The Girl in the Corner
A/N: Now things are going to get a bit more interesting. Kid and Chrona's relationship takes a big improvement thanks to the events of last chapter, which causes uneasy happiness on Chrona's part.
This chapter takes place about two weeks after the last one.
Pairings to be expected are Kid/Chrona, Soul/Maka, and a few surprise ones.
Disclaimer: This is merely a fanfic meant for entertainment and none of the characters, or real things, present belong to me unless I say otherwise.
Note: The chapter will switch between points of views. You will know when the point of view changes whenever the character's name appears BOLD and there is a line.
Maka
"Did Chrona leave again?"
"Yeah, and Kid's gone too."
I groaned at this, falling back onto my chair and having the strong urge to slam my head against my desk hard- really hard. Once again Chrona had decided to leave the group during lunch time, and as always Kid seemed to follow her, wherever she went. This has been going on for the past couple school days!
"What is going on here?" I rhetorically asked, leaning back into my chair. To think that Chrona and Kid would start spending time together all of a sudden. Are they secretly dating behind our backs?
…No. If it was dating Chrona would give off some sort of hint since she was so bad at hiding secrets (Or was she?). But if not, than what could it be? When I called her yesterday and asked her about this whole thing, she just told me that Kid was just being nice to her. For me to be surprised by her words is an understatement.
After Patty told us about the man with the X on his face I've been trying to get Chrona to talk to me about it, but so far, just like with what she was doing with Kid, she wouldn't say anything. I didn't want to push it, so after the last few failed attempts I gave up. But it's been bugging me more and more. When did things suddenly get so complicated with her?
"So once again the two lovebirds decide to ditch," I heard Soul joke, though I didn't find it funny at all. When he moved a desk and chair so that he could sit right next to me, the screech sounds just made my headache worsen.
"They're not 'lovebirds' Soul," I frowned, calming myself down before I began eating the lunch that I've prepared for myself. He rolled his eyes at my statement before he started leaning against his chair in his usual 'cool' position.
"Kid and Chrona are not here today again?"
I looked up from my meal to see Tsubaki and Liz walking over to us with their respective lunches. Just like Soul they moved the desks so that they could sit next to us. I looked around for Patty and Black*Star, only to remember a second later the two made a quick run to the cafeteria for today's lunch special.
"They've been at this for a while now," Tsubaki calmly said, taking her seat. "Makes me wonder what they're doing exactly. I ask Kid and he just brushes me off like it's nothing." Liz let out an irritated groan. I thought as much, though I find it strange how the two of them are acting so mellow about the whole thing.
After seconds of silence that were spent on pondering, Liz brought up some interesting information. "You know, it's funny, but lately Kid's been getting up early just so he could prepare his own lunch."
"Really?" Tsubaki and I simultaneously asked, amazed. Kid was actually willing to prepare food by himself? It was always Liz who does all the cooking and preparing in the house. Kid hates cooking, he always complains about how the food in the house is 'asymmetrical' and never comes out right, and he also complains about the mess! Since when did he become interested?
"And to top it all off, he prepares enough food for two people, and we all know Kid's not a big eater."
"…So they've been sharing lunch for the past two weeks?" I questioned, trying to picture it in my head. "That's so sweet," Tsubaki giggled.
"But no one has seen them around the halls, outside the building or in the cafeteria." Soul added, closing his eyes as he continued to just casually sit there.
This was just too frustrating. "Then where else could they be?"
Kid
"There you are,"
I closed the door to the roof and sent a smile Chrona's way. Since she was given the key, she's been coming here every lunch time, which made me feel somewhat accomplished since I was able to introduce her to a place where she can sit around in peace and feel safe. Of course I've been giving her some company, which, to my surprise, she didn't really mind.
I always found her in the same place, the far corner of the roof. She was either sitting down on the floor or standing up and staring at the view, either way she was positioned in the corner. I know she found it comforting, but it still confuses me as to why that is.
"H-hi Shinigami-kun," Chrona softly greeted me, returning my smile with one of her own, something which I've been seeing often. This time she was on the floor with her knees up and arms hugging them, her usual sitting position. I strolled over and properly sat down right next to her, making sure that there was a good and exact eight inches between us. She still felt nervous whenever I was too close after all.
"I prepared sandwiches for us today," I said, placing the container on my lap and removing the cover. I noticed how Chrona barely ate anything, which clearly explains her frail build, so just recently I decided to make some food for her. Cooking was a whole new thing for me, so the only meals I could really prepare are sandwiches and rice balls (at least both meals were symmetrical).
"I made sure that everything was precise so that they would taste absolutely perfect. I cut each side so that all eight of them would be exactly the same length. I even made sure the turkey and cheese were symmetrical with the bread. I believe it's safe to say that my sandwiches are the very models of symmetrical perfection," I praised myself; taking pleasure in how beautiful the food was arranged.
Chrona reached over, slowly and cautiously, and picked out one of my perfectly constructed sandwiches. I tried my best not flinch. I didn't really want to ruin the symmetry by removing one of them, but Chrona had to eat something.
As to make sure the food stayed symmetrical I took one out myself, but I didn't take a bite. Instead I waited for what Chrona had to say. I watched her nibble off the top, as if she was scared of what would be inside. Her eyes lit up and she swallowed what she bit off.
