It Hurts (Five Leaf Clover)

A little background story to Rhymes and Rachel. =)
Written by Yiling.




“There,” I said, peering over the entrance of the cafeteria. “Sitting at the far table in the middle.”

It was my first day at school and already, I had found some eye candy. He wasn’t particularly good looking nor was he tall. He had bangs that stopped right about his eyes, yellow shirt, a white toque, and a small silver cross to top it all off; but that did not stop him from catching my attention.

For the next couple of days, he completely took over my mind. Every song that I hear, every love avatar that I see would remind me of him. I always checked out what clothes he wore, what he ate for lunch, what card games he played with his friends at lunch… but it wasn’t enough.

“If you really like him that much Honey, just go talk to him,” she said. She fiddled with the grass and tied her shoelace.

“But… I CAN’T! I’ve never spoken a word to him… plus, he’s probably catching on,” I said, adjusting my shirt over a nearby patch of clovers. “Damn, why does this school have shitty gym uniforms?”

“Girl, exactly. He doesn’t even know you’re alive and you’ve never talked to him. So how can you say you like him?” she replied.

I looked away, denying the fact. No, it couldn’t be true. Secretly, deep inside, he knew who I was. Even though we never talked, it doesn’t mean we couldn’t fall in love. Isn’t that what love at first sight is? He must be the one.

“Which means, after you talk to him, the chance of you being with him will go up a few percentages and it’ll be good on your soul to talk to some boy you’ve been obsessing over for the past few days,” she scoffed. “Then say that you like him and it’ll be true.”

“You know what, if I manage to find a four leaf clover by the end of this period, then sure. I will talk to him.” I said, walking behind the white line. She followed me and started to do our daily Phys. Ed. warm-ups; running back and forth from white line to white line, ending up where we started again over and over. The whole time all that ran through my mind was this four leaf clover. By the end of the period, if I found the four leaf clover, it will be a sign from god to speak to him. A sign.

Luckily, we were learning soccer, giving us plenty of time to sit off to the side. Desperately, I started searching the ground. There must a clover here. There must be. I’ve got the whole two fields to search. After two rounds of sitting out, I was struck with fear, panic, and disappointment. Could all that I pictured in my mind, just turn out to be a fragment of my imagination? But then… I saw it. A four leaf clover.

Picking it up, I examined it to make sure that it wasn’t a three leaf clover with one ripped leaf or simply, another type of plant. I looked closer and closer, until I realized… this wasn’t JUST a four leaf clover, it was a FIVE leaf clover.

I rushed up to her. “OH MY GOD. You know how I said I would talk to him if I found a four leaf clover?”

“YEAH… did you … FIND ONE?”

“No… but I found a five leaf clover.”

She shook her head in shame as if the answer was right in front of me. “That means, you’re going to talk to him and even more will happen after that! So don’t be afraid. Take a chance.”

No sooner had we gone back inside the school to change and get ready for lunch. This would be my chance to speak to him. I situated myself in front of the mirror and brushed through my hair with my fingers a few time and sprayed on a little perfume. Yes. This is the moment.

I held my head up high and adjusted my backpack as I walked confidently into the cafeteria. I froze. His smile, his eyes, his laughter, they crushed me as if without them, I was nothing. Then suddenly, his eyes locked onto mine and frowning a little, he got up from his seat and headed towards me. I wanted to run away, but my legs felt too weak. All I do was try to go through my thoughts to think of what to say.

His pace slowed as he approached me and eventually stopped when he was almost on top of me. I opened my mouth to say hi, but I was interrupted by a terrible sound… the sound of his voice.

“Stop looking at me. Stop following me. Stop acting like you know me.”

Embarrassed, I ran out of the cafeteria.
"Stupid clover! Stupid...me..."

I turned the corner and smacked right into someone from my English class.
He nearly fell over catching me.

"Whoa, slow down there." He stood me back up.

"Sorry..."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, wiping my eyes.
His grey eyes widened, noticing the clover I held in my hand. Fascinated, he asked me if it was a four leaf clover, but I showed him what the really was. He grew even more interested in the clover and politely asked if he could see it. I placed it in his hands and was half examining it, half playing around with it.

"Did you know that five leaf clovers are a symbol for bad luck?"
I shook my head in reply. He gave back the clover; I was going to throw it out.

He stopped my arm.
"Wait..."

