Persona BLEACHED 2: Part 29

Chapter 29: Viva Las Artistas
March 19, 2029
Kibō stared at his phone. 11 a.m., it read. "...how long were we in that plane?" he asked.
"We left Tokyo at about 5 a.m., and Madrid is about seven hours behind, so in Japan it's around 6 in the afternoon. So...thirteen hours." Barbara replied.
Off to the side, Rin was on the phone. "Yes, we just got to Madrid. It's not even noon here."
"Oh, dear. I just got home from work. You must be exhausted." Rose replied.
"'Exhausted' is putting it lightly. I sat next to a...talkative woman the entire time. I must've heard her neighbor's entire biography before she mercifully fell asleep."
The students all bore varying degrees of exhausted looks. "To think that we're back in our old time zone, yet it still feels so unnatural..." Carrie said.
"At least we can adapt a little quicker. Everyone else, though..." Natalia muttered.
"Guess this is what happens when you're away from home for so long. It's gonna feel REAL in a few hours." Sahir said.
"And then I can drift off and have hyper-realistic nightmares about Sonichu..." Kenji griped.
"What, you didn't enjoy the Comprehensive History of Chris Chan?" Max asked.
"The fact that there was enough material on this one human being to fill a 13-hour flight proves our species was a mistake." Kenji replied.
Kitty typed away on her phone, when someone poked her on the shoulder.
Rin ended her call. "Okay, everyone ready?"
"Um, Prof?" Kitty asked. "I think we've got a situation on our hands."
Next to Kitty was Sakuya, looking somber. Rin took notice of the ribbons tying her hair: they were colored blue, pink and white.
Rin took the two girls off to the side. "I see...so you told your class your secret. From that look on your face, I assume it didn't go over particularly well."
Sakuya shook her head. "Some of them didn't mind. But the girls I was supposed to room with did. One of them wouldn't stop referring to me as 'dude' when she complained to the professor."
"Excuse me?! Which one was it? I can have a head under their pillow in not time." Kitty exclaimed.
"Settle down, Kitty." Rin said. She sighed. "We're a fourth of the way into the 21st century, when are we gonna just let people be themselves? Kitty, you go with the others. I'm going to talk with Sakuya."
"Sure thing, Prof." Kitty turned to leave, then whispered to Sakuya. "Seriously, doesn't even have to be a human head. I could get a mannequin or something..."
"Kitty." Rin stated.
"Right, right, I'm going." Kitty walked away.
"Let me just preface this by saying that was a brave thing you did. But why come out with it now?" Rin asked.
"I, um...I had a talk recently. About how if people can't accept me for who I am then they aren't worth having around. Most of the people I've told before this weren't too upset about it, but this...this felt different. The ride here was incredibly awkward. Some of my classmates I talk to regularly couldn't even look at me. As if I became some kind of inhuman beast."
"I'm sorry, Sakuya. Nobody ever said being your real self was easy." Rin presented a charm on her bracelet, a heart bearing the colors purple, blue and pink. "Trust me, I get it."
"So what do I do now?"
"For now just stick with us. Hopefully when the initial shock wears off, your classmates can come around. Until then, I'll see if I can get you to room with my girls." 
Sakuya bowed. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sorry for the trouble."
"You have nothing to be sorry about. You did a brave thing, Sakuya. Now take off that frown. That's no way to start off a vacation, is it?"
Sakuya went over to the group. "I suppose I'll be touring with you after all, huh?"
Barbara put her arm around her shoulders. "You did the right thing. You should be proud of yourself."
"Hearts and minds can't be changed in a day, love. C'est la vie. You're safe with friends now, so don't look so sad." Carrie reassured.
"Don't worry. If they say that garbage to you again, we've got your back. That's what friends do." Sahir affirmed.
"Your continued support is humbling. Thank you, everyone." Sakuya replied.
"Okay, everyone, that bus driver finally showed up. Let's get a move on!" Rin called out.
The group got onto the bus, and headed for their hotel. "I've been noticing some rustic architecture mixed with more modern buildings. We're certainly not in Tokyo anymore." Kibō said.
