If I could be with someone like you
Would you, would you be strong enough for me
And if I could stay with someone like you
Would you, would you be strong enough
It had been about a year since I last saw Soul Eater. Emi was just about to start Kindergarden and our whole life had turned around. We had money, I had a steady job, and Emi was in a good school. It was everything I could have asked for.
But it was lonely. I missed him. Emi missed him too. She had cried and cried for two days when I told her he wasn't coming back. It was surprising how much he had affected us in one day. It wasn't even a very memorable day except for the fact that we met him. The stranger thing was he never really left us.
It was about a week after he 'left' that I received the check for $500 in the mail. The note attached said:
Hey Maka and My Little Princess,
Here is some money to keep you on your feet while you search for a job (sorry for getting you fired!). I hope you two are doing ok. My back is a ton better so no need to worry Maka.
I miss you already.
I tried to return the money and write a letter back but it returned the next day with a 'return to sender' stamp. Same thing with trying to send a letter back to him to thank him. I tried going to the actual address but the address was the address for the post office. Apparently he got them to put his name on their address because he didn't work or live there.
It took a couple of checks before I started cashing them in. Well actually it took a pretty convincing letter from Soul.
Maka, I know you aren't cashing the checks. You need the money and I'm trying to help so please just take it graciously. You can pay me back somehow later. Just use the money, ok?
They were better than any child support I could have received from Emi's father so I stopped being so stubborn. I also stopped wondering how he knew. Apparently he had people watching over us. I started realizing it when people in stores would give us friendly smiles and the grocery people wouldn't let me pay saying that he had covered it. I havent had to pay for groceries for about a year now. At first I hated the idea of someone taking care of us. But then that hate grew to a hate of the person taking care of us not being there in the first place. I didn't hate Soul. I hated that he left us but still felt a need to take care of us.
Then he started sending separate checks to Emi. He would send her $100 a month so she could buy anything she wanted without having to beg me for it. My darling little girl decided to save $50 a month. She had so much money after the first 4 months that I decided to open a savings account for her. Soul somehow found out about it and sent a letter saying she was the smartest little girl ever and he was so proud of her for saving some money. Emi absolutely adored our unseen benefactor.
He took it a little too far when I got a letter saying our new apartment was ready to move into. I stared at the letter for about an hour, alternately crying and raging against Soul. I tried to ignore the summons (which was basically what it was) but he somehow got Emi on his side. My daughter pushed and pushed and next thing I knew we were standing in the entryway of our 1,500 square foot apartment. It was huge. I stood there wide eyed, having not made it past the entryway, while Emi ran around squealing about how beautiful it all was.
My daughter just about died when she saw her bedroom. Of course he had it princess themed. The bed was a castle. I'm not kidding. Her bed. Was a castle. Her closet, was a walk-in full of dresses and accessories that she absolutely loved. Playing dress-up was a breeze. There was a run way with a spotlight and 360 mirrors. He seriously treated her like a princess. Everyday she found something new in that room, that included a cat which she named Blair. I heard her talking to the cat one night about how great Soul was and how much she loved him for taking care of her and her mama.
My room hadn't been a huge surprise with everything else that he did. It was absolutely gorgeous in its simplicity. The walls were a dark red that reminded her of his eyes. The bed frame was a dark wood and the bed spread was black with red velvet design. The floors were a dark hardwood and the dresser and nightstand were absolutely gorgeous. There was a reading lamp on the bed side table that had a stained glass lamp shade. When I turned it on it lit up the room with a multitude of beautiful lights. It was absolutely beautiful. The room was dark and then you turned on the lamp and it was like the aurora borealis, lighting up the room like nothing I had ever seen before. I stood by the lamp with a hand over my mouth trying to hold back my tears, the other running along the bed spread and taking in the room. I didn't understand. Why was he doing this?
There was one room that I spent almost all my free time in. He gave me a library with soaring book cases filled to the brim with books of all kinds. There was a comfortable high back leather chair that I liked to curl up in and read. The whole room just reminded me of him for some reason. That was stupid though. Its not like I knew anything about the guy. What really struck me as weird was the Grande piano in the corner. Why did he give us a piano?
