A/N: Well this is my first Zatch Bell story, so let me know how it goes! Just to let you know, each chapter switches from Koko to Sherry. In this chapter it is Koko's point of view. This story is rated K+ for mature children and up. All reviews are welcome!
Disclaimer: Okay listen up because I'm only going to say this once. I do not own Zatch Bell and probably never will. I do however own a few made up characters that will come later in the story. But the Zatch Bell characters, I do not own.
Do you know what it's like to know something you shouldn't know? Like a secret, maybe. A secret that could tear you and your friend apart?
Well, I do. My heart is slowly burning away to nothing but a pile of ashes. I never wanted this to happen. It's not like I asked for it or anything.
But it happened anyway.
My heart was manipulated by an evil mamodo named Zofis. Zofis isn't just your typical mamodo. He can take your love and heart and turn it in to evil and hatred.
This happened about a year ago, when the mamodo battle for king was still happening. I was the reader of his book, helping him with the evil plots with the one thousand year old mamodo.
Sherry thought that my mind was clear of all of this information, but in reality, I knew everything that I did to Sherry.
You see, Zofis didn't erase my mind of anything that happened during those times. Zofis knew that I wouldn't bear tell Sherry. I wouldn't put Sherry down and upset all over again! I already did once!
If Sherry knew that I knew, then she wouldn't have been able to concentrate on her own mamodo's battle. I didn't want to interfere. It would only have made her angrier at Zofis. I longed to see her happy forever!
Whenever we do something together, I try my best to keep a joyful face. It's extremely hard though, because whenever I look at her, I remember all the horrible things I did and said to her!
I love Sherry because she is my best friend. But this guilt inside me is getting worse. I'm slowly falling in to the darkness again. I'm sorry Sherry. I'm sorry that I ruined your life.
00000
Today, Sherry and I are going to shop at our favorite mall. She loves hanging out with me, especially since the mamodo battle has been over.
I remember when the battle just started to cease. All the mamodo were sent back and everything of our world was normal once again. Sherry had all the time in the world!
She always came over to my college dorm and talked to me. She would ask how I was doing and if I was happy.
Of course, I would always reply yes but inside, I say no.
I waited outside of the college building, the flag flapping in the breeze. The parking lot was emptier than usual because it was a Saturday. Most students went out to parties on Saturdays.
Finally, the limousine pulled up next to me. I put on a fake smile as Sherry's butler got out of the long car.
"Greetings Miss Koko," he said warmly. "How is everything?"
"Great, thank you!" I answered as he opened the door for me.
I carefully stepped in the darkened, air conditioned limo. Sherry was waiting for me with a happy smile upon her face.
"Hello Koko!" she said. "Ready to go shopping?"
I nodded and stared in front of me as the car turned out of the parking lot. I watched out the window as the awed children in other cars gasped about seeing a limo.
"So, how's school? Are you getting good grades?" she teased.
"Kind of," I said. "Not perfect, but okay."
"That's wonderful news," she said softly.
I looked in to my friend's pale face. It was carefree and happy. But somewhere in those eyes, I saw the small flicker of pain. The pain I had caused during the "Zofis time."
My eyes dropped from her face and I turned to the window, slowly.
Sherry instantly knew something was wrong once she got a glimpse of my expression.
"What's wrong, Koko?" she asked.
Everything. I hurt you in the most ways possible! I treated you like you were not my friend! I was so evil to you, Sherry!
But I lied and said, "Oh, nothing."
Every single day is like this. I think about it all the time. The evil deeds I did with that evil mamodo. The pain and hatred I caused. I am so evil.
Before I knew it, tears were sliding down my cheek.
"Koko!" Sherry cried. "What's wrong?"
She reached her arm over to me and held my hand with protection.
I quickly thought of a lie.
"It's just that I don't know what I will do after I get through college!" I said all at once.
"Oh Koko," she said, shaking her head. "I thought we talked about this. You were going to become an artist or a journalist."
"Yes, but I'm so scared, Sherry!" I said.
She cut me off before I could say anything else.
"Koko," she murmured. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise!"
Yes, but little does she know, that my heart is slowly weeping me in to depression.
"I'm sorry, Sherry." I smiled, wiping away my tears. "I will be happy today."
00000
"Which store do you want to go to first?" Sherry asked me.
"Your choice," I said. "Since I have no sense of style."
"That's not true, Koko!" she said, taken back. "Of course you do! Come on!"
She pulled me to a nearby jewelry store.
"Look around," she said. "Anything you want, you can have."
