Aphmau MyStreet: Searching Hearts

Ep 10: Can We Try Again?

While Aphmau, Melissa and Garroth were at the park, Travis decided to use this opportunity to talk to Katelyn. He knew that he needed to talk to her sooner or later. Why not get it out of the way as soon as possible? Just rip it off like a band aid. 

Travis walked up to Katelyn's door and took a deep breath. He rang the door bell and waited. 

After a few seconds, Travis began to second guess himself. "Maybe she's busy. I guess I can always come back another time. Tomorrow? Yeah, That's right, tomorrow. I'll just do that. She probably doesn't want to look at me right now, anyway."

He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

Just as he was about to turn back around, he heard the door open behind him, freezing him in his tracks. 

"Travis?"

He slowly turned around to look Katelyn in the eye. There was no getting out of this one.

"H-Hey, Katelyn. Can we talk?" He said. 

"U-Uh, yeah." Katelyn said. "Come in."

Travis walked in the house, feeling like he was about to faint. 

They made their way over to the sofa.

"Kawaii-Chan's off at work, so it's just you and me. What did you want to talk about?"

Travis took a deep breath. "Katelyn?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about me?"

"What?"

Travis looked over at Katelyn. "Ever since Starlight, I kinda feel as though some of what happened is my fault. He was in my head, controlling me. I tried to stop it. I tried to gain control of myself again, but I couldn't stop it."

Katelyn wanted to interrupt him, to tell him that none of what happened was his fault. But she knew that it was going to have to wait for later.

"I can't help but feel that if I had done more to, that I could've been able to stop what he did. But I was too weak. I was scared that you would see me differently after all of this. That you would see me as a monster. I mean, there was one in my head. Does that make me a monster by association?"

He tried blink back his tears.

Katelyn didn't say anything for a few moments. Thinking that she was judging him, Travis looked down out of shame. What he didn't expect was to feel her grab his hand.

"Travis. Do I need to remind you that I was controlled too. By the same monster you associate yourself with." She said.

After not hearing a response from him, Katelyn kept going. "I sometimes feel the guilt of the things I blindly did to my friends. That I don't deserve friends like them anymore. But you want to know what helps me?"

Travis blinked blankly in response. 

"I remember that it wasn't me who did those things. I remember that if it was me controlling my body, I would never have done those things to my friends. And I can assure you that Garoth feels the same. He'd never do any of what he did on his own."

Travis finally looked back at her with tears in his eyes. Katelyn smiled at him, her eyes welling up.

"I know who you are, Travis. You're funny, sensitive, kind, stupid, determined, and a pansy. It wasn't you who did that back on Starlight. There was nothing you could've done to stop it, and even if there was, I don't care. I just care that you're back with me, Travis. That you're safe. You never would've done what he did."

Tears were falling down both their faces as they embraced each other tightly. 

"Thank you, Katelyn." Travis whispered. 

"You would've done the same." She said.

After a moment, they broke away and wiped away each others tears. 

"You want to go out tonight? Maybe refresh your mind after last night." Katelyn suggested.

"I'd love to." Travis said. "Hey! Wait, did you call me a pansy a second ago?!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. You have me confused with someone else."

"No, wait! I'm not a pansy! I'm a man!"

Katelyn began to smile and chuckle to herself as she got up from the couch. "Hey, I never said that being a pansy was a bad thing. Just ask anyone else, I'm sure they'd agree with me."

"What are you talking about?! Do you know what they guys would say to me?! Especially Dante! I'd be a wimp in his eyes."

"Oh, I just remembered. Lucinda asked me to get her some of those cookies that she really likes. So... I'm just... gonna go out now. Bye!"

Katelyn ran out the door towards laughing a local bakery with Travis tailing behind her, yelling "KATELYN, GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT A PANSY AND YOU WILL TELL ME I'M NOT! HOW AM I A PANSY?!"