CHAPTER 3, PART 4

THE MENACING CALM

I hear the squeak of the faucet turning, and then water running. I still don't know what happened, but I plan on finding out why she didn't go home to take a shower instead of coming over to my place to do it. After about seven minutes, Natsuki finally gets out of the shower, and gets dressed. She walks up to me, and looks straight up at me.
"Why did you do it?" She asks.
"Do...what, exactly?"
"Oh don't play stupid, stupid! Why did you stand up for me during school!?" She demandingly asks.
"Because you're my friend, and the way you were back there..." I briefly remember the scene of Natsuki, crying in a pool of her own pee. "..I couldn't stand to see a friend like that. So I did what I could."
"W-well... Th-..." She gets choked up slightly. "Th-thank you..." She says, barely audible. "B-but don't think I'll thank you again if you do that! D-dummy!" She turns away, blushing.
"I won't need the thanks. I do things like this for my closest friends." I say, and her blush gets redder.
"I-!.."
"You what?"
"DUMMY!" She exclaims, then turns and walks off.

NATSUKI'S POINT OF VIEW

After I storm out of his room, I walk back into the bathroom. I look in the mirror.
"Why?" I realize I have tears running down my face. "Why would he say things he doesn't mean?"
I know he's lying. Nobody ever does things like that for me for no reason, or calls me 'one of their closest friends.'
Why would he be any different?
I hope my clothes get done soon, if I'm late getting home...
No. I don't want to think about that right now. I just... I need to get my head cleared. I dry my eyes, and make my way out of the bathroom. I don't get far before my thoughts overwhelm me again, and I'm running back in to the toilet, and I throwing up.
"What's wrong?!" He asks.
"It's noth-" I vomit again.
"Natsuki, something is wrong, let me take you to the emerg-"
"NO!" I scream at him. I can't go to the ER... they might find out about my secret... what he does to me if he does.. and I don't want anyone else to get dragged into my mess. I go to vomit again, but nothing comes out.
"What can I do for you then?" He keeps asking me what he can do.
"Just... go away!" I tell him.
He just stands in the doorway, staring at me in awe.