Chapter Forty-Two

~ Maka ~

"I did this to you?" I exclaimed, gripping at the roots of my hair.

Her blue eyes watched me as I paced around in front of her. The look of concern she held upon her face contradicting the concern she should have had for herself, because this wasn't who she was.

"Oh my god," I whispered. "What have I done?"

"Maka," Kid exhaled, placing his hand on my trembling shoulder. "Calm down."

Liz's crutches clanked as she struggled to move closer to me. "This isn't your fault Maka."

"Of course it is!" I snapped. "I was the one who pinned you down and beat the crap out of you."

"Which you wouldn't have done if I didn't provoke you!"

Slowly I dropped my hands from my face, allowing my eyes the freedom to stare at the battered girl that stood before me. Her chipped red nails grasping tightly at the crutches resting beneath her fragile arms.

She sighed deeply, her shoulders drooping ever so slightly. "You only did what Black*star wanted you to do, without even knowing."

I could feel my heart racing, I could hear it pulsating in my ears and in my veins, like fire was what it was pumping throughout my body and it desired for me to realise it, and put a stop to its madness.

I inhaled as much as my chest allowed me to. "I'm so sorry Liz..."

I watched painfully as her split cracked lips slowly managed to perk up a smile, but despite every painful wound I had inflicted onto her existence, she still looked beautiful.

"I forgive you..."

~ Death the Kid ~

Liz and Maka sat out on the balcony of Soul's apartment. The both of them leaning back on the bench whilst consumed within blankets and the darkening sky.

They'd been sat out there for a while, while the rest of us sat around the TV, discussing what it was we should do in order to protect the both of them.

"Whatever we do to Black*star," I started, "we can't do it through the school."

Soul raised an eyebrow, "how come?"

"He's pretty much got his parents protection, along with Mr. Stein's."

James nodded, "so are you suggesting that whatever we decide to do has to possibly be police related?"

I stressfully gripped at the nape of my neck. "Yeah..."

Soul sighed deeply, falling back against the sofa as he reached up to place his palm against his forehead, his red eyes coming together to stare at the carpet in front of him.

"Well," James chuckled. "That's totally going to be easy."

Soul slowly shook his head, "don't James."

"Have you both just completely forgotten Maka's current involvement with the police?"

I hissed, "of course we haven't!"

Soul dropped his hand from his face, "we just need to come up with an idea to get the police off her back."

"Oh yeah?" James questioned. "And how the hell are we going to do that?"

That comment alone was enough to push the three of into a pit of silence, only the sound of the cars out on the street below lingering within the air around us.

The two girls outside subtle laughter also creating that of a beautiful sound to grace our ears every now and then.

"Wait," Soul said suddenly, eagerly standing up in his chair. "What if we convince the police that Black*star was the one who beat up Liz?"

For a second it seemed as if James was on board. "That won't work, there's witnesses to the offence."

"We'll explain the situation," Soul continued. "They have to believe all five of us."

I nodded slowly, "this could work."

James sighed deeply, raising his hand to stressfully rub his forehead and then lower it round to the nape of his neck where he gripped at his bun.

He reached for his fags in the bottom of his jeans pocket. "I'm going for a smoke."

~ Maka ~

"The sky is so pretty tonight," Liz sighed. "I wish it would look like this forever."

I smiled, "same."

The glass door behind us was slowly slid open, and the sound of footsteps stepping into our outside world was what consumed our conversation.

"You two okay?" James asked, quickly closing the door behind him.

"Yeah," Liz smiled up at him. "We're just admiring the stairs."

He nodded slowly, lighting up the cigarette he held to his lips. "They sure are bright."

"Big dipper's there," I sighed warmly, pointing up to the group of stars that looked like a frying pan.

"You like constellations?" Liz asked, turning round to face me with a pretty little smile.

"Yeah," I replied, flashing a smile back towards her. "Astronomy was the only thing that ever interested me in school."

She laughed, "same."

"Ha," James snickered. "You can't even spell Astronomy."

"Shut up James!" Liz snapped, hitting his chest with the back of her hand.

I stared at the brown haired girl in front of me, watching as both the moon and the stars beamed down from the world above us and reflected every possible existing shimmer into those two blue eyes of hers.

Those two eyes that too experienced the same fear that I had, caused by the same boy.

"Man, I'm starving!" Liz exclaimed, placing her tanned hands over her stomach, creasing the large white t-shirt Soul had obviously gave her.

James deeply inhaled his cigarette, "there's talk of ordering food in there."

"Oh my god, Chinese!" She screamed apprehensively. "I need to tell them to order Chinese."

She quickly reached an arm out to the tall boy beside her, who placed his cigarette between his lips and proceeded to lift the girl up with one arm, whilst grabbing her crutches with the other.

"Thank you," she smiled, sliding open the glass door and hopping through to Soul and Kid.

James replaced her presence on the bench beside me, slowly taking lugs of the drug he grasped so tightly between his fingers.

Ash was gripped by the wind and stripped from the blazing end of his cigarette, and carried away through the air to a possible other dimension.

I chuckled, "you really need to quit that."

"What?" He questioned, lifting the cigarette higher in front of his face. "This?"

I nodded.

He smiled, "it's not that easy."

"Here," I said turning round to face him. "Let me help you."

I gripped hold of the cigarette between his fingers and quickly pulled it from his grasp, not thinking before I tossed it over the edge of the balcony.

"Congratulations," he scoffed. "You've officially burned someone."

"Oh..." I whispered, leaning forward to slightly peer over the balcony's railing.

I hadn't thought about that, I had only thought about caring for the boy who sat beside me, both physically as well as mentally.

"Well," I giggled turning back round to face him. "I didn't hear-"

Quickly he cupped the left side of my face and pulled me in to meet his own, swiftly pressing his lips on top of mine before I could even realise what was happening.

He tasted like smoke and sadness, and I didn't know what to do.

I pulled my face away from him as fast as I could, not hesitating to stand up from the bench in front of him.

"I-" he stammered. "I'm sorry..."

I felt the tips of my fingers shake vigorously, but unlike any other time before, I was able to control my trembling body by locking my palms together in front of me.

"You're a good friend James," I said softly. "But I'm in love with Kid."

~ Death the Kid ~

I watched as she rose up from the bench in front of the window. Her small pale hands trembling ever so slightly with the confusion as well as possible fear from the situation.

Her sweet, kiss-stained lips softly spoke my name to the black haired boy, who was still left stranded on the bench in front of her.

And just like that, she came inside. Her fragile hands still trying their hardest to hold themselves together, but she could do it.

Her beautiful smile beamed brightly towards me as she crossed the living room, her stunning, sparkling green eyes watering ever so slightly as she sat on the arm of the chair beside me.

"I love you," she whispered, lacing her fragile trembling fingers within my hair as she pressed her lips against mine.

She tasted like smoke and sadness.