Zero found me curled up on my usual seat on the couch; Tabby snoozing contently on my lap, wrapped loosely in my favourite fluffy red blanket, with my eyes lightly clasped shut, illuminated by the glow of the television screen so that a halo almost seemed to be dancing above my head. My ears tracked Zero as he made his way around the coffee table, which he somehow managed to bump in to (And he has the cheek to call me a Klutz!), to my side and peered intently down. He shifted his weight to the other leg almost awkwardly as he decided the best course of action. Then, I felt his finger hesitantly prod my cheek, his touch lighter than air, as he attempted to rouse me.
Slowly, I teased one eye open, though he didn't notice. Head cocked slightly to the side, he looked almost reminiscent to a curious puppy as he prodded again. I pretended not to stir. It was far too amusing watching Zero struggle to find a gentle way to wake me up. Another couple of prods later, he changed tactics, and whispered my name. "Hikari?" I could barely hear his hushed voice, which instantly mixed with the small buzz emanating from the television. I allowed my other eye to flutter open and greeted him with a shallow, ghost of a smile as my gaze returned to the flickering images on the screen. Upon seeing my downcast expression, Zero's eyes creased with concern. Tabby gave a content sigh and burrowed her head further under my hand. In response, I caressed her soft, silvery ear which elicited a happy purr from the kitten.
"There was an attack in Brussels." I said, quietly. His grip tightened on the arm of the couch, yet he said nothing. Instead, Zero merely gave a small nod of acknowledgement, prompting me to continue. "A couple of bombs went off at an airport. They hit the Metro too, during rush hour... So far, more than thirty people have died, and many more are injured." Zero set himself heavily down next to me. His feet instantly raised up to rest on the table, which in normal circumstances, I would've scolded him for. Right now, I just didn't have the energy to bother. "I don't understand," I allowed my eyes to fall downwards to the peaceful form of my dozing kitten. "They were innocent people; they hadn't done anything wrong! Why would someone do something like that? It's awful. And to think, those people had families of their own, they don't deserve this kind of pain. It's not right... Zero, what's the point of it all?"
He sighed and stretched his arms high above his head, eyes trained solely on his hands as he spread the fingers wide, before he lowered them back down, one resting behind him on the back of the couch. "I don't know, Hikari. Maybe the whole point is that there isn't one at all." His eyes drifted over to me for a second as he gave a shallow, humourless laugh, before focusing once more on the images playing across the screen. "It's a load of crap, really. I mean, those who use religion as an excuse to murder, they're below human beings." His hand wearily combed through his hair. He didn't protest as I flattened down the unruly locks in an almost motherly manner. "To be honest, I don't understand either. In no way does any religion promote violence... If anything, Islam, Christianity, you name it, they promote peace; and yet some people feel the need to twist the words to justify things like this. They don't care about who they hurt, Hikari, as long as they believe they've completed, well, what ever delusional vision they set out to achieve... It really is awful... All that suffering, and for what?"
The house was completely silence, as if it had been holding it's breath, listening intently to the boy. I jumped as the windows rattled. A high, sharp whistling became apparent as the wind whipped through small cracks in the house. Zero's gaze drifted back to me as he lightly squeezed my cheek between his thumb and forefinger, his lips clearly displaying a small smile. It seemed weak, fragile even, but that's what made it all the more precious. "Hey," He said, his own skin fleetingly flushed with colour. "Don't frown; I hate it when you're sad. Just smile. It's really what you're best at. One of your smiles does wonders to improve even the worst moods. You've got to cheer everyone up, okay? Make them see that life is still worth living, and when we grow up, we'll change this for sure. All of this unnecessary killing will be a thing of the past."
He reached over and gently scratched Tabby underneath her ear. I stared at him, eyes brimming with wonder. "Do you really think that'll happen, Zero?"
He smiled back. A real, bright smile that flushed my whole body with warmth. "I sure as hell hope it will."
I burrowed further under the blankets, clamping a pillow over my ears as I attempted to blot out the awful ringing of my alarm clock. I groaned in obvious reluctance, curling up tighter as I felt an insistent volley of tugs start up at the edge of my sanctuary. I ignored them with remarkable stubbornness. The continued with remarkable persistence. Neither of us seemed to be willing to cave, but eventually, they just stopped. A long sigh followed, before I heard what was unmistakably an evil little snicker. Instantly alert, I began to unravel myself from my cocoon to peek out at my surroundings. And that, of course, was my fatal mistake.
