An annoying ringing sounded somewhere in Maka's room, said girl groggily sat up from her bed where she had collapsed the night before. The movement caused her head to start throbbing as she moved across the room searching for that damned ringing! In retrospect letting Liz give her all those mystery drinks was probably not the best idea…
Finally finding the source of the obnoxious noise, her phone, she saw, unsurprisingly, her papa was trying to get in touch with her again. Over the years they had repaired a little of their relationship but today Maka really didn't want to put up with his antics, with a little huff she turned her phone off and went to take off the clothes she failed to remove the night before.
Hopefully a shower will make her feel more alive; luckily Maka didn't have any classes today and just an hour shift at the bookstore. Turning on the shower she gathered some clean clothes for when she finished and sighed in content as the warm water washed over her body. Looking at her wrists she noted with disappointment that her mystery friend still hadn't wrote anything to her, worries started to fill Maka's mind, she couldn't shake these thoughts from her mind. 'What if they no longer think you're cool, maybe they found someone else, someone better?' These toxic thoughts filled her mind as she washed herself not stopping even as she turned the shower off and got out to get ready for the day.
Leaving her little apartment, the cool day doing nothing to stop her thoughts from spiralling more out of control, she made her way to the corner bookstore where she worked. Maka thought it was the perfect place to work; close to home, pays well for a bookstore and she is constantly surrounded by books, as she entered her boss Marie greeted her with a warm smile from the counter. Marie often wore tight black dresses with electric yellow zigzags on the sides; the dress complemented her full hour glass figure, hugging it in just the right places. Honey yellow curls framed her kind and motherly face and making her warm yellow eye stand out, I say eye as her left eye was covered by a black eye patch with a strange yellow symbol decorating it, there's no use asking how she got the eye patch though as Marie changes the story every time you ask her, who knows how she really lost it. The story changing could be a by product of her forgetfulness, yes she is kind and motherly but she is a bit ditzy, forgetting things and getting lost in her own shop which isn't big to start with. "Hey Miss Marie how are you today?" Maka asked kindly.
"Fine, fine. How was your birthday yesterday?" Marie asked coming around the counter to hug Maka.
"It was better than expected, though I don't remember much to the end." Maka answered honestly.
"Ooooooh! You know it was a good night when you can't remember it." Marie said with a sly smile and wink, Maka just waved her off as she sat behind the counter, seeing what new books they were going to get in the next few days.
After a couple minutes of silence Marie asked, "Your arms seem cleaner than normal did you and your soulmate fight again?"
"No they have just not been answering lately." Maka answered rather tersely, Marie noticed Maka's tone and decided not to push the subject any longer, turning her attention back to the books she was organising on some of the shelves. A tense silence filled the air and they didn't talk for the rest of Maka's shift as Marie wasn't brave enough to try and break it and Maka didn't really feel like talking anymore.
Honestly Maka felt dumb worrying about someone she doesn't even know, well that would be a lie considering they talked every day before mystery friend disappeared and stopped talking to her and she just couldn't stop thinking about it no matter what she did.
It was almost the end of her shift when Marie announced she had to leave early and it was Maka's job to lock up the shop, this wasn't an odd thing to ask as Maka seemed to lock up the shop practically every day now. Once Marie was out of sight, disappearing around the corner of the street, Maka went to look along the shelves seeing if anything stood out to her. Sadly nothing really caught her attention, sighing she made herself comfortable at one of the tables dotted around the shop and brought out her sketch book from her handbag, besides the English Literature classes she took Maka minored in ART and not to toot her own horn or anything but she was quite good now.
Time seemed to fly by as she doodled flowers and vines around her main sketches in her book, she didn't even realise when the time for her to lock up came and went, when the side walk lights started to flicker on came and went. Only when Maka looked to the main window in the shop did she realise she should be home right now. Quickly packing her things away, Maka turned off all the lights, set the security and locked the doors and shutters finally leaving to her modest apartment on the edge of the city.
The chiming of Maka's alarm clock woke her up, normally Maka would be hours before it even had a chance to come close to going off but lately she has been sleeping in later and later, Maka knew why she just didn't understand why it was affecting her so much. It had been a week, a week! Of nothing! She couldn't even remember the last time her arms have looked so bare…
With a sigh Maka dragged herself out of bed to complete another long day of school, normally she would be ecstatic to get to collage being the nerd she is but without her mystery friend trying to distract her she has become quite bored and a little depressed. Her mind constantly running away with wild ideas of what they are doing and why they haven't wrote back even when Maka tried to start a conversation which they would normally start.
