《Stuck with me》


 Chapter 1: The Partnership Program

    The patter of rain, the chill of the wind, the sounds of passing cars and their bright lights illuminating the darkness of the surrounding night. A young boy stands on the side of the road, frozen in time at the sight before him, his tearful eyes hidden by the fall of the rain on his face. A man holds his shoulders and speaks into his ear but the boy can not hear the words over his own heartbeat as he vaguely makes out the scene before him: the sight of red, a ruined shoe, a foot, and suddenly.. he awakes.


    "Roy!" The shouting of a female voice jolts me awake. My eyes open in a panic, and a drop of sweat beads on my forehead. My vision is blurred somewhat as I gaze up at the face hovering above my own. I blink once to regain my focus and recognize the familiar face of my own mother.


    "Damn it Roy, look at you. You''re a mess!" My mom out to me at my pathetic sight. I''m still wearing my day clothes from yesterday, sprawled out on my messy bedroom floor full of clothes and loose trash such as cans of soda and chip bags.


    I rise lazily to a sitting position and take in the sight of the darkened bedroom illuminated only by the light of the hall outside and the glimmer of my TV that displays the video game I was playing last night before I passed out onto my floor.


    My mother frowns at me, "You didn''t even take a shower last night did you? I don''t understand why you simply accept living in such filth like this." She scolds at me.


    My mother walks over to the window and pulls back on the blackout curtains to let in the sunlight. The sudden brightness makes my eyes to strain painfully causing me to try to shield them with my hand.


    "Now, get yourself cleaned up and hurry downstairs for breakfast. You don''t have much time before the bus comes." Without waiting for an answer she marches out of my bedroom with a huff, leaving me alone to follow her orders.


    I sigh deeply, and rise to my feet, my back and shoulders are painfully stiffened from sleeping on the floor. I try to stretch them out, hearing a few satisfying pops of bone as I arch my back and stretch my arms behind my head. I gather together my school clothes from a nearby dresser and decide to do what was requested of me by my mother, though I do so reluctantly. "My memories always seem to find me in the shower..." I whisper to myself dejectedly.


    I step into the bathroom and slip off my dirty clothes to start my shower. The hot water is soothing my skin, but my mind is another story, still foggy with the dream I had last night, a dream of a memory I wish I could forget.


    I get cleaned up as asked and put on a fresh pair of school clothes before sitting down at the table to eat breakfast. My mother is doing some cleaning in the living room, listening to pop music. A modest breakfast of eggs and toast filled my plate and I ate all of the contents, grateful that I didn''t lose my appetite at least.


    I grab my school bag and give my mother a wave good bye and she does the same in return before returning to what she was doing.


    A short ride to school, the noise of fellow students talking gleefully on the bus to one another, but I pay them no mind, the noise creates a chaos that feels more soothing to me than silence. It''s a familiar chaos as I sit alone in the same seat I always pick, staring out the window as I space out to the noise.


    "I''m tired." I whisper to myself, in one of my moments of self-assessment.


    At school my life is more or less the same. I step inside the building, settle into my homeroom class and space out on my desk as I look out the window. Even in my own life I just feel like a background character.


    I glance around the class, seeing the students who are excited about the new school year, seeing old friends and knowing that this is the final stretch of our lives as students and that next year we will become adults, deciding our own futures.


    I glance back out the window, retreating back into my thoughts, ''What about me?'' I think to myself. Do I even have a plan for my future? Do I even.. really care? Perhaps I''ll just end up taking any old job and become an obscure figure in the wide world.


    Most of the students, and even the teachers largely ignore me. I''m just a loner in this school, a total recluse. The gloomy kid that no one wants to socialize with or who is so quiet that they don''t even notice. That''s fine with me though, I enjoy the solitude, the not being noticed.


    I feel a bump on my head, quickly the void of my mind snaps away and I turn to face the cause. My vision is greeted by the sight of short red hair and a massive goofy smile, "Hey man! You didn''t come over yesterday, I was waiting for ya."


    The young man before me is Mark, and if I was to say I have any friends at all, he would be the closest thing. In fact, Mark is just about the only friend that I have.


    I put on my best fake smile to hide the inner issues of my present psyche, "Hey, Mark. Sorry, I wasn''t really feeling the best yesterday. Maybe we can hang out another time."


    Mark looks at me with disappointed eyes and but doesn''t lose that smile of his, "Come on man, I really want to show you this Dragon Conquest game I got. It seems like something right up your alley."


    "I appreciate it, but I''m still stuck on this part on Master of Machine, I spent all night trying to get through it before passing out on the floor. The game is a lot harder than I expected it to be."


    Mark gives me a playful nudge on my shoulder with a slight chuckle, "You''ll get through it, you''re an flexible guy and a gaming genius. Never once seen you give up a challenge."


    The bell rings signaling the beginning of classes for the day. Mark gives me a friendly wave good bye before he steps out to go to his classroom.


    Mark is a rather extroverted guy, he''s friendly, cool, energetic, plays sports, not at all bad looking, and he''s got the patience of a saint to be dealing with me and my firm introverted personality. We bonded over video games when we were kids in middle school when he saw me reading a gaming magazine, we hit it off and we''ve been friends every since.


    The school day proceeds like it usually does, me spacing out in the middle of the class as I stare at the board where the teacher writes down the lessons. I''m not a bad student, my grades are about average and I do really well on tests, I just find school to be so painfully dull that I often find myself getting lost in my own little world and it also doesn''t help that I often don''t do my homework, making my grades being entirely supplemented through tests and assignments that are done within class. The school year only started about a week ago so I felt that I could stand to be a little laxed in my studies before I start getting back into the flow.


    This is my life in school, by the bell, ringing throughout the day and bouncing from class to class, the monotony of a student''s life.


    I go to my locker to retrieve my books for the next class before I felt another nudge on top of my head. Something heavy is resting itself on the top of my cranium, I try not to move too much before I realize that Mark is behind me again and trying to delicately balance a book on my head. "Mark, what are you doing?" asked in vivid confusion.


    Mark hovers his hands over the sides of the textbook on my head and watches closely to the balance of the book''s weight, "Shh, I''m trying to see if you''re a square, and so far the results are not good."


    I get a tinge of annoyance at his jab, but know that this is just how Mark likes to tease people but I still grab the book from my head and thrust it to his chest, "I''m not a square, damn it. I''m just a recluse."


    Mark chuckles, "Uh oh, I think made my dear old friend mad at me. Isn''t that kind of the same thing though?" he teases again, "you might not be aware of this but I have a mission this school year, and that mission is to make you more fun and open. I''ll get you out of your shell one of these days, just you watch and see!"


    He jumps back theatrically to pose and show off his dedication to the bit, but doesn''t realize his surroundings. I reach out to him to stop him but it''s too late and he bumps right into a girl who was walking by to her next class. The girl drops her books she was holding onto the floor in surprise, it causes a minor scene in the immediate area.


    Mark realizes his mistake and quickly helps the girl pick up her books, "Oh damn, I''m so sorry, I wasn''t watching what I was doing," he says as he reaches for one of the books but the girl swats his hand and glares at him with fury.


    Both my and Mark''s eyes open wide when we see the angry face of none other than Aria herself, "I can handle it just fine, idiot!" She spits her words at Mark with venom as she collects the books herself and stands tall, as if she''s in control of the entire situation, "Next time, make sure you watch where you''re going. This is a school, not a children''s playground." With a ''humph'' she starts walking away, leaving the two of us with stunned expressions.


