"I really hope this heals soon…"
Seated at my desk, I held a mirror and looked over my injuries.
It was as if some huge animal had left its paw print on my throat. In the center was a thick purple bruise, and the blotchy blues of a thumb and fingers wrapped around my neck.
Like a bruise noose, I thought, running my fingertips over the mottled shapes. I shuddered at the contact, and my breath hitched as memories of the event flashed through my head. My hand lingered as my mind wandered off.
What is it about me that attracts such violence? I'm small, and my hair's a mess. I don't really dress nicely. Do I have a scent or mark on me? Is it the bindi? It's not obnoxious… Could a little red dot really insight such anger in-
"How are you doing?" I let out a gasp and dropped the mirror, frightened by the sudden voice. I put a hand over my heart.
"Make a noise next time," I said, glaring as Matt leaned against the desk. He chuckled. "You're going to give me a heart attack one day."
"I tend to have that effect," he teased, picking up the mirror. I rolled my eyes. "Why'd you leave the game store?"
"Are you dumb?" I asked, my face screwing up in disbelief as he set the mirror on the desk. "I wasn't just going to sit there while that… rundi tore into me. I have some dignity."
"Yeah, but you don't normally run away from stuff like that," he pointed out. I scowled. "Come on, Lucky. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," I replied, looking away from him. He shifted so that he was in my line of sight.
"It's obviously not nothing."
"Yeah it is."
"No, it's not."
"It hurt, Matt," I snapped. "It hurt! I didn't do anything to her! And she treated me like I was the scum of the earth!"
I looked down to hide my newly teary eyes and clenched my fists. "I didn't know that people could be like that. I didn't know people could be so… Hurtful. And with no reason."
"… I'm sorry," he said softly, taken aback. "I didn't know she had a cruel side."
"It seems like you know her pretty well," I muttered, regretting it as I saw his eyes narrow.
"She has a thing for me," he said suspiciously.
"A blind man could've seen that," I spat. Realization bloomed on his face and he smirked.
"Are you jealous?" He asked.
"What? N-no!" I cursed the small stutter in my voice, watching as his smirk turned into a cocky, full-blown smile.
"You are!" He said, laughing. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from him, trying to stifle the blush that rose to my cheeks. "You're jealous that she was hitting on me!"
"Shut up." I hissed, grinding my teeth. "Shut up, Matt."
"Well, I can see why, I mean, look at me!" He continued. "I'm practically a lady killer. Who wouldn't want a piece of me? I-"
"Get out!" I shouted, standing up. His eyes widened at my outburst.
"L-lucky, I'm just-"
"It's not enough for you that she humiliated me? Now you're going to?" I pushed him towards the door, watching as he scowled. "Get out!"
"Lucky, stop!" He cried, grabbing my wrists. "I'm just teasing you!"
I struggled against his grip as he continued. "I wouldn't let anyone humiliate you, let alone do it myself! I'd protect your honor with my life, you should know that!"
I stopped suddenly, looking up at him. "You would?"
"Of course, dumby," he said, not letting go of my wrists. "You're my best friend; do you think I'd ever let anyone hurt you?"
He sighed at my silence and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. I tensed at the sudden contact; he'd never hugged me before.
"Lucky, you're like… A deep. That's what you call it, right? The little lamp? You're like that. You're… Light." He said wistfully, resting his chin on my head. "You're more important than some blonde bimbo could ever be."
"… Am I dowdy?"
"What?"
"Dowdy. Shabby. Plain."
"Are you blind?" He asked. "Lucky, you're a diamond in this fucking coal mine. Your heart's golden and pure and that shows on the surface. And sometimes, when you get excited, your eyes get really sparkly and bright and…"
He pulled away from me and brushed a loose piece of hair out of my face, smiling. "You're just the most extraordinary girl in the universe."
I bit my lip, smiling at his sweet words. Our eyes locked when I looked up to thank him, and I felt my heart sputter.
Matt had been a fluffy kid; with round cheeks and a little extra chub all over, he contrasted greatly with Mello, who was forever lean and lanky. Yet, as I looked at him now, he was anything but fluffy: his face was chiseled and his jaw was strong, and I was almost completely sure that there was no little belly underneath his striped shirt.
When had he grown up?
He seemed to realize something as well, as his hand immediately dropped from my ear. We pulled away simultaneously and he cleared his throat.
"So, yeah…" He said, scratching his head. I grinned and clasped my hands.
"Can I ask you something?"
"S-sure…" He stuttered. I was surprised at his lack of sarcasm.
"Will you pray with me?" He looked shocked at the question, but also a bit relieved, and I wasn't sure why.