The blankets were seized and a small opening was created in which my alarm was promptly shoved through while I wrestled to stay hidden in my bundle. Released, I scurried back to my warmth. The ringing was at an awful crescendo and no matter how much I squirmed, I couldn't quite kick it away, or alternatively hit the button to cease the incessant noise. So, I fell back on the only option I had left and flung the blankets away.
Zero was perched on my desk, one foot resting on the seat of my chair while the other was braced against the back, he looked very nonchalant as he chomped on an apple most likely purged from my kitchen. Zero was, of course, an expert at sneaking down there and borrowing food, which Ichii often scolded him for, regardless of if he replaced it with another later. After taking another bite, I could spot what was most definitely an evil grin on his face. I shot him the best faux scowl I could muster up and rummaged for my alarm which I located fairly easily. Noise gone, I launched my pillow at Zero's face, which he caught one-handed with effortless grace. "That was pathetic." He teased, as he lightly threw his apple core into the bin. I took a leaf out of Zero's immaturity book and puffed out my cheeks, blowing a raspberry in return.
The pillow sailed back and landed cleanly on my lap. Zero was already up, leaning casually against the desk as he waited for me to stop fussing over my clothes. I had a habit of smoothing down the fabric of my over sized tee shirt. That was another habit I'd fallen in to, wearing long shirts and old shorts to bed. I'd had my fair share of the boys wandering in and unexpectedly catching me in embarrassing pyjamas, now this would put a stop to that altogether. Zero kindly escorted me to their room so I could collect my uniform. I straightened the lapels of Ichii's shirt- the older boy looking more zombie than human at this current time- before Zero left to excitedly run off into another part of their house and I returned to me own room where I, with cheerful disregard of tidiness, dumped my uniform on my bed.
I yawned and stretched so I looked vaguely reminiscent to a cat, before lightly skipping across my room and drawing the curtains to allow the mellow hues of dawn to flood my room. Sighing contently, I allowed my head to lightly rest against the cool glass as I peered out at the street below me that glowed from the fiery rays of sunlight peeking out from behind the seemingly fluffy, white clouds.
I wasn't expecting the sudden darkness that enveloped me. Blind, half subdued and not entirely awake, I struggled valiantly to free myself. I figured that if I managed to release my hand, I had a better chance of seizing a weapon to beat my attacker senseless with. Damn it! These guys should know better than to attack me in my own house. Of course, being a couple of inches taller didn't exactly give me much more leverage to work with, so it was quite easy for me to be swung off the ground. My mouth was appropriately covered before I'd even fully processed the idea to scream for help. After a few seconds of blind struggling, arching my back and kicking my feet out desperately, I stopped. Taking deep breaths, I focused my attention of remembering everything the boys taught me. What appeared to be the perfect idea sprung to my mind. But then, as sudden as my panic arrived, it dissipated. After all, the strength of these arms, the comforting warmth the embrace brought was far too familiar to be deadly.
Zero. I knew it was Zero, because even though he was doing an excellent job at being gentle- he seemed to have improved several levels in that area since we first met- as he carried me across the room, he still couldn't quite match up to Ichii's tenderness. The older boy seemed to reserve his utmost care when it came to handling things he deemed to be fragile and precious, one of which I could undoubtedly assume was myself. Once, I remember falling asleep not entirely on him, but slumped against his side in the car as we returned to my house from some outing. Ichii had cradled me so gently, it was almost as if he believed I were made of china. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Zero had been the one to wake me from my admittedly peaceful sleep after he tripped over the doormat. Evidently, he also had significant Klutz qualities, which I helpfully managed to point out even in my drowsy state. Both Ichii and my mother had been fairly amused at that, something which I allowed myself to be a little proud of for a full five minutes after.
I was deposited with gentle insistence in front of my mirror. I caught a flash of blue as Zero whipped the blanket away from me and promptly wrapped himself up in once more. However, I was forced to stifle my giggles as he smacked his head against the wall while attempting to discretely turn off the lights. On his second attempt, he managed to do so without misfortune. With that task completed, he used dramatic force to pull the sheet away and instantly lunged for my neck. The movement was so unexpected, I gave a small shriek and tripped over my own feet, my eyes noticing the little gleam of his teeth as I fell. His face was split with a wicked grin that perfectly displayed the fake vampire teeth he had inserted, which explained the earlier weirdness. "I am Count Zero," He declared, securing the blanket around his neck in the form of a makeshift cape. "Fear me!"
