Madness thoughts are marked with because the bold I orginally put usually doesnt transfer into the story as I paste it here. Anyway guys, I know it's been a long time since i've updated but I only have internet at school and my laptop doesn't go to school with me. So enjoy this chapter. I really hope you like this chapter. I worked soooo hard on this. Just so you know, if you were wondering, this chapter is over 9,000 possibly 10,000 words. Enjoy!
It sucks to be escorted places like some criminal. Today was definitely not one of my good days. It's only Tuesday, which means that i'm going to be soooo bored and lonely until this weekend. I don't even know if I can go to the DWMA party, I guess we'll have to see how my sanity is by the end of the week. I was escorted to practice, but instead of being where everyone else was, I was placed deep in the little forest. (how odd that a desert has a forest) Stein lied back on a tree and just sat there, watching me. It made me nervous... I tried to overcome my anxiety and asked Ragnarok, for the first in in forever, if he would be alright practicing. He gave me a, "Shut the hell up," and transformed into his sword.
"Just relax. Try stances at first." Stein told me. I nodded and began all the stances I knew. I don't have many. Most were just made up from fighting all the time, I didn't know any actual stances. Stein stood there and examined me. His facial expression didn't change, he didn't seem very interested.
"A-am I doing them right?" I asked. He ignored me. So, I just went on with my wobbly, undefined stances.
"Blocking." Stein said. I could hear him quite clearly, though I thought he was just whispering. I shook it off and started my blocking. It was weird without a partner, someone to block off. My blocks were probably very weak and unreliable. I suddenly felt like something was going to happen. It was a strange feeling, I hadn't had it in a long time... Then Stein threw a scalpel, at my head! I blocked it with my sword and started to rant at him. All I got as a response was a, "mhhm." I feel like i'm a study rat. But then I heard a twig crunch. I turned around to see Maka. He wasn't aiming at me...
"Why would you throw that at Maka!" I screamed at him. But seriously though, why?!
"Crona, do you realize how far you went to actually block that scalpel?"
"I thought you threw it at me!"
"Crona, you were all the way over there." Stein said pointing to, literally, the other side of the area.
"Oh..." I quietly said. I could see a big splotch in the dirt where my feet took off the ground and I landed here. Maka was still white-faced and wide-eyed behind me.
"Alright, Maka?" Stein asked. She carefully nodded and turned around to walk away.
"Why was she here?" I asked.
"Probably to ask a question, but oh well. I have my results now." Stein got up and walked toward the other groups.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"Just to check on Maka and the other students. Go ahead and practice, just don't wander." Stein warned. I nodded, though he couldn't see me anymore. I looked around and thought about what I should do. Guess I should practice my blocking. It's hard to actually block without someone attempting to hit me though. I went against the idea of blocking and decided to attack the tree instead. I threw a swing at the tree, I didn't swing very hard. Somehow, the blade was halfway through. Nevermind... I'm going to need some thicker trees if i'm going to attack. I walked over to the biggest and thickest of the trees and I didn't swing very hard. I ended up hardly a quarter of the way through. So, I began to swing and attack the tree. I didn't use any of my special moves, like 'Scream Resonance' or 'Screech Alpha'. 'Screech Beta' is a mild version of the Alpha. I would destroy everything around me.
"Fix your stances, you aren't going to get anywhere that way." I turned around and saw Maka. She didn't have Theresa with her.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I passed off everything Stein wanted me to. Then I bickered with him about throwing a scalpel at me. Plus, using you like some test subject. I didn't enjoy that much." She walked up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I blushed a little and she giggled.
"Why do you enjoy that so much?" I asked, rubbing the red out of my cheeks.
"You're just so cute!" She giggled again.
"If you think so," I said smiling, "are you just going to watch me practice?"
"Well, I wanted to help you a little. Theresa decided to find us some water bottles first though. I can speculate and help you with your stances and blocks. You're awful at those." She made me smile.
"How did you get so good?"
"Practice. I had to get used to my weapon first. Theresa was hard to get used to. I'm still having trouble with her actually. She, as you know, is double sided. I have to work more on balance."
"Balance?"
"That's one thing you lack. You don't have a sense of balance, i've noticed. You've been getting better though. I think it was because of how you used to live."
"Yeah," I paused for a moment, "I'm still trying to get used to this life style." I could remember the first day I arrived here. Everything scared me. I didn't move away from . Sid scared me the most, he still terrifies me... I shivered at the thought of him.
"Are we going to practice?" Maka asked me.
"Oh, yeah. I am." I started to hit the tree again. Maka stopped me and moved my limbs to a more 'appropriate' spot. I swung again. The sword went farther in this time. The stance she put me in gave me more leverage.
"Thank you." I said.
"You're welcome. Continue." I started to smack the tree again. I used different stances, the ones I usually used. Maka fixed all of them, which made it easier for me to hit. I could see a big difference after Maka helped. My swings were more controlled and less shaky. I started to get tired of swinging though, I felt like I should start blocking.
"How long have we been practicing?"
"I think about an hour. I wonder why Theresa is taking so long." Maka looked around her, "Wait, why hasn't Stein come back either?" Maka walked back to where everyone else was practicing. I started to get worried. It had gotten pretty quiet out here. Maka was gone for about ten minutes. I got worried about her. She came back out of breath.
"No one is here. I checked every practicing area. I can't find Stein either."
"I can't go back without him. I absolutely have to be escorted everywhere. There are no exceptions." I explained to her.
