Chapter Four

~Pov of Ran~

            I looked around as we entered what looked like an apartment.  Nothing special but nice. I guess I like things like that.  Clean and empty.. Like me.

            "It's my separate apartment... it's not much really but its home.. well sorta."

            I nodded to him and moved to sit on the couch he was sitting on. At the other end.  Don't want to be too close to anyone.  No one deserves to be too close to someone like me.  I just stared at my hands not sure what to do or why I was here.

            "It's nice, Schuldig..."

            Just short and simple.  I like it though... I guess.  Some things don't need lots of things to make them nice.  It feels warm in here... which is odd because I normally always feel cold no matter what.

            "What's wrong today, Ran?"

            I looked up at him reliving everything that happened today.  I might not be anything special but... I really didn't need to go through all that.. did I?   Maybe I deserve it...  What he did to me...

            "I..."

            I can't tell him, he's my enemy!  There is no way he is going to trick me that easily.  But... I need someone to talk to... What am I thinking? I don't need anyone to talk to. I don't deserve that.

            "I'm fine, Schuldig."

            I'm fine... really. I just want to curl up and cry.. that's not being fine.  Me? Fine..? Fine is being a cold piece of ice.  No, not ice. I'm stone. A block of unbreakable stone.  Right. Fujimiya Ran does not cry.

            "It's okay to tell me, Ran..."

            I looked up at him not believing his voice.  He actually... I swallowed hard.  He actually sounded like he cared.  But he can't possibly care for me. I'm his enemy.  The person he torments all the time.  I wonder...

~Flash back~

            "Mommy..."  I cried until she looked down and picked me up.

            "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

            She used the end of her sleeve to wipe away my tears.

            "Mandi is being mean to me! ....and... and  I don't know why."

            She looked at me confused before finally answering.  I was only five at the time but I still could tell when she was confused.

            "Isn't she your friend? Did you two argue about something?"

            I shook my head.  Nothing started it. I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but mommy would be mad if I had.

            "I didn't do anything... she just started being mean and picking on me.  For no good reason."

            She laughed like someone had said a joke and I looked up at her with confusion on my face now.

            "Sweetheart, I think she likes you. Sometimes people act like that when they like someone but they don't know how to tell them.  Or they don't even know that they do like them."

            I looked at her confused still.

            "What do I do to make her like me again?"

            She shook her head and looked at me.

            "She likes you. That's why she does those things.  Maybe you should tell her that you like her.  So she doesn't feel like she has to do those things to you."

            Mommy was always the smartest person. She knew everything there is about everything.

            "All right, mommy. I think I will try that."

~End of Flashback~

            It was true then, but, then again, I was only five.  I wonder if it changes with age, although she did say people not children.  Does... he... Could he really like me?  Maybe he just doesn't know how to act towards me.  What do I do... help someone, please?