Hours passed. It began to get dark. The whole time Mel sat there next to Kozuka and let him sleep as she drew pictures. He was so cute! She didn't wanna wake him, especially since he always seems so drained.

Kozuka opens his eyes and sits up.

Mel looks at him- "Hey! You finally woke up. Feeling better?"

Kozuka looks around, confused, his eyes squintyer than usual since he's trying to focus- "What time is it?"

Mel- "Uh... I think it's like 8pm?"

Kozuka sits up in panic- "Shit!" he looks around- "I gotta go!" he stumbles to his feet- "I GOTTA GO!"

He started walking down the hill.

Mel- "HEY! Where you going! Why walk when I can just drive?"

Kozuka stops and turns around.

-

Later, on their way to Kozuka's house;

A few blocks from the house Kozuka notices a car. His eyes widen- "STOP!"

Mel- "WHAT!"

Kozuka- "Pull over!"

Mel pulls over- "What the hell, spooked child!"

Kozuka- "It's my dad..."

Mel- "Your dad? What, is he evil?"

Kozuka- "No... he's just... You can't stay the night outside when he's here."

Mel- "...Hah?"

Kozuka- "Well... he's... sorta... racist."

Mel- "Racist? Why the hell did he moved out here then?"

Kozuka stalls for a moment- "Saa (well)... cheaper to live. Better work. Better housing..."

Mel- "ah."

Kozuka- "It's just... if he finds out about you I don't want him to... you know."

Mel sighs- "Yeah. I understand."

Kozuka climbs off the back of the trike and faces her- "Gomennasai..."

Mel- "EH! Daijyobu. If you need me I'll be at the park. I'm tired anyway. If you wouldn't have woken up I probably woulda been joining you." She laughed.

Kozuka smiled- "Ok." He leans over and gives her a tight, squeezy hug- "See you tomorrow."

Mel hugs back- "You too, squishy-squish!"

Kozuka laughs and starts walking away. He turns around and waves as he's walking- "Daisukine. Good night."

Mel waves- "You too, squishy! Daisukine. Good night."

-

The next morning;

Kozuka makes his way to school. Suddenly he hears whisper sounds.

-"Pssst!"

Kozuka looks around

-"Hey...!"

Kozuka became confused

-"Chiisai Ko...!"

Kozuka- "Uh... Meru-Chan? Kimi desu ka (Is that you)? Doko dayo (where are you)?"

Mel- "Up here..."

Kozuka looks around then notices a tree. He approaches it then jumps back startled.

Mel had fallen out of the tree infront of him. She still hangs with her legs by a branch.

Kozuka looks at her even more confused than before- "O-O What are you doing?"

Mel giggled and showed him the joint in her hand. She took a drag- "Just... hanging around. Heheheheheheee..."

Kozuka got a sweat drop, but smiled and laughed softly.

Mel laughing- "You were so cute! You shoulda seen the look on your fa-ha-ha-ha-haceee!" She continued laughing.

Kozuka scratched his head like 'Aw shucks!' and blushed.- "Hehehehee... don't laugh... hehehe!"

Mel dropped her joint to the ground and hung there- "Whooo! I'm dizzy! Hehehehe! I'm so TOASTED - YEEHEHEHEHEE! Shit hahahaa! I think hehehehe! I think I'm falling!" She started laughing more.

Kozuka laughed but got worried. He didn't want her to hurt herself- "Here..." He reached up and grabbed under her shoulders- "Hang onto me. I'll help you down."

Mel did so and continued laughing. She started to let her legs go from the branch.

Kozuka trying to keep his own balance- "EH! Careful! No! Go slower! I don't wanna drop you. Stop laughing! You're making me laugh. HEHE! This is insane..."

Mel slowly lets her legs go but lost her balance and let go a little too fast.

Kozuka lost his balance- "IIYA!"

The two of them fell over. He broke her fall, but had a good enough hold on her to begin with so no one got hurt. The two of them sat up, and laughed worse.

Kozuka- "You freak! You almost killed us both!"

Mel doubled over holding her stomach from laugher- "I'M SO SORRY-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEEEEE!" She fell over laughing.

Kozuka Laughs- "Well learn now. Don't smoke weed and climb trees!"

Mel sits up and looks at him seriously- "Yes. I think I learned."

Kozuka looks back seriously- "Good."

The two stare at each-other for a moment trying to be serious... then fall over in hysterical laughter once again.

After laughing the two of them made their way to a bench and sat down.

Kozuka- "HAAGH! Today I don't want school!"

Mel- "I hear ya."

Kozuka- "So do you just... smoke that stuff in the open?"

Mel- "Hehe! Yeah. It's my healthy alternative. I'm on anxiety meds and sleep meds. Unfortunately I'm out for now. I'm waiting for more. I have a problem where I always wait till I have one left to finally call for a re-fill."

Kozuka- "So it helps."

Mel- "Yeah. Hehe don't worry. I'm not one of those humans that lives on it. I've had the same joints for years. I've hardly touched any. Just enough to calm down so I don't kill anyone."