"I'll escort you."
"Doesn't count. You have to be an adult."
"I'm pretty sure I can be qualified as an adult now."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm- Nevermind, now is not the time I should explain. Just, come on."
"I can't. I don't trust myself." I admitted. I'm afraid to be alone with anyone I know I could hurt. I could hurt Maka, I don't want that to happen. I don't want my madness to take her as a easy target. I don't know how to deal with that.
"What? Of course you can, just please. I'm really worried and I don't want to leave you out here all by yourself." I looked around me. Well, Stein isn't here. He left, so I guess it would be alright. But should I really follow Maka all the way? No, I need to be somewhere safe. I can't trust myself.
"O-okay... But, you have to take me to the infirmary. I don't trust myself being close to anyone else." Maka smiled, nodded and took her hand in mine. We took off towards the school.
"You need to trust yourself more often Crona." Maka said.
"I can't. Not while i'm in the condition i'm in now." I answered. She gave me a funny look but brushed it off.
"Hey, look!" She pointed. All of the kids were bunched up together. I could hear yelling and screaming. Then, I could hear Black*Star's voice. Of course. He's fighting and Stein is the spectator. I wonder who he's fighting.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Maka let my hand go and she ran into the middle of the circle.
"Maka?" Soul questioned. Then he spotted me, "Stein!" Stein rolled around the crowd and found me. He gave me the evil eye and started to walk towards me. Oh crap, i'm in so much trouble.
"You can't be here. Go back, now." He tugged on my shirt and dragged me a little ways. He finally let go of me and pointed up the hill. "You shouldn't of even left. I thought I told you that you can't go anywhere without supervision." Stein lectured.
"It's not my fault I was left all by myself. I thought something happened. You can't expect me to stay up there, continuing to wonder what was going on. I was going to the infirmary anyway." He had pissed me off. I couldn't look at him. He put his hand on my chest as I started to walk towards the school again.
"Where do you think you're going? Get back up the hill." I pushed his hand off of my chest.
"You've made me mad. I can't deal with it. I'm going back to the infirmary to cool off so I don't hurt anyone. So leave me alone." I started to speed walk towards the school. Stein followed me for a minute, but turned back towards the fighting circle. Go back. I heard a voice. I shook my head and continued to the school. Kill the children.
"No!" I started to run. In only a couple of seconds, I was in the infirmary. I don't know how, but I had to cool down somehow. Kill the annoying one. I shook my head and started to pace the room. He's loud and hurts your ears. Bring him some pain. I could feel my head start to ache. I ran over to the door and locked it, then placed one of the visitor chairs under the door knob. The blue-haired boy must be destroyed. I continued to shake my head, to try and get the thoughts to go away. I didn't stop shaking. Murder him. Torture him. Eliminate him... The words hissed in my mind. I couldn't take it anymore.
"No!" I screamed. My fist came in contact with the wall. I could feel it break every finger and bone in my hand. When I examined it, it was bleeding prefusely and was angled weird. In only two seconds, the cuts healed and my bones mended. I had a completely normal hand again. You know you want to... I kept shaking and my hands cradled my head. I shut my eyes as hard as I could. Bring the boy something to care about. I could feel my fingernails dig into my temples. I don't know how to deal with this! I have to do something to stop! He hurt Maka. My eyes bursted opened and I screamed.
"Nooo!" My vision faded and I had no control of whatever happened next. I could feel myself tearing things apart and breaking everything. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know if I was hurting someone. I could hear someone far away. I could feel myself wanting to get closer. To be able to rip a person apart. When I could see again, I was standing in the middle of the infirmary. My hands were bloodied and broken. I watched as they fixed themselves and were as good as new. I looked at my surroundings. All the beds were scattered, two of the mattresses were torn. One of the beds were in the window, caught by the bars behind the broken glass. All the curtains were gone and torn. The desk was in half, tons of the wood scattered in big shards. All the medicine cabinets were broken, the medicine all over the floor. I apparently couldn't get through the door, I broke the chair and there were claw marks in the metal. I tried breaking through metal and almost succeeded. What am I? I stared at my hands. Me, I did this. I used my body, my hands, my feet, to hurt and break everything around me. I began to cry. I am a monster. An uncontrollable monster. Why do I still live? I sat in and rocked myself as I cried.
"Crona?" I heard Stein jiggle the doorknob.
"What's wrong?" I heard Nygus.
"It's locked. I can hear him crying." Stein jiggled the doorknob again, "Crona! It's alright, let us in."
"Here, I have a key." I could hear the door knob jiggle again.
"Damnit, sorry I changed the lock." Stein's voice said. I could hear banging.
"Please don't come in." I whispered to myself. I looked up for a second. I noticed I had no shoes and my clothes were ripped. Great. I started to cry even more. What did I do to myself? Did I really hurt myself to get to someone else? Why? I continued to rock and bawl. I can't take this anymore. I want it to be over with. I could hear the wood that held the door's lock split and break. The door flung open and I heard Nygus gasp. I heard footsteps run towards me and Stein's hands grasp my arms.
"Crona, it's alright. Come on look at me." He lifted my head but my eyes stayed closed. The tears overflowed my eyes and continued to pour. He stopped my rocking and picked me up. I could feel his body come in contact with mine and his arms wrap around me. I opened my eyes in surprise. Is Stein hugging me? Sure enough, his chest was pressed to my face and his arms were wrapped around me. I couldn't hug him back. Not after what I had done. I closed my eyes again and bawled even more. I can't believe I had destroyed everything and of all people, Stein, hugged me anyway. I heard more footsteps run towards the infirmary door.