He simply plucked one of the leaves from the clover and tossed it aside.
"There, now it's good luck," he smirked.

"Really?"

Then he kissed me.

Chapter 3: A Little's Enough

The final chapter in We Don't Need to Whisper. =)
Yes, this will conclude the story between Yumi and Rhymes...

If you're new to We Don't Need to Whisper,read Good Day then Do It For Me Now first.

I'd like to say thanks to everyone who read. =)
Romance isn't exactly my forte so I'm surprised alot of people like it!

Oh, and Cherryboy Films will be turning We Don't Need to Whisper into a short film this summer! If you'd like to get involved, don't hesitate to say.

This one's for Kim.
Enjoy!




Rachel smiled. She stared down at her boyfriend, whose eyes were closed. He was still awake- silent, but awake. Rachel knew because he was a light snorer. His head lay down on her lap; she ran her hands lightly through his red hair. They were sitting in the grass on a hill near a park. They always went there after school. For some reason, Rachel’s boyfriend was attached to it. Something happened here, I think, he would always try to explain. Even he wasn’t sure why. It didn’t really matter because eventually she became attached to the hill too.

“Hey, tell me a poem.” His grey eyes opened at Rachel’s request.

“All the ones I know by heart you’ve heard already.”

“Then make one up,” Rachel smirked, “Or else.”

“Or else what?” His eyes narrowed.

Rachel glared at him darkly, but playfully with her brown eyes.
“Fine, fine…”

He closed his eyes for a moment and thought. It was a full five minutes before he opened them up again. It was getting dark. Rachel’s boyfriend mustered all the creativity he had and began to speak slowly.

“I see the stars, they’re in your eyes, a playful kiss,” he kissed her softly, “Can you tell I’m excited?”
Rachel loved the poem already.

“A….uh…fast escape in the nick of time…” Rachel giggled at how he struggled.

“If you-…if you…lost your wish, can I help you find it?” Rachel played along, nodding. “I’m on my knees, just-…just…one to start…A fresh new start, don’t be- uh…don’t be undecided. If love-…”

“If love…uh…” he thought really hard, “I’m stuck.” She could tell that he was stumped now, but that was okay, she was more than satisfied. He was slightly frustrated, though. Rachel could tell that he wanted to finish the poem now. She began to think about how to complete that last line.

“If love is a word that you say, say it and I will listen?” She blurted out. Her boyfriend’s jaw dropped in awe. He recited the entire poem, adding in Rachel’s line and completing it. He seemed proud of himself, and Rachel was too.

“You’re a genius.”

“I know, Rhymes. I know.”

Rhymes’ phone rang, alerting him of a new text message. It took him a second to react to it; he pulled out his cell phone and slid it open in front of his face. Rachel watched him read the message with an excited smile. He replied to it quickly and put the cell phone back in his pocket.

Rachel was curious.
“Who was that?” She blinked.

“Ah…just one of my buddies.”

“Oh, I’m doing volunteer work at the community center again tomorrow. Wanna’ come?” Rachel did volunteer work frequently at the community center near her house after school and occasionally asked Rhymes to come with her. He had to go a long way by train to get there and was often reluctant to travel by train, but Rachel was sure to make it worth the trip. Lately, Rhymes had been going with Rachel more frequently, if not every time she went. He would always say yes without hesitation; strange, because the first thing he would complain about is how far the community center was from his house. This had been going on for a month now, and he’d never been happier.

~

Rhymes was late for the first time that month. Upset and slightly worried, Rachel took a short break to find out where he was. Leaning up against the wall outside the daycare, she dialed Rhymes’ number. He didn’t pick up until the third time.

“Hello?”

“Hey, where are you…?”

“Oh Rachel! I’m sorry- some of my buddies wanted to go downtown after school…” Again with the buddies? Since when was Rhymes close with any of his guy friends? Rachel frowned.

“Rachel?”

“It’s alright,” Rachel lied, hiding her disappointment.

“Sorry.”

“Call me tonight, okay?”

“Of course.” He didn’t.

Rhymes was rather quiet the next day. His grey eyes were cold and the good mood he’d been having all month completely vanished. Rachel almost forgot why she was upset at him; she was more concerned about what was bothering him instead. What’s wrong, she would ask; he’d always just apologize quietly. It wasn’t like Rhymes to keep anything from Rachel. Perhaps it was none of her business? Rachel grudgingly accepted this possibility. She just wanted him to be happy. Perhaps he’d get over it and be fine by tomorrow, she thought.
At the hill after school, she held him tightly.

