Hello everyone! Like mentioned in the last chapter, this chapter doesn't follow the normal plot. And with your guesses, some of you were right, and I congratulate you on that. Well, time for shout out time! Shout outs go to Mati-Sama, Sathreal, DestinyDreams24, NinjaPandaDGM, an anonymous reviewer, Random Bespectacled Otaku, Timcanpy8me, BrokenHeartedExorcist, Yaoi Fan Girl 14th, Rika, EdwardElricAllenWalker, OceanicCrownClown, Dream Glaze, Sapphire Fan, an anonymous reviewer, Vault1412, LAVEN-YULLEN, izzymizzy, joybug, and SomethingSnarky. Thanks for reviewing everyone! Now, enjoy this special :D
June 27th, 2008
10:43 a.m.
Birds chirped in the sky as down below the sound of rushing water could be heard. Cars passed slowly behind a large group of people on the overpass of a bridge. Among the group of people was a girl who stood on the edge of the overpass looking out over the river underneath the bridge. She hugged the support beam of the bridge before closing her eyes. A gentle breeze blew into her cooling her skin and freeing her face of her green hair. When the breeze finished blowing she opened her eyes with a large smile on her face.
"Are you ready, Miss. Lenalee Lee?" one man asked. Lenalee smiled back at the man and smiled giving him a slight nod. "Okay, just let us check a few things before we start." She nodded again and looked back out over the river. A bird flew into her view and she reached out for it. When her hand didn't reach the bird, she stretched onto her toes still reaching for the bird. The bird flew higher into the sky and she sighed. The sky was very clear. The sun shone brightly making it a warmer day. That bird had it all she felt. She wanted to be free and fly in the open very much like that bird, but she was human. She had no wings so stranded on the ground she stayed. Except for moments like this. "Okay, we're ready for you, Miss. Lee."
At first she paused. She wasn't nervous, she was just preparing herself. What happens next is her favorite thing to do. Just when the two men were about to say something, she jumped without warning. No scream came from her lungs. She only smiled and watched as she moved through the air. Though she was once again moving towards the ground, it felt like flying to her. The same free, weightless experience that birds have, she was experiencing then. Even as she neared the ground, never did she feel nervous. Pure bliss was how she would describe her feelings.
Until she was snapped back into reality literally. The harness tightened against her frail hips and shoulders suddenly, freezing her in the air before bringing her back upwards. Once she lost momentum, she started to fall back towards the ground again. While she was happy she was actually going higher in the air, she knew that meant her time was almost up. She would have to stay on land again.
1:23 p.m.
The air was thick and hot from being crowded with people. Bright lights stood around the cramped room, illuminating it too brightly. In one corner of the room, a white tarp hung over a tall stand with the bottom resting on the ground. Not too far away from the tarp a young man paced back and forth worriedly biting his nails. "Where is she? She's over twenty minutes late now!"the man, Komui Lee, growled to no one in particular. He pulled out his cell phone looking at the time once more before opening it to make a call. After each ring, his nerves grew more. On the fifth ring, a breathless 'Hello?' was given. "Lenalee! Where have you been? You're late!"
"Hi, brother. Sorry, I was bungee jumping. I'm on my way now, and I'm pretty close," was his reply.
"BUNGEE JUMPING? You know how dangerous that is! I don't want my precious Lenalee bungee jumping! And pretty close isn't close enough!" Komui shouted into the phone. There was a deep sigh on the other end.
"Brother, I'm fine, and I'm just around the corner. I'll be in there in less than five minutes. Don't worry so much," Lenalee scolded.
"But how can I not? And you'll still have to go through hair and make-up and everything," Komui reminded.
"I know that. I know you care and everything, but I can take care of myself, brother," Lenalee sighed.
"B-But I want to take care of you. You're my precious little Lenalee! I've got photos and everything!" Komui cried starting to pull out his wallet though he knew she couldn't see. A heavy boot came crashing down on his head making him drop the phone.
