Amson, 17, "The Other Mind"

Tora and I sat face-to-face, myself seated on her bed while she slumped backwards in her office chair. She tried ridding herself of the tears, but evidence showed along every aspect of her being. Her eyes were stained in a weak red, and the little makeup she'd applied around her eyes still ran fresh down her face, staining the top of her white t-shirt and making her collarbone visible through the fabric. Not only her body but her demeanor, her speech, and the air about the room showed that she was in some form of distress.

Regardless of what it might've been, it was none of my business, hence why I decided to tread carefully, much more carefully than I had before. I sat away from her, maintained direct yet open eye contact, and kept my hands where she could see. All of this, to ensure that she would at least continue communication, eventually leading into an opportunity to ask her whilst heightening the odds that the response would be favorable to myself.

Such was the power of the liar.

"I shouldn't have pried so much, Tora." I said, warm yet apologetic. "I'm sorry; You know I mean that much."

"It's not your fault, Amson." She sniffled. "I-I should never have said what I said."

I took a cold water bottle that sat along her desk and handed it to her, hoping she'd, at the very least, be strong enough to grasp it. She did, and she softly brought it to her lips, a small silence ensuing. I took the moment to look about the room, the perfect method of making conversation and lightening the mood, though slightly. At this phase of communication, it was best to avoid asking the question that'd linger in anyone's brain: "What happened?"

Such a simple question, but results are often not as simple.

Along the walls, were various trophies and memorabilia, each from a different sport or outdoor activity. Hunting, Volleyball, Basketball; you name it, she won gold in it. Not only was it impressive but nearly impossible if she weren't herself, a sports junky in every sense of the word.

The topic of hunting would have to be excluded for the duration of our interaction, insinuating something that'd very recently given her distress with some thought. It would be in my favor not to assume she wouldn't think that deeply.

"You never fail to impress me..." I said, still looking around as if I hadn't before. "When are all of these from? Similar time frames?"

"They're all from high school." She wiped at her eyes. "We replaced them after our team won the championship in freshman year."

"So there were more." I laughed a bit.

My eyes returned to her with a awe ridden smile along my face, but as we made eye contact again, her eyes traced my face, averting.

"Your face..." She started.

Divert.

"It's nothing." I said with haste.

Still, she wouldn't back down.

"N-No it's not." She stood, rubbing her soft hands along my cheek. "It'll get infected if we don't do anything."

"Trust me." I insisted, gently grabbing and guiding her hand away from my face. "I'm fine."

She was persistent, and that persistence had killed the entire flow of my conversation. The best option would to be to divert her attention from her faults, whether they made me angry or not. In the long run, they would lead into the overarching objective.

I got outside of my own head and looked into her eyes as I'd forgotten to let go of her arm. This close, her eyes shone, fresh tears intensifying their light. She looked into mine, pursed her lips, and glanced at my lips. I froze, and I think some of my true expression showed, that of disgusted confusion.

'What the hell is happening, right now?' I thought as she stared into my eyes, unmoving.

I let go of her, and she stormed off, her face flushed in red.

"I-I'll go get you some bandages." She stammered, avoiding any contact with my eyes as she exited the room and leaving the door open behind her.

I sat, unsure of what to do with myself after the strange encounter. It wasn't common to not have a reaction like I did, and even with my face, I wasn't able to adapt. Soon, she returned, a full box of bandages in hand. I sat in the same position as she'd left me, nearly too frightened to look at her. She knelt down before me, opening the fresh box and peeling the plastic covering off the bandage.

"S-Stay still." She said, looking into my eyes again.

The look was as if wishing that I would reciprocate, but I evaded my gaze, unable to bring my eyes to her for some god forsaken reason. This wasn't how this interaction was supposed to go; I needed to steel myself.

"I am still." I said, trying to make my unnerved face straight.

She laughed at me, pulling away the tape that was already half attached to my face. I winced in pain as she nearly rolled over, her hands covering her stomach.

"The hell's so funny?" I said, trying to hold back my offense.

"You, that's what." She said, stopping herself and sniffing. "You remind me of my brothers."

Now, I was offended.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I challenged, only receiving more playful back-and forth.

"It means you act all big all the time, but when you're in the heat..." She sat next to me a smug grin on her face.

"You're saying I'm a bitch."

"I never said that." She joked, holding her hands up as if relieving her accountability. "Your words."

"You know what, fuck you."

She only laughed, grasping the box of bandages with a gradually loosening grip. She jumped on me, wrapping her arms around me as I panicked. This was it, she intended to bear hug me, killing me slow yet surely. With her advantage, all I could do was submit, accepting my inevitable fate.

"Thank you." Tora whispered, squeezing me tighter.

She nuzzled her face into my side, and after a few moments of apprehension, I reciprocated, my arms along her back.

"What for?" I said, rubbing her back lightly and carefully.

"Nothing." She said, the vibrations of her light chuckle able to be felt throughout my abdomen. "Nothing at all."