Chapter 32: Reunions With Lila
Operation Meet with Lila was live! And I was nervous again, which had been a recurring emotional state recently.
Please let this one go well.
I was currently sitting in the backroom with no one to accompany me. Beatrice was the only one working today. This was due to the shop requiring bookings through Monday to Wednesday so they could place an appropriate amount of staff on site, this was also because those days were busy school and work days so there shouldn’t be as many coming in the first place.
I didn’t really understand the practice, it didn’t seem the best for business–cause all the employees were still paid even if they weren’t on shift that day–but Beatrice said it was because the Boss wanted some guaranteed peaceful shifts in the week for his employees.
“You okay? Not too boring.” Beatrice peaked into the room.
Beatrice was wearing a pair of interactive glasses today, personal ones–purple with a blue flower pattern. I also had a pair, my family got one for each of us so we could interact with Earth’s everything really…
Newcastle changes a lot by just wearing a pair.
“Yeah, everything’s good.” I waved, “I could ask the same to you, unlike myself you have to stay in the main room in case someone barges into the shop.”
“There are still comfortable chairs out here, so it isn’t a big loss.” Beatrice didn’t have too many customers today, and most of them were in the afternoon.
I joined her when she opened the shop because her first and most important customer was coming at 9:45 am, and who I was going to talk to her after the appointment was completed.
Beatrice's eyes squinted and locked onto my hair, “You don’t know how angry your hair makes me.”
“Please keep it directed at the hair and not me.”
My hair was a monster in its own right. Blamed in all parts due to Espr and the skills it provided, and the slow physical influence they had over me. It looked like I had tumbled through a forest, some parts stuck up others didn’t, it did kind of look like a forest itself. By all accounts and purposes, it was a mess, but somehow it never affected me. It never got in my eyes, it never got itchy, and it was pleasant to have on my head.
So I had the choice of messy short or messy long hair. And the forest look looked better on long hair than short, so I was going to keep it this way for a while longer.
I did send photos to my family. Which got a good laugh out of them, watching Beatrice trying to wrangle with my hair. She nearly broke her scissor in the process. But for one moment, my hair did reach a state of normalcy, before jumping back to the mess it was before–ten minutes later.
Beatrice went back to work and I continued the waiting game.
Someone had entered the store and the footsteps of a young adult echoed in the room.
“Empty today?” A familiar voice entered my ears, a little deeper but still not low. However, its tone was way firmer than what it was five years ago.
“Yes,” I heard Beatrice reply.
“Well, I’m not complaining. Can you make this quick please, I have a meeting to go to.”
“Understood.” The conversation was kept simple.
“Would you like the usual?”
“Still working the part-time job?”
“Yes, but I’m looking to get promoted soon.”
“Good job, young and already moving up in the world.”
“I am an adult, if I don't look out for my future no one will.”
“Okay, that’s everything.”
“Good, thank you for your service.”
The transaction was completed and the job was done in under ten minutes
I heard the woman step off the chair and begin to walk to the door.”
“Lila, wait a moment.” Said Beatrice, and called for me, “Come out now.”
I answered the call and walked out of the door, pulling my hood down in the process.
“I’m a bit busy, Mrs Good–” My entrance caused the girl to pause her speech.
My brown hair flowed behind me while my golden eyes were locked on the woman in front of me. Short clean freshly trimmed pink hair, carefully combed back, while shaky dull red eyes stared back at me. She wore a simple clean suit and matching pants, without an ounce of colour or personalisation on them.
The little sister of Rosa Moon Rewolf.
“Hello, Lila…” I said, a sombre smile clear on my face. “Sorry for not contacting you sooner, haven’t been back long, and everything has been busy.”
Her frown was shaking, her face looked as if it was sculpted to never show any other expression.
What happened… no I know most of it.
Lila pulled the glasses down from her face and rubbed her eyes.
However, once she reopened them again I was still in her view.
“It… can’t be…” She stared at my scarred face and clear bright golden eyes.
She was fifteen years old when we first met and we got attached extremely fast.