"What the hell happened?!" Maka yelled. I could hear her gasp. Probably because of the broken door and ruined room. But most likely the sight of me and Stein. "Oh my Death." Her footsteps were soft and slowly came towards me.
"It'll be alright." I heard Stein say. His arms stayed around me and I could feel Maka's hand on my back. After what I had done, the people around me aren't afraid? I destroyed the entire room with my bare hands. I almost broke through a sturdy metal door with my fingers. How can they not be scared of me? I could kill them all and I wouldn't have to use Ragnarok. I can't deal with this. My crys became louder and I cried harder. A couple of hours later, I hadn't talked to anyone. After what I had done, I didn't deserve to talk to a living being. I was put in a bed with my hands and feet cuffed and they rolled me into the closet. Which was also all messy and torn. I stared at the ceiling the entire time. They were cleaning the other room and trying to fix what they could. I could hear them taping a garbage bag over the broken window. They wouldn't let Maka see me.
"What are we going to do about him?" I could hear Nygus ask Stein.
"What do you mean by that? We're going to keep a close eye on him. I won't ever leave his side. I am responsible for him and I won't let anyone try to aggrivate him."
"Stein, he's become a danger. We can't just keep him cuffed to a bed all the time, it's not safe."
"He's not a danger, the madness and the black blood is. It's not his fault his witch mother had given him this fate. We have to deal with the madness and black blood, we have to give him a safe enviroment, we have to keep him sane."
"Stein, we can't do that. Not anymore, it's gotten way out of hand. I mean, look at whats happened. What if he had gotten out? Or was still outside?"
"He wouldn't allow that." I could hear him sigh, "Like I said, i'm responsible for him. He's my son and I won't let anything happen to him. Not as long as I live." I could hear someone's movements stop.
"What? Don't look at me like that, continue cleaning." Stein's voice said. Nygus continued to clean. It was another few hours before they took me out of the closet. The room was really clean, the beds were back to normal. Except, two of the beds didn't have mattresses. They placed me at the end wall, next to the bagged up window. I could feel the light breeze from outside brush my skin. They placed one of the bed sheets up as a curtain and covered me. I still haven't seen Maka. She's either really mad, sad, and disgusted with me, or everyone is keeping her away from me. Either way, she's safe. Nygus was right, I am a danger. I can't be controlled anymore. I still have a whole week to get through. How can I do this?
###Time Skip###
It's been a very, very lonely three days. I haven't had any outbursts, but that's only because i've been isolated. I was out of the bed once. I went to go to practice yesterday. I was out there for a long time and did really well. I did everything Stein told me to do. Stances, blocks, attacks... I did some other exercises too, which I think helped. I need to practice more, especially if i'm going to be the one to kill Medusa. I still haven't figured out the new attack that Lord Death told me I had. Maybe it was better I didn't know until the fight. Maybe it'll become more usefull that way. Today is Friday, the last day of the week. No more students will come in this weekend. I haven't seen Maka at all. Stein tells me it's because the chemicals in the air aren't good for her. I broke so many different chemicals that they mixed and could've become potentially harmful. It's been enough time for the stuff to air out though. It's still a hazard to her for some reason.
"Can I see him yet?" I heard Maka in the hall.
"You should get to class. Talk to Stein about it, until further notice i'm not allowed to let anyone talk to him. Not even the students that come in here are allowed to. I'm sorry Maka." Nygus answered.
"It's been four days since i've seen him! I think in my condition I have more right than anyone else to see him."
"Maka, yes, you do. I will agree. But it isn't my call. Stein has taken responsibility for him, so he makes all the choices." I could hear Maka's voice hiccup. Nygus made her cry. It made me really angry, but I had to keep calm. I can't lose control now, i'm so close to being free again.
"I can't do this for much longer! I'm depressed and lonely. I'm not the only one who has to see him. But apparently no one even cares." Maka's sadness remained, but I could feel her anger rise. She stomped away. I could hear Nygus sigh, she closed the door.
"Crona, do have any requests?" Nygus asked from across the room.
"No, not really. Well, my only request i'll ever ask for is for Maka. Listen to everything she says and take it to heart. She doesn't say what she does to get attention, to be mean, or for any other reason but to speak the truth. I know, because I can feel how she stays confident when she speaks. I can feel how her words resonate." I answered.
"I can tell your relationship is very strong. I will tell Stein." she walked to her newly ordered desk and began to do paperwork. They cleaned and ordered new stuff for this room. They even got some upgrades. I guess my destruction wasn't completely a bad thing. I stared out the brand new window. I wonder what everyone is learning in classes. It's only first hour. All of my friends are in Stein's class. I wonder how he's doing. It was a bit odd, when he hugged me. I don't know how to deal with it. I can't process why he did it. Me and him haven't talked since. He comes in very often, but only to ask Nygus how i've been doing. She always tells him good news, well except the part that i'm so depressed. I feel like i've died inside again. I can remember a song that I heard a long time ago. I was on a mission for Medusa when I heard it. At the time I hated it. Now, I can relate.
"To my mother, to my father. It's your son, or it's your daughter. Are my screams loud enough for you to hear me, should I turn this up for you?" I sang, "I sit here locked inside my head, remembering everything you said. The silence gets us nowhere, gets us nowhere way too fast. The silence is what kills me. I need someone here to help me. But you don't know how to listen and let me make my decision." I could hear Nygus stand up and leave the room. I stopped singing for a second, listening for what was happening. I heard her steps continue down the hall. So, I continued to sing.
