Sorry, I thought I posted this chapter weeks ago. . . so yah let me know what you think. Enjoy :)
"Ummm, Kitomi?" Yuki was standing by my desk, she was in the same class and me and Masaomi, "Are you and Masaomi dating?" She asked blushing bright red.
I struggled to contain my laughter, everyone thinks that. If you laugh she will get offended, I reminded myself. "No, he is my best friend but not my boyfriend, so if you're interested in him I might be able to put in a good word for you." I smiled broadly at her. Yuki's pretty and upbeat, they would probably have a great time dating each other.
"N-no. . . it-it's nothing like th-that," she stammered looking even more embarrassed, her eyes darted around as if looking for help from her friends.
"Kitomi are you coming?" Masaomi called from the doorway, he had already gotten Mikado and Anri.
I nodded to the girl, "Sorry I'm being summoned." I collected my lunch box, "If you change your mind let me know." I ignored the odd faces my classmates gave me and walked out of the classroom.
We got up onto the roof and I flopped down taking in the warmth of the sun, "Have you read the newest chapter of Naruto yet? I've loved getting to learn about his parents!"
"No I haven't," Mikado sounded interested in it and Anri just shook her head, "Minato and Itachi have to be the greatest, them and Jiraiya."
"Why do you say that?"Masaomi asked nonchalantly as if he didn't really care about the answer.
"They knew that they were going to die and they gave everything for those that they loves. To sacrifice yourself so those you love can have a future is the most noble expression of love I can think of." I lay on the roof smiling as I practically absorbed energy from the sun. "What about you Mikado? Who's your favorite?"
"Ummm. . . .Well. . . . I don't know. . ." He said looking embarrassed and staring at his lunch.
"My favorite is Tsunade, because she's smoken hot!" Masaomi declared taking a big bite of his food.
"Oh come on Masaomi. . . that's. . . there are girls here." His eyes cut between me and Anri. "So I saw the black rider again yesterday." He told us trying to change the subject.
"Wow, man that's twice since you've come to this city!" Masaomi sounded excited to talk about the black rider. "Can you tell, does it really not have a head?"
"Well it wore a helmet so I think it had one." he seemed uneasy about it, "What do you think Kitomi? I'm sure you've seen it more than I have since you've lived here you're whole life."
He seemed really hopeful to get the attention off of him so I sighed and tried to decide what to tell them, "To be honest I haven't seen it that much since I spend most of my time inside studying, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were just some normal person in the city." I sat up and started eating my food, "But wouldn't it be spooky if it really didn't have a head?"
Masaomi poked my side making me jump, "Come on Kitomi, you're gonna scare Anri. Don't be so spooky and dark."
"No, I'm fine." Anri frantically told Masaomi. "I actually think its kinda interesting." She added softly
"Really!" Masaomi went and put an arm around her shoulders, "Well I know tons more about the black rider. Apparently it's eating all of the people that have been going missing." He sounded like he wanted her to believe it, even though he definitely didn't. "But don't worry Anri, I will protect you!" He tried to cozy up to her but she shrugged him off.
"Actually, the people going missing aren't tied to the black rider at all. There are these guys in a black van that are snatching people off the streets, you should be really careful. I almost got kidnapped by them before." I didn't want to kill the happy mood, but Masaomi was taking the situation with Yagari Pharmaceuticals way to lightly.
"And buzz kill," Masaomi sighed at me, "Why do you have to be such a downer Kitomi?"
"Sorry, I just worry about you guys." I blushed and looked down at my food. You of all people should know how dangerous these streets are. I want to make sure you guys are safe.
"There's nothing wrong with that!" Mikado cut in, "I'm glad that you worry about us, that means you care." He smiled at me and made me feel better about the situation.
"Wow Mikado, and here I thought you were aiming for Anri? Does that mean we aren't in a love triangle anymore?"
Mikado blushed and his gray eyes shot back to Anri, "That's not. . . I mean. . . we're friends after all. It has nothing to do with who I like."
"Well Kitomi, there you have it. Maybe if you had a rocken hot body like Anri then you could finally get a date." he smiled mischievously at me. I punched him in the arm and kept eating my lunch. "Ow, that wasn't nice!" I don't want anyone taking that sort of notice of me anyway, its much better to be nondescript than to stand out. Especially when it comes to catching guys attention.
