Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Vive Les Artisans II [love in paradise mix] 
December 24, 2029 
"Any other year, I'd be buried in the snow right now." Kat sat with her legs crossed on the beach. The sun was out, with few clouds in the sky. She took a sip from her fruity drink. 
"Truthfully, I'd never even seen snow until I came to Tokyo. It's only ever snowed a handful of times here." Carrie sat in a chair beneath an umbrella next to Kat. 
"I wouldn't even guess it was Christmas Eve if no one told me. Everyone back in the Big T must be freezing their bums off. I don't envy them one tiny bit." 
"Hey, hey!" Natalia appeared, an inner tube around her waist. "You guys wanna come take a dip with me? The water feels great!" 
"Sure, gimme a few minutes to finish up my drink. Wanna join in, Care Bear?" Kat asked. 
"I'm alright here. I want to get a bit of sunbathing in." Carrie replied. 
"You feeling OK? Your back's not acting up, is it?" 
"It's manageable. I'm okay so long as I'm under the umbrella." 
"The water's really nice today. And the salt can sooth your back if it's hurting. Pleeeease?" Natalia asked. 
"Suppose I can come in for a moment. Be a little gentle with me, won't you?" 
"We'd never be anything but with our prized jewel. Right, Hoodsie?" Kat asked. 
"Right! Nice and comfy and relaxing! Let's go pay Poseidon a visit!" Natalia skipped away towards the water. 
"Are we sure she hasn't been replaced by an alien? I know I've said this a lot, but I'm still amazed that she's the same girl you had to drag out of her room the first week." 
"I'm in awe of it myself. Seeing her happy makes all the strife worth it. Spending time with your best friend becomes that much more enriching." Carrie replied. 
"Best friends, huh. It's a nice feeling." 
Carrie gave Kat a pensive look. "Wishing Barbara was here?" 
"Well, yeah. Her mom wanted them to be around her family, and I totally get that after her dad basically held everyone hostage for years. But I was already feeling guilty about not spending as much time with her. And I know she would've loved the opera house here. Y'know how Hoodsie was super jealous about how much time we were spending together? Barbie'd never say it, but..." 
"You should definitely make time for her when we return to Tokyo. The happiest I've seen her is whenever she gets to sing a duet with you. Remember the karaoke box we visited last year? You and her should have a night there, just the two of you." 
"That'd be sweet. I don't want her to feel lonely, especially since..." Kat paused. "Anyway, I've gotta remember to call her up later. We exchanged gifts before we headed for home and tonight would be prime time to open them. Seven-hour time difference, and all that." 
"Yoo-hoo, girlies! Spicy gossip's spicier in the sea! Come, come!" Natalia waved. 
"That how that works? Well, can't fault that logic. Ladies first." Kat said. 
Carrie giggled, and took Kat's hand. "Together, then." 
The girls got in the water. "I can't believe this is where you live, Care. How do you ever get the will to leave?" Natalia asked. 
"It truly is a paradise, but it's such a small area that there's only so much you can do before it becomes too familiar. Especially if you aren't old enough for the casino." Carrie replied. 
"But the beach is a different story, huh?" Kat asked. 
"Yes. It's such a lovely view of the ocean, but more than that, it's an important place to my family." 
"Your parents met here, didn't they?" Natalia asked. 
"That's right. I've corrected people in the past about how I'm not French, but that isn't entirely true. I was born here, yes, but Mama and Auntie were originally from Marseilles. Papa came from Lille." 
"That's right next to the border with Belgium. It's not all that far from Bruges. I've been a couple of times with my parents." 
"So what brought them down this way?" Kat asked. 
"Their passions, same as always. Papa was measuring the water temperature around the Mediterranean. Something that he would do once a year, to document any changes. And Mama, the ever-dedicated mineral fanatic, was on her own quest around the sea, expanding her personal collection. So Papa has his equipment in the water, and he's taking the temperature. When he's done, he walks back to shore, and he trips on something in the sand. He's understandably annoyed, so he picks the object up, and it's a gray crystal. He moves to toss it into the water, when all of a sudden, Mama runs up to him and yells, 'Stop! That's polyhalite! Do you know how rare the crystals are?!' And Papa griped back, 'You realize you're yelling at me over fertilizer, right?'" 
"That might be the geekiest exchange I've ever heard." Kat responded. 
"The ensuing debate over the practical uses of evaporites eventually turned into a dinner invitation. Two years to the day after that fateful meeting, they were wedded on this very beach. They loved the area so much that they made their home here. My uncle is an architect, and he built the manor from the ground up. For a decade after, it was paradise. And then, when that unspeakable day came...the decision of where to spread their ashes was a simple one. This is where their life together began, and so this is where they would remain for eternity." Carrie got silent. 
"Care...?" Natalia uttered. 
"You all must tire of hearing me pine over losing my parents. They've been gone now for longer than I had them. I live in a tropical paradise. And I have all of you. Most would be envious of all that I have, yet still, here I am mourning for what I don't have. It must seem so absurd." 
"No one's gonna judge you for missing your parents, Care. Having a nice life doesn't take away your right to grieve. We're not here to roll our eyes. Hoods and I are here to make this a happy Christmas. You know by now you can share your true self with us, OK?" Kat said. 
"...yeah. That's right. My girls make everything good just from being around. Thanks, Kitten. Thanks, Nat." 
"You're so welcome, Care~." Natalia replied. 
"....." Kat paused. 
".....hey, wait a second! Did you just call me 'Nat'?!" 
"And what's with the 'yeah'?!" Kat put her hand on Carrie's forehead. "Is the heat getting to ya? Did the aliens come for you, too?" 
"Wait...your Auntie said that she only speaks formally in public. Is this the same kinda thing?" 
"Call it an early Christmas gift. I shouldn't worry about you seeing me a certain way. I'm not above you in any sense. You two are my greatest loves in the world. So you can have a me that no one else sees." Carrie let up a warm smile. "I'm going to head back to catch some more sun. I'll have some food delivered in a little while. Enjoy the Mediterranean to your heart's content." She left for the shore. 
"Wow. That took a second to register." Natalia uttered. 
"Yeah. I dunno how to feel about 'Informal Care'. Maggie was jarring enough. Next we'll be hearing Keebie swearing like Sam Jackson." Kat replied. 
"So are you gonna give me a hint about what you got her?" 
"Nope. These lips are sealed." 
"C'mon, you already know what my gift's gonna be. I'm not gonna spill any secrets." 
"All I'll say is that I moved heaven and Earth to find it. It's a super personal thing, and I don't know how she'll react to it. I want to keep it under wraps til tomorrow." 
"Okaaaay..." Natalia thought of something. "Hey, KittyKat...don't cats hate the water?" 
"One, I'm not a cat right now. Two, tigers love the water. Not seawater, yeah, but...wait, hold up! Do you think I'm some kind of literal cat girl?!" 
"No, I'm just being silly~." 
"Okay, good. Cuz I'm not about to hack up a furball or have a nice mouse dinner. Yeah, I like the occasional glass of warm milk, and I give people judgemental looks, and sometimes I go 'meow', and...I'm not making my case better." 
"You're also a really good hugging partner~." Natalia put her arms around Kat. 
"...meow." Kat deadpanned
--- 
December 15, 2029 
Bruges, Belgium. Early morning. As she walked along the cobblestone walkways of the canal-laden town, Natalia let out a yawn. "Ach. When are they gonna come up with teleportation tech, already...these plane rides are the worst. Well, it's great to be home, anyway. I can smell Nana's pastries from here! No morning's complete without them..." 
As she began to envision what breakfast-appropriate treats she'd be ordering from her grandmother's bakery, something caught her attention. Just ahead of her, there was a cobblestone bridge built over the canal. Looking over the edge of it, was a girl Natalia's age, with ash brown hair, a gray hoodie, and a saddened look in her eyes. The girl got up onto the railing, looming over the water. "What's she doing...?" Natalia wondered. 
The girl inched closer to the edge. At that moment, visions flew through Natalia's mind of her own attempt at jumping from the roof of her family store. She knew exactly what was happening. With the realization of that, she sprang into action, and ran over to the girl. "Hey, stop! Don't do it!" 
The girl peered over. "Huh? You're..." 
She lost her balance, and began to fall over the edge. Before she could hit the water, Natalia grabbed her arm, leaving her dangling with her feet in the water. "Hang on...I've got...you..." Natalia began pulling her up. 
"You're...why...?" 
After some effort, Natalia managed to pull the girl back onto the bridge. "Ah...ah...phew...hey, are you--huh?" 
The girl's hood was now down, revealing her shoulder-length hair and the dejection in her blue eyes. Though her clothes weren't as refined nor her hair as well-managed, Natalia recognized her instantly. 
