Chapter 3

It was three in the morning when Yuki was awakened by hunger. Apparently, eating a simple slice of turkey and three leaves of salad last night was not enough.

Giving a long sigh, the young girl removed her blanket and put on a black sweatshirt, then groped for the kitchen on the ground floor.

'Nah, I can't do that anymore' she thought before closing the fridge door, forgetting the idea of taking a peer juice. Instead, the teenager preferred looking for a glass of tap water she drunk as slow as possible. After waiting a couple of minutes and noting the persistence of this unpleasant sensation which took her to the stomach, she opted for a second one.

'It will eventually disappear'

Yuki put the dish back into the sink and headed to her couch. Not knowing what to do at an hours like this, she opened her PC and, by rote, opened three tabs : Facenoob, Eldoria and DA.

After checking what interested on the two last, she closed them and focused on the first. Six new notifications had appeared since yesterday afternoon : five friendship request and one invitation to a group.

Naiade Bruo invited you to join the « Mixed 1 Last Year - Sweet Amoris », yesterday at 00:10am.

'She could have warned me directly…' she mentally grumbled.

On said page was already a group picture. Although she arrived recently, the young girl could recognize some faces : Naïade, Lysandre, Rosalya, Violette, Iris and Castiel. 'He is better when he's smiling like that' she thought while looking at the young man's face wearing a slight smile on the corner.

Rosalya send you a friend request, yesterday at 00:13 am.

Nathaniel send you a friend request, yesterday at 9:20pm.

Iris send you a friend request, yesterday at 7:30pm.

Even though Yuki felt her heart speed up slightly, she accepted without hesitation. It seemed like things were starting well this year.

''Already up ?'' Yuki jumped and closed her computer, resting on her lap, at once when she heard her best friend's little voice. ''Oh, are you hiding something ?'' She asked maliciously.

''Uh ? No ! You just surprised me !''

Naiade burst out laughing and sat down next to her friend. ''Just kidding. Just kidding… but you got up pretty early today. Is something wrong?'' The interested one kept silent with an empty stare. ''Hey, Yuki ! Is everything alright ? If you've got a problem, you know you can always tell me''.

''Uh ? Oh no, I'm fine'' she responded with a big smile. It seemed like a harmless kind of smile. But Naïade knew the young girl very well. Although she was worried, she made no comment. ''Well, what if we go to downtown ?''

''With pleasure!''

At 8:30, both girls left the house and headed to their destination. Even if her best friend had described it with a lot of enthusiasm, said downtown wasn't bigger than a pocket-handkerchief : a dollar shop -where you find anything but a dollar-, a jewelry shop, a clothes shop and a bank. These were all there was. Noticing the desperate look on the young girl's face, Naïade giggled. ''Wait a bit before you want to hang yourself on a rope'' she joked. Indeed, after some zigzags, both teenage girls arrived in front a tiny music shop adjoined a second one, dedicated to video games.

''Noooo!'' Yuki screamed, too happy to have finally found something interesting.

''I was so sure you'd react like this''

''One cannot stay calm in front of such things!'' She said, utterly exited.

''I know to whom I need to introduce you to…'' Naïade whispered, low enough so her friend could not understand what she just said.

''Uh?''

''Nothing. So, are we entering or do we wait for the apocalypse to come ?'' She kidded.

''The apocalypse's gonna wait for a bit, I have some work to do'' Yuki rubbed her hands as she looked both shops alternatively. ''Well, were do we begin?''

''We? No no, I'm not entering this shop with a psycho like you. I'm mostly going to have a look at the clothes side. Let's say we have to be here in 30 minutes ?''

The interested one swallowed her saliva with some difficulties, already stressed by the idea of being on her own. But even though she was uncomfortable, she was also determined to show her friend that she wanted to change. ''Let's do like this, yep''. After that, her friend sent he a gigantic smile and went away trotting. The young girl breathed in and turned again to face both shops. ''Let's start with music''.

Yuki was a big adept of music. Spending a whole day without listening some was probably a miracle. Pop, rock, pop-rock, Regge, Classical… Her favorite styles were as many as varied.

After one hour searching for a CD she did not already possessed, the adolescent started to feel desperate.

'Seriously, does everybody only listen to jazz here or what ?!'

Finally heading to the exit, the young woman suddenly stopped. ''Finally!'' She exclaimed herself when she caught sight of an Aerosmith album. Yuki already had a copy of this one but, having forgotten it at her mother's house, she decided to go to the cashier. Moreover, and as a reward, she wanted to bring something she would have buy by herself. Once paid, the young girl headed towards the video games shop.

Although she had not bring her PS4 with her, the young school girl entered the shop. 'It will motivate me to bring it back next time' she thought. Indeed, after a certain time spent at digging up at different aisle, the adolescent ended up finding the last game released. ''Awesome!'' She exclaimed herself before rushing to the cashier. Ruined but happy, Yuki turned with haste in order to rejoin her best friend outside.

She didn't get the time to realize that someone was walking ahead of her and banged hard with him, dropping her Aerosmith CD by the way. Massaging the back of her head, the young girl mentally grumbled. 'It has become a habit now'

''No way, you again ?!'' The person complained a now familiar voice.

''KETCHUP?!'' She exclaimed herself.

''Aren't you going yo stop calling me like that, you Lassie?!''

Yuki slightly opened her mouth then closed it, not finding anything to answer him. Still too much amazed to even sketch a movement, it is Castiel who leaned forward to pick up the CD lying at his feet. ''You listen to Rock, You?'' He asked, astonished.

''Is that so unbelievable?'' She asked him immediately with a look of supreme disdain, as if she just left her trance.

''Well yeah… you're a girl'' he responded, not too sure of himself.

''Wow'' she said with a falsely surprised tone. ''Hello cliche!''.

The young man sighed and handed her the CD and, when the teenage girl took it, their hand brushed against each other. Noticing the scarlet red face of the young lady, Castiel laughed.

''Do I make this much effect on you?'' He asked, hilarious.

"In your dreams" she protested a bit too quickly and aggressively to be convincing, having as only result to stoke the laughter of the teenager.

''You're good at lying, aren't you?'' He joked.

Not knowing what to answer, Yuki glared at him and ran outside where her friend was already waiting for her. Breathless, the young girl tried to regain her calm and to look serein.

''Hey, are you alr-'' Naïade started. Noticing her red poppy face, the young schoolgirl sent a glance over her friend's shoulder, Castiel still standing in the shop. ''Oh, I see'' she giggled.

''No no, you didn't see anything, you're blind ! Come on, let's go!'' The adolescent turned her friend around and pushed her in her back in the idea of running away from this cursed place.