Worth more that I thought

Chapter six

Chapter Title: She's always been in the red.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't even have allowance, I spent it all on cosmetics as soon as I got it.

Author's Note: Forever apologetic. I was feeling so depressed with all my schoolwork and life that I just needed something to read. Something short but romantic. A little something that would make my heart ache for the star-crossed lovers. A simple oneshot with a well-rounded OC that's good enough to be with the one and only Lavi Bookman.

First fanfiction I clicked into: a block of text. First thought- does this person know of the 'Enter' key?

Second: Only speech. First thought: fuck, I don't want to read a play.

Third: OC with the name Tearju Mikustars ( I made it up, but you get the point).

Fuck. I just want something nice to read.

So then I decided to write. I feel so fucking guilty for not writing for so long. This story has been dragging on for a year now. What the heck. Okay, here I go.

By the way, you see what I did there in the title? Do you guys get it? /rubs hands/

'Do you have any fucking idea what you're dealing with?'

Hikari looked up briefly from The Bloody Chamber before flipping the page over.

'Language, Lavi.' Hikari said with a tired sigh. She skimmed over the words and flipped a page again with disinterest.

She had been unable to sleep last night as Cross' little monologue had brought up more questions than it answered.

She was currently on the roof with Lavi, and the topic of her job and her weariness had been brought up. With Lavi's honest emerald eyes brimming with concern, Hikari just didn't have the heart to lie to him. She told him all about Cross and her current position.

As expected, Lavi didn't take it easily.

'You should sue the guy. Cross is a teacher! He can't be giving you jobs! Especially not one with that dangerous Noah!'

The Eurasian girl raised an eyebrow at that comment.

'Sounds like you know him well? As a Noah, I mean.'

The girl looked up to see her best friend at lost for words for a second; there was a telltale flash of shock in his eyes before Lavi gave her a calculated look of skepticism.

'Of course I know him well, he's why half the girls in our school refuse to flirt with me.' Then a strained grin.

Hikari closed her book with a sigh.

'Totally. That must be the only reason why. Whatever, redhead.' Sarcasm dripped from her words.

It was not uncommon for Lavi to lie so blatantly, and Hikari wasn't even sure if it were a good thing that she could see through them so easily. There was always a good reason behind his lies, and she didn't confront him too often.

Only once. She recalled. There was something about this lie though. All his previously lies would be well thought through, his act too flawless and his metamorphose from lie to grin would be so fluid it would be hard to catch anything. Lavi always came prepared. His lies were always scripted.

Why not this one?

Hikari glanced at Lavi, crease prominent between her brows. Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder and her mouth open; ready to say something along the lines of 'But really, you don't need to lie. You know the Noah?'—

A garish tune of bells rang, signaling the end of lunch. Lavi jumped up and muttered a quick goodbye and something along the lines of biology revision before running off.

Only when Hikari was on the staircase alone did she catch his most obvious lie yet.

He has fucking photographic memory.

Hikari had always been a curious one.

Lavi always had lies at the tip of his tongue, ready to dish them out when he needed to. It was something people often overlooked when paired with a carefree grin. After all, why would a happy, carefree kid need to lie about trivial things?

'Hello.' He should probably get to be friends with the person he sat near, since it would be something expected. He flashed the Eurasian girl a grin.

The girl nodded politely, but then dropped back to the simultaneous equation she was working on.

Lavi frowned. Anti-social, polite and hard working. As expected from a scholarship student.

'I'm Lavi. I'm an exchange student.'

'I fucking know.' She breathed.

Lavi blinked.

'Excuse me?'

The girl looked up again, annoyed. 'Didn't I nod? I'm trying to work here, I really don't have time for idle chat.'

Lavi added 'short-tempered' to his mental list. Interesting.

Their first encounter had intrigued him, and he found himself spending more time with Hikari. He would be ignored as she tackled her work feverishly. She hardly every ate, and when she did, it would be brief energy drinks or sweets. The area beneath her eyes darkened by the day, and he was well aware of her loss in body mass.

It was a pitiful sight.

Hikari paused, and looked up from her work briefly. Her face showed clear signs of weariness, but her eyes were ablaze.

'If you really want to be friends, you wouldn't be lying all the time.'

Lavi fell silent, in momentary shock. His grin was plastered back on his face soon enough.

'I only lie because I need to. You should eat and rest more.'

Her eyebrows rose.

'And the two correlate because…?'

'They don't.'

She started eating proper meals. First it was just bread, then convenience store meals, finally, she brought her own packed lunch.

But he just kept lying.

Why was it that she kept allowing a liar like Lavi to stay by her side, acting as her best friend? He couldn't keep his promises, yet she was keeping their unkempt promise wholeheartedly. He had asked her once, and she only replied with a brief smile and a simple 'it's healthy'.

Lavi walked forward with brisk steps before entering the bathroom. He chose the first cubicle available and locked himself in. He slumped to a wall, not even caring when the pencil graffiti on the wall stained his white shirt a slight grey.

It made no sense.

Lavi buried his head into his hands, running his fingers through his flaming locks.

She made no fucking sense.