Kozuka laughed- "What would you do if anyone noticed?"

Mel- "No one does, surprisingly."

A man walks by and stops- "What's that smell?"

Mel- "It was a skunk."

Man- "I see... no skunk."

Mel- "It's over there." She points- "It went in the bushes."

Man- "I SEE!... Welp! Have a good day you two!" he walks away.

Kozuka looks at Mel.

Mel looks at Kozuka and smiles.

The two of them giggle.

-

Later on the way home from school;

Kozuka- "They tried cutting off your pigtails!"

Mel- "Mmyeah... But I woke up and kicked their asses!"

Kozuka- "GOOD!... bastards."

Mel- "Mattaku..."

Kozuka looked down sadly as they continued to walk- "Oi (Hey)... Meru-Chan?"

Mel- "Hm?"

Kozuka- "For the next few weeks, maybe a month, I don't think we can hang out as much."

Mel- "WHYYYY!"

Kozuka- "School is busy. Allot of homework. I have much to focus."

Mel sighed

Kozuka- "I can't hang out today... I'm sorry."

Mel grunts- "It's fine..." she sighs and looks the opposite direction of Kozuka and stares at the houses.

Kozuka looks at her- "... Kiko...?"

Mel snapped out of her daze and looked at him.

Kozuka- "... We're still friends. To and from school you can walk me still. Ok?

Mel sighed- "Sure, ChiisaiKo."

Kozuka cuddled his head to her arm slightly as they continued walking- "I really am sorry."

Mel put her arm around him- "I know. It's not you. Don't worry about it."

-

A few days pass, Mel gets lonely and goes to his house, again. Hoping he'll be nicer this time.

Mel knocks.

Kozuka answers- "Hey."

Mel- "...Hey."

Kozuka- "Do you need something? Everything ok?"

Mel- "Yeah... Um... That movie we wanted to see is out finally. The crappy theaters showing it. I was surprised they had it... I wanted to know if you wanted to go see it with me?"

Kozuka sighs- "I can't. I have work to do."

Mel looks down- "Oh. Right.."

Kozuka- "My dad's gonna be home soon. you should go."

Mel- "Alright..See you."

Kozuka- "Bye."

He closed the door.

Mel wanted to slap him. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with him. She stamped her foot and then her anger turned into depression. "I love you too..." sarcastically. She walked down the stoop and took off down the street.

Kozuka was standing behind the door the whole time. The expression on his face is depressed. His eyes fill with tears and he smacks the back of his head on the door in an angry upset reflex, "I'm sorry Mel!..."

He manages to hold back tears and makes his way back to his room. His uncle sits in the kitchen.

Uncle- "Was that your girlfriend again?"

Kozuka- "She's not my girlfriend..."

Uncle- "Why do you shut her out like that? She likes you. You should be nicer to her. Girls are sensitive! ... Or did she turn you down? Oh, of course. She's too old fo-"

Kozuka turns to his uncle with a pissed off look on his face- "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING PERVERT!" He makes his way up the stairs- "I have homework to do. Leave me alone. And leave her alone."

-

2 weeks later;

Mel is fed up with Kozuka's weird behavior! So she decides to see him.

Kozuka sits in his room doing homework. He's nodding out.

His window is open.

Mel jumps through the window and lands kneeling but still on her feet. She stands up.

Kozuka turns around- "EH! What are you doing here?"

Mel- "I wanted to see you."

Kozuka gets up and walks towards her- "You shouldn't be here..."

Mel- "Why not! You're dad isn't here! I don't see what the big deal is! I'm sick of this! It's like you're hiding something from me!"

Kozuka sighs- "FINE! You want to see what I'm doing!" he walks her over to his desk- "THIS is all the SHIT I have to do! Every night! They expect all this in a night! It's driving me CRAZY! My grades suck! I suck! I'm fucking TIRED!"

Mel is silent for a moment - "Kozuka... why didn't you just tell me all of that?"

Kozuka lets out a frustrated sigh - "Because I'm sick of feeling like an idiot..."

Mel- "You're only 13. You're not an idiot... Want me to help? Even though I'm a girl I'm good at math... and I like Japanese history. I'll write the report for you if you want."

Kozuka looks at her, surprised- "...Really?"

Mel- "Sure!

The two of them sat around working on his homework. He was happy she was helping him. They sat on his bed using the wall as a back rest.

Kozuka draws out maps. He leans on her shoulder.

Mel types up a history report on her laptop- "WHEE! This is fun. Japanese history never bores me. I hated American history though."

Kozuka laughs.

Mel sees his maps- "Wow... you're good."

Kozuka- "Thanks! I'm good at geography but I'm so busy with other shit I fail anyway.."

Mel- "Fuckin school... Well, this is done. I just gotta print it. I burned it to disk for you. Just get on your computer and print it."

Kozuka- "Alright. Thank you."

Mel- "You're welcome. Now for math... You'll have to re-write all this but I'll figure it all out for you."

