It was like a desert. I saw Crona sitting down in a drawn circle. He was younger, just a child. And then I realized I was too. My black hair was in braids and I wore a red tutu-like dress, white lacey socks, and black mary-janes.
"Crona?" I asked. He looked up and saw me.
"Don't come in my circle."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a stranger."
"I don't want to be a stranger. I want to be your friend."
He shook his head. "No, only Maka is allowed in my circle."
"Why not me?"
"I-I don't know how to deal with this!"
Crona buried his head in his knees and began to cry. I wanted to step in his little circle and comfort him, but when I tried to get in, it seemed like there was a force field keeping me from reaching him. A look of anger crossed my face. I picked up a large stick and erased a small section of the circle with my foot. Using the stick, I drew a pathway and another circle around me connecting to the path.
"Look, Crona." I commanded. He shook his head again. I was getting mad. "Yes!"
"No! I don't want to!"
"Crona, just look up!"
He sniffled and lifted his head as he wiped away a few tears. "What-what did you do to my circle?" he asked.
"I made it bigger. Now there's more room." I told him with a smile. I threw the stick and walked across the pathway.
"No, I like my circle small." He said to me, trying to keep me from him.
"There's more room for friends," I said, ignoring his last statement, "and I want to be in your circle."
Crona stood up as I walked toward him. "Really?" he asked. I nodded my head.
"Really. I want to be your friend."
He smiled and I smiled back. I stood directly in front of him. "Crona, am I your friend?" I asked him.
"Yes. You are my friend, Angel." I smiled again as I stepped closer.
"And you're my friend." I told him and hugged him. I felt his frail hands wrap around me and there was a sudden gust of wind. I opened my eyes to find myself back in Crona's room in the dungeons. I was still hugging Crona and he was hugging me. We parted and I nodded my head at him. I heard a little giggle escape from him and laughed myself. I turned back to Soul and Maka. They were smiling. I then felt a little closer to Maka.
"I understand how you felt as a child. Alone, worthless, unloved." I thought aloud, gripping my arm tighter with each word that described my own childhood. Crona reached out and stroked my arm.
"You do understand me. How?" he asked, searching my eyes.
"Crona, she understands because that's how she felt." Soul answered for me. Crona's hand dropped and his mouth formed a tiny O.
"I-I'm not comfortable talking about this…" I told them. Before I had time to think, I ran. I ran out of Crona's room, up the stairs, down a few halls, and out the door of the academy. I looked around and ran around the side of the building. My breath quickened, even though I wasn't doing anything besides sinking to my knees. I stared at the ground for a moment then the tears came. I cried for what seemed like hours. But it was only minutes until someone wrapped their arms around my shoulders. Any other time I would've pushed them away, but I felt too weak to move. My breathing slowed a little as the tears continued to stream down my face like a river. The person stroked my hair gently. Finally I was done crying.
"Are you okay?" Soul's voice came. I hugged my knees to my chest let out a long and exasperated breath.
"I'm fine. Where are Maka and Crona?"
"They're still in Crona's room."
"Why did you come after me?"
"I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I can handle myself, Soul."
"I know you can."
I played with the laces of my shoes and sighed.
"I feel like such a baby."
"Even the toughest of people get upset."
"But why am I upset? I have dealt with this for my entire life."
"That's why."
"Why what?"
I looked up at him. He moved a little closer to me and crossed his legs.
"Why you finally cried. You've been holding it back for a long time. After you connected with Crona, you heart couldn't take it. And you cried."
It was true. It was all true. "Thank you, Soul." I told him and rose to my feet.
"Anytime, Red."
I smiled slightly as he said my nickname. I really liked it…
We walked back inside the academy and met Crona and Maka halfway through the dungeons.
"Hey, guys." Maka said with a smile.
"Hi…" I replied, and shifted uncomfortably.
"You gonna come back to the apartment with us?" she asked me, Crona was standing behind her, asking the same thing with his eyes.
"Sure. If Blair's back, then I can show Crona what to do if she's bothering him." I told them cheerfully. They smiled and we went back to Soul and Maka's.
At Soul and Maka's
"I say we celebrate!"
"Maka, why in the world should we celebrate?"
"Because it would be nice."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, if you insist. But something really casual."
"I know. How about we go out for smoothies? We can call Kid, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and Black Star."
"Smoothies sound fine. We can do this when?"
"I think tonight sounds good."