"All your insults and your curses make me feel like i'm not a person and I feel like I am nothing. But you made me so do something. Cause i'm fucked up. Because you all need attention, attention you couldn't give-" I continued to sing the rest of the song. This is the only time i've cussed, other than hell which isn't exactly a cuss word. I hadn't realized that Nygus had come back with Stein. They stood behind my curtain, listening. I repeated the song once more, but this time I cried. I couldn't help how much the song described Medusa and me. It wasn't until I heard Stein sigh that I realized they were there. I stopped crying.
"Alright, we have to talk." Stein said pulling back the curtain and pulling up a chair for him. I couldn't tell, but it looked like Nygus's face was wet. Did my song make her cry? Nygus nodded at Stein and left.
"There isn't anything to talk about." I told him. I continued to stare out the window.
"Yes there is. Hey, look at me." I didn't make any effort to move, so Stein pulled my face to face him. "I know it's hard. I know it's depressing. I know it's tense. I need you to be the strongest person, you and Maka. You both are our only saviors." Stein explained.
"I'm not anyone's savior. All I ever do is hurt and kill." I countered.
"Don't say that. Here," Stein started to undo the straps keeping me to the bed, "You aren't a monster, you aren't a murderer, you aren't anything. You are Crona. A good boy, a boyfriend, a f-, a friend... My son." His words brought the tears right back to my eyes.
"I can't do anything right! I've hurt everyone here, i've killed my classmates." I cried, "I can't kill Medusa. I can't face her."
"Yes you can and you will. I know you can, you are the only person who is capable. I need you to believe in yourself." Stein uncuffed me completely and sat me up. He turned me towards him.
"I won't do it right. She'll kill me before I could even enter her hideout."
"No she won't. She thinks she can still get you on her side, especially with how far you are in your madness. So, if you can believe in yourself and remember the people who are here for you, you can do it. I promise Crona. I don't make promises ever, but i'll keep this one."
"I'm scared to leave Maka. I can't leave her right now. I can't leave her ever. I promised and I won't break it."
"You won't leave Maka. I won't let Medusa hurt you. Maka will be safe and you will be too."
"I can't leave the baby!" I shouted. Then I realized what I said and covered my mouth with my hands. "I can't believe I said that aloud."
"What?" Stein said shocked.
"Forget that I said that. It's only something i've been thinking. I have no idea, I wanted to go search up symptoms. I've been wanting to ask Maka about it." I confessed. Stein shook his shock.
"Okay... I am giving you more freedom than I did last time," Stein ignored what I said and went on, "You will be able to go anywhere you want in the school. But, only during classes and after school. You can't leave the building unless I go with you." My face was beet red from my last statement. I nodded in understanding.
"Maka will also be able to come see you. She can see you during passing time, lunch, before and after school. I think you both need to talk. After school, there will be no one else but you and Maka in here. Can I trust you?" I hesitated. Can he trust me? Can anyone trust me? but... It's Maka, she trusts me. I nodded. I realized that after my baby comment, I had stopped crying.
"Okay. I'll tell Maka. She'll be very glad." Stein answered. He got up from his chair with a smile. "I'll be heading back to class. I don't want to hear you sing another of those songs. Hear me?"
"Yes sir." I answered. He gave me a pat on my shoulder and left. I started to get up so I could stretch my legs. I was two feet from my bed and Stein popped his head in the room. It scared me and made me squeak, causing me to blush more.
"By the way, after you and Maka talk, come see me in my classroom after school." Then he was really gone. I could hear his footsteps go all the way down to his classroom.
"Okay..." I whispered to myself. I stretched out. I was in that bed for four days, well except for yesterday. But I was only up and moving for about two or three hours, then cuffed into the bed again. I glanced at the clock. There is still about ten minutes of first hour, ten minutes of passing time, then second hour will start. I wonder if Maka would visit me during passing time. Marie's classroom is on this level (second floor), so I would presume she would. I guess we'll have to see. The ten minutes went by and I was sooo bored. I thought I was more bored just staring at the ceiling... Nope. It's worse when you're free, but have nothing to do. I stared out the window the entire time.
"Knock knock." I heard a voice. I looked over. It was Theresa.
"Hi." I didn't expect her to come see me.
"Maka doesn't know i'm here. She hasn't gotten to leave Stein's class yet."
"How come?"
"Stein is discussing something important to her. So, I figured i'd come visit for her."
"Thank you." It was nice of Theresa to think that. Does Theresa consider me as a friend? We haven't talked much, just hung out because she's Maka's best friend/partner.
"Of course." She sat down in a chair, "I heard about what happened Tuesday." I sat down across from her.
"Yeah..." I replied. I didn't really know how to answer to that.
"I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't caused you that kind of trouble." She admitted. Why does she think that? It wasn't her that made me mad, it was Stein and the anger pulsing from Black*Star.
"What do you mean? You didn't have any role in what happened."
"But I did. Stein was spectating Black*Star's fight with me. He got cocky, challenged me and I kind of had no choice but to fight back." That explains why Maka let me go and ran into the circle.
"You had a choice and you still weren't what caused me to go berserk. Black*Star can't take anything from you."
"But, he did. He advertised me like an object. I can't just let him get away with that."