"You're...you're Layla De Roos. You're..." 
The memories, seared so tightly into her mind, came flooding out. This girl and her friend, spreading horrible gossip about Natalia, tormenting her and insulting her with little relent. They'd pretended to be her friends, just to receive good treatment and favors from her, all the while formulating vicious rumors and mocking her for sheer enjoyment. 
Those eyes, once curled with malice and vindictiveness, now looked empty. 
"You're Natalia...why are you here...? Why did you save me?" Layla asked. "Oh...so that's how it is. Of course they sent you to come and see me out. You reap what you've sown. Go on. It's what I deserve." 
"What kind of response is that? I wasn't gonna let you just dive in like that! That water's freezing! Never mind any of that crazy talk! Are you OK?" 
"....." Layla began sniveling, then whimpering. 
Natalia patted her back. "It's OK. It's alright. You look exhausted. I was just getting some breakfast. Come on. We can talk over food." 
"....." 
Natalia took the still-shaking Layla over to the bakery. "I'm here, Nana!" 
"Hello there, Danish, you're up bright and--" Her grandmother, an older woman with graying blonde hair, stopped as soon as she saw Layla. Her expression turned dark. "What is she doing here? She knows she and her little witch friend aren't welcome around here." 
"....." Layla averted her gaze. 
"I know, Nana, I know. She's with me. She just needs something to eat. Can you make me the usual, with some extra?" Natalia asked. 
"...you had better not let her take advantage of your kind heart again, Danish. We've been through this before." her grandmother replied. 
"Please. This isn't like before. I know now when I'm being lied to. I think...she needs help. Pretty please?" 
Her grandmother sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing." 
After making up a basket of pastries, and taking every opportunity to shoot Layla a dagger gaze, her grandmother handed Natalia the food. "There you go, dearie. Baked with love, as always." 
"Danke, Nana. I'll see you later. Come on, Layla." Natalia gestured, and Layla wordlessly followed. 
"Oh, Sophia. You made that girl far too trusting for her own good..." her grandmother sighed. 
Natalia took Layla to a table nearby. "Go on, eat up. Don't worry, she didn't poison any of them. I watched her while she baked." 
"That's because she knows you'll eat some..." Layla responded. Sheepishly, she grabbed a pastry, and took a bite. 
"Yummy, right?" Natalia asked. 
"...mmhmm." Layla nodded. "You...look different. You changed your hair. And...your sunglasses are cute..." 
"Aw, thanks. I made myself over recently. I'm working on bettering myself. The new look's only part of it." 
"I see...I'm happy for you." 
"You look different too, Layla. How are things with you?" 
"....." Layla averted her gaze again. 
"Okay...I'll stop beating around the bush. Layla, it's not normal to take a dip in that canal. Especially in the middle of December, with all your clothes on. There's only one reason you'd be standing on the railing like that. You were trying to hurt yourself, weren't you?" 
Layla's hands began to shake. "Why are you being so nice to me? Why did you save me, after everything I did to you? Don't you hate me?" 
"I want to understand what's going on. What would make you want to jump off a bridge? Nothing makes sense about this. You always looked so dainty and prim. And where's Vicky in all this? You two used to be joined at the hip--" 
Layla slammed her hand on the table, curling it into a fist. "Vicky...she turned on me. She turned everyone against me...just like we did to you..." 
"She did...? Why?" 
"After you tried to kill yourself...after you left...my life turned into a living hell. Stories started flying about how we were the ones that made you so depressed. Vicky twisted it around and told everyone that I was the one behind all of it. That I scared her into bullying you. I tried to tell everyone that she was just as guilty, but it was too late. I got shut out by the entire school. I was the Wicked Witch of West Flanders. All that nasty gossip was turned right onto me, and I couldn't do anything but bury my head in my lap. Even worse, Vicky's dad broke off his partnership with mine and took full control of the shoe store. My parents had to scramble to find other jobs. We had to sell off most of our nicer clothes just to stay afloat. And it was all my fault." 
"Layla...that's horrible..." 
"Don't give me your pity! I don't deserve it...I don't have the right to cry. I pushed you so low that you didn't want to live anymore...I never even thought about how horrible you must've felt, until I was made into everyone's punching bag. While I was on that bridge, I thought, 'This must be how Natalia felt. So empty and horrible that the idea of closing your eyes and never opening them again would be better than going on.' And then you came running...pulling me up when you, of all people, should've been smiling and nodding at the idea of me sinking to this point." 
Layla slumped out of her chair, got on her hands and knees, grabbed Natalia by the arm, and began to sob uncontrollably. "I ruined your life...I said the most horrible things to make you suffer...never, for one second, did I feel like I didn't deserve what was happening. It was all karma for destroying you...and I had the nerve to try taking the easy way out, when I was getting what was coming to me. No friends, no security...no reason to even be here any longer. I'm sorry, Natalia...I'm so sorry...just hate me, please. I don't deserve you being nice to me..." 
Natalia didn't know how to react. Here was one of her tormentors, once so haughty and mean-spirited, weeping and broken. She'd dreamed of seeing Layla and Vicky suffer for throwing her into the depths of despair for their own satisfaction. Yet, seeing Layla as she was now, she could do only one thing. 
"I should just die...no one would miss me..." 
Natalia got on her knees, and gently wrapped her arms around the sobbing Layla, stunning her into silence. 
"Mama gave me something to live by...hugs are the medicine to all the heart's woes...they mean that I'm here for you, and that you're not alone." 
"Why...why are you..." 
"I don't hate you, Layla. I did, for a very long time. But if I want to be happy, then I can't let all that hate swirl up inside me. It was bad for me, for a while. But going to Tokyo was the best thing I could've done! My self-esteem's never been higher, and I've made the most amazing friends. You didn't ruin me. As awful as it was, it opened the way for me to find myself, and meet the people I needed to. Once, I would've been cheering, watching you go through everything that I went through. But a very smart and very kind lady taught me the power of forgiveness. So I don't hold any grudges. The only thing I'm holding now, is someone who needs it." 
"You're...you're crazy. What if your grandma's right...you don't think I'm gonna hurt you again?" 
"Those are real tears you're making, Layla. Trust me, I've made enough of those to know. So let's wipe the slate clean, starting now. And...let's get to the rest of those pastries. They taste the best when they're hot, y'know." Natalia winked. 
Layla was taken aback, then let up a slight smile. "As much as you've changed...you're still thinking about sweets first." 
"Well you can't waste them when they're made with love, can you? Back to your seat, young lady. Gotta start the day off right." 
The girls took their seats again, and continued eating, Natalia intentionally letting Layla have a bigger portion. "That was the best breakfast I've had in a while...thank you. Sorry about all the trouble..." Layla uttered. 
"Don't worry about it. So what are you gonna do now?" 
"I can't go home now...I didn't take my key, and my parents probably left for work by now. So..." 
"Come with me to the shop, then." 
"What? Oh, no...I'm banned from there, remember? If your grandma hated the sight of me, I could just imagine how your parents would react." 
"I'll vouch for you, don't worry. I'm not gonna just let you wander off by yourself after all of that. At least until your parents get back from work." 
"...this is such a bad idea." 
--- 
"Here it is. Home sweet home." Natalia said. The girls were in front of a mid-sized apparel store, the sign reading "VD Comfortabel Dragen" above the door. 
"Are you sure this is the right call? I can keep myself occupied somewhere else, really..." Layla objected. 
"You have to face your guilt and move past it sometime. This is Step One to doing that. No one said it would be easy." 
Natalia opened the door. "Mama! Papa! CiCi! I'm baaaack!" 
CiCi was napping on the counter, before stirring awake. Yannick rose up from behind it. "Welcome back, my little Danish. Nana keep you fed--oh." 
Layla looked down, knowing where this was going. 
"Nattie, did I forget to put the sign up front that said 'No Witches Allowed'? Could've sworn I had it plastered on there." 
"It's not what you think, Papa. I'm giving Layla a hand." Natalia replied. 
"Sure you are. That's what you did back then, and look where that led to." 
"It's different, this time, Papa..." 
As they continued, CiCi walked over to Layla. "Hi, kitty..." Layla quietly uttered. CiCi responded by hissing. 
What followed was the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching Layla. Before she knew it, she was met and sent staggering back by a slap to the face. 
"Mama...?!" Natalia reacted. 
Sophia was huffing and puffing, clearly incensed. "Miserable little demoness...how dare you...how dare you come here?!" 
"Mama, please, stop..." 
"Think you can just walk back in here after what you did?! Torturing and lying to my daughter until she couldn't take it anymore?! You have no idea how it feels...what she has to go through because of you and the other witch! All the pain you caused, and you have the nerve to come here like nothing happened?!" 
"Mama, just let me explain..." 
