Chapter twooo oh yeah, i can't believe i'm actually keeping up with this? I suppose that's what you get after a year of not getting to write and only think about the stories that you've been hoping to write. Oh well please enjoy! Mean while I have to go up my other multi-chapter fic up to M because a specific character being in it doesn't make me comfortable keeping Bitter One at T.
I don't own Soul eater
If there was one thing that Soul was good at it was figuring out how to skip. He used it to his advantage in High School, so how should this be any different? He'd just do his same old routine when his mom showed up to drag him to Tsubaki's shop. He waited out on the steps up to the gym for the car hunched over and his arms wrapped around his stomach.
His eerie red eyes watching for the Black SUV that he rode in earlier. Once he saw it, Soul practically stumbled into the side of the car as he stood faking his exhaustion and intestinal discomfort. His mother opened the door and scooted over. "Soul? What ever is the matter? You were just fine when I dropped you off."
"I know." He batted his eye lashes and then let his head drop back against the head rest. "I just, It came out of know where."
"Really?" She asked him with a black expression. (Honestly Soul could see where he got his resting bitch face from.) He nodded looking her in the eye. She rolled her own and gripped his ear harshly twisting it.
Suddenly Soul was no longer in pain, sick, or exhausted because he was cursing and the picture of aggravated youth. His mother smirked. "You've used that one, one to many times." She turned and rattled off the directions to the shop glancing at Soul from the sides of her eyes. "Nice try though. Maybe I should try getting you some acting work?"
"No thanks." Soul huffed and leaned back against the back seat. Watching the city go by all the while keeping his eyes out for a tiny homeless girl wrapped up in a dirtied black trench coat.
Maka found her self in the near by park that Soul and her self enjoyed their meal together in last night. She'd been reading through her notebook and noticed an important letter was gone. She'd searched the bench a few times over (which made it awkward for the old lady feeding pigeons and the jogger trying to stretch their tired muscles) and then the area around it.
When her hunt for the small letter turned up empty Maka was crest fallen and hopeless. That was the last letter she'd gotten from her mother since she moved back to the states three months ago. With a huff she cursed under her breath and sat down beside a large tree, watching the city. Glancing around for a younger male dressed in all black with a beanie and sun glasses.
He'd been at Tsubaki's for the past half hour. She knew his taste and kept close to that, but Tsubaki also new his mother and had to find just the right mix to appease her as well. Soul sat tapping away on his phone trying to work out the kinks of his plan to ditch that night. He needed to return that letter.
"Someone's gears are working over time." Tsubaki smiled down to her friend and client. She joined him on the leather covered bench. Laying what she'd picked out across her lap. He felt like she was to close and shifted away a bit. "Sorry," She stood, "I heard you on the radio last night. You handled your self well. You're getting better with people all the time Soul."
"Thanks." He nodded and looked up from his phone. He liked the outfit that she picked out. It was pinstriped with a red under shirt a black tie that had something embroidered on it that he couldn't quite make out. The cuff links were black plated metal with a silver square shaped stud and lastly the tie's clip that held it down to the shirt was what caught his attention the most it was silver but curved like a subtle crescent moon. It had two different ridges in it one that seemed to reflect the red of the shirt the other catching the black of the tie making the interested zig-zag pattern within it pop even more.
"That one."
Tsubaki laughed and nodded. "Did you want to try it on?"
"Naw, I don't change. My measurements are the same as last time." Soul shrugged. "Hey, when did my mom say she'd be back?"
"You still have an hour. I think." She answered turning to find her little appointment book on one of the shelves that stored her collection of fancy shoes. "Yep."
"Can we just say I stayed here that whole time?" He asked her.
"Why do you have a date or something?" Tsubaki asked putting the suit up on a hook and double checking a few spots to be sure they were in the best condition she could offer one of her best customers.
"More along the lines of 'Something'." He answered standing. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Soul stood and threw on his hoodie. Tsubaki tried to stop him, but relented and watched him leave and being jogging down the side walk heading towards the nearest subway entrance.
Tsubaki shifted nervously and began collecting the items that Soul agreed to. Turning she glanced once more at the little book and this time picked it up, noticing something she'd misread before. "Oh no."
Soul had another ten minutes before his mother would be back. She felt around her body for her cell phone until she realized it was on her desk. Rushing over she dialed Soul's number from memory and bounced in place while she waited for him to answer. When he didn't she dialed again, again, and again.
Still smiling she turned back to see not just Soul's mother arriving early, but his elder brother as well. "Shit."
Soul returned the call just as his mother entered. "Hey what the hell?"
"Hi Sir, sorry, but it looks like that appointment you were trying to make, well I misread my book and you see, its an hour earlier than I thought."
She could hear Soul curse before the line went dead and his Mother's phone ring just as she was about to greet Tsubaki, when she turned to answer Wes waved. "Soul?" They both glanced to his mothers direction. "What do you mean you're on the Subway?"
Wes practically flinched and Tsubaki turned, pretending to organize items that were already in their proper places.
"You were trying to meet us there? Soul that is ridiculous. I was going to be back why on earth would you even bother?" Her voice was raising louder and Wes was trying to catch her attention to get her to stop shouting. "Soul that's the wrong train all together. You're going to be late, do you kno—Well if you knew why. We're going to talk about this later. Just get to the rehearsal or so help me you will be teaching summer school music classes again."
She hit the end call button and Wes snatched the phone before she had a chance to crack the screen in her death grip. "Did Soul get what he needed to from you?" He asked.
"Yes. He did." Tsubaki nodded gesturing to the bag on the counter.
"Wes, pay her and then, just meet me in the car. I need to make a call."
