God is a Woman

ACT 13

ACT 13

The walk back to the house was quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. Hands held and fingers intertwined, the pair silently took delight in the warmth the innocent touch made them both feel. Regardless of the sweet kiss they both shared under the bridge, the two of them acted as if they were out on their first date and that they were experiencing their first hand-holding with another person.

Talking, comforting and kissing underneath a bridge was as cliché as it could get, but neither of them would have it in any other way. Though the dreadful feeling of facing Faey again, and maybe even their mother, was still fleeting in her mind, Akali managed to keep herself somewhat relaxed.

Unlike the day when she left three years ago, Akali knew that if things didn't go the way she was hoping for, then she wouldn't be alone this time. At least when she steps out of her old home whether she's on good terms with her family or not, someone would be there to walk along with her.

"Akali?"

"Yeah?" Akali immediately turned her head away from the storefront she was absently looking at, focusing her eyes on her company.

"When you were young," Evelynn started, seemingly in the middle of contemplating if what she was going to ask would be alright. "did you... ever feel alone?"

The question itself carried quite the weight, but all Akali did was tilt her head and ask, "Don't you have memories of my memories? Even the ones when I was a kid?"

"I do, but whenever I look back to the ones I know, you were always alone. Just drawing to yourself."

Evelynn had told her more than one time that she could remember everything about her, so it somewhat saved Akali from telling her all about herself. But, being asked all these questions and being able to actually tell her the particular details of the story of her past was a nice feeling. It was a welcomed change of pace.

"Drawing was something that made me feel like I'm surrounded by a lot of people. And by people, I mean my drawings." Akali replied with a chuckle. "It's probably why I kept drawing you when I was a kid."

Evelynn held back a chuckle. "I started off as a stickman with a triangle skirt."

Akali's face reddened. "I was, what, six? Seven? Give me a break!"

"I know, I know." Evelynn said, hiding her smile with her other hand. "Thinking about your memories, sometimes I wonder if some are real."

Akali's eyebrows furrowed, confused. "What do you mean? They're memories, aren't they? They're supposed to be real."

"It's just that when I think about your old memories, I... I remember ones that involved you talking to me."

"What about them?"

Evelynn turned her head, offering a small smile. "If what I remember of your memories are true, then that means you treated me as your imaginary friend when you were growing up."

At the mention of that, flashes of such momentarily occupied her mind. A pinch of embarrassment and a touch of redness on her cheeks, Akali smiled sheepishly as she gave a little laugh. "Now that you brought that up, I guess I kinda forgot about that."

"Maybe I do have a few bits and pieces of a childhood." Evelynn murmured, smiling when she recalled the memory of a young Akali hiding underneath the blankets with a flashlight and a comic book. While she read the comic, she spoke with not herself, but with Evelynn, who she always pretended was present with her.

There were even times when Akali would split her twin popsicles into two and while she ate one, the other ended up melting on the pavement and she always reasoned to herself that Evelynn was just a messy eater.