"Okay," I said, trying not to sound greedy. In fact, I really couldn't care less about clothes and jewelry. But if it made Sherry happy, it gives me a slight warm feeling inside.
I looked at a glass case where dazzling diamond necklaces were. They looked expensive but they were so pretty. Each diamond sparkled and gleamed as if they were cheerful.
I shook my head though. I didn't want to take all of Sherry's money.
I went to another section and found Indian beads on thick string. They looked promising and they were selling for a good price. Maybe I could ask Sherry for one of these-
"Hey Koko!" she said, coming up from behind me. "Having trouble finding something you like?" She gave me a little laugh and pulled me toward a small spinning display.
The display had many sparkling necklaces on it! They were even on sale too!
"I picked one for you, if you don't mind." Sherry smiled. She took a purple and red jeweled necklace down from the rack. It had a tiny pink heart in the middle of it.
"Let's try it on," she said, acting like it was some kind of clothing material.
She put the tiny necklace around my neck, lifting my hair a bit. We walked over to a mirror and saw how it looked.
"It's beautiful!" we both said at the same time. And then we laughed, laughed like everything was alright, but it wasn't. In truth, I liked the necklace but it reminded me too much of the necklace I was accused of stealing by Zofis. The one that I held up to my neck and taunted Sherry with, back then. I was so horrible to her.
Although the necklaces looked nothing like each other, the necklace still was a necklace. And it reminded me of that day I put her family's golden necklace up to my neck. It almost caused Sherry to lose it. To lose her faith in me. And I can never forgive myself.
After Sherry tried on a few necklaces herself, and bought the one we admired on me, we headed out of the store. Sherry looked at her watch.
"It's one o' clock," she said. "Do you want some lunch or do you want to wait until dinner?"
My stomach was feeling kind of queasy because of the flashbacks so I answered, "I'll wait until dinner. But if you're hungry we can eat if you want."
"No, no," she said. "I had a big breakfast."
She smiled with her face lighting up with happiness.
"Where to next?" she asked.
00000
A few hours later, Sherry suggested going out to dinner.
"Where do you want to go, Koko?" she asked. "Anywhere you want!"
I stood there, shopping bags in hand, thinking.
"You pick," I finally said after awhile.
"I always pick," she protested. "Besides, I don't really care where we go."
"Well," I said. "I'm actually not in the mood to go to a restaurant. Can we eat something at your house, instead?"
Sherry gave me a confused look and simply said, "Okay."
She called her butler to pick us up outside the mall. We walked out of the grand building with our things.
Actually, I was in no mood to eat at all. My appetite was taken away from the sickness I felt from my new necklace.
I had to destroy it, just not now.
The black limo pulled up and we were greeted by Sherry's butler. We climbed in after smiling to him in a hello.
"So, where are you ladies planning to eat?" he asked us with his hands on the steering wheel.
"Koko and I decided to eat at home," Sherry said.
As we rode to the house, I looked out the window and sighed. I remembered the necklace on my neck and touched it gently.
The red jewels reminded me of the outfit I wore during the "Zofis times." It was red and frilly and so not me. Red also reminded me of blood. Blood that came out of heartless wounds.
The purple reminded me how sick I felt. The purple queasiness inside that was making me feel like I was going to throw up.
The small pink heart reminded me of the cold heart I had. The cold heart that hurt Sherry's heart and tore her apart during the Zofis battle.
I closed my eyes and sighed as the limo pulled up at the mansion.
"Do you want a sandwich?" Sherry asked me, once inside the kitchen.
"A sandwich would be fine," I answered, politely.
She kept asking me what I wanted on my sandwich and as she did, she kept looking at my necklace.
"I can't help noticing that your necklace is so beautiful," she whispered. "You look complete with it."
It reminded me of the sadness all over again. I tried not to show it in my eyes but I couldn't help it. A small frown rippled across my lips as I thought of the bad things I did to Sherry.
After one whole year of this every day, I tried to tell myself not to become depressed. It's just not like me to be that way. Sherry would become curious and ask me about this. I couldn't bear to let her know.
She served me the turkey and cheese sandwich with a glass of water.
"Will that be all, ma'am?" she teased.
"Yes." I smiled back.
You don't need to give me anything else. You've already done so much for me, even though all I have done for you is torn you apart.
"I'm sorry, Sherry," I said.
"Sorry for what, Koko?" she asked.
"Sorry for making you go through too much trouble."
"Aw, it was nothing! It's just a sandwich."
I nodded and smiled. But on the inside, I frowned and sighed.
No, for being in your life.