"So...are you going to tell me what that was all about back there?" I asked casually, gazing evenly into the bustling street. The sound of water splashing and gushing echoed from the massive fountain behind me.
To my left stood Lana, brooding.
'Ah, what a fine evening,' I thought, cherishing this brief moment of respite.
Yes, I was in denial.
No, I wasn't going to admit I broke some kid's jaw.
Yes, I was at peace.
No, I wasn't just trying to convince myself of that.
I glanced at Lana, who remained silent, and frowned. Then, I sighed.
I had to go easy on the girl. She had just barely managed to emerge from something that was probably too frightening for her.
We both stayed silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts. The voices of pedestrians walking the streets provided a sense of comfort backdrop, while the constant sound of running water gently eased my mind.
Eventually, I was the one to break the silence.
"...I searched all over for you. I wasn't sure why, but the moment I realized you were gone...there was a lump in my throat. I panicked, Lana," I admitted, a stiffled chuckle escaping my lips.
"Now that I think about it, aren't you the one who was supposed to look out for me? But none of that mattered. I'm just glad I found you when I did. Really, really glad I did," I confessed, unconsciously forming a dry smile as I recalled how I felt after encountering the Old beggar.
Then, the image of the little girl with a gaping hole where her heart was reoccurred.
"I'm sorry if I scared you away earlier..." I paused, gathering my thoughts. "I had some really bad memories resurface at that time. You asked me about my reaction to the old beggar from before... well, something horrible happened to me only a few months ago."
I fell silent, my mind going cold as a string of various images raced through my thoughts. Then, I grew numb. I stopped thinking and just spoke in a monotone voice.
"I watched a little girl die in front of me."
From the corner of my eye, Lana trembled, but my current state of mind failed to register her reaction. No, I just didn't care. The same way I wasn't supposed to say the next words to a 7-year-old like Lana.
"I watched her heart get torn out of her chest."
"I watched the pavement before the altar become a pool of her blood."
"I watched as she died without a single sound."
"I watched her grow still. Cold..." My lips parted, then lingered.
"Lifeless."
"I watched in horror. And thought...'next is going to be me.'"
In the end, I was still human. I watched someone in front of me die and firstly thought I was next before all others.
"Then came the emotions. First was disgust. Then the sadness. The pain...the horror. The fear...the trembling...the despair. The rage...the anger," I recounted, clenching my fist.
"When I got up that morning, there was no way for me to know all that day had in store for me and my friends. And the meeting with that old man somehow forced those memories up, because, believe it or not, the moment he wouldn't let go of me... my first and final thought was to kill him," I admitted, pulling out my hidden dagger, causing Lana to jump.
"What the hell are you doing with that?! Do you always have one of those on you? Wait, have you had it all throughout the day?!" Lana protested, but I dismissed her cries.
My cold eyes reflected against the steel blade of the dagger as I raised my head and shifted my gaze to the girl.
"So when I noticed you were gone, I felt my little self slip away. 'I had lost another one in front of me again' was what I thought. It only got worse once I found you."
.
.
.
.
Reo's eyes glinted with a dark light. Observing Lana's reaction, he forced a small sad smile and quickly put away his dagger.
"I'm sorry for startling you like that. I guess I got carried away." He chuckled unamusingly. Then his gaze wandered away, lost in the morbid thoughts in his mind.
Lana carefully observed the little boy. He seemed lost, isolated and conflicted. She watched him with a confliction of her own, still slowly absorbing all what he had revealed. And without knowing, her expression softened... saddened.
"Mark asked me to be his girlfriend...and I turned him down. I might have overreacted now that I think of it." She confessed, her left arm reaching for her burned neck and caressing it feverishly.
From the statement alone, Reo could already paint a vivid picture of the snotty Lana Munrow cursing the next life out of Mark upon turning him down. All of a sudden he felt pity for him.
Reo's expression crumpled then he sighed exhaustingly and threw his head back then whined:
"Listen, you gotta really do something about all of that overflowing pride, okay? You can't keep flaunting your shoulders to whoever as if you're on top," he looked at her scoldingly.
"I mean, it's not bad to think you're better than others around you, if anything, it's a positive mindset, so long as you maintain that thought all in your head. If you're really better than others, and you know it, then don't go around telling them, prove it. Action-speaks- better- than-words." He lectured and Lana's shoulders trembled as she lowered her flushed face towards the ground.
Reo didn't mind this one bit at all and kept on spouting lectures in-between sighs.
"Show them your better through your 'humble' actions, and give them enough reason to think so to. Make them believe they aren't as good as you, make them tell it to you themselves. You don't tell people you are better than them, —that's arrogance and misplaced pride— you make them realize through your actions."
He paused then took in a deep breath.
"Don't misunderstand me on that note either; you also don't openly flaunt and showcase your talent in front of others. Only do so when the circumstances really demand it. Otherwise keep your capabilities reserved if you truly believe they're overwhelming compare to your peers, and instead appear on a similar level with the rest. After all, people like others who they feel they aren't so different from...or are even lower than them." Reo added regretfully at the latter end.
It was just human nature, to detest thos better than their circumstances.
"Then if you did that, once the situation demands, you reveal your true talent and capabilities, others will have no choice to believe you truly are something incredible. And before you realize..." He paused and smiled wistfully —"you'll have a whole following of friends."
And Lana shook more visibly.
Reo sighed, wistfully solemn.
"Lana, for all that I know, you're already an incredible person in my eyes. And that's something I've judged not by your words, but by what I've seen so far."
He hadn't admitted it, but Reo had found Lana much earlier than he confessed. He had observed half of the interaction between Lana and Mark before the situation became hasty and dangerous.
He had seen Lana fearlessly stand her ground without a flinch. Without moving. All while surrounded by guys older than her with obvious malevolent intentions.
Lana bit her lips, struggling to suppress her bubbling emotions and tremblings. There was sadness, loneliness, shame, anger...and even traces of longing.
Loneliness for her lack of friends.
Shame for getting lectured by someone who she could consider her little brother.
Anger at her self for being unable to do anything about it, for she knew it were all true.
Longing for the warmth.
"You're incredible, Lana, remember that. No one else needs to hear it from your mouth as long as you truly believe it. I believe it too." Observing the obvious state of the little girl, Reo added.
And that was the last blow as the great unmovable Lana Munrow, broke Into flooding tears on her kneels. An added emotion behind her cries; warmth.
The prideful Lana Munrow cried shamelessly before all those who watched on the street.
She balled her fists and rubbed her eyes, trying so hard to suppress the tears to no avail. She sobbed. Lana cried.
Reo observed the pathetic state of the haughty litty girl with softened eyes and wistful expression. Then he sighed and got up from where he sat, slowly approaching Lana who wept on the ground.
"Sigh. This is why you're still a kid," Reo lamented with another sigh and reached her and went on one knee. He leaned himself closer and flicked her forehead.
Lana gave voice to a petite 'Ow' and pouted in tears. Reo spoke softly to her from close proximity.
"It also doesn't matter if anyone refuse to recognize your true worth. I don't mind; I, Reo Bellar, will be your first...and only friend."
.
.
.
"just don't call me brat."