Sleepover IV

"So there, that's my story," Hitomi closed her eyes. "Nobody ever cared about it but I guess since everyone is sharing there's I might as well fire off. It's not a special story, there are millions of those."

"There was one thing you said that wasn't true," Brigham said prompting Hitomi to open her eyes. "You said nobody cares, I do. I am really sorry for what happened to you, I wish we had known each other sooner, I would have done anything I could to help you. I know that doesn't mean much now, but I want you to know that I care."

"I care too," Emidio timidly said under his sleeping bag.

"Me too," Lei Mei smiled at Hitomi.

The rest of Lupus also shared the sentiment.

"What is this some kind of corny support group!" Hitomi covered her eyes, "You guys don't need to say stupid loser stuff like that."

"It's okay," Lei Mei came closer to Hitomi and gently hugged her, "You don't need to act so tough always."

"I'm fine!" Hitomi yelled still covering her eyes. She didn't fight Lei Mei's hug.

"What Lei Mei said," Ana came in and hugged Hitomi, "Like you, I always try to put on a tough face to hide my true feelings, I get that. Now that we've all poured our hearts out you can act how you really feel."

Hitomi had tears coming down her cheeks which her hands unsuccessfully hid. "I told you guys I am fine, I don't need a cringe support group!"

Lei Mei glared at the boys to come and join them, they quickly without a word got up and got close to Hitomi to give her emotional support.

"It's okay to cry Hitomi," Brigham reassured her, "It doesn't make you weak and no one will judge you."

"Shut up!" Hitomi tried to cover her face and started sobbing uncontrollably. The girl embraced Lei Mei's hug and loudly cried her heart out. All of the bottled-up sadness she held up for all of these years was yanked out of her soul.

Hitomi had wanted to cry so many times, but she didn't want others to think she was weak. She didn't want to be seen as vulnerable and most of all she hated the look of pity some adults would give her. That look of 'Oh poor thing, I feel sorry enough to look at you this way but not enough to do anything about it'.

This situation was different. For the first time in her life, she felt the warm embrace of others, her new team. They didn't offer only sorry looks but genuine comfort. They had nothing to gain, nothing at stake, they just wanted to make her feel better. Hitomi could feel vulnerable with Lupus, a sense of security surrounded by them, something her parents never made for her.

She continued crying and sobbing loudly into Lei Mei's and Ana's hug, and reassurance from the rest of the class. Her crying lasted for some time, and once she was finished, she fell asleep from exhaustion, and soon so did everyone else.

Hitomi fell soundly asleep, surrounded and embraced by people who cared for her. Her wounded soul felt a healing and her heart had desired for them to be cared for too.

Maybe everything was going to be okay.