"I love these kinds of buildings. Reminds me of home." Natalia said.
"For a modern city, there sure are a ton of trees here..." Max commented.
"Madrid's one of the greenest cities in the world. The only city in the world with more trees is, funnily enough, Tokyo." Rin exclaimed. "We'll be visiting one of the larger parks tomorrow. The locals call it 'El Retiro'."
"Ah, I've had that circled on my brochure." Kenji said. "Statues and monuments lined about a sea of trees. It's effectively an outdoor museum. It also has an impressive rose garden, and then there's the Velázquez Palace..."
"My, you've done your homework on this place, Kenneth. It's refreshing to hear you talk like this." Carrie said.
"Perhaps I'm getting too ahead of myself. If I get too excited I'll burn myself out. I'm already exhausted as it is." Kenji replied.
"Still dude, it's weird hearing you gush about something. Actually makes you seem like a normal human." Kitty said.
"Seeing as how you're the queen of abnormal humans, I'll take that as a compliment." Kenji sneered. Kitty stuck her tongue out in response.
The bus pulled in front of a large, red-bricked building with a fountain in front. After entering the lobby, Rin went to the receptionists' desk, while the students waited.
"What's wrong, Sakuya? You're not still hung up on what those girls said?" Barbara asked.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, Senpai. I'm just afraid of running into them while emotions are still hot. I don't want anyone's trip ruined because of me." Sakuya replied.
"We're the only class staying here, so that won't be a problem. And if we do see them out there and they still have an issue with you, of course we're going to speak up about it. You living your life the way you want isn't hurting anyone." Kibō said.
"We can promise to not get handsy about it. Don't want to cause some kinda international incident." Kitty added.
"I truly don't understand you all. I deceived you on behalf of your enemies, yet here you are saying you'll defend my honor. How could you do that after everything?" Sakuya asked.
"Our Professor preaches the power of words and forgiveness over force and anger. You were a victim of circumstance. That's all over now. You're one of us. No need to overthink it." Kibō explained.
"Okay..." Sakuya sighed. "Apologies for being such a downer."
"You say sorry a LOT, you know that?" Max said.
Rin walked over. "Okay, so...we've been given four rooms. For decency's sake, I'll be in one by myself. As for the rest of you..."
"Well, let's see...three rooms, nine of us...three per room." Barbara said. "All well and good, except...there's an uneven amount of girls and boys, so for the math to work out..."
"One of the boys has to stay with two girls, is what you're getting at." Kitty uttered.
"Uh-oh." Max muttered.
"I'd like to--" Sahir began.
"NO." All of the girls exclaimed in unison.
"Well, excuuuuuuse me, princesses." he griped.
"I'll save you all the drama. I volunteer." Kenji spoke up. "Caroline, Natalia? Would you two mind?"
"I don't see any issue. Natalia?" Carrie asked.
"Staying in a room with a boy? Um, I, uh..." Natalia blushed.
"I thought we were over the stuttering phase, Natalia. You have nothing to fear. I'll wear a blindfold if it's too problematic."
"I...guess there's no problem." Natalia conceded.
"That means you're with me and Kitty, Sakuya." Barbara said.
"Brace yourself. You're getting pure, unrestrained Kitty for the next couple of days. Few beings in the universe can comprehend such a thing." Kitty proclaimed.
"Um...Senpai? Should I be worried about unrestrained Kitty-san?" Sakuya asked. Barbara averted her eyes, saying nothing.
"Okay, now that everything's sorted, I'll leave you to unpacking. I know you all must be exhausted, so I'll give you time to rest. I'll be looking around for a place to have dinner. See you in a few." Rin dictated.
---
"...oh." Kibō, Max and Sahir entered their room, with fanciful red furniture and bed covers. The first thing they took notice of was the number of beds.
"There's, uh...there's only two beds." Max uttered.
"Guess they didn't envision three guys staying in one room." Kibō said.
"Well, way I see it is we have two options: either one of us sleeps on the floor..." Sahir began.
"We ain't dogs, dude. Not happening." Max asserted.
