Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. (Follows Manga)

Beta: June Dune

Chapter 14

One Book, Two Book

A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body.

Library, Death Weapon Meister Academy, Death City, Nevada, United States

Tuesday, September 16, 20XX

11:00 A.M.

The early morning sky was clad in grey, and the clouds were doubling up on each other menacingly. I glanced out the rain-speckled window, drinking in the sight of the drops splattering on the glass. The rain looked like tears from the eyes of the clouds, softly falling on the ground with a light pitter-patter sound. It was nice to hear something in this dreaded silence. My head shifted, turning to look down at the book on the table station in front of me. The book in front was one with a subject I wouldn't typically dwell upon; however, it was something I needed to understand if I wanted to understand the concept itself. With all the things and feelings Zenna was doing to me.

This thing they called Friendship.

I needed to learn this, sooner than later, if I wanted to get rid of Zenna and Hon Tee. I stared blankly at the book in front of me, placed between one arm that flipped the page while the other was balled in a fist that rested against my cheek. I let out a small huff, flipping to another page.

*Friendship is a type of relationship between two people who care about each other. Friendship is a stronger form of interpersonal bond, a strong, deep, or close association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring, than an association. Although there are many forms of friendship, some of which may vary from place to place, certain characteristics are present in many types of friendship. Such characteristics include affection, sympathy, empathy, honesty, altruism, mutual understanding and compassion, enjoyment of each other's company, trust, and the ability to be oneself, express one's feelings, and make mistakes without fear of judgment from the friend.

While there is no practical limit on what types of people can form a friendship, friends tend to share common backgrounds, occupations, or interests, and have similar demographics. For example: A friend is the first person you want to call when you hear good news. A friend remembers that you don't like pickles on your sandwich. A friend will accompany you on the most boring of errands and make them seem fun.

Three significant factors make the formation of a friendship possible: proximity, which means being near enough to see each other or do things together; repeatedly encountering the person informally and without making special plans to see each other; and opportunities to share ideas and personal feelings with each other

Friendships end for many different reasons. Sometimes friends move away from each other and are forced to move on due to the distance. Sometimes divorce causes an end to friendships, as people drop one or both of the divorcing people. At a younger age friendships may end as a result of acceptance into new social groups. Friendships may end by fading quietly away or may end suddenly. How and whether to talk about the end of a friendship is a matter of etiquette that depends on the circumstances.

I slammed the book close and tossed it into the pile laid out around me on the ground and table; I picked them out in order to help me. Did they? Not really... They basically sprouted the same thing but in different formats and words. My hands slicked back my hair as it fell back into place in limp. I stood, turning my back at the stack, and walked off to another part of the library and grabbed a random book. I glanced at the title, *Till Death Do Us Part, and gave a shrug before tucking it under my arm and made my way to check it out and then get out of school.

It should be a good book to read for a few days.

Death Weapon Meister Academy, Death City, Nevada, United States

Friday, September 19, 20XX

1:05 P.M.

The book was better than I thought it would be. Reading at home near the soft, rolling fire made for a good few nights. A nice break from everything else as well. After returning it, I walked out of the library, making my way to the Dojo where class was to be held in 20 minutes. I really wasn't looking forward it. Not. At. All.

The eyes I didn't like. No, sir, I did not.

'Then look the other way...'

How could I when I was looked at on all sides? I didn't like the attention. It made me feel more than just vulnerable. Why couldn't I have just stayed in the background? Why couldn't I have just stayed in that house for the rest of my days?

'We really want friends though. We want others to see us not for the Shinigami-sama's daughter or the younger sister of Death the Kid. We just want someone to see us for... well, us...'

For me? Damn it, I hated it when I was like this. When my inner thoughts were right. I wanted to slap myself. Seriously, this wasn't normal in any sense, and that was stretching it.

I took a step into the Dojo a moment later, checking my watch to see that I just had a few more minutes before class actually started. Upon looking up, I caught glances made my way from other students. It wasn't as frequent as it was before but they still looked, watched. I went to the place I dubbed 'My Corner' and leaned against the wall, waiting for Sensei to come in and teach.

Suddenly a giggle was sounded beside me. I glanced to my left and saw a grinning Zenna with a frowning Hon Tee by her side. "Chessy~!" Zenna surprised me when she suddenly jumped me and wrapped her arms around me. I froze rigidly from the sudden contact. Zenna seemed to notice as her arms that were wrapped around me came back to her side and gave me a tilt of her head.

I frowned, "Nothing..." I mumbled, looking away from the deepening frown of Hon Tee. My face returned to its normal blank mask. "What do you want Zenna?" I asked the crazy girl.

"I just wanted to know if... well, if you wanted to practice with me and Hon?" The girl glanced at me, pointing her fingers together in front of her. "I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. But we work well together, so I thought..."

