AN:Hey guys! i know it hasn't been that long since I updated, but i didn't update chapter 16 for so long so I thought you guys deserved a little something special. I can't believe I've now gotten 40+ reviews! You guys are the best and please, please tell me what you like/dislike about my story or the way I write! Without further interruptions here's chapter 17!
When I looked around everyone was crying, hugging and telling me how much they care about me. What the heck did I miss while I was asleep? Oh well at least it seems that they bonded. I noticed the fire was low and I wanted to try to lighten the mood, so I yelled out,
"Who wants to make s'mores?!" Patty was the first one to join and she had even brought a collapsible marshmallow stick where the long part was the giraffes neck and you put the marshmallows on his ears. It perfectly described patty I just had to laugh about it. When she noticed me laughing she said,
"It's pretty cool huh? Kid gave it to me!" She was grinning and I turned to look at him. He was blushing a deep shade of crimson and blurted out,
"IT'S JUST SYMMETRICAL OKAY?" before turning to the other and asking who wanted a marshmallow. I just grinned and didn't say anything, I had thought he might have a crush on her. Well everyone thought it actually, except for Patty… She's a bit oblivious to these kind of things. I went to get a marshmallow for myself but noticed that Black Star had the bag because he was trying again and again to roast a marshmallow but he had never been very patient so he kept burning them. Tsubaki took the stick from him and carefully put a marshmallow on the end. Then she put the stick in his hand but kept her hand on his to show him where the best place over the fire was to roast it. She was concentrating on cooking it properly and Black Star was looking at her face and blushing. That's when he looked over and saw me watching them he turned quite suddenly away from me and ended up bumping into Tsubaki. She looked startled, having her concentration being broken like that but she just smiled and continued helping him.
I never would have thought that Black Star liked Tsubaki, I mean she's liked him since a little while after they became partners, and she always thought that either he wouldn't notice her, or that all he would care about is her body, but from where I'm standing that doesn't seem to be the case. He was looking up at her face, not anywhere else. I wonder if maybe I should try to help get their relationship started… No that would definitely be too intrusive of me… Well maybe if they don't realize it I'll nudge at them a little bit. They would be really cute together, I wonder what kind of dates they would go on… Black Star would probably just end up dragging Tsubaki to some arcade and demanding she play the games with him. She probably wouldn't put up any fuss either, she'd just enjoy spending time with him, but what if they got in a fight? I hope they wouldn't, but relationships aren't easy. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I had pushed them together as a couple and it broke their friendship and partnership apart. They work so well as weapon and meister maybe they should just stay friends, but who am I to judge? If they want to be a couple I'm not going to stop them but I'm also not going to force it to happen.
Relaxing and leaning back a bit I noticed there was a weight on my shoulder, I realized that Haruhi had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I wanted to move him so I could sleep too, but I couldn't bring myself to wake him because he was just sleeping so soundly. I glanced around for help but everyone seemed to be doing their own things so I just sat there.
My head kept drooping forwards but I didn't want to fall over and risk waking Haruhi. I couldn't keep this up for much longer when suddenly I was being supported from behind. I turned my neck as to not disturb the sleeping boy, and looked to see who it was. I realized Mori had sat down behind me so that we could lean on each other's backs. I very quietly thanked him and tentatively leaned into his back. He was very warm and the steady breaths he took were very calming. Before I had realized it I had been caught in the clutches of sleep.
In my dream my parents were still alive. They were yelling at me to go to the park. They said they would come get me when they were ready for me to be back. I didn't really understand why they wanted me to leave so badly, but I wouldn't ever disobey my parents so I did as they said and made my way to the park. I walked there alone because I live nearby, and sat down on one of the swings. I sat there, swinging on the swingset when I was abruptly stopped something was covering the bottom half of my face and I couldn't get it off. I wanted to scream but I just kept getting sleepier and sleepier. I realized it was a person holding something over my face and I was thrashing around I had to get away, I just had to get away. If I fell asleep how would mommy and daddy know where to find me so I kept struggling until he whispered in my ear, "There's no use struggling, sweetheart. You might as well give up on getting away."
I bolted upright screaming. I could feel the sweat on my face, or were those tears? It didn't matter to me. All that matters is that I woke up. I always have that nightmare and it's always the same. I always know what's coming next and no matter how hard I try to change it everything always happens the same way. I don't understand why it keeps happening, but it won't go away. I pulled my knees up to my chest, put my face in my hands and started to sob.
I felt someone wrap their arms around me and instinctively I struggled to get away. I didn't mean to, but that dream is always so vivid. As soon as I had started moving the arms had pulled back. I looked over and saw Haruhi sitting there with his arms still slightly stretched out. I remembered him falling asleep on my shoulder so it makes sense that since I was screaming he would be the first one to wake up.
"I-I'm so sorry Haruhi, I was just startled." I looked down at the sand under my feet and started squishing my toes in it, almost digging a little trench. I didn't give him any other explanation and he didn't say anything. Without a sound he wrapped his arms around me again, and this time instead of feeling trapped and afraid I felt comfortable and relaxed.
For a change I didn't just sit there shocked, I actually brought myself to hug Haruhi back. I don't know how long he stayed like that, but it helped chase my nightmare away. When I looked up I noticed that the sun hadn't quite risen yet and that everyone else was still asleep. When I looked at the mass of sleeping forms I noticed that everyone was touching at least one other person. No one was alone. It made me very happy to see that and to realize that I have all of these friends who care about each other and about me. I can't believe I thought no one cared. With how caring all of my friends are I don't know how I came up with that lie. Although, that isn't important right now; right now all that matters to me in the world is here with me, on this beach. For once, I could go to sleep un-afraid. The man from my nightmares can't get me, especially not with all of these people to protect me.
I woke up to the sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt water. My head is on Haruhi's stomach and everyone seems to have shifted closer together, maybe for warmth or maybe we are really just that close. I yawned and stretched but when I went to lift up my right arm I realized it was being weighed down. When I turned to look at it I noticed that Mori and my fingers were intertwined. He was still asleep so I didn't try to disentangle them, besides it was quite nice to have his big warm hand holding mine. It helped to make me feel protected and important, and really those are the two things in my life that I really need right now.