Hello! I'm able to update earlier than expected despite my massive workload. I was doing work nonstop yesterday for school, and it made me so happy to see reviews for this story. It amazes me to see how many people read this story and where you are from. Thank you so much! I don't know when I'll have the next chapter done. It might be a week since it's pretty hectic for me. Please R & R!

A few weeks later, I kept up my therapy and made large improvements with my schizophrenia. I knew it wasn't gone, but it was more under control. I had also admitted to Justin the issues within my family. I explained how my father had always resented me, ever since I was little. I think parts of that stemmed from not being like my older brother, but that didn't really matter to me. Everyone else seemed to be making great strides with their illnesses as well.

Black Star was toning his narcissistic personality disorder down, Kid wouldn't freak out as much, Liz was eating more, and Patty was calming down, but had a strange obsession with giraffes. Yeah, they ended up telling me at breakfast that one-day. The only one that I didn't see strides with was Maka.

I started hanging out with her more since we would always go to the music room. She would listen to me play different pieces, some original and others classical. We would talk afterward, but I never got to ask her about why she was here.

On a Tuesday afternoon, Maka and I were sitting around in my room, relaxing. I had made the place my home. There was a painting of a piano scattered throughout the walls, with music notes mixed into the deep red paint. She stared around the room, fascinated by my artwork.

"Soul, how did you do this," she asked mesmerized.

"I've always been able to do anything artistic, other than sing," I responded with a grin.

"For someone who can play the piano so incredible, you can't sing?"

"Nope, not at all. Maka?"

"Yeah, Soul?" She looked at me with her glistening, innocent green eyes.

"Why are you here? I mean in the mental institution. It doesn't bother me you're here in my room. I like the company."

"Well, you were the one who told me to come in." She simply smiled.

"Maka. Don't avoid the question," I said serious, but worried.

"What question?" She tried to hide her face by turning away and trying to walk out the door.

I grabbed her wrists and looked into her eyes.

"Maka. Please. I want to help you."

"Why do you want to help me so much?"

"Because you've been helping me the past few weeks with my problem. And I don't know what could be wrong with you. You seem pretty flawless."

She was going to smile, but then sighed.

"Alright, I'll tell you. My parents decided to file for a divorce when I was really young, but since my mom didn't have the money to leave afterward, it continued. My dad said he wouldn't contribute any money to her, even though he cheated on her. I would see him with other women before they filed for a divorce. So the fighting got much worse. My dad began to drink heavily and beat me. My mother would just stay out until she knew he was gone. She used me to tell when my dad left. Why couldn't she just take me for those times to save me so much pain?"

She paused and sobbed. I pulled her into a hug, and she cried into my chest. I didn't know what to say, mainly because she wasn't even finished. I just patted her head and let her continue.

"So, as my parents continued fighting, I began to hide more. I felt as though anyone I talked to would either ignore me or yell at me. I don't like being alone; it makes me think no one cares I'm around. Since the mental pain was unbearable, I resorted to another source of pain. My parents finally got divorced, but since my dad was never around, I was in a state of constant anxiety. I ran away to come here because I knew I would get help from me people who care about my well being. Dr. Stein told me I had athazagoraphobia, which is a fancy term for fear of abandonment."

She stopped, got up from my chest, and pulled up her sleeve and I saw scars similar to mine over her arms. I ran my fingers over them, thinking of my time before the institution and the tortures I faced. She didn't seem to mind, so I just held onto her wrists.

"Maka, if you hate being alone, why are you in your own room? Why didn't they have you live with Tsubaki or something?"

"You know the room requirements, three people to a room, and they wanted me to get over this paranoia by staying in my own room."

"How's that going?"

"Better than when I got here." She smiled with her green eyes looking into mine.

"Look I don't want this to sound weird, but if you ever feel like you're freaking out when you're alone, don't be afraid to come here."

"Thanks, Soul. You're the best." She hugged me tight, and I ran my hands along her back.

"Hey Maka."

"Yeah Soul?" She looked up at me with her signature smile.

I grinned at her, "I think it's time I tell you about myself and why I'm here." Her eyes got large, and she simply nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." I grinned at her and she sat across from me.

"Maka, do you recognize the last name Evans?"

"Yeah, they're the music family here in Death City. They like to keep things quiet about their family though from what I hear."

"Well, you'll hear those things because I'm Soul Evans."

She looked at me with shock at first, but that faded quickly. She made a look that made it seem like she should've known from my piano playing.

"Okay." I started, but took a deep breath to continue. "As you know, my family is famous for music. My parents and I live in a mansion because we're rich, but I never liked that lifestyle. My parents never really liked me that much, but my mom was much better at pretending that she cared for me. My father on the other hand despised me. He's always resented me and beat me constantly."

"Why wouldn't your mom do anything about that? It's terrible that she wouldn't help her son."

"She always sided with my father. Maka, you can't forget that the public didn't know this. My dad made it seem like we were family from all the parties we would have, and I would play the piano. Anyways, the demon started to appear and fuck everything up. He would cause me to scream terrible things whenever my parents were around. The day before I came, I was playing the piano when he came and caused me to yell at my mom when she was trying to help. I ran upstairs and did something I've done for years. My father would always beat me, so I would cut my wrists and arms to make him stop faster. The sight of blood that he thought he caused would make him stop."

I pulled up my jacket sleeves and showed Maka the scars along my arms. It reminded me of notches in wood when someone was lost at sea. She rubbed her fingers along my broken skin, but it felt good. I didn't really know what else to say.

"Hey Soul?" She asked shyly.

"Yeah? What's up, Maka?"

"Could you teach me to play the piano?"

"It'll take some time, but sure let's get started now."

We walked to the music room silently and we both sat on the bench in front of the piano.

"Okay, so put your hand here," I told her. I pointed to the middle C key, but she just didn't know what to do. I laughed silently and put my hand on top of hers, guiding it to the right white key.

"Thanks, Soul," she said embarrassed.

"Hey, it's fine. Do you think Black Star would be able to play the piano?" She laughed and I looked at her big, green eyes, smiling.

"Alright Maka. The white keys are naturals, and the black keys are sharps and flats."

She nodded. For the rest of afternoon, I taught Maka the major scales and chords. She wasn't very good, but I knew she would improve. If I was able to become a better person because of her, she could definitely learn to play the piano. Just look at what she's been able to do so far.

We met up with the group for dinner and had a great time. It was one of the few early nights where Maka was really engaged with the conversations we were having. I simply smiled at her when she looked over at me.

"Hey Soul, where were you before dinner," asked Black Star.

"I was just walking around. I didn't feel like staying in my room," I said coolly.

"Okay, that makes sense. We looked for you in your room and by the gym, but didn't see you," Kid added.

"Yeah, I was walking around the music and art room. I think I may paint something new on my walls." I really was good at convincing them I was doing something else. They didn't know I played the piano yet. There would probably be a better time to tell them and show them. For now, it was just between Maka and myself. And I liked it that way.

Before I went back to my room for therapy, I saw Maka again. Therapy was much later than it used to be, but I was fine with it.

"Hey, thank you so much," I told her.

"Why's that," she asked.

"You've been helping me so much since I've got here. If you weren't here, I probably wouldn't be doing this well."

I saw her blush a little, which made me grin.

"Thank you, Soul."

"Why thank me?"

"Because you gave me a reason to believe I can be myself for everyone."

"What reason is that?"

"You. Good night, Soul."

"Good night, Maka."

Ok, so I hope you enjoyed! Again I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but in Chapter 7 or 8, you guys will probably get mad at me. I'm mad myself, but it makes for a more interesting story.

~Sab Out~