Chapter 4
One day, while Bevy was away on a date with Itachi, Bera, Ryu, Ato and Kiyo hung out at Kiyo's house. Everything was going great, and then Kiyo played a practical joke on Bera that almost got her hurt. He told her to stand on the ledge outside his home and when she did, he almost pushed her over. He tried to apologize, but soon it turned into a four way, heated argument. They were talking about their friendship and Kiyo tried to push the anger on Ryu, but Ryu was already pissed and armed. "You should talk", he yelled at Kiyo. "The day you broke up with Bera, you called me! I didn't tell you what you wanted to hear, so you made some bullshit about how you can't trust us! You assume things that aren't even true just because you think that's what's going to happen. You said that Bera, Ato, and me were holding you back, and that you couldn't be sure we wouldn't blackmail and backstab you if you ever became famous! And you said it about Ato! She is the sweetest person I know."
Kiyo wasn't prepared for this. He kept making himself smile to hide the fact that all of his stress and pain was bringing him close to tears. Bera looked shocked and Ato wasn't looking at him. She mumbled something about getting some water and went to the kitchen. "Why can't you trust us," Bera asked. "I can't trust my own family," Kiyo said. "I have trust issues…" Ato looked like she was about to cry. "I can't believe you don't trust us…" Kiyo got up to give her a hug and say he was sorry. When he came near her, she told him to get away from her and not to touch her. Kiyo felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest.
Kiyo never wanted to leave his own house so much in his whole life. "You cant follow me upstairs," he said desperately to try to escape the conversation. As he ran upstairs, he heard Ryu say behind him, "You wanna bet?" Kiyo ran in his room. He couldn't believe he was running away from his problems like a little girl. He jumped into bed and pressed his face into the pillow. Ato came up next to him and told him to move over so that she could lie down. Bera came up and sat on his legs and put hers across Ato's. Ryu just lingered by the door not talking. When he started to talk, Kiyo tried to tune him out. He couldn't take the yelling anymore. He looked over at Ato. She was crying. He just wanted it all to stop…
Just then, Ato got up and pushed Bera off her back and ran downstairs. Kiyo got up and ran after her. She was putting on her shoes and sobbing hysterically. As a few tears ran down Kiyo's face, he had to think quickly. He didn't want Ato to go. He grabbed her shoe so that she couldn't leave. She grabbed her shoe anyway, gave Kiyo one last look of pain, hurt, and anger, and walked out the door, followed by Bera and Ryu, leaving Kiyo standing there alone. He looked out the window and saw Ato and Bera sitting on the steps. "Today was not supposed to be like this," Kiyo yelled as tears streamed down his face. Electricity crackled around the room. He ran into the kitchen and, grabbing at his hair, jumped up and down screaming and crying. No one had ever seen him cry… He screamed "why" over and over again, still jumping up and down like he was throwing a tantrum, but in a more "my life is over and I'm all alone" kind of way. Electricity was flying everywhere. Just then, Ato came in the room. The tears were still flowing harder than ever. Then, she did something she never did before. She came up to him, put her arms around him, and gave him a true, genuine, hug. As the electricity faded away, Kiyo hugged her back. Ato said through her tears, "I don't hate you! Please don't hurt yourself! Please…" Kiyo just cried. He had so much anger and pressure on him before and no way to let it out. "I'm sorry!" he said. "I'm sorry I called you Ling-Ling! I'm sorry for everything! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" They both just stood there, sobbing and trying to stop the other one from crying. Kiyo was grateful that Ato, though he hurt her, stayed by him. Thanks to Ato showing him that people really do care for him, Kiyo was on his way to trusting other people…