A/N: Sorry the update took so long, things have been hectic, what with college applications (but I made it in, so the rest of the year's stress-free for writing!), holidays, family stuff, drama, and so on. I'm hoping to get a good amount of work done on this story, Broken, Kanako, and a new KH fanfic this week, so the next chapter might come much more quickly (no promises though! just in case)
I hope you all still find this worth reading, and that you enjoy the 2nd chapter as much as the 1st.
Translucent
By Bunny-Chan
Chapter 2
"I said, what the hell are you doing!" Anna growled.
"Gah!" The ghost stumbled back and fell onto the floor. "I- I-" He paused for a second, mouth open in sudden shock. "You... You can see me...?"
"Of course, you idiot." She spoke sharply, dashing his earlier thoughts of a kind heart and sweet disposition.
"You can hear me!" Anna stood up with a 'hmph'.
"Well, we sure have a genius on our hands." He winced at her insults, disappointed that she didn't have a personality to match her looks. Fortunately his disappointment was countered, beaten, and buried by the fact that he could talk to this girl. He'd wanted so badly for her to be able to see him, and his wish had come true.
He jumped up excitedly, reaching out to give her a random, ecstatic hug, forgetting that he still couldn't touch her. So seconds later he was on the floor again after literally falling through a not-so-happy teenage girl who was about to flip out.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just so happy I kind of forgot... I've been alone for so long and-" He cleared his throat and stood up, trying to ignore her death-glare. "My name's Yoh. Asakura Yoh." Anna didn't even look at him, she just sat back in front of the TV.
"That's nice, now go away."
"What?" Yoh pouted, he had been hoping she was friendlier than this. Or at least that she would seem somewhat human. "Hey, come on. We're both living here, can't we be friends?" She seemed to tense up at the word 'friends'.
"I... I don't have friends. Kyouyama Anna doesn't need friends." She stopped for a second, then continued slowly. "I'll leave you alone, and you leave me alone. It'll work out better that way."
Yoh sighed and walked toward the hall. He looked back at Anna, whose back was still to him. He wasn't giving up though. No. She was the first contact he'd had in so long, and he didn't want to give up his chance to finally have a friend again. But for now he'd leave her be. It was all for the best.
So he walked away without another word.
Anna felt his presence fade away, but she still did not turn.
I don't need "friends", and I certainly don't need a dead boy hanging on me all the time.
Some tiny part of her heart twanged with guilt. Sure, she was almost a block of ice more than anything, but some little part of her still felt sorry for pushing away a more-likely-than-not innocent boy who had probably just been craving company for years (or at least judging by his reaction).
Ignoring her conscience, she shifted her position and let herself be drawn into one of her favorite soap operas.
Carrying her bento box in one hand and her homework folder in the other, Anna looked around the crowded cafeteria.
Had it not been raining, the students would have been allowed to eat their lunch outside, making it easier for her to find a quiet little space in a corner or underneath a tree, like the day before. Today however, she had to find a table.
Which meant finding someone to sit with.
Which meant speaking.
Damn.
"Kyouyama-San," She heard a soft voice behind her. "Would you like to sit with us?". She turned and found herself facing a girl she recognized from class. Tamao, if she remembered correctly, though the last name escaped her. The pink-haired girl seemed sweet and shy, so naturally an awkward smile made its way onto Anna's face and she nodded, following Tamao to a table near the back row of windows.
Sitting down, Tamao began introductions, pointing to each person at the table.
"Ren is the boy with purple hair and golden eyes. He's a bit cold, but once you get to know him he's pretty nice. His sister Jun just graduated last year. She's in college now. Next to him is Pirika. She's really energetic and outgoing. They make a cute pair, don't you think?" She paused as Ren, the only one who'd even noticed the newcomer, glared at her. "Ahem... Next to Pirika is her brother HoroHoro. He's strange, but really fun to be around. Ryu usually sits over at the end, but he's not here today. You'll meet him tomorrow- probably when he professes his love to you. He's always falling for every girl he meets. The short kid is Manta. He's really, really smart. And I'm Tamao."
By now, everyone had stopped talking and was looking at Anna with interest.
"Everyone, this is Kyouyama-San, from my homeroom. She's new, from Kyoto."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." She said, though it wasn't very convincing. She was grateful to have people to sit with (even for a loner, going to a new school and learning the ropes was hard enough on one's own), she wasn't really sure what she thought of the group. They seemed far too loud for her taste. Still, it was better to make friends than enemies. "You can call me Anna. There's no need for the formalities."
"YAY! Welcome, Anna!" Pirika cried out, throwing her hands up in celebration. She avoided twitching as everyone began to ask her questions, tell her about Tokyo and extend invitations.
Oh, what have I gotten myself into? This is why I don't like people.
A/N: Ech, I have to say that I'm not really fond of this chapter, but I guess every story needs filler... Not to mention sorry if Anna's a bit OOC. I'll try to make the next update sooner, and of much higher quality (and longer...).
Thanks for reading.
Replies to the Reviewers
Lizzie- Haha, alright, I'll work on length. I just have such a problem keeping my attention on writing for a long time.lilangelchick- Thank you :)
Kute Anime Kitty- Heh, I loved that ending, I'm actually pretty proud of it. Thanks for the support.
jadedestiny- Yes, it is a Yoh x Anna story overall. There'll be a little bit of Anna x HoroHoro (I don't know why. It's a random compulsion, I guess), but it'll be a Yohna altogether.
Arisa- Wow, thanks for the high praise! Keep searching through the archives here, there are some really great fanfics hanging around in the SK section.
hannami08- Thanks:) I always have trouble deciding if I'm using too little or too much imagery... I'm glad this seems to be working for everyone.
k- Sorry it takes so long to update. Bad habit I guess. I'll work on chapter length too.
asnwater- It's probably a good thing Yoh's dead, or she'd have killed him :p
notnow- Thank you so much for your review. I hope this still rises to your standards.miko102- Ghosts are cunning. He'll probably have a new, niftier plan soon :)
BluRose- I guess I never realized this was such a popular idea among writers, lol. Glad you like it. If you write that story, let me know- I'd love to read it.
VulpixiMisa- I'll try to make the Anna x HoroHoro completely worth the waiting.