    Mark slowly turns to me and his stunned face slowly turns into a smile, "Wow, I can''t believe I bumped into Aria of all people, and boy is she as vicious as ever." He says with a shaky voice yet hidden beneath it is a tone of admiration.


    Aria is a senior student like myself and Mark, however unlike the two of us she is widely popular. She is considered the princess of our class as she has amazing grades and most guys believe her to be rather attractive, she also used to play volleyball in the early years but stopped at some point for unknown reasons. She is usually gentle natured and outgoing when speaking to her friends and other girls, but she has been known to keep to herself and can have a short fuse when strangers, particularly boys step into her personal space.


    Guys have been known to try to ask her out but many of them would end up feeling her wrath in the attempt. Even Mark has a minor thing for her but has the good sense to not push his luck. As for me, I don''t particularly have feelings for anyone.


    "Yea well," I say to Mark, "you did just bump into her after all. I wouldn''t be surprised if she called upon the legions of hell to render righteous punishment against the guy who dared touch her."


    I see a chill run down Mark''s spine, assuming he''s envisioning the same thing as me of a vision of Aria on her hellish throne pointing a scepter at Mark issuing the command, ''Get him!''


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He shakes his head and turns around to frantically reply, "Come on dude! Don''t joke like that, you''ll give me a heart attack!"


    By the school day''s end I start to pack up my things and sling my bag over my back. As I prepare to leave the classroom an announcement comes through on the school''s intercom system. "A reminder to all senior students, those who are still interested in enrolling in the Partnership program, tomorrow is your last day to do so. I repeat, all senior students who are still interested in enrolling in the Partnership program, tomorrow is the last day that we will accept applications."


    The Partnership program, an ambitious experimental program created by the government. With the growing rise of technology, life becomes more convenient every year, because of this it''s been viewed that the youth of today have a growing detachment from reality as they develop a dependency on their devices. This, in their minds, leads to young adults having troubles building personal relationships, interacting with the world around them, broadening their horizons, and finding fulfillment, as well as creating a generation of degenerates who enter society feeling willfully unprepared. So, the Partnership program was born.


    Participating schools give senior students the choice to enroll into the program for extra credit. During the program students are paired together into partners and even given a small apartment for them to live in. These partners live together in close proximity in a fully funded residence where they''re expected to follow strict rules and adhere to the various demands that will be made of them throughout the program, all in the effort to combat the growing concerns revolving around today''s youth, and they do all this for the rest of their senior year.


    There are many understandably obvious concerns about the nature of the program and the results so far have been mixed, but there are many who truly believe this program is a good way to enrich the lives of its participants and help prepare them for a better attitude towards their future. As for me however..


    "I said, I don''t want to do it!" I''m sitting at the dinner table with my parents who are increasingly upset over my current lifestyle. For the past several days they''ve been arguing with me about participating in the Partnership program because they feel that I am too closed off from the outside world, and in truth, I concede that they have a point, "It''s my decision to make! I''m just not comfortable being made to live alongside someone I don''t even know and being told what to do."


    My father crosses his arms in front of his chest as he glares at me angrily, "Roy, all you do anymore is stay held up in your room. Ever since you started high school you''ve been spiraling into a mess of man who doesn''t care about his life. You can''t lie to me, son, I know that''s exactly what''s going on."


    I grit my teeth in annoyance over his assessment, even though he was partially spot on. I used to be much more alive and active, until.. one summer, something happened.. something bad.. something that I just can''t shake off and forget about. It happened the year before entering high school and ever since then I haven''t been my old self, but I didn''t care. I was perfectly fine with continuing to go on as I was.


    "That''s not for you to decide," I continue to argue angrily, "It''s my future after all. Shouldn''t be my decision how I choose to live my life?"


    My mother chimes in next, "Because we want a better future for you, Roy. Something that isn''t about being cooped up in your dark room, playing video games until you pass out. I nearly cried when I saw you this morning, how far my son had fallen."


    My father speaks up again, "You''re joining that program, Roy. Some time away from this house and having to take care of yourself a little will do you some good. Your partner might even help you out of your shell and show you more to life than the path you''re taking now. This is your final warning, boy, if you don''t join that program, then me and your mother will take matters into our own hands. Things will change in this house and the day you graduate, you will be on your own. We will no longer support you."


    My eyes open wide at my father''s declaration, taking in the shock at how easily he just said those words." You''d.. really just abandon me like that? Your own son?"


    My father nods without hesitation, "It''s for your own good. If you don''t want to care about your life, then my son is already dead."


    The words stab daggers into my heart. ''My son is already dead'' it echoes into my mind and nearly brings me to tears, but I hold them back. I can see that the words also hurt my mother but she doesn''t make any effort to dispute them. What they see in me is different from what I see. To me, I''m just someone who wants to float on the river of life, riding on a raft, alone but content with wherever the currents take me. To my parents however, I''m drowning in that river, a man overboard, and I can either reach up for a hand or allow myself to sink deeper.


    I lay awake in bed that night, crushed by their view of me. Though the words were harsh, I am fully aware that my parents only want the best for me. They''ve done so much for me throughout my life and have always supported my decisions, but this time it''s different. I know that my father will make good on his threat if I don''t do what they say and join the program. I roll to my side, staring off into the darkness of my room. I find it difficult falling asleep like this, my heart heavy over everything that was said at dinner. ''My son is already dead.'' The words echo again, over and over. "Dead, huh?" I whisper to myself in the darkness, this time a tear actually falls down my face, "well... maybe a little bit."


    Several days later


    I closed my locker at the end of another school day, heaving a deep sigh of regret over the fact that I gave in and submitted my application for the program after the discussion with my parents and today is the day that our pairings get announced. For the past couple days Mark has been teasing me nonstop over me joining the Partnership program, "So, are you excited to meet the lucky person you get to be paired with?" He says as he nudges me with his elbow in the hallway.


    "Not really," I reply to him, "and no one would be lucky to have me as their partner. You on the other hand would probably have a blast in this program."


    "Nah, thanks but no thanks," Mark crosses his arms as he firmly announces his outright refusal, "I don''t want that kind of baggage and be stuck with some random person I don''t even know and having to be someone''s guinea pig and have do little dances for them while pretending to care about the person I''m assigned with. I think for you though this could be a good excuse for you to get out a little."


    "Now you''re sounding just like my parents." I say with an exasperated sigh.


    The intercom comes on again with another school announcement, "All Partnership program participants, please make your way to classroom 314 for your assignment. I repeat, all Partnership program participants please make your way to classroom 314 for your assignment."


    At the words of the announcement I can start to feel my stomach starting to churn as I hold my head down in shame, "I really hate this... Why do I have to suffer through this humiliation?"


    Mark smirks amusingly and locks his arm in mine and drags me towards the designated classroom, "You''ll be fine. I''ll at least walk you there, don''t think you''re going to chicken out on this one."


    The closer we get to the classroom the more sickened I start to feel at the prospect of my impending future. Being stuck in a confined space with a complete stranger every day for the rest of my senior year. Thoughts begin to swell in my head over the kind of person I might be paired with, they could be a total brat who tries to boss me around, or a know-it-all who''ll flaunt their intellect at me like it''s a competition, or even someone who is just so cold and reserved that every day I''ll feel the icy stare of their disdain.


    Mark halts in his tracks as his eyes open wide, I''m too far gone into my head to even notice until Mark delivers his patented nudge-my-head method to wake me up before I realize what he''s staring at: the princess, Aria, stepping into classroom 314 for the Partnership program.


    "Woah," he says, "never would have guessed that someone like her would be so open to participating in something like this."


