270 Erith's Melancholy

I sat on the living room couch, staring at the television as I enjoyed the cool wind that blew in from the air conditioning system. It will soon be time for us to leave for the fireworks festival, but there is still time. The world outside had entered the early stages of dusk, but it is still plenty bright outside. So, it is still a while until they can start the fireworks. In the meantime, all we're doing is simply passing time until we can leave.

Since it has been decided that we will eat at the festival, dinner was not prepared. Therefore, the kitchen was rather quiet. The commotion that originally belonged to the preparation of dinner and setting the table was then transformed into a chatting session that centered in the living room. As for me though, I opted to skip out on the conversation and simply watch television as the conversations being made really didn't pertain to me much.

I turned my gaze away from the television and over at Luna, Erith, and Zevin. The three of them seemed to be reminiscing about the past, talking about their times back in middle school and their three years of high school. As they speak, Erith seemed to have a somewhat...disturbed expression on her face, maybe from thinking back on the past and knowing that it will all stay a past that will only become more and more distant once they all begin college. It's a topic that no one else could inject themselves into. Next to them, Irina and Muria were playing a card game with Noah and Zaksus while Loyd and Alvelyn watched on the side. They appeared to be having a fun time.

"Damn it!" Noah whined as he lost once again. "This game is rigged."

"You passed out the cards," Irina jokingly responded back.

"I'm tired of playing cards," Noah sighed. "You guys wanna play something else?"

"There's a Mintendo Sfitch here," Zaksus said as he pointed in the direction of the device that is currently resting in its dock. "We can play that."

"What games do they have?" Irina asked as she watched while Zaksus walked over to check the device. "There's no physical games, so probably digital ones downloaded on the system? I don't know. We have to turn it on first."

"Alevian," Irina said to me. "May we?"

"Go ahead," I said handing her the remote. I really appreciated her asking me for my permission first.

"Hey!" Zaksus exclaimed in a pleasant manner as he smiled. "Would you look at that. They got Super Smash Sisters on it."

"How many controllers?" Loyd asked.

"I see six," Zaksus said as he opened the cabinet underneath the television. "Who wants to play?"

Zaksus walked over with all six controllers in his hands, handing one out to each person who had their hand raised. However, only a few people were rather enthusiastic about playing, with these people being Noah, Irina, Zaksus, and maybe if you count in Loyd. As for the rest of us, we simply stared at the controller and then looking over at other people.

"Come on," Zaksus said in a begging manner at Muria.

"It's more fun if more people played," Irina lobbied.

"It's fine," Muria shook her head and smiled. "I don't know how to play these games so..."

"Alevian?" Zaksus turned in my direction and offered me a controller. "Alvelyn?"

Seeing that neither of us displayed much of an interest, a slight look of disappointment developed on his face.

"You guys are playing?" Zevin's voice interrupted. "You mind if we join in?"

"Of course not," Zaksus's face lit up as he handed a controller in Zevin's direction. "Anyone else?"

"I'll try," Luna smiled and accepted a controller.

"Erith?" Zaksus turned towards her.

"I—" Erith opened her mouth to begin to speak, but she was unable to finish as Luna interrupted her.

"Erith is pretty good," Luna said. "Right?"

"Oh really?" Noah said with a doubtful look on his face.

"You want to bet?" Luna smiled in a mischievous and somewhat impish manner.

"What do you wanna bet?" Noah appeared to be rather confident and smug.

"If Erith wins the match, then you buy both Erith and I our dinner."

"What if she loses?"

"I'll buy you dinner," Luna said with great confidence.

"Let me just thank you for dinner first then," Noah said with great confidence as he sat down and picked his character.

"Erith," Luna glanced over at her best friend with a supportive smile on her face.

Erith gazed at Luna's expression initially with a somewhat troubled expression. After a minute though, she sighed and shook her head.

"Fine," she said, accepting the controller from Zaksus's hands.

***

"Damn it!" Noah exclaimed once again. "How? That's bullshit!"

"A loss is a loss," Luna smiled happily.

On the television screen was the result of the final match of the third tournament, and once again, it was Erith that won. Appearing somewhat fatigued, Erith rubbed her shoulder with a free hand as she set the controller down on the coffee table. She released a soft sigh as her countenance appeared to lack in vitality.

"This game is rigged," Noah sighed and allowed the controller to fall out of his hands and onto the couch.

"We really couldn't beat her," Loyd commented.

"Noah's pretty good though," Zevin added in. "He only lost to Erith."

"That's what I don't want!" Noah cried out weakly.