"That just leaves one option. Time for bloodsport!" Sahir exclaimed.
"Excuse me?" Kibō asked.
Sahir took the bedsheets and folded them on the floor in the shape of a circle. "When you grow up in a house with three brothers you tend to have a few scuffles. We go at each other sumo-style. Losers have to share a bed."
"Isn't this a little...overboard?" Max asked.
"Heck no, this is how men settle things. Through blood and muscle!"
"Yes, wrestling amongst frilly bedsheets. The manliest of contests." Kibō replied.
The three boys got inside the ring. "This is the stupidest..." Kibō groaned.
"Hey, Maxie. That haircut might actually work out for you. Less things to grab, you know?" Sahir joked.
Max sighed. "Let's just get this over with."
Sahir pumped himself up. "Y'all ain't ready for this. Y'all think you're ready, but you ain't."
"You've greatly misjudged your choice in competition." Kibō said.
"What the heck does that me--" Max began.
The boys charged at each other, and Max was quickly lifted up. "Woah, woah, okay, this is happe--oh, God, I can't--" He was flung out of the circle. "The hell, I didn't even get time to think..."
"Keeb, where did you learn how to--woah, okay, this isn't going how I thought it would..." Kibō lifted Sahir into the air. "Hey, hey! Where'd this even come from--oof!" Kibō flung Sahir on top of Max.
Kibō brushed his hands off. "You might've had three brothers to contend with, but I was raised by the strongest woman to ever step into a Japanese ring. This was over before it started. I'm taking the bed closest to the window."
"Well, take it like this, Maxie...this'll be a real bonding experience." Sahir groaned.
"Just shut up and get your ass off of me." Max replied. "How about best two out of three?"
"You really want another demonstration? I can show some of my mom's signature moves if you really want it." Kibō replied.
"That'll be a no from me." Sahir said.
"Seriously, man, how much did your mom even teach you?" Max asked.
"Enough. She never connected well with my brother, so I was her little protégé. I'm nowhere even close to as good as she is, but I'm passable."
"So wait, what about that time you got punched out by that dude at the burger place? If you layed us out like that, you could've done the same to him." Max asked.
"I got caught off-guard. If he hadn't sucker punched me it would've been him on the floor. Trust me."
"Bet your mom wasn't too pleased about her disciple getting KO'd like that." Sahir said.
"Well, I have a story about that. A few weeks after that happened, I'm out at lunch with her. We're walking by a fountain, and then I hear someone call out 'Hey, dumbass!'"
"You're joking. It was the guy?" Sahir asked.
"It was the guy. I turn around and he's wearing, of all things, a WWE shirt. He starts talking tough, and then my mom turns around. She isn't happy, not one bit. The guy's smirk just falls to pieces. He recognized her instantly. She gets up in his face and asks me, 'Is this the fatass that hit you?' I nod yes, and she just stares him down like she's Hulk Hogan. 'What did you just call my boy?'"
"Oh boy." Max uttered.
"The tough guy persona just disappeared. He's pleading for mercy. Now her specialty has always been picking up people bigger than her, and she isn't in any mood for what he's saying. 'Let me help you with the crap spewing out of your mouth.' She lifts him up, and flings him into the fountain. Saw the guy one last time about a month after that. He just looked away. Probably thought she was hiding somewhere."
"Your Ma is crazy, dude." Max said.
"That's how she's always been. Strongest person I know. And whenever someone tried to bully me, well...that's what would happen. My dad's family were all career politicians who thought she was a scandal waiting to happen. But I think if she wasn't as strong-minded as she is, she would've never convinced my dad we had to leave that lifestyle. I'd be lucky to have even half of her strength."
"Well if you flinging us around like an angry elephant is any indication, I'd say you got some of those mom genes." Sahir said, rubbing his shoulder.
"So are you still up for Round 2?" Kibō asked.
"No no no, once is more than enough. Thunderbolt Kyoko would be proud." Max conceded.
---
Late night. The grounds around the hotel fountain are mostly empty. Save for one contemplative soul.
"....." Sakuya sat on the edge of the fountain, lost in thought.