"Don't you dare pull out those pictures," Lenalee ordered lowly. Komui sniffled his tears and nodded putting the wallet back into his pocket. "Now just give me ten more minutes to go through hair and make-up and we can do this photo shoot." With a smile, Lenalee turned and entered a room meant for models and professionals only.
3:16 p.m.
Lenalee proudly posed along side of two other models for the photo shoot they were doing. They were each wearing bikini tops and short shorts, their faces painted on for the sports magazine they were posing for. Though Lenalee posed confidently, each click of the camera made her head pound. She pushed on through it since these headaches of hers were becoming a normal occurrence to her. Though she tried her best to push through the pain, this headache was the worst yet. She paused in her posing to hold her throbbing head. As soon as she did that, she felt a large wave of dizziness. Her head swam in different directions and she grabbed the shoulder of a nearby model to steady herself. "Lenalee? Are you okay?" the model she held onto asked. It took a few minutes for the question to register in Lenalee's mind. She gave a slow, hesitant nod.
"Why don't you take a break, Lenalee? You're not looking so good," Komui said. Again there was silence as Lenalee's brain slowly registered what was said to her.
"A-Alright, brother. I'll take a little break but I'm fine," Lenalee said quietly. Everyone watched as she stood still. Lenalee suddenly felt very weak, like if she were to take one step forward, she would fall. Seeing this, the other two girls with her helped her sit down.
"Are you sure you're okay, Lenalee? Do you feel sick? You're looking a bit yellow," one girl pointed out.
"I'm fine... Just... didn't get enough sleep last night. That's all," Lenalee lied. Komui raised a brow but said nothing. Lenalee sat there for five more minutes before standing with a small smile on her face. "Alright... Let's get back to business."
7:20 p.m.
Lenalee and Komui sat silently at their kitchen table. Komui ate happily while Lenalee just pushed her food around her plate with her fork. Every now and then, her face would scrunch in disgust as she watched her brother eat. Seeing this, Komui frowned. "Are you not hungry again today, Lenalee?" Lenalee shook her head while Komui sighed. "I've noticed you haven't eaten anything in a while. It's not healthy you know. Is there something wrong? Is that way you're not eating? Is it a boy?" Komui paled at the thought.
"No, brother, it's not a boy. I'm just... watching what I eat. I am a model you know. I have to stay skinny," Lenalee said with a slight smile.
"I'm fine with that, but not eating altogether isn't healthy. I've noticed you're losing weight really fast recently and it's worrying me," Komui mumbled.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just you see," Lenalee assured.
"Then eat. Small meals won't hurt you," Komui pointed out. Lenalee stared down at her plate and felt her stomach clench. After two weeks of not eating anything, her body was finally starting to get used to the strain. She glared at her plate of food heatedly, but smiled whenever she caught Komui looking at her. Slowly, she started forcing herself to eat. Each bite was very small, but it still twisted Lenalee's insides. "So... How is it?" Lenalee looked up from her plate with a slight grimace. She gave him a questioning look. "The food. Is it good?" Lenalee nodded slowly. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." Komui stood with his empty plate. I'm going to go call Reever to see how he's holding up. I'll see you later." Komui left with his plate.
Thankful for the alone time, Lenalee quickly spit out her mouthful of food. She then grabbed her plate and scraped the leftover food in the trash can. Her insides twisted again, and she could feel her body become heavier. I have to get this food out of me, but how? she thought frantically. She ran to the bathroom of the condo in the hotel they were staying at and knelt beside the toilet. She pulled her hair out of her face and held it up with one hand while the other reached into her mouth. She moved around her uvula until she succeeded in forcing herself to throw up. The motion of purging was a disgusting and vile feeling but the relief that came after it was overpowering. In order to feel that relief again, she purged three more times, only stopping when she felt completely empty.
With a shaky hand, she reached up and flushed the toilet then grabbed the counter to help her stand. After standing, she gripped the counter tightly to steady herself. Though she felt lighter and skinnier, she also felt very weak and lethargic. Once she was sure she was steady, she turned on the faucet letting cold water stream out. She first rinsed her mouth then washed her hands twice, scrubbing as best she could. When she finished cleaning herself off, she left the bathroom and stood on the balcony, looking out over the street. A large gust of wind hit her, chilling her skin and blowing her hair back. She smiled and breathed in deeply to relax. She gripped the railing of the balcony and looked over the edge.
