We had returned to the Safe Haven. Gabriel and Levin were eagerly awaiting our arrival, or so it seemed. The younger Ryder boy tackled his older brother the moment we walked through the door, and he cried, "I missed you, Jeremy!!"
The cyborg let out a sigh of exasperation. "Get off me, squirt. It's late, and you should be in bed by now." He glared at Gabriel. "Hey, stupid cat, I thought I told you to make sure he was sleeping by ten o'clock." The black cat simply turned his head and went away, humming to himself as he skipped down the stairs to the basement. Much to my surprise, Levin followed happily behind. Jeremy clicked his tongue against his teeth in annoyance. "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate that stupid cat?"
"A few times," I sighed, plopping myself down on the sofa. Morgan hurried over and sat beside me, and soon enough Jeremy took a seat in the armchair. Niall and Suri remained standing up, both with their arms crossed and looking depressed. There was a bit of awkward silence as I made eye contact with them, but it didn't take long for my obnoxious friend to break that silence.
"Sooooo..." He began swaying side to side, exchanging glances with everyone in the room. "What now? Are we gonna plan a birthday party now?" He turned to me, slapped his hand on my shoulder, then gave me a big thumbs up. "Hanako's turning 17, after all."
"My birthday is nothing special," I scoffed, firing a stern glare at him. "I don't really care for birthdays, especially mine, and parties are not what I'd consider 'fun.' Need I remind you what happened 9 years ago?"
My harsh tone immediately killed Morgan's ecstatic mood, and he soon wore a frown almost as large as mine. "I-I'm sorry, Hanako..." He whispered with a sincere tone. "I just wanted you to be able...to enjoy yourself. It wouldn't hurt you to be genuinely happy once or twice a year, you know. And besides, what happened to what you said earlier today? You said you were hoping things would change this year. Remember?"
There was something about Morgan's voice that messed with the gears in my head, disabling their ability to process my thoughts properly. He seemed to know exactly how to speak on my level...to get through to me, even though he couldn't quite look at the world through my eyes. And it had been this way ever since he convinced me not to run away from home. The look in his bright, sapphire eyes illuminated his entire youthful face like a candle, burning in the night when mine refused to be lit. Too often was I too blind to see it, but without Morgan, there was a strong possibility that I wouldn't even be alive at this point. It was times likes these I looked back on the day, just about 9 years ago now.
+++
"It's all my fault...mom said so..."
Eight-year-old me stood out in the pouring rain, just outside my neighborhood library (at night, after it had closed), sulking to my best friend about the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I had called his house and asked him to meet me at this exact spot, but without giving a proper explanation. It came as no surprise to me that he showed up at the library even before I did. Because he was always there when I needed him.
"Hanako, what are you talking about? How the heck could this possibly be your fault?!" Morgan shouted, as if to try and knock some sense into me.
"Dad left me, Morgan." I held out my hand and watched as sky's tears drenched it. "Just feel the rain...it's cold..."
"Exactly!" Morgan cried. "We need to get you inside! Come over to my house, my parents won't mind. I'll have them explain everything to your mom. Please, Hanako. I know how fragile you can be!!" The level of utmost concern in Morgan's voice was almost frightening at times, but at this moment, I was paying little attention.
"I'm going to run away..."
"What? W-what are you talking about?" He grabbed my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, seeming set on the farfetched idea of changing my mind. "Hanako! Look at me, Hanako!!"
"It's not like it would be a bad idea, admit it..."
"How could you even think this would be a good one? Have you gone crazy?"
"Maybe I have."
"Give me one good reason why you should run away. Come on!"
At this point I could feel the rain finally taking its toll on me. My legs began to feel wobbly, my nose felt as though it had frozen, and my eyes began to well up with tears. "No one would care!!" I cried. "Dad left me, Mom's blaming it on me, and Aki's too young to even know who I am! You couldn't possibly know how I feel right now, Morgan. I've been bullied ever since the first grade, and you've always been the one to come to my rescue. It shouldn't be that way. I'm weak, and I hate it! Everything would be better if I just ran away. Mom would be happier, and Aki would grow up to be a son she can be proud of. Unlike me...I've..." My breathing was becoming ragged, and I was having immense difficulty even conveying these heartfelt words of mine. Yet, I gathered up all the strength I had left and shouted at the top of my lungs to get my point across. "Tell me I'm wrong, I dare you!!!"
"You've never been so wrong in your entire life, Hanako..."
After uttering this nearly too quiet for my ears to hear, Morgan took it upon himself to make a bold decision that ended up being the gesture of kindness I needed all along. He threw his little arms around my neck and hugged me. Not tightly, but with love. I tried to pull away, but I couldn't. I lacked the strength. All I could do was let out the tears I had been struggling to hold back...and he did his best to comfort me.
"I don't..." My voice shook uncontrollably, and I was unable to subdue an approaching feeling of hopeless confusion. "Morgan...I-I don't understand..."