"Barbie's snoring got to you too, huh?" said a voice.
Kitty walked over to Sakuya. "Oh, Kitty-san...I didn't wake you when I left, did I? I'm sorry..."
"Here we go with the 'I'm sorry's again. FYI, you didn't wake me up. My dinner just decided it finally had enough of sitting in my gut. Then I saw you weren't in your bed. That's all."
"Well, apologies then for prying you away from your sleep. You and Senpai looked rather peaceful hugging each other like that..."
"A-ANYway..." Kitty interrupted. "What brings you out here?"
"I couldn't sleep...I didn't want to disturb you or Senpai, so I thought I'd take a walk. This is where my thoughts led me."
"Are you still upset about this morning?"
"No...yes...I don't know." Sakuya thought for a moment. "I'm scared. Everything is a cloud of uncertainty. Once the school year ends, I have nowhere to go. I have no home. No family. Not nearly enough money to continue schooling and find a place to live and keep up my treatments. And what I did today, outing myself...I may have just cemented my place as an outcast. Once the year ends, you all will be returning home. I won't have anyone to turn to."
Sakuya began to shake. "I know what my chances of having a happy life are. And I...I know exactly what I am. I'm something that disturbs everything. Revealing my secret...all it served to do was cause a disruption. I hate nothing more than feeling like a burden. But how should I feel when that's my entire existence..."
Kitty wordlessly sat and put her feet up on the fountain, sitting facing away from Sakuya. "You wanna hear how my parents met?"
"Huh...?"
"So, I mentioned that my Pops was a Kpop singer when he was younger. You'd think that Mama was one of his groupies or something like that, right?"
"Is she...ignoring everything I just said?" Sakuya thought.
"Well, she did meet him at one of his parties. Her roommates were both massive Golden Wei stans, and they scored three tickets to one of their concerts. So they convinced her to go with them. Then they convince her to go to the after-party. You'd think any young Korean woman would be overjoyed at this prospect, except for one fact."
"What is this...?"
Suddenly, without turning around, Kitty grabbed one of Sakuya's hands. "My Mama teaches classical music at a high school in Seoul. She hated Kpop. And when she saw him at the party she let him know it."
"She...she is hearing me. Then why is she...?"
"So he gets up onto a table, right? Big gold chains, gold sequined jacket, cheap-as-all-hell cologne. And he stares her down and goes 'So, hot stuff, what did ya think of the show?' And she stares right back and says, point blank, 'I thought it sucked. And your singing matches your cologne: cheap and probably originating from a dog's asshole.' Soon as she said that, you could hear a pin drop. And you know how he responded?"
Sakuya didn't say a word.
"He just laughed it off and said, 'I think so too. You're the first woman I've met that didn't lie to me to my face. How about I buy you a drink?' Four years later, out comes Lin. Six years after that, your Friendly Neighborhood Kitty was wrought onto the Earth. And you know what else? My Mama still tells him that his singing sucks. She thinks he cast some kind of dark magic spell on her when she was pregnant with me, and that's why I don't sound like nails on a chalkboard when I sing. When they exchanged wedding vows, the only thing she said to him was 'Your voice makes my arteries harden. I'm marrying you anyway. That must count for something.' He responds with 'I've counted six new gray hairs on my head since we started dating. But your bod's a solid 10, so...'" They've been married for twenty-three years and they've never been happier."
Sakuya couldn't hold it in any longer. After some restraint, she burst out laughing. "Ahahaha...oh, oh I'm sorry, I...that is exactly the kind of union you would be born from. Ahahahaha..."
Sakuya felt Kitty's arm going around her shoulders, her other hand still gripping onto Sakuya's. "I don't want to see that look leave your face the rest of the trip, OK? When we get back home, we're gonna do everything we can to get you sorted. We're gonna find your mom, and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you have that happy future. Then, when that's done, we're gonna put those hand freaks down once and for all. Even if that means...turning my spellbook on Lin. But for now, we're gonna go around and have the time of our lives and just, for a week, be normal teenagers. Sound good?" Kitty dictated.
Sakuya finally understood the intent, and gave a smile. "Yes. Thank you, Kitty-san."
