4 "Brother"

"The one whose burden is brotherhood is bent on his/her waist, but his/her heart is not bent."

*

"What are you doing? Gwen, haven't you met this guy yet? Why are you doing these things at my house? I guess I'm going crazy. I guess I'm even crazy. Where is my mother? The woman had a heart attack if she saw you like that!"

"Elizabeth, calm down. Your mother was not at home. I entered with your secret key. I pressed the bell, but you don't open it because you sleep like a bear! Tom came to visit you while I was waiting for you to wake up, so..."

I looked at Gwen, who blushed as soon as Tom's name came out of her mouth. My friend playing with her hands looked very cute, but I couldn't let this guy upset Gwen. I stood up and clasped my hands on my waist and stared at both of them.

"Let's talk about this later. I have more important things, Gwen. I haven't had a lot of good days these days. Everything's overlapping. Right now I have a mystery upstairs to solve. With your permission."

"What mystery?"

I turned my eyes to Tom, who was looking at me confusedly and curiously. He clenched his fists while waiting for an answer from me.

"Never mind, Tom. This is none of your business. Go have fun elsewhere. I'm not in the mood today."

"Hey! What's going on with you Elizabeth? You're so angry these days and I don't like it. You're my best friend though! You didn't even congratulate your friend!"

"Gwen! You know what happened? We had a very serious accident, but I was the one with the most serious injury and still my wounds are aching, headache not to mention... I have very strange dreams and hallucinations. That's the problem, Gwen! Maybe I could tell you if you asked! "

Just as Gwen was to answer, Tom interrupted.

"What's upstairs, Elizabeth?"

"It's a tiny statue. I couldn't understand what it looked like or what it did. It doesn't move. And it emits a strange smell. I told you, okay?"

Tom hurried up the stairs without answering me and plunged into my room. The red smoke from inside smelled just like yesterday.

"What is that smoke?" Tom gave me a curious look, and Gwen a puzzled look when I asked.

"Elizabeth, there's no smoke here."

"How's not, Gwen? Look, don't you see it?"

"Oh-no. I can't see."

"Don't you smell it too?"

"No, Elizabeth. There's no smell. Why are you kidding us?"

"I'm not kidding or anything."

I burst into the room and looked down. But the statue was not there. It was gone. But it was here last night. What was going on?

"I can't believe it. The damn statue was here last night! Where could it go? It's not going to fly!"

Gwen came up to me and hugged me. I was trying to understand what she was doing while patting my back. Tom's facial expression was not like Gwen's. There was no pity on me. When he saw that I was looking at him, he stopped looking into my room and glanced at me for a second and left the room.

"Gwen..."

"Shh... the accident must have exhausted you, Elizabeth. Don't worry. It's going to be okay soon. If not, we'll go to the doctor. Don't worry yourself."

I ignored Gwen. I had no trauma or anything. I was feeling fine already. I did not have a psychological problem.

"Tom's gone, Gwen. I think you should go to him. By the way, congratulations. I hope you are happy."

"When did he go? Anyway, as you said, let me go after him. Thank you honey. Don't worry, I'm always with you as I said.

Gwen ran out of my room. I was clenching my fists while the smoke was still floating in the air. When the sound of the outer door closing was heard, I opened the window. I was thinking about what a strange event could have been while the smoke was blowing out.

The interesting events I had been through for a few days had confused me. I wanted to rest a little and not worry about anyone. But Gwen wasn't helping me very much with this.

"...that's when we became lovers with Tom!"

She said this so excitedly and loudly that I got out of my thoughts and went back to the real world. I was just breathing as Gwen glanced at me asking for comment. It was as if someone ripped my emotions and gestures away from me. I was feeling so empty.

"Didn't you listen to me, Elizabeth?"

"Not really..."

"Seriously... I..."

"What happened, Gwen? Tell me!"

"Look, you are my friend. I don't see you very well these days. Nobody sees. If you need help, please tell me. Because-"

"I'm fine. Okay? I don't see that strange smoke anymore, don't worry."

"Elizabeth! I don't remember telling you about the smoke. I just said I didn't see you well. But you mean you're still obsessed with those stupid things. You've begun to daydream too much. Get yourself. If the trauma isn't gone, we can go to the doctor, okay? Stop treating like a child! The reason I was talking was to distract you. Why don't you understand me? If you want to be alone, I'll go! "

She quickly stood up and entered school crying. At that moment I felt the coldness of my soul. The storms that broke in the depths of my soul had released my monster side. I was just doing nothing but thinking about myself. I made my best friend cry. I broke her heart.

When I ran into the school, some were chatting in the hallway and some were hanging out alone. For a moment, I was going to go to the girls' toilet when it occurred to me that Gwen would never cry in a place that might be gossip. Gwen wouldn't cry much anyway. When I saw her cry, it was usually either for me or because of me. Just like now.

With the crying sound I heard as I walked down the hall, I instinctively entered the classroom I saw first. Gwen was sitting by the window in the empty classroom, crying out loud. I went over to her and hugged her. But this hug was not a normal body function for me right now.

It was as if I was hugging her and telling her all my apologies in my body language and rip out the sadness in her heart.

"You know, Elizabeth? I was crying again when I first met you. You hit me with your black bike. Remember?"

"Yes I remember. My bike was destroyed because of you."

She didn't neglect to roll her eyes as she giggled.

"I didn't cry because of you that day, Elizabeth. I cried because of your hair. Because of the color of your hair. Your hair reminded me of my brother, who died when I was 6 years old. His hair was red just like yours. He was such a perfect brother."

She sniffed and hugged me again. That's when I realized that I could not relieve Gwen's pain...