Chapter 8- Fallen
Weeks have passed and Anzu's condition has gotten remarkably worse, but she still refuses to spend her last days at home rather than go to school. Stubborn to the end. Recently, she has missed a few days of school every week because of excruciating pain she feels in her body. Fortunately, they don't last too long, however they do leave her with a feeling of uneasiness and numbness throughout her body. Her friends and her fellow classmates have also been noticing odd changes in Anzu. She has gotten so thin that her cheek bones were clearly visible beneath her skin, also she's gotten so pale, it can almost put Ryou in shame.
Ryou has confronted her many times, but it always ended up with the same result; Anzu putting up a fake smile and telling him that everything's fine. Ryou of course isn't that easily convinced. He noticed that almost all of the teachers has been treating her differently, for instance, letting her go out of the classroom whenever she wants, never picking on her, letting her sleep in class and even the meanest of teacher seemed to be being nice to her. Just her. This of course made many students envy her and most dislike her. Anzu of course won't stand for this and stomped, or in her case dragged herself to the principal's office to talk with him.
"Oh hello Anzu, what a lovely surprise, what can I do for you?" the principal asked her. He was a short chubby man with short grey hair who wears big round glasses.
"I don't like how the teachers have been treating me..." she trailed.
"What? Have they been treating you bad? You poor girl, what have they done to-"Anzu cut the man off quickly before he did something drastic.
"No no no...they've been treating me nicely. A little too nicely..."
The round man raised his brow and stared at her in confusion. "What is the problem then, don't you like being treated like a special-"
Once again Anzu cut him off. "No!" she shouted with unshed tears glimmering in her dull cerulean eyes. "I don't want any pity! I wanted to be treated the same way like every other student...just because I'm...dying...doesn't mean I should be treated differently..." a tear finally made her way down her cheeks as realization struck her once again.
The principal held a look of sorrow and understanding. He gave her a sad smile and put a hand on her shaking shoulder. "I'm sorry...I didn't know you'd felt this way. I'll tell the teachers to stop whatever they are doing."
"Thanks..."
"Not to be rude or anything, but you should really go home and take a nap. Your eye bags are huge; it looks like you haven't slept in days!"
Anzu looked in the mirror that was behind where the principal stood. Her eye bags were indeed larger than they should be, but he was right about her not sleeping in days. She has been having a slight case of insomnia in the last couple of days. She looked like a walking corpse with her limp hair, dead eyes and pale skin.
Gym was the only period she doesn't go to anymore. Anzu was normally a very athletic person, but that has all changed. She can no longer run for long distances and she can never play sports anymore without getting strange pains. Also, going to gym means students have to wear shorts and tee- shirts. By wearing those, Anzu's odd bruises and disturbing red dots on her skin are going to be shown. So she just didn't go anymore, the teacher didn't mind either. Also the fact that her arms and legs were now so bony, everyone is going to get suspicious of the once healthy girl.
With tired eyes, Anzu slowly trudged to her locker where she saw Ryou standing next to it waiting for her.
"Hey Anzu" The albino smiled lovingly at her while he opened the locker for her. Anzu instantly felt better after seeing him. "Hey Ryou, sorry if I took long"
"That's okay, take all the time you need. Now let's go to lunch shall we?" he said sticking his arm out like a gentleman. Anzu giggled and looped her arm around his. When the arrived at the lunchroom, they sweat dropped as Joey and Tristan were having an eating contest on who could eat the fastest. Yami was timing them.
"So who won?" Ryou asked after they finished.
"Joey again" Yami replied. "He's on his winning streak"
Anzu grimaced as the two best friends loudly burped. "Excuse me!" they chorused. Her face then saddened knowing that pretty soon; she will never see them joke around like that anymore. As fast as that solemn look came, it disappeared just as fast, replacing it with a mask of joyfulness.
As the others ate, Anzu just stared at her lunch tray. "What's wrong Anzu, why aren't you eating?" Ryou asked in concern in his cute accent which made Anzu's insides melt.
"I'm just not hungry..."
"You haven't eaten anything for lunch for a long time, are you okay?" he asked putting a hand on her shoulder. "No really I'm fine." She picked up an apple and slowly began to chew on it. The last thing she wants is her friends to think that she's become anorexic. After all those weight she lost due to her sickness, she does look like she has anorexia.
Not even done half her apple, she began to feel sick. Pretending to yawn, she told her friends that she is going home to take a short nap.
"What's wrong?" Ryou asked her.
"Just a bit tired, haven't had any sleep yesterday working on that project we got."
"Alright, I'll walk you home then" he suggested.
"That's alright; you should stay here and finish your lunch."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Anzu gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. She picked up her books and exited through the doors. Once she was in a secluded area, she clutched her chest and breathed hard holding the wall for support. She can no longer hold up her mask of cheeriness. Her face was contorted in pain as she struggled to not let her tears fall. She just puts on a happy mask so that her friends will think she's OK, but like all masks, you have to take it off and breathe every once in a while.
Ryou looked troubled. "I'm worried guys, I'm going after her." He stood up and ran out the cafeteria doors leaving the guys dumbfounded. Joey sighed "He's in love man, love makes people act weird"
After her breathing got a little better, Anzu walked up the staircase with books in her hands. Suddenly, she began to feel a wave of dizziness hit her. She immediately dropped her textbooks, watching them fall down the stairs and clutched her head. She wanted to scream but she couldn't find her voice in time. Trying to steady herself, she began to see blurs and before she knew what was happening, she was falling...and than everything went black. The last thing she remembered was someone screaming her name, a flash of white and a pair of strong arms catching her.
A/N- Okay, don't hate me for stopping here, but I gotta end somewhere ya know? I'm leaving for New York Tomorrow so it's gonna take a while before I update again, until then, please read and review!
FearOfDying- Hey thanks for the review, I wonder how I'm gonna make Ryou react next chapter. Wait and see.
Yamia Ishtar- Yes I know I'm not fair. I don't think you'll need tissues though because I really don't know how to write angst that involves making people cry. If you do then I must congratulate myself.
Noble Paladin- I have no idea how I'm gonna write my next chapters yet, I just write while I think, so don't blame me if something odd happens.
Kisara koi- she will, maybe next chapter.
DojomistressAmbyChan- Yes I'm a monster alright. But I'll make sure it won't be a really really sad ending (I hope)
Summers Death- I hope my story is tear jerking, I never thought I was capable of one. Yes you do get to meet many different people when you don't sleep, and strangely, many people are online at night than in the afternoon. Figments of your imagination? Haha same here, don't know what's real and what's not anymore.
Russle- Yeah, secrets gonna be out soon, most likely next chapter. That is if I get around to writing it before summer ends.
Chibi Kitty Sorceress- Thanks for the review!
Pocky no miko- I hope I can make an ending that will bring tears=) thanks for the review!