"Gucci. Now let's get back to bed. Barbie's probably called the National Police to track us down." 
"Okay." Sakuya drifted into thought. "She knew where my thoughts were going. And she did what she does, and steered me as far away from the darkness as she could. Everything they say about her is true. Kit So-yin...what a beautiful soul you are."
---
March 20, 2029
"Not a bad sight, huh?" Rin held her phone up. She stood beneath a long pathway lined with flower-covered arches.
"Oh, goodness, it's beautiful. So wonderfully put together..." Rose responded. "Of course this is the spot you go to first."
"Naturally. I have a sensor built in that points me to the most beautiful of roses."
"Tease, tease, tease. Why must you be such a tease?" Rose blushed.
"Ahahahaha! You know you love it. You wouldn't get so flustered otherwise."
"Hmph. I won't say I dislike it..."
"So, what do you think? Any remodeling ideas?"
"Oh I would love nothing more than a pathway covered in flowers. Given how the house looks, though, I don't know if it's doable."
"Yeah, it might be too loud for where we live now. Still, something to keep in the back of your head."
"So, what's in the plans for the next few days?"
"We'll be touring around the park for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we're taking the train to Barcelona. Wednesday is going to be the beach day."
"I read that the beaches in Barcelona are ranked consistently as among the world's best. I'm sure the students must be thrilled."
"Are they ever. Now before you ask, no, I won't be sending you bikini shots. I'm still their chaperone. Have to be conservative."
"Oh, boo. There goes my fantasy..."
"Hm? What's this? Prim and proper Rosemary, thinking dirty?"
"Well when you dangle a carrot in front of someone..."
Rin's phone began to ring. "Oh, Tenko's calling. Sorry to cut this short. I'll call you later."
"I'll be counting the seconds until then. Enjoy your day, my love."
Rin blew a kiss and waved goodbye as she switched lines. Up came an image of Tenko, wearing a shirt with a stylized apple on it.
"Rin-Rin, hi, good morning--well, good morning where you're at! Just wanted to let you know I'm wearing you over my boobs, so you're always close to my heart! Ahahaha, I don't miss you or anything, it's fiiiiine."
Rin sighed.
---
Natalia shuddered. "This gives me an eerie feeling..."
She and Carrie were in front of a fountain, adorned with a life-sized statue of a winged man who appeared to be in pain. Smaller visages of demons, fish and lizards decorated the rest of the fountain.
"Yes, it seems very...foreboding. Why does he look like he's in pain?" Carrie asked.
"Most likely because he is in the process of being damned." Kenji walked up to the girls. "This is the Fountain of the Fallen Angel. Constructed in 1877 by Spanish sculptor Ricardo Bellver out of plaster and coated in bronze as was tradition at the time. Catches the eye, does it not? He draws you in with his look of agony, filled with all the world's resentment."
"You're not exactly calming things down, Kenny..." Natalia muttered.
"I wouldn't expect you to be calm. Certainly not around him. Who do you think that is? Consider the name, 'Fallen Angel'. What you are standing in front of now is the world's only public monument to the devil himself. That figure, face so full of agony, is the fallen angel Lucifer." Kenji explained.
"That explains the demons in the fountain. And the rather uneasy feelings I get from it..." Carrie said.
Kenji stood ponderously. "A frightening concept, isn't it? For one of the creator's chosen to revolt and become mankind's greatest threat. A desire for power, a disagreement with your maker, or a refusal to serve a species you deem to be inferior. Those are the motives that drove a being created to be pure to revolt."
"Kenny, you're scaring me here..." Natalia uttered.
"I'm not trying to say we're akin to the devil. But think about the reasons for our own rebellion. Mankind is fractured. Consumed by hubris and in need of change. Lucifer saw the flaws in humanity and refused to serve it. That rebellion led him to damnation, and an eternity devoted to tormenting God's creations."
"Kenneth...what are you insinuating?" Carrie questioned.
"I'm not insinuating anything. Merely pondering." He turned to the girls. "Apologies if I scared you both. Questioning art can lead my mind astray. Why don't we find something a little less...dubious?"
