A new friend

Skie POV

I sat, a barely nine year old girl, who was sadly short for her age, waiting for the results of my bar exam. I ran my fingers through my long, red ponytail nervously. I wasn't going to be a prosecuter, like Phillip wanted me to be. No, I was going to be a defense attorney under the fake name Cherrie Leafe. I read the thoughts of everyone around me, knowing that I would get my results in a few minutes. I didn't want to look at them, however. I didn't want spoilers. I opened my purse, looking for some gum. Phillip hated when I chewed gum for some reason, but it never stopped me. I found a mirror, and stopped to look at my reflection.

I looked a lot different from two years ago. I cringed at the memory.

"Do you want to stay friends?"

Franziska looked at me in shock.

"I heard your mind. I was the reason he punished you, wasn't I?" I pressed.

"...No."

"?"

"I hate you, Skie. I never want to see you again." Franziska stated coldly. Suddenly, I felt cold. Colder than I had ever felt. But the coldness wasn't entirely unwelcome. As I turned to leave, I turned around and stated:

"I wish you luck in your prosecutorial journey. You'll do well. After all, you have one similarity with your father: You're both heartless bitches." I smiled at the look on her face as I left. But as I got home and went into my room, I felt the tears flow down my face.

What had I done?

I was only seven at the time. I've spent the last two years alone, after my only friend ditched me. She didn't deserve to be called my friend, though. That person would be 17 this year. I've seen pictures of the 'prodigy' prosecuter. She had cut her hair, so it was short and ugly. I doubted that I would recognise the girl who was my best friend for two years. The sweet, kind girl who actually cared was gone, replaced by this cruel monster who was just like her bastard of a father.

I was jolted from my thoughts by a gentle tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see a feminine face smiling back at me. "Congratulations, Miss Leafe. You passed the bar!" She pinned the badge onto my cardigan. I managed a small smile.

"Thank you." I stood up, bowed slightly, and left.

When I got out of the building, I put my badge in my purse. I didn't need another beating.

"Hurry up, we are going to be late!" Phillip yelled at me.

"Coming!" I yelled back, finishing my mascara. I know that a nine year-old shouldn't wear makeup, but I was no ordinary nine year-old. I grabbed my purse and ran downstairs. In heels. We were headed to a P.I.C. meeting, and Phillip decided that I should go.

"There's going to be another kid there, he's a year older than you." Phillip told me. "He's the son of the chief prosecuter." I still didn't want to go. However, Phillip was not one of the people I disagreed with. I frowned, tugging at my curled ponytail.

"Who else is going to be there?" I asked.

"The chief prosecuter, obviously. Also, remember Miss Mikagami? She's going to be there as well." I had always gotten along with the 19 year old judge better than I did most people.

"Also, there's going to be- are you chewing gum?" He glared at me threateningly.

"No." I said quickly, swallowing the piece I had been chewing.

Phillip frowned, and continued naming off members of the P.I.C.

"Give me your gum." He asked.

"Why?" I replied innocently.

"Because."

I sighed reluctantly and gave him one of my gum containers. It was a good thing I kept more than one in my purse. It was also a good thing that he didn't know that.

We had finally gotten there. I frowned as I finally realized that I was the youngest person there. Even counting that boy Phillip had mentioned, he was a year older than me. Speaking of which, I didn't see any other kids there. I reluctantly walked into the building. As I walked in, I realized something else:

At 4'3, I was the shortest person there as well. Phillip, at a good 19 inches taller than me, stood next to me as a man who was in his late 50's- who had to be at least 21 inches taller than me- and a young boy- who was at least 4'11- walked up to us. The boy was obviously nervous, as he was playing with a baton he was holding. His light brown hair waved out to the sides, with an adoge question mark at the top of his head. His eyes matched his hair, as they were a light brown as well. He appeared to be as nervous as I felt.

Yumihiko POV

I frowned, looking at the girl in front of me. On one hand, I was glad to find someone shorter than me- she was at least eight inches shorter than me, and most of the kids my age were my height or taller- but on the other, she was the only kid here, so she was the only kid to talk to.

