see her flash a gentle smile, before it faded out into an upset frown. Seeing such a thing hurt, it really did, but I couldn't do anything but brush it aside.

In fact, my entire heart hurt, but I couldn't do anything about that. I wasn't about to tell them about my encounter with Neo, that was ridiculous. It happened months ago. If I told them that, I'd surely get in some form of trouble, or I'd be judged, at the least. If I just told them about the note, without saying who'd left it, that wouldn't be much better, either. I'd be questioned, and I'd just have to keep lying.

But then again, I didn't have any other choice but to lie, did I?

Biting on my bottom lip, I entered an serious world of thought. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't just do nothing anymore. I couldn't keep quiet, I had to say something, or else this mess would never end. Was the truth too much? Would they even believe me? There was so much on the line, I didn't know whether to risk it or not.

"I..." The word came from my mouth before I could comprehend it. Now I definitely needed to say something - and fast. Working my mind harder than I ever had before, I fumbled for the words, feeling my palms begin to sweat. I didn't have any courage to look up at the others, staring at the wall beside me as I swallowed.

'Here goes...'

"I'm tired." That was all I said.

The room fell silent, after I said those mere words.

I wasn't finished yet, but I could only imagine how confused everyone was at that statement. With quiet sigh, I picked up from the terrible point I'd left off.

"As in, I've been exhausted... absolutely sick and tired of... well, everything." I started slowly, in a soft tone. I wasn't sure if the others would even believe me, but I decided to keep going. "It's just... ever since that day when the train crashed, and all this mess with Torchwick started, I haven't been able to take a single break... it's the stress... you know? The only way I could deal with it was to take subtle changes every day, that would give me space... I didn't mean to... worry you guys, or anything."

As my heart pounded in my chest, shouting that it was alive, my mouth described of how I felt tired.

That was the lie I told them.

As I continued on, the other three remained silent, not a single one interrupting me or questioning what I had to say. I could tell they were listening closely to my words, and so, I made sure not to show the slightest hint of hesitation.

"Really... I know I shouldn't be so worked up over something as small as this, but... I am. Everything that's happened, it's just bugging me so much... the White Fang, the future of Beacon..." But as I drew a pause in my explanation, and thought about my words, I found someone else replaced the silence.

"...it's also got to do with that Neo girl, doesn't it...?" Blake's cautious voice stabbed straight through my heart, as I stared in awe at the sudden words. Neo... I could feel my chest heating from frustration, at the simple mention of her name. To save myself from overheating, I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. The tension in my chest decreased.

"It's unclear what her direct relation to Torchwick is, but she's aiding him in some way, and that's all we know. I... would understand if you felt frustrated over it, especially after what happened last time you two..."

"Yeah, alright, fine." I interrupted my partner with a snap of anger, presumably sending her into a startled state. "I'm... I'm frustrated over Neo. Her, especially. That stupid smirk of her's, and the way she mocked me...! It's humiliating. I attend one of the most prestigious academies of the entire kingdom, and yet, to know that my absolute best isn't good enough... it's really, really, frustrating!"

Even as I spoke those words, I could feel my heart thumping constantly against my chest. Not once did it slow down, nor did it allow me time to calm myself. I didn't want to lash out on my own teammates, since they had nothing to do with this, but I was really frustrated. Getting the words off my chest was a relief, but not relieving enough.

"...so that's whats really been bugging you, huh?" my sister calmly asked, toning down the harsh atmosphere. She still sat on the edge of her partner's bed, staring up at me through the corner of her eye. She wore a gentle smile, and I could tell by just that, that she was trying to keep strong. "In that case, let me tell you something."

Shifting in my seat, I took a deep breath. I was prepared to listen, and didn't say another word. She simply continued, taking that as her cue to speak. "Yang, it might feel like your best isn't good enough now, but... with time, things are only going to get better. You're going to get better. How long has it been since you've seen that girl, anyway...? It's been almost half a year."

'A few months, actually.' I retorted in my head. There was no way I was going to admit that fact out loud.

"Who knows, you could be better than her by now. You won't know for sure, but its a possibility. And sure, you might still be a little weaker than her, but... you can use that as motivation, can't you? You can use that as your drive, so you can focus on improving and growing stronger than you already are." That was how she concluded her speech.

I was left a little stunned by the suddenness of it all. Ruby and the others were all quick to help and support me, even if it was over something stupid like this. What I wanted could be classified as revenge or payback, and yet, they were still by my side.

And, because of that, I came to nod my head.

A smile began to draw on my face, as I came closer to collecting myself. My anger began to fizzle away, and as I released a sigh, I felt a weight come off my shoulders. "Yeah... I guess... you're right." I responded, running a hand through my hair. "I'll... I'll do that from now on, then. Try to really get better, I mean."

I could feel Ruby's pride beaming from her as she turned to look over at me, smile stretching across her face. "You... that's good to hear, then." she replied, in a bubbly manner. "And plus. If you encounter more struggles along the way... just remember that we'll all be here for you, okay? If you need help, we'll be right there."

"Yeah, alright... thanks. A lot." With a clumsy smile, I gave my thanks, though I couldn't put my gratefulness into words. 'Thanks' didn't seem quite right, but it was the only thing I could settle on saying.

"No problem at all." was the response I got.

That was how our discussion came to a close.

For some reason though, I knew that smile on my face wasn't genuine. Everything Ruby had told me, about motivation and striving to become stronger than Neo... something about it felt wrong. Something tugged at my feelings, and caused me to believe that doing such a thing was impossible - that punishing her wasn't what I wanted to do.

I knew I hated Neo. I was sure that wasn't a lie.

And yet, something about that still didn't feel right.