"No, Natalia. It's alright. She isn't wrong." Layla uttered. 
"Layla...?" 
The tears once again began flowing down Layla's face. "I didn't know how it felt...and I didn't care. Even now, I still don't fully understand it. What I'm dealing with now is what I deserve. Karmic justice for hurting you so badly. But you...I hurt you because I was selfish and cruel. No other reason but that. I could never understand being tortured for doing nothing wrong..." She collapsed to her knees. "I'm not asking you to forgive me...but just know that I regret every last bit of what I did to Natalia. I was even going to offer my life as an atonement..." 
"What the..." Yannick uttered. 
"Is this some kind of joke...?" Sophia questioned. 
"Please just let me explain! Layla isn't asking for anything. I found her right when she was about to jump into a canal. She told me that everything's gone horribly wrong since I left here, and now it's gotten to where she didn't think living was worth it anymore. I'm not gonna let her out of my sight until her parents come home from work. You don't have to forgive her, but I'm not gonna let her go out there when I'm not sure she won't try it again! Could you live with that? If she took her own life when I could've stopped it? Mama, Papa, please. No matter how angry you are, I know that's not what you want." Natalia protested. 
"What do you think, Sophia?" Yannick asked. 
"...there's a table in the back. You can wait there until your parents get home. Don't think for one second that I won't be keeping an eye on you. I swear, if you hurt her again, I'll make sure you regret it." Sophia begrudgingly responded. 
"Mama...thank you. Right this way, Layla." Natalia directed. 
"Th-thank you. I won't cause any more trouble, honest." Layla wiped away her tears. 
"I'm not holding my breath." Sophia replied. 
The girls went to the backroom, and sat at the round table. "Sorry about that." Natalia said. 
"Don't be. She has every right to react like that. To be honest, I expected a lot worse." Layla rubbed her cheek. 
"Doesn't surprise me that she'd act that way. When things got bad over in Japan, she flew right over without a second thought. She's probably been holding that frustration in for a long time." 
"Yeah, I don't blame her...so, um...can you tell me about Japan? I've been wondering how you'd been doing, and you seem pretty happy about things now, so..." 
"Absolutely! I can gush about my friends for hours. Let me find a pic with all of us in it..." Natalia brought out her phone, presenting a picture of the whole group, posing in front of the Academy grounds. "Naruki Ascension Academy Class 85-I, in one of the few moments where everyone's standing still." 
"So, starting from left to right...this guy with the 'I wish I were anywhere but here' look is Kenneth. He's a sculptor from Britain. A bit of a lone wolf, but he's very level-headed and getting better at the social stuff. Next to him is Sahir. He's a footballer from Nigeria. He's a super positive guy and fun to be around, when he's not being a...let's say, skirt-chaser. This right here is his girlfriend, Sakuya. She works as a maid in the city, and she's very calm and polite. Her upbringing was really tough, but she's gotten things under control recently." 
"What about this blonde ball of sunshine?" Layla jokingly asked. 
"One can only wonder. She just kinda appears sometimes." Natalia winked. "And next up is this absolutely stunning specimen of a human. Her name is Carrie. She's my roommate, and my best friend. She's a jeweler from Monaco." 
"A rich girl, huh? I would've thought you'd sour on that after everything that happened." 
"Care's not your stereotypical rich girl. She's humble, she's kind, and she's so strong. She got me through the worst of my troubles and taught me to love myself. I honestly don't know if I'd be sitting here right now if it wasn't for her. I love her so much." 
"I can tell. Your eyes kind of lit up when you mentioned her. Now...this one with the pink in her hair. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say she's the troublemaker." 
"Oh, there's the star of the show. Kat. KittyKat, as I call her. She's a gamer from South Korea. She's a joker, alright. A little impulsive, and she has no filter at all. She says what she thinks. But...she's got the biggest heart out of anyone I've ever met. When one of us is in trouble, she's the first to come running. She helped me through the dark times, too. Everyone in our class adores her. She's my closest friend outside of Care. Helps a ton that they're an item, too." 
"I was getting that vibe, the way they're leaning into each other. Honestly, it's cute." 
"It's even cuter in person. Moving along...the girl next to Kat is her roommate, Barbara. She's from America. She's amazing when it comes to singing and dancing. She's really smart, and has a real 'take charge' attitude. The guy next to her is her twin brother Max. He's into acting, too, but more film than theater. He can do some crazy spot-on impressions. A bit of an awkward goofball, but he means well." 
"Now who is the dude with the hair sticking out?" 
"That's Kibō. He's Barbara's boyfriend. He's at the top of the class in grades. His dad used to be in politics, and his mom was a super famous wrestler. Brains and brawn, basically. Not a showoff at all, though. He's more of a quiet type, and a bit shy. And lastly, this is Ibuki. She's actually not in our class, and she's a couple of years older than us. We met her a bit more recently. She wants to be a wrestler, and she's got the attitude and mentality to back it up. A bit hot-headed, but what else can be expected when her stage name is 'Fireball'? And that...is our big, happy, chaotic family." 
"Looks like a really colorful bunch. I'm happy for you, Natalia. I just wish that you could've met them without me doing what I did." 
"It's alright. What happened, happened. I choose to see it as me making a bunch of friends and nothing more. It's fine, really." 
"But it...it isn't. Nothing about what I did was fine. Even if good things came out of it, you still had to suffer to make it happen. That can never be 'fine'. Nothing I do from here on can ever erase the fact that I made you feel so terrible that you didn't want to live anymore." Tears fell from Layla's eyes once more. "I'm happy that you're happy now, Natalia. And thanks for trying to help me feel better. Even when a monster like me doesn't deserve it." 
"Layla..." 
Layla put her head down on the table. "I'm just...tired. I'll rest for a minute. Maybe it's all been a long nightmare for me to wake up from..." 
Natalia rubbed the dejected girl's back as she drifted off to sleep. "This sadness...this feeling of hopeless despair...this is what I sounded like, wasn't it? And it was because of...no. I need to help her through this. I'm the only one that can. Even if Mama and Papa don't want me to. Old Natalia would never think of doing this, but...it's the right thing to do." she thought.
Layla stirred awake after a while. "Mmmph...how long was I out for..." 
"A couple of hours. Guess your body needed it." Natalia answered. 
"You weren't watching me the whole time, were you? I'm sorry..." 
"No no, it's okay. It just gave me time to think of what we should do to pass the hours. So I noticed that your jacket looks a little worn-out. You said before that you had to sell all of your nicer clothes, right?" 
"Yeah...and the thing is, most of the clothing stores around here won't sell to me after what happened. Guess they're all friends with your parents. My parents had to go outside the city limits just to get me this jacket. Not like I can afford any of the nice stuff, anyway..." 
"That settles it. I'll go shopping for you." 
"What...? Oh, don't do that, I couldn't ask you to..." 
"The path to feeling better about yourself can start with liking what you see in the mirror. It's why I changed myself up. Your measurements have only changed just a little bit, right? And blue's still your favorite color, isn't it?" 
"Yeah, but...I can't ask you to do more for me when that was what started all the trouble back then..." 
"It's not the same thing. Nobody's forcing me or asking me. I'm doing it cuz I wanna. If you can't go into a place, just wait outside and I'll text you to see if you like something...oh, your number's still the same, right?" 
"Mmhmm..." 
"Great! Let's go fill up your wardrobe! My treat!" Natalia went on ahead. 
"Ah, wait, just...that girl. She's so different now, but...is this really okay? Going shopping like we're..." 
--- 
"Alright, blue and green, got it. Think I see some really cute shoes in there, too. I'll send you pics and you go ahead and choose. Don't worry about price, consider them early Christmas presents. OK?" Natalia asked. 
"OK..." Layla replied. 
"Text me if anything's up. Sit tight." Natalia went into the store. 
Minutes went by, with Layla filtering through several photos taken by Natalia. "Not exactly a normal shopping trip, but this still feels...fun." Layla uttered. 
"I guess for a wallflower like you, standing next to a building would be the closest thing to 'fun' you could come up with." responded the critical voice of a girl. 
Layla looked up, worry stretching across her face. "Oh...not her." she thought, and looked over. A long-haired blonde girl, wearing a white fur coat and carrying an expensive-looking bag was smirking at her. "Vicky...?" 
"Well at least your eyes are still working. They look half-dead to me." Vicky replied. 
"What do you want?" 
"Hey, that's kinda rude, isn't it? And I was gonna go out of my way to be nice to you. Oh well. I was smelling poverty around here and lo and behold, here you are. The social outcast life hasn't treated you well, has it?" 
"And whose fault is that? You should be right here suffering with me. Instead you threw me under the bus and left me there. I thought we were friends." 
"Emphasis on 'were', loser. Could you imagine me in those rags? Ugggh, no thank you. So did you get thrown out on the street, or what?" 
