Hey guys! Em here! I've still got another couple of chapters to post for this, but anyway. This here is chapter 6!
Warning: Themes. Mentions of abuse.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Square Enix. If you don't really understand who Eri is, please play the game or cheat and wiki it. (I don't recommend the 2nd one though, it can ruin lives)
Read, review, and fangirl on!
Chapter 6-
Neku decides to go to school the next day. What surprised me about the whole ordeal is that he got dressed and headed down into the living room. When I gave him a questioning look and he just told me, "I can't run forever. I have to face them at some point."
He knew that I knew that he knew that I'd be there the entire time. That I wouldn't let him get hurt.
He was banking on that, and I wasn't going to disappoint.
Of course it's easier said than done. It's easier to protect him from the physical pain- the beatings. It's hard to protect him from the emotional hits.
Of course it's my duty to protect him from the pain of those as well.
But all I can do is stand behind him and cover his ears, blocking out the noise. All I can do is sit there during the sleepless nights he's laid there crying, and even then all I can do is stroke his hair because manifesting would cause problems.
I can't make them say nice things, I can only take the blows meant for the sun.
But then again, he's not happy about the hits on my person either. He inspects my arms as soon as we are in the clear.
"How long until the new bruises form?"
"I wasn't hit that hard." I tell him, "There won't be any new bruises."
He sighs, but drops the subject.
"So you've been taking this rather well." I continue as we walk.
"If there's one thing that I pride myself in, it's the ability to adapt."
"I noticed."
"Also," He continues, ignoring my last comments, "it helps that you're a pain in the ass. Had you been 'Angel-like' this would have been a lot harder to deal with."
I shoot him a glare, "Really, Neku dear, I thought we had a better understanding of each other. Though I must say, I've been called worse by my peers."
"You have a better understanding of me. I know next to nothing about you. And you being an ass with your colleagues, well that doesn't surprise me in the least. The head Angel dude up there must be sick of your ass."
"True, true, dear. But you'll know me in time. And as for the head, well I must say that he's rather fond of me."
"'You'll know me in due time', you keep saying that." Neku grumbles, hoisting his bag higher.
"And it's true. Good things come to those who wait."
"Yeah, well I've been waiting a damn long time."
We reach the school and he walks in through the main doors ahead of me. I stop and stare after him, his classmates and peers walking through me.
"I know, Neku. I know it all too well."
It's amusing to watch Neku in school when he knows that I'm there. He's a little self-conscious and tries to drown out my commentary with his headphones- missing questions posed by his teachers and getting strange looks from his friends across the room. It's only after a teacher threatens to confiscate his headphones does he take them off and shoot me a meaningful glare. I resign myself to quiet watching and shut up for the rest of the period.
Shiki and Eri bounce over at lunch.
"What's up with you today, Neku?" Eri asks, slamming a hand down on Neku's desk. I lounge against the window sill- suppressing a grin.
"Yeah," Shiki continues, pushing her short hair out of her face, "You seem pretty out of it."
Shiki sits down on Neku's desk, next to Eri's hand.
Neku sends a quick look at me- one that the other two don't catch. Either that, or they pass it off as nervousness.
"Just. . .I'm just not all here today." Neku tells them, "I'm getting distracted easily."
Shiki looks at him like she's trying to deduce his soul, "Home problems?" she asks- not unkindly, pushing up her glasses. She knows that he and his parents didn't get along very well, and lends him concealer when he gets a bruise somewhere people can see. But she doesn't know the full extent of what happens at home- and Neku prefers to keep it that way.
"A little." Neku shrugs, "I just have a different problem on my mind."
"Is is a person?" Eri asks, "Are you being bullied?"
"If you are we'll beat them up." Shiki announces, deadly serious and I have to muffle a giggle with my hands.
". . ." Neku can't respond and Eri just looks at her.
After a minute Shiki looks down, "I was only kidding." She mumbles, "We'd get Beat to do it."
"She was not kidding." I inform Neku, "She was deadly serious."
Neku shoots me another look that says I know, and then addresses the two girls.
"Yeah, it's a person, but it hasn't reached that yet."Yet? What does he take me for?
"But that makes me wonder- do you guys know any 'J' names?"
"Why?" Both girls ask, pulling out their lunch boxes.
"Just a game I'm playing." He tells them, "So, do you?"
"Yeah. Any specifics?" Eri asks.
"Boy names."
"Got it."
"Jacob?" Eri shoots. Neku looks at me and I grin.
"Nope." He sighs, "That one's not right."
"Jerry?" Shiki supplies helpfully.
"No." Neku notices my ever present grin.
"Jiro?"
"Not correct."
"Jim?"
"Jared?"
"Jessie?"
"Johnathan?!"
"Julio?!"
It's a 'no' every time and all three of us stare at Shiki when she blurts out 'Julio'. It takes all my effort not to fall over laughing.
The teacher comes in, signaling the end of the lunch period. Neku sighs, but waves to the girls, "Thanks."
"No prob. Sorry that we couldn't help." Eri tells him.
"Oh! Right!" Shiki suddenly exclaims, scaring the two, and hopping off Neku's desk, "Neku, Beat asked us to ask you if you wanted to go do something with all of us after school. You game?"
"Sure." Neku replies and both girls smile. They're sweet and a little pushy, but their hearts are always in the right place and are good friends to Neku.
I go from leaning against the window sill to sitting on it, waiting out the rest of school in silence, staring at the courtyard below.
After class ends, Neku takes his time packing up and following the girls out.
"It's all right if I go, right?" He asks me.
"Aww, Neku dear is asking for my permission. How cute." I tease and he looks as if he's going to punch me. I sigh, "Of course you can go, Neku, I can't stop you. You don't need to ask for my permission. But if you want to stay at home, I don't exactly mind entertaining you." I smirk at him and the look of shock on his face is priceless.
"I'm going and you can't stop me!" He almost shouts and stalks down the hall after the girls.
I giggle and follow. Ahh, Neku. I wouldn't stop you for the world.
I hope that you all enjoyed that! The next chapter is written with the exception of the Authors Note! That'll be up soon, as well. I also have a few pictures in the making, if anyone's interested.