Hello and welcome to the second chapter of Typical. I was quite proud of my first chapter, and as well, thank you everyone that decided to leave a review, it was very appreciated. Every author has to admit that getting a review for their story is a proud moment.
Once more, thank you to those who reviewed. I'm hoping to get another group of reviews, maybe even another ten, on the next chapter if possible. An author loves to hear what his or her readers think about their story, and I am no exception. Once again, if you have something you would like to critique me on, please do so in a courteous manner.
And finally, a quick thank you to Neko Ryou, who caught a mistake in the first chapter. I had accidentally placed in the name "Tea" instead of "Anzu". Mistake has been found and fixed.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
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With a cry, she jumped up and turned on her heel, running out of the arcade as fast as she could. She could hear her friends calling her name, telling her to come back, but it was too late. She had already disappeared into the fog outside.
Her destination… Well, she wasn't sure at this point. She didn't want to go home yet, that was obvious. She still had time left anyways, so why go home earlier than need be? All that would accomplish was more misery and anguish, two things that Anzu was more than acquainted with. But home was starting to sound pretty good at this point, considering how the weather was.
It was absolutely pouring outside. After only a few minutes in the rain, she was soaked to the bone, cold and alone. Her running had slowed down to a light jog before becoming a leisurely walk down the sidewalk. She was about four blocks from the arcade, but she still didn't feel as if it was enough. She wanted to get further and further away. She wanted to escape.
As she was passing by the park, she decided that maybe she could go here to think about everything that was going on. Maybe she could just clear her head and think straight for once. It was obvious that was something she had lacked doing earlier. And so, without any hesitation, Anzu took a turn into the park, walking down one of the appropriate pathways through.
She ran a slender hand through her very damp hair, feeling the water trickle off her locks and onto her fingers. It was still raining quite hard, so it didn't really matter if she got water on herself at this point or not. But what really got her was the sudden clap of thunder and flash of lightning that filled the air.
Her mouth formed into a silent 'o' of surprise, and before she realized it, she was running through the park, her hands covering her ears to block out the sound. Thunder brought back some of the worst memories. And before she could stop herself, her mind grasped onto one of those memories and hung tight, as she began to relive one of the most painful days that she had endured in the past…
It was a rainy, stormy night. The wind howled outside like some lost soul, trying to escape from some ill fate that awaited them. The drops of rain hit the windowpane hard, causing a tapping noise to be heard. And through the window, bright streaks of lightning shot down from the sky, a sign that someone was not happy above the city.
Anzu was curled up in her bed, trying not to listen to the loud sounds that nature was causing outside. She was propped up with a pillow behind her back, and the blankets were pulled up to her stomach. And in her hands was a book, one of her latest reads, and definitely one that she had not been able to put down for the longest time. Her lamp beside her was giving off a dim light, but it was enough to be able to read the small print that the novel had.
As she turned the page with a delicate finger, she could hear a car horn blare outside, and instantly knew her father was home. She was pretty sure he had been drinking, considering that he had been gone for so many hours without calling to make sure she hadn't left the house. Most of the time, even when he would leave on a business trip, he would call unexpectedly, just to check up on her and to satisfy his own insatiable desire to be in complete control of her, even when he was gone.
She heard the door slam shut, and listened intently, closing her book tightly and sliding it under her pillow. She could also hear the front door open, and footsteps pounding on the living room floor, in the direction of the staircase. As quick as a flash, she had turned off her light and hidden herself under the covers, feigning sleep. Only a few moments later, her bedroom door creaked open, and instantly, the whole room was hit with the sickening stench of alcohol and body fluids that weren't meant to be detected.
A wave of nausea ran through Anzu as she tried to discreetly cover her nose without him noticing. But he didn't seem to be that drunk, because her small movement caused his eyes to snap to her form. He knew she was awake.
"Oh Aaaanzuuuu," he slurred, staggering forward into the room. Anzu's eyes tightened even more than before, as she began to pray silently that he would just turn around and leave her room or even collapse right there and then. Luck wasn't on her side today. He reached her bed and with a loud yell, grabbed a fistful of her chestnut locks and pulled her up. She let out a shriek as she sat up with his movements, trying to disentangle her hair from his dirty fingers.
"I knew you were awake, ya little bitch! Ya thought you could hide from me!" he snarled at her, seemingly losing his drunken stupor for a moment, and in that moment, he was filled with a horrible rage that couldn't be suppressed by a living soul. He pulled on her hair more, and in seconds, he had gotten her off the bed and on the floor at his feet. She hit her carpet with a thud, her body writhing underneath him in undeniable pain. "Daddy, let me go! Let me go!" she cried out, scratching at his skin to get him to release her but it was of no use.
"Stupid little bitch, this is what you get for making me fucking miserable all my life!" he roared, as he aimed a swift kick right into her stomach. It was amazing that he was able to aim after all the liquor that was in his system, but he was doing just fine with it. A cry of pain escaped the girl, followed with a groan of the aftermath shock. But he wasn't done there.