I’m sorry I have to say it, but you look like you’re sad; your smile is gone, I noticed it bad. The cure is if you let in just a little more love. I promise you this: a little’s enough…

Rachel’s phone rang, but she ignored it. Rhymes was concerned, but Rachel told him not to worry about it. She just wanted him to feel better.

“I’m s-”

“Shh…It’s okay.”

She watched him close his eyes and try to relax.
“I love you.”

“I know.” He mouthed.

Days passed and Rhymes’ mood only worsened. Gradually, his time with Rachel grew less over the weeks. He stopped doing volunteer work with her completely and claimed that his phone broke. Talk about hanging out with and talking to his buddies also ended abruptly; he rarely ever talked anyway. Coldness seeped into his eyes; they were blank and angry. Rhymes always just wanted to be alone. Rachel was terrified and desperate. He wouldn’t let her comfort him. She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want to let him be alone. She wanted to help. She wanted her boyfriend back.

The bell rang on Friday afternoon. Rhymes headed to the bus stop when a pair of small, soft hands grabbed his tightly from behind him. He stopped and faced Rachel, who was frowning. Rachel looked down, refusing to let go.

“Rhymes…I need to talk to you.”

“Rachel, if you want to break up with me go ahead.” His words hurt.

“No! I’d never want that! Why would you think that?!”

“Because…I don’t deserve you…”
She slapped him. Hard.

“What’s wrong with you, Rhymes.” Angry tears formed at her eyes. She glared at him furiously, but desperately. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He frowned and looked down.

“Don’t you trust me?” she asked.

“With my life.”

“Don’t you love me?” she asked.

Rhymes paused.

“…I don’t know.”

“Is there…another girl?” Rachel almost choked on her sentence.

“Something happened…I- I don’t know about this girl. I’m really confused, I’m really scared; I don’t know who to trust anymore and-“ She saw the look in his eyes. Someone had hurt him and it disturbed him. His fear was genuine.

Rachel placed her fingertips on his lips, silencing him. She had calmed down.

“Rhymes, I’m sorry.”

“No Rachel, don’t be…”

“Listen,” she pressed her fingers harder, “Go and sort things out with this girl…”

Rhymes opened his mouth to protest.

“Remember,” she interrupted him, “that no matter what happens…I’ll always be here for you. I love you, Rhymes. I always will.”

He nodded in reply and Rachel lifted her silence over Rhymes in turn. She felt that her message got through to him, as a bit of his confidence began to return to his eyes. He started heading towards the bus stop again, but froze after taking two steps.

Rhymes went back and kissed Rachel passionately.

~

Footsteps. A well-dressed, handsome, redheaded boy came in, his music playing rather loudly. He completely ignored Yumi and sat at the other end of the compartment. It was complete torture for her. She looked over at him a few times; his expression was blank. It was as if she wasn’t even there. Yumi was too afraid too talk to him, but she wanted to so badly. Her heart wrenched at the thought that he possibly hated her after what she did. Could she blame him? No. She needed to do something before his stop! But it was too late. He simply got up and left. The compartment went quiet without his music.

As the train began to move, she noticed that Rhymes had left a red envelope. She scurried over to the seat, finding her name written on it. She opened it delicately and unfolded the letter. Reading it, she began to cry. It said one thing.

If love is a word that you say, say it and I will listen.

At that moment, Yumi noticed that when Rhymes left the train, he stood there at the station, as if he was waiting for her. She wiped her tears and got off at the next stop, taking the next train back to Rhymes’. She got out impatiently and made a run for the stairs to get to the other platform, which was all the way on the other end.

“Hey, where’re you going?” The train left, leaving the station empty and revealing Rhymes’ presence on the other platform. Yumi’s eyes widened and she cried out the first thing that came to her head.

“Love!”

“What?”

“Love!” Yumi waved Rhymes’ message. “Love!”

She could see him smirk and shake his head from all the way on the other side.

“Not exactly the reply I expected but listen-!”
Yumi went quiet.

“If you’re here, you’re here for a second chance.”
Yumi nodded.

“I need to decide whether you deserve it or not.”
Ouch. She deserved that.

