Ch. 2 is out! I really hit it off with this story, it seems. This might be a lot more frequent than my other story, which is still chugging along, but definitely at a slower pace. Well, enjoy the story!
Disclaimer:Whoops, forgot this last time. I don't own Cid, Kingdom Hearts, or Square-Enix/Disney, but I did create Aldrick.
Warning: This chapter involves...well, emoness and cutting oneself. Cutting yourself is bad. Don't do it.
"So how do you think ya did?" Cid asked from his perch in the sakura tree. Aldrick was sitting in his usual spot at the base of the tree, eating a bag of chips.
"Huh?" the teen asked, looking up to see only Cid's boot and a tiny trail of smoke.
"Palazzo's paper. We're getting them back today, remember?"
"Oh...okay, I guess..." The gray-eyed teen sounded tired. He had fallen asleep in history class, and ended up having to talk with Mr. Strife. Aldrick just said that he wasn't sleeping that well and managed to get away before anything else was asked.
Not even realizing that Cid's duffel bag and lacrosse stick had been tossed down, Aldrick was startled when Cid's face was suddenly hanging upside down in front of his own face, saying "You okay? You've been out of it for a while, now."
Flashing a quick smile, the tired teen said "I'm fine. Really." With his smile gone, a look slightly filled with concern replaced it. "Now get down before you break your skull."
With his usual cocky smile, Cid went back up into the tree and jumped down, landing gracefully as usual. "Well, either way, you look like shit."
The circles under Aldrick's eyes were big, but the teen just shrugged. "I just didn't sleep well last night. That's all."
The bell then rang, and Aldrick picked up his things and headed to fourth period, leaving Cid to follow.
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"Frankly, I'm disappointed. Only one person actually did well on their report." started Mr. Palazzo once the class began. "Kiel. I applaud your lack of emotion in your writing."
Everyone in the class turned to look at Aldrick, and were greeted with the sight of the teen drawing something on a piece of paper. Yuffie nudged him with her elbow, and he looked at Cid, who jerked his head slightly in the teacher's direction.
Aldrick looked up at Mr. Palazzo, then down at his drawing, which happened to be Mr. Palazzo as well, only with clown make-up and a sadistic grin. "Oh...sorry..." was all he said before putting the picture away. He then proceeded to stare at his desk, swaying slightly in his seat.
"Mr. Kiel. Are you alright? I would rather not have you be sick in my room."
Aldrick looked to the teacher, a smile on his face. "I'm fine. Here, I'll show you." Standing up, the teen took a few steps, and stood next to Cid, who was obviously concerned.
"See? I'm-" Aldrick cut himself off as the room seemed to spin, and he started to fall forward. Cid just barely managed to catch him, and Aldrick let out a sheepish grin. "I'm just tired. That's all."
He could feel the calluses on Cid's hand as the lacrosse player felt Aldrick's forehead. "He's burning up..." was all he said.
"Get him out of my class, Highwind. You and Kisaragi. Take him to the nurse or the bathroom or something. Just don't let him be sick in my room." Mr. Palazzo shooed all three of them out of the room, then continued on with his lesson plan like nothing ever happened.
As Aldrick walked through the halls, using Cid as a support, he followed after Yuffie. Honestly, the gray-eyed teen wanted to sleep, but tried his hardest to keep moving forward.
A fourth pair of footsteps could soon be heard echoing through the halls, and Seifer rounded the corner, coming face-to-face with Yuffie. "Move, brat."
"No, you move. Aldrick's sick."
Seifer looked around the girl and smirked. Pushing past her, he stood in front of Cid and Aldrick, blocking their path. "So, Chicken-wuss is planning on kicking the bucket? Oh well, not my problem."
"Shut up." Aldrick looked up at Cid, amazed the bigger blonde stood up for him.
"And if I don't?"
"I'll pound the shit outta ya and make it your problem. How about that? Good enough of a fucking reason for ya?" Cid's eyes burned with anger, but Aldrick gently nudged the larger blonde, causing the anger to recede.
"It's not worth it..." the sandy-blonde teen said quietly.
After a short exchange of disgusted looks between both Cid and Seifer, the latter walked off, muttering "You'll get what's coming to you, Highwind..."
Once he was gone, Yuffie let out a sigh of relief. "I thought it was going to be the brawl of the century. I've never seen your temper flare like that, Cid."
"Tch! He pisses me off."
Aldrick, shifting a little, said "Sorry..."
Yuffie and Cid both shook their heads, with the girl saying "It's not your fault Seifer's a jerk."
