I DO NOT OWN ZATCH BELL, OR "WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS"

Zatch walked along the coarse sidewalk. The white pavement slowly gnawed at the soles of his shoes, but it would be years before they were thrown away. He was walking, well, tip-toeing, baby-stepping, intimidatedly walking was more accurate. He knew Naomi would be there.

"Hey ZAAATTTCCCH?" The boy froze in terror, the one person he had been dreading...a little brunette, clad in pink and spoke with a lisp...

"Zatch, isn't...here?" He saw the unspeakable horror of all mankind march up to him, eyes narrowed, fists clenched, teeth...how they usually are.

"Zatch?" But he was nowhere to be seen. Zatch had run off faster than humanly possible. Naomi, bully of the playground, not the sidewalk let it go...for now.

Zatch didn't stop running till he saw the blurry images of a supermarket. He slowed down, then skidded in his tracks, hearing familiar voices.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"When did she go missing?"

"...a day and a half ago." A small sob escaped the voice. Kiyo, Megumi? He followed the voices to see Kiyo and Megumi in an alley. Megumi was trying very hard not to cry, and Kiyo wrapped his arm around her. Zatch was sure that made it harder on Megumi.

"What's going on guys?" Zatch asked. His innocence completely broke their hearts, and in a strained voice, Kiyo said softly, "Tia's missing."

"Hi, Tia?" Tia arose from her fedal position on the floor grumpy. She lost all care in the world that he could kill her, until..."TIA...DON'T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! SO HELP ME I WILL THROW YOU TO THE SHARKS IN MY DUNGEON!"

What, there's worse? Tia thought, but she stayed in control of her temper. She was slow to look at him. When she did, he could see the damage in her eyes. Her expression screamed lonliness and sorrow, and she had bruises from the hard floor.

"I thought..." He nervously tucked his hand behind his neck. "...you might like breakfast?" He bent down and slid her a hashbrown and two waffles. He began to walk away, when she called his name.

"Zeno, why do you do this?" He turned his head to look at her."You're nice to me one minute, and the next, you're nasty. Why?" His face reddened in anger.

"NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS!" She stood up.

"SEE, THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" She paused to take a breath. "What did I do that was so terrible to treat me like this?" She asked quietly. He paused for a while, a blank stare looked into her, and passed her. "What did I do?"

"I'm treating you like this...because...I can't!" He hollared, and turned again.

"BUT-"

"I TOLD YOU, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISNES!"

"IT IS IF IT INVOLVES MY WELL BEING!"

He turned and icely glowered at her. "Because I opened up my heart, and now I want to take it back."

"WHAT?"

"YOU HEARD ME, I OPENED UP MY HEART TO YOU, AND I WANTED TO TAKE IT BACK, BUT I CAN'T, AND I THINK I LIKE THAT-" He paused and looked down, removing the hand from his neck he forgot was there. "I'm confused. I've been ruthlessly abused and hurt, and I've been wanting to open up my heart, but I'm scared..." He looked at her, pain speaking from every pore in him, calling for her to stroke his cheek, run her hands through his hair, and just hold him. She wanted to answer this call, so badly. Both held their ground, though.

"I've been wanting...love too." Her mind was on total shutdown. She stared, contemplating his words. "I don't love you, but I want to get there, and...I want you to get there...too." She was still, as if made of colored marble. He looked down, full of shame and embarrassment. His face was red again, only this time by other emotions. "I've gotta go." He bolted out of the dungeon door.

Flashback:

Zeno snooped around Japan, hoping 1. to find Zatch, 2. burn the books of other opponents, and 3. scaring people would be nice. He came across a big, two-story white house with a small brick wall and a dog-house spelling "Ponygon." He and Dufort slightly shocked the front door lock, causing the door to open. They split up and looked around the rooms. Zeno went upstairs, while Dufort raided the kitchen. He found a small bedroom, a bed, a light-wood wardrobe, and a computer.

He walked up to it, and saw the following: .com, Wake Me Up When September Ends Greenday (Lyrics). He clicked play, and out blasted a slow, sad melody. "Summer has come to pass, the innocent can never last. Wake me up, when september ends." It moved onto another slide. "Like my father's come to pass, seven years has gone so fast. Wake me up when september ends." He pressed pause.

Nothing interesting in here. He thought. He scowered throughout the wardrobe, hoping to see something.

"Nothing." He sauntered over to the computer, and pressed play one more tme. "Here comes the rain again, falling from the stars. Drenched in my pain again, becoming who we are." Pressing pause, his last thought was: Stupid American bands.

He kept running. unconsciously, he hummed a familiar tune, playing out the words in his head. "Summer has come to pass, the innocent can never last. Wake me up, when september ends." The farther I get from Tia, the better. "Like my father's come to pass, seven years has gone so fast. Wake me up when september ends."

He ran right through the open bedroom door, and onto his bed. Unloved. She just stared. He hopelessly thought. Tears has dampened his cheeks, and as more tears filled up his ducts, they threatened to drench him. Unconciously, he hummed."Here comes the rain again, falling from the stars. Drenched in my pain again, becoming who we are."

My feelings are carved in pavement.