“I’m going to call you three times- it could be in one hour, it could be in one month, hell it could be the minute we leave this train station.”

A train came in on Rhymes’ platform and left the station. With it, he vanished.

~

Rachel came home exhausted. Her stomach growled as she took off her shoes and headed into the hallway. Okay, she thought, maybe I’ll grab a bite to eat then take a nap. She headed into the kitchen, passing the table and going for the fridge. Rachel stopped; something sitting at the edge of the table caught her attention. It was a letter that lay folded on top of a red envelope. She opened the letter, reading the short message inside. It was the last line of the poem that Rhymes made up on the spot a couple of weeks back.

She smiled to herself, picking up the envelope. Rachel paused for a moment- why wasn’t the letter in the envelope?

“Rachel? I didn’t hear you come in…”
Her stepsister walked into the kitchen, cell phone in hand.

“Yumi…this letter. Where did you get it from?” Rachel asked quietly, calmly. She stared down at the name written on the envelope. There was no way. It couldn’t be. Yumi came into the kitchen and placed her cell phone on the table. She looked at the letter and sighed in relief.

“I thought I lost it…It’s very important to me.” Yumi took the letter and envelope from Rachel and held them close to her. “The person who gave me this is very important to me. But something happened and I-…I think he’s mad at me…”

“Oh?” Rachel raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”
Her fist was clenched tightly.

Yumi told Rachel everything, from having a crush on him, actually meeting him, spending time with him, and hurting him. Her friends had pressured her into it, and after Jet, she didn’t want to end up hurting Rhymes. Rachel knew all too well how that turned out in Rhymes’ end. That’s if, it was Rhymes.

“You…pushed him away so you wouldn’t hurt him?” Rachel asked.
Yumi nodded regretfully.

“Today, I saw him for the first time in a month. He gave me the letter and said he’d call me. He never said when, though.” Yumi looked down at the letter and wiped her eyes.

“Yumi? What’s his name?”

“Well, this sounds silly, but I only know him as Rhymes.”
Rachel paused.

“My relationship hasn’t exactly been perfect either.”
Yumi frowned.

“Someone lead my boyfriend on just to hurt him.”

“How is he?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to get through to him all month. He was really depressed about it and I didn’t find out until today. I told him…to go sort it out with her…I just want him to be happy.” Rachel glanced over at Yumi, who slowly began to realize that their situations were more than a coincidence. They sat at the kitchen in silence for a moment.

Yumi’s phone began to ring.

…And I don’t know, and I can’t wait, if we’re gonna’ be okay but now, my last wish: is that you do this with me…

“Rachel, can you give me my phone?” Yumi asked slowly, biting her lip. She was excited, but scared. The phone was by Rachel’s arm; she glanced down at the number and looked like she was about to cry.

“No.” Rachel took the phone and gripped it tightly.

“Rachel, my phone!” Yumi cried, getting up. “Give it to me!”

The first call ended.
The second call followed immediately after.

“And let you hurt Rhymes again? No. How dare you, Yumi. How dare you! You barely even know him! Why would you do that to me?! Why would you do that to him?!” Rachel stood up also, letting the phone vibrate and ring in her hand.

…Kiss me here, hold my hand, let me feel like I’m the only one- I know you can, won’t you do it for me now? Won’t you do it for me now?...

“I didn’t know, Rachel! Please, believe me! And I didn’t want to hurt him!” Yumi pleaded in her defense, approaching Rachel slowly “I care about him, I really do! And I don’t care if you’re with him already…he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me…”

…Now just hold on, hold on to me….hold on, hold on to me…

Rhymes was now calling for the final time.

“I’m sorry, Yumi, but you had your chance- you didn’t even deserve it in the first place, but you had one. I can’t let you hurt him again…I can’t…”

“No Rachel, I’m sorry.” Yumi was in tears, now arms reach from her phone.

It was now or never.

…Won’t you do it for me n-




The End.

Chapter 2: Do It For Me Now

This is part two of We Don't Need to Whisper, the sequel to Good Day.

It starts pre-Rhymes in Yumi's timeline. After the time-skip, it's a little into Yumi's involvement with Rhymes before she pushes him away.
This one's for you, Yiling.
Enjoy.