He then proceeded to dive around my room, the cape streaming out behind him, interacting with all kinds of objects for the sole purpose of making me laugh. He must have noticed that I was still feeling pretty glum over the argument with my friends and took it upon himself to make me happy once more. Ichii must have heard me, that would be the only explanation for him curiously poking his head around the door. I doubled over at his surprised expression and the way he instantly ducked out of sight once he spotted Zero. I could hear him, though, even from here. He was laughing so hard it probably hurt.
Zero continued this little charade until he tripped over the edge on the blanket. He looked rather endearing as he stared up at me with an expression of honest confusion. Zero's brain apparently hadn't quite caught up yet, so the boy couldn't quite comprehend why he was now sprawled out across the floor. He accepted my hand, though, and I pulled him back up. Ichii gave a small, warning knock and entered even before I'd said anything, and his face still vaguely red from his little hysterics fit. I was observant enough to catch him having to smother a fresh wave of chuckles upon seeing Zero once more, though he managed to pull himself together as he discarded the blankets on my bed, gave me a warm smile and promptly guided Zero out of the room so I could change in peace.
Spotting the familiar raven locks, I placed my brightest smile on my face and lightly jogged over, deaf to the boy's confusion as they hastily followed. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves, I ploughed towards Ayumi, determined to settle our differences. Evidently, Kei saw me first, as she gave me a secret smile. Ayumi, on the other hand remained with her back firmly facing me, though I noticed her picking at her nails. "Ayumi." I said, mentally cursing at the small tremor in my voice. "I... I'm sorry about yesterday... About the fight... I really, really am... I really did try to make it this time... But something came up, I'm sorry..." Hope sparked in my heart as she turned. Hesitated. A second later and the gleam in her eyes was nothing more than decisive.
That hope beginning to blossom was instantly extinguished when she brushed roughly past me, knocking me back into the lockers. Zero instantly went to square her up. Ichii easily restrained him with effortless grace. "Kei." There was an authoritative note in her voice as she paused, just shy of the exit. She didn't bother to glance behind though, she was confident that Kei would follow without protest. Even the boys, in their short time of knowing the girl, knew that orders and Kei mixed just as well as oil and water. However, after rolling her eyes, shrugging and mouthing a small apology to me, she calmly obeyed.
She did seem to have alternative motives, though. As I sadly watched her retreating back, I could see the distinct blow she delivered to punish the brooding girl's idiocy. She did this by using her favourite move, and harshly whacked Ayumi upside the head. Her tone was unmistakably one of scolding, though in the vast din of noise emanating from the other students, I couldn't quite hear her clearly.
"Ayumi," I said brightly as I settled down in my usual seat. "Hi, I-" I broke off as the girl opened her mouth, hesitated, then hastily crossed her arms and turned away. "Ano... A-Ayumi?" She didn't even waver this time. "A-Ayumi!" Once more, I was blanked. Biting my lip, I swivelled back around to face the front, shoulders slumped in defeat. How am I supposed to apologise if she keeps ignoring me like this? Oh... Never mind, I'll just have to try a lot harder next time.
To my right, I noticed Zero was attempting to catch my eye. He jerked his head behind, towards the two girls seated behind. His message seemed clear; Want me to sort her out? I carefully shook my head. Getting the boys involved wouldn't help to solve anything. In fact, it would just prove that I was a useless, dependent weakling. I had to face this problem on my own. Well, with a little help from Kei, of course, as I could just about hear her angry tone, and assumed she was berating Ayumi. Though, that didn't really do much to improve my mood.
Slumping further across my desk, head lazily propped up in my hand, eyes completely unfocused, I was barely listening to the rambling of my teacher as I gave another shallow sigh. Twirling my pen didn't help ease my boredom, or the intense pain that was twisting in my heart, but I still did it anyway. A small, barely audible cough caught my attention. It appeared to be coming from close to me. I ignore it though, as I was far too busy with my self-loathing to do much else. However, after a second more insistent bought of throat-clearing followed, I allowed my gaze to shift to my left, where Ichii was currently situated.