"It's fine," Luna smiled as she patted Noah on his head. "You did good."

Once again, Noah let out a soft sigh of defeat and fatigue. i could understand why they were somewhat tired, as the matches were rather intense. In fact, even though I was simply watching, I felt kinda tired as well.

"Hey," Mura's voice interrupted us all. "It's about time that we get ready to leave."

With Mura's notification, everyone got up from the couch, either to grab their wallets, change their clothes, or just simply to use the restroom. The living room cleared rather quickly, although with some loitering about from some people like me that opted to wait a bit.

"Hey," Zaksus whispered into Loyd's ear. "Tonight?"

"Yeah," Loyd nodded, blushing somewhat nervously.

"Oh damn!" Zaksus exclaimed in a soft voice. On his face was a look of excitement that he seemed to be trying his best to contain.

"Finally manning up, huh?" Noah commented as he got up from the couch and headed towards the bedroom.

It would appear that this conversation is something that is supposed to be kept between the three of them. That means I am not included. What they are talking about...I am somewhat curious, but if they don't want me to know, then whatever. Maybe it's something that they can't speak to me about, or maybe it is just that they don't think we're close enough to talk about certain things. Who knows? But...yeah...I do feel somewhat weird about it.

When everyone was ready, we gathered at the doorway, waiting to board the SUV and Van that we will be taking to the firework festival.

"Where's Erith?" Luna frowned as she looked around for her friend.

"She's...still in the house," Zevin pointed out as he looked in through the opened doorway.

"I don't feel like going," Erith said, smiling in a...rather weirdly docile manner.

"What's wrong?" Luna frowned as she took a step towards her friend.

"Nothing," she said. "I just don't like being in someplace that crowded today. I'm a bit tired from playing five matches and two tournaments."

"...I'll stay—"

"It's fine," Erith interrupted Luna. "You don't need to worry about me. Go have fun."

"..."

Luna seemed to be a bit taken by surprise by Erith's words, as there were a confused expression on her face, as if she do not know what she should do. Standing next to her, Zevin also appeared to be thinking about the situation. However, the conclusion that he came up with is different from that of Luna's.

"She must have her reasons," Zevin whispered to Luna as he grabbed her gently be her arm. "Let's go."

"But..." Luna frowned as she gazed longingly at Erith.

"Come on," Zevin said once again in his soft and gentle voice. "Don't force her to do something she doesn't want to do. Everyone else is getting in the car now. Don't keep them waiting."

"Wait," Luna resisted Zevin as she turned towards Erith. "You want anything at least? Any food?"

"Just bring me whatever," Erith smiled as she waved goodbye.

Still in a state of shock, Luna followed along as Zevin brought her to the van, allowing her to board with the help of Irina. Luna seemed to still be surprised by her friend's behavior that she seemed to be dazed and allowed her body to become limp. However, she will probably gradually recover.

I watched from the rolled up windows of the SUV, taking in the entire scene. However, I didn't say much as I simply observed the situation and tried to devise a plausible explanation for this situation. I have a vague idea of the truth in my mind, but I am still not a hundred percent confident about it all.

The car started moving, and the opened doorway became farther and farther. Erith's figure as she stood by the opened doorway and seeing us off...it to became smaller and smaller as the car drove further and further from the house towards the pier.

As the car drove, something kept bothering me in my mind. It was...a rather foul feeling, a feeling that I yearn to rid myself of but was constantly unable to do so. It just...lingered about in my mind. Something is wrong. Otherwise, Erith will not have that countenance, and Luna will not have that reaction. Something...something isn't right, or maybe it has been that way since the beginning but I have simply not realized it until now...

If I think of things this way...then it all makes sense now. It all lined up now. So this is what's been bothering them...

I looked out the window, taking in the unfamiliar scenery in this foreign city that I have no experience with. We have been driving for about twenty minutes and had driven rather far from the house . However, I have no fear as we had been simply driving straight without making any turns since the start of our journey.

"Emilia," I said to her. "Pull over."

"What's the matter?" she glanced over at me in the rear-view mirror.

"Just pull over," I said.

She complied and did as I said.

"I won't be going," I said as I stepped foot on the street.

"Are you going to walk back?" Noah asked with a bewildered expression on his face. "Your crazy now?"

"No," I shook my head and chuckled. "I'm pretty sober right now. As clear-headed as ever before."

With that said, I closed the door and watched as the SUV drove off in the direction of the peer. I glanced up at the sky, taking in the sun's position in its arc across the sky. It'll take sometime until I get back...so I better start jogging.