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Remaining as still as possible, Sora couldn’t make Wendy feel any more awkward than they both felt, so she kept her focus on Lori’s light-brown eyes.  Sora burned in anger, the psychopath seemed to get off on her bright-red cheeks as each article was cut off, yet she noticed Lori’s nervous taps against her folded arms.

The other girls around the locker room looked uncomfortable yet obviously wouldn’t speak up and draw Lori’s attention; not that Sora wanted their pity.

Still, if this was the end of it, then she could handle at least this much, and the order came straight from Kari’s mouth.  There wasn’t a damn thing Lori could do to go against the Alpha Bully, which made Sora want to smirk—fortunately, she managed to hold herself back.

Several tight expressions came from Lori’s mutters as Wendy moved to her underwear, moving through her clothing as quickly as possible after snipping off most of her hair in uneven patches to be done with the horrible experience.

“Mmgm…  Why…  Dammit!  Slow down a bit, Wendy, or do you want to join her?”

“S-Sorry…”

Attempting not to look too vulnerable as she hugged herself, Sora internally poked at Lori’s barely subdued agitation.

What’s wrong, Lori?  Trying to figure out how to convince Kari to get me to stay?  Dammit, I can’t believe it was you and Jenny who were the ones forcing me to stay!  Why?!  Is it because you kept wanting free stuff?  Well, get used to not having a little money bank, bitch, because I’m out of—

Once the last clothing fell away from her hips, she stumbled back a bit as Lori threw the white towel at her.  “Don’t you dare use your gym clothes…  Hey, you, Hannah…”

“Y-Yes?”  the taller pretty blonde to her left gave a start.  The forgettable girl—at least, to Sora—was fairly popular and, in order to not be bullied in middle school for outshining Lori, had become somewhat of a reluctant lapdog.

“You know what to do.”

“Yeah…”

“Alright, I gotta go—I’m pissed—oh, and make sure to clean this shit up, dumpster girl,” she grunted, ramming into Sora as she exited, making Sora almost trip on the bench.

Yeah, she’s gotten ten times worse since last year.  What’s up her ass; no more free makeup to cover her pimples?  Boo-hoo!

The other girls filed out, including Hannah, who would likely be waiting to follow behind and record her for Lori.

Now alone, Sora let her pent-up lungs release their air in a slow stream while giving Wendy a melancholy smile.  She could only hope that finally, maybe, they could both be free from this hell.

“Sorry, Wendy, b-but if I leave—”

“Sora…”  Wendy cut her off, moving with defeated shoulders to her trashcan, getting the dustpan and broom to clean up the clothing and hair.  “Can we just… not?  Look, it’s great—I’m happy for you, but yeah…  My life’s hard enough—I don’t need a target on my back.”

Open lips closing, Sora’s fingers tightened against her naked sides, vision drifting to her old friend’s shuffling, beat-up shoes.  Right…  Wendy doesn’t just have Kari to worry about…  There’s no way Jane would be okay with Wendy hanging out with me again—stupid…  If only…

Swallowing the saliva caught in her mouth, Sora cleared her throat and walked beside Wendy, whispering, “Yeah, I d-don’t want to cause y-y-you trouble at home either…  Can I use the scissors?”

“Sure…”

Not looking at each other, Sora took the item to the mirror to try and make her hair at least somewhat presentable; stepping away, she turned her head left and right to examine her handiwork.

With sparkling, larger-than-typical jade irises, copper hair that stemmed from her father’s Irish side, and Asian, smooth skin that tanned well from her mother’s Japanese side, people had generally commented on her beauty throughout her life.

She wasn’t too ‘shapely’ yet, but she still had at least two years before her curves stopped growing, so there was still hope for a bit more of a figure than she currently had.

Sora knew she wasn’t ugly, and even with short-cut hair, she could pull it off fine like this, yet being told day after day by other girls that she stunk, had weed hair, and looked weird didn’t help her self-image, as much as she tried to ignore them.

