HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

There's a party going on and im in my basement frantically trying to upload this chapter cause I waited until the last minute to write it (AKA two minutes before I'm posting it :] yea... I know...

ANYWAYS.

ENJOY.

Thanks for reading and reviewing,

Anime4us

Chapter 14: Faces

Lights from street lamps and cars alike were jumping around me as I made my way down the street. I was so lost. There, I admit it. So very lost. With a sigh, I decided that finding someone with a phone would be my next plan of action.

I approached a mid age woman, walking with her son's hand in hers. I saw her smiling and speaking amicably with her son and figured that approaching her out of most people would probably be my best bet.

"Good evening." I offered with a small forced smile.

Honestly, I'm not irked by the fact that she totally tensed up and none too discreetly shoved her son behind her. Nope, not at all.

"I was wondering if you had a phone I could borrow?" I continued.

The woman before me literally did a once over of my body before shaking her head.

"I don't have one." She said, her voice holding a pseudo calm.

I would have simply believed her if it weren't for the chime that went off at that exact moment. My eyes fell to her jacket pocket before they lifted to her eyes.

"You know. I just wanted to call home." I said before walking past her and making my way down the road.

People always preach about how we've become so accepting and blah blah blah, but honestly, we're not really that accepting; we just keep more stuff to ourselves. We judge people everywhere we go. It's ridiculous at this point. I don't look like the nicest guy, but I have morals. Jumping a lady and her son? I like to think I'm way better than that.

I shoved my hands into my coat pockets, looking for someone else that wouldn't think I was trying to jump them.

Of course, my luck plummeted when a car pulled up next to me and the window rolled down.

"Get in the car." The voice demanded.

I knew that voice all too well. My choices were pretty scarce; I could continue, probably to no avail, to search for someone who won't think I'm gonna steal their phone and they believe I just want to call home, or, I could get into the car with Meiga.

"Thanks…" I grumbled as I pulled the back driver side's door open and let myself into his car.

"Where the hell have you been? Tsubaki has been trying to call you all night." Meiga said as he made his way home.

"Phone died." I said with a sigh.

"Do you just not give a shit? Tsubaki is sitting at home freaking out because her stray went missing." Meiga growled.

I caught his glare in the review mirror and chose to ignore it by looking out the window.

"Excuse me, I'm talking to you."

"I get it Meiga, I apologize that you had to leave the living room to pick me up." I said before rolling my eyes.

"Fucking ungrateful brat is what you are Gareki." Meiga stated as he drove.

Yup, that's me. Because, sitting in this car with you right now, god I should count my blessings.

1- There's an asshole in the car, and it's not me.

2- He's angrily cursing me

3- His voice is driving me insane.

4- He can't understand that my hate for him probably out weights the hate he feels for me.

5- Honestly… This list can keep going

"Are you ignoring me?" Meiga demanded.

"I'm trying." I huffed.

I felt my weight being pulled towards the front as Meiga slammed on the breaks before his face was inches from my own.

"Listen, and listen good brat. You better start showing me some more goddamn respect or I'm gonna kick you out of this car." Meiga snapped.

I locked eyes with his heated glare before nodding slowly. There was no way I could walk home, and from the night's earlier searching, nobody was willing to help me out either. So… Car ride with Meiga it is. Yay… ecstatic.

The rest of the ride was quiet on the way home. I got out of the car as fast as I could, trying to get into the house so that I could escape any more time spent alone with Tsubaki's crazed other half.

"Gareki! I was so worried!" Tsubaki cried, throwing her arms around me as soon as I had opened the door. "I tried calling a million times! Where have you been!?"

I tensed at the berating of her words.

"Sorry, my phone died… I got lost." I mumbled, slightly embarrassed with the situation.

"What about your friend? You said you were going out?" Tsubaki pressed, worry still present in her eyes as she pulled away.

"Uh. He had to leave early. Something came up." I said with a forced smile. "I thought I knew my way home alone. Sorry." I said.

Tsubaki sighed heavily before a smile graced her lips.

