*sigh*

"What's wrong, Amitie?" Arle asked me.

"Guys…I still think we were too harsh on Feli."

"S-Seriously?!" Both Arle and Ringo shouted with a little fear in them.

"Yes, seriously. Not only did we say those mean things about her, but she heard every word. She even cursed us out and ran off crying. That's not normal of her. She really took it hard, and I'm really worried."

"*sigh* Amitie…" Arle said.

"Sometimes, you're just too caring." Ringo added.

That only got me angry. How the heck can someone be "too caring"?!

"What? Are you two saying that you don't care what happens to another human being?"

"W-Well…"

"W-Well…"

"ARF!" "ARF!" "ARRRRF!"

We then saw Baldanders running towards us with a sad look on his face. He looked like he was crying. And his entire body looked like it was in a panic state.

"Bal? What happened? What's wrong?" I asked.

*whine*

I then noticed the note in his mouth and took it from him so I could see what it says. Reading it tore me up a lot. I almost cried myself, but I held it in for Bal's sake.

The note read:

Bal,

I'm sorry for leaving you like this, but…but I just had to leave.

Earlier today, I found out that nobody in town likes me. They all fear me and think I'm a…demented lolita.

Now with nothing but hated surrounding me at home and from the outside, I couldn't live like this anymore. I knew I only had two choices: commit suicide, or run away from all the hatred.

And since you didn't see my bloody corpse this morning, it's obvious that I ran away.

I sorry I didn't take you with me, but you're just too big for me to sneak off with. But I promise, if I ever find true happiness again, I'll summon you back with me.

Like I said, IF I find happiness…

Your only friend,

Feli

P.S: I miss you already.

"N-No way! Feli ran away?! That's horrible!" I said.

*whine*

"And you don't know where she went, huh? Well, don't worry, Bal. We'll help you find her."

"ARF!"

"W-We?!" Arle and Ringo panicked.

"What?! Are you guys serious?!"

"Amitie! You've gotta understand…"

"Understand what?! That you're both too chicken to help out a human being?! And yet, you call yourself a hero, Arle!"

"H-Hey! I AM a hero!" Arle got insulted.

"Really?! Cause all I'm looking at are a bunch of cowards!"

"I'M NOT A COWARD!"

"WELL, YOU'RE SURE AS HELL PROVING OTHERWISE!"

"G-Guys?" Ringo asked. Shaking in fear from us yelling at each other.

"Fine! Forget you guys! I'll go ask the others for help! Maybe one of them will have at least 1/10 of the courage you have right now! Come on, Bal!"

"ARF!"

"Ha! Good luck! No one's ever going to help you find her! They feel just the same way!" Arle yelled as I walked away from two jerk-ish cowards I used to call friends.

Good riddance, meanies!

Act 2-1 – Lost Lolita

"Miss…hey, miss."

"H-Huh?"

"This is the last stop. So unless you want to turn back around, you'll have to get off here."

"O-Oh. O-Okay, I'll get off. Thank you, sir."

"No problem, miss."

With the money I have saved up in secret for so long, I was able to take the next bus out of town. I had no idea where it would go to, so I decided to use the time to get some sleep. I didn't keep track of how long I've slept. Possibly a few hours or so. But when I woke up, it was nearly sunrise. So it was possibly between 5 and 6 am.

I stepped off the bus and went through the bus station to get to the exit. When I got outside, I saw that I was in a huge city of some sorts. There were buildings so tall that they were blocking the sunlight, a rail of some sorts that looked like it was for a train or subway, and the most noticeable part, swarms of people walking the streets to who knows where. There were men and women in business suits, older women carrying groceries of some kind, and a bunch of teens wearing a bunch of different kinds of school uniforms. Which made me think that there were at least 3 or 4 schools nearby. Most likely high schools, since the uniforms look pretty mature.