"I-it's really good, Shinigami-kun," Chrona kindly commented, staring at the sandwich. I could feel happiness swelling up inside me at her simple but sweet words.
"See, I was correct, perfection always makes food taste good, no matter what it is!" I proudly stated before taking a bite of my own sandwich. Ah~ the taste of symmetry. If only Liz would follow my lead.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes and just ate, but it wasn't awkward at all. It's very pleasant actually. Just sitting here next to her and enjoying her presence- there was no need for talking on my part.
"Um-Ki-Kid-ku-" She stuttered this out but quickly retracted herself, "I-I-I-I mean- Shinigami-kun."
I turned to her with wide eyes, seeing her face become red with embarrassment. Was my hearing just messed up for a moment there, or did she just try to call me 'Kid-kun'? I'm sure I heard it somewhere in that jumbled up sentence of hers.
I shouldn't get my hopes up though.
"Yes, Chrona?"
"Um-" She fidgeted a bit as she continued to stare at her half eaten sandwich, "W-why is it that no one comes up here but you and me?"
Ah, I knew she was going to ask that at one point. "Well, there's a very good but long explanation for that, but we have time." I ate the last bit of my sandwich and relaxed myself before I began talking.
"You see, Chrona, Principal Azusa made the roof a restricted area for many because a lot of people fought here last year. You've heard of the fights, haven't you? I assumed you'd have because almost all of them involved Black*Star."
Chrona looked at me with questioning eyes, "I-I don't remember any fights…"
"Well you know how Black*Star loves to just challenge random guys to fights?"
"Yeah…"
"This is where all the fights took place. After school, before school, sometimes even during lunch or between classes- there was always someone beating up another. And there was always a group watching them, making bets and things like that."
"That sounds dangerous."
"Principal Azusa heard so much about these fights; she finally put her foot down and demanded it all to stop. So now only a specified few are allowed up here. Luckily for me, my father just happened to be Azusa's 'mentor' in a sense so I was given one of the keys. It's unfortunate though, seeing as Black*Star almost hit a hundred. Ninety three wins to three loses."
"Th-three? Wh-who'd he lose to?" Chrona cocked her head to the side. She must have thought that Black*Star was the 'invincible' god he claimed to be. Oh how wrong she was. I smirked, "Me."
"What!" Her eyes became wide with astonishment, though I could also see some fear in them. I recalled those short moments of glory and pride where I was able to defeat Black*Star, the supposed best fighter in the school, with my own two hands.
"Yes, the poor fool challenged me three times. The first time he assumed that because I was Shinigami-sama's son it meant I didn't like getting my hands dirty. Well I don't, but that didn't mean I couldn't fight. He lost quickly. The next two times were out of spite and a need to defeat me. Of course he lost as well, but I have to admit Black*Star is quite the competitor."
"….."
She didn't respond. That's puzzling.
"…You got into fights Shinigami-kun?"
"Yes, but only three. I don't fight unless provoked."
"B-but still," Chrona seemed so concerned for some reason, "y-you got into fights. And that means you got hurt."
"…Well, yeah, Black*Star did land a serious punch on me once," I placed a hand on my chest, "and I did end up with a bruise on my chest, but it's gone now-"
"You were 'punished'?"
"Excuse me?"
Her next action completely shocked me, catching me off guard. Chrona had scooted a bit closer and placed her hand over the one that lay on my chest. The contact sent tingles throughout my body, and I could feel my face growing warm. I looked at her face and could see that she was having the same reaction, but her expression showed great despair.
"M-mother always says- she-she always says that when someone gets hurt, it means they're being 'punished' for being bad." There she goes, mentioning her mother again- the woman with the blonde hair and golden eyes in the photograph. It was hard to believe thatsomeone who looked like thatwas Chrona's mother, but hey, I don't look much like my father either.
But what's with this "being bad" thing?
"Broth-I mean Ragnarok…Ragnarok used to get into fights too…Every time he came home all hurt, mother always said he was being 'punished' and deserved it…."
Her mother said that? Her mother, of all people, said that? And this Ragnarok- she almost called him "Brother" much like how Patty, out of love, will call Liz "Sis", which answers one of my many questions.
She slowly removed her hand and let it fall onto her lap as she looked down. "I….I get 'punished' too….But because I'm bad and weak….Shinigami-kun, you're not bad, you're nice. You don't deserve 'punishments' like I do…"
I noticed how her blues eyes darted between her arms and legs, where the cuts were being hidden by her conservative uniform. 'Punishments'- she was talking about all those inflictions on her body. To her, any injury was a punishment. It was hard to believe that a girl who was the same age as me, sixteen, was thinking like this. But for some reason, I couldn't blame her for being like that. Instead, I felt like blaming her parents. Her mother and her father, whose face was for some reason scratched out of existence in the photo.
I might as well play along though. Since we're on the topic I can't let the chance go away.
"Chrona," I carefully moved my hand that was on my chest and placed it over the hand that was on her lap, "Are you being 'punished' by somebody right now?"
"…" No verbal response. I could feel her hands clench into fists though.