The rain poured down even harder now, and I thought for sure it would drown us out. Morgan pulled away from the hug and tried to wipe away my tears, but not even he could stop the fountain inside me from overflowing. "I would miss you a lot," he whispered tenderly. "In fact, if you really did run away, I would miss you the most. So please don't let me miss you. Stay here."
I had left my house that night, intent on running away. Little did I know that a certain someone would so easily be able to change my mind using nothing but his own words.
+++
"Hanako...Hanako...are you alright? You're staring into space."
I blinked several times and shook my head, pushing aside my nostalgic thoughts as I forced myself to return my friend's gaze. "S-sorry, I was just...recalling something. Something important..."
Morgan paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. "Hmmm...aha!" He exclaimed, which startled me. "I bet you were recalling that time I beat you in chess back in our first year of middle school!" Morgan beamed shamelessly with pride, as if this had been some sort of great achievement. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Ah, the look on your face when I finally got your king in a checkmate position! It was priceless, I'll never forget-"
He would have gone on, had not it been for my unspeakable interruption.
"H-Hanako...? Are you laughing?"
I was. Genuinely, whole-heartedly, for the first time in...I didn't even know how long. Morgan's ignorance and joyful expression was the cause of it...who wouldn't have guessed? For some unknown reason, I just couldn't stop laughing. Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes, and I could feel my face turning red. My laughter stunned everyone in the room, Morgan especially, but before long, they all joined me. I wasn't sure why, and I was certain that they didn't know why, either. But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was that this was the first time...in a very long time...that I could smile and express happiness without feeling the need to hold back. And simply knowing that my friends were all here with me, sharing this moment, made it all the more memorable.
"Thank you..." I managed to choke through the tears. "Everyone...thank you for everything."
"Oh, hey now, kid, t-there's no reason to cry," Jeremy said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "You don't need to thank us, really. So...don't cry. I don't handle crying teenagers very well."
After I had finally finished drying my misty eyes, I took a deep breath and lifted my head so that I could look at everyone's faces directly. "Alright, guys, you've convinced me," I said with a smile. "I've decided to let you guys plan tomorrow for me. If Niall and Morgan want to celebrate my birthday that badly, then I guess I won't argue with them. Whatever you want to do, I'll find some way to enjoy myself."
"Really, Hanako?!" Morgan exclaimed excitably. "Thank you! You won't regret it one bit! But, since there's still some time left until tomorrow, how about we play a game? Right here, right now."
"A...game?" I looked at him questioningly. "What game?"
"Umm..." Morgan placed his hand on his chin and hummed thoughtfully. "Hmmm...hey, uh, Jeremy?"
"Yeah?"
"You got any board or card games somewhere in this place?"
"You guys should play truth or dare!!"
"No, we shouldn't!!" Jeremy shouted, glaring daggers at his little brother who had been listening in by the edge of the staircase. "Shut up and go to bed, Levin!"
"Truth or dare, huh?" Morgan raised his eyebrows, and a devious smile crept up on his face, showing he was fully supportive of the idea. "Great idea. Who else wants to play truth or dare?"
"I'll gladly do it if you want to, pretty boy," Suri smirked.
Times like these made me curious as to how old Suri was...
"I suppose, if Hanako wants to, I will play as well," said Niall.
"Sure, I'll play," I agreed. "And what about you, Jeremy? Are you going to join us?"
Jeremy's discomforted expression was almost enough to laugh at. I couldn't quite tell if he were recalling past regrets or unpleasant experience, or that he simply thought the idea was childish. I soon pointed out to myself that it couldn't have been the latter, considering the fact we had played hide-and-seek earlier that day.
Still wondering why I agreed to that.
"Okay, fine," he huffed. "I'll play."
"Then it's settled." Morgan rubbed his hands together and let out a quiet cackle. "Right here, right now, just the five of us. Truth or dare time, everyone..."
+++
"You have to do it."
"No."
"Those are the rules of the game, Jeremy. You chose dare, so now you have to do it."
"What's the matter, anyways, cyborg? Can't do a handstand?"
"I changed my mind. I want truth."
"Nope. Can't do that. It's against the rules."
Jeremy clenched his fists and pursed his lips to express his disapproval. I could almost see steam rising from his head as he glared furiously at Morgan. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by it, though, and simply returned the look with a cocky smirk, further provoking the cyborg.
"Alright..." Jeremy eventually mumbled. "I'll do it...I'll show you. I'll show you all. Then we'll see who's laughing."
He took a moment to gather up what little dignity he had at the time, soon to walk away from the group to prepare an empty space.
Oh, this is gonna be good.
He took deep, concentrated breaths, stretching his fingers and leg muscles as he began to jog in place.
"Oh, please, you're being way too dramatic, Jeremy," said Morgan, rolling his eyes. "You're doing a handstand, not warming up for a marathon."
"Shut up!" Jeremy snapped. "Quit it with your snarky remarks! I'll do this my way, got it?"
"Whatever you say, cap'n."