As I looked around this place, it started to get warmer than earlier this morning. So I decided to take off my black hoodie and just wear a black and purple t-shirt I had underneath. Then I placed the hoodie in my magic backpack and zipped it up. but not before I got some money out of my Freedom Jar. I was really hungry, so now I was going to find someplace to eat.

Hopefully, they'll let me in.

As I started walking and looking around, I had to walk past a bunch of people that towered over me. Some even blocked my view of the sunlight. I always hated being short. Another negative about me that I constantly hide from other people. The last time I measured myself, I was 4' 11". I had recently turned 12 during that time. Now, being 15, I'm still 4' 11". I don't want to believe that I've stopped growing. But with me being the same damn height for 3 years (and barely having any boobs, but I don't want to talk about that), I'm starting to give up.

I wonder if my real mom is this short. Or at least a little taller than me.

*GROWL*

"*whine* My stomach. I hope I can find something to eat soon."

I then started smelling something in the air. A scent that…smelled really good. Like REALLY good. It made my mouth drool a little and I actually grew a smile for the first time since yesterday. Not even yesterday. That was just a cover-up for my constant sadness.

"*sniff* *sniff* That smell…*sniff* *sniff* It smells so good! *sniff* *sniff* *sniff* I MUST HAVE IT! FUFUFUFU!"

I decided to follow the scent and it lead me to a building of some sorts. The smell from it became clearer the more I got closer. It smelled like…p…pancakes. It's been a long time since I've had pancakes. Just thinking about the last time I've had some is turning my mouth into a waterfall.

I better hurry up and get some before a puddle of drool hangs around my feet.

I approached the building and got in the really really long line from the outside. Guess I'm not the only person who wants these pancakes. I don't blame them, though. They smell so good…

"Hey, you!"

"You! Girl with the purple hair!"

I turned around to see a group of boys heading towards me. They looked way taller than me, and they had on some kind of brown school uniform.

I admit, I was scared. Terrified, even. I didn't know what these boys wanted or what they were going to do to me. So I grabbed my two dowsing rods and hid them behind my back just in case.

"Hey, girly! You're in our spot! Move it!" One of the boys said. Standing behind him were two other boys just smiling and snickering while this encounter went on.

"What?! How the hell is this your spot?! I was here first!" I yelled.

"It's our spot because WE claimed it! Now MOVE!" A second boy demanded.

"Wow. That has to be the most bullshit excuse I've ever heard. If you're trying to bully me into giving up my place in line, then you really suck at this. Piss off!" I tried to act all tough to these jerks, but it completely backfired on me.

Like…REALLY backfired.

"Oh! So the little bitch wants to act tough, huh?! Then we'll show you how tough boys like us can really be! Get her, boys!"

The next thing I knew, I was being held off the ground from both my arms while the boys who gave the command, possibly the ringleader, came closer to me while cracking his fist in the most threating way possible.

I tried to escape. Even tried to get my dowsing rods from my back pocket. But the two boys holding me up were too strong. I could barely move. All I could do watch as the leader of this group came closer to me. His evil and threatening smile getting more and more violent.

"H-Help! Someone! Anyone! HELP ME!"

"Aw, look. The once tough little bitch is now a whiny little sack of shit. It's almost sweet. Not as much as me beating the living shit out of you!"

"H-HEEEEEELP!"

"HEY!" I heard a voice coming from behind me, but I couldn't see who it was. I kept squirming, but I still couldn't move. Then…

*BONK*

*BONK*

"Ow! What the hell just hit me?!" One of the boys that was holding me up winced in pain as he was rubbing his head.

"I the hell just hit you! I thought I told you asswipes to never come back here!"

"Crap! It's Futaba!"

Futaba?

"Fuck off, Futaba! This isn't your damn business!" The ringleader yelled.

"It is my business when you punks cause trouble every day! Not to mention bullying a little girl like this! Do you have any sense of morality?!"

"I SAID FUCK OFF!" The ringleader came charging at the girl full speed with his fist in the air. I got out the way and turned to see a girl with short brown hair carrying what looked like a giant bamboo stick in her hands. She looked rather serious. Like she was good and ready for this fight.

