(Don't own characters or anime.)
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Chapter 6
That night I lay in bed for what felt like hours, not able to fall asleep. I knew I'd have to confront Near the next day, and I wasn't entirely sure how to do that. I needed to get my facts straight.
First of all, I love Matt. It's a bit pathetic that it took a dramatic confession and a make-out session in the game room to realize it, but it's a fact. Secondly, I made a promise to Near. A very important promise that I sealed with a kiss. I have to keep that promise no matter what. But after already kissing the kid, how do I suddenly say, "Oh yeah, I love Matt now even though I thought I loved you like the day before. Well, I'll be here if you need me, but don't interrupt me and Matt's private time"? 'Cause that's basically what I have to tell him, but I can't say it like that. I don't want to come off as a complete asshole if I can avoid it.
Stars shined brightly outside the window. They reflected upon Near's brilliant skin. The full moon's glow shimmered radiantly off his hair, and even his raggedy stuffed animal appeared brand new and beautiful.
I felt an unseen force tugging at the seams holding my heart together. I felt like no matter what I did, I lost. Either I lost the little angel I'd just met, or I lost the loyal best friend I'd slowly fallen in love with. I curled into a ball on my bed and closed my eyes tight, willing for the pressure of having my eyes shut to block out all displeasing thoughts. Though it helped very little, eventually I felt my consciousness slip, and my routinely nightmare soon took the place of my Hellish thoughts.
Morning.
Matt had left to get breakfast, leaving Near and I in the dorm alone together. This was my perfect opportunity to break all lovey things off with the pale child once and for all.
But he looked up at me with those trusting dark eyes, and he twirled his soft white hair innocently. I bit my lip angrily at my own weakness, as I couldn't find it in me to tell him. Sure, he'd find out eventually, but was it really necessary for me to break it to this delicate little boy like this, early in the morning when he's not expecting it?
Of course I should have broken it off right then and there. But I had no idea how it would affect things later, otherwise I would have. Oblivious as I was, however, I did not tell the child yet.
It was later that very same day that everything came spiraling downward.
Near and I were working on a class project on the floor of our room. Matt was at Linda's. Everything was totally normal. Just two friends working on a science project.
Or at least, that's how it probably appeared to the casual observer.
He didn't think I noticed every time his charcoal eyes darted to glance at me and darted away again before he thought I would notice. He didn't realize that I, too, felt the force of energy every time he casually brushed his cold, pale hand against mine. He didn't think I could place the emotion in his eyes every time he asked me a question, but I could. It was some sort of longing. He longed for me, yearned for me. I wondered numbly what emotion my cerulean eyes showed back.
An angelic cold hand touched mine, but it didn't brush away. It stayed there. A shy gray gaze stared at our hands while my own icy blue gaze glanced at our hands then back to the albino child's face. Cheeks that were once snow white were now tinted pink as the lightest of blushes bled through his skin. His eyes shot up suddenly, catching my line of sight and forcing me stare at him in bewilderment.
I have no idea how long we stayed like that, gray and blue eyes boring into each other, but before I knew what happened, I felt something soft and cold on my lips. It took me a moment to comprehend that it was his lips pressed against mine. I blinked in surprise and panicked. What should I do? I was legally taken by Matt, so I could hardly kiss him back, but his lips were so soft…..
No! I wouldn't betray Matt like that!
I shoved the boy off me, causing him to crash into Matt's bed hard. He coughed in spite of himself and stared at me with wide, confused eyes. My eyes were also wide, but not in confusion. Mine were wide in anger. How dare he attack me like that?!
"Near, what are you doing?!" I asked, enraged.
He bit his almost-white lip sadly. "I was kissing you," he replied in a feeble voice.
I rolled my eyes. "I got that part. Why were you kissing me?"
He looked up at me in complete bafflement. He didn't seem to know how to respond to my question. I waited almost patiently while he tried to conceive some sort of answer.
When he didn't answer, I grew annoyed.
"Well?" I inquired impatiently, crossing my arms across my chest.
"I-I thought that….But you…..I thought…." His voice shook miserably with a sad attempt at holding back tears.
"You thought what?" I demanded again.
"I thought you liked me!" the pale child exclaimed dejectedly.
I bit my lip in distaste. I'd forgotten that he had no idea about Matt and I; I'd forgotten that I hadn't told him yet. Still, it was a bit uncalled-for to go around kissing me out of the blue like that, though. I took a deep breath before explaining.
"Look, Near. I'm sorry, but I don't think of you that way," I paused, waiting for his reaction, but he didn't react, so I continued, "I think you're a great friend and all, but I already have someone else…." My voice trailed off unexpectedly.
Tears brimmed dark eyes. I shifted and looked away uncomfortably.
"Since when?" the boy asked simply, "'cause not too long ago, you were the one who kissed me."
"I know, Near. I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I wasn't thinking."
"You didn't answer my question."
I took a sharp inhale of breath before answering, "Yesterday."
"So, you found this person after you kissed me." It wasn't a question.
"Well, I guess you could put it that way. But it was more like I just didn't realize how I felt about him until yesterday."
"So it's a him? Is it Matt?"
I wasn't sure if I should answer truthfully or not. Everything the boy said was filled with utmost apathy, making it impossible for me to tell how he really felt and how he would react. I decided to go with truth, though, thinking it was probably my best bet at this point. "Yes, it's Matt."
A white head nodded slowly. A pale face betrayed no emotion.
I heard footsteps coming down the hall toward the room. Near cocked his head at the sound. It looked like he was calculating something. I knew it must be Matt out there, on his way back from Linda's. Without warning, Near's face went from calculating to plotting, and it took me no more than a few moments to put two and two together.
But a few moments was too long.
Near was on top of me before I knew what happened. His lips crushed mine, all earlier softness gone. His cold, now dead-feeling hands tangled themselves in my blonde hair and caressed my face. I was being viciously pinned against the ground by the child on top of me and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
He moaned softly as he forced his tongue into my mouth and bit my lip meaningfully. I winced, struggling to get free. I couldn't. Near's hand dropped from my face to the hem of my shirt, where it then traveled upward on bare skin. I groaned disgustedly, glaring not daggers but fifty foot swords at the rapist albino on top of me.
Before anything else could happen, the doorknob turned. I closed my eyes, waiting for my life to end.
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Ah, I'm sorry! Chapters have been getting shorter and shorter lately. That doesn't mean that there will be any less story, though. Just less at a time. Sorry! Please review!
-Bloodmuffins