The last straw was him getting Emi into the prestigious Shibusen and finding me a really good job. I couldn't take it anymore. The questions that were running through my head were causing me to loose sleep.
One day i got a call from a man named Kid saying that he was offering me a job at the restaurant, DeathNote. The most expensive restaurant in Nevada. I didn't even fight this one. I didn't need to. Soul wasn't handing me money, he was handing me a job that would help us in life. The job was going extremely well. I had just been promoted to floor manager. I was so happy. I was so in control of my life now. I was in control of everything but the one constant in my life. I couldn't control what he did if he wasn't here with me.
I was oh so lonely. I tried dating in the year that Soul wasn't physically present in my life but it was never serious and Emi didn't like any of the men. She once told me after one of them left that I should just stop trying because no one was cooler than Mr. Soul. No one could beat him. So I stopped trying to find someone like him. Why even bother? It was like Emi said. No one could beat him. He was too perfect.
I realized that I loved him. I loved him not because of everything he did for us. I can't really explain it because it sounded dumb. I didn't want to love him because people would think I only loved him for the things he gave us. I needed to be able to prove that that wasn't the only reason I loved him. I loved him because Emi loved him.
It was impossible not to think about him. I was constantly reminded about him where ever I went. He was in the secret smiles I got from sales people. He was in the monthly check and the loving letters, which I kept. I kept every single one, from the angry to the lovable ones. He always knew what I wanted and needed before I did. He covered the major things in the beginning but now he covered the small things I needed that I didn't even realize I needed. Some people might call this knowledge of me stalkerish. I thought it was sweet when I got over the fact that he was paying for basically everything.
He was everything I wanted and everything I needed but I couldn't find him anywhere. I mean he wasn't in the yellow pages and he wasn't even registered in the state. After a month of searching with fruitless results I finally came to the conclusion that he had given me a fake name. How was I supposed to find him if I had his fake name?! What was he playing at here? He promised I would be able to find him when I needed him. I needed him more than ever and I still couldn't find him!
'Come on Maka! How many people are named Soul in this city.'
I was sitting in my favorite cafe after dropping off Emi at Shibusen. I had the day off from work which meant another day of probably fruitless searching for Soul. I sighed as I typed away on my laptop (bought by Soul). It was one of the higher end models but it couldnt find a stupid person. I was ready to throw the thing across the room, hopefully smashing it to pieces against a wall. It was so frustrating but he never said finding him would be easy.
A memory flashed through my head.
"As a matter of fact I work in a prestigious recording studio so." He stuck his tongue out at me and made a funny face. '
Damn. Why were there so many recording studios in this stupid city?! IT SHOULDN'T BE THIS HARD. I raged stomping my foot like a 2 year old during a temper tantrum when I hit another dead end. I slammed my laptop (bought by Soul) closed and banged my head down on the table, groaning.
"Dead end again, Maka?" Kim asked me. I glanced up at her before nodding. She set my coffee in front of me as I pushed my laptop away from me.
"This thing is useless." I growled at the stupid laptop.
"He thought you would like it." Kim said picking up my plates. I grabbed one last piece of toast as she turned away.
"I know you know where he is Kim." I said quietly. Kim only grinned over her shoulder and sashayed away. I sighed again putting my head in my hands and rubbing my temples. Suddenly a newspaper was thrown on the table in front of me. I glanced up to see Kim smirking above me.
"Maybe this will help." Kim said with a wink. I reached up and fumbled the newspaper, flipping it over I stopped dead. There he was. Easy as that. Right on the front page! My eyes went wide as I realized I finally found my Prince Charming. [1]
Who just so happened to be the CEO of Evan Records? Wow he really did mean the most prestigious recording studio.
I knew exactly where to find him now.