The thing that made Jet D’Vulpe stand out the most from the rest of the boys was how passionate he was. He displayed his emotion through his art, which were inspiring and alluring. He was rather shy; no one could really understand what such a quiet boy was expressing. The fact that there was something more to him was the reason why Yumi fell for him in the first place. Such dedication touched him; no matter how many little things he did to push her away she tried to get his attention. Jet decided one day that maybe she deserved it, mustering the courage to ask her out.

No doubt, he fell for her as well. For the first time in his life, he felt like someone was paying attention and that someone cared, and wanted Yumi to feel the same. Even though Jet was generally shy, he had so many interesting things to say. Never once did Yumi’s attention falter in the least. Whenever she needed advice, Jet was always there. Whenever she needed to feel loved, he was always there. She never felt alone because Jet was there to protect her. Even though they went to different schools, he trusted her. To him, Yumi was the epitome of kindness and caring. She would never do anything to hurt him. Amongst all the emotions that Jet expressed through art, for the next two years he forgot what fear was like.

“Hello?” Thank goodness, Yumi finally picked up.

“Hey!” Replied Jet cheerfully. He almost forgot the fact he had to call her five times before she would pick up. This was odd, because he always called her around this time. Perhaps she was busy.

“Love, I can’t talk tonight.” His suspicions were right.

“Okay then. I love you.” Jet was a little disappointed. She whispered, “I love you too” barely enough for him to hear, did he daresay it, a little unhappily. Oh well, it was only one night, right? A variation of Yumi neglecting him would occur over the next few weeks every night. Fear was going to make a devastating comeback.

Yumi seemed sad every time they’d talk, and Jet wanted to know why. She would only reply “I don’t know, I’m just not happy” every time. It was either that or she was busy. Could he not make her happy anymore? Doubts began to stir. He began doubting himself, doubting everything around him, and it showed in his art.

“Jet, what’s wrong?” his art teacher frowned, placing a hand on his shoulder.

It was art class. They were supposed to be working on a project, but Jet merely stared at the blank canvas, his once deep blue eyes, full of emotion, were now pale.

“Nothing, miss,” he lied. His eyes met his brother’s, also blue, who was painting a picture of an armored knight with a large shield. His brother frowned at him. His art teacher told Jet to get working on it and went over to his brother, leaning in and talking to him. Jet pretended to create a practice sketch.

“…difficult…”
“…worried…”
“…intense…”
Jet couldn’t pick up much of their conversation.



“Hello?”

“Wow, I thought you weren’t going to pick up.” Jet’s words were cold.

“Don’t say that…” Yumi replied. Jet sighed.

"You’re probably busy anyways. I’m just going to leave you alone.”

“Wait, don’t go. You’re not bothering me.”

“Love, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know…”

“If I did anything wrong, I’m sorry!”

“You didn’t do anything wrong…”

“What happened? What’s going on?”

“I’m just not happy.”

“You’ve been not happy or neglecting me for six months! Honest to God, Love, I feel like complete shit! Please, I can help…what’s wrong…” He was desperate for answers.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Yumi only replied in tears.

“Love-“

“I want to be alone now…”

Jet sighed.

“I love you…” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Love.”

The dial tone was a stab to the chest.



Jet was living in fear of losing the thing that meant most to him. It gripped him, suffocated him, and tortured him. Suicide was the coward’s way out. He needed to see Yumi in person and set things straight. He wanted- no, needed to know what the fuck was going on. They decided to meet at the park at the top of the hill after school. Jet was there first, sitting on the grass on a clear day in spring. Yumi was half an hour late; Jet immediately took offense to it. Fucking hell, Jet thought, first I’m not even good enough to pick the fucking phone up for, and now you don’t even show the respect to show up on time. As Yumi walked up the hill, Jet hid his cold stare and stood up, waiting for her. He was pale and looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“I’ve had enough. I can’t take this.”

“What do you want me to do, love?”

“Show me that you care about me?!”

“I can’t do that for you!”

“Why,” Jet breathed, “the fuck,” his teeth clenched, “not?”

“I-“

“You don’t know?!” Jet interrupted. “I’ve had it with that! Why do you keep hiding things from me?! You say you care about me, you say you love me, yet you utterly fail to show it! You’ve done fucking nothing for me over the past year. You watch me suffer; yet you’re the one crying. You can’t even pick up the phone and talk to me! Yumi, you’ve honestly let our relationship go to shit over no reason.”

Yumi was speechless.
He let the words sink in for a second and watched the tears start.

“I just want things to be back to normal…” he frowned.