Jeremy clicked his tongue once again, his eye zoning in on my orange-haired friend. He took several steps backs, appearing ready to take a shot at the handstand. After just a few seconds, he charged forward and bent over his waist, his long arms outstretched and preparing to support his weight as he kicked his legs into the air. For a moment, I actually thought he would achieve a perfect handstand—his form was perfect, and his balance didn't appear to be lacking in the slightest. But I was unfortunately mistaken, for the second the fingertips of Jeremy's non-mechanical hand had brushed the surface of the floor, the elbow of that same arm bent, and he collapsed instantly.
"J-...Jeremy?"
The cyborg's limbs trembled as he slowly got to his knees. He rubbed the back of his head, whispering, "agh, that kinda hurt..." Upon taking notice of our shocked expressions, Jeremy snapped at us. "What is it? You all gonna laugh now? Go ahead, I dare you!"
"Jeremy, is something wrong with your arm?" I pointed a finger at his human arm, which he was now clutching with his mechanical hand. He quickly hid it behind his back, obviously in denial.
"As if!" He yelled. "Maybe I'm just not an athletic type of guy, alright?"
"Jeremy," Niall spoke up, "if something is wrong, you can tell us."
"...no, it's nothing..." He sat down on the floor and slowly scooted himself closer to us, eyes averting our attentive gazes. "It's not like it's anything new, ya know. Nor is it something you need to know. Now, I believe it's Hanako's turn, correct?"
That was a suspiciously fast change of subject. No matter, I'll find out the truth about it sooner or later.
"Yeah, it's my turn," I nodded slightly. "I choose truth."
"What's your favorite high school memory?"
Favorite high school memory? I thought. Why is he asking me that? Seems a bit strange. Ah, no matter. I'm sure I can think of something...
"There was a time in 9th grade when Morgan and I attended this skating party event and hung out with a bunch of cute teenage girls for a whole night. We had no clue none of the guys in our class were going, so it was just us."
"Ah, yes, I remember that," Morgan chuckled, letting out a prolonged sigh. "There was this really pretty girl named Mia...she helped me up when I fell..."
I could have sworn I heard Suri let out a huff of air through her nose just now—out of jealousy, of course. It was almost kind of cute...how much the general had gotten so attached to Morgan in such little time. I couldn't help but wonder why, though. Was it because she admired his cheerful disposition? Did he remind her of a past lover? (Again, I still wondered how old she was...) Or maybe, did she really just like the way he looked? Whatever the reason, it was clear to see Suri had taken a liking to my friend. Morgan was an absolute flirt, but when it came to anything involving girls who liked him, he was utterly clueless.
"Okay, now it's Suri's turn," I announced. "Truth or dare, Suri?"
"Truth," she answered immediately.
Great. Now's my chance. "Tell us exactly how old you are."
"Nineteen."
There's no way. "You're lying," I claimed.
"If you don't believe me, I'll take off my glasses. I've heard my eyes make me look a lot younger."
"F-fine," I stammered. "Go ahead."
"Very well, then." Suri lifted her hands and carefully placed them on both ends of her glasses, then slowly pulled them away from her face. She tucked her hair behind her ears so that her forehead was almost bare, and her sparkling, emerald green eyes could be fully admired. "Do you see now? I'm 19. I wear these glasses because I need them, not because I like the way they look on me."
"Suri, your eyes are astonishing..."
If this compliment had come from anyone but Morgan, I was sure it wouldn't have meant nearly as much to her. A wide smile appeared on Suri's face as she stared adoringly at him. "Thank you, but I think your eyes are much prettier," she laughed quietly, leaning closer to Morgan to plant a kiss on his cheek.
Morgan's face turned a deep shade of red. "W-...what was that for?! I-I mean, why did you-?! Mmmph!!"
The past bit of his outburst was muffled due to his hands covering his face. Morgan always became such a blushing mess when he was embarrassed, and this was no exception. I couldn't help but laugh at him.
"Alright, you lovebirds, let's move on to the next person..."
"W-we're not a c-couple!!"
"Aw, Morgan, do you really not like me that much?" Suri said with a pout.
"N-no, it's not like that! That's not what I meant!"
Everyone started laughing again after that. And even though it was at his expense, Morgan soon joined in on the laughter.
The rest of the night continued on like this. Just the five of us, sitting in a circle, smiling, laughing, enjoying ourselves for a change. It was nice. Really nice. I truly felt as though I had been wise in choosing to call these people my friends. Friends, as in plural. It was still hard for me to believe that Morgan wasn't the only one anymore. However, I knew that he would always hold a position that no one could ever steal from him.
Back on the 16th of April, I believed it was, he said something to me that was rather accurate, in its own, strange little way.
"From now on, consider me your other half."
My other half...yes, it sure seemed that way to me. Without him, none of this would have ever been made possible.
"I'm not leaving your side again. I'm afraid that if I were to leave you, you would only hurt yourself more than you are now. So whether you let me or not, I'm going to help you through this, Hanako."