A Winding Staircase Without a Sound

I trailed behind her, almost slipping near the edge of the pool because she ran so fast that her phone dropped in the pool. Basically, a little puddle formed and yeah, anyway. She can buy a new phone, maybe get me one too while we're at it. As I rounded the corner towards the kitchen-

"Where are you going? You know, you don't have to follow her everywhere."

I turned around and I see her, what was her name again? "I'm sorry, your name. I forgot. Tell me again, please?" Let's continue this thought when I know her name. And this is by choice, you know, like something you can choose. 

"Ritsika. You forgot already, wow? And here I thought I was special. All I meant was if you let her, she'll have you doing everything for her."

By this point, she must be long gone. I wouldn't know where to go anyways. As I was saying, Ritsika continued to sit there, staying in the same position as before. I'm curious about the connection between them two. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she came here to meet my dad an-"

"What is that about anyways?" I ask.

"It's nothing-well, I should say it's nothing we have to worry about. She's always doing this, going on random adventures with guys and I guess you're just the next one. Rin-Rin is just a fickle type of person. Don't get your hopes up with her."

"And you guys are friends?" Doesn't really sound like that to me.

"Doesn't sound like it huh?" I knew it! Psychic! "But we are, close that is. I just know her ways and she knows mine, I'm sure she's told you a little of me. Actually, probably not. What'd she tell you, "She needs your help" or something like that? And what are you doing? Sit." She patted next to the empty space beside her. 

"Maybe, maybe not. Why does it matter to you?" I sat down, across from her instead of so close like that last time. "If you're friends, you'd be happy she met someone new."

"You say it like that means something. We meet someone new each day, what makes one person so different? What makes Rin different?" she said, leaning a little closer. Oye, I sat over here to avoid this! She keeps inching and inching, like an ant I tell you. "It sounds like you want to be important to her."

"Well, she said or told me something about a y-" Don't say anything about that, something tells me. Maybe I do want to keep our adventure between us. Rin and I. I feel at this point, I would bel-oh. Almost forgot I was talking. "She told me that we came here, to Kochi to look at a farm your family owns. For research purposes."

"And you believe that? And when was she going to tell me that? Hahhh, I tell you, that woman is something else. Anyways, enough about that. What brings you to Japan? Just research for your...fruit? Now this is interesting. I have never met anyone with such an interest in yuzu."

"Well, it's mostly an Asian fruit. Not many are really found in countries in Western Europe, Canada, the US-"

"There's other countries in the world."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. But I mean the lack of information out there, about healthier living and fruits that would coincide with that lifestyle is...scarce. On purpose some say."

"Dealing in the farming industry, you see it all the time. People cutting corners, shortening the growing process, adding pesticides, I mean if it's organic, well, saying that these days might not even have any merit."

"Exactly, but who knows. I don't like to get involved in stuff like that."

"But you're here involved with a random person in a random town and... that is different?" she smiled pretty wide, sliding away a bit. I think she noticed she was a little too close. 

"I would like to think so, well, that's how it is in my mind. Is the farm close? And no, to be honest it's not so different. But I enjoy her company. She knows a lot and I have gotten invaluable research."

"Hm. Okay. Yes and no. If she was going to take you there, she would've gotten on the highway. But so is not the case." She stood up, "C'mon let's go."

"Where?"

"To follow your girlfriend of course." She winked at me. Forget the insinuation for a second. People still wink at each other?

With that, we walked around the pool, to the right where it wasn't wet past the huge glass panels for a window.  It's too scary to look down all the way because it's so high. You could see virtually, the end of the town and maybe it's because it's small or maybe because we're up so high, I don't know. I can't tell. The maid was still in the kitchen, dumping remains of the glass in the trash, so we walked around her through a loop which still leads to the kitchen but from the other side where the door they ran out of was located. I have a feeling she used the word girlfriend ironically. Did anyone else notice her entire personality change? And what was so important to her that she had to run after that man, apparently her dad. Which makes no sense. As I turn the knob to open the door, she stops me. "Wait." she touches my arm. "Are you sure? I'm sure they'll be back in a few minutes. We can wait for them right here, no?" She stared, looking up towards me; upon listening for an answer. "You suggested that we go after my 'girlfriend'. Why suggest if you don't want to do it?" A genuine question. People annoy me with that type of stuff. And they always think because I don't say too much it assumes that I don't know what I want, nor could I express that desire. Furthest thing from the truth. Sort of. 

"Well. It seemed like you wanted to go and I always make sure to honor people's wishes. Especially a friend of Rin-Rin's."

"Why do people call her that?"

"Haha, I'll let her tell you that. So, what are we going to do?"

The knob on the door felt a little loose, like there were some screws missing. Makes sense why the door flew so fast when they left. If she knows this man as Ritsika’s dad, then what would be the reason in approaching this guy in the way we did? They've known each other for their entire lives. Things keep getting stranger and stranger like this... staircase? Speaking of, that's how all this feels sometimes. It's only been three days, but it feels like a winding staircase with no end. All the airducts are blocked, it's quiet without sound and the only thing you can hear is the rhythm of your own footsteps hurling underneath and throughout this place. There's three staircases that wind upwards in a spiral but at the very top, it looks like there's only one.

"This place is..."

"Is where they went. This isn't a part of the housing floor plan, but every person who lives here or rents a room, has a door where you can access the let's say "perks" of living here." That makes no sense. But we march!

I took a step towards the staircase on the left; it kinda smells like her a bit. 

"Wait," I turned around to meet her in the eyes. They could almost pass for sisters, except her red hair that is. We keep staring at each other, and not a single word could escape our lips. It feels like she doesn't want me to go. I take a step down, returning her gaze. "What now?"

Her shoes started to crease as she seemed to have gotten an inch taller, her face, in breathing distance to mine. A warm hand plants itself on my right cheek, lighting up my skin in two places: one from the rays that let in from above and from her hand that was stoned on top of it. The air was a little tighter, as if I was in Colorado again, my ears popping with the rise in altitude. I had felt this feeling before; it's been a long time. I didn't know when it would happen again but with this soft sensation pressed  against my lips, it's safe to say this was totally and completely, unexpected.

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