He regarded me with an expression brimming with concern and after giving a small moment to see the teacher's current location, discretely scribbled a message of a small strip of paper he had obviously torn from the back of his book. Evidently, a second cautious look was necessary, as he wasted precious seconds doing so, before tossing the note over once he'd deemed it safe to. I opened it half-heartedly, my eyes barely reading the words as I skimmed the text. Are you okay, Hikari? You're looking a little pale. After meeting his eyes, I shot him the biggest and best of the most brightest smiles I could muster up and carefully nodded.
To be honest, I was feeling terrible. But there was really no need to worry the poor boy over something so minor.
Gym class. Exactly what I needed right now- a full hour of clumsiness, pain and making a complete fool of myself. I just couldn't wait to get started. Though, as I glanced over my shoulder to locate my friends, figuring I'd at least give another attempt to cross the crevasse between me and Ayumi, my heart contracted with... jealously? Emiko, our class's resident Alpha bitch seemed perfectly at home chatting to my friends. Kei didn't look at all pleased, she'd fixed the girl with a smouldering glare that perfectly showed just how welcome she was there. Even Ayumi had the decency to look awkward. But then, to my horror, she actually started talking to her.
I busied myself with tying up my shoes- I'd left before I'd put them on properly, too worried about being left behind to even spare a second thought about how I might trip or how the boys would scold me if they had seen- though I instantly shifted my gaze when my name was called. Tossing her glossy hair over her shoulder, Emiko lightly said. "Hey, Hikari, I hope you don't mind, but I'll be borrowing your friends," She smirked, which in that lipstick was Wicked-Witch-of-The-West evil. "Well, it's not like they're really you're friends any more, are they?"
I fantasised for a few seconds about planting my shoe squarely in the middle of Emiko's pouty, perfect smile. Instead, I simply blinked, raised one eyebrow in a small arch and turned away, shaking my head slightly. Obviously, that was a very big insult to the girl, who I assume had been expecting me to run off crying or something ridiculous. Unfortunately for her, I'd matured a whole lot since the start of the year. Spiteful little comments from people like her didn't hurt me any more. "Hey, have you gone mute or something? Answer me, freak!" Instead, I began tapping my foot against the ground and took up a familiar tune to whistle, looking every bit as serene as I'd planned. "This is why you have no friends."
I cleared my throat. Noisily. And slowly pirouetted on my heels to face her, an amused smile playing on my lips. "Usually people ignore things that aren't worth their time." I said ever so sweetly, revelling in the way her cheeks flushed a blotchy red. "Take a hint." And then, I sashayed off, as if I were the Queen of Everything, never mind Tokyo. Though, I soon realised that insolence like that was certain to be punished. I got my just deserts soon enough.
As a light warm up, we were given two laps around the outside of the room. I figured this wasn't too bad, even if I was running alone. A few boys entered to collect some equipment left here for the boy's lesson and they shamelessly catcalled some of the girls, which left them flushed with embarrassment and throwing insults back. Then, unexpected, my world flipped upside-down as I tripped rather dramatically over a conveniently placed foot. Two girls nearby sniggered meanly and jogged off, leaving me in a heap. A couple girls gave me concerned looks, though none of them paused to assess my condition. Ai, one of the kindest little girl's I'd ever had the fortune of meeting, knelt down next to me. "You okay, Hikari? Do you think you can walk?" Truthfully, I was perfectly fine, but I figured that if those girls knew that, they'd try to hurt me again. So, I screwed my face up with pain and slowly shook my head.
The boys had already disappeared by the time Ai guided me to one of the benches. I was quite surprised when both Zero and Ichii arrived at the door, appearing to have sprinted to here from the field in about ten seconds flat by the way they were panting. Ichii was the first to drift over. "We heard you tripped," he said. Zero's hand was cradling his side. I briefly wondered whether he had a stitch. It seemed so, as he settled heavily down next to me. "Are you okay?" I smiled, touched at their concern and nodded in reply.
"You're such a Klutz," Zero teased, shifting my injured foot onto is lap as he gently inspected it for serious injuries. His touch was lighter than air, and hands were cold which soothed the tiny ache that had flared up. "The skin's a little warm, but there's no swelling, so I think safe to say that she'll be okay." Zero was being extra careful as he lowered it back down the the ground. He seemed to believe I had become some fragile being in the space of just a few seconds. "Only you could manage something like this." I puffed out my cheeks and stuck my tongue out at him. Zero playfully ruffled my hair in response.