"…You told me that Ragnarok wouldn't hurt you, so that crosses him off the list." Well, not really- something about him doesn't just doesn't appeal to me.
"…."
"…Is it your mother?" I felt her flinch, letting out a frightened squeak. I waited for her to say something, only for her to stay quiet once again. Instead she shook her head furiously, silently saying "No".
"….So is it your father than?"
"…." That's strange, she practically froze. I think her breathing even stopped there for a second. More silence followed, until it was all broken when she started stuttering "I-I-I don't- I don't-"
But as my luck would have had it at moments like this, the "Five Minutes" reminder bell rang loudly around the building. It was the school's way of telling students that they had exactly five minutes to clean up and get back to class.
That was perfect, just perfect.
I let out a low disappointed groan, before proceeding to prepare to leave for class. I tightly sealed the container with the cover as I stood up before lending Chrona my hand to assist her, something I normally did for the past two weeks or so. Just like the timid girl she was, she hesitated at first, as usual, before accepting the offer and allowing me to pull her back onto her feet.
"Here, you can finish this. I don't eat that much and you need the food," I offered her, handing her the sandwich filled container. This wasn't the first time I did this, so while she used to question my gracious actions, by now she understood that whenever I gave her something I did it because I cared.
"Tha-thank you,"
Those were really the last words exchanged between us for the time being, as we walked all the way back to class together but in silence. As usual, the silence wasn't awkward, but I did get the feeling that Chrona was a bit tenser.
"So if you put the three here and divide it by five you will get the answer needed to complete the next part of the problem-" Mr. Joe Buttataki, my father simply calls him B.J., wrote down the lesson on the board, but I couldn't really focus properly.
As always, the lessons of the teacher just seemed to fade away into just a jumble of words for me. I completely stopped listening to him and focused on a more important situation. Don't get me wrong, school's a high priority, but a friend who is being abused behind your back is a much higher.
This was one of the classes where I couldn't get a seat near Chrona, but if I just turned my head over to the side a bit I still had a good view of her. Unfortunately the person who had the seat right next to Chrona was Maka so every time I tried to look I always received a threatening glare from her. Good lord when will she stop acting like I'm going to kill Chrona?
But I digress.
It's been two weeks since I discovered the secret of Chrona's abuse, but in all that time I've been unable to find the answers I'm looking for. Two weeks is a long time, and a lot of time wasted- Chrona could have been hurt at any point in those days and me not doing anything but staying quiet is just like saying "go ahead".
I believe my best bet would be to try and talk to her outside of the school, even if it's just for a few hours. Maybe she would feel more comfortable in talking when we're not anywhere near the others. But really going up to Chrona and asking "You want to come over to my place?" isn't the smartest thing to do, not with Maka around- especially since I don't have a real reason for asking such a request.
"Miss Gorgon,"
B.J. pointed to Chrona, who was too busy staring outside the window to respond. "Miss Gorgon," B.J. repeated. I saw Maka reached over to poke Chrona's arm with her pencil, causing the pinkette to regain focus. Her eyes widened in surprise and Chrona shot up from her seat instantly.
"Y-yes sir?" She nervously asked, obviously shaken up. "Can you please give us the answer you came up with for the problem on the board?"
"Uh-uh-"
"Not paying attention again I see. Well you may sit down for now, but I may have to deduct points for not participating again, you understand?"
"Y-yes sir…"
"Alright, Kilik, can you please tell us what you got?"
I heard some of the class, particularly the girls, start giggling and mocking Chrona. I desperately wanted to do something to shut them up, as they had no idea what Chrona is going through. I saw Maka comfort Chrona who was having one of her mental breakdowns since she was once again caught not listening in class.
Chrona had a bad habit of doing that though, spacing out in the middle of class. That explains why her grades weren't really top notch, something that really worried me since if you didn't reach the required GPA in the school they would kick you out. Normally Maka would be helping out by tutoring her, but lately, due to her demanding and dotting father, she hasn't been able to.
Wait, that's perfect- I'll tutor her. I'll help her after school to improve her grades. It's beneficial for both of us, she gets some help studying and I would have a chance to talk to her outside of school hours. It's practically full proof.
After School
Chrona
"Alright!" Black*Star ran grabbed his book bag and ran out of the class room at an amazing speed, something he tends to do every time the last bell rang. I always wondered how he could have so much energy and keep smiling like that.
You want to be like that too, don't you? You want to be able to smile every day, don't you?
"You dumbass you're supposed to help me clean the freaking classroom!" Soul angrily hollered, running after Black*Star.
"B-Black*Star, please don't run in the halls!" I heard Tsubaki pleadingly yell in the halls. She always seemed to be like Black*Star's older sister, always looking out for him like that. And Liz did the same for Patty.
"Sorry Chrona, but I can't be your sister anymore…"
….
"Are you ready?"
I nearly fell off my chair at the sound of Maka's voice. "Wha-what?" I looked up to find that she was standing by my desk with her stuff all ready. "I asked if you're ready to go, silly." She gave me her usual friendly smile. I nodded in response and stood up with my book bag.
We walked down the crowded halls and I just made sure I never lost her as she continued to talk about her day. I think it's because of this natural friendliness of hers that I find myself clinging to Maka more than anyone. She's just so nice to me and I have fun being with her.