"Are you sure? I mean, I'm not-"
"You don't have to be Hindu," I said. He looked down.
"… I don't believe in God at all, Lucky," he said quietly. "I'm an atheist."
I tilted my head. "That's alright."
He peered up at me in confusion. "What?"
"I'm not asking you to adopt my religion, Matt," I answered with a giggle. "I'm just asking you to… Accompany me."
He contemplated the offer for a moment, his scrutinizing gaze wavering when he observed my hopeful look. He sighed. "Alright."
"Good. Now go shower," I said, pushing him from my room. "And put on clean clothes."
When I got back to Lucky's room, she was crouched in front of her shrine, wrapped in a tangerine-colored shawl. I knocked on the door and she turned, smiling when she saw me. She got up as I entered and held out a white cloth.
"Here," she said. "Put this on."
"… On where?" I asked, confused. She giggled.
"On your head," she explained. "You need to cover your hair."
With a sigh, I obliged her, kneeling next to her once I had finished.
As I watched her perform her rituals, I felt tranquility slowly wash over me. In my mind's eye, I laid back on a warm beach and the tide came in around me, pulling me into the sea. The salty water embraced me and filled my ears and heart and I felt so calm that my heartbeat slowed to a point where I thought it might stop altogether.
I felt a presence looming above me and looked up, meeting a watery vision of Lucky's female idol. She smiled down at me from her seat on a lion's back and reached out, placing her hand on my soaking hair. On contact, something immense and powerful surged through me, and suddenly she was gone.
"Matt…" The sky, warm and glowing above me, warped at the voice. "Matt!"
With a jolt, I was pulled back into Lucky's room. Beside me, she circled a metal tray and fanned incense in my direction. Then, she dipped her thumb into the little bowl of red powder and smeared it onto my forehead.
"What is this?" I asked, reaching up to touch it. She grabbed my wrist.
"Tilaka," she said, pushing down my hand. "It's a mark of honor."
I felt something stutter in my chest at the look she gave me then, and quietly pointed to her forehead. She grinned and shook her head.
"No, mine's called a bindi, it's-"
"I hope I'm not interrupting," our heads snapped to the doorway at the voice. Watari smiled as he looked over us, and I felt my face heat up.
"Not at all," Lucky said, setting the tray down. She blew out the deep and stood, making her way towards the old man. I gently pulled the cloth from my head and followed her.
"Since your birthday is approaching," he said. "I have an early gift for you."
He pulled a white-wrapped box from behind his back and offered it to her with a smile. She looked tentatively at him and he pushed it into her hands.
"Go on, open it," he said, chuckling at her examination of the box. She nodded absently and began to rip apart the wrapping. It fell in shreds to the floor, revealing a white cardboard box; she opened it and donned a stunned expression.
"Is this…" Watari nodded at her and she withdrew the contents. In her hands was some sort of white shirt and what appeared to be a white tent. She smoothed them out and held them against her, and I realized that it was some sort of outfit. "But I don't really need-"
"Tomorrow," he interjected, "I've got some business to take care of in London. Since the drive is rather lonely, and considering I'll be there almost all day, I figured that you and your friends could accompany me."
At her confused look, he grinned. "And, our route to my errands, we happen to pass by the Neasden Temple."
Her hands flew to her mouth, and that familiar sparkling bloomed in her lovely eyes. "D… D-d-d… D…"
I burst into her laughter at her shocked stuttering, but she ignored me, instead dropping to her knees and touching Watari's shoes with both of her hands. He put a kind hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. Her eyes were teary but joyful.
"We're leaving at eight sharp," he said, stepping out of the room. "Be ready at the door by seven fifty-five!"
She stayed on the ground and I continued laughing for a while, and once I'd calmed down, she looked at me; she was sporting the biggest smile I'd ever seen, and the light in her teary eyes almost blinded me. She shot up and into me, practically choking me as she hung off my back and screamed with joy.
"I'm going to temple!" She shouted. "I'm going to temple!"
"I can't breathe!"
Chapter six! This chapter needs SO much work, but I've been working on it for a long time and I can't seem to make a version that I'm completely happy with, so I'm just going to throw this out there in order to keep moving forward. It's not terrible, but it definitely could've been better (and longer, I'm sorry about the length!). Thank you guys so so so so so so so so much for waiting for it! I've been really busy with school, as the year is winding down, so I haven't been focusing on this at all, but now that summer's here I intend for the updates to be much more frequent. As always, let me know what you think about this chapter (especially because I don't think very highly of it)!
notes:
rundi: whore