"No, but what did he take? How could he advertise you, I don't think he even knows you."
"He heard gossip, which happened to be true... Then, advertised it and when he saw my expression, got a laugh out of it. I couldn't take it, I had to get my dignity back."
"What did he advertise?" I asked straight out of curiousity. She gave me a faint smile which faded quickly and she bowed her head a little. "Oh, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I'll understand. Black*Star did it to me once."
"How did that end?" she asked.
"Maka."
"Oh." Theresa knew what that meant. When it came to Maka, everyone knew that it didn't end in handshakes. "That's how this ended too."
"Maka won't deal with Black*Star any other way. It'll always end with blood and a very big spined book. I don't know how to deal with him."
"I don't either. I was glad she came to my rescue, at the moment I wasn't in the best shape." Theresa said.
"I know how that feels." I said. I got a flashback of when me and Maka first became friends. She held her hand out to me, I was so confused. I took it, cried and became friends with the best person in the world.
"Crona?" Theresa questioned my blank face.
"Oh, sorry. I was just remembering something." I glanced at the clock, "You'd better go, the bell will ring in about three minutes." Theresa looked back at the clock and nodded.
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Theresa gave me a sad smile and walked out of the room. I hope shes alright. She didn't look like she was in the best of moods and she didn't really look like herself. I sighed. I guess it's not just me. The bell rang, which signaled for second hour to start. I looked around the empty room. I wonder if I could go to the library... It was empty and so were the halls. I couldn't hear any footsteps.
"Hmm..." I thought to myself. The black blood has given me sharp senses. So, if I hear any footsteps outside of the library I can hide. I made up my mind and glanced out into the hall. No one was here. I started to walk towards the library, which was downstairs by the lunch room. I listened for any footsteps. One was walking towards me. I looked around for any hiding spots. I noticed a little hole between the wall and the lockers. I squeezed myself in and watched the students go down the hall across from me. Phew... I'm glad they went that way.
"Close." I whispered to myself. I looked around the corner, no one. I ran to the library and quietly closed the door. No one knew I had entered. I searched up and down the library. I had been here so many times that I mesmerized every row of bookshelves. I found four books I needed and quietly exited. I hadn't listened for anyone and ran around the corner. I smacked right into someone.
"Ow! Hey, watch where your go- Crona?" The person I ran into ranted. I shook the dizziness from my head that I had gotten when I fell. I looked at the person I ran into. Maka.
"Oh my Death! I'm so sorry. What are you doing out of class?" I asked. Maka started to pick up my books. I helped. I was so glad that one of the romance novels I borrowed had covered my 'secret' book. Of all people, Maka was the last person I wanted to see it.
"I was going to turn in my book of Soul Resonation to the library while I was in Marie's class. Spirit is still the sub by the way, ugh. What are you doing out of the infirmary?"
"I'm supposed to stay hidden, but I can go wherever I want during classes and after school." I answered.
"You're caught. But luckily, by me." She gave me a big long hug. I embraced it and decided to give it back.
"I miss you so much." she whispered in my shoulder.
"I miss you too." I returned. I heard footsteps coming towards us and hurriedly gathered my stuff. I looked around, Maka gave me a confused look.
"Somebody is coming, I have to hide." I whispered. I looked around for anything to hide in or behind. Maka pointed to the custodian closet. She opened the door and shoved me in. Then closed the door. She was in the closet with me.
"Don't you have to be in class soon?" I whispered to her. She stuck a finger up to her mouth and nodded. If she had to be back soon, then why was she in here with me!? I heard the footsteps walk by without hesitation. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until the person was long gone and I let out a long exhale. I listened a moment longer for any footsteps.
"I think we can go now." I looked around the room. There were a bunch of chemicals along with mops and brooms. The room was so tiny. It was just then I realized that Maka and I were really pressed up against eachother. My face became very hot and I couldn't move.
"Okay, let's go." Maka didn't have any problem with our situation. Not until she tried opening the door. The knob wouldn't move.
"What's wrong?" I asked. I could hear the knob jiggle but she hadn't opened the door.
"Um.. It won't open..."
"What do you mean it won't open?" I tried looking over at the knob. I was really cramped right here.
"I think we jammed the lock when we hurried in here." Maka said jiggling the knob again, "I have to be in class in five minutes."
"I have to be in the infirmary by the time class ends or i'm in so much trouble." I said.
"Crap." Maka gave up on the door and sat back where she was. "Kinda tight in here." she said.
"Yeah, i'd say so." My face got hot again. I haven't been pressed this close to Maka since the time I got drunk. I shouldn't of thought that, now my face got way hotter and the rest of my body did as well.
"I guess we're stuck until the janitor comes back," Maka said, "better get comfortable."
"Y-yeah, I d-don't think that'll h-happen."
"Geez Crona you're really hot. It's making the room like a sauna." That comment didn't really help my situation.
"N-not m-my f-f-fault." I stuttered.
"What's wrong? You're stuttering a lot." I could feel her shift her foot a little which caused an entire shelf of products to fall and one of the actual casings came down. I lifted my hand up and caught it, but it had pushed Maka closer to me. I could feel every part of her against me, which made me blush so much more.
"C-can you go b-back a l-little?" I asked.
"No, I can't move." I tried to push the shelf backwards hoping that she could push it back up. "C-can you get a h-hold of it?"
"I'll try..." I saw her fidget until she got her hands up she pushed it upwards a little, "I think I got it."