"Will you be my friend, Chrona?"
Yes, will you be my friend Chrona? So I can stab you in the back later on?
I find myself having fun with Shinigami-kun too. He's been nice to me too. He showed me the roof and gave me the key to it. It's nice up there, really nice. I could sit in the corner and I don't have to worry about anyone but him being there.
You're getting too close to these people
For some reason I find myself able to talk to Shinigami-kun about my 'punishments'. Was it because he had a 'punishment' too? But he has only one. He doesn't have as many as I do. I shouldn't have said anything. He even asked me about Mother, and for some strange reason he brought up Father…
"You're a child that neither of us wanted."
This is bad.
This is really bad.
If Shinigami-kun finds out what is going on, Mother will punish me. Mother will punish him. I don't want that. I don't want that.
Seems like no matter what, someone you care about always gets hurt, huh trash?
"Chrona, there you are."
Right when we were outside the school entrance, both Maka and I stopped in place at the sound of Shinigami-kun's voice. We turned around and saw him standing there with Liz and Patty following from behind. He stepped closer to me, but for some reason I didn't back away like I used to.
"What is it, Kid?" Maka questioned for me. For some reason she had this vicious glare. The two haven't been getting along lately and it's been worrying me. "Don't worry Maka Kid just wants to ask her something." Liz reassured her.
"Yes actually," For some reason I find his demeanor and the way he talked to be funny and…Cute….Because he acts so much like a gentleman. "Chrona, I noticed how you've been struggling with classes lately and I was wondering if I could offer you some assistance in your studying."
He always talked like that, so professional- almost too professional because I didn't really understand him. "Kid, just simply ask 'do you want to come over to my place so I could tutor you?' it doesn't have to sound so business-like." Liz shook her head. Oh. I silently thanked her for clearing that up.
"What? You want to tutor her?" Maka loudly said, looking stunned. "Is there something wrong with that? I just want to help her out," Shinigami-kun answered calmly. He's been helping me a lot lately…
"And why exactly is that?"
"I have my reasons, Maka."
"That's not an answer Kid! I'm already her tutor, she doesn't need another one."
"But I believe that lately you haven't been able to do anything since your father has been taking up most of your time,"
I don't know how to respond really, so I just stood there all quiet and let Shinigami-kun and Maka continue arguing. One part of me really wanted to accept the offer- with Maka so occupied lately I needed help and it would mean I could be with Shinigami-kun a bit more. The other part of me, though, feared the thought. Mother doesn't allow me out of the house after school; I'm supposed to be home right when it's over. But- but I really would like to say 'yes'.
Bad things happen to those who don't listen to Mother
"Um-" I let out an unsure hum, causing both Maka and Shinigami-kun to stop arguing and to turn to me with concerned eyes. "Is something wrong, Chrona?" They both asked me simultaneously. It was kind of funny…
"Um-I-I don't mind- I don't mind studying with Shinigami-kun…But-but I need to ask first…."
"What!" Maka's eyes widened. Shinigami-kun had this victorious smirk on his face which made me want to giggle because it was kind of silly. "See, Maka, there is nothing wrong with me trying to help her. Besides, it would take a load off your mind-"
"Or add some more," Maka mumbled.
"Anyway, go ahead and ask Chrona and I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow." Shinigami-kun said with a nice smile. I nodded letting out an agreeing sound. It was then that I realized that I spent too much time talking to them, which wasn't good because Ragnarok didn't like waiting. "I- I have to go- I-I'll see you tomorrow-b-bye," I waved to them as I ran off, not wanting to keep Ragnarok waiting a minute longer. He gets angry when I take too long.
When I was out of the school grounds, I slowed down my pace and as calmly as I could, walked down the streets, making sure not to make any eye contact with anyone from my class. I made a turn and saw Ragnarok hanging around in his usual spot. He was leaning against the wall and just glaring at those who passed by and commented on his X-shaped scar. I hated it every time I saw it…
This is what happens to children who don't listen…
"There you are," Ragnarok scoffed, "Took you long enough." I cautiously approached him. "S-sorry- I-I was-"
"Talking to your three-striped-hair-boyfriend again?" B-boyfriend! "N-n-no, Sh-Shinigami-kun's not my b-b-b-boyfriend!" Why is my face so warm all of a sudden? I can't deal with this!
"Ya' have been spending a lot of time with him," Ragnarok smirked before playfully punching my head. According to him it was his way of showing how much he cared. What a funny way of showing it... "Come on, let's get moving, I'm hungry and I wasted enough time here waiting-"
Oh yeah, the sandwiches. "I-I have some food saved from lunchtime." I slowly took out the container that Shinigami-kun let me borrow and opened it. Ragnarok looked down at them with a raised brow before he reached over to pick up one. He was a big eater and always ate all my food, not that I really mind. It's not like I could actually do anything to stop him so I don't try and protest.
"And where'd you get these little things?" He asked, looking it over as if it was something suspicious. "Ki-Shinigami-kun gave them to me," I've noticed that lately I've had the urge to call Shinigami-kun by his given name. I felt that I really had no right to though.
You have no right to do anything my dear
"Did he make them for you?"
"Y-yes, he's been making me lunch for the past couple days now…."