"Hello, Bansai." Phillip Debaskit said, talking to Pops.

"Hello, Phillip. Who's the kid?" He said in a blunt fashion.

"My name is Skie. Skie Debaskit." She stated in a heavy british accent. Skie had not taken being called a kid very well, apparantly. "I wish to be addressed as such." I winced. Being rude to Pops was never a good idea.

However, he only laughed. "I like your sass, Skie." He squatted to her height. "However, I would be careful. Not many people appreciate sass." He stepped back next to me. "This idiot is Yumihiko." He gestured to me.

"That's not very nice. Calling your son an idiot." Skie scoffed.

"Skie.." Phillip warned her, an unusually cold tone in his voice.

She flinched. "I...apologise."

She gritted her teeth.

Pops ignored her comment.

"The meeting is about to start. Go." He flicked us away as if we were flies.

"That rude little.." I heard her mutter under her breath.

"What do you have against Pops?"

I asked.

"Agh! Did you hear me?"

I nod. Sticking my baton near her face, I said, "Why do you not like him?"

She hit the baton, moving it out of the way. "We should go elsewhere." I suggested, changing the subject. "Follow me." I headed to the roof.

Skie POV

Yumihiko led me upstairs. According to his thoughts, we were headed to the roof. I didn't pry into his thoughts, however. The roof was more beautiful than I expected. It had flowers everywhere, and a cherry tree near one of the ledges. Not to mention the moon was fully visible, and there was a food shop nearby. The popcorn smell filled the air, giving it a fairground kind of smell. However, the look Phillip gave me was stuck in my mind. It said, speak anymore, and you'll be punished.

"It's beautiful up here!" I smiled.

"Isn't it?" Yumihiko replied, smiling.

"So, Skie, is it?" He asked. I nodded.

"How old are you?"

"I'm nine. How old are you?"

"You're only nine!? I thought you were at least 12! I'm 10." Yumihiko was obviously surprised.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, do you?" He answered.

"I had a sister. Her name was Rayne."

"What happened to her?"

"She ran away to become a dancer."

"Oh. So she dances?"

"Yes. She danced when she was little, and wanted to go professional. However..." I dropped the end of that sentence.

"However what?" Yumihiko asked.

"Phillip didn't. They argued over it a lot. Eventually, when we were five, she ran away." I was quiet for a few minutes. It was starting to turn dark, and the view was even more gorgeous at sunset. That look was still stuck in my mind, though.

"Do you do any sports?" Yumihiko asked after a while.

"I ice skate."

"Really? Are you good?"

I nod.

Our conversation continued for the two hours that the meeting was. We sat near the cherry tree, enjoying the view as we talked. Too soon, it was time to go.

"Bye, Yumihiko!" I called out to him as we left.

Yumihiko POV

"Bye Skie!" I called back as she left with her dad. I turned to Pops. "How was the meeting, Pops?"

"Same as usual." Was his answer as he clicked open his lighter. "The only difference was that a prosecuter was recently found guilty of murder."

"Who?" I pressed.

"Manfred von Karma. We were deciding on what to do about him."

"What do you mean?" I asked once more.

"What do you think? Idiot." Pops stated coldly. "Should he go into prison... or 'disappear'?" I knew exactly what he meant.

"What was the final decision?"

"He shall be joining the 'disappeared' soon." I shivered at the emptiness in his voice.

When we got home, Pops immediately turned to me. "Go to bed."

"Why?" I asked innocently.

"It's late." I saw right through that lie.

"Nice try, Pops. It's only 8:45."

"Go. To. Bed." He stated sternly, tugging on his beard.

"No."

He glared at me. He was crying those stupid fake tears.

"I can't believe you would disobey your father."

Those tears were fake. I knew that very well. But it didn't stop the guilt.

"Dumbass." He commented as his lighter flared up.

Now, that hurt. I went upstairs just as the tears started flowing down my face. There were a couple people who could comfort me.