As the ringleader got close to her, he threw the long-awaited punch. Only to be blocked off by this bamboo-wielding girl. And she was good, too. Blocking punch by punch with a giant piece of bamboo, and even tripped the guy over by hitting his left leg.

Damn! This girl's a total badass!

As the girl stood over the ringleader with the bamboo stick over his face, I was mentally cheering her on. But then I saw one of the two boys from earlier get up and ambush her. Wrapping her in a tight bear hug as the ringleader got back up himself.

"Well, well, well. Looks like feisty 'ol Futaba can't move. Kinda ironic, don't you think?" He teased.

"Grr…Let…me…go! You brute!" The girl shouted as she tried to escape.

"Let you go?! Are you insane?! I've been wanting to punch that bitchy face of yours since that first encounter we had! And now… now I FINALLY get my revenge!"

"Aw, damnit!"

"Nighty night, you little sh…"

"Horary!"

"Wha…What the?! I-I can't move!"

"I-It worked…it actually worked! I actually did it!" I cheered to myself. I had grabbed my dowsing rods from my back pocket and used a spell on the ringleader. In addition to practicing charm making, I also practice spells of the divine. Even though I've been doing this for as long as I can remember, I'm still new at this. Which is why I was shocked when this particular spell worked so well.

This spell, by the way, makes the victim unable to move for a short period of time. It came in handy whenever I had to sneak around home to avoid the evil witch known as my step-mother. Not that I was proud that it had gone to that level of survival.

"H-Hey, Boss! You okay?!" The boy holding the girl asked. That was when the girl broke free and knocked him in the head again with the bamboo stick. Then she went over and pelted the ringleader until my spell ran out. He then laid on the floor struggling to get back up.

"D-Damn…double the bitches are a pain in the ass…" He said weakly.

"That's right! And unless you want the cops all over your pathetic little ass as well, I suggest you leave. And never come back this time. Got it?!" The girl threaten.

"Grr…j-just you wait, Futaba! I'll get my revenge! On you, and this gothic lolita too!"

The three boys then got up and went on their way. Noticeably limping as they walked away in defeat. I took this time to place my dowsing rods back inside my magic backpack before the girl could ask about them.

And now came the hard part.

"Th-Thank you…for…y-you know…rescuing me. I-I'm really grateful."

"Hey, no problem. Those jerks just never learn, so this is like a weekly thing for me. I'm just glad neither one of us got hurt." The girl said.

She deals with those boys every week?!

"W-Well…I-I better be going now. Thanks again for the help." I started walking away from the restaurant, mildly embarrassed of what just happened and extremely disappointed that I won't be able to have those delicious pancakes. And they really smelled good, too. Too bad I'll never get to see how they taste…

"Huh? Hey, where you going?!" The girl called out to me.

"Huh?"

"Don't you want some pancakes? I mean, you were in line for them, right?"

"W-Well…y-yeah, but…"

"Come on, don't be shy. I pretty much owe you for helping me out back there. Tell you what, they're on me. As a token of my gratitude."

Fr-Free pancakes?! I can't say no to that! Plus, I don't think I can do much more on an empty stomach. I've gotta eat.

"S…Sure. I-If you say so." I said, still a bit nervous.

I then followed the girl inside the store, bypassing the entire line along the way. As I did so, one thought came to mind.

Why the hell did none of these assholes help me?!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow! This story FINALLY gets an update! It kept bugging me how it only had one chapter for so long, but I didn't know where this was going until yesterday, when I got an idea.

The story will still be 3 acts, but the act will be separated by part. Like how this one is Act 2-1. The next will be Act 2-2. And so forth. Not sure how and when this will update now (with this being story number 4 that I'm currently working on. Even though I said I would never do four at once ever again. I'm such a hypocrite). So please bear with me.

Until then, feel free to review, favorite, and/or follow the story. Thanks for reading. Later.