Facing the consequences

Summary: I didn't have the slightest idea as to why she always waited for me late at night, healed my wounds and always gave me a scolding the instant I wake up. It was a regular routine, but why did she think it was okay to leave?

Thank you to those who reviewed! Thanks to those who read!

Please tell me if there's anything that needs to be fixed or if there's any questions then go on and ask away, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer them accurately if it concerns the plot. ...I don't even know where this is going.

Big thanks to Crizix for beta reading!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 5

Sweet Anne was furiously brushing my hair, muttering about the number of tangles and knots she found in it. I winced and flinched here and there while she did this torturous method of fixing my hair. I don't see the reason why she was making such a big deal out of this. Then with even more incoherent muttering, she yanked the brush from my hair and tossed it back to the counter.

"I should just get Miriam to brush your hair."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Not my fault that my hair doesn't like to get tamed either. Besides, I'm a guy, and just because I have long hair doesn't mean I have to comb it like a girl's. It seemed like a complete waste of time to me.

"Really, Len, if you don't like me combing your hair then cut to something like Kaito-nii's!"

I puffed my cheeks. This was going nowhere fast.

"Or you don't have to brush it and I could just put it in its usual pony tail…?"

She scoffed before rolling her eyes at my sarcastic remark.

"Fine then! I'm just going to make breakfast then!" With that retort she stormed off into the kitchen and I pulled back my hair, tying it into its short tail. Ah…better.

It was another morning of school and it's been exactly four months since we started living here. Kaito started becoming livelier after our talk – probably because he was happy to know that Miku was doing well. I wasn't exactly the best liar when it came to the situation where I didn't know what to say, so he kinda forced the truth out of me.

I told him everything about what happened in the studio hallways, and even though he was glad she was fine, he was mad at me for not telling him sooner. This guy could seriously keep a grudge, but at least he wasn't bagging me on thinking about Miku's chest – which I don't think about!

Rin skipped towards the couch and jumped beside me with a bowl of cereal in her hands. She began munching spoonful after spoonful, not paying me any mind.

We weren't really on bad terms anymore, or at least I hope not, but it was more like she had her own life to live that didn't concern me. At school she would just exchange a few words, during lunch she would get pulled aside with some other girls and after school she would run off into some clubroom. I barely even socialized with her anymore and it's been getting sorely on my nerves. At home she casually had small talk with me, but she leaned to talking more with the others.

What was up with that?

We were family, and family has to stick together, right?

At least that's what Leon kept telling me when he was still around. He always made me promise to watch over my sister just in case anything happened. However, how am I supposed to watch her when she evades my watchful eye? It's not like I'm sort of creature with a million eyes all over his body.

Even though Rin segregated herself from me, she was still causing me more stress.

Although, I am a bit more relieved that she's living her own life and I don't have to be her ugh…lover anymore.

Enough talk about that, it was time for breakfast and having to deal with a more than miffed Meiko. I guess she was pissed off at someone at the gym yesterday. She was ranting to mainly Sweet Anne through bits and pieces of her bacon strips with her hand clenched around a swig of milk. I guess it was too early for alcohol for her.

"So this guy just walks up to me, causing some…"

I drowned her out while mixing some scrambled eggs with bacon strips. I didn't feel like doing anything.

Music class.

It was an alright class, but the thing that annoyed me the most was that there were always people asking me to do duets with them. It was fine at first, y'know it helped with my ego, but then it got annoying. Maybe I wanted to do a solo for once? Didn't anyone ever think about that?

I was sitting by the window, back corner, away from the door. I just like being away from stuff, y'know. It helps me relax and I liked looking out the window, it's like the perfect place to daydream.

"Hey Kagamine-kun, do you want to be practice duet partners?"

I glanced up to see that Tei girl, she was twiddling with a strand of ghostly white hair. She looked like a complete wreck and girls were glaring daggers at her. If you haven't noticed, I gained quite the fan club. I even snuck a peek at their meeting; it freaked me out, but amused me to no end. Those girls really needed to get outside more if they think they had a chance with me.