"I'm shopping with somebody." 
"With somebody? And which sad soul would that be? Probably a genius, since they went and left you here. Ohhh, I get it. You got someone to go clothes shopping for you since you're banned from every shop in town. That sound right?" 
"....." 
"There it is. Even with that grim look on your face, you're still playing your game with people. I'd laugh if it wasn't so pathetic." 
"Are you even hearing yourself? You're the one that wanted to bully Natalia in the first place. Why am I the only one taking the fall?" 
"All that time standing in a corner must've made your memory faulty. It was an equal partnership. No one knows what finally made her fragile little mind snap, but I can guarantee that you were a big part of it. Don't play the innocent card with me." 
"You witch..." 
Vicky cackled. "Oh yeah, I'm a witch, alright. And you're right there brewing the cauldron with me, sweetie. Boy, you must hate me, don't you?" 
"Not as much as I hate myself." 
Vicky laughed. "Oh, WOW. You really are living the 'I'm so pathetic and miserable' life, huh? You sound just like--" 
The shop door opened. "Laylaaaa, I'm all done! You didn't answer my last text, so I went and bought both! Ahehehe...hm?" Natalia appeared. 
"So this is the unlucky duck, huh? Hey, wait a minute...oh my GOD! HAHAHAHAHAHA! You're actually hanging out with Fatty Natty now?! Holy crap, and I thought this couldn't get more hilarious!" Vicky exclaimed. 
"As charming as ever, I see..." Natalia muttered. 
"So what's the situation, 'bestie'? You sink so low that the walking dessert magnet feels sorry for you now? Or did you seriously get her to do your shopping for you again? Maybe...you think you can make it up to her if you play nice enough? God, this is so perfect that it hurts." 
"You about done cackling to yourself? I remember when you two wouldn't go anywhere without the other. How can you stand there and laugh when she's clearly in pain?" 
"Well maybe she wouldn't be in pain if you weren't such a boohoo crybaby about everything. 'Oh, the mean girls are making me buy things for them, so horrible! I'm gonna go jump off a building cuz it's soooo haaaaard!' Why don't you run back to sushi land instead of ruining everything for everyone?" 
"Stop it, Vicky..." Layla grumbled. 
"Y'know, a few insults like that might've worked on me before. But I've gotten stronger in more ways than one since I left. The mean girl act's only cute when my actress friend is doing it on stage. Coming from you, it's more stale than uncovered bread. Go find a garbage dump to grace with your presence. It'd match your personality." Natalia bit back. 
"Hooo, HOOOOO. She went and got a spine while she was away! You should take notes, Layla. We all know what kinda world this is. It's eat or be eaten. You'd know plenty about eating, wouldn't you, Natty?" Vicky replied. 
"Another weight joke, huh? Well allow me to list all the reasons why you're wasting your time with those. Since getting my mind in order, I've lost twenty-five pounds. My veggie intake has gone up by 300%. Contrary to what you might think, I've cut my dessert portions in half. Even before, I was never as big as you made me think I was. And most of all: I've evolved past the point of caring about what you think of me. But if you're in the mood to sling petty insults around, I'd be happy to respond in kind." 
"Wait...wha--" 
"That coat you're wearing is such an obvious grab for attention, they could see it from space. Matches that fake Gucci purse you're lugging around. I'll bet that the fellow in the Mexican port shop really convinced you that it was the real thing. But it's about as real as, *ahem*, some certain other parts of you. All that tissue paper must make them itch, huh? But maybe I'm going a bit too far. You must still be hurting after breaking up with...Lucas, I think it was?" 
"Sh-shut it! We haven't broken up!" 
"Hunh. That's funny. Must've been his identical twin I just saw holding hands and walking into the bathroom with one of the worker girls. Silly me." Natalia waved it off. "I'm sure he's just showing her a clog." 
A red-faced Vicky looked about ready to explode. "You...this ain't the end of it! You'll be getting yours one way or another! You two can have each other!" She stormed into the store. "LUCAS! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LYING SACK OF SHIT?!" 
Natalia burst out laughing. Layla was dumbfounded. "That...that was incredible, Natalia. I've never heard you talk like that." 
"I took a few lessons from the KittyKat Institute of Sick Burns. Someone had to stand up to that scheming succubus. She didn't say anything really bad to you, did she?" 
"Nothing I haven't heard already. But...thanks for getting rid of her. I can't believe I used to think of her like a sister. Obviously the feeling wasn't mutual. But now...once school starts up again, she's gonna make things so much worse for me after that. If that's even possible." 
"Don't think like that. We're not gonna let her walk all over you anymore. I might not have a lot of time before I have to go back to Japan, but I'm gonna do everything I can to make things okay around you. Starting with first impressions. Let's go by my place so you can try these on." 
"Okay...wait, why didn't you take me there this morning? Would've been less awkward than going to your folks first..." 
"I promised them I'd go by for a little while, and well...I'd have to explain it sooner or later. Now that it's all out there, I'm fine with just heading home. C'mon." 
--- 
Natalia sat in a plush chair, designed to look like a panda, the rest of her room littered with assorted plush toys. "Okaaaay...time for the grand reveal!" 
Layla stepped out from the walk-in closet, now wearing a green hoodie, a blue undershirt, blue jeans and green sneakers. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, drooping over her left shoulder. "How does it look...?" 
"Sooo cute! But don't take my word for it. Judge it for yourself." 
Natalia pulled Layla over to a mirror. "Any thoughts?" Natalia asked. 
Layla was somewhat mesmerized. "It's like...how I used to dress. Before everything turned. Back when I...when I was hurting you." 
"Don't think of it like that. Think of it as you starting over. A new Layla replacing the old one. Like you're coming to an understanding with your innermost, true self, until..." Natalia popped up behind her. "PERSONA!" 
"....." Layla said nothing. 
"Uh..." Natalia blushed. "F-forget that last bit." 
Layla's still demeanor broke, and she started to laugh. "What was that all about? That from some kind of play or show or something?" 
"Um, yeah...something like that. Hey, hold on...you're laughing! I finally got you smiling! That wasn't so bad, was it? How about I order us some lunch to celebrate? Nana's bakery makes some pretty good pizza. Not that I'm biased or anything." 
"That sounds nice. I'd like that." 
"Sweet~! I'll call her up right now. I'll even make her promise not to put a curse on it. BRB!" 
Natalia exited her room. Layla looked at her reflection again. "This feeling...I haven't felt like this in forever. But..." 
"Hey, Fatty Natty! You spill some of your dessert in your locker? Wonder how else it'd get all sticky. Hehehehehe..." 
Layla clutched her hands together. "Is it okay...is me being happy...okay?" 
--- 
"Thanks for walking me home, Natalia. I'm alright from here." Layla said. Now it was evening, and the two were in front of a smaller home. 
"Helps that you're actually not too far from my house. So, what's for dinner tonight?" Natalia asked. 
"Probably the same as every--wait. You're coming in?" 
"Mmhmm. I'm not done getting to know the real Layla. It's not our time to part just yet." 
"If you say so..." 
Layla opened the door. "Mama, Papa. I'm back." 
"There you are, Layla! I was getting worried that someone snatched you up." her mother, an ash brown-haired woman in an apron replied. 
"Didn't help that you left your key behind..." her father, a balding man in a vest and tie, entered. "Oh, look, Viv! She brought a friend over!" 
"I've got eyes, Leander. Care to introduce us, Layla?" 
"Um, yeah. This is Natalia." Layla replied. 
"Hiya!" Natalia chimed. 
Both parents paused. "Natalia, as in...as in the Van Damme girl, right?" Leander asked. 
"Oh...oh, dear girl..." Viv added. 
"Um, is everything alright?" Natalia asked. 
The adults promptly got on their hands and knees in an apologetic manner. "We're so sorry!" 
"Wh-wh-whoa, hold on a minute! That's not..." Natalia frantically waved. 
"Our daughter's behavior towards you was totally unacceptable. And the fault is clearly with us. We never did anything to curb that sort of attitude until it was too late!" Leander uttered. 
"Please apologize to her, Layla. Even if she refuses, you need to at least acknowledge you wronged the poor thing!" Viv begged. 
"No no no, it's fine! She's been apologizing to me all day! I've already--" Natalia responded. 
"Get up. Stop with that." Layla responded. 
"Layla?" 
Layla began to tear up. "You're saying it's your fault? That I hurt her because of something you did wrong? Don't sugarcoat it just to protect me. All of it was me...all of her problems were my fault. Just like it's my fault Vicky hates me now and her dad broke off the partnership! I wish I could just disappear...everyone would be so much happier if I was gone...if only I wasn't such a selfish brat..." 
"Layla..." Leander uttered. 
