ENJOY

R&R

Cagalli stands besides me as we search for Lacus in the busy cafe. She's much calmer than she was when she stormed out of my apartment the other night. She didn't say much to me on the ride over here, even now she just looks around silently. It's noon, average lunch time, and people are all over in this small cafe (that looks like a small living room with the purple painted wall and the endless plants and pictures hanging about); the line is long, people are running around with bagels and coffee mugs in their hands, and the tables are all filled up.

"You sure this is the right place," Cagalli asks not looking at me. She has to raise her voice over the crowd.

"Yeah," I search around some more until I finally spot Lacus' purple wig at the back of the cafe.

I point in her direction and Cagalli and I walk over to the table. She is sitting alone, wearing sunglasses and a cap over her wig, sipping a cup of what I assume to be tea. We pull out chairs to sit down and when she notices us she looks up and smiles. But we don't. I greet her as I sit, Cagalli is quiet with her hands clasped on the table. She puts the tea down.

"So you know now," Cagalli says.

Lacus nods, still smiling, but sadly. "I've seen him."

Cagalli's eye's widen. "Did he come to your room!" she nearly knocks the chair down as she jumps up.

"Cagalli," I try to warn her.

She looks at me and slowly sits back down.

"Yes...he...umm," she frowns now, "he tries to…"

"I know what he tries to do," Cagalli butts in. "He tried to do it to me too."

Lacus covers her mouth. She tries to place a hand on Cagalli's, but Cagalli snatches it away.

"I'm fine, Lacus," she says.

Lacus frowns, "There's no need to lie. I'm not fine, Kira isn't, you aren't, Athrun isn't. None of us are. He's dear to us and now we're losing him."

"We're not," Cagalli slams her fist on the table causing a few heads to turn our way, but we ignore them. "Me and Athrun are going to find a way to stop it," she now whispers.

"Is that so," she looks at me.

"We've did some research, and found this woman who lived through two cursed years. Supposedly she knows the legend, the legend of ending the curse without killing the Cursed One."

"Do you really believe that?"

"What choice do we have?" Cagalli says.

"I know, but is there really a legend? I don't want to sound pessimistic, but we can't be too sure."

Maybe Lacus is right. We haven't heard anything yet. Maybe it was a hoax, but I don't want to believe that, and in my heart I don't believe that.

"Her name was in the book," I say.

"The one with all the records of the cursed years?"

"Yes," Cagalli says.

Lacus takes another sip, slowly. "Perhaps."

Without saying anything Cagalli rises and makes her way to what I presume to be the bathroom. I can almost feel the animosity emit from her as she storms by.

Lacus puts her cup down. "I didn't mean to upset her," she says.

"She's just having a hard time dealing with it all," I say continuing to look at the direction Cagalli went. When I look at Lacus she's smirking.

"What is it," I ask.

"So you two have been spending a lot of time together."

I don't like where this is going. She continues to smirk, and as someone I knew for almost my whole life, I know she's seeing right through me.

"Yeah, we're working together. We are both close to Kira and-"

"Athrun, you can be honest with me."

My heart drops and I pray my cheeks aren't as red as they feel.

"Maybe you should tell her how you feel," she says.

"I don't-" before I could finish my sentence Cagalli returns.

She sits down, staring blankly at Lacus.

"Lacus we came here to see if you're alright, and to assure you that we're going to try our best to end this," she says.

Lacus smiles at her. "Thank you," she says.

"Maybe you shouldn't spend nights alone," I say, "if Kira's been watching you."

"Then Miss Cagalli shouldn't as well," she looks at me with a mischievous smirk.

"I'm fine, Lacus," Cagalli quickly butts in, which I'm thankful for, "I'm usually with Athrun. I don't want to be around others much anyway. I fear he may come around and will be identified."

"Right. Well, Meer agreed to spend some nights with me. She's been worried about me...a dear really, so I am fine, but thank you."

I see Cagalli twitch at the mention of Meer's name. The two never really got along. To Cagalli, Meer is snobbish, unoriginal and vain. To Meer, Cagalli is too aggressive and also snobbish because she's the President's daughter. Bickering always sparked around those two.

"Well, Lacus if you need us we'll be here."

"Yes," Cagalli says. "We'll keep in touch."