Kozuka- "That's fine."

-

An hour passes.

Kozuka has finished the other home work. He fell asleep leaning on Mel's shoulder.

Mel finishes up the math. She sets the stuff aside, climbs off the bed and moves Kozuka into a more comfortable sleeping position. Then she grabs the homework and sets it all in neat piles on his desk.

Mel walks to his bedside pokes his shoulder gently

Kozuka wakes up slightly

Mel- "Hey... Um.. Ok. I finished your homework. You just need to copy it ok? I wrote it in pen so you can go ahead and just trace over in your own hand-writing.

Kozuka- "Thank you..."

Mel- "Any time. I have to go. I think your dads home."

Kozuka- "Alright." he's nodding out.

Mel kisses his cheek- "See you tomorrow. k?

Kozuka nods with his eyes closed- "Hmm.."

Mel smiles- "Goodnight. I love you, sweetie." She stands up and climbs out the window.

-

The next day;

Kozuka has P.E. He's on the field running the stupid mile under 10 minutes.

Kozuka grunts and curses to himself as he tries to keep from going insane. He was in gym shorts, a gym t-shirt but for some reason had his longer sleeve shirt underneath it all.

Mel- "Kozuka!"

Kozuka doesn't notice.

Mel keeps saying his name. Finally she catches up to him and yells his name- "KOZUKA!"

Kozuka turns around and barks- "WHAT!"

Mel cringes- "I'm sorry... why were you ignoring me?"

Kozuka- "I wasn't... I'm sorry... I didn't hear you."

Mel- "You left home early..."

Kozuka- "Yeah... I know. Sorry. What are you doing here? I'm in the middle of class..."

Mel- "Because you can't run away from me here! I feel like you're avoiding me. I thought after last night we were ok again... Or were you just using me? What's wrong with you? You hardly talk to me anymore." She began to choke up- "I feel like you don't wanna be friends anymore. We don't even talk online. I miss you, ok!" She cries- "I fucking miss you... I'm so lonely... Everyone always leaves and makes excuses... I trusted you..."

Kozuka looks at her as she cries. He gets a sad, guilty look on his face and looks down. He walks up to her, stands on his toes and hugs her around the shoulders- "It's not like that..."

Mel hugs back and stands up straight, holding him off the ground a little.

Kozuka cuddles his face into her shoulder- "It isn't like that at all." He sighs - "My dad was being a shit-head last night. I didn't feel like dealing with him this morning. That's why I left."

They pull away from the hug.

Kozuka- "You just caught me at a really bad time. These assholes want us to run this stupid pointless mile in under 10 minutes... it's hot... I'm hot and tired and that's making me annoyed. I'm all sticky and feel gross and I don't wanna take a public shower with these assholes but I smell bad! Everyone here is pissing me off and-" he trails off into a long ramble of Japanese bitching to himself.

Mel looks at him and breaks his rambling with- "You don't smell bad..."

Kozuka stops and looks up at her- "Yes I do."

Mel- "Actually I didn't smell anything bad. I mean sure it was body order but it isn't like... keel over and die."

Kozuka- "R...Really?"

Mel- "Yeah! Now, that guy over there..." she points to a fat jock, "HE stinks. I passed him on the way towards you. Just about killed me." She smiled.

Kozuka chuckled and his frown turned to a smile. He leaned over and rested his head on her chest - "I missed you too. Please don't cry. I'm sorry for yelling at you.. and I'm sorry for not telling you what was wrong earlier. I didn't like shutting you out like that... I really did want to go to the movie with you. Thank you again for helping me with my homework. I finally caught up again. I'm just... I don't know what's wrong with me."

Mel put her arms around him- "You're welcome. And it's ok. Being a teen sucks... I remember the horrible mile as well... I almost killed someone..."

Kozuka hugs her and says loud enough for her to hear but quiet enough for no one else to hear- "I'll make some time. I'll skip school tomorrow ok? My uncle doesn't care. He'll tell them I'm sick or something... and honestly I don't care if I get in trouble. I miss hanging out like we used to. I miss you. I really miss you."

She squeezes him- "I missed you too. Don't do that again, ok?"

Kozuka squeezes back- "I promise. So tomorrow morning. Come over. If you see dad's car just pass by and I'll meet you at the park, ok? He should leave anyway. He works in the morning."

Mel- "Alright."

Kozuka- "I should go. People are starting to stare and I think the teacher is hating me... hehee.. chiwawa..."

Mel laughs- "Ok. I'll see you then. Pick you up after school?"

Kozuka- "Hai!"

They pull away from the hug and say their goodbyes. Kozuka continues to run and Mel does back towards the road.

Hehe... when he says "chiwawa" he's calling his P.E. teacher that. When I went to school that's what my P.E. teacher in 7th-8th reminded me of. X) Fuckin' chiwawa... left me to die on the feild... I almost passed out and the whole class was on the other side of the school which was further than the feild itself. - Assholes. ANYWAY hope you enjoyed this. Please review what parts you like X3 I like hearing about what people like.