"Please don't be so hard on yourself, sweetheart..." Viv added. 
Natalia hugged her from behind. "It's OK. It's OK. If you need to let it out, then cry away. Fall apart if you have to. Laying it all out there is part of the healing process. I've been where you are. And this is OK." 
"I...*sniff*...Natalia..." Layla uttered. "You're so...warm..." 
Natalia eventually got Layla to calm down enough to sit at the dining table. "We're terrible sorry about all of this, Ms. Van Damme. Ever since...the incident, Layla has been..." Leander began. 
"I understand. I found her wandering around this morning and I've been trying to lift her up all day. I got her some food and I bought her a new wardrobe. And before you assume, no, she didn't ask me to. It's all a gift from me." Natalia replied. 
"You're an angel, Ms. Van Damme. Things have been terribly difficult for the past year and change. Vicky turning the entire school against Layla has been deeply traumatic. Not helped by how her father cut us out from the shoe store we co-owned." Viv explained. 
"Partners for over twenty years. Soon as things get dicey, they throw us to the wolves. They're snakes, the entire lot. They should've gone down with us..." Leander added. 
"Let's try not to upset Layla any more than she already is. Will you be staying for dinner, Natalia, dear?" 
"Oh, yeah. I wanted to hang out with Layla for a bit longer. Need any help in the kitchen?" Natalia asked. 
"Oh, don't worry, you don't need to trouble yourself." 
"It's fine. Not to brag, but my friends all say that I'm a pretty good cook. Show me what you have, and I'll see if I can work my magic." 
--- 
"You're a pretty awesome cook, Natalia. That was the best dinner I've had in a while." Layla said. 
"Long as it cheered you up a bit, it was totally worth it." Natalia replied. 
"You want to see my room? I don't have a whole lot, but it's the best place to chat." 
"Sure! It's what I came for, after all." 
The girls entered the room, which, as Layla indicated, lacked any sort of bells and whistles one might expect. What was notable was that several drawings had been taped onto the wall. A large notebook sat on the lone desk in the room. 
"Whoa...these look awesome. Did you draw these, Layla?" 
"Yeah...I started doing ink drawings after everyone started giving me the cold shoulder. To vent, I guess." 
"Do you have any more? I wanna see!" 
"Well, alright. I keep them all in this book. I'm getting worried since I don't have a lot of pages left. My parents want me to be more careful with my money, so I don't know if they'd be okay with me getting another one." 
Natalia began sifting through the notebook. "Wow, Layla..." 
"You think they're creepy, don't you? My mind hasn't been in a good place, so it's not surprising that my drawings are a little dark." 
"I'm not judging you at all. They're really cool drawings, really." Natalia came across a drawing of a witch. A caption on top read "Layla". "Oh..." 
"You hear people say it enough, you start believing it. I don't have any magic, though. Just the thorny heart." 
"That's not true." 
Layla lied down on her bed. "You really want to waste your break on me, Natalia? I'm sure you have all sorts of cheery plans for Christmas." 
"Well..." Natalia sat down next to Layla. "It doesn't feel right talking about it now, but I'm leaving next week to spend Christmas with Carrie and Kat in Monaco." 
"Holidays in paradise. Lucky you." 
"But I'll be back for a few days after that, before I go back to Tokyo. I want to spend as much of that time helping you out." 
"Why..." 
"Because we're the same. I had my friends there to help bring me out of the darkness. I want to do the same for you. I don't want you throwing your life away, Layla. You can get past this, I know it. And I'm gonna help you do it." 
Layla sat up. "Do you really mean that?" 
Natalia stuck her pinkie out. "Let's swear on it. Someone told me that once you make a pinkie promise, you can't break it. I'm here for as long as you need me to be." 
"I...I don't want to hurt you again." 
"You won't. I know it." 
Layla hesitated. Finally, she wrapped her pinkie around Natalia's. 
"There we go. Now I want you to do something for me before I go." Natalia proposed. 
"What is it?" 
"I want you to draw what you're thinking and feeling right now. No matter how good or bad." 
"Hmm...okay." Layla grabbed the notebook and a pen. For a few minutes, she scribbled away, not letting Natalia peek at it. "Alright." 
"Let's see it." 
Layla held up the book. What was there was a stylized message. A question directed at Natalia. 
"Can I be your friend?" 
Natalia was taken aback. Layla put up a half smile. Natalia responded with her own smile. "Yeah. Yeah, it's okay. I'd love that, Layla." 
Natalia leaned in and embraced Layla, who hugged back. "Thank you, Nat. It means more than you'll ever know." 
"I know there's a lot of bad blood between us, but I believe you when you say you're sorry for it. So starting tomorrow, I'm not leaving your side for as long as I'm here. Then, when I'm gone, you'll still be OK. We're gonna make it happen. Together." 
"Yeah. Together. Thank you."
--- 
"*sniff* My sketches...all that time..." 
"Aww, too bad. Maybe if you'd gotten me the right coffee, it'd be in my belly instead of all over your notes. Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!" 
"I'm s-s-sorry, Layla...I'll do better..." 
"Yeah, yeah you w-w-w-w-will do better. God, you piss me off. Can't you just function like a normal person? You just act pathetic so people'll feel sorry for you. I'm sick of wasting perfectly good breath on you. Why don't you just crawl into a hole and die already?" 
"I...I'm sorry..." 
"You really can't say anything else, can you?" Layla pushed her over. "Stupid Fatty Natty. If you couldn't thread a needle, you'd be useless. It must hurt to suck so bad. Now lay there like any piece of trash." Layla walked away, laughing to herself as Natalia's sobbing could be heard. 
--- 
December 16, 2029 
"Gah!" Natalia jarred awake. She looked around her room. No one else but her. 
"Meeew?" 
CiCi was looking up inquisitively at her. "Come here, pretty kitty." Natalia beckoned, and the cat hopped onto the bed, purring affectionately as Natalia brushed her fur. "I'm OK. Just a bad dream. Time for the most important meal." 
Next to her bed, her phone awoke with a notification. "Pretty early for an alert..." She looked at the message. 
"Good morning, Nat. Sorry if this wakes you up. I had a hard time sleeping last night...anyway, if you want to hang out today, could you meet me by the Belfort around 9-ish?" 
Her nightmare still fresh in her mind, Natalia took a moment to think. "You can't turn your back on her now, Nat. Both the people in that dream are gone now." She typed her response. 
"Sure!! I'll be over there as soon as I'm done with breakfast!" 
The response came shortly. 
"Thanks so much. See you in a few. 🙂" 
"Alright. Breakfast time." 
Natalia walked into her kitchen, where her father was already sitting and having his morning coffee. "Morning, Papa." 
"Morning, Danish. Rough night of sleep? Thought I heard you yell a second ago." 
"Ah, it was just a bad dream. Nothing to worry about. Is Mama still asleep?" 
"She went down to the store already. It's the week before Christmas, so today's gonna be hectic." 
"Oh, that's right. Hope you have plenty of Nana's pastries on-hand for the extra energy." 
"And what have you got planned for today? You're already dressed." 
"Just going by the Belfort in a little while. Figured I'd get some culture in while I'm home--" 
"Natalia. Don't play me for a fool. You're gonna go see that Layla girl again, aren't you?" 
"...so what if I am?" 
"'So what'? Don't tell me you've forgotten everything that girl did to you. Your mother and I don't want you around her anymore. Helping her out yesterday was one thing, but keeping her around's just asking for more trouble." 
"I'm old enough to pick my own friends, Papa. She's not that bad person anymore." 
"How can you be so sure? We just don't want you getting taken advantage of again. You've been doing so good lately, we don't want you falling into the same trap with those girls." 
"You know...Vicky showed up when we were shopping yesterday. Said some really awful and nasty things to Layla and to me. Layla barely said a word back. I had to be the one to tell her off. I'm not falling for any kind of trap. I'm not the same as I was then. And neither's Layla. If I abandon her now, then everything I've done to fix myself will have been for nothing." Natalia grabbed a small box of pastries. "I'll eat on the way there. Good luck today, Papa. I'll be back later." She left the house. 
"Natalia, hold on--damn it." Yannick glanced over at CiCi. "You think she's doing the right thing here?" 
"Meeeew." 
Natalia started walking to the center of town, where the Belfort, a medieval-age bell tower housing forty-seven bells of varying sizes, was located. "Worrying so much for nothing." she mumbled. 
Even with those reassurances, images of her past torment swam through her head. "...if I can change, anyone can." 
She arrived at the tall structure. "About a quarter til...here should be a good spot to wait." 
"Natalia!" 
Layla approached. "Good morning, Layla! And I thought I'd gotten here early." 
"Yeah, I was feeling a little restless. My mind's been racing since yesterday. Didn't sleep too well." 