"…Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?"
"N-n-no-no! He-he doesn't-he doesn't like me like that-and I-and I don't either!" I quickly denied. It's the truth though. Shinigami-kun's my friend and only my friend. "Whatever ya' say," Ragnarok had this smug grin on my face that just made me uncomfortable. When we started walking back to our home, I tried to think of a good way to ask Mother if I can go to Shinigami-kun's home.
I know she wouldn't say yes. Mother said that I shouldn't go to other people's houses; she never really did give me a clear reason other than because I was already embarrassing the family name by merely appearing in public…
You're so weak, you should feel so ashamed.
"What'cha thinking about now, flat chest?" Ragnarok's gruff voice broke through my thoughts. "Um-" I had a bad habit of fidgeting or wringing my hands together when I'm nervous, and I bet I was doing that right now. "Come on, spill it."
"I-I was just thinking. I-it's just that…Sh-Shinigami-kun asked me today if I could go to his house so he- so that he could tutor me…."
"…Does tutor mean 'have sex'?"
"Ra-Ra-Ragnarok!" I yelled at him- I rarely ever did but what he said was something I couldn't handle. Where did he get such an idea! I-I-I can't deal with the thought! He started laughing hysterically. "Damn, ya' can't take a joke now can ya'? Such a virgin…"
"…."
"…So I'm guessin' you want to go?"
"Um-I-"
"You know that Medusa doesn't like you goin' to other people's places,"
"I-I know- but-"
"But ya' really wanna go don't ya?"
"Y-yes-actually-"
"Fine,"
"What?" I looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking. Did he just say it was okay for me to go? But he always listened to Mother's orders, is he really going to disobey? "But-but what about-" I was quickly interrupted when he reached over for another sandwich since he practically swallowed the first one. "I'll cover for ya', somehow. Tell Three Stripes that you can come on Saturday and I'll pick ya' up from his place, got it ya' twit?"
Oh my- looks who's dragging down big brother again! Always causing trouble aren't you?
"…"
"I'll take your idiotic silence as a 'yes',"
"…." I just couldn't really believe it. Before he instantly said "no" every time I asked him if it would be okay for me to go with my friends to the park or to go to Maka's house. He always said that he didn't think someone like me deserved it. So why did he say yes now?
I heard him eat his second sandwich with a loud slobber sound, something that I have grown used to. He reached over for his third one as he said "I've tasted better; these little shits don't have much in them but turkey and cheese."
"He says he likes to be simple and symmetrical…"
"You must really like this Three Stripes, don't ya'?"
"...Yes…He's a really nice friend."
"I didn't mean it like that you dumbass."…What? I don't get it. What did he mean then?
It looks like someone is being a bad girl again.
Saturday…
Kid
The doorbell rang through the mansion as I finished putting together my textbooks in a symmetrical fashion on our dining table.
"Chrona's here~ Chrona's here~" I heard Patty sing as she ran past the door into the foyer. "Calm down, Patty, we don't want to scare her!" Liz warned, running after her sister. Those two have so much energy, it's almost unbelievable.
I was still surprised that Chrona's family said yes to the whole 'tutoring' thing. Or maybe Chrona just didn't say anything to them and snuck out? Either way, I'm glad she's here. I hope this will work out well. If I get lucky she may tell me some more about her family. Maybe I should ask about the girl in the photo with the silver hair. Of course I won't be so direct; I'll just find a good transition to such a question.
"Chrona, you're here, and you look so cute~!"
Patty could be heard giggling and squealing at the front door, and from the small sounds of distress I could only guess that she was hugging the poor pinkette to death. "P-Patty, I think you're hurting her." Now I heard Liz trying to separate the two. "No I'm not sis, Chrona likes my hugs~" Patty replied and just after she did Chrona let out a breathless "I-I can't-I can't breathe Patty-I-"
I shook my head at this but I couldn't help but smile. I fixed my hair one more time, ignoring the three stripes in my hair to the best of my ability, before joining the three girls at the front. "Welcome Chrona," I politely greeted. I had a good look of her once Patty was pulled away by Liz. This was, I assume, the first time Chrona has been seen outside of school so all three of us had the rare chance of seeing her wear something else other than her school uniform.
She really did look much cuter- I couldn't say that out loud of course- even though the clothes she was wearing now didn't seem any different from the uniform. She wore a black sweater, with white cuffs, that was tight around her body and with it a matching long skit that wasn't ruffled so it looked kind of hard to walk in.
Chrona rung her hands together nervously as she gave me a small greeting. "H-h-hello-um-" Her eyes wondered around the foyer, widening at how big it was. I wonder what she would think when she sees the rest of the mansion. "Do you like the place? I made sure every single thing was symmetrical. From the picture frames to the plants to the lamps to the toilet paper-"
"We get it," Liz groaned, looking at me with an annoyed face. How dare she try to interrupt me when I was talking about symmetry? I would have retaliated but I had a certain someone present. Patty just let out another one of her laughs.
"Well," I gestured to the dining room door, "shall we begin?"
She slowly nodded and took cautious steps toward the door even though you could tell that the manor dazzled her. "Have fun you two, don't do anything behind our backs, 'kay?" Liz said that almost like a mother, though she had a sly smile that made me wonder what she was really thinking.