"Can you b-back up?" I could feel one of her legs move away but stopped.
"Theres something in the way, I can't." I could hear her grunt, "This is getting heavy." I tried to grab a hold of it again so it wouldn't fall out of her grasp. I slipped on something round and we both tumbled to the floor along with the casing. Luckily, it caught the other side of the wall before it smashed us. Though, we were still very squished together and she was on top, so I couldn't do anything to move everything around. My body was very, very hot and I could tell that it was getting warmer by Maka's body heat.
"A-are you hurt?" I asked Maka.
"No, i'm worried about you. Did you hit your head?"
"I don't think so. I-I am r-really c-cramped." I admitted. Maka moved her head up and down and examined our situation, her face turned very pink.
"Well, we haven't been in this position for a long time." She gave a fake giggle.
"S-shouldn't the noise c-caused s-someone to worry?" I asked, trying to ignore that she stated the obvious. I don't know how to deal with this.
"It should've, but everyone is in class." I tried to move a little so Maka could be in a more comfortable spot. The casing was hanging right above her, so i'm sure that she didn't feel too comfy. Unfortuately it cause us to move against eachother and my body couldn't take it. So I stopped, hoping that a certain thing wouldn't happen.
"I better not be in this position for too long." she said moving.
"D-don't do that!" I pleaded. It was too late.
"Why-" she looked down. "oh... that's why.." her face started to become as pink as mine.
"That." I squeaked. I was so embarrassed, although I shouldn't be. It's completely normal, but I guess me and Maka hadn't really kissed or hugged for a while.
"S-sorry." Maka said, "I guess we haven't been very close lately." She kissed me. It hadn't helped what my body was telling me but I kissed her back. My pants became very tight and I tried to stop.
"M-m-maka, w-we can't." I tried warning her. Maka looked at me confused.
"Why?"
"W-well, for o-one we're in the j-janitor's closet. T-two, S-stein could f-find u-us at any m-moment."
"That doesn't matter. I was supposed to be back in class ten minutes ago and class won't end for another twenty minutes. We'll be fine." She said kissing me again. I could that she really wanted to, but I couldn't. Not while i'm in the condtion i'm in and while she's in the condition I think she's in. Me and Maka nearly jumped out of our skin when we heard a loud knock on the door. Maka looked at me with wide eyes and went to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth.
"Y-yes?" I stuttered.
"Is everything alright?" Stein's voice said. Crap, I knew he'd find us.
"F-fine. We're k-kinda s-stuck..." I answered.
"Stuck?"
"The shelf fell on us." Maka said. Her face was pure red, this is the first time i'd seen Maka blush like this. "A-and the door is jammed."
"How'd you two get in there in the first place?" Stein asked.
"Um, l-long story s-short... I accidentally bumped into M-maka, I heard s-someone c-coming towards us, so s-she pushed me into t-this c-closet and f-followed m-me i-in." I explained.
"I see... Any explanation to why the shelf fell?" Stein said, suspecting we were having... making love.
"W-we weren't d-doing t-that!" I yelled, my face becoming so much more red, "I p-promise. I-it just came down on u-us." Although, we almost made love... I heard Stein sigh.
"Sit tight, class is almost over. I'll find the janitor and make sure to tell him not to go into this specific closet until third hour starts."
"Okay." Me and Maka responded.
"Why do I always have to keep my eye on you two?" I heard Stein question as he walked away. I could hear his footsteps continue down the hall and up the stairs.
"I t-told you." I said to Maka. Her face turned a brighter red.
"I know. I don't know what came over me." she looked around, "I guess it's because we've been separated. I couldn't take it and now i'm alone, pressed up against you. I took advantage of our situation, i'm sorry." I could see the blush fade from her face and she became tense. I felt bad, I know that she hadn't meant to take over the situation.
"I-it's okay. I w-was t-thinking it too. If it h-hadn't b-been for my m-madness condition, we probably would've gotten f-farther." I explained. Her face brighted a little but stayed mostly gloomy.
"I know that's not true but thanks for trying to cheer me up." I was about to say something again to reassure her. She kissed me hard to shut me up, "Which means that it worked. You don't have to say anymore." She gave me a big smile. I felt my face cool down a little and I gave her a smile back. I could hear the bell ring which made me squeak. Maka placed her hand over my mouth to quiet it.
"You're gonna get us caught." she whispered to me. I was getting a headache from being so close to all of the people's footsteps. I could hear every crunch a chip made when it was stepped on, the squish of gum, the squeaks. It was all very annoying and it didn't help that I was on the floor, where I could hear every single bit of it.
"Are you okay, Crona?" Maka asked me.
"Headache." I replied.
"How? It's so quiet in here. Do you have a book under your neck or something?"
"You can't hear them." I sighed, "Nevermind. I don't think so." I lifted my head a little and found one of my books. I picked it up and read the title from the side. 'The Basics of Child Development'. I hurried and put it back under my head.
"So you did have a book. Speaking of, what books did you get? I noticed you had three books when I stumbled into you."
"I got, um... two r-romances and a p-p-puzzle book." I lied. The puzzle book was the child development book I wanted for research. I wanted to see the symptoms, signs, and what I should do if Maka were to be... in her special condition...
"Ooh, a puzzle book? That's cool, can I see? Maybe it'll be something to do while we wait for passing period to end."
"No!" I yelled, then I corrected myself, "Ahem, uh no. It's dark lighting in here. It would hurt your eyes."
