Private Finished Returning What Was Left Behind

"Yeah... you could say that." Riko didn't know how long the necklace had been passed down in her family... it could have been an heirloom or just a stupid trinket her mother wore. A stupid trinket she couldn't take off.

There was another thing they could relate through - Mrs. Forestier told Riko about a topaz pendant given to her when she was sixteen. The same age Riko had been when she'd received hers. She must have taken her wearing the necklace for attachment. That same feeling was echoed... not in the necklace, but in the stuff she'd, er, borrowed from Mrs. Forestier herself.

"It's pretty much the same with me. It's kind of a reminder, you know, of when my mother was there." A timid smile.

"Exactly," Riko replied, feigning a certain softness. A piece of her mother with her, just as Celeste had revealed with her own keepsake. The younger girl supposed she was right, though this piece could never leave her.

The sympathy she drew from her teacher, though, distracted her from those thoughts again - Mrs. Forestier had left a reassuring hand on her arm. Mrs. Forestier was... touching her arm... today really was a blessing.

Though she hated that her blood sang, she couldn't let Mrs. Forestier know. "I wish I'd known her a lot better... anyway. The meeting info?"

"Thanks." Riko smiled and took the slip of paper from her teacher. On it, times, dates, and a few other things were written in Mrs. Forestier's neat, pretty handwriting. Without thinking, he turned a tiny bit to put the slip of paper onto the desk beside her, revealing a sliver of her room, and the camera that resided on her bed. "That sounds awesome, Mrs. Forestier! Snacks for everyone... oh, but isn't that expensive? Are you sure I can't bring anything?"

"Goodness. It's no trouble at all. I enjoy cooking for others."
That'd been probably obvious, reasoned Riko, if she'd paid attention -Mrs. Forestier was a home ec teacher after all, and lots of that relied on the demonstration of techniques used. Way to analyze your target, Riko.

"I'll bring some snacks, then!" Riko smiled pleasantly back at her teacher. "Anything else you need before I head out, Mrs. Forestier?"

"Okay, cool! I-It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Forestier. Um, take care! I'll see you later!"

That was her first mistake - saying later instead of tomorrow. She didn't realize it then.

She closed the door and stood in the room for a good few seconds, a dreamy smile on her face. Oh, how she wished Mrs. Forestier was single...

That'll be the case soon.

She hated the way she thought that, how slimy the thought felt crawling around her brain. That side of her, the one that had been disgusted, was locked away now though, and the nightfall only fueled such thoughts.

She picked her camera up. Slung the bag onto her shoulder.

Opened the window.
Climbed out.
And slunk into the dark.