A small chuckle escaped from the gray-eyed teen. "Not that...but what's about to happen..."
Both friends were confused until Aldrick's eyes closed and his body went limp. He could hear his two friends panic as Cid completely lifted him off the ground, and then there was nothing but black as Aldrick slipped into the world of unconsciousness.
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"Only the chips from the vending machines." Cid's voice bore itself into Aldrick's mind, causing him to stir a little.
"Well...the only thing I can guess is that he's overworked himself, and that made him sick. After enough rest he should be fine, but that means he probably won't be in school tomorrow." A woman's voice, young and full of life, said this.
Aldrick sat up and opened his eyes, guessing he was in the nurse's office by the medical posters gung around the room. He was on a cot, a blanket covering his legs and gathered at his waist from him sitting up. The desk in the room was bare except for a nameplate, which read Ms. Yuna Amano. Behind the desk was a woman in her early twenties, and Cid stood in front of the desk. Both looked at Aldrick with concern and curiosity.
"Glad to see you're awake." the woman said, proving to the teen that she was the woman he heard talking to Cid.
Aldrick immediately tried to get up, only to be told "Not yet. Stay seated and listen." by the nurse.
"You've been overworking yourself. I heard from Yuffie that you also work at the Food Mart, plus you walk to and from school and work. I'm guessing you haven't been sleeping much or eating properly?" Her words, while a little harsh, were softened in tone and seemed kinder than Aldrick thought they were meant to be.
"I assure you, Miss Amano, that I'll be fine after I rest. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get back to class." Trying to get up, Aldrick could feel his legs turn to jelly and he sat back down on the cot.
"School is over. You slept through fourth period, and Yuffie headed off to work. I asked Cid here to drive you home, and he has agreed to do it. Oh, and please, call me Yuna. Everyone else does." The thought that he missed fourth period put dread in Aldrick, cause now he had to make up any work he missed. However, this didn't stop him. He tried to get up again, only to be greeted by Cid, who supported the sick teenager and led him out of the room and to his red pick-up truck.
The ride was quiet, and only lasted for three minutes, but Aldrick enjoyed every minute of the peace, and was a little upset once the ride was over.
By now, Aldrick could stand on his own, and, with Cid close behind, he walked up the flight of stairs that led to his apartment. Pulling out his key, he unlocked the door and opened it, turning around to let Cid know that he would be fine now. With Cid now leaving, the gray-eyed teen shut the door, and locked it behind himself, and headed into the living room, only to be greeted by Stahn.
Stahn reeked of cheap booze, and looked like he hadn't showered in a couple months. He sat on the couch, staring at the television, but turned to look at the teenager, his greasy blonde hair sticking to his head. "Why aren't you at work?"
"I was sick...I collapsed at school, Stahn."
Stahn stood and walked over, easily towering over the teen at his height of six-foot-four. "Don't talk to me like that."
Aldrick looked away, saying "Sorry, dad."
The man quickly backhanded his 'son', saying "Don't ever call me that. I don't have a son."
"Yes sir...Stahn..."
"That's what I thought..." Going back to the couch, Stahn pulled out a bottle of beer from beneath the coffee table and opened it, not caring about Aldrick anymore as the commercials ended and his show came back on.
The teen went into his room, his cheek red and hot from the earlier blow, and lifted the corner of his mattress. There, between the mattress and the box springs, sat a small razor blade shining in the overhead light. Picking it up, Aldrick went into his bathroom and placed the blade over his wrist, drawing a red line across it. As the wound slowly bled, the teen let out a sigh of relief. Did it take away the pain from his cheek? No. It added more pain. But it did make the teen feel something. He never knew what, but he always adored that feeling.
Cleaning up his wrist and placing some bandages around it, he cut his other one, then cleaned it and bandaged it as well.
Silently, the sick teen cleaned his sink of the blood, then laid down on his bed. As he tried to sleep, silent tears crept down his face and onto his pillow, leaving small circles of moisture on it like raindrops.
To be continued...
Byne: You know...I haven't gotten anything from about this story, or updating my other chapter in my other story...I'm getting a little annoyed, but it can't be helped. Anyway, you should review. If you do, I'll let Cid give you a muffin.
Cid: What do you mean 'let'?!
Byne: Just stand there with the plate of muffins.
Cid: Can I at least have my shirt?
Byne: No.
Cid: But it's fucking cold TTTT
Byne: I know :)
PS: Overworking yourself can make you sick or pass out. I know, I've done it before. It's a pain in the butt, so don't overwork yourselves, either.