    "Yea," I nod in agreement, my eyes widening as even I was shocked by this turn of events, "no kidding."


    "Hey, maybe you''ll get her for a partner."


    I look at Mark in utter shock and grip his mouth shut with my hand, "Don''t you dare joke like that or I''ll kill you! What if some deity is listening to you or something!"


    He chuckles loudly, but it sounds muffled through my hand over his mouth, "Sorry, sorry, anyways!" He pulls me in front of him and pushes me forward. "Now, get your ass in there and get to work!" He says with his trademark big goofy grin.


    I don''t respond as I begrudgingly walk towards and enter the classroom. There are a fair amount of students within the class, however, due to my profile no one really takes notice of me entering the classroom. I go to find an empty desk far away from the others and settle into it as I wait to hear the news of my fate. "Hopefully there''s an odd number of participants so that I won''t have to be paired with anyone and can just go home and say ''welp, I tried''."


    My hopes were dashed however when the counselor in charge of overseeing the program in this school steps inside the class, a middle aged woman with cheerful air about her, crushing my very dreams with a single statement, "Good afternoon everyone, my how lucky is it to have a full even number of participants this year!"


    I bang my head against the top of the desk in defeat, "Thanks universe," I whisper to myself, "really phoning in on the Roy hate train today."


    The teacher continues speaking to the rest of the class with a friendly smile, "Now then, thank you all for participating in this program, I''m really excited to help you all become better, functioning adults in your days to come and I hope you can look back on this experience in the future with satisfaction. My name is Mrs. Chavana. I have your pairings right here in front of me, so let''s go ahead and start the main event before we get into the nit and gritty details of this program."


    And so the dreaded moment came, Mrs. Chavana started calling out names one by one, students raising their hands in response to their names being called. Some of the pairings already start standing next to each other as she calls them out as if it is something natural to do in this situation. The tension in my muscles increases, my anxiety churns my stomach into a tornado of nausea as I know that somewhere on the list is my name. My ears perk up when I hear the next one, "Aria Joyce."


    I look about the class as I see Aria, the princess, raise her hand, "Present." She announces.


    Mrs. Chavana nods her head, "Very good, and your partner is.."


    My heart starts to sink, Mrs. Chavana puts an intended dramatic pause at the end of her sentences and it''s playing havoc on my damn emotions. ''I''d feel sorry for anyone to have Aria as a partner,'' I think to myself, ''I certainly really hope that person isn''t-''


    "Roy Walker."


    And just like that, my heart stopped. My mind could not process the words that came out of that devil of a woman''s mouth.


    "Is there a Roy Walker here?" She repeats again. The other students look around for the person, but because of my reclusive nature and tendency to blend into the background, it seems that no one here really notices me at first and I would very much like to continue with that trend but know that I have no choice but to respond.


    "Roy Walker, come on, speak up, don''t be shy." she repeats again in her happy tone.


    ''Stop saying my name, damn it.'' I whisper in my own head, trying to believe this to be some kind of mistake, but I know I have to respond eventually.


    Sighing deeply and raising my hand, "I''m right here, ma''am."


    The other students turn to my voice and some are even surprised to even discover that someone was sitting there behind them to begin with.


    "Thank you for being here, Roy." She says cheerfully as she continues down the list of names. ''This woman... is definitely a devil in disguise,'' I think to myself again.


    In the midst of the name calling I notice Aria staring into my direction, as if waiting for me to react in some way, but the opposite goes for me as I sit there staring at her hoping that she stays right over there.


    Imagine my anxiety when in the middle of calling names she steps away from the desk she was sitting in and starts walking in my direction. The gazes of some of the students following her as she walks towards me like a person on a mission before coming to a full stop next to my desk.


    "Roy Walker?" She asks as if she hadn''t already just learned my name from the roll call earlier.


    I try to look up at her but her steely gaze disarms me and I feel my own want to avoid her eyes as much as possible, "Y-yea? What''s up?" I ask in a nervous sweat, thinking about how I''d like to be anywhere but here right now, even in the pits of an active volcano, or on the front lines of some major battlefield.


    She leans down slightly to try to meet me at my level as I remain sitting down, her eyes still never moving from my own, but it helps me to give her a more focused attention. "Looks like we''re partners now," She says in a nonchalant kind of way, "Let''s do our best, alright?"


    She surprises me with her openness. While I was sure that she would find some kind of apprehension to the situation of being paired with someone like me or show off that fiery nature of hers, she instead spoke calmly and clearly and without a hint of malice or disdain.


    My body relaxed slightly and I met her gaze with my own. I nod my head in agreement, "Y-yea, lets."


    That was the day that my whole world started to change. The day where the lonely recluse and the school princess became partners.

 Chapter 2: Moving In

    I would come to find out that the openness she showed me that day was a lie.


    "Hey, would you stop being useless and help me with my bags or something?" I turn my head to lock eyes with Aria, a young woman who is the most popular girl in our senior class and now she is my new roommate. "Didn''t you hear me or are you deaf as well as useless?" But, as it turns out, this is just simply the real her. She is currently trying to carry five big bags of luggage all by herself and while I would help her, my hands are also full carrying my own bags.


    Behind us is the apartment building we''re meant to be spending the rest of our senior year living in. "My hands are tied. I''ve got my own stuff to bring in. Why did you pack so much anyways?"


    "Excuse me? Did you ask a girl why she packs a lot of luggage? So, you''re useless, deaf, and stupid." She jabs while staring daggers at me. I almost have the sense of just leaving her there and bringing my own stuff in alone, but I feel a slap come across the back of my head and I turn to see my father with a disapproving expression.


    "Boy, help bring the girl''s stuff inside." He says as he starts grabbing my bags from me and effortlessly carries them towards the apartment building.


    My mother walks towards us as well, "Don¡¯t worry dear, we¡¯ll help you bring your stuff inside, right Roy?" She chimes in as though they didn''t just hear her slinging insults my way.


    I sigh in defeat as I walk towards Aria and reach for the first bag, a blue hard cover suitcase, but she quickly halts my advance by putting a hand in front of me, "Not that one! You can carry the other stuff."


    I carry as many of her bags as I can while she rolls the blue suitcase on its wheels towards the building, "That girl is going to make my senior year hell, I can already feel it." I mutter to myself.


    My mother hears me and replies, "I think she''s got spirit, that''s good. A little spirit sounds like just what you need."


    "I don''t need that kind of spirit, mom."


    We all make our way into the lobby of the apartment building. It isn''t too bad of a space to sit around in. It''s quiet, somewhat spacious, and looks to have a few sitting areas. I make a mental note of it for later as we enter the elevator.


    I pull out the key to the apartment from my pocket and look at the tag that''s attached to it, "It says number 528, so I assume the apartment is on the fifth floor."


    I push the corresponding button on the elevator and doors close. We can hear the hum of the machinery and the shift of our weight as the elevator is pulled upwards to the fifth floor. The digital display signaling which floor we''re on gradually goes up a number as we pass the first four floors.


    "Um, thank you again for giving me a ride here. I''m sorry for the inconvenience. My mother was just extremely busy with work today." Aria says in her masked sweet voice as she speaks to my parents.


    "Not at all, dear," my mother replies, "we''re happy to help, and if Roy here gives you a hard time you be sure to let us know, and we''ll set him straight."


    "Thank you! I''ll be sure to keep that in mind." Aria returns as her gaze slowly turns from my mother to me and her voice goes from sweetness to menacing again as she gives me a devilish smile. Damn it, why does all this have to happen to me, what did I do to deserve this?


