The Earth After Rebirth

They both didn\'t say anything. They just sat in silence. Kiro contemplated on what he should say, he didn\'t want to make her angrier than she already was, he was choosing his words carefully.

"Look, I\'m sorry," he finally said, though he felt it was a very weak apology.

"For what?"

She played dumb, she was really going to make him say everything. She didn\'t think they were all that close, but she wanted them to be. She understood his situation but she also couldn\'t stop being mad at how he was towards her.

She wanted to be someone he ran to when he felt vulnerable, not someone he pushed away like she was nothing at all.

"I know you\'re nothing like Isaac. But when he had my parents fired for something so insignificant, something shifted in me.

"Not that I\'m saying you had anything to do with it. It was really just me, not you. I was an ass." He trailed off, when he realised he was rumbling a bit.

"You were an ass, go on." She attempted to help him.

"Isla..." He smiled a bit.

"I understand then. You don\'t want to befriend a rich person, in fear that their family goes after yours. I\'ll stay away." She pouted, teasing him.

"That\'s not what I want."

"What do you want?"

"I want to destroy this society."

Isla raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what to say or how to react but she knew more than anyone that this society was rotten, it needed a thorough cleansing.

Maybe Kiro was the person to uproot the status quo. She still didn\'t get what\'s that got to with her.

"Oh? Where do I fit in all of this?"

"We\'re friends, I want us to continue to be, I will never take anything out on you ever again. I\'ll only judge you by your actions, not your family\'s or associates. It was immature, unfair and stupid of me. I\'m sorry."

"I\'m gonna be honest with you, I was the happiest when you called me your friend and when you started ignoring me, that stung. You hurt me a lot, I hope you don\'t do it again," she said taking a bite of her chocolate.

She smiled solemnly and continued, "I was genuinely the happiest when you claimed me as a friend, I don\'t know if it\'s greed, but I wonder why that no longer feels adequate?" She questioned, more to herself than Kiro.

"What do you mean?"

"No, nothing, thank you for this." She smiled, genuinely. "And your sofa was really uncomfortable, I think I need more rest."

"You know, the bed was big enough for the both of us?"

"Wh-h-h-at?" She choked on the chocolate, she was coughing uncontrollably.

Kiro quickly ran to get her some water, he kneeled in front of her, "here, slowly."

After about 3 minutes, she had calmed down.

"That was seriously a bad joke."

\'I wasn\'t joking though,\' he internally said, "well, sorry, sorry."

Kiro had thought about it, he didn\'t need more enemies so there was no good reason to push away an ally that readily wants to be in his good books. A powerful ally at that.

He was left pondering the last thing Isla had asked before he made her choke. He couldn\'t figure it out, as he wasn\'t well-versed in love. All that brain was for logic and calculations, not feelings.

It was on his mind nonetheless, puzzles he couldn\'t put together were always a plague that didn\'t quite go away for him.

There was silence for a while.

"So what happened last night?" Kiro asked, still embarrassed that Isla had seen him nude.

"Well, I\'m not sure. But that girl was about to violate you, while you were unconscious," she said, barely a whisper, she looked uncomfortable with the whole idea.

Kiro frowned. He was truly thankful for Isla, if she hadn\'t walked in, he may had his first time and not even remember it. He smiled awkwardly.

"But how did you come to be here?" Kiro was curious.

"I\'ve seen her in and out of our dorm, I\'ve seen her with Isaac. When I saw you together at the party—" She shifted on the chair, saying something like that annoyed her for some reason, "when I saw you two together, I knew something was up.

"So I attempted to follow you guys here, I was almost too late, she had already stripped you—"

"You saw, me?" Kiro\'s deduction was confirmed

"No, I didn\'t." She denied.

"Sigh. Thank you for saving me. My Knight in shining armour," he said with a genuine smile.

"You better never forget who your knight is." She said without thinking.

She had never seen his smile before, at least not like this one. It was warm and welcoming, the opposite of his nature. She was no longer sure which was his nature, maybe the warm and cold were both him.

"I swear." Kiro promised her.

Isla nodded and got up to leave, Kiro walked her out. He was standing at the door way when Isla turned, she tip toed and kissed him on the cheek, as if to mark her \'territory.\' She turned with speed and started walking really fast.

"People are gonna get the wrong idea you know?" He shouted after her.

"Don\'t ruin the moment!" She shouted back scurrying away.

Kiro stood at the door watching her go, he was absent-mindedly touching the cheek Isla had put her lips on. And unaware, he was smiling.

"Why are you smiling? Why\'s Isla coming out of your room in the morning?"

Kiro looked back, Hiro stood at his door, amused to the highest degree. He was glad he wouldn\'t have to be their mediator anymore, it was exhausting.

"Get that smile off your stupid face, it\'s not what you think!"

He filled in Hiro about what happened on their way to breakfast. They didn\'t have class today, because of yesterday\'s party. Hiro felt immense guilt as he was the one who left him thinking he was having fun with that girl.

"I\'m sorry man. My fault for leaving you with a snake."

"Not your fault."

Suddenly a voice sounded throughout the dorm.