"Nonsense, it'll only be five minutes. Come on, I wanna' see!" Maka tried reaching for it.
"Wait, haven't you already read all of the puzzle books in the library?" Maka stopped and thought for a moment.
"Yeah, you're right. I hoped that they had some new ones. I guess theres no sense in reading a old puzzle book. What romance books did you get?" She asked. I let my hand search around my surroudings for any of my other books. I found one, but it was too big to be my novel.
"What's this?" I questioned as I raised it to my eyes. I read, 'Advanced Psychology of the Soul Wavelength'. "Was this the book you were returning?" I asked Maka.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I forgot all about that. I guess once we're out of here, i'll have to go turn it in."
"How long is passing period?"
"About ten minutes." Maka said. Then she shifted.
"Are you uncomfortable?" I asked her.
"Yeah, my back really hurts. I've been in one spot for too long." I could see that there was just a little space between me and the door. If I moved towards it, then Maka could have room to sit next to me.
"I can find a way to move. It'll be awkward, but it'll get us out of this position." I suggested. Maka thought for a moment.
"Okay." she answered. I slowly and carefully I slid towards the door and Maka started to shift herself the other way. My back hit the door and Maka wasn't to the floor yet.
"Can you fit?" I asked her.
"No, not really." Maka said. I started to stretch out and layed completely still. Maka finally got to the floor.
"Better?" I asked her.
"Yes. It'll have to do. I do hope that Stein hurries." The tardy bell rang, which scared me and made me squeak again. Maka giggled.
"W-what?" I asked.
"You're silly. You were startled by the bell twice." She giggled again. Her laugh made me smile. I could hear a few straggling feet running towards their classrooms. I could also hear a pair of footsteps that were determined in this direction. I presume it was Stein. Sure enough, the footsteps reached the door and there was a knock.
"Hello?" Maka answered.
"The door opens inward correct?" Stein asked. I thought back to when Maka pushed me in here.
"Yeah." I answered.
"Okay. And there is a shelf that's fallen?" Me and Maka made 'Mhm' sounds. "Great... Sorry to say, we're going to have to take down the door."
"T-take down the door?" I asked surprised.
"Sit tight, again. I'm going to get the janitor and hopefully we can quickly get you guys out of there."
"Just get Black*Star." Maka said. I waved my hands out and was signaling 'No, very bad idea!'
"I could, but i'd rather have a door intact so we can put it back on it's hinges." Stein said. I sighed in relief. I heard Stein's footsteps quickly walk away.
"Why were you saying no?" Maka asked.
"Oh um..." I didn't really want to say, that'll make me seem more like a monster, "W-when I was in the i-infirmary, my m-madness was t-targeting Black*Star." I answered. Maka's eyes went wide for a moment, then softened into sympathy.
"I'm sorry Crona. I didn't know."
"I-it's fine." It was taking Stein quite a while.
"Are you going to the DWMA party tomorrow?" Maka asked.
"I doubt it. Too many people and i'm a disgrace to our school. I don't think anyone wants to see me. The person who released the kishin and started the madness."
"Knock that off. You aren't a disgrace to anyone. A lot of people here love you and they would whine if they didn't see you there."
"Most people keep grudges."
"Some people do. But that was a year ago. A year ago tomorrow the kishin was released and literal hell broke lose. But a year ago tomorrow, I became your friend. I don't regret that, neither does our group." Maka said. I could see Maka's bright smile in the darkness and tears came to my eyes. I forget how inspirational Maka could be.
"Yeah, you're right. I don't regret that either." I said.
"I would give you a hug, but i'm kinda stuck." Maka said. Which made me smile even more. I reached out and took her hand in mine.
"Just you being here is good enough." The sound of a drill on the door scared me and made me squeak. Maka laughed so hard at me.
"W-why m-me!?" I stuttered. Maka wiped the tears from her laughter away and smiled at me. I smiled back.
"I don't know what i'd do without you." Maka said.
"I think the same." After a few moments, the door behind my back was removed.
"Okay lovebirds, get out." I heard the grumpy janitor's voice. I scooted myself out, then grabbed Maka's hand and pulled her out.
"Thank you Olsen. I owe you one." Stein said.
"Yeah you do." the old man replied. He rolled his eyes and set down his drill. I went back in and grabbed our books, making sure that my secret book was hidden.
"Alright. Maka, you have practice with me this hour. Crona, head back to the infirmary." Stein ordered.
"Yes sir." I replied. I started walking up to the infirmary.
"Wait Crona!" she said running up to me, "You almost took my book."
"Oh, whoops." I handed her the textbook and turned to walk back up to the infirmary. I turned to look at her for a moment but stopped when I saw her confused and frustrated face.
"Crona... What's this?" she asked raising my secret book in her hand. My face turned crimson and I ran back down to where she was.
"I d-don't know. I must've g-grabbed it by a-accident." I said. I switched the book in her hand with her actual text book.
"Are you sure? It took you an awful long time to realize you had that." Maka said, suspicious of me.
"I m-must've! It w-was p-probably close to the b-book I w-wanted to g-grab." I lied. I hate lieing to her. I don't want to lie, but I want to have research before I ask her questions.
"Okay..." Maka's face stayed confused but she started to walk with Stein.
"I'll return this!" I said to her back. I sighed. Crap, that must've been a big give away of what i've been up to. I feel really guilty for doing this to her. But I didn't want to be rude and ask why she's been so... strange lately. Once I knew that they left, I went up to the infirmary.