    The elevator comes to a halt with a ding as the digital display shows the number five. The doors open and we start making our way down the hall of the building. My back and arms are in pain from the luggage I''m carrying and I''m just wanting to hurry up inside but at the same time, I want to just run away from this situation.


    As we draw near our designated residence, Aria pulls her own key from her pocket, "This is the place," she announces as we arrive at the door marked ''528''. She inserts the key into the lock and with a click the lock is released and she twists the knob to step inside.


    We flip the light switch next to the front door and the space is illuminated revealing a rather small but impressively clean and modern apartment, already furnished.


    The living area already has a black polyester couch, a dark wood coffee table, a large rug, and against the wall was a dark wood entertainment center complete with a 42" TV, on the side wall of the living area was a glass sliding door covered by curtains that opens up to a balcony. Behind the living area was a small dining space with a table and chairs next to a kitchen with wooden cabinets and modern appliances. Going down the short hallway, the apartment sports two bedrooms, each with a twin sized bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, desk and closet space, and we finish the walk through with a single full bathroom with white tiled floors.


    As we finish up exploring our new residence Aria remarks that the place is kind of nice, a statement that we all agreed with. We set our bags down in the living area and I stretch my back to relieve the soreness of carrying Aria''s luggage.


    After a brief conversation with my parents of their spiel of telling me to be good, mind my manners, and let them know when I need help, they proceed to leave the apartment with me and Aria alone.


    As they leave my mother gives me a wink and says, "Don''t do anything I wouldn''t do."


    ¡°Mom!¡± I shout at her embarrassed that she would even insinuate such a thing.


    Aria releases a grown of disgust and turns away to start organizing her things.


    I try to relax myself with a few breathes. I don¡¯t believe this is happening, that I even agreed to all of this in the first place. I think to myself as I look up to the corner of the living room ceiling where I spot a small camera.


    Two days earlier


    We''re sitting in a small office room, an office belonging to Mrs. Chavana, the counsellor for our school''s Partnership program. Me and Aria sit in separate chairs across from Mrs. Chavana herself who sits behind her desk.


    "So, Aria Joyce and Roy Walker, as you already know I am Mrs. Chavana, and I will be your counsellor for this program." This woman, who I''ve decided to affectionately call the ''She-Devil'', never seems to lose her wide smile as she speaks to us, even while my face is no doubt flushed red with nerves, meanwhile Aria sitting all cool and collected as she usually does when she''s in school.


    "My duty in this program is to oversee the relationships of the partners in weekly counselling sessions, gauge their growth as individuals, as well as maintain the rules. I also facilitate the tasks that the program will ask of you. First and foremost, I want to make one thing perfectly clear," she puts in a long pause and for the first time she loses her smile and makes a more serious expression, "Physical intimacy between partners is strictly forbidden in this program."


    The notion makes me and Aria jolt in our seats and our faces flush red, Aria even lost that composer she was holding onto and started staring down Mrs. Chavana in disgust, before shouting, "That¡¯s disgusting! I''d never do such a thing! What gave you that idea?!"


    Mrs. Chavana puts her hands together before calmly replying, "Just wanted to throw that out there. You''d be surprised how many participating partners end up developing feelings for each other and think they can get all hot and heavy within the apartments. I''m offering a warning, nothing more. This is a program meant to educate and build personal growth, not a matchmaking program for you to get laid in."


    You can almost feel the disgust coming off Aria, it was so strong that it was making myself sick to my stomach.


    Against my usual nature of just wanting to stay quiet, her statement brings a question to mind, "I''d like to know then, if it''s such a big problem, then why do you group boy/girl pairs in this program?"


    Mrs. Chavana gives me a curious look and says, "You¡¯re suggesting that in this day and age only boy/girl pairs can have romantic relationships?"


    ¡°W-well no, of course not, but still.¡±


    She goes on to further explain, "Every participating school has their way of doing things, some do same sex pairs, some do opposite. Some pair partners based on similar interests or opposite interests. The pairing criteria varies from school to school. In this specific school, we believe in pairing different genders, as well as differing personalities, while maintaining common interests. That''s if such pairings are even possible with the list of present volunteers. In lieu of such pairings we try to stick to the next best thing. In your applications, we have you write a short description about yourself as well as your interests, we also have you write down the names of two individuals who you believe can give an accurate representation of your character in case you decide to lie to feel better about yourself. We take all that information and create the best possible pairings that we can among the list of other volunteering participants. The reason why we do different genders and personalities is because we believe that boys and girls push each other out of their comfort zones, differing personalities can push you to explore a more open mind. If the pairings are too different though, then the two of you would repel one another and you wouldn''t get anywhere, so we maintain common interests in our pairings so that you two don''t just tear into each other. However, if the pairings are too similar, then it''s the same result, you just simply stay stuck in your ways just with a second person onboard."


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    Aria and I look at each other briefly, I start to wonder if I could really get along with this person, but I find it strange that among the other possible candidates, I¡¯m the one that she has common interests with?


    Mrs. Chavana claps her hands together to draw our attention back to her, once again returning to her usual grin, "Now, just to go over the rules once again. The two of you will be living together, sort of like roommates, in an apartment. Neither you nor your family will have to fund the residence as it''s all fully covered by the government. Absolutely no physical intimacy within the residence at any given time. For safety and security, there are cameras in every room of the house minus the bathroom, so don''t get any funny ideas. No damaging the property and no modifications, otherwise you''ll be covering the repair costs. Every week pairings are given an assignment to perform, this must be done to ensure the effectiveness of this program, if for some reason you find yourself unable to perform the task required, then you must bring it to my attention. Every Friday, like today, you are required to visit your counsellor, in this case: me, to give updates on your progress as partners and on your own personal growth. Even if you don''t become friends, I at least encourage you both to try to push each other in order to create the best possible outcome of becoming more responsible adults by graduation time."


    Aria and I nod our heads and give a "Yes ma''am."


    "Good, now, your apartment is already prepared for you," she reaches into her desk and pulls out an envelope with both of our names on it, "both of your keys are inside here. You can have a day to pack


    but by Sunday we would like for the two of you to be completely moved in. By Monday, you will receive your first assignment. I''m so excited for the two of you! Well, good luck!"


    Damn she-devil.


    Present day


    "Hey, Earth to loser!" Aria''s shouting knocks me out of my flashback, and I turn to look at her fiddling with her bags.


    "Yea, I can hear you. You don''t have to call me names." I replied angrily.


    "Yea, whatever. I''m taking the room closest to the bathroom, got it?" she says firmly as she starts moving her bags one by one into the room she chose.


    "Well, fine, whatever. Do what you want.¡± I sigh to her as I collect my own bags, slinging one on my back and the other I''m holding in my hand.


    Aria briefly takes notice of the bags I''m carrying, "What with those bags? Are you some kind of military nut or something?"


    What she''s referring to are the two big green sea bags that I''m carrying my clothing items and other essentials in.


    I quickly corrected her, "No, I''m not a military nut. My dad was in the service and when he got out, he held onto these bags and allowed me to have them. I like them because they''re easy to carry and I can fit a lot of my stuff into them easily." In addition to my sea bags, I also have a hard cover suitcase that I''m carrying my computer stuff inside.


    Aria looks at me plainly as I answer her, almost as if she seems somewhat interested in hearing that my father was in the military.


    "Ah, so that''s why your dad seemed so broad. I thought he just liked hitting the gym a lot."


    "He does like to stay in shape, but he''s not just some body builder."


