Hello again :) Thank you so much for the great reviews, guys!
roo17: Haha thanks a lot! Aw, that makes me happy to hear^-^ Lol I think so too! XD Yeah, pretty creepy, huh? :D Thank you, it was, as always, such a lovely review!
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Thanks you three! :)
Characters: Nami (six years old), Nojiko (eight years old), Bellemere (no idea 'bout her age xD)
Disclaimer: I don't onw One Piece; it all belongs to Eiichiro Oda.
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Chapter XIV – My sister
Bellemere sighed as she watched Nojiko walk out of the house again. 'Why is she like this?' Bellemere thought with a sad expression upon her face. She'd have to talk to Nojiko again, but would it really help?Bellemere sighed again, lighting her cigarette.Not to soon after that, another girl ran out through the same door.
"Nojiko! Nojiko, wait for me!"
Nojiko didn't even bother to turn around. Instead, the eight-years-old just let out an annoyed sigh and began to run. Nami gasped upon seeing this, but she was a stubborn little girl and didn't give up easily. She'd follow Nojiko everywhere, she was her sister after all... wasn't she?
Nami began to run after her, as fast as her small legs would carry her. The six-years-old didn't understand why Nojiko always tried to get away from her! Their mother Bellemere always said they were a family, so why did Nojiko act as if Nami wasn't part of it? They were sisters, but why did Nojiko never really acknowledge this fact? Nami didn't understand.
"Get lost, Nami! I don't need a little crybaby like you to follow me around!" Nojiko barked, and finally turned to the younger girl. She'd just reached a group of girls her age who looked at her and Nami curiously. Nojiko noticed her friends looking like that and got angry. Why did Nami have to follow her to her friends?
Nami stopped too, and panted for breath. Nojiko was really fast when she ran, another thing why Nami admired her so much. "But Nojiko! I wanted to play with you!" She said hopefully.
Nojiko blushed as her friends began to giggle. Then, she only 'tch'ed. "Why would I want to play with you? I have my friends to spend time with, so go and search for people at your age to bother!"
"Nice one, Noji!" One of the girls said and laughed. Nojiko smirked proudly, her hands on her hips.
"B-but... Nojiko..." Nami said, her face falling a bit. "What's the matter with you? You suddenly act so cold! It's never like that before!"
"It has to be 'It's never been like that', idiot." Nojiko muttered, rolling her eyes.
She hated it when Nami was like that , always clinging like a bur to her. Why did this... this child not understand? She wanted some distance. Her friends always laughed at her and began to tease her about her 'little sister'. It was so embarrassing!
Couldn't she stay at home with Bellemere? Didn't Nami see she didn't want to spend time with her anymore? Not only that, Nami always ran around, calling her sister. It's not like they were sisters by blood, so why making such a big fuss about this? They were just... roommates. Yeah, roommates fitted perfectly. Neither Nami nor Bellemere would understand it, though.
Nojiko made a noise in frustration. It wasn't like she hated Nami... but at the moment, Nojiko felt she was close to hating.
"Go home. Leave me alone." Nojiko said and turned around to continue her walking. Nami blinked, then stepped after her. The other girls watched in amusement, which unnerved Nojiko greatly.
"But why? We're sisters, right?"
"Because I'm not your baby sitter!" Nojiko snapped at little Nami, glaring at her. "And quit calling me your sister! I don't need a little sister!"
With that said, Nojiko turned to her friends, not casting a single glance at Nami again. If she had, she would have seen how heartbroken and sad Nami looked after those harsh words.
But then, Nami gritted her teeth and balled her fists in a sudden fit of anger.
"Fine! You know what? I don't need a sister either! I don't need you!" Nami shouted and turned away, never looking back. If she had, though, then she would have seen how Nojiko flinched.
Trying to hide it, Nojiko began to laugh and only rolled her eyes at her friends.
"She's really annoying, isn't she? That sister of yours."
Nojiko's eyes twitched. "She's NOT my sister. But yeah, she's annoying!"
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"I don't get it, Bellemere-san!" Nami cried, trying to wipe away the tears that kept on falling.
"There, there, Nami." Bellemere said, smiling sadly as she stroked Nami's back gently. "I know it's tough. You know, Nojiko used to get bullied a lot. And now that she has finally managed to make some friends, she wants to impress them."
"B-but why shouting at me? She said... she said she doesn't need a sister." Nami sobbed, hiccuping.
"Nojiko's being really stupid at the moment, I know. Give her some time; I'm sure she'll realize her mistake soon, she's your sister after all." Bellemere smiled, trying to cheer her youngest daughter up.
Nami, upon hearing that, gulped down her tears and stood up, a serious expression upon her face. "I don't need a sister." She said and her mother flinched at how cold it sounded.
"Nami, what are you saying?" Bellemere said, half-shocked, half-angry.
Nami turned away and with a murmur of 'I'm going out to play a bit' she went out again.
"Nami!" Bellemere said but didn't stop her. She thought it was best to let Nami be for now. Maybe both of them needed some time to themselves. After they came home though, they'd get a hell of a lecturing from her!
