Perfection
The Confession
"Not in the sense that you think."
Tama felt sick when Aria said this. Her stomach twisted into knots. Her throat seemed to be closed off. She wanted this girl who knelt on top of her to be dead.
"What do you mean?"
"I was by your house that evening; when your father told your mother about running off." Aria spoke quietly. "I heard what he said. At that time, you were finally talking to me. I didn't want to lose you." Aria shook her head, tears running. "I told my grandfather Doro soon after and the next night they came after him."
"Aria-"
"We all went to your house. We had to get him to go outside. We couldn't wake you or your mother. You couldn't know. So . . . they made me cry out, to make him think it was you. He was outside in less than a minute."
Tama tried moving away, but Aria held onto her shoulders with even more strength. "After that, they told me to leave, but I didn't. I followed them. I followed them to the river-"
"Who they, Aria? Who did this to him?" Tama was fully crying now.
With a hesitant heart, she told her, "The Seven." Seeing that the girl below her was not about to react to the statement any time soon, Aria continued on with her story. "They pushed him off some bridge. He might have said something, but I didn't hear him." The two girls were quiet for a long time.
"Tama?" Nothing. "Tama, speak to me. Please."
"No."
"I only did it because-"
"I wish you were dead."
Aria smacked Tama across the face. She hit her more and more until the girl's cheek burned red from her strikes. Tama wriggled most of herself out of Aria's grip but the girl still had a hold on her leg. Aria dragged her back and continued to beat her. Both of them were crying now.
"Why don't you love me?" Aria suddenly whispered poisonously.
Tama stopped shaking and looked into the eyes of the girl who, not too long ago, was a dear friend. She's gone mad. she thought.
Without warning, Aria kissed her. Tama pushed her away but Aria grabbed her hair and pulled her back. She continued to kiss her on her cheek, neck, and lips. Tama screamed.
With the sound of stomping footsteps, Aria finally stopped, still holding Tama beneath her. Tama started to whimper so Aria closed a hand over her mouth to listen better. With her other hand, she brushed away the blonde strands of hair that had covered her face. Tama didn't want to look. She kept her eyes looking at the ground, hoping everything would be over soon.
Tama suddenly felt light. Aria no longer sat on top of her. The girl was running away from her, towards the sound they had heard only moments before. She rolled over on to her back and stood up.
"I've found her!" Aria was shouting. "She's in The Field! She's in The Field!"
Tama stood there. None of this seemed possible. It felt more like a nightmare. She didn't know where her mother was and her only friend had not only betrayed her entire family as well as herself, but also abused her in one of the worst ways possible. Before she started to run, before Guards had caught up to her, before she was dragged to the Main Square for Public Humiliation, Tama saw Aria look back at her. The blonde girl, woman, creature, or whatever she was, turned herself to look at Tama completely. Making Tama sick, Aria blew her a kiss and walked away, leaving her to certain death.
Tama felt sick when Aria said this. Her stomach twisted into knots. Her throat seemed to be closed off. She wanted this girl who knelt on top of her to be dead.
"What do you mean?"
"I was by your house that evening; when your father told your mother about running off." Aria spoke quietly. "I heard what he said. At that time, you were finally talking to me. I didn't want to lose you." Aria shook her head, tears running. "I told my grandfather Doro soon after and the next night they came after him."
"Aria-"
"We all went to your house. We had to get him to go outside. We couldn't wake you or your mother. You couldn't know. So . . . they made me cry out, to make him think it was you. He was outside in less than a minute."
Tama tried moving away, but Aria held onto her shoulders with even more strength. "After that, they told me to leave, but I didn't. I followed them. I followed them to the river-"
"Who they, Aria? Who did this to him?" Tama was fully crying now.
With a hesitant heart, she told her, "The Seven." Seeing that the girl below her was not about to react to the statement any time soon, Aria continued on with her story. "They pushed him off some bridge. He might have said something, but I didn't hear him." The two girls were quiet for a long time.
"Tama?" Nothing. "Tama, speak to me. Please."
"No."
"I only did it because-"
"I wish you were dead."
Aria smacked Tama across the face. She hit her more and more until the girl's cheek burned red from her strikes. Tama wriggled most of herself out of Aria's grip but the girl still had a hold on her leg. Aria dragged her back and continued to beat her. Both of them were crying now.
"Why don't you love me?" Aria suddenly whispered poisonously.
Tama stopped shaking and looked into the eyes of the girl who, not too long ago, was a dear friend. She's gone mad. she thought.
Without warning, Aria kissed her. Tama pushed her away but Aria grabbed her hair and pulled her back. She continued to kiss her on her cheek, neck, and lips. Tama screamed.
With the sound of stomping footsteps, Aria finally stopped, still holding Tama beneath her. Tama started to whimper so Aria closed a hand over her mouth to listen better. With her other hand, she brushed away the blonde strands of hair that had covered her face. Tama didn't want to look. She kept her eyes looking at the ground, hoping everything would be over soon.
Tama suddenly felt light. Aria no longer sat on top of her. The girl was running away from her, towards the sound they had heard only moments before. She rolled over on to her back and stood up.
"I've found her!" Aria was shouting. "She's in The Field! She's in The Field!"
Tama stood there. None of this seemed possible. It felt more like a nightmare. She didn't know where her mother was and her only friend had not only betrayed her entire family as well as herself, but also abused her in one of the worst ways possible. Before she started to run, before Guards had caught up to her, before she was dragged to the Main Square for Public Humiliation, Tama saw Aria look back at her. The blonde girl, woman, creature, or whatever she was, turned herself to look at Tama completely. Making Tama sick, Aria blew her a kiss and walked away, leaving her to certain death.