Over time Maka had become resigned to her depression even as going as far as admitting she might actually love her mystery friend even if they have never met in person, I mean they wouldn't be writing on her arms if her mystery friend wasn't Maka's soulmate after all. The main reason she has probably denied it for so long because, yes they talk (or as it seems to be talked) everyday, they didn't share a lot with each other, not even their names for Shinigami's sake! They had issues from before they started to talk that carried on to while they were talking that prevented them from opening up to each other.
Maka's thoughts finally stopped as the professor started talking for her first class, she mentally cursed herself because she can't keep blindly doing her morning routine, if something happens or she forgets something Maka will only have herself to blame. The professor droned on about their current book, Maka only adding notes here and there as she had made most of them that night when she couldn't sleep… again. Looking out the window she started absentmindedly, drawing a little bird on her arm just under her wrist, giving it a little branch to stand on and adding some flowers, looking backup to the professor to make sure she hadn't been spotted, seeing his back turned and writing something on the board she went back to her bird to see another badly drawn one underneath it. It could have possibly been a crown but was hard to tell, it was definitely a bird, Maka suddenly made a squeaking noise, luckily nobody noticed, when she realised only one person can draw on her skin without her noticing… and draw like a three year old.
A rush of emotion came over Maka the main being elation and anger, Maka just sat there staring at the underside of her arm, dumbfounded, but she didn't have much time to ponder on it when a small 'hey' was written beneath the strange bird. Reaching for the pen she had dropped moments ago Maka wrote back 'hi' and after a pause carried on with, 'what happened to you? You weren't writing back I was so worried!' Their response came much after her question eventually they did respond, though slowly and shakily like this was hurting them, with 'sorry I had an accident but I'm better now so yay ' Maka couldn't help the warm smile that found its way onto her face, she was about to replay but they carried on with a small almost embarrassed 'sorry for missing your birthday'. She giggled a little at the fact they were in the hospital somewhere and they're worried about missing her birthday.
Maka cheerfully asked, 'it's fine, but why are you in the hospital?' There was another long pause then they answered with 'I crashed my motorcycle', 'I've told you those things are death traps!' Maka exclaimed. 'Yeah but they look so cool!' Maka giggled to herself, she missed their banter and it was good to talk to her mystery friend again.
The class seemed to fly by after that and when Maka left to break she had a bounce in her step that Tsubaki couldn't help but notice her friends more cheerful attitude today. "You seem in a good mood today may I ask what has made you so happy." Tsubaki asked kindly.
"My friend has finally talked back to me!" Maka practically squealed showing Tsubaki her arm, covered in doodles and lots of words.
"Oh that's wonderful did he say why he disappeared?"
"Yeah they said they were in a motorcycle accident." Maka answered looking at her arm.
"Hmmm… Do you think he could be Black Star's friend?" Tsubaki wondered aloud.
"Don't be silly Tsu I'm sure I would have met him by now if he was." Maka brushed her off.
"You know I don't know why you don't go and meet him… Like me and Black Star." Tsubaki said, trying to convince her friend for like the hundredth time.
"Tsu you're my best friend but you know why I'm not ready for that and neither are they whoever they are." Maka said looking up at her tall friend; Tsubaki gave her a sympathetic look but didn't push the subject.
"Oh! I almost forgot Black Star and his friend are coming back in a week or so." Tsubaki said a little excitedly.
Black Star was Maka's childhood friend and Tsubaki's soulmate, he left Death City for school, it still amazes Maka that her idiot friend did actually want to learn but anyway it will be nice to see him again. "Do you think we should throw him a welcome back party or something knowing Black Star he'll like to be the centre of attention when he comes back." Maka suggested.
"He always likes being the centre of attention." Tsubaki giggled softly.
For the rest of break Tsubaki and Maka talked about possible party ideas and talked about interesting things that were currently happening in their lives. Now and again Maka would pause to write something on her arm or read what they wrote back; Tsubaki would smile knowingly at Maka and just shyly shake her head when Maka would give her a confused look.
As Maka said her farewell to Tsubaki and left for her next class she couldn't stop replaying what Tsubaki had said and asked her, 'why do I not try and see my mystery friend or soulmate as I should probably call them?' She had grown and matured a lot over the years and her friend had helped her along the way maybe it was time to try and find them. When she appeared in front of her next class Maka finally came to a decision.
'I Maka Albarn will find my soulmate… Eventually', Maka promised herself walking with a purpose into her next class. Not realising that might be sooner than she thinks.