Chapter Theme Music: Inevitable Retribution ~ Solar Empire OST145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdurzjElGkX
<06/27/2011 - 17:00 | 1010 Link Street, Marietta, GA, USA>
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEA98ig3iz
Despite where I landed last week, I managed to keep the smallest spark of hope alive inside me. As the days went on, I only became more unhinged, more volatile, and more desperate for interaction. There was one more aspect to my loneliness I forgot to consider until now. During my time with Lumina, I started out trying to make new school friends, the kind I could in theory hang out with over the summers.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk4Me3OwGa
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7134UF1se
Instead, as I grew more attached to Lumina, I gradually ignored the idea of having side-friends entirely. It's not just Lumina that I'm isolated from. This summer, I'm completely and totally on my own without a soul to talk to, which hasn't gone over well with how I've been handling these emotions spilling out of me.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPvx8NWUNM
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa783pXJ3U
Just going outside has become more challenging now. The very sight of the sun makes my entire body cringe from top to bottom, three times as much if I'm feeling the heat. Even that disgusting summer smell of burning asphalt sends my mind into the menacing nightmare I'm living through, over and over again.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXtVMoE8IH
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bmHEWfuo1
The UAD attacks have not stopped either; they've only gotten much worse and more frequent now. A few neighbors saw me enter one when I was out on a walk the other day, and my mother and Ivan witnessed another one while I was inside the house. I'm still stuck trying to explain to them that it was only dehydration, for the sake that I'd rather summarize and lie to them about it than tell the truth. They would never understand anyway. Not one member of my family would understand most things about me, or if they did, they would never accept it at least.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvVkY0w1AQ
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3G2rqETSO
Today however, I'm not focused on UAD. All I care about is trying to fast-forward the time by as quickly as possible. I've come up with an interesting idea to try something. Even though some small part of me couldn't stand them in the past, I'm currently trying to reach out and get in contact with some of the acquaintances that I made in my last grade. My phone was open and ready to work through calls as I stood in the blazing heat, wanting to go home while enduring the pain for the sake of privacy.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUY18qyX4vA
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB00NGhWXH
I can complain all I want, but I've managed to save some of the phone numbers of the girls I hung out with in class. I may not be much of a talker, but I'll say and do anything to help get my mind away from the chaos within. Scrolling through my contacts list, the first number I dialed was Banarus. I nervously held the phone up to my ear, waiting on her to pick up.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka4CegNk3V
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6mhyAIBId
"Hello? Who is this?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD5cxu4vX7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3Klp6CRyc
I knew that voice, and it was actually refreshing to hear again. "Banarus! It's me Reed."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTZu6UnB96
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyf2V8vvHaZ
"Reed! What's up? You never call me, so something must be up."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc1mS0GFDY
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAw5uyDBCC
Without letting the phone hear it, I smacked my face into my other hand. What am I thinking? I don't know what to say! "Uh, well... I guess I just wanted to talk to someone. I mean, there are things I want to talk about?" I'm not even making sense! I'm sweating twice as much now.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeL9AskFrF
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTwDDPiDtT
"Well this is weird. I've got a moment to listen, but only for a few minutes."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9i6Mmexyt
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjw9trZZw9b
Despite my rapid breathing, I let a single sigh through the speaker, trying to calm myself down. I know why I'm so nervous; it has nothing to do with me talking to Banarus. It's the things I want to talk about that have me so spritzed up. "You ever feel like things just don't go right in life?" Now I'm beating around the bush, but I have no choice. The one person I want to talk about is Lumina, and I can't just do that with anybody... But maybe I can.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KFy9JmmLE
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y453ChUFd
"You mean like with everybody every day?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2RRZ0MpnK
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX078KEMCUh
"I'm talking about complicated, stupid stuff. Things that are important, but also things I can't really get into."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoadwGCuAP
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25Aq7oGcvV
"I mean, if you can't talk about it, then I can't give you any advice... Look, I have important homework to do, and I'm going out to eat in an hour. I have to go."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4hYlHtU7T
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOMDpCxgyz
My mouth hung open, but I didn't bother trying to stop her from hanging up. No amount of speed would have stopped her anyway. I don't know exactly what I said just now, but I'm sure I freaked her out a little... Time to try Ashly.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcwXsBBLFq
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHY89oYUi1
After another few rings I heard Ashly pick up, speaking before she could. "Hey, Ashly! How ya been? I'm calling to see if I can ask you some things or talk about other things. You got time?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oAHgPOxp7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXjiyRtcUP
"Um, I guess?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xuu8xXJIp
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZT3JmcPO5
"Great." I'll just gradually lead into what I want to say. I don't want to sound crazy, but somebody has to know about this. I must share our story with somebody, so that I may have one to talk to about it. "It's a bit of a tough spot to start. Okay, hypothetical question first, and you don't have to be right or wrong. If you were trapped in a very hot place and wanted to be cold, and couldn't leave, what would you do? Please, give me something!"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjSGwW3Upr
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5gfni5aI9
"What am I, on a game show or something? That's a random thing to call for."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16ac4kFhEv
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XE923GJD1
"No, listen," I snapped. "I just really need help with something. I'm trying to figure out what the right thing to do is, and I don't know anymore."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡey95SbCYH7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGu13IjQTNH
