HEY! If u guys haven't noticed, I decided to mix chappie 9 and 10 TOGETHER! They just seemed to go like that. So, I need to fix the old chappie 11 so it says chappie 10 instead. GLAD WE COULD CLEAR THIS UP,

Hey again. Srry, I couldn't find the original Chappie Nine. It was on a floppy... So, now I have this one that I have re-written! The original was much funnier... considering this one's kinda sad... and is just leading into something... Anywho

This features - Kouji writing.

Give Me - Takuya writing.

Novacaine -Kida's memory.

/by Green Day/ -Give Me Novacaine by Green Day.

Chapter 9:

Kida stared at her wall for what seemed to be hours. She finally got bored of the same old color and glanced at her calandar. May 11.

"Happy brithday Ryu..." she muttered. She curled up in a ball on her bed and cried softly as she sat in darkness. Her alarm clock read 12:13 AM.

At School:

"Hey Kida!" Kouji said as he slammed against her locker. "What's up?"

"Hey..." she said as if she were dazed. She shut her locker and walked away, saying nothing more to Kouji. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Did I do something?"

In Class:

Ms. Yukataga lectured about something or other, as she always did. And as usual, Kouji paid no attention to her. Kida was leaning her head against the window. Usually, Kida doodled something on her paper or tried to pass a note to Kouji at this point of time in class. (Whoa... I phrased THAT awkwardly...) She didn't today, and it was worrying him. He ripped a piece of paper and wrote, Are you alright? He then passed it to Kida. She didn't even notice it. This made him frown.

"Kida," he whispered. She didn't respond. "Kida!" he whispered again. She still didn't reply. He poked her with his pencil, but she still didn't move. He ripped another piece of paper and wrote something on it, passing it to Takuya. Takuya took it quickly and read it, frowning at its content. It read: Something's wrong with Kida, and I don't mean she's pissed. There's something MAJORLY wrong. Takuya wrote something and passed it back.

When Kouji recieved it, he smirked. Should we cheer her up by messing with the teach? Kouji nodded. Takuya laid his head down on the desk and began snoring very loudly.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD!" Ms. Yukataga yelled. She marched over to Takuya's desk, her back facing Koji. "MR. KANBARA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" Takuya drooled. Kouji balled up a piece of cotton and placed it right under Ms. Yukataga's collar. She shot up, feeling the sudden tickle of the cotton ball. She began reaching down the back of her shirt for the cotton ball. "OH MY! WHAT IN THE-!" Takuya lifted his head, took out his cell phone, and snapped a few pictures of Ms. Yukataga freaking out.

"Heh, heh," Takuya muttered. "Right next to Kouji as a man whore..." Kouji smirked at the number they just did to Yukataga. He glanced at Kida to see if she was enjoying it too. Sadly, she didn't even raise her head. This made his smirk disappear and his frown return.

At Lunch:

Kida sat at the table, swirling around her mashed potatoes in her gravy. She had a dazed look in her eyes and it scared Kouji to death. He stared at her until Izumi and Takuya came back to the table holding hands.

"What's wrong with her?" Kouji asked, glancing at her again. Izumi examined her, noting how pale she looked and how dull her hair was.

"She looks sick..." Izumi concluded.

"If she was, then she'd be at home!" Takuya corrected. Kouji threw his fork down on his tray.

"Takuya's yelling and she didn't even notice!" Kouji bellowed. "KIDA!" Kouji yelled at her. She never flinched, didn't move an inch. She just stared into space and continued to swirl her potatoes. Kouji's eyes shook and glazed over. "Kida..."

After School:

Kida walked out of the school, listening ot her cd player. Give Me Novacaine by Green Day was playing.

/Take away the sensation inside. Bitter sweet migraine in my head. It's like a throbbing toothache of the mind. I can't take this feeling anymore.../

"I can't stand you!" Ryu yelled.

"RYU!" Ruth yelled back.