"Does it hurt at all? Should I take you to the infirmary?" Ichii asked, his eyes brimming with worry. Insistently, I shook my head. I'd taken far too many trips there in this year. I didn't think I could survive going there again."Alright... But, tell me if it does start to get worse. We could get you an ice pack, or maybe some painkillers, I'm sure they would help."
"I'm okay, Ichii. Really, I am. And, yeah, I'll be sure to let you know. Thank you for worrying about me."
While my Sensei was generally accepting of many things, like my clumsy, shy disposition, she couldn't exactly allow the two boys to skip their lessons and gently advised them to return. Once her back was turned, Zero pulled a couple of faces, which showed just how pleased he was about that. They lingered long enough for Ichii to pat my head and promise that they would collect me as soon as they could and for Zero to chip me under the chin and affectionately call me a Klutz once again before they were gone, leaving me staring longingly at the door, wishing they would return. I was left bored out of my mind for the rest of the lesson, sometimes dodging wayward balls that seemed almost too perfectly aimed to be a mistake. Especially since they always originated from the two girls that tripped me earlier.
After it had finally finished, Kei and Ayumi hung back to collect some equipment, it needed to be hauled back to the little storage shed just hidden out of sight from the main building. Since they were sensible, they were chosen to go off to do it. I remained on the bench until my Sensei drifted over to talk to me. I managed to convince her that I was perfectly able to carry the small bucket of baseball bats over to the shed after I stated that there was a higher chance for me being devoured by a mutated two headed slug than to collapse. Of course, I had been so persistent for only one reason. That way those stupid popular girls would've hopefully moved on from the changing room by the time I got back.
As I got closer to the shed, I could hear angry voices. Feeling nervous, I slowly edged closer. Ayumi and Kei were concerned by three much taller, obviously older guys. They're wearing High school uniforms But why are High school guys here? "What the hell is your problem?" Kei spat, the sports bag she had been carrying already forgotten on the floor. "Get out of our way, we don't have time for you losers." Evidently, that was a big mistake. She was seized by the throat and shoved against the nearest convenient tree so fast, I could barely register the movement.
"This must be the annoying one Emiko was talking about." His voice was scornful as he addressed his friends. "Do you know why we're here, little girl? Emiko decided your friend hadn't received a big enough punishment. So what better was is there to make her suffer, than to hurt her friends?"Kei's eyes widened, though she was staying remarkably calm. Hand trembling slightly, she raised it high enough to grip his wrist and squeezed. Hard. The guy, on the other hand, didn't falter one bit. "Is that the best you can do?" Her hands were pinned high above her head before I could even blink. "Now... Let's see, what should we do first? Any ideas, little one?" Ayumi gave a start and began hurriedly backing away as the other two closed in on her. Tears were already pouring heavy and fast down her now porcelain cheeks.
Fury like I'd never felt before flared up. Hot, smouldering anger pumped through my body and I certain vein at my temple began to throb. A dark aura almost seemed to roll off me in big, black waves and I could feel my whole body shaking with the effort to remain calm. "Hey," I snarled, tapping the baseball bat against my leg with as much nonchalance as I could muster up. All sets of eyes focused on me. I'd found my first target and he was going to regret ever putting his hands on Kei. "I'd really appreciate it if you could kindly get the hell away from my friends."
"Aw," The tallest guy chuckled obnoxiously, glancing over his shoulder to get a few half-hearted laughs from his pals as he took a couple of strides forwards to size me up. "How touching, the shrimp's trying to protect her precious friends." He said, as his upper lip curled into a nasty sneer that look quite out of place on his otherwise boyishly cute face. Narrowing my eyes dangerously, I couldn't manage to stifle the low growl that rose in my throat. I wished I did though, as it only seemed to induce amusement for Ego guy. "You're really cute when you do that, you know? You sound like a really fierce kitten." And I thought Zero's ego was bad. This guy is way too cocky for his own good.
"I highly advice you not to piss me off." I replied, taking up a clumsy batting stance and wishing I'd previously had the sense to have paid more attention in phys ed. "You see, I'm running out of places to hide the bodies." He smirked, seemingly unconcerned about the distance he was crossing, before Ego guy broke out into a steady sprint. It was all too easy for me to dodge his clumsy lunge. And the second one that followed. "You know what? I don't need this." I'd decided that I'd rather rearrange this guy's features with my own two hands and I promptly tossed the baseball bat to Kei, who dropped rather hurriedly into the same stance I had used earlier, albeit more gracefully than myself. "I think it's time to show you that this little kitten has claws. And I promise, you won't be smirking so much once I use them."