"What's this about?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0xmASHMlF
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4WI96C7Cw
"I don't know how to say it, I mean, it would take me forever to even try. Look, it's hard to talk about. But it's important; there are important people. Got an impossible situation. Am I making any sense?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0bY94rECf
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4na1dvaZ7w
"...I want whatever you're taking... But I'm sorry. I have to get back to what I was doing now. We'll talk about it later."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j0uSyB5nj
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPX0l55ylL
I wanted to scream, yell, and wail through this phone for being ignored yet again, but I didn't argue with Ashly trying to hang up either. Just great! I can't go two seconds without sounding so nervous. I'm not sure if Lumina is actually okay or not, so it's a lot harder than normal to talk about her in any regard. Without further ado, the girl who now thinks I'm taking fun pills hung up on me as well.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdocg369g5b
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsGVPselmW
I'm not calling my ex, so there's only one more number to try. I once again waited for the phone to be answered, hoping I would be taken seriously this time. "Maddison."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa33tmYF8be
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi8Ph9vm1c
"Is that you Reed?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbwSmUWvjY
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJbFOPiXUB
"It is." I can't be surprised she knew the number. I actually was given Maddison's number when I walked into her in the neighborhood; this neighborhood. Turns out she moved into it this year like I did, further down the road. "I had an interesting question for you." I first need to find out how a person like Maddison would take the news about such a world wonder. "What's your thought on aliens? I mean, what do you think about the whole distant life thing?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFG3KCjt9h
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDJ7eY6xGL
"Meh. I don't know."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpX23ShcNN7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBV2slSC2n
Way to buzz through me Maddison. I forgot she doesn't usually care about much. "You could at least try to give it thought."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoRvJ86U6W
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5WA1EQNh7
"I'm trying to find something to watch right now. Nothing good is on today."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26Nkq81r1E
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT4I5VsUdB
"Anything on there about traveling the world without any money?" I already know the answer, but I might as well ask.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldGq1HY6sd
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bv9BYXIz0
"No, just dumb cartoons and stuff. I think my cat is more entertaining at the moment."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9B11ugVFp
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBOT5hAXsy
"Dammit!" I whispered my frustration into the phone, making certain Maddison would hear me... But she isn't saying anything. Not an 'Oh, what's wrong?' or 'Did something happen?' She started mouthing off about useless facts about her cat, and it made me want to barf.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlkalw6aND
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4dMWBEKHK
"You know, I'm not really having the best day."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsklyVPQYEz
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87XTNatZtf
"Sorry to hear that."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhX1LX4VfW
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUrIeMlWUU
I waited in more silence, expecting something else. I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm getting the vibe that Maddison could care less about a single aspect of me. "Aren't you at least curious as to why?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0V0cAhx4l
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpSxHKRVzF
"I don't know. Did you want to talk about it or something?"145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBvwvRaFU9
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ECzSdISRf
Did I want to talk about it? No, I only called on the phone for no stupid reason. Come on, Maddison! At least pretend to care. "It's a hard thing to talk about." That's not what I wanted to say, but I can't seem to just get it out. I wonder if other men have advice on telling people their girlfriend is an alien, though I doubt I'd find anybody like that.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYBp8y3npo
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVo1VceFME
"So then don't."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAXhyIL7a1
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz3XwTDyOD
"Don't talk about it?" I asked the same question in my mind too, confused by the sheer stupidity of her response. I've been trying to have no part in small talk. I only want to talk about Lumina. That's the freaking reason I'm calling up all these people; to try my best, but this isn't working.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfVUdMon0D
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSXTmUvOsd
"Or do. Up to you."145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1t18l0ulP
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknDpSKoeOc
My expression zeroed out, this time with me making the long pause. I was far from impressed, too annoyed to say anything more. Her solution is to do or don't do anything. So carefree and laidback. I can already guess what her response would be if I did reveal that secret to her. She'd shrug her shoulders and move on with her life. Some friend! I pressed the red button, causing the phone to beep and hang up. I wasn't going to answer back if Maddison did decide to figure out what happened.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs2x6yQUPO
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUPoQ1we8h
Of course, minutes later as I let this fester inside me, my phone didn't buzz back. Maddison wasn't even concerned that I hung up on her, which means I rank as zero on her mind despite all the tiny little funny things we talked about on occasion. So that's it then. None of the people I hung out with have a single care about me in the world. I would have at least accepted some kind of conversation, but nobody cares. I should have never trusted them to begin with!145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7Kcvsq9kw
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnVWYgMwaE
I was angry enough go pound sand, and my whole body was visibly shaking at what I've just learned. I've never really had any friends to begin with. They just go along to get along, ignoring me when I need someone to talk to most. Resisting the powerful urge to slam my phone to the sidewalk, I instead stared up at the clear, bright blue sky incinerating my retinas with the strong radiance. The only friend I've ever had was Lumina, but thanks to this blazing inferno, all of my powers are fully disabled. I can't speak to her until it gets cold again, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg7cGUVCac