"Don't look at me like I'm going to do something," I frowned before joining Chrona in the dining room. I tried not to react when I heard the sisters snicker behind me.
An hour later…
Liz
"Patty, stop spying on them,"
This was practically the third time I had to say that to her as I passed by. I would have stayed upstairs in my room but I needed to get some things done in the lounge before anything else. So I could easily see Patty peeking through the doors of the dining room where Kid and Chrona were having their study session.
"But don't you want to see what they're doing sis?" She turned to me with pleading blue eyes. "And what exactly are they doing?"
"Talking, reading, writing~" Patty listed, turning her gaze back to her peephole. "Wow, that's definitely interesting." I rolled my eyes, continuing to walk back to the lounge room. I don't think she heard the sarcasm, or heard me at all for that matter. I was kind of disappointed with what she said though. So Kid really did mean it when he said that he was just going to be tutoring Chrona. That's a letdown. I really thought for a moment there that he would actually make a move.
"Damn it Patty!" I heard Kid yell, obviously catching Patty in the act.
It was clearly obvious to everyone in the group that he has liked Chrona for a while now. True he didn't have much of an opinion of her when she came last year (though I have to admit that neither did I), but feelings change of course. But he seems so focused on her now for some reason. Did something happen between them?
Ding-Dong!
Wow, just when I had stepped into the lounge the doorbell rings. "Patty, can you get that for me?" I called out. The last thing I heard from Patty were a couple of shouts and an apology to Kid, but I knew better than to think that she actually heard to me. I sighed as I exited the room once again.
Ding-Dong!
"I'm coming!" I called out, walking to the large doors. Patty was still trying to spy on the pair, even though she was caught just a few seconds ago, not that I was surprised.
Ding-Dong!
A third time, really? This guy sure is an impatient fellow.
Ding-Dong!
…Okay, now that's just ridiculous. Who presses the doorbell four times in a span of only like three minutes?
"Okay, who the hell do you think you are-"
I was ready to give whoever it was at the door a piece of my mind until I opened it wide. Standing there, clearly seen thanks to the outside lights, was a right well built guy who was around my age, at least that's what I assumed. He had messy and kind of oily looking, black hair and was dressed all in skin-tight black with metal spiked accessories to match the style. I couldn't help but stare at the "X" on his face.
Wait…An "X"? I swear I heard of something like that before….
"Hey, blondie, this is the Three-Stripes kid's house, right?" He asked me, looking around the place. He was about to step inside, but I quickly got into his way. He was much bigger than me though, so I had the feeling that I made a bad move, but hey I've done worse in the past.
"Are you talking about Kid?" I immediately interrogated, looking at him sternly. "Is that actually his name? That's really freaking sad. What the hall ya' goanna call him once he's grown up?" Wow. We only exchanged like two sentences and already I don't like him.
"Who's asking?" I shot back. It may have been years, but I still had the Brooklyn side of me ready to strike.
"I'm just here for Chrona blondie. Just hand her over and I'll be on my freaking way."
"And what do you want with her exactly?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Of course it does!"
"Just get the fucking brat over here, already, I don't like waitin'."
Good God this guy was unbelievable. There is no way I'm letting him through until he gives me a decent (and polite) sentence.
"Hey!" I turned around to see Patty running over to us, stopping beside me to point at the jerk. "It's you, the punk ass with the 'X' on his face!" She proclaimed loudly. "And you're the busty retard who likes giraffes," He retorted.
Wait a minute- this was the guy that Patty was talking about? This was the guy that was looking for Chrona after school?
Oh crap, Maka's not going to be happy about this…
Kid
I really had the strong urge to yell at Patty to "Stop spying on us already!" But I didn't want to ruin the moment. Plus, Liz already did that for me, three times too. The rooms weren't exactly sound proof so it was easy to hear everything. Not like it really mattered, I'm used to all the noises anyway.
For now, all I wanted to pay attention to was the girl sitting close to me right here, right now. I don't know if Chrona took notice but I've been moving my chair much closer to hers every moment or so since we began.
"If we calculated it correctly the answer should be thirty five-point-sixty eight." I declaimed, writing down the numbers on the paper. I made sure they were written as neatly as possible, especially the number eight (Oh the symmetry~).
"O-okay," Chrona nodded at my words, "I get it now. Thank you Shinigami-kun." It made me happy that she did. Just the feeling of being able to help her was really satisfying on my part. I wonder if I could help her with more than just her studies though. Speaking of helping, I should probably take care of something that has been bothering me to no end. It was something that I couldn't help but keep staring at.
"Sh-Shinigami-kun, w-w-why are you looking at me like that?" Chrona trembled.
"…It's your hair,"
"M-m-m-my hair?" She ran both her hands along her pink hair that was extremely uneven. It was the first thing I noticed about her when we met. The first thing I remember even saying to her was "You're hair is unsymmetrical".
"It's just," I tried to find a way to put it lightly, "It's just that…Your hair has been bothering for a long time now. For one thing, your right bang is much longer than your left bang. And some of your front bangs are straight while some are elongated. And who the hell cuts your hair at the back!" There, that's the nicest way I could put it.