The remaining two watching the elder woman shuffle out of the small shop. Following her directions Tsubaki took her place behind the counter and Wes pulled out his wallet using the families company card. "Did he at least say where he was going?" Tsubaki shook her head. "I see. I wonder if he's really doing something for him self for once."
Tsubaki shrugged looking up to Wes. "I don't know. I hope he does though, I don't think he's ever looked so determined to leave." Tsubaki gave handing Wes the card back as well as the receipt and a pen. "You'll have to let me know what was so important."
"Don't worry about it . I understand, accidents happen and we'd love to have Wes play. Sure thing. Just see if Soul would like to accompany him, it would be great to have both of them join. We'll see you soon."
"Spirit, who was that?"
"Oh the mother of our main performer for the fundraiser, Melody Evans. Her son Soul was going to be playing the piano on his own, but it appears that he took the wrong train to get here. She's dropping her eldest son to play violin renditions of the set list her self and Soul selected. If we like it, she offered to have Wes accompany Soul later." Spirit explained to the main client who was a strange older male.
"Father." Said strange man turned to face his Son and his two assistants. "Everything is set up on the main stage."
"Oh wonderful job Kid." Sir Death gave a thumbs up in approval. "Say Spirit, why don't you invite your Daughter to join in on the festivities?" He inquired turning to the younger man.
"I would, but I actually..." He dragged off scratching the back of his head. "I have no idea where my darling Maka went. I tried filing a missing person's report, but that would mean telling her mother that she ran away and then once we find her she'd insist on Maka going back to Japan again."
"I see. Well I hope that turns out for the better for you." Death turned back to his son and the two Thompson sisters standing beside him. "Would you guys mind going out and meeting Wes and leading him in, I suspect that Spirit will be a blubbering mess in, three, two, o-"
"Oh Maka!"
"Of course Mr. Death, right away Sir." The trio turned and walked away as Death turned back to the crying male.
"That's enough out of you. You should have known that Maka wouldn't be happy with you, especially after that little trick you pulled those years ago." Death explained, Spirit nodded his head in agreement and the elder smiled, just before karate chopping Spirit directly on his head. "Now get over it and do your job Spirit."
Wes Evans entered shortly after their exchange and apologized for his younger brother once more. Death brushed it off and directed him up onto the stage where Wes began to play. Spirit and Wes stood watching him play and Spirit leaned over to whisper. "Isn't it just like the Evan's family, his playing is flawless."
"It is, but it does lack emotion." Kidd offered from the table he'd taken a seat at beside the older men, currently flipping through a few pages of notes and other things that needed to be done. "I suggested Soul to you, Father, for his style. Its not perfect, but he plays the piano in a way all his own."
Not long after Soul was practically dragged in by his mother. Which she could be heard yelling him down the hallway until they crossed in through the double doors. Soul looked worn and shut down from the situation, his mother looked as happy as could be, smiling and greeting everyone apologizing to the clients before grabbing Soul and having him recite a very long apology to both Death and Spirit. (Whom Soul couldn't recognize by looking at his shoes.)
"Its quite all right, people are born to make mistakes and spend their lives fixing them. No one is perfect Mrs. Evans." He reassured them both and ruffled Soul's hair.
Soul did as he was told and played a few of the songs, mostly from memory. They agreed to overlook his tardiness. (Which Sir Death and Spirit said several times, but his mother refused to listen and insisted to the point of them telling Soul to still, please come for the final show.)
"You got lucky young man, I swear that could have been the end o-"
"Mom, quit barking." Wes gave, gripping her arm. "You've been attacking him since you picked him up and worst of all, in front of Spirit Albarn. Someone Soul looked up to."
Soul hadn't felt bad before, but now he felt like total garbage. Of course Spirit was there. Of course he couldn't find Maka. Of course Wes probably played better than him and they were taking him out of pity. Of course.
Melody and Wes watched him turn back. "Can I just have the day tomorrow?" He asked them. Wes nodded before their mother could answer.
"Sure thing." Melody tried to interject, but Wes still holding her arm, relented again. "You look like you need it."
Those words rang out in Soul's mind as he began walking. Did he mean that to be calming? Or that Soul was weak? He tried to process the words over and over in his mind, but they only twisted more and more into laughter. He could hear his mother, Wes, and his father.
Soul's stomach churned and he felt the ache of guilt settling in. His bones and joints suddenly felt like rusty machinery all trying to move through layers of rust and crippling weight pressing down on him. He was ready to let him self fall over into the nearest patch of grass and try to sleep this feeling off, but he knew sleeping would only make it worst.
"Soul?" Then her voice rang out. "Soul, is that you? Are you okay?" Maka. Where had she come from? Oh, he was in that park. The one they ate at the night before. Maybe he could sleep, Yeah. Sleep sounded really good. "Soul! Oh my God, wait. Don't lay down there."
He could still hear her cussing and Maka gripped his arms and helped him down to the ground when she realized he couldn't stay up. There was a loud screatch of a horn being honked and when he looked up Maka was running from the middle of the street to the drivers side door. That's one way to hail a cab.
She came back a bit later with the driver who was a larger male that could help her lift Soul up and carry him to the cab. Maka looked like she was going to stay, but Soul reached out and grabbed onto her coat. "No, come." He looked pitiful and Maka sighed crawling in after him. Soul immediately fell over onto her lap and she froze.
"Soul where do you live?" Maka asked him slowly letting her hands fall. One to his shoulder and the other to his head where she began petting his hair. Soul whispered his address and Maka repeated it louder for the cabbie.
I tried to avoid page breaks, really I did, but they still happen. -sweat drop-
