Chapter Four
I bolt up, sweating and panting. My eyes quickly glance at my clock.
3:28 AM... You've got to be kidding me...
I raise a shaking hand to my forehead.
I'm burning up.
I rip the covers off of me and swing my legs over the side of the bed, and hop off. As I stand, my knees shake and I feel myself going dizzy.
I need water.
I wobble to the bathroom and feel around for the light switch. I flick it up, and squint at the sudden brightness. I reach for the cup on the side of the sink, turn the faucet and fill it up to the brim. I take long gulps, and in that moment I've never been more grateful for water. I place the cup down and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
Yikes. I look dead.
My hair is in tangles and knots, and I have the darkest bags under my eyes. Thankfully, my eyes aren't bloodshot this time.
Why does this keep happening? It's always the same thing, over and over.
The images of his raised hand flicker in my mind, and I flinch, even though he isn't anywhere near. I pull my shirt down just a little, just to expose the off-colored thick line across my collarbone. I trace over it with my finger, and quickly let go of my shirt.
I don't want this again.
I look at myself for a few more seconds, and leave the bathroom. I walk to the window and peek out the curtains. The moonlight is bright and beaming through, and everything is illuminated so serenely like a beautiful painting. I let the curtains fall and hop back onto my bed to crawl under the blankets. I close my eyes, and try to control my breathing.
Think of nice things. What makes you happy?
Faces and things float through.
Gon.
I see his grinning face, with his arms welcoming.
Mito-san.
I see her at the stove, looking back at me with a gentle, motherly expression.
And...
I see Kurapika, softly turning the pages of a book, and I see him smile at me with kind eyes, see him walking me to class, and I hear his tender voice.
I squeeze my eyes closer and blink a couple of times.
Crap... I'm crushing too hard...
After my heart slows, I snuggle into the covers. I peer to the right at the clock. 3:52 AM.
I mean, at least I'm not stressing over him anymore.
A few minutes pass by and I feel myself fading.
"Rise and shine!"
I awake to Mito-san raising the curtains. Lights pours in and temporarily blinds me. When I don't move, she swiftly rips the blankets off of me, and I shiver.
"Mito-san..." I whine, pulling my legs close to my body. She puts her hands on her hips.
"It's time to get up! You have school!" she says. I groan at the thought.
"Can I just stay home?"
Asking is pointless as I already know the answer, but it's worth a shot.
"Of course not. Education is important."
"Is it really, though? I don't even know what I want to do with my life," I mutter, reaching for the covers. She yanks them off of the bed and gathers them in her arms.
"And school helps you figure that out. You're going, whether you like it or not. It was the one thing your mother asked me to do," Mito-san says, her tone serious.
"You always have to bring my mother into it. I barely even remember her."
"It doesn't matter. You're going, Kou. End of conversation. Get ready."
She swiftly turns away and walks out the door. I sigh, and sit at the edge of my bed.
Who even cares anymore...
I stand up, and make my way to my closet. I pull out a freshly pressed uniform and slip it on piece by piece, feeling stiff and odd. I check my appearance in the long mirror hanging on the back of my door, and smooth out the plaid skirt.
I look stupid.
I head into the bathroom and brush my teeth. The taste of mint stings my mouth. I hear Mito-san call my name from downstairs, so I hurriedly forced a brush through my hair.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
I shove A Silent Spark into my bag and rush down the stairs. Gon is already at the table, casually munching on breakfast.
"Good morning!" he chirps, mouth full of food. I grimace at the sight.
"Don't talk with a mouth full of food, Gon," Mito-san scolds. Gon quickly swallows and grins in embarrassment.
"Aha, sorry..."
I chuckle and sit down.
"I'm not hungry this morning, Mito-san," I tell her, just as I see her about to fix a plate for me. She looks over her shoulder.
"Are you sure? Your brain needs energy."
"I already brushed my teeth."
She gives me a look, and sighs as she places the plate down on the counter next to the sink. She pauses for a minute, and then reaches into the pantry.
"At least take this," she says, tossing me a banana, which I barely catch. Gon stands and grabs his backpack. Mito-san gives us each a kiss on the head, and sees us off.