I flashed them a grin and saw some of them get flustered or turned on. What a laugh. I'll let them think they have a chance just so school could be more amusing. Yeah, I know. I'm such a bastard.

"Sure, Sukone." I liked Tei, she was cool. At least she didn't squeal every time I looked her way or made rumors that I was interested in her. Sure she looked incredibly broken, but hey, I've been in a situation with a broken girl…did Miku count? If she did then I guess I dealt with two broken girls and Tei would be the third.

It feels like I'm a magnet to these kinds of people.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but a problem free person would be fine too, just someone to break the pattern, to give me some piece of mind. Tei looked ecstatic at my agreement at being partners and when we sang, I tried to refrain from flinching every time she hit a note. When she looked my way, I flashed a reassuring smile that made her return it back with ease.

At the very least she wasn't shivering from those girls' glares.

"Um…Sukone, how about dropping the pitch, it'll help with hitting the right notes," I suggested, restraining a flinch for the umpteenth time. She gave me a wary look, but nodded and her singing got slightly better. Oh well, at least my ears weren't ringing anymore.

After class, everyone started packing up. I already left the class, took the turn to the left to get to my locker and found a disgusting sight. Remember, girls were nothing but trouble.

I swung my bag over my shoulder, took a deep breath and began striding towards the revolting event.

Bullying. Five to one. How pathetic.

"Hey Tei-chan, sorry for making you wait," I called out in a monotonous tone. I sucked at acting, sue me.

Tei looked over at me with hopeful eyes, as she unraveled her arms from the top of her head. Oh great. Her uniform was messed up and her eyes were already streaming with tears. Her eyes were watery and bloodshot. She reminded me too much of Miku and Rin when they broke down in tears. I couldn't help but flinch because of the images that flashed in my mind. Why did girls always have to cry around me? Did I do something wrong to make them cry?

I shook my head. Was it my fault again?

"A-Ah Kagamine-kun!" A girl with long black hair with twin tails cried out. She looked vaguely like Miku, but I was convinced that she wasn't like her at all. Miku had more of a sweet… I stopped myself. I couldn't be thinking of Miku at a time like this. For now, she didn't exist.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"W-We were just…" The four others were all huddled together behind the black haired girl. "T-Tei was just…"

I rolled my eyes. Stuttering? Oh so they were scared of me now? Poor Tei, having to deal with spineless people who had to come together to pick on someone half their weight, she didn't deserve this from what I know of her. Just to let you know, I didn't know much.

"P-Please understand Kagamine-kun," The girl pushed. I decided to ignore the girl, brushing her aside and going straight for Tei. I knelt down, helping her up. She was lighter than I originally thought and probably a lot thinner.

"C'mon Tei-chan, we're gonna be late for English," I informed, yanking her from her spot and pushing past the gawking girls. Annoying pests. I looked over my shoulder to see their shocked expressions and grinned in delight. "Sorry ladies, but you were in our way." Their faces were totally priceless that I couldn't help but release my laugh. They were totally pathetic.

"Th-Thanks, Kagamine-kun."

"Don't mention it."

"N-No r-really…" She tightened her previously loose grasp. "I'm always causing you trouble…" Her voice was dying down and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't because of our practice in music class. Was she going to cry again? I can't deal with tears too well, so I pulled her up a bit to keep up with my pace. "S-Sorry!" Tei cried out in panic, wiping away her tears, or at least I think she was. I could only see her with my peripheral vision.

"Those girls are really annoying anyway, I was really hoping for a chance to humiliate them." I stopped, figuring that it was enough distance between them and us. I let go of her dainty hand and folded my own behind my head. "Besides, I got sick of them bothering you."

Her eyes widened and I could see that she was flustered. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, we're friends, right?"

"…R-Right…"

"Anyway, let's head back to English, Prima-sensei is gonna make us hold buckets outside of class if we're late," I groaned. What a pointless punishment. It was a waste of a good bucket and a quantity of water.