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Nojiko gasped. "A test of courage?"
"Exactly. You're a nice girl, but we don't want everyone in our clique. Let's just say... we want to see if you're worth the trouble." A blond-haired girl said, smirking arrogantly. The rest of the girls nodded, agreeing.
Nojiko suddenly felt like a complete outsider. She'd... she'd really thought those girls were her friends! Then why did they ask such a thing of her? Nojiko looked at her so-called friends, a slightly shocked expression upon her face.
"Something wrong, Noji?"
Nojiko hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. This was ridiculous, she shouldn't listen to them, should she? They were nothing but a bunch of cocky girls... but they were the first friends she's made, weren't they? Just as soon as the doubt appeared, it disappeared again.
Nojiko clenched her fists. There was no time for doubting. She wouldn't disappoint her friends now! She'd prove her loyalty to them!
"Alright! Tell me what to do." She said, determined. The other girls smirked.
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Nami sighed, inhaling the salty breeze of the ocean. 'Nojiko...'. Another sigh. Nami felt terrible because of their argument; she really loved Nojiko after all. The problem was just that Nami wasn't sure whether Nojiko loved her, too. She'd said things that really hurt, but Bellemere said Nojiko was just being stupid...
Nami shook her head to clear her mind. There were so many unanswered questions and doubts, it was driving her crazy. There was only one thing she could do now to get answers: She needed to pull herself together and face Nojiko again.
A small grin on her lips, Nami turned around and ran to the city. Surely Nojiko would still be there with her friends. She just needed to find her and ask her seriously. She just needed to solve the problem, and then everything would be alright... wouldn't it?
Despite the ray of new hope, Nami couldn't shake the dreadful feeling at the pitch of her stomach.
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"What are you waiting for, Noji? Scared?" The leader of the clique, the girl with the blond hair, shouted up to Nojiko. The other girls chuckled behind her.
Nojiko was currently balancing in the middle of an old, half-rotten roof, trying hard not to slip. The roof was wet and there were lots of holes in it. Nojiko's task was to cross it without breaking in or falling down – an easy task, as her friends had put it. The cocky clique was down on the ground, watching with growing smirks. There was no way that weird Nojiko would be able to join them.
She didn't even have a true mother and sister, they just called themselves a family while they weren't even blood-related! Nojiko always kept on reassuring them that Nami was NOT her sister, but everyone could see she loved the little girl. It was not something the bunch of girls could accept as a friend. And with this test, they'd get rid of her easily.
Nojiko stopped, her whole body trembling in fear. She didn't dare to look on the ground, it was too high! What was she doing? This was all just a huge mistake, all just because she just wanted to be a member of them! She wanted friends. Nojiko didn't want to be laughed at because people didn't understand why Nami lived with her while she was not her biological sister. She had enough of those guys. All she wanted was to be accepted! Was this too much to ask for?
Her track of thoughts was interrupted by a loud crack. Nojiko's blood froze and she shot around, wide-eyed. "Wh-what's happening?" She whispered in fear. Her friends began to laugh.
The moment Nojiko wanted to open her mouth and ask what was so funny, a loud crack rang through the air, followed by a shriek. Nojiko let out a yelp as the roof under her feet disappeared all of sudden. With a loud noise, the roof collapsed and Nojiko just had enough time to grab onto a piece of wood that was loosely hanging from the wall. Dust was in the air, and faintly Nojiko noticed a few persons coughing loudly.
As the sight began to clear, Nojiko fully realized the situation she was in. A gasp escaped her mouth and she paled. The girl was hanging about three meters in the air, unable to lift herself or jump down. There was no way she could get safe to the ground by herself.
"Oh no..." she whispered, on the verge of tears. Quickly biting her lip, Nojiko gulped. She couldn't cry in front of her friends! They'd never accept her! She'd always be an … outsider! Furiously, Nojiko shook her head.
"H-help me... please." She said, trying to stop her voice from shaking. There was no point in acting tough now. She needed help. Her friends would save her.
The girl with the blond hair blinked up at her. "We? Help you? No way! It's way too destroyed! We'd just risk our lives!"
"B-but, we're supposed to be friends! Friends help each other in such situations, don't they?" Nojiko asked, shocked to hear that.
"Maybe friends do such ridiculous stuff. But we are not friends, so why should we bother to help you?"
Nojiko looked down, her arms shaking with exhaustion. She wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Still, her mind was completely focused on the group of girls. The truth hit her like a punch in the face. She'd been blind. So, so blind. How could she let those weird girls trick her like that? It'd been so obvious, but she just ignored the fact in order to be happy. But how could you be happy if you pretend?
The only thing they ever did was use her as if she was a thing, not a human! Nojiko shut her eyes tightly, she didn't want to see those teasing smirks anymore.
It hurt to be stabbed in the back like that. But one thing that hurt even more was the fact that she'd pushed Nami aside cruelly. Why...? Why had she been so stupid? How could she have done this to her family? This thought made Nojiko want to kick herself, if only she was able to. Now it was too late, too late to apologize.
"Forgive me, Nami...", Nojiko murmured sadly, her head hanging low.
