I dedicate this to CrYsTaLxAnGeL especially. Thanks a million for the continued support--and replying to my PMs even though I know I'm quite a handful. I hope you won't mind if I dedicate chapter six to you as well?

Chapter Six: Consequences

"She is going to kill me when she wakes up. Come visit my grave from time to time, alright?" I move away from the Harada's living room floor-to-ceiling windows and plop myself down on one of their couches.

Risa sighs then nods at me. "You should be ready for her. You know she's the archery team captain, no?"

"Yes, thank you for that. Jesus, I wonder what she'll do to me in school tomorrow." If it's any of the hundred twenty-two scenarios flashing in my head right now, I'm screwed.

"You mean if she doesn't get you tonight?"

I glare at the brunette. "Could you at least try to act as if you cared?"

"Well, you could have hid her in your house for a few days like you promised her, couldn't you? You didn't have to bring her back here after what happened today. So…if you ask me, whatever she's going to do when she wakes up is kind of your fault, right?"

"Which side are you on, Harada? Are you telling me that you wouldn't have gone banging on my front door until dawn if I didn't tell you where your sister was?"

She sticks her tongue out at me. "Of course I'm on no one's side, Dark. Anyway, you could have secretly called me. I don't see what the problem would have been."

Am I going to be explaining myself to the Harada twins until I end up in a coffin? Oh wait, that could be only a few minutes away. Damn.

"If I didn't bring her back here, I would have had to keep all the promises I made her and that included keeping our arrangement a secret. Plus, you would have called your parents and the police would have barged in my house anyway…" I feel disgusted with myself. I didn't think making this decision for Riku would make me feel as if I'd betrayed her in some unforgivable way.

Probably because I did, huh?

"Why are you still here again? Shouldn't you be running for the hills or something?" She has an excellent point. Why haven't I upped and left and saved my ass for the night?

"She's going to get her revenge sooner or later. Might as well be in private than in front of everyone we grew up with." And I don't want the day to end without apologizing to her.

"I guess you're right. Still, I feel sorry for you. I know how Riku gets mad and she'll be beyond deadly when she sees you down here."

"What are you trying to do? Soften me up for the kill?"

She laughs then starts pacing around the room. "Dark, thank you again for getting Riku back. My parents would have been beside themselves if they found out something had happened to her."

I shake my head at her. "It was nothing. I'm partly guilty for why she ran away in the first place anyway."

"'Ku!" Risa cries out a few seconds later. From the look on her face, her sister is not happy.

I straighten in my seat, my neck refusing to turn towards the entrance of the room.

"Liar," Riku whispers from where she was standing.

I force my legs to stand up and move behind the sofa. I meet her gaze then I had to look away from the emotions swirling dangerously in her eyes.

"Traitor," she adds, staying in her place. I don't know whether I'm more afraid of her acting out or ignoring me altogether.

"'Ku, listen, Dark just brought you back here because I called him and…" I look at Risa and I see her shaking. I guess Riku's never been this angry before.

"I don't want to listen to your insipid explanations." Risa's eyes widen before she closes her mouth, still in shock. She glances at me and I realize that I'm alone in this battle for now.

"Riku…" I bring her attention back to me. This isn't Risa's fault. If she should be mad at anyone, it should be me.

Her face is completely devoid of any expression. This is more serious than I thought. "I'm sorry, Riku." There, I've said it. Now the hard part. "I know I should have kept my promises but it was better for everyone if—"

"Bastard," she cuts me off emotionlessly.

"I know you're angry but you've got to try to see this from my—"

"Leave."

"What?" Her mask doesn't crack one bit.

"I don't want to see your face again. Tell your excuses to someone stupid enough to fall for them."

"Riku, give him a few minutes to explain. He just did what he thought was best for you!" Risa exclaims when she saw Riku about to turn away.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" She stops walking but doesn't look back at us.

"Can't you be reasonable, Riku?" Risa challenges. I never knew she had it in her to shout at her elder sister.

"I've been reasonable all my life. Who are you to talk to me like that?" And she just continues to leave.

Risa turns to me after looking about to faint with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Dark. Maybe she'll, you know…" There are tears in her eyes. But she doesn't look as forlorn as Riku did in the playground this afternoon. Riku's eyes held no hope—she had practically given up on life completely.

Then I came along. I knew that my words hit home. I knew I was one of the few people she would listen to, if only half-heartedly—though admittedly, I'm not sure how I got to that conclusion looking at my 'relationship' with Riku. In a distant part of my mind, her rejection wasn't possible when I took everything she said and turned it to something she yearned for. Closure, a confidante, someone she could trust and accepted her. Even though I figured out I couldn't be that person, I knew how to play my cards.

At least I thought I did. I didn't anticipate to be so affected—I've always prided myself on being so detached from my emotions. And everyone knows that when those nasty things come into play, everything gets even more complicated. God, this is just what I need.

But I couldn't have left Riku alone earlier, now could I? It would have hurt a lot more people and I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. I didn't have any other choice—Riku's safety was priority number one. So now I'll have to handle all of this while evading Riku's wrath everyday until graduation.

It could be worse.