"I got you there. It was...a lot. But that's yesterday. What do we have lined up for today?" 
"I wanted to climb up the Belfort today. It offers a great view of the city from the top, and it's something I've been wanting to sketch. Is that something you'd want to do?" 
"Absolutely! I want to see your magic at work! Let's go up right now!" 
Natalia grabbed Layla by the hand and urged her along. "Okay, but it's a bit of a--whoa!" 
After paying the entrance fee, the girls headed up the narrow flight of stairs heading to the top. After several minutes, they arrived, panting after the considerable walk. "Boy, I really have been gone a while...forgot how many steps this place has..." Natalia uttered. 
"366 steps up...366 steps down..." Layla replied. 
"Good thing my friend Kenneth isn't here...he'd have a heart attack if he saw that..." Natalia walked over to the side. "Whoa...come look!" 
From the top of the tower, one could see the Markt below, and the city well beyond that. "You know...after being in a city as hi-tech as Tokyo, it's nice to come back home where it's quiet." Natalia mused. "How about you? The creative juices flowing yet?" 
"Natalia...I have to confess something." 
"Hm? What's up?" 
"I lied to you about why I wanted to come here. There's something you said yesterday that stuck with me...about needing to fall apart and vent. And I thought about it and there's something I want you to do. Natalia...I want you to go off on me. Right now." 
"Go off...? You brought me here to get angry at you? But we..." 
"We're moving on and cleaning the slate, right? That can only happen if we both lay everything out there. All you've done since yesterday is be gentle and forgiving with me. But we both know that part of you wants nothing more than to yell and scream and wreck me for everything that happened. You said it yourself, didn't you? 'I can't let all that hate swirl up inside me.'" 
"I told you I don't hate you, Layla." 
"Part of you still does! Don't deny it! Hate and anger are like poison. If you let it sit there and stew, it'll take over and explode into something really horrible. You need to let it out if you're ever really gonna move on from it. It's been flashing in your head, hasn't it?" 
"Tch...I don't...I don't want to..." 
"It's eating you up. You remember all of it. Me putting glue in your locker. Spilling coffee on your notebook when I didn't like it. Tossing pebbles at you to get your attention. You can hear the chanting in your sleep. 'Fatty Natty~, Fatty Nattyyyyyy~'." 
Natalia's hands began to shake. 
"Give it to me. Let me have it. The demon that's been haunting you for two years is right in front of you. I want all of your hate and rage. Give it over. HIT ME!" 
In a fit of frustration, Natalia slammed her hand into the wall. "You want me to get angry...you want to hear about how you really made me feel?! How every day after school, I'd go home and cry my eyes out for hours? How I started hating my body so much that I ate more and more out of stress? That's what you want, isn't it?! I hated you...I spent so much time thinking about all the awful things I'd do to you out of revenge...I could just picture it in my head, how I'd leave you miserable and crying on the floor. And I'd laugh. I'd laugh just like you laughed at me. I can remember how my therapist asked me to draw the most evil thing I could come up with. I drew a picture of you and Vicky. Not some monster or bug. YOU." 
Natalia got up to a shell-shocked Layla. "You. RUINED. ME. The first weekend in Japan, Carrie had to drag me out of our room because I was so scared of people. When her and Kat started spending more time together, I was a basket case. I thought it was me. The best friend I'd ever had didn't want to be near me anymore. It was always the same. Friends are only there to hurt you and take from you and toss you away like garbage when they're done. THAT is what I got from YOU. And so you know what I did? I went out to the suicide forest so I could finally finish the job. And if Carrie and the others didn't follow me, that's exactly what I would've done. That was THREE MONTHS AGO!" 
"....." Layla remained silent. 
"I love Carrie more than anything. She's the first 'rich girl' I've known that treated me like a human. That never asked me to do anything but love myself. You were just another stuck-up brat. A selfish, hateful banshee that got her kicks from making me want to jump off a ledge. All the money you had, and you used me for FREEBIES. And you know what else? When I saw it was you, laying there in a faded jacket, cold and miserable and spiting the world...part of me said, 'good.' Now you know how it feels. NOW YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HATE YOURSELF MORE THAN ANYTHING!" 
Natalia grabbed Layla and started shaking. "Why...why did you do this to me?! What did I ever do to make you treat me like a dog?! Is this what you wanted?! Seeing me lose my mind again, because of you?! You got anything else you want to say to me?! ANSWER ME!" 
Silence. 
Nothing except Natalia's strained panting filled the morning air. She let go of Layla. Still panting, she collapsed to her hands and knees. "Why...tell me...why..." 
Without a word, Layla, her own eyes welling up tears, got on her knees. She reached into her bag, and pulled out her notebook. She turned to one page in particular, and held it up. Natalia peeked up and looked. 
"Can I be your friend?" 
"....." Natalia couldn't answer. 
"You really did need that. And I'm sorry that I don't know the answer..." Layla struggled to put up a smile. "Thanks for your honesty. You'll never have to look me in the eyes ever again. I won't hurt you anymore. This Carrie is a lucky girl. And a smart one. She saw what I was too evil to see. You should get back to her and your friends. Goodbye..." 
Layla got up and turned to leave. Before going anywhere, she felt something grab her hand. Natalia was holding it. 
"The answer is still 'yes'." 
Layla was stunned. 
"Now that it's all in the open..." Natalia looked up, her tears countered by a warm smile. "...we can start being friends." 
"But...but you just..." 
Natalia got up, and pulled Layla over to the lookout again. "...it's a good morning. A perfect spot for a fresh start." Natalia chimed. She turned to Layla. "Whatever my family thinks...and whatever happened between you and me...I still believe in you. Whatever helps us be the best friends we can be. So I'll ask again...does this sight get the creative juices flowing?" 
In awe, Layla wiped her tears away. "Yeah...yeah, it does. So just...stay there for a little bit." She took out a pen. "Beautiful sights should be cherished and appreciated the right way." 
--- 
A short while later, the girls were seated on a bench. "Aww, come on, you're not gonna let me see it?" Natalia asked. 
"I need to add a few touches when I get home. You'll see it before you leave. Promise." Layla replied. 
"Okaaaay..." Natalia grumbled. 
"So do you have anywhere you wanna go to?" 
"Well this might not sound too exciting, but I was gonna head to the fish market to grab some dinner for tonight." 
"Missing sushi already, huh?" 
"Ahehehe, yeah...we had our favorite place lined up, but they're reorganizing after some...turbulence, let's say." 
"Uh-oh. Well, if you want something done, you've gotta do it yourself. Count me in." 
"Awesome! Plus, I wanted your input, too. Choosing your own adventure, in a way." 
"You mean...you want me over for dinner?" 
"Mmhmm." 
"I don't think that's a good idea...your parents kinda don't like me. Unless the slap yesterday was a love tap..." 
"I'll make sure things go smoothly. I know you can win them over. I mean, it's the season of togetherness. Heck, they could be so tuckered out from work that they won't be able to muster any real anger. And once their taste buds connect with a bit of Natty's Home Cooking, they'll forget why they were mad in the first place." 
"Hard not to believe you when you're that sure about it. I'll give it a try. For you." 
"Yay! That makes me so happy! I'll make this the best meal you've ever had!" 
"Bit of a heavy boast, but for some reason I believe you." 
--- 
"Hey, Layla? You don't have to stand so close. Kinda makes it hard to work." Natalia said while prepping the fish. 
"Just getting a good view of the process. And, uh, staying out of slapping distance." Layla replied. "Your mom's still staring right through me, isn't she? I can feel it." 
Sure enough, Sophia was seated at the dinner table, grumpily staring at Layla. "Your beautiful face is gonna be stuck like that if you keep it up, Sophia." Yannick took a sip of coffee. 
"Look at her being all chummy. To think Natty'd let her in our house..." Sophia grumbled. 
"Natty's gonna do what Natty wants. We just have to accept her decision, even if we don't agree with it. She's clearly thought enough about it to trust that the girl's different now. Can't have her thinking that we don't trust her judgment." 
Sophia grumbled some more. "She'd better keep her hands to herself. She's my baby." 
"Are you gonna get this protective when she brings a boy home?" 
Sophia let out a hissing noise, much to the surprise of a nearby CiCi. "Did you just hiss at me?!" Yannick questioned. 
"Weeeell, we're already lively, I see." Natalia appeared and presented the food. "Our delicacy for the evening: a shrimp platter and healthy servings of salted cod, by way of the Noordzee. Bon Appétit." 
"My compliments to the chef. Don't it look delicious, Sophia?" Yannick asked. 
Sophia continued staring down Layla, who nervously looked away. "Hey, Natty...maybe I should get a to-go box instead..." 
"Mama." Natalia looked straight into her mother's eyes. "Please. Give her a chance. For me." 
