Now, Rya and Miko returned to normal the next day. Rya was back to out eating Odd, and Miko went back to correcting the teacher. No one actually knew that Rya wouldn't sleep at nights, and that Miko would just pour over his books. Well, that is, only the Lyoko group and Sissi knew they would do this. Jim only knew that Rya would wander around the grounds, though, he didn't know that she would go out every night. They also still didn't know why they had left, and had been so down when they came back.
One night, Odd couldn't fall asleep, so he decided to go for a walk, which he had done a couple of times before. This time, he heard someone playing the piano in the music room. He was curious to see who it was, so he went to the door of the building, and was surprised to find it unlocked. He went to the music room, and was even more surprised to find Rya at the piano. He was even more more surprised when he heard her start to sing. ((I don't own Lithium. It belongs to Evanescence))
Lithium- don't want to lock me up inside
lithium- don't want to forget how it feels without
lithium- I want to stay in love with my sorrow
oh but God I want to let it go
come to bed, don't make me sleep alone
couldn't hide the emptiness you let it show
never wanted it to be so cold
just didn't drink enough to say you love me
I can't hold on to me
wonder what's wrong with me
Lithium- don't want to lock me up inside
lithium- don't want to forget how it feels without
lithium- I want to stay in love with my sorrow
Don't want to let it lay me down this time
drown my will to fly
here in the darkness I know myself
can't break free until I let it go
let me go
Darling, I forgive you after all
anything is better than to be alone
and in the end I guess I had to fall
always find my place among the ashes
I can't hold on to me
wonder what's wrong with me
Lithium- don't want to lock me up inside
lithium- don't want to forget how it feels without
lithium- I want to stay in love with my sorrow
oh but God I want to let it go
"Wow, Rya. You're really good." Rya jumped, then blushed.
"I didn't notice you were there."
"I got here before you started the song. Where did you learn to play the piano like that?"
"Before my mom joined the army, she used to be a traveling piano teacher. She could've gone pro if she had wanted, but she chose to join the army instead. She wanted me to be able to play, so she taught me when she was around. Why are you wandering around the school?" Odd grinned.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. What about you?"
"I can't sleep. I probably should've collapsed from exhaustion be now."
"Why? How long have you gone without sleep?"
"Around three weeks. It started after I went to the funeral."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Who died?" Rya wiped away the tears that had come to her eyes.
"My parents. Then, two days later, I went to Miko's parent's funeral. It was during solitary confinement that I couldn't sleep."
"Solitary confinement?"
"Well, I was raised a certain way. When someone close to me dies, I can't see anyone for a week starting after the funeral. Then, I can't eat for two weeks after. Luckily, I had two stomachs to keep me going during those weeks."
"That's harsh. How did you do it? I mean, I would be in serious trouble if I didn't eat for two weeks."
"Three. I didn't leave my room when my first week started, so I didn't eat then."
"Do you normally walk around the school when you can't sleep?" Odd asked, leaning against the door frame.
"Yep, though I probably shouldn't. I mean, I'm breaking curfew."
"I don't get it. Don't you normally break rules?"
"Yeah, but, well, look what happened to my parents when they broke the rules."
"Eh?" Rya sighed.
"They have a rule in the army that if you see a child in the road, you have to keep driving. Now, this happened after my parents had been in the army for a while. My parents and Miko's parents were at the back of the convoy, when they spotted a boy and a girl standing by the road. They stopped, when they saw that they had something strapped to them, and they had a scared look on their face. They had bombs attached to them, and my parents decided to help them. They had just gotten the bombs off, when it went off. Miko's parents had protected the kids, but they were hit by tons of shrapnel. It turns out the shrapnel was pretty much what was left of my parents. Miko's parents later died in a hospital." Rya tried to wipe away more tears, but they just kept coming.
"Hey, it's okay." Odd sat down next to her on the piano bench.
"They're gone. Just like that, they're gone!" Rya buried her face into Odd's shoulder. Odd felt, well, odd, having Rya just sitting there, crying. It was strange, because Rya was one of the strong women that he knew. It just didn't seem right, seeing her cry.
"Hey, it'll be okay, Rya." All Rya did was mumble something. She had fallen asleep, after three weeks of being awake.
Odd looped her arm over his shoulder, and half carried half dragged Rya back to the dorm. Jim spotted Odd dragging Rya back to the dorms, and laughed quietly to himself. He knocked on the door to the girls' room, and Yumi opened it. She was still half asleep.
"Odd? What are you doing here?" she muttered.
"Package for you." He motioned to Rya. "She fell asleep." Yumi muttered something, and hit Aelita with a pillow.
"What?" Aelita groaned.
"Help me get Rya into her bed. She fell asleep on one of her midnight walks." They dragged Rya to her chair, but just left her on the floor.
"Thanks for bringing her here, Odd," Yumi muttered, as she closed the door. Odd stared at the door, before heading back to his own dorm.
So…how'd you like that chapter?? Surprised at Rya's explanation??
-Mello-Out-