Her focus shifted to Wendy in the mirror while wrapping the towel under her armpits, positioning it as low as possible to give her bottom a decent amount of cover.  Sora was worried, sometimes her balance wasn’t the best—probably because of the meds, as Mary insinuated, like her stuttering—and she didn’t want to embarrass herself further if she stumbled.

Wendy’s cheeks were flushed while bent down, passively staring at Sora’s chopped-off hair, and seemingly deep in thought.  By her trembling lower lip, she could guess the brown-haired girl was wondering if she’d be the next target if Sora left.

If I can just get Jane to let her be homeschooled with me…  Why does she even hate me so much?  I mean, why do I even need to question it?  It’s obviously because I’m a spoiled rich girl, and she’s a drunk loser that forces her daughter to get a job to help pay for rent.  I wish I could help you… but Jane’s too proud to accept money from a rich girl.  Stupid.  Everyone’s stupid.

Not wanting to put any more pressure on Wendy, Sora ran to the sink and tried to get the rest of her cut hair out before washing her face with cold water and drying off with her own towel; a decent amount of lingering, loose hair was stuck to the cloth.

“Sorry…”  she whispered as she left, but Sora hesitated by the entrance as she heard Wendy start to cry when she left her sight.

Leaning against the side of the tiled wall, Sora’s nose burned again as she clutched the towel at her chest.  Wendy…  I’m sorry being my friend hurt you so much.

She gathered her courage and moved into the gym; Kari was the center of everyone’s attention as she served, spiking the volleyball so hard it made the opposing girl wince upon redirecting it to bounce off the ceiling and hit out of bounds.

There was a reason she’d had scouts tracking her progress through seasons since middle school: she was the pretty sports prodigy with a shining future, and everyone wanted to feed off her indomitable confidence.

Sora would have admired her too if she didn’t know how ruthless she really was; the girl really was physically gifted and, after what Kari said, she wondered if Lori and Jenny were the influences that drew the rotten side of her out.

Shivering as she caught sight of Hannah, Sora’s jaw tightened in her momentarily lapse in judgment.  No…  Kari only believes in the strong.  There’s no room for weakness when it comes to her, and if someone does show it, she’ll eat them alive.  She is the Alpha Bully that makes it easy for everyone under her to pick on whoever they want.

Kari didn’t look her way once, as if she wasn’t even worth her time as she dominated the volleyball practice, drawing a moderate crowd that couldn’t keep their eyes off her.

She really is a succubus…  There’s no way she can be stronger than all the boys and not be using some kind of magic, Sora internally grumbled while double-checking her towel, and shoved open the door to exit out the back.

Her hand came up to shield her eyes from the blazing sun that touched her tan skin.  Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, Sora’s fingernails pressed against her arms as the soft sea breeze tingled her hair with the cloudless sky, doing nothing to mitigate the Miami heat.

Hannah followed soon after, not looking too thrilled about the task she’d been given, but Sora knew it was more about Sora wasting her precious after-school time than the act itself.  No, Hannah could care less about bullying Sora—she wasn’t worth her attention.

Sora’s cheeks flushed further as she caught confused glances from a few of her peers walking through the field to hit up the nearby shopping centers of Miami’s lively South Beach area, and to pull her mind away from the questioning stares, she tried to pretend no one was around her.

No one will think a thing when I get further away from school; they’ll just think I’m heading to the beach!  I just need to get away from school…

Quivering, Sora thought about the hotel staff that managed the over fifty-million dollar suite her father owned in South Beach.  Ron and Howie never judge me when I tell them about Kari, but there’s not much they can do about it since they’re just staffers at the hotel.

She’d refrained from mentioning anything about Kari having powers to the two since when she’d brought up her thoughts to Dr. Jones, it had given just the ammunition needed to convince her dad she was making things up.  Mary had the documents, so it didn’t matter what she said.