Her suite was only on the third floor of the extravagant resort they stayed at while they were doing their photo shoot. While being in the air at all pleased her, Lenalee still felt trapped by the ground at such a low height. Reaching out and holding onto the wall, Lenalee slowly raised herself onto the small ledge of the low balcony railing.
9:56
Komui knocked on the door to Lenalee's room. After receiving no answer, he opened the door and walked inside. "Lenalee?" He walked in more and almost suffered a panic attack finding Lenalee standing on the edge of the balcony. "LENALEE!" Lenalee turned her head in recognition and smiled as Komui ran over to her.
"Oh, hello, brother. What are you doing here?" Lenalee asked.
"I told you I'd check up on you, but more importantly get down from there! How long have you been standing there anyways?" Komui shouted.
"Huh? Standing where?" Lenalee asked looking down. Another smile appeared on her face. "Oh wow, when did I get here so high up? It feels nice." Lenalee closed her eyes as another breeze blew by.
"Lenalee, I'm being serious. Get down before you fall and hurt yourself. This is different from bungee jumping. You won't get caught if you fall," Komui reminded her.
"Lighten up, brother. I won't fall. I can fly," her voice trailed off sounding more fragile. Komui grabbed her bony wrist.
"Lenalee. Get down. Something might be wrong with you," Komui said. Lenalee wrenched her wrist free.
"I'm fine. Just believe me already. I've never felt... bet...ter..." Lenalee stopped talking as she slipped unconscious. Her body dropped over the edge of the balcony before Komui could grab her. He looked over the balcony as her body dropped towards the ground.
"LENALEE!" Komui shouted. There was a loud sound as Lenalee fell onto the bushes then flopped onto the ground. Komui shakily reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. With tears wetting his face, he called 9-1-1. "Hello? 9-1-1? I need an ambulance. My sister fainted and fell off the third floor."
"Can you tell me the location of your emergency?" the woman on the other line asked.
"Patterson hotel and resort at 4th and main," Komui answered.
"Okay, an ambulance is on their way now. If possible, I need you to administer first aid to your sister, but stay calm. Everything will be okay. You can hang up now," the woman said.
"Okay... Thanks... Goodbye," Komui said before hanging up. He ran out the room wiping the tears from his eyes.
July 2nd, 2008
12:47 p.m.
Lenalee woke up slowly, staring at the blank white ceiling. There was extra pressure on her bed, and she could hear someone crying. She looked around slowly and took in the sight of her hospital room. White walls and floors, a desk to her left with flowers on it and a window above that. To her right was the door and Komui seated in a chair, his upper body resting on the bed. Lenalee reached out and shook his shoulder. Komui looked up at her tiredly then smiled when he realized she was awake.
"Lenalee! You're awake!" Komui cried wiping tears from his eyes and face.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You fainted and fell off of the third floor. It's a miracle you're alive really. The doctor said that if you hadn't fainted, you would have died. There is a small consequence though..." Komui trailed off.
"What is it?" Lenalee asked worriedly. Komui hesitated and Lenalee's fears grew. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"You've been... paralyzed from the waist down. You... won't ever be able to walk again which means... you'll never be able to model again," Komui said looking at the ground. Lenalee's eyes filled with tears, and before she knew it, she was crying so hard her body was trembling. Komui gathered her in a hug, but her cries never stopped. She felt broken. Not only could she not model, but she wouldn't be able to jump anymore. She was now stranded forever on the ground. She wanted to be free.
There was a knock on the door and Lenalee slowed her tears to silent sobs and small trembles. The door opened and a young doctor came in. "Hello, Miss. Lee. I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Horrible."
"Are you in any pain? Do you need more pain killers?" he asked.
"No."
"Then why do you feel horrible?" he asked. Lenalee turned her head and glared at him.
"Because I can't walk again, or model again, and I sure as hell can't bungee jump again!" The doctor sighed.