"I'm leaving and I'm never coming back! AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

A younger Kida hid in the closet with the door cracked as she watched her big brother leave again. She backed into the wall, closing the door completely. She sighed as she curled into a ball, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

/Drain the pressure from the swelling. This sensation's overwhelming. GIve me a long kiss good night and everything will be alright. Tell me I won't feel a thing. Give me novacaine./

She barely noticed tears flowing down her cheeks from the memory. I can't even remember what he sounded like... she thought. Suddenly she was thrown against the concrete wall and was forced to stare into a pair of dark sapphire eyes.

"What is wrong with you!" Kouji screamed at her. "I've been yelling at you for the past five minutes and you don't even answer me! And all day today! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE A HANG OVER!" She tried to back into the wall, finding she had no such luck.

/Out of body and out of mind. Kiss the demons out of my dreams. I get the funny feeling that's alright. Jimmy says it's better than here./

Kida just stared at him. He looked so angry.. and... worried... Before she knew what she was doing, she reached up and kissed Kouji's lips. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and held him in a tight embrace. Kouji blushed, slightly caught off guard. Before long, he pushed her away. "Answer me." he said forcefully, demanding obedience.

"I..." Kida tried to say something, but couldn't. She didn't know where to start... and frankly, she was trying to forget.

"Mom...?" Kida asked.

"Hm?" was her mother's reply.

"How long do you think he'll be gone this time?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

"I'm sorry," she finally got out.

"Sorry!" Kouji yelled. "I have been freaking out all day! And you tell me sorry! Kida, what is wrong with you!"

"It's May 11... that's what's wrong..."

"What?"

/Drain the pressure from the swelling. This sensation's over whelming. Give me a long kiss goodnight and everything will be alright. Tell me I won't feel a thing. Give me novacaine./

Kida rushed passed him, trying to not let him see the tears swelling in her eyes.

"KIDA!"

LATER ON:

Kida hung her legs off the side of the bed with her cd player playing, although her head phones weren't completely on her head. She still had that same dazed look on her face. There was black paint spread all over her walls. Her many posters were ripped and scattered. In her hand was a pristine letter that was un-opened. She didn't look as though she was planning on opening it either.

With Koji and Taky:

"I don't know what's wrong with her!" Kouji yelled as he and Takuya walked down the sidewalk.

"Did you try asking?" Takuya asked. Kouji glared at him.

"Well, DUH!" Kouji stopped, staring at Kida's apartment building. "Should we go in?" Takuya shrugged and they began walking up the stairs to her apartment door. Once there, they rang the bell a few times, no answering coming. Kouji jiggled the doorknob, finding that it was unlocked. He stepped in, but Takuya placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to come back.

"We shouldn't..." Takuya said.

"You wanna get to the bottom of this or not?"

Takuya sighed. "Yeah..." With that mattered settled, they walked in, finding a a room that looked as if a hurricane went through it.

"She's been in here..." Kouji commented. They wormed their way in,hopping over the couch to get to Kida's door. It was locked. KOuji began banging on the door. "Kida?" he called. "Kida, are you in there?"

No answer.

"Kida?" Takuya called as well. There was still no answer.

"Watch," Kouji warned Takuya as he hit the door with his side, smashing through it. Kida didn't str from her place on her bed. She barely glanced at the boys.

"KIDA!" Takuya yelled. He ran over to her, Kouji at tow. Kida showed no intention of greeting them.

"Kida, what's going on?" Kouji asked gently. She didn't answer. (Pretty obvious she didn't) Kida was really starting to piss him off, Kouji I mean. "Kida! JUST SAY SOMETHING DAMNIT!" Takuya was knocked over by Kouji's yelling. His eyes were turned into spinning swirls.

"Something..." Kida said in a raspy voice. This REALLY pissed him off. She knew damn well what he meant!

Kouji threw Kida over his shoulder, carrying her out of the messy apartment and leaving Takuya in his unconscious state.Kouji was surprised by her lack of character as she didn't fight him or even protest as he carried her away. He could have had his way with her right then and there and wouldn't have heard a word of complaint! No that he WOULD but...

He carried her down the street, recieving many unwanted stares, but he really didn't care whether they stared or not. He was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what. And besides, with Kida in her current state, she probably couldn't even tellthere was still day light.