Still, she had to keep what few people she had in her corner and not scare them away to remain sane—the unneeded meds didn’t help—it hurt a lot that her dad didn’t believe her, but he was trying to do his best.  Instead, it was the stupid people Mary mentioned that were screwing her life up.

It doesn’t make sense!  she internally screamed, feeding off her boiling blood to move past the shame of only having a towel on as a covering in the middle of the bustling city of Miami.  Kari didn’t sound like she wanted me around at all—which is fine; I’ll leave.  Yet Lori and Jenny want me to stay to bully me?  The hell?!

Lori, sure—she’s a damn psychopath…  But Jenny?  Jenny doesn’t really care for me; she mostly ignores me.  Why would she want me to stay?

Everything she’d come to think about the Trinity of Bullies had come into question after Kari shut down Lori.  It had been shockingly therapeutic to see the nutcase get a taste of Kari’s heat, but it still didn’t make sense.

Taking a deep breath, Sora started down Dade Boulevard toward 24th Street.  Students avoided her by habit while most tourists and joggers ignored her, which was nice.  At the intersection, she crossed over to Pedestrian Bridge.

Finally away from school!  I just need…  No…

Halfway across, she slowed to a stop, her heart thumping against her ribs as the crowd of tourists and locals flowed around her without pause.  Straight ahead of her was Lori, making Sora’s throat catch as she leaned against a green signpost with an innocent smile.

There’s no way she’d do anything in public, right?  Although… it is Lori…

Teeth grinding together, Sora pushed forward; she couldn’t cross without moving past her.

It was the middle of the day with tourists flocking, and joggers running up and down the avenue, but she’d recently learned about something called the ‘bystander effect,’ which she had first-hand experience in.

A low growl rumbled in Sora’s throat as Lori’s smile widened with each step closer she took.  Don’t, Lori…  Get your kicks out of seeing me naked with a towel in public, and let me go…

Lori played with a fruit smoothie in her hands, taking a few sips while waiting, and when the straw dropped from her glossy lips, Sora’s gut tightened.

“Well, well, well,” Lori clicked her tongue, showing a testing grin as she looked her body up and down, “what a bold little fox you are.  Going out with only a towel on—mmh, daring.”

Sora’s chest tensed, cheeks burning; a few tourists frowned as they scooted around them, but carried on, and Lori swiftly closed the distance, whispering in Sora’s ear, “You aren’t going to transfer.”

Sora forced a smile.  Lori didn’t have the balls to go against Kari—she was bluffing.  “K-Kari told me I had to.  Are y-you telling me I should let her know you want to c-challenge her?”

“Mmh, stuttering as usual…”  Lori’s smile didn’t waver as she shook her head.  “No, no, no—you are going to go against Kari’s order.”

“Hah!  Funny.  I don’t think so!  If she s-says I need to go, then I go.”

Shaking her head again, Lori licked her lower lip and her tone darkened.  “I’m telling you… you aren’t going anywhere.”

Lori walked past, the wind of her movement grazing her hot cheeks, and Sora took a shuddering breath and exhaled; it was over.  Her tension eased, and she took another breath to calm her pounding heart.

She didn’t…

A freezing smoothie poured over her head and into her towel front, yet Lori’s whispered words against her ear were colder than her drink.  “I said, you’re not going anywhere!  Don’t think of skipping class tomorrow, or Wendy will get it.”

The surrounding crowd backed away with surprised shouts as the remainder of the smoothie splashed across the ground, and Sora stood in silence as Lori continued across the bridge without a backward glance.

Terror seized her at the implication; she couldn’t breathe.

Wendy…  Dammit!  What do I do…  What can I do?  I can’t let this opportunity pass me, but if Lori starts targeting Wendy if I don’t…  What can I do?!

Sora’s frozen mind snapped back to reality as a man ran over to her from a nearby boat booth.  “Hey—you alright, girl?  That was horrible!  Do you have her name?  I’ll let the…”

She nervously checked to ensure her now-stained towel was secure before putting on an embarrassed smile and wiping a clump of the smoothie out of her hair.  “N-No—no, I’m fine.  Just a little… heh, a l-little school-girl fun—it’s nothing serious.”