"Of course, you dummy!" A voice above her stated happily.
Nojiko's head shot up immediately. "Nami!" She felt unbelievable joyous and relieved upon seeing the face of the little girl. But then her expression turned into a frown.
"Wh-what are you doing here? This is dangerous! Get down!" Her sister instincts were kicking in and she felt terrible for saying those tings to Nami before. Now, all she wanted was to make sure Nami was safe.
Mentioned girl was on the joist Nojiko was hanging onto, carefully crawling towards the older girl. Nami was anything but safe, but she didn't care. Nami's mind was focused on Nojiko.
"Look! It's her again!"
"Eew! What the heck is she doing? Is she stupid or something?"
"Oi, oi! That looks dangerous, girlie! Isn't this too high for a little brat like you?"
Nami paid no heed to Nojiko's former friends, but the older of the two twitched. She turned to them, glaring daggers. "Who are you to talk about Nami like that? Shut up!"
The clique blinked at that tone, not expecting this. "Eh? Where does this come from? Not interested to be accepted anymore? We're not your friends if you continue to talk to us like that!" The leader threatened.
"I'd be ashamed to call you my friends! Get the hell outta here, you bitches!" Nojiko suddenly shouted. This actually managed to make the girls flinch. Nami looked up in surprise, staring in awe at Nojiko.
"Nojiko...", then little Nami grinned. Turning to the blond-haired leader who stood there, frozen in shock, she added,
"You heard her! Bitches!"
The bunch of girls 'eeked', and began to run away. Nami laughed happily. Nojiko sighed deeply.
"Nami, you shouldn't always repeat what I say... Bellemere-san won't be too happy about this..." She said. Nami just continued to grin, not understanding the meaning of the word 'bitch'.
"Here I am." She simply stated as she finally reached Nojiko. "I'll pull you up."
"Pull me up? Hold on, this ain't work! I'm way too heavy!" Nojiko said and sounded a little panicked by now. Where were all the citizens? They needed help!
"I won't abandon you!" Nami said and tried to help Nojiko up again, but to no avail. Nojiko was right.
"Nami, listen! You need to climb back down and search for help!" Nojiko nearly shrieked. Nami wouldn't move.
"No! I'm staying with y- what was that?" Nami gulped. The joist groaned again and began to bend slowly. Both Nojiko and Nami gasped.
"Aah!"
Before Nojiko could shout at Nami to get the hell down, the joist cracked and both fell. Nojiko shrieked and closed her eyes, preparing for the crash. It never came. Instead, they landed on something rather soft.
"Ow! Dammit!"
"Eh?" Nojiko blinked, sitting up. She was perfectly fine, safe for a little shock and a few scratches here and there. Nami was right beside her, already getting to her feed, signaling that she was okay, too.
"Would you please get off of me?" A rather irritated voice stated from below them, and Nojiko yelped.
"I-I'm so sorry! We didn't intend to, uh, land on you!" Nojiko pulled Nami behind her protectively. "It was an accident..."
Gizma, the man who had been the living pillow for Nami and Nojiko, groaned, standing up. He dusted off his dirty clothes and looked at them sternly.
"What's this? You play on my roof until it collapses and then you decide to wait until I show up, just to jump on me?" Gizma narrowed his eyes.
"You... still lived here?" Nami asked with huge eyes. Nojiko tried to hide her from the man's view.
"Yeah! Though... I have to admit, you just proved this house is anything but safe... darn..." Gizma trailed off, and Nojiko and Nami sweat-dropped.
'He's slow!' they thought, gaping.
"Anyways, I've seen you around sometime." Gizma said, pointing at Nami.
"Who are you? And who's this girl?" Gizma asked, coughing, profoundly confused. Both Nami and Nojiko looked at each other, then-
"She's my sister!" Both exclaimed without hesitation.
Gizma blinked and halted in his movements. Then he looked both up and down, frowning. "Sister? So you're telling me you're siblings?"
"Un! We're a family!" They nodded at the same time again, glancing at the man in determination. Gizma was a bit unsure whether to believe the two, they didn't look anything alike after all... but there was a special tone in their voices, a certain honesty and true affection for the other that erased all doubt Gizma had. Besides, family was a matter heart, not of appearance, right?
He sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Now take your sister, and get the heck outta here." He said to Nojiko but it didn't sound angry. Instead, he tried to hide his smile.
Nojiko didn't waste a second. She grabbed the small hand of her sister (she smiled a little at this thought) and made a run for it. Apparently, mentioned little sister didn't mind being dragged around like that. Instead, Nami smiled.
She was truly happy. She had her lovely mother Bellemere. And now, Nami finally had someone she could call a sister. Someone she could go to and ask for advice whenever she needed some.
Nami had a person she could look up to, her big sister Nojiko.
And neither Nami, nor her sister did give a damn anymore if people accepted this or not. Why should they care what others thought? It didn't matter as long as they had each other to look after. What else did they need?
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Reviews are greatly appreciated! =)
Next chapter will be about something dear SniperKingSogeking0341 suggested, so stay put!
Have a nice day, people^-^
Neko11