    We proceed to bring our things to our respective rooms and start unpacking. I gradually take my clothes, unfolded, out of my sea bags and simply stuff them into the dresser and wardrobe. I open my suitcase with my computer hardware inside and begin laying it out onto the desk, setting up the tower, monitor, and the various accessories. "Well, my friend, it''s going to be a rough ride, but I''m glad to have a comrade like you to help me make it through this."


    "You talk to your computer? How creepy." I turn heel and catch Aria, with a look of suspicion on her face, standing in my doorway, catching me in one of my personal moments as she was passing by in the hall.


    My face goes flush with embarrassment, and I grimace at her, "Can I have some damn privacy, please?"


    "Hey, it''s not my problem you left your door open. You''ve no one to blame but yourself." She says with a shrug and drags her blue suitcase towards the living room.


    I notice the suitcase and try to put it out of my mind, but I could help but wonder what might be inside. Could it be some embarrassing secret? No, then she wouldn''t be opening it in the living room. Maybe some family photos or memorabilia that she doesn''t want damaged?


    My curiosity gets the better of me and I leave my room to go to the kitchen, with the pretense of me observing our pantry supplies. What she pulled from that suitcase was beyond my expectations.


    From the confines of the suitcase, she pulls out various wires, CD cases, then... a gaming console and controller!? I was baffled, who would have thought that the princess of our school was a gamer of all things.


    "Huh, never would have pegged you for being the type to like video games." I say out loud from the kitchen.


    Aria snapped her head angrily at me, disapproved of my spying on her, "Everyone has the right to their hobbies, and this is mine. I ask that you please stop staring at me and go about your business. God, you''re so creepy, how did I get stuck with a loser like you for a partner."


    And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I''m growing to despise this girl.


    Aria gets her console set up to the TV and carefully judges the best place to put the console. As I''m in the kitchen taking inventory of the stock, I can see her actively going from spot to spot in the entertainment center, looking for the best aesthetically pleasing space for her console and games, clearly taking the task very seriously. I bring my attention back to my own task, noticing that the program gave us quite a few things to start us off with, with food stock and various cooking implements for basic cooking needs, but no doubt there will need to be some shopping done in the near future to stock this place up properly. Already I begin planning what to have for dinner tonight. I''d like anything to just say I was preparing my plans for myself but...


    "Hey Aria, what do you want to eat for dinner tonight, any preferences?" I turn to call out to the girl from the kitchen as she seems to have triumphantly found the perfect spot on one of the shelves.


    She turns to me with a curious look, seemingly taken aback by my consideration, "Um, I don''t know. What stuff do they have?¡±


    "Well, not a lot of meat options, but maybe enough here to make a pasta dish of some kind. There''s breakfast items so I could do breakfast for dinner." I reply as I grab at the various items and observe them carefully.


    "Pasta? Breakfast? You mean, real food and not instant stuff?" Her eyes open wider in a look of confusion as she continues to stare at my rummaging in the kitchen.


    "Well, yeah. I mean, there are instant noodles and things like canned vegetables, beans, and canned chili, but I figured I''d make something substantial because I haven''t eaten much today." I answer.


    "Wait, back up. You can cook?" She asks with a sound of surprise in her voice.


    I turn to face her from the kitchen, puzzled by her question, "Yea, of course I can cook. Why?"


    At my question her eyes nervously dart away, and she answers barely audibly, ¡°No reason, was just wondering.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Did you think I couldn¡¯t cook or something?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, maybe, that¡¯s partly it.¡±


    Curious by the way she seems to be avoiding my gaze and the nervous expression on her face, it makes me wonder something, ¡°Do you.. know how to cook?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t answer right away but then mumbles something under her breath that I couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t hear that. What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I can¡¯t cook damn it. You happy?¡±


    Her confession shocks me, and my face shows it with my wide-eyed expression, ¡°What? The princess of our school can¡¯t cook?¡±


    "Don''t call me that!" She shouts angrily which ends up shocking the both of us before she dials it down a bit, "I hate it when people call me that. So don¡¯t."


    Unsure of what to say, seeing that her nickname seems to really do cause her visible discomfort, I simply just nod my head and move the conversation along. "Alright, then Aria, I just didn''t expect to hear you say that you can''t cook. Thought for sure that you''d surely be someone who could, given how smart you are."


    "Those are just my academics. I haven''t learned how to cook, and I never asked my mom because she''s always so busy working. I never had the chance to ask her to teach me." A hint of melancholy in her voice as she speaks those words, as if she''s deeply troubled by her personal situations at home.


    "I see, and what about your dad?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business, alright?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively, a sign that she''s guarding herself from opening up.


    I take that as a clear sign that she obviously doesn''t want to get into her personal history, and as someone with some baggage myself, it¡¯s not hard for me to accept that.


    "Alright." I return softly, "Well, be as it may, yes, I know how to cook and I''m thinking of making some nice hearty cheesy omelets for the two of us, how does that sound?"


    Aria looks up at me from staring at the floor, a silent moment passes us before she answers, ¡°Alright, sure. That sounds nice.¡±


    With that, I got to work on cracking the eggs and preparing the fillers for the omelets. Thoughts begin to swirl in my head over Aria, wondering what kind of upbringing she must have had. Both of my parents have always been with me and stuck beside me. My father left the military because he wanted to be closer to his family instead of going away so much, and my mother was always there to take care of me growing up and even taught me to cook when I asked her to.


    I wonder what may have caused Aria to become so guarded and she only has her mother in her life. Though, I try not to dwell on it too hard. Everyone has their own secrets in their life, I¡¯m no exception. I have my issues, my own problems, my own darkness.


    As I cook the omelets, flashes of that lone boy on that rainy day creep up into my mind again. The chill of the wind as it brushes against soaking wet clothes, the rain that hid the tears that fell, the lights of passing cars to illuminate the surroundings, the dull shouts of a nearby man. I feel myself sinking lower into my head, my body moving of its own accord without conscious thought, like a robot.


    A voice echoes in my head, ¡®why are you doing this? This won¡¯t make you better. This won¡¯t take away the pain of what happened. It was all your fault, and you know it. You¡¯ll never be rid of me. You¡¯ll never forget what you did.¡¯ As I start to relive that moment again in my head, the sound of a loud horn barreling down around me, something suddenly became louder.


    "Hey! That smells pretty good!"


    My mind snaps back to reality at the sound of an outsider, the dark vision fades away in an instant and I turn my head and see Aria''s face peering at the omelets I''m preparing on the stove, with a slightly bigger smile on her face than earlier. "What do you know, even though you''re a total loser, I guess you can be useful for something after all."


    Suddenly, in that moment, I felt a warmth in me that had long been cold and forgotten. Just like that, my darkened world seemed just a touch brighter, even if only a little bit.


    Aria catches my staring, and looks back at me with her own gaze before slowly shifting into a frown, "What are you staring at, creep? You better not be getting any funny ideas."


    I grit my teeth in annoyance before piping up, "Shut up, I was not. I wasn¡¯t thinking of you in that way at all!¡±


    Aria backs away from me, ¡°Whatever creep, just make sure you keep your hands and thoughts to yourself, or else I¡¯ll tell Mrs. Chavana all about you.¡±


    ¡®Never mind,¡¯ I think to myself, ¡®everything is bleak again.¡¯

 Chapter 3: A walk in the park

    "Roy! Hey man, are you good?" The sound of a familiar voice pierces through the hazy mist of my brain followed by a stern nudge delivered to my head. My eyes creak open, feeling the sting of the air around me. Bringing my red eyes to bear upon the source of the noise, slowly, like the cannons on a battleship swiveling on its platform.