She looked up at the man’s doubtful lifted eyebrow, noting how tightly she was holding onto her towel.  “Mmh…”

He was thin, but muscular, with light scruff and thick, light-brown hair that curled slightly around his palm tree hat; his face was chiseled by a master sculptor, and his bronze irises were penetrating with concern.

Shifting to look past the gathering throng, he crossed his arms with a low grunt.  “Humph…  She slipped into the crowd.  Do you know her address and name?”

Sora put up a hand.  “No—I s-said it’s fine.”

Nose twisting with agitation, he eyed her while rubbing the back of his neck, and the crowd started to disperse as they saw him handling the disturbance.  Sora knew he couldn’t do anything, and just wanted to go back to her hotel, take a shower, and cry into the spray.

“Hmm…”  He nudged his head back to where he’d come.  “I work at the little boat stand over there.  We sell a few pieces of clothing; you can take a shirt and shorts.”

Sora was about to refuse but stopped at the man’s next statement.  “If you don’t at least take the clothes, I’ll call the police and see what they have to say about an underage girl going around with only a towel on!”

She nodded, thankful that he had at least spoken quietly so others wouldn’t hear.  “Thank you…”

He clearly wanted to see some kind of punishment come to Lori, and as much as Sora would have loved that—she wasn’t feeling the most secure at the moment—she knew she couldn’t pursue it.  The man’s sympathetic smile and attempts to stick up for her helped her pained heart.

“The name’s Frank, and I don’t think that was a prank, or, humph, ‘school-girl fun.’  Your hair was slaughtered for starters…  You know, there are people you can talk to…”

Sora shook her head emphatically.  “Really, thank you again, Frank, and I have s-someone that believes me…  I think.”

“So, it’s not just school-girl fun,” he growled, his hard stare making Sora swiftly retreat, her face sheet-white.  “I don’t like what I just saw, and no one even stepped up…  Pathetic.”

His tone made Sora quiver a bit; it was as if he’d taken Lori’s action as a personal attack.

“Umm…  I’ll take the clothes and pay you back later, b-but I’m fine… I’ll b-be fine…  I don’t want to talk about it right now…”  she mumbled, gingerly following him back to the booth with multiple people’s eyes on her.

Frank reached into his pocket to extract an old, vintage brass watch with two mechanisms, one sprouting out of the first, and opened it to reveal a bizarre, tangled mess of gears that had the illusion of shifting around each other into infinity.  As she stared at it, it flipped and turned in oddly out-of-sync directions, confusing her.

He scowled as he watched the horizontal, vertical, and slanted gears work and flip around one another.  “It’s not right.  Mmm… adjustments need to be made.”

Popping his tongue once against the roof of his mouth in a slight agitation, he snapped it shut and stuffed it back into his pocket, but not before she saw a rough, black, chalk-like drawing of a man inside.

Shuffling behind the stand while poking through the merchandise between sizes, he mumbled, “Just know there are people that care about you that can help—no matter what you’re facing.”

Sora just chuckled weakly.  “Y-Yeah.”

Sora nodded as he produce a red t-shirt with the word Life! written across the back with a white, outlined heart and cream shorts that came just above the knee, a red heart on the left side.

She used the stand as best she could for cover, pulling the baggy shirt on first before pulling the shorts over the ruined towel and shirt; shockingly, it fit her hips perfectly.

Exiting the booth, towel in hand, she wiped at her hair to remove what she could of the smoothie as Frank stood nearby, looking at his unusual watch again.  “Is… there anyone I can call?”

Sora felt tears coming on at how protective he was being, and she could totally see her father doing the same once Mary set all the fake doctor reports straight.  “No…  I’m f-fine now.  Thank you—a lot—it m-means a lot.”

