Benevolent

Growing Closer

Chapter 21

Sayori averted her eyes as Monika undressed to get into the tub.

Don't stare don't stare don't stare don't stare....

"I'm in now..." Monika informed her, sinking into the water so she was covered by the bubbles.

Sayori opened her eyes, glancing at Monika as the brunette solemnly hugged her knees to her chest with a frown.

"You know..." Sayori began, "I make a bubble bath every time my mom visits."

"Why?" Monika asks, tilting her head a bit.

"I said they help when I'm having a bad day, right?" Sayori said to which Monika nodded in remembrance.

"Well, when my mom's around... I always have bad days.." Sayori shrugged, keeping her smile in place.

"She doesn't come home very often. And when she does she looks worse every time. Like it's never the same woman." Sayori continued before Monika could reply.

"She's constantly away. Getting trashed, I assume. She's like a kid anytime I see her. You have to constantly watch her or she'll hurt herself doing something stupid." Sayori chuckled.

"But it's always been like that, I guess. She's never been a mom to me. She's just some woman who happens to look kinda like me and pushed me outta her." Sayori pressed her index fingers together.

"I mean, I used to think she cared about me. I really tried to believe it as long as I could... But then I realized she only comes to see me when she doesn't have drug lords or the police on her tail. This is like her hideout for when she screws people over, I suppose." Sayori explained.

"Sayori..." Monika said softly, lowering her knees a bit to view the brave girl before her a bit better.

"Anyway... That's why I started liking bubble baths. Dev, that lady who I said was like my second best friend? Yeah... The first time my mom left, I was eight. Dev came over that night and ran me a bath. She broke the news after I got in, but the bath felt so good and the soap smelled like bubble gum, so it didn't seem to affect me at all until I got out." Sayori finished, smiling at Monika as if she didn't just spill her rather sad past to her.

"Sayori... I'm so sorry..." was all Monika could think to say after that.

"It's okay, don't be. I'm used to it, so it doesn't bother me as much anymore." Sayori shrugged with a giggle.

"Why..? Why did you tell me all that..?" Monika asked.

"If I had something sad on my mind, I know I'd like a story to distract me." Sayori said with a grin.

"How do you do that?" Monika inquired.

"Do what?" Sayori said, her turn to be confused.

"Smile like nothing bothers you... No matter how sad you are inside?" Monika asked, marveling in Sayori's ability to stay positive after a story like that.

"It's all I can do, I guess." Sayori said, "If I don't smile, people would know when something's wrong."

"Well... What if I want to know when something's wrong?" Monika asked.