…REVIEW

Lacus wasn't always Kira's, she once was Athrun's...well sort of. The two were betrothed when they were just kids, both their parents being good friends and political leaders. Athrun's father the now mayor of Junius and Lacus' the governor of the Third region of Seed Republic. The two dated for a while, acting as a couple, but then she met Kira. She took a liking to his kind nature and the two became closer. I guess it wasn't as obvious to Athrun as it was to me the feelings that was sparking between them. One day Lacus, for some reason unknown to me, kissed Kira on the cheek and Athrun saw. Kira felt terrible, and not too long after Lacus had the engagement called off.

After that it was obvious Athrun was depressed, but still gave his blessings for Kira and Lacus to date. They felt bad, but Athrun pressed them to be together, and they couldn't resist. They both are kind, gentle and caring. When they officially got together they were inseparable. A match made in heaven.

That's when Athrun began a fling, for a lack of a better word, with Lacus' cousin Meer. I'm not fond of Meer at all. Because Lacus is so popular in the Third region, her often being an ambassador and advocate for public welfare, not to mention a pop star, and one of the best singers out there! Meer finds it fitting to emulate her. She already resembles Lacus, but then she had the nerve to dye her hair pink, and often poses as her famous cousin. To me she's fake and is the most annoying fan girl ever of both Athrun and Lacus. She was all over Athrun as soon as the engagement ended-constantly, and bam! the two started sleeping around. They would be caught making out and Kira would slip details here and there. It was disgusting if you ask me, and I hated Athrun at the time...and Meer.

But I know she was mainly a rebound. Someone to help an adolescent boy get over a break up and feed his sexual cravings. Months ago, almost a year actually, he ended his escapades with Meer, but she didn't handle it well. And often, long after, would still come on to him. Slut.

….

We always knew there was a way for the Cursed One to change people. The Cursed One could turn others into blood thirsty monsters like him/her. We never knew why. The most popular theory is: the Cursed One changes others to help him/her feed-hunt. The changing period happens after the safe period. The change is done so by rape, no one would willingly sleep with the beast. For males, it is said the semen of the beast, plants cursed sperm into the victim, transforming the person into a creature much like, but more recognizable, the Cursed One. For females, it is said to be the vginal secretions that transforms the victim. History shows that victims were usually people of close relation to the beast, which makes sense that Lacus was the first, and I could be the next if Kira gets me.

It was Meer who called Athrun while we were at his apartment, only a few days after we met with Lacus. She found Kira raping an unconscious Lacus. We had her drive to Athrun's apartment as soon as she could. When she arrived she told us, when she caught Kira in his act that he immediately left out of the window, flying into the night sky. Lacus was unconscious for minutes as Meer tried to wake her. She described to us how Lacus laid lifelessly on her bed, and how blood soaked the sheets were. All the while Athrun listened with apprehension.

We learned that Lacus did wake up, and when her eyes opened they were black. The whole thing was black, her iris, sclera, everything. And we immediately knew that she was changed. Meer informed us that she left briefly to fetch the police, but when they got there and entered the room Lacus was gone.

It's raining out. It's always raining or gloomy, or both, now. I wonder if that's just a part of the cursed year. I sit by my window worrying about Athrun. He was really bummed about Lacus, and I'm not going to lie I am too. Lacus is...was...my friend, and now she's become like him, like my brother. I haven't talked to Athrun all day, and the last time I seen him he didn't say anything. He spent most of his day in bed. I decided it was best to give him alone time.

Last night I texted him and asked him if he was alright. He said yes, but I knew it was a lie. I'm not alright and he knew Lacus much longer than me, since he was a child-dated her. Tears sting my eyes. I let them fall. What's the use of trying to hold them back anymore? This curse is really happening. Everything is falling apart.

More and more I hate the witch who cursed us. I know it was before my time, way before any of our time, but I don't care. Why curse your own people? Because of a few bad? I don't even know if it's true. It's all stupid to me.

I put my head down on the window seal, and let the tears pour out. I let out cries as well, not caring if anyone in the mansion can hear me. My throat begins to close, I cough and my nose drips. But I don't stop crying. I am crying so loud that I almost didn't hear the knock at my door.

I grab a towel hanging from my closet door and quickly wipe my face off. I make my way over to my door, take a deep breath and slowly twist the knob. My heart races as I do so because I am expecting to see my father and I don't want to talk about it with him, even though I know he knows about Kira. But I also know that he knows it must be kept secret. It isn't my father at the door, it's Athrun.

Leaning in the doorway, he looks depressed as ever. He's blushing and his shirt is unbuttoned at the top, showing a bit of his chest.

"Athrun? What are you doing here?" I ask. "Who let you in? You can't just-"

"Let's go out tonight."