After All This Time

"W-What do you mean?"

My hand has halted all progress at Mira's words. Even Mark and Ange have begun to lean forward with their eyes focused on the young girl across the table. Everyone is waiting for her to continue.

It simply doesn't make sense. We only just met and I hadn't so much as seen a rabbit with her features until that day. Is this the development where she claims to have been a long lost pet that I didn't know I had? Maybe she's referring to some kind of past life that rabbits have some ability to remember? Considering the magic that led us to this point, I can't even deny any of those possibilities.

We all stare with anticipation, but Mira seems less than interested in our reactions. Her blue eyes continue to look into mine as she takes another bite of cornbread.

"Like I said, Noa was always there."

"Yeah, I know! But what do you mean!?"

The young rabbit tilts her head to the side, shaking off some of the crumbs from her lips.

"We saw each other almost every day."

"No, that can't be possible! Where would we have met!?"

"The same place you picked me up from."

A bolt of lightning strikes through my brain while the rabbit takes another bite of the buttery appetizer.

It's all coming together. There was always one place I passed by at least twice in a given day. The first time was usually too full of cars for the rabbits to be active, but the second time lands perfectly in the evening. Everyday isn't even an exaggeration. Sure, school is only five days a week, but that didn't stop me from passing by that grassy patch on a bout of procrastination. Whenever I needed to kill some time, walking to and from school was always a convenient option with a consistent amount of time spent.

The adult currently present can't seem to put the barely existent pieces together.

"What is she referring to?"

"Ah, she's talking about the bridge. There's a forest next to a bridge that I have to cross to get to school. I usually see rabbits around there on the way home."

"I see…"

Mark continues with his own bite when he suddenly frowns.

"That's strange. Rabbits generally only come out in the late evening unless something draws them out. You can't possibly be out that late."

"Hahaha…"

For as long as I could remember since middle school, I rarely left school at the normal time. Every year, there are a few classes that I had no choice but to stay after for tutoring. It was in times like exam season that I wished that there were several of me. If I was struggling in several classes, I had time to maybe join tutoring for one or two of them while the rest simply accepted their fate.

"Tutoring usually runs pretty late…"

"I'm surprised your parents let you walk that late. I would have an ulcer thinking about Ange walking alone that late in the day…"

All of this talk of school reminded my hand to continue moving. Deadlines, deadlines.

"I live on my own, so it's not a big deal."

"That's even more concerning! If it were college, I could see it, but you're still in high school."

"My parents insisted on me going to Cedar Lake, which makes sense. The high school I would have gone to at home has much lower test scores all around."

I've already more than grown accustomed to living alone. Figuring out when to handle the general necessities was a challenge and the range of food I can prepare from scratch still isn't very large. However, I've managed it for the past year starting in my last semester of middle school. My parents had to pull some string to get me into Cedar Lake middle school a little earlier than when I had moved.

I look to my side where Mira had returned to examining the menu.

"Everything was going smoothly until this one showed up."

Noticing my gaze, she turns to me with an energetic smile. I couldn't glare at her if you paid me. I pick up my glass of water and continue.

"But seriously, I never saw you even once before this past Friday."

"I always saw Noa!"

Mira stands up and beams towards the party across the table.

"He would always talk to us about his time as a secret agent that infiltrated an enemy stronghold!"

"PFFFT!"

The water takes the fastest possible route out of my body as my body enters fight or flight response.

"W-Wait! Mira!"

"Woah! I didn't realise your partner was such a powerful individual!"

"Ange, no! Don't look so interested!"

These stories should have never seen the light of day. Back then, I was smart enough to make no physical artefacts of my random fantasies. I still wanted to tell something, so I entrusted my secrets to the local wildlife. Talking to animals was supposed to be a safe way to have fun without any consequences. I had never expected nature itself to be the one to betray me.

"Noa worked for the Brotherhood to destroy the tyrants controlling the life of his peers! He was truly a hero fighting for freedom!"

Mira puts her hands together as if holding a two-handed sword and swings the invisible blade. Ange bounces in her seat and eats up every word of the story. Meanwhile, I can hardly string together a thought as I relive my past mistakes.

"He used his hidden blade of shadows to vanquish the Ancient Alchemist."

"Sounds like a powerful foe!"

"Then when the Temptress of Pages tried to trap him in her cage of thorns, Noa burned through it with his inferno fists!"

"So cool! I want to see that!"

People from the nearby tables have begun looking towards us due to their excitement.

"Mira…please…"

My body has lost all strength to continue existing. I just want to curl up into a ball under the table and disappear forever. You know what, let me switch places with Mira. Turn me into a rabbit and I'll hop into the storm drain myself.

"Hahaha…we're all young once…"

Mark looking embarrassed for my sake is making me feel even worse. He can't even make eye contact as he frantically comes up with an excuse.

"Look! I'm sure we've all wanted to stab our teachers at least once or twice! Might as well look cool while doing it!"

"Please don't say anymore…"

The older gentleman's wisdom is more than I can handle right now. Without even realising it, I'm turned facing the window with my glass of water in hand. The glass is now empty.

"How the past comes to haunt you…"

"Hahaha, it only gets worse when you get to my age! But…"

Mark's eyes drift to the excited rabbit continuing my exaggerated tales.

"It doesn't seem to have been all bad."

With the night as the background, Mira's reflection in the window fills my vision. It's strange. To think that somewhere in those bushes and trees, there was a small rabbit watching me all this time. Everyday we existed in the same space so close, yet barely aware of the other's existence. I was some random human that always walked by and had too much to say. Mira was just another small fluffy creature that made the view a little more lively.

I guess in a way, that much really hasn't changed. The two of us still barely know anything about each other. We both have pasts in worlds that the other could never imagine. Things we like, things we hate, things that make us happy or sad, we're mostly still in the dark. All that has changed is that a bridge has been formed to connect these two worlds. Mira and I are still peering at each other from opposite sides, but now we can look at each other and tell our own stories.

It isn't just her reflection, I also see mine along with the strange smile on my face.

"Yeah, I guess it isn't so bad."

I've hardly asked Mira about the place she came from, we've hardly found a moment of rest since she arrived. But even if we did have the time to sit down and paint the full picture, I don't think I would have gone out of my way to ask. I'm not so sure why myself. All I know is that these gaps will be filled in one way or another as we continue to coexist.

"Alright guys! First we have an order of meatloaf with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli!"

Our energetic waitress appears with a large tray filled with several plates. Time flies when you're having fun.

"That one is yours, Mira."

"Really! What is it!?"

"Just try it and tell me how it tastes."

Even if I didn't say anything. She already has her fork ready to stab into her food. It didn't really matter what I had ordered, I'm sure she would still smile and display those eyes of wonder. I think I understand why Mark looks at Ange the way he does. Having someone like them in your life really adds more colour to a world that looks mundane compared to now.