SERENITY

CHAPTER 11

**Simon.

-Hey, where are you going? Aren't we going home together?, Apollo says to Carlo, a little surprised that he got up to leave so suddenly.

-I have a date with Coraline, I'll be back late, he replies nonchalantly as he leaves and I feel my heart sink, why am I reacting like this?

-Shall we go, baby?, I hear Apollo say to Cynthia.

-Mmm, she mutters, almost asleep.

-Well guys I take my girl and leave, as you can see she is almost asleep!

-Good night guys!, Ricky, Cornelia and I say to them at the same time.

We watch them walk away hugging each other.

-Oh, what a sweet couple they are!, Ricky says as he stands up and stretches.

-It's true!, Cornelia agrees with him. And if you know all their back story, it makes it even sweeter!

-It is as if Apollo has saved Cynthia! These two will be together forever, mark my words!

-I wish, she says and gets up from her seat.

They both turn and look at me, who don't make a move to get up.

-Come on! Get up, you lazy brat! Time to go home.

-Don't you want to stay a little longer?, I say to her and she realizes that something is wrong.

Ricky on the other hand doesn't understand anything and just stands there and yawns, I reckon he'll start whining in 3, 2, . . .

-Come on, guys, are we going, what's it gonna be? I'm so tired.

I see a nervous smile forming on Cornelia's face. Luckily she has her back turned to Ricky and he can't see her. I know she loves him very much, but when he doesn't have a sense of what's going on around him, he pisses her off beyond belief and there are quite a few times when that happens. I see her take a deep breath and then answer him.

-We'll stay a little longer, but you go and rest, Ricky.

-Okay guys, good night!, he says with a tired smile.

-Good night!, we say to him at the same time and he starts walking away.

As soon as he disappears from our sight, Cornelia comes and sits next to me.

-Hey! What's wrong?, she says and nudges me on the shoulder.

-I don't know but I really don't feel good.

Don't know or don't want to admit it? The voice inside my head says. I have nothing to admit at all! I answer and our familiar battle begins. Your feelings say otherwise, she answers. Which ones? I don't have such! I talk back. You are inside me and you know it very well, everything died after that night. Which night of all? The one you caught your father with that man or the other the most adventurous? My mind continues its sick game.I put my face in my hands and try to swallow the tears that threaten to appear. Why now? Why in front of Cornelia? I love her so much, she's the person we're closest to in the group, she's my sun, a thing like Apollo is to Cynthia, but I haven't talked to her about that night either. I try to bury it inside me and forget it, but it keeps coming back again and again even though a year has passed.

-Hey! Everything will be fine, silly!, she says tenderly and takes me in her arms. You pushed yourself today and it just came out that way, that's all.

I lie on her tail and she strokes my hair without speaking. If there's one thing I love about her it's that she doesn't pressure me to talk and our silence is the most relaxing thing in the world. I can sit for hours with her like I do now, just stroking my hair and taking my thoughts away. Only she can calm my mind, a mind that is sick. I don't know how much time may have passed when I turn around and look at her. She lifts her head that had been turned back and looks at me with her big blue eyes. Her red, long and fluffy hair falls to the left and right on her shoulders. She's waiting for me to talk.