"I was actually coming in here to talk to Mr. Lee about this. About your career and your 'hobby,' I think that it's a good thing this happened. What caused you to faint and fall was anorexia. Over your years of modeling, you've become anorexic. Then your 'hobby,' it's easy to say it's become a dangerous addiction. With that in mind, I wanted to recommend to send you to the Black Order Rehabilitation Center. There they can help you over come your anorexia and help you with your addiction. It would be a good opportunity for you to-"
"I'm not going." Silence filled the room.
"I understand that you could be a bit overwhelmed, but you have to keep in mind your safety and what's best-"
"My safety? There's nothing wrong with me! I'm not anorexic and I don't have an addiction. I just don't eat because that's the demand of being a model. I only like jumping and free falling because it frees me from everything happening on the ground. The only problem I have now is that I can't walk and that's your fault! As a doctor you should be able to do something!" Lenalee shouted.
"Lenalee! That's no to speak to him," Komui scolded.
"I don't care! I'm not going. Why should I trust a doctor who can't even heal me?" Lenalee growled.
"You can make a full recovery," the doctor said throwing the room into silence again. Both of the Lee's heads turned towards him with wide eyes. "It won't be easy of course, and it will take a long time- about 5 years- but it's possible. You just need to attend physical therapy four times a week. If you work hard enough, then you should be able to walk again. If you can do that, will you go to the Black Order Rehabilitation Center?" Lenalee thought for a few minutes before Komui grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"It's up to you. If you're going to do this, it's not something I can help you with," Komui started.
"I know... Even knowing that though... I think... I'll do it, but I'm not agreeing to go to some loony bin yet. I still have my career to think about," Lenalee smiled. Komui and the doctor exchanged a quick glance before the doctor asked Komui to follow him outside. They argued for a short while before coming back in the room, fake smiles obviously plastered on their faces. "What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing. I was just finalizing a few things with the doctor," Komui said.
"You can leave tomorrow night. I'll have one of the nurses bring you a wheelchair. Have a good day," the doctor said before leaving.
February 16th, 2010
1:34 p.m.
I can do this... Lenalee thought as she took a look around the empty room in front of her. A light was on in a room in the back of the room she was currently sitting in. With shaky hands she reached for the handles of her wheelchair. After taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself up to stand. Her legs were weak and she wobbled a bit, but she was able to stand. Slowly, she let go of the wheelchair and started taking her first steps. Right... Left... Right... Left... she thought as she put one foot in front of the other. She smiled when she was able to walk five steps successfully. On her seventh step, her strength gave out and she sank quickly to her knees. Not now... I can't quit. Not when I'm so close. Steadily, she stood again and continued walking through the room with very little problems.
"Lenalee? What are you doing? You're not supposed to be walking yet!" a voice shouted. She turned to see her physical therapist, an old woman, rushing out of the room from the back. Lenalee simply smiled at her.
"I told you I would prove them wrong. Doctors told me it would take 5 years, and others told me it wasn't even possible. Here I am only two years later, and I'm walking," she said.
"Why did you want to rush this? Rushing it could have lead to more problems and complications and even more surgeries," the woman explained.
"I know, but I felt so trapped. I needed to be free. Plus now I can go back to work. Komui's had to start working just to make ends meet. It'll be nice now if I can help him out," Lenalee smiled.
"Well... if you can walk safely now, then I guess you're done here. Make sure to keep up your own routines at home to keep strengthening your legs. They're still a bit weak. Also, I know you can walk, but I'd like you to use crutches for two more weeks to make sure you can stay stable. That's all, so you can go home now if you'd like," the woman said. Lenalee nodded and headed to the door where an assistant handed her a pair of crutches. Lenalee called for a taxi and smiled in the back as she rode towards her house.
8:42 p.m.
Komui entered the apartment he and Lenalee share and dropped his keys in shock. In front of him, Lenalee was walking with her crutches towards her bedroom. "L-Lenalee... You're... walking again?" Lenalee looked up at the mention of her name and nodded.