"O-Okay…" I stepped back beside Tei, keeping pace with her and shooting glances at everyone who looked our way. All I know is that no one was gonna bother her anymore.

Lunch was normal. Tei was sitting by my desk, slowly munching on a triangle shaped sandwich. She offered me one, but I declined. I could see how much food she needed for her frighteningly thin body. I pushed some of the sweets from my lunch box to hers and I could see her eyes boring into them. I guess she wasn't much of a dessert person.

"Don't like sweets?"

She shook her head. "They're okay… but I like cucumbers more."

"Hmm… so is that why you barely have any meat in your box?"

She blushed. "Y-Yeah…"

"You should eat more meat. I'll bring in some tomorrow so you could balance your diet."

"N-No! Don't trouble yourself…"

"Can't hear you," I said with a devilish grin. "So I'm gonna assume that you're gonna eat what I bring tomorrow." Tei had a panicked look and I laughed.

So this is what it was like to have a friend outside of the dysfunctional family I was part of. It felt nice having someone else to talk to without having to do any work for them. A smile pulled at my lips and I chuckled, Tei started giggling ever so softly.

Maybe I should try to socialize? Yeah that'd be a good idea to do.

School was finally over and I parted ways with Tei, making sure to drop her off at her place before heading off to my own. She insisted that she was fine, but I ignored her complaints and made her lead the way. Even if she was fine on her own, I still had the overprotective instincts of a brother and Tei just released that side of me. She was so fragile and…made of glass.

It was like she was a glass vase on the edge of the table, leaning to the ground and with the slightest vibration; the vase would fall and shatter. I don't want me to be that slightest vibration, but with my luck, that could probably be me.

"B-Bye, Kagamine-kun." Tei waved with a smile on her face.

I nodded back with a slightly happier look. "See you tomorrow," I replied back, waving then swinging my bag over my shoulder. I resumed my trip back home.

Passing houses and trees was starting to get boring and I didn't feel like going back home. What to do? There was a park nearby… Yeah a park. I could probably try going down those slides that I used to play on. Actually a swing might be the better idea. The kids might get angry at a grown up for playing on their turf. I couldn't help but chuckle. It was a funny thought.

When I got there all I saw were two kids running around the sand box. Their laughter was resonating through the skies and soon died down and their feet kicking up clumps of grass and dirt. The girl of the duo had black hair in pig tails and wore a red dress and the boy was clad in green. Even his hair was green! I didn't know if he got it through genetics or if his family decided to dye it just so he would be considered unique.

Whatever, it wasn't my problem.

I glanced around once more and found that it was only those two and me. I shrugged, it was quiet enough and the sun was close to setting.

I didn't even realize how much time passed by.

I found myself walking to the swing set and grabbed hold of a rusty chain that held the plastic seat. I dropped my bag on the ground and took a seat on the rectangular seat. I pushed myself back, holding tight on the chains and began swinging. I kicked my legs back and forth until I was higher than the pole that held up the swings.

There was no reason why I felt so happy about swinging. It was weird for something as simple as this to make anyone happy.

But…

I grinned. It didn't matter. I felt free, I felt happy and I felt like nothing else existed while the wind blew against my face in soft whispers. Returning to the seat of a swing was more fulfilling than I thought.

Problem free.

Maybe I could be that person?

It was such a farfetched dream that I wouldn't have any energy left to reach it.

I lost myself.

Shorter chapter than usual. Like around five pages. Though this is a filler type of chapter, showing Len's school life and whatnot.

I'll get around to moving the plot somewhere and in all honesty, I was gonna have Miku appear in here so it wouldn't be a filler. I decided against it though, it wouldn't be realistic enough for me = 3=. I'm not particularly a fan of fanmade characters, but I threw Tei in for the heck of it.

The next chapter is still in the thought process, only because I had another story plot for a Vocaloid fic ==" Sorry, I really should get to work on Whatever it Takes :P

~Ventus