Frank’s lips pressed together as he scratched at his lower back and pocketed the watch again.  “Huh…  If that’s what you want.  Just… don’t ever think that you’re alone.”

Thanking him again, she walked back to the fancy hotel she called home, adding a light smile as she passed the barrier gates and entered the main lobby.  Finally, she was away from the cruel world and in her safe little bubble.

Cynthia, a hotel tenant, frowned at her appearance; the woman’s sharp eyes were always watching to make sure she made it back to the hotel, recording the timing.  Sora observed her light-brown pigtail disappear into the office, likely to tell a senior staff member about her appearance.

A short sigh leaving her lungs, Sora waved to the front desk tenants as they called for the private elevator to take her up to the suite her father owned.  She stared at her reflection in the metallic door while waiting: what remained of her hair was matted with blended fruit, but the clothes Frank had given her weren’t a bad fit.

She bit the inside of her cheek as the doors opened, and she entered to direct a feigned grin at Howie.  “Hey, Howie!”

“W-What happened?”  Howie gasped, looking utterly mortified.  “Your clothes—hair…”  

She rubbed her shoulder with a wry smirk, shrugging while glancing to the left.  “Oh, I don’t know; what excuse should I use this time…  I know!  Heh, I got a f-fly strip stuck in my hair—and, uh… on the way back I s-spilled a—umm, my smoothie on my…

“No, that’s not right,” she huffed between stutters, eyes rolling as she thought of another angle.  “Honestly, a friend thought it w-would be funny to spill a smoothie on my head…  Yeah, that’s a g-good one, huh?  It was all for fun, of course,” she sarcastically chuckled.  “I know what it must look like—I’m totally crazy—huh?”

Howie let a low hiss blow through his teeth.  “Good one…  Your friend spilled a smoothie, on your head as… a joke?  And if something like a fly strip got stuck in your hair, obviously, being the ‘thrifty’ girl you are, you wouldn’t go to a hairdresser… like three months ago with the gum?”

Sora backed into the corner, tight gut and pent-up tension easing as she talked to the frowning man.  “That’s what happened—at least, that’s what Dr. Hallmark would have everyone believe…  But good n-news!”

Closing the double doors and taking out the key to lock them inside so no one could interrupt them, Howie crossed his arms.  “Are you going to slide past everything else?”

Mary’s conversation suddenly sparked to life in Sora’s mind, she pivoted the conversation.  “Wait…  Mary—did she…”

“Yeah, Sora…”  he said with tight eyes.  “I heard about you being taken off your pills from Dr. Jernigan, and, after she interviewed all of the hotel staff, everyone started to see that everything we were told had been a lie…  Why the hell would a doctor—multiple doctors—do that to you?!  The lawsuit coming once your dad is back in town…  It doesn’t make sense.”

Trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears as he confirmed Mary was on her side, Sora sucked in her trembling lips.  “So… s-so… you b-believe that I’ve been—I’ve been bullied f-for the past—the p-past three…”

She couldn’t get the words out before Howie nodded and moved in to bring her into his arms as liquid fell from his own eyes.  “Yeah, Sora…  Ron and I always suspected there was something else going on but…  I’m sorry, Sora.”

“N-No—it’s just…  Thank you for always listening, H-Howie…  I’m going to—to get my dad to h-have me homeschooled…  My meds?”

“Dr. Jernigan told us to have you taper off the anti-psychotics with one pill rather than two, and we’re reducing the others too.  Don’t worry, we’ll eventually get you off them…  She seemed to really care about helping you, Sora, and attempting to follow up all the inconsistencies in your files…  She asked us so many questions.”

Sora let out a nervous chuckle.  “My, heh, friend isn’t a p-professional at cutting hair, h-huh?”

“No…”

Sora felt her laugh escape her, and she just focused on breathing.  Letting out her emotions for several minutes, hope filled her breast.  Thankfully, everything was changing, and so rapidly—three years—after so many people who would cave to whoever stood behind Kari.

