I Am Deaf

Chapter 39

Rei POV

"No, Rei." Rin's stubborn yet staggered look was irritating me. "I can't go back to the river." She plopped onto the grass, her expression still shocked. "He's alive." she mumbled under her breath. "All this time..."

I scratched my head and looked, bewildered, at Neru. She shrugged.

"Plus," Rin added. "I don't even know where he is now. Or if he's still freaking alive."

"Go, Rin." said Len quietly, looking at the grass. She didn't even acknowledge him. I prodded her.
"Len." I pointed at him, and she looked in his direction.

"He'd be a better brother than I ever was." Len smiled a crooked, lopsided, smile.

Rin looked like she was gonna cry. She sniffled, proving my point, and then tackled Len. He hugged her tightly, and Neru walked away, a blech look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Rin cried into his neck and he grinned smugly at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Bet Neru's never-"

"Shut the heck up."

"Whatever." Len kissed Rin's hair.

"Dude, there's something else. We need to find out who the dude in the river is." I was somewhat glad that Rin was deaf. "Dell could've made a mistake- or there's someone else after Rin."

"Maybe they did it to scare her?"

"Hmmm."

"Hey, Rei!" Neru beamed at me. "Look who I picked up!"

The color dropped from my face.

"Gumi!"

Gumi POV

I smirked arrogantly at my arch-nemesis, Rei.

"How's it going, Rei-Rei-chan?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

Rin was sitting in Len's lap, and she patted the grass next to her.

"Join the party, Gumi."

"What's new?"

"Oh, my thought-to-be-dead brother isn't actually dead. Turns out the body wasn't his, so now it appears I have to find him." She said nonchalantly.

My mouth dropped.

"Whoa."

"I know, right?"

"But Rin, if he's alive, you can't live with Len anymore."

She nodded, looking thoughtful.

"I know."

"So, Gumi." sneered Rei. "What're you doing here?"

I gestured to my uniform. "Um, duh?"

He turned slightly red.
"Rei," Neru chided. Rei sunk even lower, and I smirked knowingly at him. I knew all about the crush he had on Neru.

"Oh, Neru!"

"No! SHUT UP GUMI!"

"Guys, red alert, I mean blonde alert." I said, pointing to Lily, a snobby girl who used to be Miku's 'friend.' Now she's just the next stupid popular girl.

"Hey!" complained Rin, Len, and Neru.

"Len." Lily purred out his name in a way that made me wanna hurl.

"No offense, Len, but you need to be uglier." Rin muttered. I snickered.

"Yes, Lily?" asked Len politely, shifting so that Rin would be more comfortable.

"Wasn't Miku so annoying?"

"Hm." Len said noncommittally.

"But now I'm here. And your lives have gotten..."

"Worse." I heaved a sigh. "Go away!"

Lily pouted, tossing her shiny golden locks over her shoulder.

"Don't be so cold..." she whined.

Len scooped Rin up, bridal style.

"Rin, I realized something! Go back to Rinto, and we can get married!"

Rin blushed pink, then red.

"Oh, Len, you're so very, very, right."