Hey! It's Em! Wow 2 chapters in one night! For those of you who read this, well you're lucky ducks. I hope that you like it!
Warning: Swearing, and Josh being Josh. Don't worry, he's way more Josh in the next chapters.
Disclaimer: This has not changed since the last chapter. I do not own, sorry.
(there will soon be a picture to go along with this chapter)
Read, Review, and Fangirl on!
Chapter 3-
Neku wakes up early the next morning. He grabs his backpack, shoes that he had neglected to take off at the door, and his headphones- escaping through the bathroom window and down the terrace.
I follow dutifully as he maneuvers through the crowds in the outskirts of Shibuya, then the Scramble, and the places in between him and the Wildkat, which he enters upon arriving. I hesitate to enter. I know why he's here. Sanae knows everything.
"Hey, Phones!" Sanae greets.
"Hey, Mr. H." The words are slightly overcast.
"Oh no," Sanae narrows his brow at him, "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"You get this way whenever you have a problem. So what's up?" He shoots me a quick glance.
"So there is someone there." Neku observes.
Sanae and I jump, "What?" Sanae asks .
"You looked behind me, not at me. So you can see him." This kid pays more attention than I give him credit for.
Sanae sighs and Neku sits down at the counter. Sanae then looks straight at me, Neku turns and follows his gaze- landing directly on thin air.
"Yes, I can see him."
"So it's a him. It was harder to tell last night."
"What do you mean?" Sanae glares at me, "What did you do?"
"He helped me." Neku shrugs.
"His mother." I whisper- Neku doesn't hear me, but Sanae nods in understanding.
"Why can't I see him?" Neku asks suddenly.
"Hmm. It takes time and effort for this one h-"
"How long has he been with me? What can I do to see him?"
I glare at Sanae, "You tell him to get hurt by anyone, including himself, and I will kill you."
"Don't worry." Sanae sighs, and Neku shoots him a look. Sanae just nods and points to the air, "Directed at him. Sorry." Neku nods.
"Well, Phones," Sanae continues, "That's something that he should tell you himself. As for seeing him, well, one option is out of the water- he vetoed it immediately. He's not the most sociable being in the world, but if you find a reclusive place and ask really nicely he might show himself. No promises on that though."
Neku nods his thanks and shoots out the door.
Sanae looks at me, motioning to follow the boy. I sigh, and trail after him.
He walks and walks. He's obviously skipping school today. Nothing in his demenour says anything other than determination.
He finally reaches the Udagawa Back Streets. This part of Shibuya is always deserted, only the rough and tough dare to venture here on a regular basis.
Neku stands there for a few minutes, waiting. Finally he decides to extend a formal invitation.
"Okay, we're all alone. Come out now!"
I knew it.
I'd love to show him. Show him that I'm real. To make it so that I don't flicker out of existence. But it's really not that easy. Neku has a lot on his plate already, and I know for a fact that I'm not the easiest person to deal with. I'd just be another bundle of stress on his already frayed life. The last thing I need is him doing something stupid. I don't mind a little adventure, but if he goes out of his way to cause it then it'll get really hard to save his ass.
"Fine." He mumbles, "But I'm not leaving until you do. I mentally cringe. This is not a good neighborhood to be stubborn in. It could very well get him killed.
He sits down, back to one of the Cat murals and pulls out his sketchpad. He fishes out a pencil out of his bag and hunkers over the paper, hand flying across the open space. I'd seen his pictures before, and his artistic talent is very high. I try to peer over his shoulder, but I can't see, he's hiding the paper with the his body.
We sit around for about an hour. I sit in front of Neku, and all he does is draw, and then stare off into space for a few minutes. I'd kill to know what is going through his head, but I'm not going to scan the boy without reason.
His phone rings suddenly and we both jump at the noise. He digs it out of his pocket and checks the caller ID. His face lights up so I assume it's Shiki, an interesting friend at Neku's school. Odd, but interesting.
It's not though, Neku flips open the phone and sticks it to his ear.
"Mr. H. What's up?" His voice is bright.
I inwardly groan.
"Nope, not a thing. Any tips?"
There's a pause as Sanae tells him something. Neku's grin gets bigger. This isn't going to be good.
"Okay. Got it. Yeah, I think it'll work. Yep, I'll tell him. Got it, see you later. Thanks for the help." Neku closes the phone and I warily stand when he does.
He looks around, but he has no idea where I am- so he's subjected to talking to the general air.
"Mr. H, said to tell you that he said that if you don't appear within the next five minutes he's not gonna' take any more side job requests. And worse than that," Neku continues, "The free drinks and conversation is gonna' disappear."
I growl. He wouldn't do that. . . would he? . . . Yes. Yes he would. He's been trying to get me to do this for years, he would most certainly do that. Side quests were something that I needed done, and often I didn't have the time to do them myself. They were essential to my job here. And although I enjoy the free caffeine, I really visit the shop for the conversation. I don't talk to Neku, and Sanae is the only one that talks to me without being somewhat afraid.
Sighing, I resign myself to the fact that Sanae has won this round. I don't like losing, but sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war in the long run.
Slowly I materialize myself in front of him. Body being lowered into a frequency that he can see.
His mouth slacks from confusion and the amazement of my actually being there. I smirk at him, habit of being an ass taking over.
"Hello, Neku. It's, I suppose- nice to formally meet you."