Once, twice, three more times he kicked her, and three more times she cried out, blood now seeping past her lips and dribbling down her chin. She began to gasp for air, while her hands were now clutching her stomach. There were going to be bruises there for sure, and she didn't know if anything else might have been damaged by the kicks.
Finally, it seemed, his thirst for her misery seemed to be quenched, and he finally let her hair slip through his fingers. The upper half of her body hit the floor, and she was physically and mentally broken, battered, and bruised. Another wave of nausea ran through her, and now that her stomach had been dealt in a few times, she couldn't hold herself back. She began to vomit right on the carpet, and would have done it on her father's feet, but he was already backing away to the door, grumbling about how no one respected him anymore.
She heard her door close, but her vomiting didn't cease. And now, it was mixed in with the reddish tint of blood, and both her stomach and throat felt as if they were on fire. Finally, after what seemed like hours, her body finally stopped heaving, and she was now lying practically in a pool of digested food and blood.
As much as she wanted to just lie there, she knew she couldn't. A small whimper of pain escaped her as she pushed herself off the floor, her stomach already churning at the thought of having to move. Her father's binge drinking left its mark, and the stench seemed to linger, now mixed in with Anzu's own unpleasant addition. She grabbed onto her mattress and forced herself to stand, her right hand instantly making its way to her waist, as if cradling the bruises that were forming.
By the end of the night, she had forced herself to clean both her floor and herself. She had spent an hour in the bathtub, scrubbing at her body, trying to get the smell out of her hair and skin. The next morning, the bruises were an ugly black and blue color, with a mix of purple in it.
When she went to school, no one noticed when she staggered. No one noticed that when she coughed, she had to hold a tissue over her mouth to catch the blood that was still escaping her body. And no one noticed that she had not spoken a word to any of them that day, because her throat was too torn to make a sensible word.
No one noticed…
Anzu collapsed to the ground, her hands at her temples, holding her head to try and relinquish it from the memory. Her knees scraped against the pavement, and she knew that they would probably be bleeding soon but she didn't care. All she really cared about was getting those damn thoughts out of her head.
The rain continued to pour, streaking down her face. It seemed to provide the perfect excuse to why her face was so damp, because it blended so well with the tears that were trailing across her rosy cheeks and down her rounded chin. She bit her lip slightly, trying to fight back the sob that was threatening to escape her already pained throat. She was tired of crying so much, but she couldn't help it. Every girl needed a good cry once in awhile, and especially after what she had gone through, she felt she deserved it.
And that's when she heard it. A twig snapped somewhere behind her, and with a light gasp, she whipped her head around, her damp hair slapping against her bare skin as she peered into the trees that were surrounding her. She listened intently, and before she could stop herself, she began to speak, her voice quivering with each syllable she let loose.
"W-who's there? Come out r-right now!" she said with a trembling tone, her eyes darting around from tree to desolate tree, trying to find the source of the noise. She was sure it was someone. Well, almost sure. She called out again, a little more fearful this time, her voice nearly cracking at the end, and she clasped onto her throat, trying to subdue the squeak in her words.
Just as she was going to give up, she heard a light chuckle, the voice somewhat deep and husky. Those bright cerulean orbs of hers widened in surprise, and with slow, calculating movements, she brought herself up to her feet, shaking head to toe. She seemed to lock on where the sound had come from, and her whole body was facing one particularly tall tree, and that's when she saw the figure.
She could easily tell that it was a male, and not just from the sound of their laughter. Anzu could make out their shape, and it was not any womanly figure she had seen, but very masculine at that. The only thing hidden was his face, still covered by the shadows of the dense trees around them.
And without any notice whatsoever, the figure began to stride towards her, and as his face became visible, she stood there in awe and recognition of whom it was.
Marik Ishtar.
She could've spotted those lavender eyes from across a crowded room. The brilliant blonde hair that came down to caress the sides of his face, which she had to admit had some devilishly handsome features to it. Because of the rain, his clothes were slightly soaked, and stuck to him like it was a second skin. She could see the outline of his lean but muscular form through his shirt, abs quite defined from the physical activities he took part in. Her breathing hitched slightly at the sight, and she realized after a moment or so that a blush must have been on her face.
He seemed to catch it as well, which caused another chuckle to escape him. This one caused shivers to run up and down her spine, filling her with an excitement that she hadn't felt in awhile. It was driving her insane, that voice of his. But she tried to keep her cool, silence being her only option, as she watched him get closer and closer with each passing second, until he was standing right in front of her, toe to toe. Anzu tilted her head up to look at him, since he was a bit taller than her. Their eyes locked and they just stared at each other, not daring to say anything, lest they ruin the moment.
Finally, after what seemed to be forever and an eternity all in one, he spoke, that same huskiness dripping from every word that passed his lips, which she found to be very appealing at this point. "I noticed you out here all by yourself in such horrible weather. Tell me, what possessed you to be in the rain at this time?" he asked, his words as fine as silk as they rang in her ears. But she had to find a little irony in what he had just said. She saw him, as well as all her other friends, almost every day.
And the day that she finally wants to be left alone is the day that she is actually noticed.