    "Mark..." I said, "I¡¯m... exhausted."


    Mark stands up straight, looking down at me as I try to rest my eyes for a little bit on top of a desk during lunch period.


    A look of concern in his eyes but his lips seem to play off a comedic smile, "Yea, I can see that. What in the world happened to you? Trouble in paradise?"


    It''s Monday, the day after Aria and I moved into our apartment that was commissioned to us by the Partnership program. In case it wasn''t obvious, my first night in the new place wasn''t exactly great.


    "That girl... she... she..." I try to get the words out as Mark stares at me curiously, "she is a much more avid gamer than I would have ever given her credit for."


    I tell Mark about how last night after dinner, Aria spent the entire time playing on her console on the living room TV with the volume on loud. She persisted long after bedtime. Because of the loud noises between the sounds of the game and the sounds of her furious shouting, I couldn''t get a wink of sleep until she finally called it quits in the early morning. I even tried to step out and ask her to reduce the volume but whenever I got close, she would stare daggers into my soul which crushed my resolve and caused me to retreat into my room where I tossed and turned and tried to use my pillow for blocking the noise, but none of it worked.


    Mark could help but snicker at my story, "Damn, that''s rough. Still, never would have thought the princess was into video games like that."


    "She''s not just ''into them'', she''s a certified addict." I say as I sink back into burying my head into my arms on the desk before calmly adding, "Also, don''t call her princess."


    "Huh?" Mark replies with a puzzled look as I correct him about the nickname.


    "She hates that name. She told me as much yesterday."


    "Oh ho," He says with a nudge, "already getting close to miss popularity, are we?"


    "Not at all," I corrected him again, "still icy as ever. She just quickly corrected me when I used the nickname myself."


    Mark chuckles, "Man, you are such a poor bastard. Got to say, I don''t envy your situation."


    Something off the corner of Mark''s eye draws his attention to the doorway of the classroom. "Well, speak of the devil. Looks like you might have a visitor."


    I raise my head slightly and follow his gaze and see Aria peeking into the classroom, scanning its surroundings like she''s looking for something. Her eyes finally meet with mine and she steps calmly towards me, her expression showing that of her public persona, a cool, collected, and sweet young lady, yet when after she approaches me and Mark her tone of voice sounds anything but sweet.


    "You''re not an easy guy to track down, you know? I''ve been asking around various classmates and many of them barely even know who you are. Managed to find one classmate who vaguely remembers you being in their classroom."


    "Yea well," I reply in an exhausted tone, "I don¡¯t really have much of a presence in this school."


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell,¡± she replies, ¡°everything else I learned about you and you¡¯re a loner too. You must be one of the most isolated people I have ever met. Even an isolated tribe gets more attention than you do.¡±


    I would argue with her but honestly, I am too tired to even move right now.


    In my stead, Mark squeezes into the conversation, leaning against my desk and I already see the gears running in his head as he¡¯s about to say something I¡¯m not sure I want to hear.


    ¡°Hey Aria, I heard you gave my boy a real workout last night."


    The Worst thing he could have possibly said.


    My body tenses up as I snap my head to Mark, but quickly my attention becomes stolen by the strange sense of danger. The air becomes filled with malice and I feel it into my very bones.


    Shakily, I turn my head towards Aria, her expression doesn''t change but I can tell that behind those eyes of hers is an intent to kill.


    "Oh really?" She asks, her tone giving off a chill, "And what kind of things did he say?"


    Of course, Mark is the only one who can¡¯t read the situation, "He said you kept him up all night. Man, I never would have guessed you could be so wild, Aria, and on the first night of living together too."


    "Oh, is that so?" Her eyes narrow, piercing into my very soul. The air around her becomes dark and twisted to match the growing evil within her. At any moment now I know that she could blow up and destroy the entire city if she must, like a nuclear bomb!


    My sense of self-preservation kicks into overdrive as I start waving my arms frantically to try to defuse the situation, "No! No! I didn''t say anything of the sort, I swear! I only told him about how you really like to play video games and how last night you were playing so loud that I couldn''t really get to sleep, that''s all I said!"


    Mark''s smile grows bigger as he feels himself about to burst into laughter, "That''s right, that''s what he said, and also-"


    I rise from the desk and hurriedly press my hand to Mark''s mouth to block further noise from escaping, "Shut the hell up, you idiot!" I say with a mixture of frustration and panic in my voice, but the air of danger doesn''t disappear.


    "Go on, what were you about to say?" Her voice gets even more chilling than before, I didn''t think it was even possible to feel like you could freeze into solid ice from words alone.


    "J-Just ignore him, he''s an idiot to his core and likes to play way too many pranks on people, and not know when to stop. Feel free to ignore this pathetic creature for the rest of his currently short life."


    Mark grips my hand to move it away from his mouth, "Aw, come on man. I''m your best friend." He says playfully, still maintaining his goofy smile.


    "What you are is a moron!" I fired back quickly.


    Finally, the dark air starts to dissipate as Aria takes a step back and breathes deeply, "Well, fine, I''ll believe you for now, but only because I don¡¯t think even you are that stupid to suggest something so disgusting.¡±


    I fall back into my desk chair exhausted even further, if that''s even possible. The adrenaline of fearing for my life leaving my body. Mark delivers one last chuckle at my expense.


    "Anyways, that''s not why I was looking for you." Aria says as she tries to get everything back on track, "Mrs. Chavana wanted to see us after school today, something about getting our first assignment to do."


    I nod my head, still somewhat on edge from earlier, "Alright, I''ll make sure to be there."


    Without sparing another word, Aria glares at me briefly before turning to leave the classroom.


    Mark steps closer to me and delivers a pat on my shoulder, "Oh yea, this school year is going to be a blast." This man is a certified moron who is going to get me killed someday down the road.


    Later that day


    After that unusual episode during the lunch period and dealing with the rest of the day''s classes, Aria and I meet up in front of the counselor''s office and are soon invited inside. Mrs. Chavana sits behind her desk as usual, and we take the two chairs across from her. "Hello, you two, so how was the first night in the new place?"


    Aria shoots me that same menacing glare that makes me tense up right away, still feeling somewhat bitter over Mark''s world threatening prank during lunch time, I quickly and casually respond to Mrs. Chavana''s query, "Oh, it was fine. Yep, no issues whatsoever."


    This causes Aria to kill her glare, satisfied with my answer. "It was different from what I¡¯m used to. Still not too crazy about rooming with a boy.¡±


    Mrs. Chavana gives off a friendly smile, "I understand, Aria, but different is good. Sometimes what we need in our lives is a tiny bit of change. I know that it can feel somewhat uncomfortable having to share a space with a stranger but I''m glad you two are taking it well at least.¡±


    Mrs. Chavana leans forward in her chair, crossing her arms to rest on the surface of her desk, ¡°Anyways, I''m not here to counsel you today, I''m just here to offer up your assignment."


    Mrs. Chavana reaches into a desk drawer and picks out a small folder with our names on it and pulls out a sheet of paper that was tucked away inside it and places it on the desk in front of her. "So, for the Roy and Aria pair, your first assignment is pretty simple: a leisurely stroll through the park."


    Aria and I look at each other confusingly before returning our eyes to Mrs. Chavana, "I don''t really get it ma''am," I say to her, "why do we need to go for a walk around the park?"


    ''Well," she replies, "one of the things that have been said about the two of you from those closest, is that you two may not get out enough during your free time. I won''t go into the details right now, but we in the program feel that for your pairing, just going for a simple walk can be an enjoyable way to get outside and be a bit more active and doing it together can make the experience much more enjoyable rather than going for a walk alone."