"Less dubious? Yes, let's! Let's find something less devil-y!" Natalia scampered off.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to overdo it. It's rather easy for your mind to wander someplace dark when talking about the king of demons. I'm still trying to figure out how to communicate my thoughts better." Kenji conceded.
"No, no, it's alright. You do raise an intriguing point about rebellion. Though I like to believe we're not as morally questionable as the devil himself." Carrie grabbed Kenji by the arm. "Come now, let's make sure Natalia doesn't wander off too far. I'd like to pick that artist's brain of yours some more."
"Very well."
---
Elsewhere in the park, Kitty sat by herself on a bench, taking selfies. From a few yards away, Sakuya observed.
"Why is she by herself?" Sakuya pondered. "Sahir-san?"
"Yeah?" Sahir asked.
"Kitty-san is all by herself. I would've thought she would be trekking around with Max-san and Senpai. Did something happen?"
Sahir paused. "You, uh...you're joking, right?"
"Why would I be joking? It's her roommate and her boyfriend. I just assumed they'd be grouped together."
"Oof. You really don't know, do you?"
"Know what? I didn't notice any tension between her and Senpai. Did she and Max-san have a--"
"Maxie and Kitty broke up."
The statement caught Sakuya by surprise. "Come again?"
"Oh yeah. Happened right before we came here. Caught us all off-guard. But once I started thinking about it we should've seen it coming."
"Oh, wow. I honestly had no idea. But I thought it was odd that she sat away from him on the plane. What happened?"
"Everyone has their idea about why. Having lived with Maxie all this time, it always seemed to me like Kitty was way more invested than he was. Not saying he didn't like her, but I think he was feeling pressure from how much she liked him. I think--again, just what I'm guessing from what I've seen--I think Kitty saw how Barb and Keebs are and wanted something like that. Maxie might've been freaked out by how fast she was moving. So he told her straight-up that he wanted to stay friends, but wasn't really ready for what she wanted."
"Oh, dear. How did she take it?"
"You know Kitty. She speaks her mind, and from what he told me she let him have it. From what I can tell she's calmed down a bit, but it's so tough to tell what she's thinking."
"I've been in a room with her and Senpai and I haven't noticed any difference."
"Barb's the 'cry on my shoulder if you need to' type. She was probably the first one to talk to Kitty after it happened. She knows what her bro is thinking better than anyone else, so she was probably preparing for it. Couldn't have made the convo easier, but..."
"Let's go talk to her." Sakuya insisted.
"You really want to bring that up here? I don't know if that's a good idea..."
"I won't bring it up. But I don't want her to be alone while everyone else is enjoying themselves. If we're there it'll be easier for her to get her mind away from what's troubling her." 
Sakuya's mind went back to the conversation the night before. "I don't want to see that look leave your face the rest of the trip, OK? When we get back home, we're gonna do everything we can to get you sorted. But for now, we're gonna go around and have the time of our lives and just, for a week, be normal teenagers. Sound good?"
"She gave me a pep talk and tried to console me even while her own heart was broken. The least that I can do is return the favor." Sakuya thought.
"When you put it that way it's hard to say no. Can't have the life of the party sad during the big vaycay, can we?" Sahir said. 
The pair walked over to Kitty. "What's happenin', Kitten? I noticed your pictures were missing their required amount of me, so I came over to amend that~." Sahir proclaimed.
"Ah, I was wondering why they were looking so not-annoying." Kitty quipped.
"How come you're taking so many?" Sakuya asked.
"Welp, my parents are big on travel but they've never been to Europe. So when their loving, thoughtful daughter goes on a trip, the first order from home is inevitably 'take a metric ton of pictures!' They're thousands of miles away but I'm basically their tour guide." Kitty explained.
"Doesn't your Pa have enough to just fly here?" Sahir asked.
"Oh, he does. In fact I'm pretty sure this is just me mapping out their inevitable visit in like, a year or two."
"Maybe they secretly want more pictures of you since you've been away from home for so long." Sakuya suggested.