Her father finally found the right woman to help her—that actually wanted to help her.  Frank was right: there were people out there that would help.

Howie supported her for several minutes until she could get her tears under control, making her feel secure in his big arms.  He input her penthouse ID for the forty-eighth floor, her eight-year-long elevator attendant sniffed before clearing his throat and saying, “I hope you know that I’ll be texting your dad about this one…  They won’t get away with everything they’ve done to you, Sora.”

Cheeks already puffy, Sora tried to laugh through her building emotions again.  “You don’t h-have to!  He’ll be here in eight days…  He can see f-for himself.”

Howie’s lips pursed as he scrutinized her again, lower lip pulled in.  He’d known her since she was eight years old—without a doubt, he’d call him the moment she left.  “You don’t need to go to school—probably ever, after this…”  he trailed off as Sora choked and shook her head, rubbing her wet cheeks.  

“I have to—at least for t-tomorrow…  Wendy m-might be targeted if I don’t go, and… and you know how much her mom h-hates me.  I’m a strong girl—I can handle this m-much with you, and… and…”

She smiled , for the first time in what seemed ages, it felt real as she held up her arm and flexed.  If she had people to believe in her, that was all she needed, and if all she had to deal with was Lori, she could do that.

“With t-things changing…  I know it may b-be a pipe-dream, b-but I want her to join me—i-in homeschool—is w-what I mean.”

Howie tried to reflect her positivity, but she could see the hurt, shame, and anger he tried to hide, which saddened her.  “If… you’re…  I know how much Wendy means to you…”  Sucking in his lips for a moment, he choked, “I’d love to see that happen.”

The elevator dinged at her penthouse, and Sora exited into the foyer, waving Howie off and feeling on cloud-9; she really was free.

Spinning in a circle as she entered the hallway, she tried to calm her racing heart while studying the extravagant living space.  Her father was friends with the owner of the hotel and had purchased it ten years back for a bargain; a deal because of his connections.

It was a three-story, ten-thousand square meter penthouse with a contemporary design around Bubinga wood.  It hosted close to seven-meter, double-open level, ceilings, with expansive views of the ocean and the Miami Beach cityscape.

One of the selling perks was the car elevator and massive garage that could house eleven cars—her father was a car guy and filled every spot—there was also an on-premises restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, cigar and wine lounge, and east and west pools, with many more entertainment options.

She had the whole penthouse to herself while her dad went around the world on business—often for many months at a time.  Several international companies paid him very well for his services as a consultant, but he always made time to come home on major holidays.

There were also times her father hosted extravagant parties in the penthouse, and while growing up, she’d had a rather amazing caretaker that set up all sorts of fun activities for Wendy and her to do.

She walked past the foyer and into the massive living-dining room to release a hot stream of air while leaning against a white, leather couch to collect herself.  “Hmm…  Thanks, Howie…  M-Mary.” 

Recalling the psychiatrist’s comment, she did a quick glance at the expansive ocean view, and a worried sting struck her chest at the possibility of someone getting to her, but the fact she’d conducted her investigation for the last several weeks without her catching on at all and how everyone’s opinions were already changing told Sora the cat was out of the bag.

Sora’s vision shifted to the front room’s granite floor, which gleamed beneath the natural light shining through the colossal windows, before staring out of the stunning, vast ocean view.  Even if Kari has powers, she wants me gone…  This has to be real…  It has to be!  This is the time for me to not back down…  I won’t be Lori’s pin-cushion anymore; I won’t back down!

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out with a grin as her focus moved to the large balcony and infinity edge spa visible through one of the dining room doors; a long, charcoal-black, granite countertop bar with padded chairs was spaced in the center overlooking the vast view.

Should I get cleaned up and go get some chicken to grill tonight?  I could order room service, but… where’s the fun in that?!

Humming cheerfully as she went to the stairs to reach the second landing, she passed through the flex room to the second master bedroom; it was time to set her feet in and start fighting back in this battle if Lori’s alpha general and whoever backed her wasn’t going to interfere.