    I sigh at her statement, of course I know it''s true for my case. Though I try to hide it, all I ever do when coming home from school is just stay cooped up in my room playing video games. I give a short glance over to Aria pondering to myself if she''s in the same boat as me.


    Yesterday, after unpacking I noticed that all she did was study and then play video games. Though we spent most of the evening together in the new place, we didn''t really converse all that much, if at all, even during dinner. Now, it gets me wondering, why a girl like her volunteered for this strange program to begin with. Perhaps going for a walk and conversing a little will help me gain a bit of insight, though then again, I''m not really too keen at sticking my nose in people''s personal business.


    After meeting with Mrs. Chavana and getting our assignment we take the bus back to the apartments, a bus specifically designated for the program students, not really an important detail, but it''s nice to have the option of having a bus meant just for us in the program.


    We both walk silently into the building and take the elevator to our floor and enter the apartment. We settle back into our independent routines. Aria goes into her room, and I go into my own, I throw my school bag to the floor and plop down onto my bed.


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    "I am so tired." I mumbled into the pillow.


    As I lay there, I think to myself how now Aria and I are expected to go for a walk through the park and have it done before the end of the week. It did cross my mind to just cheese it and just say that we did it, but I''m sure they''ll ask us questions about the walk and the cameras around the apartment could see for sure if we left to go anywhere or not. I''m sure that, for a task as simple as this there might be some way to get around having to do it, but thinking of a way is too much energy for me right now and any attempts to avoid actually accomplishing the task would be more trouble than just doing it. It''s a simple walk in the park after all, nothing complicated about it.


    I hear a knock on my door drawing my attention away from my pondering mind. I rise from the bed and approach my bedroom door to open it and see Aria standing on the other side, "What''s up?" I try to ask her casually.


    She crosses her arms and returns a casual glance to me, "So, we''re expected to take a walk through the park, like it''s some natural thing. Doesn''t it get to you even a little bit how uncomfortable this all feels? Living together and having to do these stupid little tasks."


    I nod my head, of course I agree with her completely. When I first heard of the Partnership program, I thought the whole concept was strange, thinking to myself ''It''s pretty weird for high schoolers to openly decide to just live side by side with a stranger like that'' and yet here we are, a couple of those very same people.


    "So, how do you want to do this?" she asks, referencing the assigned task.


    I scratch my chin as I relay what I''ve been thinking, "Well, we''re obligated by the program to fulfill the tasks assigned to us. I don''t see how we could feign doing them, especially with a simple task like this one, it might be more effort avoiding doing it than actually doing it. Besides, being part of this program, as strange as it is, if we''re serious about making progress towards becoming ''functioning adults¡¯, doing the tasks will be a key factor in achieving that. Isn''t that what we volunteered for?"


    Aria looks at me silently for a moment before she nods her head in agreement, "Hmm, that¡¯s unexpectedly well thought out and mature of you, I¡¯m impressed. So, I suppose we''ll just have to go along with it. We could just pull off the band-aid and just get it done and over with."


    "What, you mean right now?"


    "Yea, why not? It shouldn''t be too hard to get done. It''s just a walk after all."


    "Yea, I suppose so."


    Aria jabs a finger towards my face to draw my attention, "Let''s make this one thing clear, this is just a walk through the park. This is not a date, no funny business, and no ''I worked you hard'' nonsense."


    My face flushes red at her affirmation, "I know that! Damn, I already told you that was just Mark pulling a prank. I didn''t really say any of that."


    "I remember what you said," she says with a nod, "just wanted to make that clear anyways."


    We change from our school clothes and into more casual attire. We leave the apartment building and begin our journey towards the park. There is one not too far away from the apartment building. It boasts a walking trail, scenic trees, and even a pond where ducks like to relax in.


    "Huh," I say to myself, "this place doesn''t look half bad."


    Aria adds on, "Reminds me of the park me and my mom used to walk around at. Though I wish I was walking this with her rather than a lousy guy like you." She says it in her usual brash sort of way.


    "Sorry for being so lousy then." I say trying to dismiss her jab.


    "See, you don''t even try to defend yourself." She frowns at my dismissal, ¡°you could probably stand to be a little more assertive, what kind of man are you?¡±


    ¡°What kind of girl are you that frequently tries to give me a hard time? You¡¯re like a bully or something.¡±


    She scoffs, but she doesn¡¯t say anything else and instead she just starts walking down the path ahead of me. I sigh deeply and decide to follow suit, already wishing I was anywhere but here.


    The walk feels kind of lonely. The wind blows lazily against the trees, making the green leaves rustle together. Sounds of ducks quacking in the pond nearby, even the playful children in the playground that neighbors the park feel like a mockery against me. Aria continues to walk ahead of me, not looking back at me at all. Though I don¡¯t really mind it, it makes wondering if calling her a bully earlier had hurt her feelings.


    We walked through the whole walking trail without saying anything to each other, by the end of the walking trail it was getting into the evening time, the sun hadn''t quite touched the horizon yet.


    Aria still walked ahead of me, without looking back. She then veered off the walking path and made her way towards the pond. I watch as she picks out one of the benches on the pier overlooking the pond and settles into it.


    I didn¡¯t want to just leave her alone, so I followed suit, picking out the same bench but sitting on the further end of it.


    Not a word passes between us as we look out to the pond until finally, she broke the awkward silence.


    ¡°Am I... really a bully?¡±


    Her question catches me off guard, wondering if she really has been stuck on that this entire time. I glance at her direction for a moment before setting my sights towards the ducks floating lazily on the pond.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not a bully. Maybe I just said more than what I meant to say. I don¡¯t appreciate all the names you call me, but I also wonder, given the nature of our situation, if you lash out because of some hidden reasons not specifically targeted at me.¡±


    "You sure?" I reply nervously, "I think we''ve been here adequately enough. I could just start heading back to the apartment, maybe start getting dinner ready."


    Aria crosses her arms in front of herself, posturing defensively on the bench, ¡°It¡¯s not like I despise you or anything. At least, I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m just¡­ very uneased by everything.¡±


    I don¡¯t press her any further, I can tell she seems uncomfortable with talking. Everyone has their secrets, including myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry about earlier today, about Mark I mean. He¡¯s a good guy, he just has a very¡­ different since of humor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she replies quickly, ¡°I already said that I believed you about not saying those things. The thing though is that he said it. It makes me feel uncomfortable and disgusting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m apologizing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you that needs to apologize, idiot.¡± she heaves a frustrated sigh as she stands from the bench and walks closer to the edge of the pier, staring down at the murky water.


    I let out a deep sigh as well as I watch her distance herself from me and this conversation. Well, whatever, this is fine I suppose. It¡¯s not like we need to get along perfectly or anything anyways.


    I lay back against the bench, feeling a cool breeze brushing the nape of my neck. The silence is soothing somehow, and this bench is starting to feel very comfortable.


    ¡°Hey, Roy,¡± she calls out to me without even looking in my direction, ¡°You don¡¯t really have many friends do you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so curious?¡±


    ¡°Just an observation, but when I was looking for you earlier today it was like you didn¡¯t even exist. Hardly anyone could tell me your classroom number, what you looked like, even I started to question if you weren¡¯t just a figment of my imagination.¡±


    My eyes downcast back to my lap, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ how I always been. I kept my head down, didn¡¯t talk to anyone, didn¡¯t get involved in any events, slowly, I just disappeared from everyone¡¯s memory.¡±


    ¡°Everyone but Mark it seems.¡±


    I nod my head at her assessment, even though she can¡¯t see it with her back turned, ¡°He''s the only one who puts up with me even when he should have the good sense to leave me be. He''s practically my only friend in the whole school, my only friend period, in fact."