"Well that's a weird way of asking. Probably means it's true." Kitty said. "Where are you two happy customers headed off to?"
"We found this neat bakery close by, wanted to know if you'd wanna come with us." Sahir replied.
"Sure, I'm in the mood to hasten up some cavities. Lead the way."
Sahir went ahead, while Kitty stopped Sakuya. "Hey. How are you doing? Last night was kinda...emotional."
"Much better, thanks. It's like you said, it's better to just relax and enjoy the trip."
"Yep. Tokyo problems can stay in Tokyo. Vacation's all about forgetting life's BS for just a little while."
"Sometimes all you need is to spend time with friends to take your mind away from a dark spot."
Kitty paused. "Yeah. Totally." she said unconvincingly.
Sakuya grabbed her arm. "Come now, before Sahir starts to get impatient. Sweets are a fine medicine for most things. Even a broken heart."
Kitty was surprised, but gave a smirk. "Heh. Don't know what doctor told you that."
"I work at a maid café, Kitty-san. I know a thing or two about sweets. Now let's go drown that sorrow in some fine Spanish desserts. My treat."
"Hey, slowpokes!" Sahir shouted in the distance. "I was halfway there before I realized I was alone!"
"Just helping you get your exercise in before dessert, Kicks. We're coming." Kitty answered. "Hey, Maggie?"
"Yes?"
Kitty turned to Sakuya, a tear falling from her eye. "Thanks. For real."
"Of course. Think nothing of--" 
Kitty suddenly wrapped Sakuya in a hug. After a few moments, Sakuya spoke up. "It's alright. Time and desserts heal all wounds. You're with friends now. It'll be okay."
Kitty let go. Her stomach let out a growling noise. She shook her head and smirked. "I'm a mess. I'm a goddamned mess and there's something wrong with me and I don't know what to--"
Sakuya put a finger over Kitty's mouth. "Would you like to hear about the time I slapped a patron at the café?"
Kitty got the message. "*sniff* Absolutely."
"Very good. Let's discuss over dessert. It's a harrowing tale indeed..."
"I believe it." The girls began walking.
---
March 21, 2029
Boom.
"Damn it." Kenji grumbled.
A room inside of a high speed train. Kitty was seated next to Sakuya, with Kenji next to Sahir. The four were on their laptops, with a game titled "Worms" on their screens.
"Which one of you is 'Ronaldo's Bust'?" Kitty asked.
"I'm Ronaldo's Bust." Sahir replied.
"Goodbye Ronaldo's Bust." Kitty's selected worm fired a rocket at Sahir's.
"Ronaldo's Bust will live for a thousand ye--" The worm fell from its perch into the water below.
"Ronaldo's Bust will live for nothing." Sakuya joked.
There was a knock on the door. Kibō could be seen through the window. Kenji got up and answered it. "What is it?"
"I need to speak with Kitty."
"I can hear you, you know." Kitty spoke out. "If it's about you-know-who, tell him I'm not in the mood. Meaning I'm enjoying myself."
"I thought that'd be the response. Personally I told him he should do it himself but he's, understandably, hesitant." 
"Doing someone else's dirty work for them? Come on, Kibō. This is beneath you." Kenji said.
"Trust me, I'm not thrilled about it myself. I only volunteered so I could escape the tension in that room. Barbara's spent the last thirty minutes scolding Max for what he did. Then Carrie joined in. Once that girl gets angry...yeah, I needed out of there for a few minutes." Kibō insisted.
"Um..." Natalia poked her head out from behind Kibō. "Can I hide out in here for a bit? Things in my room are getting..."
"I just told them." Kibō said.
"Ugh, I couldn't stand it anymore! Once Care got that 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' face, I knew it was time to leave. Right when I was getting happy that we were all friends again..." Natalia said.
"I think Maxwell drastically underestimated the ripple effect this was going to have." Kenji said.
"I'll say. I don't think he expected everyone to side with Kitty on this. Even his own sister's telling him off." Sahir said.
"'Telling him off' is right. She slipped into a completely different accent. I think that's what they call the 'Southern belle' type of voice?" Natalia responded. "I'm still trying to figure out whag a 'daggum' is."