"I just started walking today at physical therapy. Isn't it great, brother? I did it. I'm done. Now I can be a model again, right? That's why I couldn't model before, so now I can-"
"You can't," Komui said harshly. Lenalee looked at him shocked.
"What? What do you mean I can't? Is it because you won't let me or-"
"No. It's not that I won't let you it's... because you've been banned from the modeling world," Komui started. Lenalee chocked back the tears that stung her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I tried everything I could, but they still banned you. No modeling agency wants to hire a girl whose had a problem with anorexia. Plus, they feel you're a bit... dangerous, considering your hobby."
"It's not dangerous! And why can't I model just because they want me to be skinny? Every week it'd be the same thing! 'Looks like you're gaining weight,' or 'You need to lose a few more pounds,' or 'Oh, it doesn't fit? Sorry, fatso!' I did all of that for them and then they just cast me aside? They think I'm dangerous? This isn't dangerous! It gives me an escape from Them!" Lenalee shouted.
"I understand how you feel you need to calm down," Komui said in a hushed tone.
"Calm down? How can I calm down? I can't model again! And you can't say you understand 'cause you've never been in this situation.! I know... I'll prove to them it's not dangerous," Lenalee chuckled madly before quickly hobbling to a window in their apartment. She slid open the window with a dark smile.
"Lenalee!" Komui shouted as she tried to climb out. He rushed over and pulled her back before she could jump.
"Let go of me! I have to prove to them it's not dangerous!" she shouted desperately. They began to struggle for control. In their struggle, Lenalee knocked a flower pot out of the window. Their struggle stopped in order for them to look out the window and watch the flower pot fall. It fell slowly at first, but then picked up speed, the plant inside bending and swaying with the force. The pot landed with a sickening crash, coming close to hitting a man walking on the sidewalk. Lenalee's eyes widened and she backed away from the window, cowering. "That... That could have been me?"
"Yeah... Do you see now how dangerous this addiction of yours is? I know you're not comfortable with this, but I think the Black Order Rehabilitation Center is the best place for you know... especially since you've kept your anorexia until now... I think... they'll be able to help you," Komui said. Lenalee swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed and gave a shaky nod.
"Alright... I'll go... I don't know what else I would do anyways..."
March 2nd, 2010
9:18 a.m.
Komui and Lenalee looked at the large intimidating building. Lenalee gave a nervous smile to Komui. "I don't have to go... Do I?"
"Oh... I'm sure it's better than it looks. Besides, this is for your own good," Komui reminded.
"I know... Do you think... I'll ever be able to come back?" she asked.
"I think so. You're incredibly strong Lenalee... I'll miss you, but I know that this is for the best. With your determination, you'll come back out here soon, but I'll wait for you for as long as it takes. You are my precious Lenalee after all," Komui smiled sadly. Lenalee felt tears sting at her eyes as she gave her brother a tight hug. Komui smiled and hugged her back as he felt the tears stream down his face. "Be good, kiddo, and try everything at least once. The trick to this is trying your best." Lenalee nodded into his jacket. "And stay away from boys. If I find out that any boy has put his filthy hands on my precious Lenalee, I'll come down here with Komurin and-"
"Brother," Lenalee scolded. Komui stopped his speech. "No more komurins, no more explosives, no more devices, no more potions, no more anything crazy while I'm gone. I want you to take care of yourself too, and also I asked Mr. Reever to help you out too. I don't want you driving him insane." Komui chuckled.
"But it's my job to make those things. I'll tone it down for you, but no promises," Komui smiled.
"That'll have to do. Well, bye, brother," Lenalee sighed. She pulled away from Komui and started pulling her luggage into the room. "Oh, and, brother." She turned to look at him. "Have fun without me. Don't spend all of your time worrying about me. Bye!" Lenalee smiled and ran inside the building. Komui smiled as more tears fell.
"Bye, Lenalee... I'll see you when you get out."
7:30 p.m.
Taking a deep breath, Lenalee walked out of her room for the first time. She headed towards the lounge for dinner. Before entering, she peaked her head in the room. It was a nicely furnished room, but she was surprised to find it empty. Sticking her head in farther, she tried to get a better look. "Hey, are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna go in?" She jumped at the voice and turned around quickly to see a boy with long black hair in a ponytail. His eyes were coal black and glaring at her with such coldness in them. Looking into his eyes sent chills down her spine.
