After the final period, Lemon and Sour exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch outside of school. They smiled at each other. "You're no longer alone, Sour Sweet." said Lemon. "If you need anything, I'm just a text away."
Sour's eyes welled up with tears. "Dammit...how many times am I gonna cry today?"
Lemon put her hand on Sour's shoulder. "But those are tears of joy." she smiled.
"Tears are tears." said Sour.
Lemon rolled her eyes and smiled. "All that matters is that I'll be there for you if you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on."
Sour sniffled and hugged Lemon. The school bus horn honked. "Oops! Gotta book it! Remember, text me if you need someone to talk to!" Lemon broke the hug, waved goodbye to Sour and boarded the bus. Sour waited until Lemon was in a seat where she could see her, then waved excitedly.
It's nice to finally have a friend, isn't it? Thought Sour Side.
You're damn right it is. Thought Sour Sweet as she boarded her bus.
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Sour Sweet opened the door to her empty home and sighed heavily. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Sour Side." She said.
You'd be dead. Thought Sour Side.
Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me." She said, making a sputtering noise. "But you're right. I would be dead. Hell, if it wasn't for you, I might have even killed myself sooner. No friends and my...landlords are evil incarnate. I didn't have anyone to talk to."
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Sour Sweet had just returned from middle school with her report card in hand, quaking and sweating with fear. It's going to be okay. She thought to herself. I passed all of my classes, so I should be fine! She slowly walked up to the house and opened the door as she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Mom? Dad?" Sour Sweet called out nervously. "I'm home!"
Cinnamon Flash was the first of her parents to walk out from the kitchen. Cinnamon was a lanky man with light brown skin and eyes of indigo. His hair was short and a shade lighter than the majority of his daughter's hair. The look on his face was one of expectation.
Blueberry Dazzle entered shortly after. She was slightly overweight, but she didn't mind. Her skin was a light blue, and her hair matched the color of the streak in Sour Sweet's hair. Her eyes were a few shades darker than her skin. She, too, had a look of expectation on her face.
Sour Sweet nervously handed her parents her report card and stayed put, despite every instinct in her body telling her to run. She could feel another bead of sweat drop from her forehead. The silence was getting unbearable for her as her mother and father read the report card.
Finally, the silence had been broken. "Sour Sweet?" Asked Cinnamon.
"Y-y-y-y-yes, dad?" Sour Sweet stammered, trying to get a hold of herself.
"What is this?" He said, practically shoving the report card in her face.
"I got good grades! I passed all of my classes!" Sour Sweet said.
"Not by our standards!" said Blueberry Dazzle. "We want you to get grades good enough for Crystal Prep Academy, Sour Sweet, and we expect nothing less from you! Now go to your room!" Sour Sweet ran up to her room, crying the whole way.
"Unbelievable." Muttered Cinnamon. "She got an A+ in nearly all of her classes, but then she got a B+! She needs to study harder."
Sour Sweet laid on her bed, crying into her pillow. Why can't my parents ever be happy for me? She thought. They insist that I should study more, but I feel so lonely! I keep telling them I want to make friends but they always tell me that they would get in the way of studying. She sighed heavily.
Man, your parents are assholes, said a voice from nowhere. Sour Sweet nearly jumped, then looked around her room.
"Who said that?" she said, finding nobody in sight. She shrugged. "Must've been my imagination."
Sure. The voice said. I'm your imagination. Let's go with that.
Sour Sweet blinked. "Oh, crap." She put a hand to her forehead. "It's finally happened. My parents have literally driven me crazy. And I fucking hate them for it!" Sour Sweet gasped loudly and put her hands to her mouth in shock. "What was that?!"
That, The voice said, would be me.
"Where did you even come from?" Sour Sweet said, still trying to grasp the situation.
I guess I have to spell it out for you, huh? The voice said. You created me so you would never be alone, even if you were the only person wherever you were.
"This...is going to take some getting used to." Sour Sweet said.
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"You and I have come a long way since then." Said Sour Sweet.
That we have, Sweet. That we have. Thought Sour Side.
Sour Sweet lied on the floor and closed her eyes. "Good night, Sour Side."
Good night, Sweet.