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're ok. Thank god nothing happened." She muttered under her breath before pulling me into her arms again. "Don't ever do that again ok? Scared me half to death, I'm pretty sure I aged at least three years in the last hour." She said before chuckling half-heartedly.

I offered a sheepish smile before turning to the kitchen.

"So.. Any left overs?" I asked quietly.

"Didn't you go out for dinner?"

Yogi and I kinda had a misunderstanding and dinner didn't happen. That didn't sound like something that I could explain easily.

"I'm still a little hungry."

I decided that a white lie was probably easier than the truth at this point. I really didn't want to explain the whole Karoku incident to her at this point either, much less than what happened between Yogi and I.

The next morning I came upon Tsubaki making breakfast as per usual when she didn't work the early shift.

"Tsubame and Yotaka both had early morning practices. I'm glad they're fitting in with their groups. You too right? You have your student council right? How about this Nai character that Tsubame keeps telling me about hm? I've heard he's quite the adorable boy." Tsubaki chattered as she placed a plate of food in front of me.

"Thanks." I said before picking up a fork.

"Are you staying after school today?" Tsubaki as with raised eyebrow.

"I donno yet, I usually find out about meetings the day of. I'll let you know right away." I offered before taking a bite. "It's good, like always."

Tsubaki giggled at the compliment before ruffling my hair enthusiastically.

"As long as you let me know what's going on, I'm happy." She said before working on putting a plate together for Meiga.

I finished up breakfast before fixing myself some lunch and packing it into my bag.

"Have a good day." I said while heading towards the door.

"Don't work too hard." Tsubaki answered with before her laughter filled the kitchen and a smile painted itself across my features.

I met Nai as I was walking to school. He had bounded over to me, excited as ever. Of course, I had no idea why he was so happy, though it kinda made me nervous. I just had a feeling that my morning was just gonna get a lot more… heavy.

"Morning Gareki!" Nai greeted.

"Hey Nai. How was dinner last night?" I asked with a small smile.

"It was good, though Karoku seemed to be in a pretty bad mood." Nai said, a calculative expression taking over his features.

"Did he now? I wonder why.." I mumbled, trying to hide a small smirk.

"That aside, I have good news!" Nai exclaimed.

"Oh?"

Here it comes, that feeling that something's gonna go… very wrong.

"Karoku wanted me to invite you over for dinner!"

Woop, there it is.

"Can I invite Yogi?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and even my eyes widened.

Nai cocked his head slightly, surprised at my outburst. Yea, me too. It was stupid to ask anyways, Yogi's upset at me.

"I don't see it as being a problem." Nai said before shrugging.

"Is it tonight?"

"That's what Karoku said."

I smiled before bringing my phone out as sending Tsubaki a quick text.

'Plans sure do happen quick. Nai want's me over for dinner, is that ok?'

I hit the send button before we made our way towards school.

Lunch rolled around pretty quickly, I was lost in thoughts for the most of my day. Why would Karoku want me over for dinner? Did he just want to make my night a living hell?...

I made my way towards the student council room, wanting a quiet place to eat. I opened the door to see a certain blonde working under a desk lamp.

"Lots of work today?..." I ventured, somewhat nervous after last night's blow up.

"Sort of." Yogi mumbled as I stood in the door way.

"I'll just go somewhere else to eat. Sorry for interrupting." I said.

"Gareki, you can come in." Yogi said as I began to pull the door closed.

"Thanks…" I mumbled as I set my lunch at the desk I usually sat at and pulled the chair back to sit.

"I overreacted last night. I'm sorry."

I snapped my direction towards the student president before cocking my head.

"I got really angry at the thought of that guy hurting you that I lost the rational side of myself. I was an ass, I'm sorry."

The longer I listened the more I sorta felt like an ass myself.

"It's fine.." I mumbled as I opened my lunch.

"Not really. I mean, you and I both have enough shit to deal with already, no need for me to add to your problems." Yogi said before looking up with a small smile.

"I have a proposition." I stated, looking back at the taller boy.

Yogi cocked his head in questioning.

"Come have dinner with Nai and I. you know that guy from last night? I could use some back up." I said before a sly smirk made its way across my lips.