Chrona stared back with sad eyes and was shaking like she was about to cry. "I-I-I-I'm sorry- I- I-" Damn it, now I screwed up. "It's alright, it's alright!" I quickly reassured, not wanting to make her cry again, but she kept on talking.
"It-it's just that- it's just that I like my hair short- and-and so Ragnarok usually cuts it for me. But he's not good with scissors so-"
"It's okay, Chrona, I-"
"E-Eruka used to cut my hair for me- but-but since she-"
"Wait a minute," I had to put my index finger on her lips (which felt soft and delicate) to get her to stop talking. She said 'Eruka'- that was a new name. "Who's this 'Eruka'?" I asked, looking at her intently. I could only assume that she was talking about the silver-haired girl in the photo. So her name was Eruka?
Ragnarok, Eruka, Chrona- the three Gorgon children. I have met Ragnarok, but never seen anyone who even resembled the little girl in the photo. Maybe Chrona is hiding her as well. I slowly removed my finger, and she just sat still, though her eyes were telling me that she was searching through her head for words to say.
"Um-" She let out an unsure hum, "E-Eruka-E-Eruka is-was-she's- she's my…Older sister…" Well that verifies a lot of things. "And what happened to her?"
"I-I can't tell you!" Chrona immediately answered, "Mo-mother, she doesn't allow me to talk about her." There was her mother again, and this time she had forbade Chrona from talking about her own sister. What is that woman's problem? Doesn't she care about her own children?
"You can do it Kid!" Patty's cheer from the doors disrupted my thoughts, interrupting the entire mood, "Kiss her~"
"Damn it Patty!" I yelled, turning away from Chrona to glare daggers at the blonde who can clearly be seen through the small crack of the two doors. My cheeks became a dark shade of red, and I bet Chrona was the same.
"Woopsies, sorry~" She quickly shut the door; even though I knew the moment I turned around she would try peeking in again.
Ding-Dong!
"Ah!" Chrona instantly stood up at the sound of the doorbell. It must have been Ragnarok; Chrona told me that he would b the one picking her up.
Ding-Dong!
"I'm coming!" Liz was heard yelling, her boots making the loud 'tap' sounds as she walked to the door. Chrona and I took the time to fix up the books and the dining room chairs.
Ding-Dong!
"Three times in a row?" I frowned at this, "Your brother doesn't know much about patience now, does he?" Chrona squeaked at this. "H-how did you know Ragnarok's my brother?" I chuckled, "I figured that out a long time ago, it wasn't that difficult seeing as you almost called him 'brother' one time."
Chrona looked down embarrassed and I only chuckled more.
Ding-Dong!
"Four times?" I questioned while Chrona just let out a groan. The door could be heard opening, and in just a few seconds both of us were listening to Liz and Ragnarok yelling at each other. What great first impressions there.
"Hey!" Patty could be heard running from her spot to the front before yelling "It's you, the punk ass with the 'X' on his face!"
"And you're the busty retard who likes giraffes,"
"Oh no," Chrona and I said in unison. We both were probably thinking the same thing: This is not going to end well. Leaving the room as fast as we could, I silently hoped that Liz and Patty didn't go all 'Thompson Sisters" on Ragnarok's ass (Though a part of me kind of wished they would).
Luckily for both of us, all our respective siblings were just standing at the door, though Liz was holding Patty back which kind of worried me. "There you are!" Ragnarok glared, I think it was meant mainly for me. "What the hell were you doing, making out?"
"Ragnarok!"
"Whatever, let's go Chrona," He turned around and began to walk off the porch, brushing us off before I could yell at him, "this whole shithole smells like prissy."
"Well you smell like an ass!" Patty insulted, fists and teeth both clenched tightly. "Good riddance!" Liz snarled.
"Ragnarok…" Chrona let out a sad groan. I turned to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, "Sorry about that, they only act like this whenever someone pisses them off." I reassured her, giving her a smile. She shook her head and waved her hands in defense, "N-no, I-I'm sorry-Ragnarok is just like that, he's always been!"
"Chrona, get your ass out of there and let's go!"
He's always been like that? That wasn't very reassuring….
"I-I better go," Chrona bowed, "Th-thank you Shinigami-kun. You really taught me a lot…"
"I told you I'll be here if you need help," I reminded. "You can come over anytime you want," Liz offered, finally calming down and letting go of Patty, "just leave the jackass behind when you do."
"Yeah~" Patty giggled, reverting back to her 'cutesy little girl' act. The smile forming on Chrona's face was full of gratefulness and I had the strong urge to just hug her because of it. I liked it when she smiled like that.
"Chrona!" Ragnarok called for the final time. "I-I'm coming!" Chrona quickly trotted out the door, but stopped to give wave goodbye.
"We'll see you on Monday!"
"Bye bye~"
While Liz and Patty said their farewells I just silently waved as I continued smiling. Once Chrona and Ragnarok went past the gates, the three of us retreated back inside. "Are you sure it was okay for Chrona to go home with that guy?" Liz asked as we walked up the large staircase.
"Don't worry," I assured, "I don't think he'll do anything too bad. He is Chrona's brother after all."
"I guess-" I heard both Liz and Patty stop in place on the stairs, and even though my back was turned and I was still moving, I could tell they were shocked.