"So Mikado are you having fun being class rep?" I ignored the yellow haired boy holding his arm and whining to Anri that she had to kiss it to make it better.
"Yah, it's a little different than I thought it would be but I am really glad I decided to do it." He fidgeted awkwardly and his eyes darted back to Anri again.
"I'm glad, mom always told me that being active in high school was important because you get to make so many fun memories with friends." We both smiled and watched as Masaomi struggled to gain Anri's sympathy.
"Yah, she's probably right." Mikado laughed.
. . .
It was nice and calm as I wandered the streets, it probably wasn't the smartest idea for me to be out at night, especially with the Yellow Scarves coming back but if I stayed cooped up at home then I would go insane. I saw Celty standing talking to Shizuo on the bridge with the cement divider between her on the street and him on the sidewalk, it had been far too long since I had seen either of the adults them. "Mom! Dad!" I cried out and ran over and hugged the tall man with bleached hair. "I've missed you so much."He picked me up and set me down on the divider so that Celty could get a hug too. She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
I sat on the side of the road munching on some food I'd stolen when a black clad person on a motorcycle stopped in front of me. "What do you want?" I asked the dark figure in front of me. The rider pulled out a phone and typed a message for me. 'You should go home, it isn't safe for a little kid to be out on the streets.' My big blue eyes looked up at the yellow helmet hoping I had made eye contact. "I don't have a home."
I let the painful memory fade and finally let go of Celty and turned to look at Shizuo, "Sorry. I know I've been avoiding you two and I am sorry."
Shizuo smirked at me, "You did what you had to kid. I figured I'd see you again since Izaya is back, I take it he came to say 'hi' to you as well?" I nodded and gave him a worried look. He put his hand on my head to try and comfort me, "Don't worry kid, things won't be as bad as they were last time." I looked over to see Celty holding up a message on her phone, 'He's right. This time you don't have any connection to any gangs or people on the streets.' I bit my lip and looked up at Celty like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar.
"Vienna," Shizuo sounded tense like he was on the edge of losing control, "You promised you were cutting your ties to the street." I looked down at the ground and willed that the tears in my eyes wouldn't start to flow.
"I did, six months ago the Yellow Scarves were nowhere in sight so I left the streets, but their back now. I don't want Masaomi getting involved again, but I can't just sit back while the Yellow Scarves swarm around the city." I cringed not looking at either of the adults I had claimed as my parents and waited for the blow I was sure would come, but it didn't he put a hand on my shoulder and I looked up into his eyes. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't think I could ever have a normal life but I want to make it so my friends can."
'Hiding that from him is just going to cause you problems in the end.' I nodded and ate some M&M's. "I just need more time to figure out how best to tell Masaomi without letting him get involved. He is already really worried about Mikado and Anri, I don't want to pull his attention from them." They both nodded and the three of us stood there in silence.
"If you don't want him to worry about you than we will for him. Its better to just tell him." Shizuo informed me. He took a long drag on his cigarette, after expelling a cloud of smoke he continued, "I won't say anything. I don't even know him, but if he really is your best friend than you should trust him more."
Celty's suddenly started digging around her bike and after a moment she seemed to find what she was looking for. Her black clad hand held a bag of Reese's Pieces out for me. She also quickly typed, 'They're still your favorite right?'
I hesitantly took the bag from her, "Yah they are. Thanks Celty." I tried really hard to keep the pain out of my smile but I didn't think I had succeeded. "I don't want to impose on your lives but I hope I can see everyone more often now since I'm going back to the streets anyway."
Shizuo's smile made me feel at home, "Of course. Kanoki and I will always welcome you at the Cuppycake." Celty nodded, 'I know Shinra has been missing you. Stop by our place anytime.'
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation." I hugged them both one more time, "You're the best parents ever!" Celty typed out one last message for me. 'You must have really good taste in people' I nodded and started walking again.
Shizuo called after me, "Hey kid, "I turned and looked at him, "We may not be your real parents but you can always come to me when you have a problem." Celty nodded her agreement. I smiled and waved then continued walking down the street. After they were out of sight I stuffed the Reese's Pieces in my pocket and pulled out some M&M's.
