Backstitch

Chapter 20

Author's Note:

JK, ended up using the segment I had written before that's posted on "New Excerpts." 

Thanks to my dear friend, 

I have stuck with the other plot and managed to salvage it. It turned out pretty well, and how I had initially planned on writing it out. And since I'm too excited to post it, I did the bare minimum of checking for grammatical errors and fixing any run-on sentences. So, I apologize in advance that the grammatical part of this chapter is not up to par with my other ones. Please let me know when you find a mistake so I can fix it.

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Thinking about meeting with the department days ago was a lot different compared to thinking about it the day of. Lou bounced his leg absentmindedly, eyes going back over the papers on his desk. He should have memorized it at this point with how long he's stared at them. "You'll do fine." Ox stepped into his side view, placing a folder down. "You've got the whole town behind ya."

"Not the whole town," Lou muttered dryly.

"Well, you've got me. I hope that's enough for ya."

The nervous energy in his leg ceased. He looked at Ox, up and down, noting the bite in what was said. Lou sighed, facing forward again and leaning back in the chair, "What happened to us?"

"The factory happened." Ox fiddled with the folder, thumbing through the papers. "I'm sorry, Lou. I...I keep tellin' myself to move on, but—" he sighed, "you've already got responsibilities to take care of. So do I. We don't have time to dwell on the past."

"Speak for yourself," Lou mumbled. He closed his eyes, relishing the silence and the fact that it was just him and Ox again. Just like it used to be. "I guess I have a lot of time on my hands. Enough time to...dwell on everything that happened years ago. Nitpicking everything I did wrong...everything I could have done to keep you here. You would've been trapped, regardless, but neither of us would have been alone."

Ox was quiet for a few minutes. Lou found himself not complaining about the silence. As long as Ox was here, what more did he need? "What good would it have done?" He finally spoke. "To have me recycled and made a Pretty Doll? I would have been allowed to leave then."

Lou opened his mouth, no words coming out for a second. His eyes slowly watered as he stared ahead. "I don't know," he whispered. His mind searched for something. Some sick reason he could remember having at that moment. But there wasn't any. There had been only fear...anger...jealousy...betrayal. But despite his feelings, nothing justified what he had aimed to accomplish that day. Lou lowered his head to stare at his hands, tears falling down, "I don't know," he repeated quietly.

The bunny stared at him for a long moment. He patted Lou's leg and gathered the papers together, "You'll do fine. You're the smartest person I know, after all."

Lou didn't feel like accepting the compliment. Too many adjectives were taunting him. None of them are good. "You must not know a lot of people."

Ox tutted, "Dumb blonde."

"Ugly bunny."

They shared a look, smiles breaking their character. Ox surprised the doll by hopping onto his lap and enveloping him in a hug, "You're also the most annoyin', dramatic, sensitive person I know."

"Thank you for summing that up," Lou replied sarcastically. He hugged the bunny back, regardless. "I love you too, you ignorant, loud, harsh little bunny." A tear dripped onto Ox's back, "I-I'm sorry...again...for everything I did to you."