"Do you think we can squeeze them in here?" Sakuya asked.
"Just until things cool off. Plus I think we've only got half of the ride left." Kibō said.
Kitty gestured. "Let 'em in."
A short while later, another knock. "Oh, this is about to get tight." Sahir muttered.
Carrie and Barbara, both looking exasperated, were on the other side. When Kibō opened the door, Barbara was muttering to herself.
"'I'm not ready for commitment', he says. Daggum stubborn blockheaded ninny is what he is..." she griped in a southern twang.
As the students smooshed together, Kitty rubbed her eyes. "I didn't want this. I didn't want you all to pick sides. Much less have you all packed in here like sardines."
"We love you, Kitten. None of us think what Maxwell did was right by you. And we let him know it." Carrie replied.
"Short-sighted, pigheaded son of a gun, just like our old man. I ain't standin' for it!" Barbara griped in her drawl.
"Please just stop it!" Kitty protested. "I don't want you making Sparky the bad guy. He only got spooked because I came on too strong. I honestly don't even know how I felt. It's my fault as much as his. I got desperate and I pushed and I drove him off cuz that's just what I'm good at."
"Kitty-san, that isn't true. If you're so good at driving people away, why are we all stuffed in here trying to comfort you?" Sakuya retorted.
"What made you want to push so hard, anyhow?" Kenji questioned.
Kitty looked up. "Cuz of them." She pointed at Kibō and Barbara.
"Wait, what? What did we do?" Kibō asked.
"You two are so damn happy and adorkable and Barbie's always beaming like the little sunflower she is whenever she's around you. I want so badly to feel that way about someone...to have someone that means that much to me. My parents are an ocean away, the person I could count on the most in the world is with the bad guys..." Kitty's voice began to break as her eyes turned yellow and a dark aura began to emanate from her.
"I'm just...I'm so lonely. Everything I do falls to pieces. And it's always my fault. I don't know what's wrong with me. I want to be somebody to somebody." She wiped tears from her eyes. "I must sound so stupid, screaming about how lonely I am to my friends. But once I go home, it's just gonna be me and my parents. I've burned too many bridges. I'm the queen of shooting myself in the foot. Y'all must be so sick of cleaning up my messes..."
"I think you needed this trip more than I did." Sakuya said, rubbing Kitty's shoulder. "There's no shame in feeling lonely. I think everyone in this room has felt that way at some point. But that's why we're all in this room right now. So no one has to feel lonely anymore."
"Yeah. Nobody except the guy sitting in his cabin by himself." Kitty replied. "Someone go grab Sparky."
"You really sure about that?" Barbara asked.
"Ostracizing is the first step to supervillainy. Prof preaches forgiveness, right? Just let me talk to him." Kitty said.
The other students all exited the room. Minutes after, a dejected Max, eyes to the ground, walked in. 
"Look me in the eyes, dumbass." Kitty ordered. She got up and got in his face. "You being serious right now? Mr. Hero of Justice, scared of a little girl?"
"What do you want me to say?" Max asked.
"How about 'sorry', for starters? 'Sorry for taking you for a ride and ripping your heart in two'?" Kitty griped. "I want to smack you so bad right now."
"Go ahead. It's what I deserve. I'm sorry for leading you on as long as I did. I was too much of a coward to bring it up sooner. I'm not gonna make any excuses. You deserve better than that. I did mean what I said, though. You're still one of the coolest people I've ever met. I still want to be your friend, but I wouldn't blame you for thinking otherwise."
Kitty shook her head. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. You broke my heart, Sparky. Part of me wants to blame myself for wanting too much too quick. The other part wants to smack the ever-loving crap out of you for leading me on. I'm not gonna tell you no. I won't say you completely burned the bridge. But you're gonna have to fix it yourself. That means living with me calling you a blockhead for the foreseeable future. And don't even THINK I'm gonna consider taking you back."
"Guess I can live with that. So can you please tell the others to stop giving me the stink eye?"
"You really think you're in a spot to be asking me favors?"
"Point taken. Sorry."
"Blockhead."