"If you're still willing to be her Meister," Hon Tee finished for her. He got ticked off because Zenna didn't finish like they wanted to. He knew Zenna wanted the girl to be her partner, but he didn't. He didn't want to agree with her either that they were a good pair, maybe even a team of three. He heard Zenna talk about the girl time and time before; it made him grow angry enough to hate Shinigami-sama's daughter. He didn't want his dear Zenna to get hurt over all of this. He would work with it if it made her happy. If he could keep that smile on her, then nothing else mattered. But he still wondered if she would be crushed under the pressure and actually turn out to be the one Meister they both had been looking for. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't looking for one. This was all for Zenna. Nothing more.

I couldn't see why she still wanted me to be her Meister after so long, but time was running out. Father did say by the end of November, but time could fly more quickly when you weren't looking. I needed to find a Weapon partner, and there was one right in front of me, offering without resistance (for the most part). She was actually more persistent then resistant. I watched her closely. This could work but...

'Don't make a fool of us! We know we want someone, even her, to be our partner without being afraid of us, or hating us, or having another motive other than being our partner!'

I already knew that! Gosh, why me?

'We're stuck with each other no matter how we don't like it...'

Shut up already!

'Just go and get her to be our partner so we don't want to worry about this anymore! We know we don't want to leave the school! So do it already!'

What are you, my mother?! I think not!

'We are we... That's all we are.'

I shut myself up, not wanting to get this in over my head. I let out a long sigh, combing back my hair before it fell back into place. I gave a long look to the waiting girl. I gave her a short, curt nod before I had to cover my ears from the loud screeching noise. I could feel another head ache coming on. I held up a hand, making her stop.

"This does not make me your Meister. I'm just working with you to practice. Nothing more, nothing less. Understand?" I had to make sure she understood that. I wasn't her partner in anyway except for practice. That was it!

"Understood!" Zenna gave me a mock salute before bouncing over to an empty area of the dojo. I glanced to my side at a slightly smirking, slightly glaring Hon Tee.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just wondering when you'll crack under the pressure." He walked off, joining in with his friend as his face changed to the mother hen part of his personality.

Why did I get the feeling that I had just doomed myself?

Alleyway, Death City, Nevada, United States

Friday, September 19, 20XX

4:15 P.M.

After three hours of blood, sweat, tears (on Zenna's part), and fighting, all I needed to get out of there! I had bustled out of DWMA as quick as I could, getting into the shadows, to get away from everything else. A few moments later, I had poked my head out to make sure she wasn't there and stepped out into the sunlight that made little spot lights in the alleyway, but it was still dark in spite of the warm sun shining brightly above. I made a left, rounding a corner. Finally, the alley split into two; I took another left going under a small archway along with posters for different reasons plastered on the walls on both sides, leaving no inch uncovered.

I kicked a random stone that bounced off the stone walkway. I heaved a sigh, about to kick another stone, when something connected with the bottom of my boot. It was squishy when I pressed down on it slightly. My ears perked up as I heard some struggling movement and a high-pitched sound "Geko" over and over. I pulled my foot away to see a small green frog that had a narrow mouth, accentuated by a prominent black circle at each end.

I blinked, bending down before the green frog could get away, and picked it up by one of its hind legs. What was this?

The frog struggled in my grip as it tried to wiggle out. I gave it a look of distaste when it froze as I lifted it to eye level. I turned the green thing so it could see my eyes; I could see it. If you looked close enough, you could see the fright in its eyes and sweat that went in buckets on its body. My eyes narrowed, seeing the white eyes dart right then left as if trying to find a way to escape, but the more the green thing struggled the tighter my grip was. I lifted my hand from its leg to its round body.

It wasn't normal. (What was?) This wasn't a normal frog.

I grinned, causing the frog to sweat even more (if that was possible) and muttered to it, "You're coming with me." Then I walked home, my grip never loosening on the frog in case of it getting away.

Cheshire's Room, Gallows Mansion, Death City, Nevada, United States

Friday, September 19, 20XX

8:30 P.M.

I flipped through the green book I got only months ago, growling in frustration as the book was as blank as ever. Throwing it at the wall, it slid down to the floor with a small dang as it landed on its spine upside down, the green cover showing itself. It was as if it was taunting me. I glared at it before turning around to stare at the green frog that stared right back at me with black eyes that held something in them. The frog was in a huge glass cage with the habitat right for a normal frog. I had gotten it from a local pet store, making sure to ask the right questions in order to take care of the so-called 'pet' frog. It seemed to like it but not at the same time.

I tried to feed it as well, but it wouldn't take the flies so I tried different bugs. That didn't do anything either. So...human food was given a try. The little green amphibian liked them... Now I knew it wasn't a normal frog. If I guessed right, then that frog was a witch.

I walked closer before stopping in front of the cage and bent down to eye level. Then I spoke, "Nay, froggie... What's your name?"

"..."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW, I'd like to hear what you have to say.

*Taken from Wikipedia.

*It's a real book by Kate White. Summary: When two of Peyton Cross' bridesmaids die in freak accidents, the third turns for help to Bailey Weggins, true crime writer, sometime-sleuth, and Peyton's former college roommate. A dangerous trail of clues leads Bailey from the elegant suburbs of Connecticut to New York's Lower East Side and finally to a fabulous oceanfront hotel room in Miami.