Chapter 93:

XCIII | Suicide

The Rowan Tree


I emerge
from supplementary lesson
alone.

Rowan doesn't attend this class
so she's sitting
under the rowan tree

reading
as usual.

No, I'm wrong.

I walk out of the class
alone

—the new normal these days—

and see her there
in the corridor,
sitting against the wall,

holding her school bag.

I stare her.
She looks at me.

'I'm waiting for you,' she explains.

'I see,' I reply.

I give her my hand,
pull her up.

'Thanks.'

'Where are we going?'
I ask.

She tilts her head to the side,
pondering that question.

It's become a habit
for me

to ask this.

Today, she smiles.

'I don't know.
'Where would you like to go?'

'Clyde,'
someone interrupts us.

It's someone
I don't expect.

'Ming.'

He walks over to us,
acknowledging Rowan with a nod.

'Let me borrow Clyde for today.'

Rowan stares
into his eyes.

It makes me uncomfortable.
I'm about to complain.

'No,' she says.
'You can't.'

Ming looks startled
for a moment—

he never expected

Rowan would say something like that.

Then he puts his arm
around my neck,
and pulls me away.

'Just for today.'

'Oi! Ming!'
Rowan calls,

so loud that everyone in the corridor
turns to look at her.

'I'll be back,'
I yell at her shrinking figure.

Her reply is
drowned

in the sea of boisterous
corridor conversation.

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]