    ¡°I see," she says, "Well, it¡¯s not my place to judge you for your choice of friends.¡±


    ¡°He means well, honestly. He¡¯s got this idea in his head of breaking me out of my ¡®shell¡¯ this year. So, he¡¯s probably trying to introduce a little chaos in my otherwise quiet life. I¡¯m not someone like you, someone who is popular and has a mountain of friends.¡±


    "Who says I have a mountain of friends?" She quickly fires back. "Just because I''m popular, doesn''t mean I have a lot of friends. In fact, the number of genuine friends I do have I can count on one hand. People want to be close to me because I''m popular but that doesn''t make them my friends. That''s something you have to build for yourself with the people you can trust."


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s actually not a bad piece of wisdom you just gave there.¡± I replied to her. I start to feel my exhaustion returning to me, making me give out a big yawn.


    ¡°Yea, I learned pretty quickly that sometimes just because someone is close, doesn¡¯t mean you can entirely trust them.¡±


    A soft breeze passes by us again. Aria continues to stare out to the water of the pond, looking at the ducks as they quack away. I just continued to sit on the bench, not knowing how to respond to her statement. Some minutes pass, and I start to feel drowsy, my eyes becoming heavy from the silence, until I unexpectedly fall asleep.


    Slipping away into my unconscious mind once more, but the scenery is different from my usual dreams. It¡¯s here, in the blackness, where my mind is once again captured by my inner psyche.


    ¡°I''m back here again, am I?¡± I whisper to the dark void.


    "Yes, you are." A voice reaches out to me from the dark. It is soft, and sweet but carries with it a buzz of static that makes it unsettling.


    I turn around to see the shape of a kid, but I can''t make out their face, I never could. It¡¯s always shielded by a blur, a mesh of pixels that blanket the figure¡¯s features, but I know who it is. Despite not being able to see their face, I know that it¡¯s someone from my past.


    "Enjoying yourself, are you? It''s nice seeing you get closer to another person."


    "No, it''s not like that." I say to the child, but I look away nervously. I could never stay looking at them for long. A symbol of my guilt, something I can never escape.


    "Not what I''m seeing. You secretly enjoy this, don''t you? The ability to converse with someone. It''s a joy that you always punish yourself for. You choose to push people away but deep down I know that you crave connections again."


    "I said it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just¡­ out of necessity." I say in defiance to the voice, but my heart isn''t entirely in it.


    "Is it? You can¡¯t lie to me Roy. You were always a bad liar. Mark, for example, he''s a good friend to you. You could have pushed him away a long time ago and yet you keep in touch. You''re clinging on to something, the part of you that wishes you could be in the light again. Don''t be afraid, it''s not a bad thing." The image says, though the words sound supportive, in my ears it only sounds like it''s mocking me.


    "Just¡­ leave me alone."


    "Why do you keep trying to run?"


    ¡°Because¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    "Leave him be, he''s a lost cause." Another voice rips through the darkness.


    My head turns to meet another figure in the darkness, this one is another child, and its face also hidden in a blur. This one represents something else, something darker. Its voice carries the same scratch, but the sound is deeper.


    "He wants to be alone. He only clings onto that last shred of friendship because he wants to torture himself. He doesn¡¯t want to forget. Right, Roy? Don''t you remember? That night... in the cold rain?"


    Flashes of light appear before my eyes, like the passing of cars in the soaking wet rain. It causes me to flinch, and instinctively shake away the memory, "Please, will you two just stop jerking me around. You¡¯re both wrong.¡±


    "We can¡¯t both be wrong Roy,¡± says the first voice, ¡°but we can both be right. You need to stop running away from us, running away from facing the truth."


    "You know I''m right, Roy.¡± speaks the second voice, ¡°Just embrace what you truly want. You want to be completely and utterly alone, but you believe that you deserve nothing but to vanish, completely."


    This back and forth is starting to play havoc on my mind, I feel a sense of panic beginning to envelope me, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I-¡°


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to face us one day, Roy. You can¡¯t run away for forever.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying I¡¯m running away!¡±


    ¡®But you are running!¡± Shouts the second voice, ¡°but that¡¯s fine, go ahead. Continue to be a coward.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ shut up.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t silence us, Roy.¡± Interjects the first voice, ¡°We¡¯ll never leave you, not until you face us. Face who you are.¡±


    "I said shut up!" I scream into the darkness, which shatters apart what little light was left leaving nothing to see, not even the two figures from before until I suddenly open my eyes wide in a panic. My breath heavy from the strain.


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± I hear a voice calling to me, a weight pressing against my shoulder.


    I turn my head and see Aria placing a hand on my shoulder, with a concerned look on her face, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You fall asleep and now you look like you¡¯re having a panic attack.¡±


    I don¡¯t answer her for a moment, all I can feel is my heart racing and my breath heavy. However, I try to get myself under control. It was just a dream. Just a stupid dream again.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m okay, just a nightmare.¡± I answer her, not revealing what it was about.


    ¡°Do you suffer from night terrors or something? Your reaction was scary, even for me.¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that. I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Aria sighs heavily, I¡¯m not sure if she bought it, but she seems content enough to not press any further, after all, it¡¯s not really her business.


    "Honestly, who the hell just passes out like that in the middle of a conversation?" She releases her hand from my shoulder and stands up from the bench.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just ¡®pass out¡¯,¡± I answer her, ¡°I feel asleep because I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Didn¡¯t get much sleep last night?¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± I tell her as I stand up from the bench, stretching my body, not wanting to fall asleep again, ¡°because of you I wasn¡¯t able to sleep.¡±


    Aria glances at me for my accusation before putting the pieces together. ¡°Oh, because of my late-night gaming, huh? Sorry about that. I¡¯m usually so used to staying up late, even on school nights, because of certain reasons¡­¡±


    "It''s fine." I say even though I know it''s not, I didn''t want her to feel that bad about it.


    "Well, if you say so. Though it was pretty annoying having to sit here and wait for your sorry ass to wake up."


    Her jab at calling me a ''sorry ass'' rubbed me wrong and caused me to snap at her a bit, "Hey! It''s because of you I fell asleep on the bench in the first place."


    Aria turns to look at me, but instead of being annoyed or appearing combative, she looked at me with an apologetic smile. "Yea, I know, but I¡¯m glad you actually spoke up about it."


    ¡®What?¡¯ I think to myself, ¡®What does she mean by that?¡¯


    As if to notice my confused expression, she answers, ¡°Can¡¯t really change anything if you¡¯re always so apologetic and passive about everything. So, next time you have a problem with something, just be a man and speak up about it, and don¡¯t apologize for things that aren¡¯t your fault.¡±


    This was unnerving, is Aria actually giving me advice? I shudder at the idea of it as she usually just insults me about everything I do. Though I notice her taking a deep breath as though she were trying to relax herself, maybe she was struggling with something inside herself as well. Which reminds me that I never got to ask why she volunteered for the program, but maybe that can be a conversation for another day. After all, I¡¯m not ready to share my reasons either.


    ¡°So!¡± She announces with a clap of her hands, ¡°Now that our assignment is over, lets get back to the apartment and you can cook us up some dinner, because I am starving.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I answer her, slowly moving to stand at her side as we make our way back to the apartments, ¡°Can you at least do the dishes though?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±