I nodded my head and looked at Crona. "You wanna come too?" I asked him.
"Um, sure…"
"Crona, you don't have to if you don't wa-"
"I want to."
I smiled at him and turned my attention back to Soul and Maka.
"I'll call Kid, Liz, and Patty. What's their number?" I said as I pulled out my cell phone. Maka told me the number and I pressed 'call'.
"Hello? Who is this?" Kid's voice rang through the phone.
"Hey, Kid. It's Angel. Maka thinks we should celebrate the fact that I'm out of the infirmary. We're all going out for smoothies soon. You, Liz, and Patty are welcome to come."
"Oh, okay. We'll be there."
I smiled even though he couldn't see. " 'Kay, later."
"Later."
I hung up the phone. "They're coming." I informed Soul. He nodded his head.
"Black Star, just give the phone to Tsubaki!" Maka shouted into the receiver. Soul and I snickered and Maka sighed of relief.
"Hi, Tsubaki."
We heard a faint voice on the other end of the line. Maka continued to tell Tsubaki the details and plans for the night as Soul, Crona, and I sat on the couch in silence.
"Okay, let's get ready." Maka finally said. Soul disappeared into his room to go change and Crona stood up, not knowing what to do.
"Crona, you wait here." I told him. He nodded his head and sat back down. I turned my attention back to Maka before she went to her room. "Hey, can I borrow something? It'll take forever if I go back to my house." I asked her. She smiled brightly.
"Of course, Angel!"
We went to her room and I dug through her drawers. Maka ended up wearing a plaid green skirt, black sandals, and a pink sweater-shirt. I picked out a black long-sleeve dress was about four inches above my knees, red knee-highs, and black punk-rock sort of style boots that reached just above my ankles. I had Maka do my hair in spiky little pigtails, but I kept my red headband in. She kept her hair the same. I stepped out of her room and saw Soul wearing a blue hoodie, a gray t-shirt, distressed jeans, and black sneakers. He stood up when he saw me.
"Wow, Red. You look… different." Soul told me. I blushed.
"Th-thanks…" I said shyly. I saw Maka smile out of the corner of my eye.
"Alright, everyone ready?" She asked us. I nodded and we walked out the door.
At the Smoothie Shop
"I guess we're the first ones here." I said as I took a seat on a plush spinney-stool. Just then, there was a bell, the one that hung over the door to let the employees know a customer is there. I turned to see Kid, Patty, and Liz walking in. I smiled at them while Liz and Patty took a seat at a corner booth we had reserved earlier. Kid walked over to me and sat down.
"You are almost symmetrical." He said in partial awe. I giggled.
"Would be if not for my scar." I say, somewhat happily.
"Hey, call it a battle scar." Soul said, occupying the other seat beside mine.
"Sure, why not?" I replied.
"Hey, guys! You gonna order some smoothies or what?" I heard Maka say. I was about to say Black Star and Tsubaki weren't here, but there they were at the booth. I shrugged and sat down on the end.
I ordered my cherry smoothie and set down my iPod and cell phone on the table. Everybody ordered their smoothies while I zoned out, suddenly thinking about Silara. Why she hadn't come to visit me in the infirmary, why Maka didn't even suggest we invite her, where the hell she was. I shook it off when my smoothie arrived. I smiled and slurped the majority of it down.
An Hour Later
We talked and laughed about stupid things, Maka even had to drink some of Crona's smoothie to show him it wasn't poisoned. But the creepy sun was going down so I had to go.
"I'll see ya guys tomorrow." I said as I picked up my things and placed them in the small red bag I brought to carry it all. I smiled and waved as I walked out the door.
It was a two minute walk from the smoothie shop to my house. About a minute after I left, I noticed a shadow following me. I quickly turned the corner of a random alley and pulled out my switchblade that I'd started carrying around after the incident with Narook. The follower, as I expected, turned the corner. I grabbed their arm and held the blade to their throat.
"Hey, I thought we were friends!" Soul said, his voice a little shaky. I smirked and drew the blade back.
"Sorry, I didn't know it was you." I told him as I put the knife away in my bag. Soul nodded, flashing his sharp teeth. "So, what's up?"
"You left your iPod."
"Thanks…" I took it back from him and put it away. Soul turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm.
"Need something else?" he asked, confused. I shook my head quickly. Then, I kissed his cheek and ran away as fast as I could in those boots.