“Aunty Ceella…?” A name she couldn’t even believe was leaving her mouth.
Was it weird for a fifteen-year-old to call some stranger, even if they were a good friend of their sister Aunty? Maybe. But in another way to look at it, it was a way to tell how closely we bonded. She would tell me things she wanted to keep from her sister and even ask me for help.
As if time rewound and she regressed five years, all I could see now was the child I spoke over space with.
“Yeah, that’s me.” I returned a cringed smile. I stepped forward while Lila stayed still.
She begged, “Is… Rosa…?”
“No,” I answered firmly, I couldn’t allow false hope. “I was the only one to survive.”
Her knees shook and she collapsed onto the floor. A reminder of everything stood before her, bringing back memories she tried to keep buried. Like a weaponised hammer to a glass cup, everything spilled out even when she didn’t want it to.
“Oh my god, you… are alive…” Her sight lifted off the floor and she stared at me, tears forming.
Lila gripped the rug on the floor. “Everything was so difficult.”
“Things kept breaking.”
“No one important cared.”
“I… just wanted to return to those days.” Lila’s face fully teared up and she looked down again, “Sister… Why did you have to go…?”
This is a far greater reaction than what I was expecting.
(“ Well your friend did expect something, which was why you met in person but the emotional strain and wall this lady put around herself were indeed impressive, too bad they were built with a clear weakest, well in the world she found herself in, it should’ve been basically impossible to encounter ”)
Ignored Espr's ramblings and stayed focused on Lila, slowly moving closer.
“After yours and Rosa's ship got caught in the accident–”
I interrupted, “Accident? What accident?” What sort of fake reports was NextEdge posting? Mother already sent the documents to the government, so they could deal with it for the time being, so I never looked too deeply into NextEdge’s report of the situation. I knew I was declared dead, but didn’t feel the need to look further into it. Dominous Hood was my main target for revenge as they dealt the most physical and emotional damage to me and now my family.
“Well, I guess you would know.” Her eyes flashed with clarity, “It was an organised attack by a sister company, to get rid of some dangerous items without government knowledge and it was passed off as a mere metre storm accident.”
“Yes… we were attacked.” I answered.
… Let’s let her keep talking for a while longer.
To keep the progression of events I asked, “What happened after you found out, we died?”
Lila began to spill everything out.
After Rosa died her family did nothing, only holding a tiny funeral that only lasted thirty minutes at their house. Lila who was greatly grieving at her sister's death was told to ‘get used to it’, and ‘it was going to happen eventually’. Her parents' lack of thought, and missing the sister who she relied on for these emotional problems, caused her to have meltdowns and lose all her friends. Over time, after working and growing independent she managed to move past it, she thought.
“I was able to stand with the help of–my own two feet.” Lila caught herself, but my senses were locked on her. And my soul pressure was comfortably wrapped around her. “I didn’t… think I would ever improve… just that I could do my best to make the world a better place… by not being an arsehole and becoming independent.”
I smiled, trying to Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform.”
“I… Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform. Communication Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform..” She answered.
“Impressive, putting yourself out there. Which company do you work for? I can check them out before I leave, maybe even come in for a surprise visit.”
Lila stood up and stepped back, “Sorry I… need a moment… a day to be alone…” She quickly turned around and moved to the door.
“You’re right, but.” I reached out, “Please can we talk again.”
“I don–” She wanted to deny my request.
“Lila, please.” I begged, “If you can’t do it for yourself, can you do it for me?” I asked, “I spent five years alone, I want to at least try to reconnect with the important people in my life.”
“I… understand.” My request broke her wall, “I just need some time first.”
Lila ran out of the building, and the tears in her eyes evaporated away.
“Do you think that was successful?” Beatrice asked behind me.
“Mostly, but now I know I have something more important to do than just reconnecting with Lila.” I saw something lurking in her, I didn’t notice it when it invaded my family but I wouldn’t let it escape this time.
“…I’ll tell you later.” I used an excuse, “It’s related to a promise I made.”