“Things have changed!”

“How?!” He stared at her fiercely.

“I…met someone else.”

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as something occurred in Jet’s eyes that she could only describe as glass breaking into millions of pieces. It would be the last time that she would see them.
Jet turned around and walked down the hill, leaving Yumi there alone.


Yumi would never forget that one moment, even a year later while visiting her father’s grave. Yumi remembered how it was Jet who comforted her when she missed her father. She said she would always love him and care about him, and even after a year that never changed. The guy at school that her friends pressured her into going out with left her two weeks after they got together. Guilt forced her into isolation and loneliness.

On her way out of the cemetery, she noticed a few pieces of broken glass on the ground. They reminded her of the very last moment she had with Jet; she never heard from him again. Reminiscing caused Yumi to bump into a boy her age. He was tall, had spiky black hair, and was wearing a light leather jacket.

“Whoa,” he said, “you alright?”

“Sorry!” Yumi apologized.

The boy seemed oddly familiar.

“Hey, you’re Yumi aren’t you? Sorry about your Dad.”

“Yeah, and it’s alright. Who are you?”

“I’m Jay D’Vulpe, Jet’s brother.” Jay replied. Yumi’s eyes widened.

“How’s Jet been doing?” she asked slowly, quietly.

“He’s…better.” Jay smiled warmly.

“What?”

“I’ve gotta’ go. See you around Yumi.” He waved curtly and walked off.


Yumi became obsessed with getting into contact with Jet again. She tried calling his cell phone with no luck; it was turned off, and she was too shy to call their house. Then she remembered all the letters that Jet wrote for her. She kept all of them, even the envelopes. His address was on them. Yumi had never been to his house before, so she was excited and optimistic. She wanted to surprise Jet, and she knew him well enough to know that he was a forgiving person.

Armed with Jet’s letters and envelopes, she set out to find his home and surprise him. It was surprisingly easy to find, even though it was so far away from her home. It was a nice townhouse with a white garage door and balcony. There were two windows at the very top. Perhaps one of those windows was one of Jet’s. Her optimism was replaced by nervousness. She went up to the door and rang the doorbell exactly three times. After a couple of seconds, a woman answered the door. She looked young, but the woman’s eyes were very sad, and Yumi had no doubt that this was Jet’s mother. He had her eyes.

“Hello Mrs D’Vulpe, is Jet home?” Yumi asked timidly.
She looked like she was about to cry. Jet’s mother paused for a second.

“Come in, dear.”

Jet’s mother sat her down at the dining table and poured her a glass of water. She then sat across from Yumi and paused again. The house was quiet, as if it were empty besides Yumi, Jet’s mother, and possibly Jet himself, who was probably napping somewhere. Yumi remembered that Jet’s cute little naps during the day. He was never the most energetic person she knew.

“Jet never told you that he had leukemia,” said his mother.
Yumi gripped her glass tightly, just as guilt gripped her.

“About a year and a half ago, it became more aggressive and continued to worsen over time. There was nothing we could do to stop it.” Her voice was breaking.
It choked her. It stabbed her. It cut her. It tortured her.

“A little less than a year ago, he gave into it and passed away.”
Each word, each syllable, each letter- destroyed her.

Jet’s mother got up and went upstairs in tears, leaving Yumi alone in the kitchen. She could not cry because she was completely robbed of her emotion, just as Jet must’ve felt a year ago. After a minute, Mrs. D’Vulpe came back downstairs with a small white book with a blue binding. It must’ve been his journal; those were his colors.

“He kept a journal while he was in the hospital during his last few weeks. He wrote in there that he wanted you to read it. There are some things in there that only you will understand.”

“Thank you Mrs. D’Vulpe.” Yumi put the journal in her bag. “I’ll go now, sorry.”
As Mrs. D’Vulpe was showing Yumi out, she stopped her at the door.

“You meant so much to my Son. Why did you abandon him when he needed you the most?”

“Because I’m a horrible person.”


Yumi read the journal as soon as she got home. The beginning of Jet’s final days was cold and angry. He could never forgive her, he could never trust anyone ever again; Jet hated her for what she did to him, after all he did for her. The whole beginning was full of cursing. Some pages were just angry pen scratches. About two weeks after, Jet began to calm down and began to express himself lyrically. At this point he was miserable and broken, yet he showed courage. There was an average of five “suicide is for the weak” writings on every page from then on. He never really wrote about his day-to-day at the hospital. Perhaps expressing himself through his words was his day-to-day.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have…all of me.