"I-I... I didn't mean... I mean," she mumbled. Laughter filled the hallway catching Lenalee's attention. She caught a pair of twins walking towards them.
"Looks like Mr. Grumpy is scaring another girl. He's not gonna get any dates like that," the black haired one said.
"Nope. No dates, hee hee," the blonde one giggled.
"What do you two want? I'm already irritated enough. Unless you wanna die, shut up," the first boy said again.
"You're the one that needs to shut up, kid," the black haired twin said.
"Yeah, shut up, kid, hee hee," the blonde one giggled.
"Che, whatever. Out of my way," the boy said before pushing past Lenalee roughly. She stumbled then watched as he walked on, unamused. She clenched her teeth and glared at his back.
"Hey! Is that how you talk people?" she shouted. The boy stopped his walk and glared back at her. She faltered for a second before gaining her courage again. "I don't know what brought you here, but you can't just talk to people like that! Those two are right! No one is ever going to like you if you just keep treating everyone like that!" The boy started to walk towards her. "You don't scare me! You really need to learn some... man...ners..." She cowered as the boy stood right in front of her. He grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her closer.
"What can you do to stop me? You're not my mother, and you definitely aren't my friend. I have no need for friends, so why should I-" He stopped when Lenalee kicked him down low. He dropped her and fell to the ground.
"Never underestimate a girl in boots," Lenalee smirked and showed off her knee high boots. She then walked on to get her cafeteria food. As she turned around, she ran into a woman knocking the woman to the ground. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?" Lenalee outstretched her hand to the woman to help her stand. The woman yelped and quickly got on her knees and bowed to her.
"I-I'm so sorry! Sorry! It was just an accident! Please forgive me!" the woman shouted. Lenalee sweatdropped and crouched beside her.
"I'm not mad. I'm actually worried if you're okay since I knocked you down. So are you okay?" Lenalee asked again. The woman looked up from her bowing with tears in her eyes. Slowly she nodded and stood with Lenalee. "Would you like to eat with me?" Again the woman nodded. "Good. I'll get our table then." Lenalee sat down at a table while the woman ordered her food. The woman came back and sat down cowering in fear. "Can you tell me your name?"
"M-Miranda Lotto..." the woman said.
"It's nice to meet you, Miranda. I'm Lenalee," Lenalee smiled.
"About earlier... Are you okay?" Miranda asked.
"Yes. I already told you not to-"
"Not that. I meant with him," Miranda said motioning to Kanda who was now seated at another table, eating with a set scowl on his face.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I took self- defense classes as a child, so don't worry about me," Lenalee said.
"That's good. He's Yuu Kanda, but we never call him Yuu. The last person who did was in intensive care for three weeks. And those twins are Devit and Jasdero, but you need to call them Jasdevi. I guess with you here, we're now a group of five. I'm happy that another girl is in the group. I thought I was going to be all alone-"
"Hey, girl. What's your name?" the boy from earlier, Yuu Kanda, demanded. Lenalee smiled up at him.
"Lenalee Lee. I heard you're Kanda. So what do you want?" Lenalee asked. There was silence for a short while.
"Nothing," Kanda said before sitting next to her. Lenalee smirked.
"What's this? You want to sit with us? I thought you didn't have friends," she said.
"You're not my friends and I don't want to sit with you. I'm just... escaping those two idiots," Kanda sighed and pointed to Devit and Jasdero who were having a food fight with their mashed potatoes.
"If you insist," Lenalee smirked before taking a sip of her coffee. Black Order Rehabilitation Center... I can do this.
That's the end of this Don't Get So Close To Me Special! I hope you guys liked it, and I'll be doing others for all of the other characters later on. If you guys liked the special then I'll continue doing this after every two chapters. Well... Please review. I'm proud of you guys for reviewing this much so far. I love it. So review and you'll get a shout out next chapter. :D See ya then.