I was like a reed bending gracefully in the wind. Swiftly, easily I dodged blow after blow. It was so seemingly effortless for me, that it was almost as though I were performing so elaborate interpretive dance. By now, Ego guy was getting more and more frustrated by his inability to floor such a shrimpy opponent such as myself. I could only imagine how humiliated he must've been feeling at this exact moment. I didn't spare much of my valuable time pondering this thought, though. I had much more important matters to attend to. Handing this guy his ass didn't really sit very high on my list of priorities. His knee rose up. I used one hand to push it down and with my other, I smashed the palm right underneath his chin. Knocked off balance and in quite a bit of pain, Ego guy had no way to defend himself against the two palm strikes that followed. They met their target and struck him firmly in the chest and then I swept his legs out from under him. Stunned and lying flat against the ground, I stomped hard on his chest, pushing the air out of his lungs and leaving him gasping pathetically to regain his lost breath. "I told you, messing with my friends is a big mistake!"
Turning my back on remaining enemies was also a textbook big mistake. Something which I had just done. Blatantly. So, of course, I really should've been expecting to be grabbed from behind. Hoisted high in the air, I squirmed, arching my back and kicking out desperately, but it was useless. He was far too strong. His four-eyed friend was smirking, advancing slowly, savouring the way my eyes warily followed his every move. He was far too close. Face almost directly touching my own, manic grin taking up nearly all of his features. I wondered briefly whether it would be acceptable for me to fall into the typical Hollywood defiance mode. Maybe headbutt him. Or spit in his face. Just something to show that I was not broken. That I will continue to fight back with all my power. "Have we got things in store for you." Cold. Sharp. Low and decisively deadly. His tone sent a horrible shiver up my entire body.
"Hey! Douchebag!" Kei had timed that awfully precisely. So, with my golden opportunity, I did exactly what I had been pondering and drove forward with as much force as I could muster up. Glasses smashed, and head spinning, he was knocked off stride. I mercilessly kicked him in rather tender area. With a small nod from Kei, she quickly tossed the bat over, which I instantly used to free myself. In various degrees of pain, the boy moaned and clutched their injuries. I didn't hesitate to finish them. Kicking and punching, I struck out until none of the three dared raise themselves back off the ground to continue fighting.
My heart was still thumping wilding in my chest, but by now, the adrenaline that had allowed me to have such quick reflexes was wearing off. Gasping for breath, I collapsed on the ground, my shaking legs unable to hold me up any longer. I shivered as a trail of icy sweat dribbled down my back. I couldn't even summon the energy necessary to raise my head as Ayumi carefully edged closer. Nor to feel too elated as she flung her arms around me, the tears flowing even faster now as she squeezed me tightly. "Thank you. T-Thank you, I thought they w-were going to... Oh, G-God. Hikari, I'm so s-sorry. I was so a-awful to you and you still d-didn't even hesitate to he-help us. I don't d-deserve you at a-all. Please, p-please, Hikari. I'm s-so sorry. Please forgive me. I-I've been wanting to a-apologise all day. B-But, I said such awful things, a s-simple apology would never make up f-for it. Dammit! Why am I s-so stupid?"
"Ayumi... Are your parents fighting again?"
She hesitated for a moment, before the wails began. "This is it. T-They don't even c-care any more! They're g-going to get a d-divorce for sure. And they p-promised! They said they w-wouldn't leave me!" She dissolved into even more anguished sobs, while I collected the events nicely in my head. Ayumi must've been feeling awful for a while, but instead of telling us, she bottled it up. That would explain why she got so upset over me having to cancel- she feels as if she's losing everything. Me being unable to show up would only strengthen those feelings. The arguing must have become even worse by the time we got back to school, so Ayumi really must've been at the end of her tether. She was crying out for help when she was yelling at me, wanting me to realise something was wrong. But of course, with that little comment about... my Dad... I couldn't stay and Ayumi felt so awful she began to avoid me at all costs. I guess it all makes sense. Especially about Kei. She must have realised something was wrong and became the mediator towards us. After all, if Ayumi was still depressed about hurting me, she would never be able to reveal her secret and we would never be able to help her.