"There you are." Nygus said as I entered.
"Um, yeah... I kinda got into a situation..." I semi-explained.
"You weren't in trouble were you?"
"No." I set the books down on the bed I was currently vacating.
"Alright. Did you go down to the library?" She asked.
"Yes. I got three books." I answered.
"Interesting. I expected you to take your chance at finding something to do." Nygus said while filing her papers, "I was right." She started some other paperwork.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm in charge of filing new student's application forms."
"How many new students do we have next year?" I asked.
"About two hundred at the moment. But we have five hundred graduating." She answered.
"Are meister and weapon numbers going down?" I asked.
"No, only two hundred have enrolled at the moment. There will be more as the summer goes on and fall rolls around." Nygus explained.
"Oh. So, about three times the number now will enroll by the time the new school year starts."
"Yep, pretty much. There are going to be very many kids."
"Wow. It's going to be really crowded next year." I commented.
"You aren't going to be here next year." Nygus said.
"What do you mean?" I asked getting nervous. Are they kicking me out?
"You're a senior. You graduate this year too. By the results of your test scores, your more than ready to graduate. I do hope you make- um... what's his name?"
"Ragnarok?"
"Yeah. -Ragnarok a death weapon. That would be... interesting. Since he's fused with you." Nygus said.
"I'm a senior?"
"Yeah. Lord Death wondered if he should've started you out as a freshmen and had you graduate from the NOT class. He decided that you could control yourself and graduate as a senior. Since you had a special bond with Maka, that was his best choice."
"Oh. I didn't know that." I said.
"You didn't? I thought you knew. Well, I better get back to my applications." Nygus said. I could tell her focus had been directed to her papers. I would only distract her.
"Okay." I walked over to my bed and grabbed my secret book, although it wasn't so secret anymore. I used one of my romance novels and put it over my secret book. I began reading it. Hopefully I can make sense of it. Hopefully i'm also overthinking Maka.
"I'm leaving. Stein wants to see you as soon as it's six." Nygus said, pulling me out of my reading trance.
"Okay. See you tomorrow." Nygus walked out with a big folder in her hands. I looked up at the clock, five... I guess I didn't hear any of the bells. School has been out for a while. I shrugged my shoulders and went back to my reading. So far I could make sense of what I was reading, unfortunately the more I read the more I could understand Maka's behavior. My eyes became tired and I looked at the time. 5:58. I better go see Stein. I hid my 'secret' book under the bed and set the romance novel down on the side table. I headed down to his classroom. Once I entered, I noticed that Maka was talking to Stein.
"So if you need anymore help, call Marie. She'll know how to handle your situation." Stein said to Maka as I walked in. He turned his head and noticed me standing here. "Oh, hi Crona. I was just talking to Maka, but she should be leaving now."
"Yeah. I'll see you in the infirmary Crona." Maka waved to me as she left.
"Alright, take a seat." Stein said pointing to a vacant chair. I sat down in it, slightly worried about what Stein wanted to talk to me about.
"Why did we need to talk?" I asked.
"You aren't in trouble. I wanted to go over your test scores and talk about something else."
"O-okay." I stuttered. Stupid stuttering, why now?
"Your test scores are amazing and you were worried about your history test. You got the number one score, you beat Ox and Maka." He gave me a half-pat on the back. I guess he's still a non-touchy person, I am too, I just wonder why he hugged me that one day.
"D-did I really!? How are my other scores?" I asked.
"Pretty good. Soul Mechanics you got a 99. My Biology test you got a 94. Marie was really proud to hear that you aced her test. Speaking of, Marie would like to invite you and Maka to dinner the night after tomorrow. She's making a special meal, so don't let her down." Stein explained.
"Wow, I didn't expect myself to do so well. I haven't studied at all."
"You haven't? You got quite lucky, congratulations."
"What else did you want to speak to me about?"
"Oh yes... Tomorrow is the DWMA party, I asked for special permission to grant you entry. You are going Crona. Lord Death didn't even hesitate, he thought it was a magnificent idea."
"O-okay. I d-don't have any party attire here." I said.
"You also have been granted to spend tonight at home. You spend the night at home tonight, then spend your entire day with Maka. Afterwards, if your madness controlling is in perfect shape, it will be decided whether you stay home or come back to the infirmary."
"R-really!? T-thank you!" I jumped out of my seat and set myself at the end of his desk, "You aren't joking, are you?"
"I'm not. Go pack your things and head home. I don't want to see you in that infirmary again, get going." Stein's face stayed monotoned. But I could tell that he was happy for me. I said thank you again and ran to the infirmary. Maka was sitting in a chair waiting for me. She noticed the big smile on my face.
"Why are you so happy?" Maka asked.
"I get to go home!" I yelled excitingly. Maka's face brightened one hundred times brighter and she hugged me.
"I'm happy for you!" She let go of me and ran into the closet. When she came out, she was pulling a suitcase that she brought for me a long time ago to store my clothes. "Pack up!" she said happily. I smiled and nodded. I grabbed all of my clothes and my books. I shoved them in the suitcase, not caring if it made it messy. I hooked my arm into Maka's and we were on our way home.
Hope you enjoyed! Obviously long I know but it's to make up my absence. It will probably be a while before I update due to my internet issues but I'll work hard to get it to you guys. Don't be afraid to check out my other stories as well! I uploaded a story that explains my OCs so that you aren't confused. You're welcome! Anyway, see you next chapter. Bye Bye!