I walked into the huge Evan Records entryway looking up in amazement. I realized I probably looked like a 5 year old gawking at a new play thing so I shut my mouth and straightened my shirt. I wasn't dressed for such a place. I was in a red v-neck shirt, that showed my curves, and black skinny jeans. Everyone around me was in business suits.
Walking up to the information desk I looked around for service but no one was present. I rang the little bell twice causing an employee to look out a door at the desk. Her eyes brightened as she took in my appearance. "Ah, Miss Albarn. Please excuse the wait. You can go right on up. Floor 31 Studio 18." She smiled at me pleasantly.
"H-how do you know my n-name?" I stuttered pointing a finger at her accusingly. The lady giggled, her long black pony tail swishing behind her.
"Silly goose! Everybody who works here knows you." She said making me blush deeply.
What a nice thought. Every person here knows who I am?! That was more than a little creepy. Did she truly mean everyone? I wondered as I walked to the elevators clicking the floor button.
Everywhere I went I received hellos and good mornings and how do you dos. The receptionist had truly meant EVERYONE. I was more than a little creeped out now. How did all these people know me by sight? I grew increasingly paranoid as I searched for studio 18. I had to get away from the smiles, the cheerful greetings, and the strangers who knew my name.
I was running down the hall searching every room number when I walked past the elevators again. I was going in circles! I spun in a circle looking all around me.
Oh. There it was. Right in front of me. The red sign above the door was lit up, signaling that they were recording but I seriously didn't care. I pushed open the door letting a strip of light enter the dark room. And what does that light happen to land on?
Soul Eater Evans of course. He was dressed in jeans and an orange shirt. A leather jacket was hung on the back of the swivel chair and recording head phones were on his head messing up his hair. When the light hit him he swung around angrily already yelling and pushing the head phones down around his neck.
"Don't you know what the recording sign means!? I mean you work in a freaking RECORDING studio! I should think-" His eyes finally adjusted enough to see who was standing in the doorway. He blinked once, his mouth forming a little 'o'. The band in the booth had stopped singing and were craning around Soul to see who had interrupted. "Maka?" Suddenly his face lit up. Pulling off the head phones quickly, he removed the one thing keeping him from me right now.
Worst mistake of his life. He should have stayed far away from me right now. I didn't think I would be this furious with him. My hands clenched at my sides from the force of my anger. He kept coming though, not able to really see me with the light behind my body throwing my front half into shadow. He never saw it coming.
SMACK! My hand stung from the force of impact. Soul stood shocked and the band was gaping, eyes bugging out of their heads. They had turned on the lights and left the recording booth. He cupped his slowly reddening cheek as I slammed a finger against his chest. "That's for leaving." I spat out at him. You could practically feel my fury in the air. I had to get out of here. I couldn't deal with this right now. I pushed him away from me and turned on my heel, prepared to flee but he grabbed my elbow.
"Still as hot-headed as ever." He chuckled while pulling me back. I struggled to get away from him, wriggling and twisting my body. "You haven't even let me explain." He raised an eye brow at me with that infuriating smirk on his face. His cheek was staring to get a red hand mark on it and I was starting to feel bad. I stopped struggling and he let me go.
"I did it all for a reason you know." Soul placed his hands on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. I opened my mouth about to question his reasoning for leaving us without a way to find him but he continued before I could. "And I will explain over lunch, but I have to work now." He nodded over to the band that was staring at us in the doorway wide eyed. My eyes flashed in anger but I nodded anyway. He should at least have a chance to explain himself right?
The band started resituating themselves when he said this, I saw them out of the corner of my eye but then Soul did something completely unexpected. I jumped as he pressed his lips to my forehead and murmured, "God, I missed you Maka." He left me standing speechless in the doorway but I felt more alive than I had in a year. I was very confused at the alternating anger and happiness coursing through my body right now.
[1] Stop waiting around for your Prince Charming to find you. Get up off your lazy ass and go find him. He might be stuck in a tree or something.
I don't know... I was going to make this two chapters but it kind of flowed into one. This is almost over. Two more chapters! And maybe an epilogue if you guys want one?
Review please!