"…He's Chrona's brother!"
"Wow what a twist~"
"B-but they look nothing alike! And there is just no way someone as timid as Chrona would have a brother who's that much of a jackass!"
"But sis, we're related and we look nothing alike!"
"Patty, the both of us have blonde hair, blue eyes and boobs. That's enough of a sign that we're sisters! But that Ragnarok…And Chrona! I- I just- I just…." Her voice suddenly faltered and there was a second or two of silence before she started yelling again. This time her voice was directed toward me.
"Wait a minute, you knew about this all along, didn't you Kid!"
"Why yes," I made it to the top and made a right for the hallway where my room was. Liz and Patty quickly caught up, ready to interrogate me as much as they could.
"Is that why you were going around asking us about her family!"
"Yes,"
"Why didn't you say anything!"
"Chrona has a brother~ Chrona has a brother~" Patty merely sang, clapping her hands. Good lord, if this is how they react to Ragnarok being Chrona's brother, I don't want to even think about what they would say if I told them about the 'mysterious' Eruka, or Chrona's still-unidentified father.
I drowned out Liz's questions, too occupied with my own thoughts. I have found out this much about the individuals in Chrona's family photo, but I had the strong feeling that I was still missing some important information. And I think I know what.
It's time to start investigating Chrona's mother.
Chrona
"Did ya' enjoy yourself with Three Stripes?"
That was the first thing he said to me since we left. I rubbed my arm up and down, feeling a bit too happy to really say anything. All I could do was smile. It was fun, being with Shinigami-kun. Liz and Patty were really nice too… Whenever Maka tutored me we would just be in the school's library, so it felt nice to go to a friend's house for a change. I never been to a house so big and pretty before either, and the dining room was nice too.
See how good life is for those who matter?
"Not goanna say anything, huh? Fine, be that way."
"….I…I liked it...He helped me a lot with things I couldn't deal with."
"Humph- a dumbass like you needs the freaking help."
We continued walking down the dark streets. It was rare for anyone to be out of their houses in the neighborhoods, so I wasn't surprise that it was empty. "Hopefully Medusa ain't home now. She was supposed to work an extra few hours today, which saves both of our asses."
I bit into my bottom lip, remembering that if Mother found out that I was out at this time, and with Shinigami-kun no less, I would be 'punished' again.
The feeling of suspense and fear of what may come mixed in my stomach making me feel sick. I clenched my hand tightly around my arm at this. When we reached out house, I felt a wave of relief wash over when I saw that the lights weren't on.
"Well aren't we fucking lucky," I heard Ragnarok mumble as we walked up to the porch. He dug through his pockets for a key and used it to unlock the door. Opening it slowly, I noticed that it was really dark inside, a good omen as it would mean that no one has been inside for a while. I still didn't want to go in though. I just suddenly had the strong desire to run back to Shinigami-kun.
"Don't be a freaking baby, let's go," Ragnarok ordered, walking inside. I obeyed and slowly followed behind.
"She's not here, which means we're off the hook, for now." He said as we removed our shoes. While I placed mine neatly in the rack, Ragnarok just threw his down, making me- out of instinct- put it back for him. "Come on, get upstairs- Medusa will be here any minute for all I care," Ragnarok was about to reach over for the switch to turn on the lights, but something else already illuminated the room.
"And why are you so worried about that, my dear?"
I stiffened at her voice, my hold on my arm tightening as I once again bit my lip, much harder. Horror, fear, fright, despair, dread, and misery- those few words were too simple to describe what I was feeling right now. Not even Ragnarok could say anything as we both looked at the person who was sitting on the couch, her hand holding the string to turn on the lamp. The look in her eyes and the devious smile on her face made me shudder, even the way she sat intimidated me- her legs crossed and her back against the couch as if she was waiting.
"L-L-Lady Medusa,"
Mother is angry again. She's very angry.
A/N: So Chrona and Kid have become much closer, but the romance will have to wait. For now Kid is just happy that to he is just as important to Chrona as Maka is.
If you're wondering why Azusa is principal instead of a teacher, I just thought it fit her seeing as she could be intimidating and very calculating, making her a good candidate. I am running out of adults though (I can't really use Justin or Tezca (The Death Scythe with the bear mask) for obvious reasons and I'm saving Marie for a much more important role).
So despite Ragnarok's gruff appearance, bad attitude, and vulgar speech he is actually a good brother. But to everyone else he appears to be a punk who takes advantage of Chrona. Also now Kid definately knows that Chrona has a sister. Also, we are finally introduced to Medusa herself.
Sorry if this was a bit disappointing for some of you, but the next will be much more exiting I assure you. In truth I would have gone longer, but then I realized that if I did I would exceed more than 9,000 words.
In Chapter Six, Kid will meet Medusa for the first time.
Thank you for reading. I am so happy that you all are willing to follow me this far into the story. If you can, please leave a review and tell me your opinion.
P.S.: How many of you have read my fanfic "Behind Closed Doors"? Well I've been thinking about it, and I've been wondering, would you guys want a lemon that shows what exactly Kid and Chrona did behind the doors, or would you rather just use your imagination? Please tell me what you think. Thank you.