"It's okay, Ayumi. We're here for you. We'll always be here for you, okay? Whenever it gets too much, you're always welcome to stay at mine, you know that, don't you?"
Ayumi sniffled and swiped furiously at her eyes. "H-huh? Does that mean... you forgive me? After everything I-I did?"
"Yeah. But only if you promise never to get jealous of the relationship I have with the boys, again."
"Oh, Hikari. That was so stupid of me, fighting over something like that. I know how much they mean to you, and they're so good to you. They've been looking out for you so much and because of them, you've grown so much more confident. I bet it's down to them that you were able to floor these guys, wasn't it?" I flushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck, before giving a small nod of confirmation. "You need them. They need you, too. I guess I got so used to it just being the three of us... I never thought things would change so quickly. But... It's the five of us now, isn't it? They're not taking you away, but you're bringing them in. Expanding our horizons, right? They're not going to weaken the friendship between the three of us... They're going to make the bond stronger... And you're planning for them to become our friends, too. Right, Hikari?"
"Alright, now you've all kissed and made up, how about the three of us go shoot dead things at my house?" We were all in agreement that a little Zombie fighting was exactly what we needed right about now.
I spent a total of three hours relaxing a Kei's, only after I'd sent a nice informative text to my mother explaining where I'd be. Mainly, I ate popcorn and dished out appropriate encouragements here and there, while also being the strange conversation topic starter, which produced a fair amount of laughs from the girls. Ayumi was even more involved in the game than Kei, screaming orders that were, for the most part, blindingly obvious. Kei seemed to be fairly good at multi-tasking, as she constantly switched between actually playing the game, gracefully chomping down on big handfuls of popcorn and playfully yelling back at Ayumi.
When we seemed to have overstayed out welcome, both myself and Ayumi bid Kei farewell and walked home together. Ayumi gave me another big, bone crushing hug as she dropped me off at my house, apologising once again, before starting to jog in the opposite direction, with me waving cheerful as she went. Upon coming inside, I was greeting by my mother. Excited, I bounded over. Apparently, her shift had ended early today, which allowed her to arrive home and spend more quality time with me. I decided to make a quick trip upstairs to change.
Zero and Ichii were waiting when I opened the door. The former was sprawled across my bed and didn't even look up as I entered, he just continued to throw the rubber ball up and down as if he were solely interested in that activity. Ichii, on the other hand, was peacefully reading. "Hey," Zero said, his voice colder than ice. "Guess you forgot to call and tell us you weren't dead in a ditch." Those words were enough to let me know that Zero had been especially panicked at my disappearance. Of course, with everything that happened, I'd completely forgotten about the boy's promise to take me home after the lesson had ended.
"Hikari, don't you have a cell phone so you're able to stay in touch with others? It doesn't really do much good if you fail to answer it." Carefully, I took the device out of my pocket. The attempted calls were in double digits and they'd left a whole array of worried messages pleading for me to call them back. The guilt twisted painfully in my stomach. "Luckily, we came here first and Asahina-san helpfully informed us where you were."
"I'm really sorry for disappearing on you like that... I completely forgot that we were supposed to meet up... A lot of stuff happened, it just completely slipped my mind... High schools sorta caused some problems but I managed to sort them out... And I made up with Ayumi?"
Zero stood up, walked over and affectionately chipped me under the chin. Ichii followed up with a classic ruffling of the hair. "Hikari, we were worried because some older guys were found beat up near the storage shed. We thought something awful had happened to you. Maybe that you'd been kidnapped or something? Now we know not to get on your bad side. You can just kick ass pretty well for someone so Shrimpy."
"You shouldn't say that, Zero." I replied, playfully. "The last person that teased me ended up knocked out."
A/N: This chapter is very late and I apologise greatly for it. Recently there have been attacks in Brussels and Lahore, Pakistan and I felt I should addresses this matter in my story. My heart goes out to all the people that were injured or killed and all the families of the victims that have been affected in this tragedy. Acts like these are truly unforgivable. People should never be made to suffer like this.
LoveInuyasha22: Thank you. Disappointed that I didn't manage to bring on the waterworks, but I'll try harder next time! I hope you like this chapter as well.
AJPJwellluvJJ: I'm glad you still felt it was realistic! It would be good to hear you view about this chapter too.