"She already had one and muffed it. I'm protecting what's mine." Sophia replied. 
Natalia pulled a chair out, placed it to where it was facing her mother, and sat. "I have the best mommy I could ask for, and I love you. But I'm gonna be 17 in a few weeks. I wouldn't be bringing Layla around if I wasn't 1000% sure it was the right decision. You trust me, don't you?" 
"Of course I do. It's her I'm not sold on." 
"Really, Natty, I should just--" Layla began. 
"Stay right there." Natalia urged. "I'm not asking you to trust her out of the gate. But I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing. She doesn't need to be judged. She needs a welcoming hand. If I'm wrong, I'll take the hit. But I'm not wrong. So can we have a nice dinner, please?" 
"Ah...wow. Sorry, I just didn't recognize the young lady talking to me right now. I still see you as the perky little thing asking her granny how to use an oven. I just don't want you to get hurt, Natty. You deserve better than what you've gotten. All I want to do is keep you safe. That won't change whether you're 17 or 70." Sophia conceded. "Layla?" 
"Y-yes, ma'am?" Layla uttered. 
"I'm not apologizing for defending my daughter. You understand and appreciate what kind of effect your actions had on her, yes?" 
"I do now. She made it...very clear earlier. I don't go a day without regretting all of it. I'll spend however long it takes to make up for it. I don't want to hurt her anymore. I want...to learn from her strength." 
"Good. I'll hold you to that. I'm gonna keep one eye on you. Now let's get to dinner. The cat's been eyeing it for the last five minutes." 
"Thank you, Mama." Natalia responded. "Feel free to dig in, Layla." 
"Made with love, I'm guessing?" Layla asked. 
"I don't make anything without it~."
--- 
"Is this really that good of an art opportunity? I'm just sitting down." Natalia sat in her panda chair, an at-ease CiCi sitting in her lap. Layla was sitting on Natalia's bed, sketching away. 
"Well I think it's cute. Very fluffy." Layla replied. "It's not weird that I'm sketching you, is it? I hope I'm not embarrassing you." 
"I don't mind at all! You're actually not the first one to ask. My friend Kenneth is..." Natalia began to blush. "Okay, maybe I am a little embarrassed, hehe..." 
"Do tell. Your pal asked to draw you?" 
"More than that...there's a snow festival happening in February, and the school asked him to make an ice sculpture for it. So he...asked if he could sculpt me. And I said yes." 
"Oooooh. Now that is adorable. He must really have a thing for you." 
"D-don't take it the wrong way. Sure, he told me he admired how much I've changed, and he's invited me to his room to talk it over, which he never does, and he..." Natalia resumed blushing. "He calls me his muse..." 
"Not how you convince someone that there's nothing going on." 
"And I really admire that he's making an effort to change, too. But, see...Kenneth is gay. Never shown much interest in girls. But..." 
"Buuut?" 
"If I'm being honest, I never thought Kat liked girls until the night she confessed to Care. Yeah, she's a tease with everyone, but I always assumed she only liked guys. You just never know with people, you know?" 
"So what I'm hearing is, 'I really hope the British statue dude goes both ways after all'." 
Natalia grabbed one of her plush toys and covered her face with it. "I said too much." 
"Don't be so shy about it, we're just having girl talk. I honestly miss just chatting with someone. It's been a while, y'know?" 
"Do you really have nobody else to talk to at school?" 
Layla sighed. "Nobody. Vicky did real work getting everyone to shut me out. Hard to come back from being the girl who almost made someone kill themselves. I could scream from the rooftops that I didn't do anything wrong, but that'd be a lie...and even if I transferred somewhere else, it'd only be a matter of time before that info came around again. You know how fast info travels." 
"I'm sorry. Ridiculous as it sounds, I feel responsible for this." 
"You're kidding me. You're the real victim in all this, Natty. You screamed it at me how much I hurt you. Everything happening now is what I get for ruining you. Why are you apologizing?" 
"For not being here to stop it. And I guess, for having to leave soon for a while. That's why I'm being so attentive now, so you'll be okay while I'm gone. And you can call me whenever, too. I promise I'll make time for you if you need me." 
"You don't have to worry about me. Not while you're on a beach somewhere with your friends." 
"You're my friend too. I'm gonna look out for you even if I'm on the other side of the world. I'm here for you, no matter what." 
"Oh, God...everything you say just makes it hurt more. Hearts that good don't grow on trees, and I spent over a year breaking it and stomping on the pieces." 
"I'm sorry..." 
"Please stop apologizing. I'm the one who should be sorry. I should be doing what you want me to." 
"What I want?" 
"Yeah. Whatever you want." 
"I want to hug my friend and tell her it's okay." 
Natalia got up, plopped next to Layla on the bed, and wrapped her arms around her. "...how do you stay this warm..." Layla uttered. 
"So...are you gonna be okay walking home? It's a little late..." 
"Um...about that..." Layla looked to her bag. "Would it be okay if...I spent the night here?" 
"Wha--you mean, like...a sleepover?" 
"I know it's kinda sudden, but I got a little excited when I went home and I grabbed some extra clothes, and...I dunno what I'm thinking. I just...I don't want to leave yet. This is the first time in a while that I've felt..." 
"Felt what?" 
"...I don't have the right to say it. But I feel...happy, being around you. I don't want to be a burden, so if you're not comfortable with this, I'll be on my way..." 
Natalia grabbed Layla's arm before she could get up. "I've never had a sleepover before. I can't say no if it means more time for us to get closer. Make yourself comfy." 
"Easy when your room's a paradise of soft cuddles. Thanks, Natty. For...everything." 
The two fully embraced. "Here's to tomorrow's adventure." Natalia said. 
--- 
December 20, 2029 
"Hey, Nana...have you seen Layla around here today?" Natalia asked. 
"Haven't seen her since the two of you came in yesterday, dearie." her grandmother replied. 
"Hmmmm..." Natalia sighed. "I'm getting really worried. She's usually quick about replying to my texts. We were gonna exchange gifts today since I'm leaving tomorrow. I know she wouldn't skip out on that..." 
"You and her have gotten so close this past week, Danish. Maybe she's just sad about you going away." 
"Maybe, but..." Natalia's phone lit up from a message. "It's from--ah." 
"What is it, dearie?" 
Natalia froze. "....." 
"Is it from Layla?" 
"No...it's...Vicky..." 
"Heya, Natty, it's your old pal Vicky. Listen, I know we had that little spat a few days ago, so in the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to bury the hatchet between us. I'm gonna be at that bridge over by your shop. Oh and don't worry, Layla's already here and asking for ya. Don't keep us waiting." 
"Nana, I've gotta go..." 
"What did that girl want, Natalia? Is something wrong?" 
"I think there might be...I don't have a good feeling. I'll be back later, Nana." Natalia rushed out the door. 
"Natalia, be carefu--ugh. So hasty." 
Natalia ran towards the bridge where she'd encountered Layla the week before. "She says she wants to bury the hatchet, but..." 
"You...this ain't the end of it! You'll be getting yours one way or another!" 
"She's had a week to sit on that...I'm coming, Layla." 
As soon as she got near the spot, she could see that her concern was warranted. A crowd of teenagers had gathered near the bridge, though she couldn't see what they were looking at. As she got closer, she tried to peek through the crowd. Though it was brief, what caught her eye left her horrified. 
Layla was lying on her knees, having clearly just been attacked. She was tied to the bridge's railing by the arm, with a rope. Vicky loomed over her, as the others surrounding her egged her on. 
"....." Layla kept silent. 
"You could at least be more involved, y'know. Maybe ask for forgiveness, or something? Bet you're feeling really sorry now, huh?" Vicky questioned. 
"Witch!" some of the teens called out. 
"How much more of this are you gonna take before you blurt it out? Don't you want to atone?" 
"Not...to you." Layla mumbled. 
Vicky proceeded to kick Layla in the chest. "Should've figured. What else should we expect from such an evil creature? I bet you told poor Natty to jump, didn't you?" 
The rest of the crowd began affirming their belief in that thought. 
"What do you even have in this cheap-looking thing, anyway?" Vicky reached into Layla's bag and pulled out her notebook. "Oh, yikes. This is a little grim, isn't it?" 
Layla became alarmed. "Don't touch that--!" 
Vicky presented the drawing of a witch, with Layla's name on it. "Well, well. If that's not an admission of guilt, I don't know what is. Quick question: is this ink waterproof?" 
"No...please, stop...that's all I have..." 
"Guess there's one way to find out." 
The crowd began urging Vicky to toss it into the canal. 
"Welp, gotta give the people what they want. Majority rules in a democracy. I don't think you can complain too much." 
Vicky pulled her arm back to throw the notebook. 