There was Mom, of course. However, she was downstairs, which was not the best place to be right now.

My friends from school were probably asleep.

There was one more option.

And I had just met her a few hours ago.

I found Skie's house, finally. I looked around the house, trying to find a way in. Eventually, I found an open window on the first story. I climbed in the window. I looked around, and it dawned on me that Skie didn't know I was here.

"Are you chewing gum!?" I jumped at the sound of Phillip's voice.

"No.." I would recognise that small, heavy accent anywhere. I hid under the bed as Skie and her dad walked in.

"Yes you are, Skie!"

"No, I'm not!" She sounded angry.

"You know the rules!"

"Screw that."

A scary silence followed.

"What did you say?" Phillips voice had that same cold feeling that it had before.

"I said, SCREW THAT!" She yelled back.

I looked out from under the bed as the sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out into the room. There was a visible red mark on Skie's face. But that wasn't what made my heart freeze in shock.

Phillip had a gun to Skie's head.

Skie POV

"Shut up, or I'll shoot you." Phillip said coldly. If I was a normal person, I would freak out, or try to run off.

But with Phillip, that was crazy talk.

"You won't shoot me." I calmly state.

"Oh? And why the hell not?"

"First off, the gunshot would be heard outside, where a couple and their twins are taking a walk. Second, there is a party next door."

I was making it up, but he seemed to believe me. He lowered the gun. However, as I relaxed, he slammed the grip of the gun into my chin. I was in a world of pain as I blacked out.

A few minutes later, I woke up on the floor. I listened for sounds of Phillip. However, he had probably gone drinking or something. My chin still hurt a lot, and I was starting to feel the slap to my face. I looked in the mirror and frowned, as the invisible field was well as a nasty bruise on my chin and a red mark on my face, the large scars over my eye and forehead were fully visible. Lifting my arms, I frowned. The bruises were almost gone, but the scars from when Phillip pulled a knife on me were still there. I quickly put back on the shield. When I saw a normal girl with no scars, and no bruises, I said,

"You can come out now, Yumihiko. He's gone."

"Skie, you need to tell someone." He stated, crawling out from under my bed. His caramel eyes were serious.

"I'm perfectly fine." I retorted.

"How long has he.." He hesitated.

"Hit me? Since I was adopted six years ago. I was three."

Yumihiko looked even more shocked.

"You know what it's like, though." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Being abused. Obviously, in your case, its only verbal."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm psychic."

"No, seriously."

"I was being serious."

I pull a memory out of his mind- of a woman.

"He-hey!"

Ignoring him, I displayed it.

A five-year old Yumihiko runs torwards the woman.

"Mommy! Look what I drew!"

She picked the picture up.

"That's really good, Yumi." She comments. "Maybe an artist is in your future."

"No, Mommy. I want to be a prosecuter, like Pops." Was that a glimmer of worry in her eyes? Yumihiko's mother smiled. She was very pretty, I realized. Bright, vibrant red hair, matched with green eyes. As I looked at her, it hit me.

We looked exactly the same.

"Well, prosecuting is a good job as well. But Yumi."

"Yes, Mommy?" He blinked his innocent, huge brown eyes.

"If you only remember one thing I tell you, remember this: The truth is the most important thing. Your father forgot this lesson, make sure you don't. Got it?" Dispite these firm words, she obviously cared about Yumihiko. Speaking of whom, he nodded.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Yumi."

As the memory fades out, I return it to Yumihiko. He was bending his baton almost to the breaking point, with tears in his eyes. "Mom.. you remind me of her."

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"She died two years ago. I talk to her ashes sometimes. She was one of the only people I could really open up to."

I touch his shoulder comfortingly.

"Yumihiko."

"Yes?"

"Can I call you Yumi? In honor of your mother?"

Yumihiko POV

I smile. "Thank you, Skie."

"Okay, then Yumi. Can I call you my friend?"

"I'd be honored to, Skie."

NO POV

The two kids talked for several more hours. When Yumihiko finally left, it was with a smile on both their faces. After all, both had finally found a new friend.

The End