I could feel it all slipping out of my control again, Damn. Why did he have to come back? I crouched down in an alley held my head in my hands and cried. I always cried alone, Masaomi had never even seen me cry. I know you're not my family and I know that your right. I need to tell him everything, but I almost lost him once and I'm only just getting him back. I sat down and leaned against the wall and let myself look at the sky. My heart practically beat to the rhythm of this city, I was a part of it and it was a part of me. You can't run from something that is a part of you, I just have to face this head on. I got a text from Celty, 'I know it's hard but you can have a normal life. Please keep off the streets.'
I forced myself to get up and start walking to my apartment, It would be bad if anyone on the street recognized me. I saw a family on my way home and as always just the sight of their happy lives hurt me worse than any beating I had taken. Even if they had adopted me they were still in Jr. High School at the time. Normal is never something we would have been.
"She's diseased!" One of the kids cried, they were always crying around me. I often wondered why Celty had brought me to this place, they didn't want me, no one wanted me around.
"Ameko what are you doing?" The lady in charge asked running out to see what was wrong.
"I told you my name isn't Ameko. My name is Vienna!" my hands were shaking and I wanted to cry but I wouldn't let myself. "He called me trash. He said I should have been sent with that pedophile who came by to adopt me last week." I cried but it was like she didn't hear me.
She was holding the boy's arm and looking at his face, his arm had a neat semi-circle on it from where I bit him and he was getting a black eye. "How could you hurt someone like this?" She wasn't sad anymore, now she was angry.
I shook my head my mess of blonde hair hit me in the face and clouded my vision, "You wouldn't listen no matter what. I wish they had never brought me here!" I ran, I had a head start and they would never catch me.
Why did I have to live through this? I had done nothing wrong! I promised myself that I would get out of that place as soon as I could, I wasn't waiting till they let me out. I thought bitterly, If I am just trash that belongs in the gutter maybe I should stop trying to be something else.
I ran to Celty and Shinra's place, Shinra opened the door for me. "Vienna! I am so happy to see you!" He pulled me into the apartment, "Isn't it great that you're getting to live with a bunch of kids just like you now?" He hugged me so tightly that I struggled to breath. Shinra was always too upbeat like that, never noticing the sad details.
"They hate me," I told him, I didn't feel like crying anymore and I wasn't angry, just empty. I just stood there as he fussed over me. "On of the boys said they should have let some pedophile take me away."
A hint of sadness seeped into his features, but he covered it up quickly."I've got some chocolate you can have, you probably need some sugar since you were just running." he went over to the kitchen and brought me back a chocolate bar. I sat there munching on it. "So what are you going to do Vienna?" He had offered to adopt me in the past and I had told him no, after all he was still in Jr. High. Even without that I could take care of myself, I ran away from Mr. Matsuo and Mr. Otsuka all by myself.
"I think I know of a job I can do, but it's not legal. Do you think Celty will hate me if I do it?" I asked him earnestly, I wouldn't have been able to take it if Celty and Shinra hated me. They were the only people who had ever cared, the first ones to ever show me kindness and ask for nothing in return.
"Of course not, Celty could never hate you. You're practically her daughter." I nodded and looked back at my partially eaten chocolate bar. "Just so you know that makes me your daddy!" He opened his arms for a hug but I just stared at him. After a moment he dropped his arms, "Well at least you didn't hit me like Celty does."
Celty got home shortly after that, 'You have to go back. They will be worried about you.' she told me tapping her foot impatiently.
"No they won't, they hate me there." I folded my arms and pouted on the couch.
'Yes they will miss you, now come on I'll get you a treat if you come without complaining.' I thought for a moment, but in the end her bribe worked.
"I want Reese's Pieces," I told her getting up off the couch, "And I want to be able to see you more often." I looked up at her pleadingly. She offered me her hand and I waved to Shinra as we walked out the door.
I had almost been seven, I choked back more tears wishing the painful memories would just disappear. I'm not garbage, I reminded myself, and Masaomi would never do that to me. I told myself that over and over but I wasn't so sure. I don't want to ruin our friendship over this. Masaomi was my first friend my own age, like Celty and Shinra, the first people to ever care for me, he was too important to lose.