Folks! First of all, to Crimson Rose Blooms and bellward13, thank you so much for reviewing and for your support! And I'm so sorry, I didn't have the time to answer your reviews. I had a nasty fever just a few days ago and it caused me to be absent from school for two whole days! What's more, those two days I missed were the days we had our examination T^T.

Anyways, this story and the other is different and I hope readers would like this chapter too.

Disclaimer: I don't own GA.

Chapter 2: Starvation and Gift

I'm hungry. And much to my annoyance, the traffic was just too bitchy to let me fill my stomach with food. Hotaru and I couldn't possibly eat lunch in a comfy restaurant to eat perfectly delicious meals if the traffic still goes on now, would it? What a dilemma.

I was annoyed and I needed to satiate my stomach so I can stop its endless complaining. Thankfully, Hotaru asked me what I wanted to do, before I voiced out all my complains about this two-hour on-going traffic.

"Right now, I want all shrimps I can get to my stomach," I said sarcastically then sighed.

"I want to have my own apartment and a job, could you arrange it for me?" I asked, adding a 'please' and tried to make my face as pitiable as it can be, though it can be hard when I'm literally 2 meters away from Hotaru and was about to die of starvation. I don't understand why people say that hungry people always know when they're hungry when their stomach growls, mine doesn't, at least it didn't right now.

I was intent on making Hotaru get me an apartment and a job because personally, even if I wanted to do the normal thing – getting a job – I didn't know how. When I say how – I mean I don't know how to 'get' a job, I suppose you only need to beg the owner in front of the store to work but I normally don't see people doing that in the streets so really, I'm not sure. There was a time when I overheard my classmate say something about having to do a ridiculous dance or something to make the judges like her in an audition, and I didn't even know what it was about. Did teen age girls and boys have to know how to dance to do work? I really didn't know how to get a damned job and god knows how embarrassing that would be if I voiced it out. I'd surely feel very insignificant, feeling that I was all bark and no bite. And I don't want that. Making Hotaru find a job for me would be the most embarrassing thing for me yet but I have no choice for the matter.

Hotaru suddenly looked agitated.

"That's not a problem but are you planning on making me pay for your rent?" she narrowed her eyes on me. Hotaru had always been rich but for some sick reason, she couldn't seem to let one little coin to stray out of her hands. This scared and amused me to no end.

I smiled and answered.

"You don't need to worry about losing any money. I have my own cash for my rent, thank you very much." I declared. I almost laughed when she huffed and looked away, muttering something I couldn't quite understand, probably mumbling about how thankful she was for not spending a penny. Frankly, I was never safe from my money-hungry best friend even if we were as close as blood sisters.

I figured Hotaru knew I was hungry by now because she stared longingly at the crab brain pictures she strangely pasted above our heads. She's probably as hungry as I am now.

For the moment, I regret not eating before sneaking out of the house. I should have at least grabbed a dozen of my favorite shrimps and eat it along the way. A little bit of chicken would be nice right now. I must be going insane because my stomach is hurting too much for me not to think about food. It was only the first day I've run away from home and here I am dying because of hunger.

We waited for the traffic to stop but the damned thing got even worse. It was already three! And we hadn't had lunch yet! I was about to complain but stopped when Hotaru suddenly shoved a small box towards my hand. I stared at her in disbelief. She would never waste money except absolutely necessary (like social birthdays, weddings and such). When I was about to say something, I was, for the second time, interrupted by a noise. Finally! A growling stomach! Just what I need, really!

Ignoring the noise, I grabbed the small box, warily eying on Hotaru for possible pranks or something alike. I carefully and slowly opened it, and then was utterly surprised. My mouth was probably matching a big O and gaping like a fish but I didn't care. Not when I was given a mini iPhone! I could see a glistening white iPhone, one that would have matched my previously thrown phone if it weren't one-fourth of its actual size. I tried to see whether it had a camera and whether the apps or Icons were also miniaturized, surprisingly it did have a cam and had not-so-miniaturized apps, it was simply gorgeous and devastating! I tried to remove my gaze on the phone to say something to Hotaru. I tried to say something but I found myself stammer something unintelligent.

"Wow!" I finally said.

"This is Amazing! Look at this! This is a tiny-sized Iphone I have ever seen except for that one time I dreamed about it! When did you buy this? I've never heard of this before. I mean, I should have! Since I always look out for apple gadgets and basically drool over them. And where did you even get it? Are you seriously giving this to me? I'll never give it back, just so you know." I ended up shouting and fussed over it. I seriously need to take my medication because I think I'm hallucinating and just imagining things! I barely had to look at Hotaru to know she was frowning and getting annoyed by the minute. I really needed to calm down but hey, I can't help it, I'm a major fan of apple and it's just me being noisy.

"Shut Up!" Hotaru snapped. My mouth instinctively closed then we became quiet for a good minute or two.

"…..can I ask you something?" I asked. My eyes narrowed at Hotaru.

"You just did." She hissed.

"Is there anything in that head of yours that you're planning? There must be something."

"What gave you that idea?" she asked, supposedly genuinely curious.

"Well, for one, I know you too much to know that there's something going on for you to give me something. Two, you would never, ever buy or waste money just for nothing." I said. The list could still go on but I'd rather want answers than make Hotaru mad.

"One, I didn't buy that, I made it. Two, it's none of your business. If two is not to your liking then three, I'm simply giving you a gift so get over it and accept it, you can give it back if you don't want it." Hotaru clearly stated, that sentence just made it clear to not mention it again. Great.

"Well, how'd you know I didn't have one? I mean the phone." I asked. I don't remember telling her about what I did to my poor iPhone.

"You probably threw it somewhere because of the GPS." She said. I wanted to shout 'Bingo!' but was afraid to make another sound, she seriously looked scary, the hunger was undoubtedly making her already bad mood, worse.

"If you dare to lose or break that phone, I promise to let you suffer and forcefully marry you to a sod who looks like shit and never regret a thing." She said menacingly. I shrink back, not saying anything. I tend to lose things that I don't want to lose and paid the price for each and every one of them. I only hope my luck would be different this time cause Hotaru will do what she promised to do if I do break or lose the phone. As much as I am happy to have the gift, I can't seem to help but think that this gift is a curse from wherever hell it came from.

Silent readers, I hope you at least liked the story enough to be on watch for the next one.

To bellward13, I hope you weren't too disappointed about Natsume not showing up on this chapter. Believe me, I didn't plan all this .

I think the story is too slow-paced, but I can never be one to judge right? Please tell me about what you think!