Friend

Michelia started to open her mouth but she didn't say anything, Neil saw Michelia's face with terror flashing across her eyes. He had never seen his best friend this messed up.

Michelia's eyes rolled down, Neil followed her movement and saw a photo that Michelia was pinching with her finger. Neil slowly picked it up and only for him to drop it on the floor.

It was not just an ordinary photograph, but a photograph with Michelia's head lying with her eyes open in a glass cabinet.

Really just ahead.

"Lia, calm down it's not you. It could be just edit and a trick to make you like this. It's fake, Lia." Neil stretched his fingers around Michelia's shoulders, moving up and down to calm her and steady himself.

"Neil, that's real. I in this mirror world is dead, but I just found out that he died because she was murdered," she said with a quiver on her lips.

"Who gave you this photo, Lia?" asked Neil starting to get angry.

Michelia didn't answer, instead, she stepped forward to hug Neil's body and curled up there. Neil couldn't do anything to calm his best friend, so he started hugging Michelia back stroking her hair gently. "Lia, don't be afraid. I'm here."

"Neil, what kind of world is this?" asked Michelia with her body shaking, she was crying into Neil's shoulder. "How can you stand here?"

"We will find the cupboard Lia, and go home as soon as possible," Neil assured Michelia while making a promise to himself to bring them all back to the real world.

"You too?" Michelia tightened her arms around Neil's waist and buried her head further into Neil's chest which was already wet with her tears.

Neil chose not to answer, he had made the choice that he would never come back again. Even if he came back, Neil would only embarrass everyone. See what happens now, Neil has been kicked out of the house and they don't have to bother talking about the reason.

"You don't?" Michelia broke their embrace and looked at Neil with her watery eyes.

"You should go home, Lia. It's the safest place for you," said Neil, changing the subject very clearly. He didn't want to talk about it now. Not when his best friend had just seen separate parts of his own body.

"You're distracting, Neil. You're starting to shut yourself down again." Michelia looked at him with furrowed brows in disapproval.

Neil smiled faintly, his hand raised to wipe the traces of tears on Michelia's cheeks and slightly smoothed her messy hair. "You should go home now, lest many people will see you."

"How about you?" asked Michelia backing away from them.

Neil raised his eyebrows and shook his head slowly. "I can't. Don't mind me right now. You are the most important, you are my best friend Lia. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Friend?" asked Michelia in her low voice pulling Neil in confusion.

"Yes, you are one of the most important people in my life Lia. You were the one who accompanied me in the most difficult times, so now I will be in charge here," said Neil with complete confidence. It's true that Michelia is one of the most important people to him, Neil doesn't want anything to happen to Michelia and this is where Neil can come in handy.

Michelia had come here to take him and Faiz out of here without thinking about what would happen to her next. Then, Neil will also do the same.

"You've changed now, Neil." A faint smile appeared on Michelia's lips, she blinked at Neil gently, just like when Neil finished telling a long story about himself. Michelia lightly patted Neil's shoulder, her hand rose to gently caress Neil's cheek and Michelia's hand returned to settle on Neil's shoulder, she then said, "I know there is a heavy burden on your shoulders, very heavy. Even with me seeing it once, you are now good at hiding it. , but you can't hide that from me. I'm here to take you and Faiz home and take that burden off, drag you out of your mind always blaming yourself, Neil."

Neil listened carefully to every sentence that came out of Michelia's mouth, sinking to the bottom of his skin. How stupid he was yesterday to blame it all on Michelia, about his not saying Skylar was his twin. About Sain treating Michelia badly.

Michelia tapped Neil's shoulder again, bringing Neil out of his thoughts. "Neil, if the sadness that is inside of you overflows, then release it to me. I will accommodate it all for you. The important thing is that sadness does not drown in its own negative voice, which instead blames everything that happened because of you."

Really if Neil hadn't said it in front of Michelia or in his own mind, that Michelia was his best friend. Even though Neil only had one.

"I've always been in awe of you and grateful to have you," said Neil earnestly tucking a few strands of Michelia's hair that covered part of her face to her ears.

Michelia backed away and took Neil's hand away from her. She seemed to take her eyes off Neil and looked everywhere but at Neil. It made Neil's forehead crease in confusion, with the change in attitude from Michelia. Neil could also see a blush crawling up her cheeks. What's wrong with Michelle?

"What's wrong with you?" Neil asked worriedly, afraid that something might happen and Michelia was only remembering it now.

"Like you said I have to go home," said Michelia looking in a hurry, but Neil didn't see the look of fear there. So, Neil wasn't too worried about it.

"Hope you are always fine," he said with Michelia who had quickly left him alone, without a word of farewell. It made Neil confused, how could Michelia's mood change so fast. She told Neil not to shut herself up again, but Michelia left without saying goodbye and explaining why she was in such a hurry with a light blush on her cheeks.

Neil exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. Yes, maybe after he saw that Michelia was fine, Neil would feel good too.

You have no place to live now!

Neil's own voice echoed in his ears. Saying those words reminded Neil even more that he had to think about what would happen next? What will she do?

Neil rubbed his face looking tired of struggling with his thoughts.

Let what will happen, how it will be, and what it will be like, the most important thing is that Neil will continue to live it like water flowing in a river.

Neil turned to go back to his class, and as soon as his eyes widened, he froze where he was standing. His head was hit hard by something invisible.

"Riksa?"