On the walk to school, Gon starts kicking a rock.
"Kou?"
"Yeah?"
He doesn't say anything for a second, and then kicks the rock across the street. It bounces off the concrete and tumbles along the sidewalk, before coming to a stop.
"Mito-san told me that if your dad wants to take you back, she has to let you go with him. So you can't stay with us."
His voice falters a bit, and I look up to the sky, to the clouds.
"Well, now that's... That's a problem..."
We walk the rest of the distance in silence.
What else could I have said?
When we arrive at school, I spot Killua sitting on the bench in front of the tall maple tree. He glances up and sees Gon, and stands to wait for us.
"Good morning, Kil-lu-a!" Gon cheers in a sing-song voice.
"'Morning, Gon."
He looks to me, and I quickly look to the ground.
"...'Morning."
My head shoots up, and he's scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh, um... Good morning..."
He nods a little, and Gon forces out a small laugh. The pair lead the way, and I awkwardly amble behind them, looking around the halls for signs of Kurapika. I spot his blonde head, and prepare to pass him. Just as he's coming up, I notice a girl standing by him, talking.
Oh. Uh. Just keep walking.
I turn my head to the left to make sure he doesn't see me.
"Kou!"
I stop, and Gon and Snow White stop with me. My heart immediately starts pounding as I turn around to face him.
"Kou. Good morning," Kurapika greets, fixing his hair. The girl he was talking with stays put, watching us.
"Good mor— Good morning, Kurapika," I nervously choke out. He tilts his head a little with a smile, and then proceeds to reach into his bag. I look behind my shoulder, and Gon and Killua have already moved along.
"I was hoping to see you," he says, "I have something to give you."
'I was hoping to see you.'
"Oh? What?"
"Perhaps it is wrong of me to assume you've already finished A Silent Spark, but I've brought you a book I'd like you to read."
"Actually, I did finish it. Last night, in fact."
"Perfect. I discovered this novel a few towns over in a small bookshop."
"In Two Years Time. Nice. What's it about?"
"It follows the story of two young lovers who plan to run away together. It's written by an American author. I thought you might want to check it out. I haven't read it yet, so I can't say it's good or not."
"It sounds interesting enough. I'll start on it at lunch."
"Yes, that'd be great. Tell me what you think."
"Kurapika!"
The girl calls out to him, and he nods to her.
"I'll see you later," he says, with a small wave. I agree, carefully slide the book into my bag, and quickly head to my homeroom without giving him or her another look. Gon and Snow White are already seated, chatting away. I take my seat next to Gon, and he turns to face me.
"What did Kurapika want?" he asks. I see Killua's face appear from the side of Gon.
"Oh, he had a book he wanted to give me to read."
"Really? Cool! What book?"
"It's called In Two Years Time, I believe."
"...Oh?" Killua murmurs. He leans over his desk on his elbow to get a better look.
"...What?" I quietly mutter, suspicious.
"In Two Years Time by that American author, right? Marilyn something-or-other. I read that a couple of months ago," Killua says, a rather smuggish look on his face. I squint my eyes.
"Really now? What's it about, then?" I ask, crossing my arms.
"Hm... A couple who's planning to run away from their families, I think. Memory's sketchy."
Ugh... Why is he suddenly being so friendly?
"You read that book, Killua? Was it good?" Gon chimes in.
"Meh, wasn't too bad."
"Nice coincidence! Right, Kou?" Gon grins, looking at me. I smile as enthusiastically as I can.
"Uh, yeah."
Uh, I don't really care. I refuse to have anything in common with him.
Ms. Mifune slides open the door and walks in, and the buzz of the classroom dies down.
"Good morning, class," she announces, setting her purse down. Today, her hair is pulled up into a perfect bun. As she takes attendance, Gon taps on my shoulder. When I look, he points to a small crumpled piece of paper on my note.
"It's from Killua," he quietly whispers. I slowly open it.
'They die.'
"You—"
"You asshole!" I yell, jumping up from my seat with a finger pointed straight at that disgusting snob.
...Shit.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!