Should I call Dad tonight about homeschooling?  She felt a wave of relief pass over her at just the thought.  Yes!  I just need to fight against Lori’s bullying for the week, and then I’ll be free…  I’ll get Wendy to join me, too.  Somehow.  No!  Whatever it takes!  This isn’t for me now; it’s for Wendy!.

She opened her immense wardrobe to pick out a chiffon white and gray strap dress that extended to her ankles and placed it on her bed.  Selecting white undergarments, a pair of brown heels, and a silver bracelet, she took them to her bathroom.

Sora undressed and threw the garments Frank had given her in the laundry chute; the staff downstairs would clean them and she could return the articles the following day.

She activated the tablet embedded in the dark-tiled wall and opened the calendar.  Wednesday is picture day…  But that doesn’t matter now; I’m out!

Turning on Spotify, she played the pop station as she washed, getting out part way through to find scissors to even out her hair in the fogless shower mirror, and, once satisfied, put on her chosen attire.

Returning to her room in high spirits, she took her purse off the dresser—not taking the expensive items to school for obvious reasons—and moved to sit on her bed to extract her phone; she should have left it on the wireless charger but forgot the night before.

“Hmm…”  She frowned while looking at the front screen; she had a voicemail from her father.

Activating the recording, her dad’s deep, Irish-accented voice came through on speaker, adding their cultural endearments that made her giggle.  “A mhuirnín, how are you?  I, uh, got a rather shocking text from Mary.  No more meds?  I have questions, but that will have to wait; I’m swamped at the moment—eh…”

His voice cut out as someone hesitantly spoke to him, sounding as if he had the same stuttering speech problem that her meds had caused and a Chinese accent.  “The hell you mean the files aren’t complete?  Dammit, I got places to be in a week, man!  what do ya think you’re bein’ paid for, huh?!

“Ahem, sorry, Darlin’,” he mumbled, making Sora giggle.  “Aye, I can’t be happier if I understood what Mary's text implied, and…  Aye, I have questions, of course.  I, eh—I know I didn’t call much the, umm, the last few days, but I have a massive gift for ya this year regardless—it’ll be great.

“On that note, I have a massive deal this week, which will require me to go dark—ugh, worse time possible—believe me, I know.  It’s such a major deal that they want everyone involved to hand over their phones and hash everything out.

“Only the CEO and Chairman will have theirs to communicate.  I love you so much, a chroí, and I will do everything in my power to get done as soon as possible!  I’ll move heaven and hell to make it back for your birthday—believe it!

“The company is sending me back on their private jet Monday, so I’ll be there Tuesday morning!  Sorry, you know how long a flight it is from Seoul.”  He cut out for a second.  “Ahh, got to go, a chuisle—heh, people not doin’ their jobs, which cuts out on my time with you…  Ya hear that, Kazuko?!”

“Yes, Mr. Moore!  Apologies, Mr. Moore!”

“Just get it done; we’re on a tight schedule!  Eh, sorry, again, a chroí!  I’ll see you next Tuesday!”

Sora couldn’t stop her chest from shaking with laughter; her father sounded like the man he was hassling about getting all the company information to him—stumbling all over the place—as if his daughter were his boss.

“Hmm…  No, t-that’s f-fine, Dad,” she brightly replied to herself, flipping to her phone’s front page to smile at the last picture she’d taken with Wendy; her dad’s large smiling grin behind them on their last Tahiti vacation.  “I can be strong like you, too.”

“Mmgm.”  Loosening her neck, she couldn’t find anything from Mary—it would probably come later—so she stood up and set her resolve.  “Nothing t-to worry about!  Okay, pull yourself together, Sora, and let’s go get some stuff to celebrate!  Whatever Lori has planned—whatever—I can h-handle it!”

Placing her cell phone inside her purse while looping it back around her left shoulder, she made her way to the elevator.

Let’s do this!

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