Before that could happen, her arm was stopped. 
Natalia had grabbed it. "What are you doing?" Her expression was dark. 
"Hey, isn't that Natalia?" one teen in the crowd questioned. 
"She looks so different..." another one stated. 
"Oh, there you are, Natty." Vicky nervously said. "We were just--" 
"Give me that!" Natalia grabbed the notebook away. "What is all this? Why are you hurting Layla?" 
"Just giving her a taste of her own medicine. Part of you has to be loving this, right?" 
Natalia ignored Vicky, and went over to Layla. "Are you OK? That looks bad..." 
"I'm alright...just a few bruises..." Layla uttered. 
"Let me get this off..." Natalia began untying the rope. 
"Hey, I'm confused...why's she helping her out?" one teen asked. 
"Oh, Natty...don't you ever get tired of the nice girl act?" Vicky questioned. "A girl hurts you so badly that you want to die...now she's getting her karma, and you're trying to help her out? You think she's nice now cuz she's acting all money? Take it from someone that's known her the longest, she's just biding time and waiting to get something from you. She did it before, didn't she?" She let out a sigh. "So different from before, but still so naive. I hand you a golden opportunity to get some payback, and you're leaving it on the table. You keep her around, and she'll take you for everything you've got. Just giving you a friendly hand..." 
"A friendly hand? Getting payback...?" Natalia shook, and clenched her fist. "You don't have a shred of self-awareness or regret for any of this, do you?" 
"Huh?" 
"Layla hurt me badly...I'm not denying that. But you were the ringleader. You're just as guilty, so why do you get to stand here and be the judge of her? Why does she have to suffer for the both of you?" 
"Natty..." Layla uttered. 
"Get real, sweetcheeks. If I've got an out from that mess, of course I'm gonna take it! Eat or be eaten, baby. Whatever it takes to keep my head above the water. If she had the chance to open her mouth first and bury me instead, she would've taken it. We're the same kinda animal, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll toss her aside and forget all about her. You keep handing out second chances, and you're just asking for people to walk all over you. You're still the same, dumb, Fatty Natty." Vicky sneered. 
"Wow...what a piece of work." a teen in the crowd uttered. 
"She's not even sorry for it..." another added. 
Natalia grew even more furious. "I've listened to you spout this garbage for so long, and never once say you're sorry for it..." She quickly turned to face Vicky. "Shut your damn mouth, you scheming little bitch!" 
Before anyone knew what was happening, Natalia lunged at Vicky, punching her square in the nose, grabbing her and knocking her over. Natalia's eyes glowed yellow and a dark aura loomed around her as her voice distorted. "You want me to drop the sweet girl act, huh? You want me to get payback? Then don't complain!" 
As the stunned crowd looked on, along with a mortified Layla, Natalia went off the rails, punching Vicky repeatedly. 
She got back up to her feet, panting. A bloodied Vicky got up. "You bitch...! You'll regret this for the rest of eternity! Hope you enjoy your time in Sushiland, cuz that store and bakery'll be long out of business when you get back! You're ruined, y'hear?! RUINED!" 
"Whatever." Natalia turned to the crowd. "You all filmed that, right? You're all gonna tell the truth about what happened here, right?" 
The crowd, still shaken, nodded. 
"If I come home, and I find out you're still shutting Layla out, or that this money-grubbing cow is still causing trouble...if you're still living and following the lie...I have friends who'll come here in a heartbeat. They'll make the truth come out, and it'll be so much worse for you." Natalia walked over and got Layla to her feet. "Ask yourselves when it should stop. There's enough wrong with the world as-is. Sit in your rooms and think of that." 
Natalia pulled Layla along, and the two walked away. 
"Dumbass skanks...you're so done for this..." Vicky grumbled. 
"Nah...but you are." One of the teens that had taped the entire thing hit "Upload" on his phone. Many of the others followed suit. 
"W-wait, don't just--!" 
--- 
"Well. I just got off the phone with Vicky's father. He was pretty incredulous. Didn't mention the part about his daughter kidnapping and beating another girl, which isn't at all shocking." Yannick said. Natalia was seated in the back of the store, attending to Layla's injuries. 
"Looking through the video comments, most of the kids in that crowd are already selling her out. You want to talk about karma..." Sophia responded. 
"You aren't angry at me, are you?" Natalia asked. 
"Sweetie, I've been dreaming of the moment you'd give that girl a taste of payback. Spoiled little witch had it coming." 
"Your ma and I need to get back to the front. We'll talk more after work." Her parents walked out. 
"....." Layla looked despondent. 
"I'm sorry that happened to you. But your notebook's still in one piece, and Vicky's gonna get what's coming now. It's fine--" 
"Stop apologizing." Layla began to shake. "I could've taken the beating just fine and that would've been the end of it. What if you get in major trouble now?! Things like this'll just keep happening if you're around me!" 
"Layla..." 
Layla grabbed Natalia's hand. "These hands shouldn't be used to hurt people...they should only be used to bring love and happiness. Now thanks to me..." 
"I did it for you." 
"That's the problem! From Day 1 to now, being around me only brings you pain and misery! That's all that ever happens around me...nothing good comes from being near me. Nothing that I do could ever bring the kind of happiness you've given me these last few days. You should've just left me to be beaten..." 
"That isn't true at all." Natalia slid the notebook over. "You're a wonderful artist, Layla. Just from the pictures you've let me look at, you've got great talent for it." 
"But everything I've done is so grim and morbid..." 
"Because you've been in that type of mindset for so long. I know you have it in you to make something really sweet that'll touch someone's heart. As cliche as it sounds, you just have to believe in yourself a bit more. And I've got something that should help you do that while I'm gone." 
Natalia picked up a large gift bag. "This is...for me?" Layla asked. 
"Uh-huh." 
Layla opened the bag. "Ah..." She took out three large sketchbooks, accompanied with several packs of ink pens. 
"You did say you were almost out of room in your current one. This should be more than enough to last you for a long time. I want to see at least one of them filled up by the time I come home for the summer. My Professor always tells us to use our talents in the best ways we can. To be the best versions of us. So in that vein..." Natalia poked the bag, indicating that something else was in it. 
Layla reached in and pulled out a green sweatshirt, with a stylized message written in blue. It read, "Believing in yourself is your magic~!" 
"There was this cute little show I saw when I was little, and that line always stuck out to me. Even if things seem really bad now, they can always get better if you just believe that they can. You'll be able to do awesome things with your art. I believe in you. Keep repeating that to yourself. Speak it into existence. You're someone worthy of being loved, Layla. I'll help you however you need." 
Layla started to tear up. "You're...you're so beautiful, Natty. Thank you...for everything you've done for me. This might not be much...but I do have something for you, too." She opened her notebook, and tore out one of the sketches. "I finished touching it up. I hope I was able to capture you properly." 
The picture was a black-and-white sketch, showing Natalia looking out from the top of the Belfort, the sun shining down on her warm, smiling face. 
"Did I do good?" Layla asked. 
"I love it! It's gonna go right up in my room as soon as I get home. This is exactly what I meant by you making people happy! I know you have it in you. Just gotta believe--" 
Layla embraced Natalia. "I'm sorry I ever hurt you, Natty. Thank you for...teaching me what it means to change. I love you." 
Natalia smiled, and returned the hug. "Right back at you, Layla. In every way." 
--- 
December 24, 2029 
"Sorry if I talked your ears off." Natalia said, sitting in her bed while speaking with Kat and Carrie. 
"Amazing...that was so beautiful, Natalia." Carrie replied. 
"Our Hoodsie's really blossomed into an angelic beauty..." Kat sniffled. "You're so incredible, you know that?" 
"Stop, I just did what anyone would've done given the circumstances. I saw Layla and I saw myself, crying and wanting someone to help. Who she was didn't matter. Who she is now does. And that's someone I love being friends with." Natalia replied. 
"I'd love to meet her. Maybe I can stop by during the summer." Carrie said. 
"Orrrr, maybe we can fly her out for the Great Unveiling in Sapporo come February. Then she can meet your little crush." Kat winked. 
"Nooooo! Ugh, I should've left that part out..." Natalia covered her face. 
Kat playfully rubbed her head. "You are so darn cute, Hoods. Stay like this forever, won't you?" She got an alert on her phone. "Ah, hold that thought. Barbie's calling." Kat left the room. 
"Will you be down for dinner?" Carrie asked. 
"Yeah. Just gimme some time to change and I'll be right there." Natalia replied. 
"No rush. See you in a few." Carrie exited. 
Natalia got a message on her phone. She looked, and it was from Layla. It was a sketch of herself, dressed as a cartoony witch and looking happy, with the message of "Believing in yourself is your magic~!" displayed on top. 
She sent a heart emoji in response, and put up a satisfied smile.