At the very last page, Jet had composed a song. She noticed that bits and parts of it were conceived throughout the journal but he put it together in the end. He didn’t just put together a song at his life’s end, in a way he put himself together in the end. Jet had finally moved on and forgave Yumi and himself. Yumi smiled. Even in death, Jet still managed to protect her from the greatest enemy he could face: himself.

Sorrow is what I hate but it's grown my sensations,
Regrets taught me how to make any hard decisions.
Peace is always by my side but I've never felt it once,
Love is not the word only for the sweet romance.

Well, I'm scared, scared, scared, scared to death,
And I'm scared to keep on going on my way.
Well, I'm scared, scared, scared, scared to death,
And I'll tell myself I'm special till the end.

Recalling my torn, broken, aching heart of these long days,
And all the memories I wanted to forget for making mistakes/
Recalling, breaking, aching, crying, making sure to me,
And I take all and grin at my future on the way…

Sorrow is what I hate but it's grown my sensations,
Regrets taught me how to make any hard decisions.
Peace is always by my side but I've never felt it once,
Love is not the word only for the sweet romance.

Yumi’s smile faded. She wouldn’t let this happen with Rhymes.

Chapter 1: Good Day

Yumi hated taking the train home from school. She missed the days when her father would pick her up. She missed her father, period. Her father was her protector, her best friend. Yumi wasn’t the most attractive, intelligent, or popular girl in her school. She was a girl very much attached to her childhood and memories of her father. Loneliness burdened her, especially when she was on the train. Sitting there alone, remembering her late father. Yumi hated it.

On a lucky day, a handsome boy with messy red hair came into the same compartment she was in. His hair flared at the back and he had long bangs. He was much taller than her, perhaps 5’8, and was always wearing attractive clothing. From his clothing style, red was obviously his favorite color. She had never been close enough to see the color of his eyes, and he would always be listening to music. Yumi thought she saw him muttering lyrics under his breath one time. It seemed silly that she developed somewhat of a crush for a person she had never talked to and only got to see two times a week at most. He seemed so mysterious; Yumi desired to know much more about him. On rare occasions, he wore glasses. They made him seem more sophisticated. Something about the redhead was just so alluring, but she was too shy to go find out what. At the next stop, Yumi would find out if it were a lucky day.

“Geffen Station, next. Geffen Station,” the train operator announced. Yumi snapped out of her daydream and realized that there was someone else in the compartment she was in. It was a man much older than her with greasy, black hair. The look on his face told Yumi that he caused trouble wherever he went. He eyed her with a perverted smile that made her feel uncomfortable. Yumi tried to ignore him, gripping her skirt nervously. He approached her, licking his lips.

“Hey baby,” he leaned over her, “how old are you?”

“None of your business,” she said quietly, looking down at her shoes.

“Heh, well…you look old enough.” He reached out the touched her face with a dirty, rough hand. Yumi whimpered. The train had come to a stop and a single passenger had come on. The troublemaker and Yumi looked to see the redheaded boy come on. He recognized the situation instantly and walked right over to them, almost furious.

“Hey, leave her alone!” he shoved the man away from Yumi, glaring at him fiercely. Instead of being shocked, she noticed that his eyes were a pale grey.

“Who the hell do you think you are, punk?” the troublemaker pushed back, only the redhead stood his ground. He paused, took off his earphones and intensified his glare.

“I’m her boyfriend-”
She could not believe what he just said.
“So get lost.”

The troublemaker scowled and made his way back to the other end of the compartment. Acting completely natural, the redheaded boy took a seat beside Yumi and began to act as if he was actually her boyfriend. He asked if she was okay, hugging her. She nodded and let him embrace her. Even the way he smelled was mysterious.

“Sorry about this,” he whispered during the hug, “He’s been watching you for days now. I thought you were I trouble so-“

“No, thanks,” Yumi whispered back. She even kissed him quickly on the cheek just to make it seem real. The redhead turned red for a moment. She noticed that the troublemaker was watching; he probably knew it too. After the hug, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She played along by placing her head on his chest.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked softly.

“I’m Yumi, and you?” She adored his voice.

“Hmn…my friends call me Rhymes.”