Once he arrived at the harbor, he set Kida down under the pier, sitting next to her.

"Talk to me," he demanded. She just stared at the ground with the same dazed look in her eyes."Kida!" She continued to stare. "Don't make me hurt you." She should have to blink at some point... Kouji huffed, giving up the fight. He didn't want to actually hurt her...

"...Ryu..." she said quietly.

"Huh?" said Kouji. He wanted to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Did she just speak?

"Ryu..." she said again. Tears began filling her eyes. "H-He-" she began choking as she tried to speak. Kouji patted her back, trying to help her breathe.

"Take it easy. Breathe." As he said this, she couldn't help herself. She threw herself at him, burrying her face in his chest. Watching the sobbing girl in his arms, Kouji began stroking her hair, attempting to calm her. He regretted having yelled at her.

She eventually stopped, but left her head where it lay. When he realized she'd stopped. he tightened the embrace, then pulled away, noticing her still dazed eyes.

"You ready to talk about it?" he asked her. She nodded, leaning back against the pier.

"Ryu... my brother... today's his birthday. He left 7 years ago..." she sighed. "I was 7, he was 18. He had left before, but this time, he didn't come back. I remember running after him... he told me he hated me." She could feel her eys beginning to water again.

"Kida..."

"He sent me a letter about a week later but, I never opened it. I was afraid of what it might say..." Tears started rolling down her cheek. Feeling hopeless as what to do, Kouji meerly leaned his head against the pier. Kida laughed, wiping away her salty tears. "Heh, look at me! It's been 7 years, and NOW I decided to cry? It's so stupid!" She laughed some more.

"No, it's not," Kouji told her. He frowned. "There's more, isn't there?" Kida stared at him for a moment, showing no intention of speaking. (I've been saying that line a lot in this chapter) "It's alright, you don't have to-"

"He died." Kida began sobbing as she spoke. "He died! Yesterday, they found his body in a dumpster! They think he was murdered, but I know better!" She began screaming. "He's dead! HE'S DEAD!" She doubled over, clutching her stomach as if she were ready to hurl. In one swift movement, Kouji scooped her into his lap, holding her tightly, rocking her back and forth as the sun set in the distance...

About 2 Hours Later:

Kouji helped Kida flip the couch back over as they finished cleaning the main part of the apartment.

"Do you think I need to see a shrink?" Kida asked as she sat down on the couch. Kouji sat next to her, slightly shocked by her statement.

"No."

"Mom thinks so... that's where she's been since this morning..." Kida glanced at the clock, 9 pm. Her mother's been gone for ovre 12 hours.

"Read it," came Kouji's voice.

"Wha-what?"

"Read it, read that letter."

Kida blinked. Kouji's face was stern, so she thought it better to not beat around the bush. She pulled the letter out of her pocket. That letter was the last thing her brother ever gave her, the last thing he will ever give her, and the last and only thing she will ever have to remember him by... he didn't particularly like being photographed... She neatly opened the envelope, careful to not rip the pristine paper. She pulled out the folded piece of notebook paper. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what her brother had to say...

There were four short words written on it, words that made her smile.

Remember, I love you.

And that was all he had to say. For 7 years, that letter wanted to send the message that her brother loved her. The dazed look in her eyes slowly disappeared. She read those words over and over, able to imagine her brother saying them. She was amazed that she could remember his voice. She turned to see Kouji's stern, yet worried face. She gave him a warm smile, showing that everything would be OK. The pain of her brother leaving would never fully leave, and the stinging of knowing she wouldn't see him again in this lifetime would scar her, but everything would be OK.

"Whoa... what a fall!" Takuya said, coming out of Kida's bedroom. He held his head, his eyes still swirly circles. What'd you forget he was there? "HEY! You're back to normal! Y'know, your room's a wreck!" Kida laughedslightly softer than she usually did, but that was good enough for now.

KJ or Crashed, or however I sign this thing, signing off! This is probably the most intense chapter I have/ will ever write for this story. Tell me, did ya like it? Can n e one else out there sorta kinda relate to it?To those of you who can, I'm sorry, and I want you to know, this chapter is only half fictional.