Anzu took a small step back from him, but this only caused him to take a step forward. This process continued for a few moments, until she felt something hard pressed against her back. She turned her head back sharply to see that a lone tree was blocking her path, and she was getting nowhere else if she continued this route. With a light grumble to herself, she turned back towards Marik.
Who was about an inch away from her face.
She let out a shriek and raised her hands quickly, pressing them against his chest to push him away. But his slender fingers had wrapped themselves around her frail, small wrists, locking them in place on his torso. Another blush appeared on her face, and that oh-so-familiar smirk was apparent on that face of his. If only he knew what he was doing to her at that moment. For some reason, she couldn't get the thoughts out of her head. Instead of the depressing memories that had plagued her nightmares for years, she was now being thrust into a world of dream and fantasy, in which only her and he belonged. In her mind, they were in a bed of pure satin, rolling around in the blankets as the passion and lust over took them. She could practically feel his lips on her hot skin, hear him groan into her ear as he pressed against her, taste the sweat that had formed on his neck as she kissed him. She could just see them in a dance of sexual activity, the world oblivious to them, both getting closer to what they wanted. And then-
"You didn't answer my question."
Anzu snapped out of her daydream, blinking as she finally looked him in the eyes instead of at his lips, where her gaze had currently been preoccupied with. She could see the amusement flicker past those beautiful lavender orbs of his, and suddenly found the situation anything but amusing. She tried to push him away again, berating herself for having such thoughts, especially since this was the first time she had ever really talked to him. Was her mind and body that desperate for love and compassion that had been lacking in her life for so long?
With a huff, she turned her head away, her eyes closed, and obviously fuming. "What I do is none of your business. Now please, let me go, I need to get home," she said flatly, no longer moving, and just waiting for him to release her from his iron grip.
But he did not.
Instead, he leaned forward, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply. She gasped at the touch, her head snapping back to look at him, and it was clearly obvious that she was shocked at what he was doing. He didn't move from his spot except to lift his head up just slightly so that he could speak clearly. "I think it is my business, Anzu," he said seductively, her name coming out in almost a purr at the end. She felt her knees getting weak underneath her, and instantly her hands gripped into his shirt to keep herself from falling. But that seemed to be the last thing on his mind at that point.
Anzu watched as he finally lifted himself up completely so that they could look each other in the eyes. She could see a hidden emotion deep within, and it took her a moment to realize what it was. Lust. Complete, utter lust. But then again, even though she didn't believe herself the most attractive female around, seeing a girl completely wet and alone probably had to be some sort of a turn-on. She bit her lip at the thought, feeling anger welling up inside her. That's the only reason he had noticed her. Not because she was his friend. Not because she was hurt. Not because she was upset. Only because she was being viewed as an object of sexual pleasure for him.
At least, that's what she assumed. But damn it, her assumptions were always right on the money, and this time she was sure it was no exception. Their eyes were still locked, and she didn't know what to do. She felt like a trapped animal, with nowhere to run. And he was the predator, having stalked his prey and cornered it, and now ready for the feast it had been promised.
The analogy that her brain had formed for her did not make her angry. Instead, it made her frantic. She wanted to get away from him before he tried to do anything. Although she felt she could trust him, she knew that when it came to males and hormones, it could take a lot of self control on their part, which she wasn't sure if he had or not.
He leaned in closer again, the tips of their noses barely touching, and she could feel his warm breath as he gazed into her eyes, as if trying to pry into her mind to see what she was thinking at this point. She didn't appreciate the look he was giving her, and shifted uncomfortably in his grasp, but that only made him tighten his hold on her wrists. She let out a light whimper, a small amount of pain flashing through her body at his grip. Anzu was not happy with how this was going, and in an instant, was going through a thousand and one different ways she could get away from him.
"Anzu, do you know how good you look right now?" he asked in that same devilish tone, and she could feel the familiar emotion of fear building up inside of her now. She did not like where this conversation was going.
Nor did she like where it seemed his lips were going.
Marik slowly moved forward, his lips getting closer and closer to her own. In that second that stood between what was happening now and what would be possibly a very passionate kiss, she finally decided what she was going to do to escape his hold.
Without any warning, her knee slammed right into his stomach, and he let out a very loud gasp, his eyes going wide. He went off course, his face veering off slightly to the left and towards the tree, as he let go of her wrists to hold his stomach. Anzu, now free of his hold, used her previously trapped hands to push him away from her, and he fell to the ground easily, still trying to adjust to the pain that he had just received. He glanced up at her, seeing the anger and sadness that was practically emanating from her.
"Don't think that after so long, you just 'suddenly' notice me, and I'm going to fall into your arms like a damsel in distress," she hissed venomously, hearing a tone in her voice that she hadn't used in such a long time.
And without missing a beat, she ran from him, faintly hearing him cry out her name, pleading with her to come back. But she did not return back to him. Because she could not return back to him.
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That is the end of chapter two. Now, just because I had a Marik/Anzu moment, does not mean that will be the couple of the story. I plan on having a lot of other encounters with the other characters as well, just to make it a little confusing for her. I mean, come on. We can't have her falling in love so soon in the story.
Please leave a review, and tell me what you think about the story, what I could improve on, and other things as well. I look forward to reading them.
