CHAPTER FOUR: AN ANSWER, CLAUS

"Why did you want me to sing that song?" I was curious now.

"You said you would sing it to me." Claus simply said. "That's all." He watched the sky again. "Why are you here?"

"I have nowhere else to go," I said opening my eyes.

"You know what I mean, Loki." Claus smiled. "Stop acting like that."

"Like what?" I was confused. "It's true. This is the only place I know outside of high school."

"Loki," Claus then turned around, "knock it off."

I sat up, and turned around. The sun was setting, and the colors were wonderful. "The sunset it's wonderful isn't?"

"Yeah it is." Claus smiled at me. "You still haven't answered my question."

"You, that's all you need to know." I wasn't joking. I actually meant it.

"Why me?" Claus was watching the sunset.

"Because… I love you." I looked down at one of the wildflowers. Oh, God, someone just shoot me. "Funny ain't it?"

"Loki…" Claus tried to answer but he stopped. He was tongue-tied.

"I'm joking!" I said laughing. "Did you actually think that I… You… Claus, come on!" Like I said before I'm a horrible liar, but he doesn't know, so yay to me.

"Loki!" Claus nudged me on my back. " Aha-ha-ha. Yeah real funny."

I got up, stuffed the pocket watch back in its place, and decided to lean my back against his. I was cold for some reason. I sat there back-to-back with Claus. I looked at the sky, it was dark now. The stars were shining and the moon luminated the field and everything else the moon beams touched, it was beautiful you should've been there.

"We're as different as---" Claus paused for a bit.

"Night is to day, and yet somehow---" I paused this time.

"We know each other very well!" We both said in unison laughing.

"Loki, about what you said," Claus was trying to look at me, because he moved his head, "you can't fool me. You're a horrible liar."

"Nope everything is right as rain," I said smiling, "you're the horrible liar. And you know it."

"Really?" Claus said softly, he then changed the subject. "That song, the one from earlier, you said it was titled 'A Stray Child.' That's you isn't?"

"That song is a mixture a sadness and love, so I don't know how, that could be me." I said holding back tears. For once what he said made me cry, I gave silent tears at that moment. "You suck at lying, you know that don't you?"

"So I've been told." Claus seemed worried by the tone in his voice.

I stopped crying once he said that and rocked side-to-side. I rocked too much to the right side and I tipped over, my headache reared its ugly head once again. 'Damn headache.' I thought.

"You alright?" Claus laughed.

"Yeah I'm okay, I just tipped over." I was trying to ignore the pain. "Hey, Claus it's--"

"Getting cold so we should head back? Am I right?" Claus' chin was on my arm.

"Claus, damn it," I sat up quickly knocking my arm on Claus' chin. "You act worse than Al."

"Actually that's how you act." Claus said rubbing his chin. "It is getting cold."

"You're right." I got up and walked down the hill.

I looked back and watched Claus got down the hill. There was a small breeze coming from the south, and you could see breath. I sang an old Beatles song. Claus pushed me along the way because I was walking slowly. We were only half way there when I sat at the edge of the road. The wind was picking up, so dust flew all over the place.

"Hey, Claus?" the headache when away.

"Yeah, what is it?" Claus stopped near my feet. "Come on, you aren't mad about what happened, are you?"

"No, you're right on how I act." I laughed. "It's just that…" I looked at him sadly. "What if I wasn't joking? How would take what I said?"

"Lo…" he looked away. "I…. I…."

I got up and dusted myself off. I held Claus very tight, almost afraid about what he would say. He was warm, and I was sort of shaking, I mostly do that when I get nervous. I fought back tears, 'Come Loki, you can do it.' I thought.

"Claus," I whispered in his ear, "I want an answer by tomorrow." And with that I walked slowly back to the house.

"We start school tomorrow," Claus yelled, "so don't expect till late hours!"

I walked up the steps and straight to the emergency room. I slowly unlocked the door, the room, it was empty! I looked at the bed, the sheets were folded nicely, and a black ball of fluff was on the sheets, it was Yoshi, she was asleep.

"Oh well." I sighed. 'Alvis did have the opportunity to unlock the door while I was gone.' I though.

I walked lazily to my room, and turned on the lights, and closed the door. I locked it from the inside. At the window bow was my plant, I grabbed the pot and placed on my nightstand. I ran back and closed my window.

"Night, Bob." I muttered to the plant, 'Bob' that killed me.

I walked across my room and opened a small door. I flipped the switch. There were stairs that lead down. I walked down the stairs and into my bathroom. It wasn't big or anything it had fish decorations, and things you found in a normal bathroom. I decided to take a warm shower, which meant I must be really nervous. I left all of my clothes on the doors rack.

After my shower I dried myself with a green towel. I grabbed from my coat rack a pair navy blue sweatpants, and a navy blue shirt that reached down to my knees. I put them one and dried my hair, the braid was all undone, and it lasted fairly long enough.

I ran upstairs and turned off the lights from my room. All I had was the moon's beams reflecting off my bed. I jumped on top of my bed and covered myself.

"Aw, crap my senior year at high school." I whispered under the covers. I was really tired. I yawned a couple of times and managed to mutter out, "I pray it doesn't become like last year…" and with that I was out like a light.

THE NEXT DAY

I looked at the clock next to my bed. It read a quarter to five in the morning. I jumped up from bed and stretched a bit. Dawn was coming soon, so I did want to miss the sunrise. I walked to my closet, which was to the side of my bed; it was a sliding door closet. I picked the schools uniform. It was a white shirt with a black collar, and black sleeves.

The schools initials were on the front left side in gold letters. The skirt, which I so loathe, was three inches above my knee, it was black and gold. On the front pocket a gold bird was there with the schools crest as it's shield. I looked around for the school pants, I found them all the way in the back of the closet. I changed to the school shirt; pants and I put on the black tie. The sweater was all white, with only black writing it's tacky if you ask me.

I brushed my teeth and combed my hair. Sunrise isn't until five minutes past five I still had time. I sat on my bed when I was done and watched through the window.

"Claus better give me an answer…" I said softly watching the sunrise.