“Rhymes? Why? What’s your real name?”
He laughed softly. She couldn’t help but giggle also.

It turns out that Rhymes was actually a year younger than Yumi was. He went to a school that wasn’t far away from Yumi’s and had to take the train home occasionally. She never really questioned what his real name was after that. Eventually, the troublemaker got off the train. Yumi and Rhymes were now free to drop the act that they had put up. Rhymes addressed it a few moments after the train left the station.

“He’s gone now, we can stop now if you want.”

“No…I like this.” Yumi felt herself smile for the first time in ages.
It was definitely a good day.

Over the next few days, Yumi started to see Rhymes more frequently. It was so easy to talk to him, and the half an hour that they shared on the train before he had to get off was always the highlight of her day. At one point, they exchanged phone numbers just incase one of them stopped using the train. Yumi eventually found out that he was actually going out of his way to take the train and see her.

“Don’t be stupid, Rhymes. Use the train when you need to only, just like before!”

“Fine, fine…” he laughed softly. It was addictive.

Yumi didn’t get to see Rhymes again for a week. It was Friday, and she was planning to make a visit to her Father’s grave. Happily, she left Rhymes sit beside her again on the train as usual. They had another good half hour or so to spend time with each other. He was wearing his glasses today; she thought he looked cute.

“Hey, I’m bored. Let’s go downtown.” Excitement was in his voice. It was so tempting. It made her almost forget about visiting her father.

Reluctantly, she declined, saying that she was kind of tired and that her stepmother kept a strict curfew. Both were lies; she wanted to go with him badly and her stepmother could care less.

“Okay, I understand.”

“Sorry.”

“Hey, did you know…?” Rhymes smirked a little.

“Know what?”

“That girls are horrible liars?”
Yumi’s mouth gaped slightly. Was she that obvious?

“You weren’t obvious, I’m just good.” Rhymes laughed. “But hey, whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s a good one. I mean after all, we just met.”

“Actually, I’d love go. “ How could she resist?

Yumi’s father also often took her downtown. When she was a child, he would carry her on his shoulders, showing her all the sights, buying her things. She loved going to the city. From where they were by train, Yumi and Rhymes had to go in the complete opposite direction. She wanted to go to the giant mall right in the heart of the city, just like where her father took her. Rhymes insisted on treating her to dinner.

When they got to the mall, a group of Yumi’s friends approached them. They caused a huge commotion over Rhymes. Complimenting him, touching his hair, and telling Yumi that he was a keeper. They all laughed.

“Omigosh! We don’t even know his name yet, Yumi!”

“Oh, his name’s-“ Yumi wasn’t sure to call him Rhymes or not.

“Darren,” said Rhymes, smiling.

“Well Darren, may we borrow Yumi for a bit?” asked one of her friends.

“Sure, why not.”

He sat down on a bench while Yumi’s friends dragged her off to the women’s bathroom. They all crowded her around the mirror, telling her what they really thought.

“Ditch him, Yumi.”
“He’s a younger guy! Ew!”
“You can do better…”

Rhymes waited for a whole hour.
He realized that the women’s bathroom had two entrances.
“…Whatever.”

At one point, Yumi lost track of all the calls she made to Rhymes’ phone. At another, she simply gave up, regretting pushing away the best thing that’s happened to her. The train rides home after school were lonely once again. A week passed, and there was no sign of him. Another week passed, and then another. It’s as if he completely vanished from existence.

It was Friday evening; Yumi had planned to visit her father’s grave again. The train stopped at Geffen Station again. Yumi still had hope and looked up at the doors to see if anyone was coming in. No, no one. Her eyes fell to the floor.

Suddenly, footsteps.
A well-dressed, handsome, redheaded boy came in, his music playing rather loudly. He completely ignored Yumi and sat at the other end of the compartment. It was complete torture for her. She looked over at him a few times; his expression was blank. It was as if she wasn’t even there. Yumi was too afraid too talk to him, but she wanted to so badly. Her heart wrenched at the thought that he possibly hated her after what she did. Could she blame him? No. She needed to do something before his stop! But it was too late. He simply got up and left. The compartment went quiet without his music.

As the train began to move, she noticed that Rhymes had left a red envelope. She scurried over to the seat, finding her name written on it. She opened it delicately and unfolded the letter. Reading it, she began to cry. It said one thing.

If love is a word that you say, say it and I will listen.