Eventide

Chapter XXIII

Soul never did return to my bed. I was left inside of that room and when night finally fell, Chrona was the one who was supposed to guard me. He couldn't deal with me crying and he said it all the time until I cried myself to sleep. That night I had nightmares about Soul and Kim, seeing them kiss and saying lovingly things to one another. All I could do was watch them since an invisible wall kept me away from them. I screamed at them, cried rivers as I watched them kiss each other hungrily and lovingly. Soul's hands travelled to her back and ripped her shirt apart.

I couldn't watch it. I'm grieving as if we were already over when we aren't. I know I have to talk to Soul about this. He is practically stuck with his ex and he can't do anything about it. I have to find a solution since I don't want things to end between us like this. It just can't.

That morning when I woke up, Chrona was gone. That must mean they are all back.

I feel much better than I did yesterday. The urge to puke is completely gone and my vision is stable. New clothes lay on the chair and I take them and get dressed. It is obvious Soul hasn't brought them since it is a pair of sweatpants and a large t-shirt. He would definitely have chosen a skirt and a slim fit tank top. Wes is definitely the person who got me these clothes.

Walking out of the room, it feels like the world stopped. Even though the sound of the door closing behind me wasn't loud, it sure attracted everybody's attention. All the Meister's eyes are on me and at the center of the room inside of the boxing ring, are the infamous Kim and Soul Eater.

Kim is so much prettier in real life than she was on the photo. Her hair is short and she has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen and mixed with her strawberry pink hair, it is the perfect combination to achieve adorableness. Soul obviously has gotten her clothes. She is just wearing a white sports bra and a pair of black booty shorts. Even though I'm standing from the other side of the room, I can see her nipples through the bra and the pair of pink thongs that goes up from her shorts. Her curves are utterly feminine and filled, not like my flat and bony body. She is perfect. I now know why Soul liked, or maybe likes her so much.

Then my eyes lock at Soul. Oh Soul. Who isn't wearing a shirt at all.

Are they trying to tease each other with their bodies to then hook up?

I don't hear what Soul says to Kim, but he does jump out of the boxing ring and heads toward me. Kim shouts after Soul, but he ignores her.

"I'm sorry." Soul says and his arms wrap around me. "I'm so sorry Maka."

I bite my lower lip. I'm so sick and tired of crying because of him. "I don't think you are sorry. If you cared about us, you wouldn't have made that deal."

Soul stiffens and his arms around me tighten. I refuse to hug him, not now when my heart is shattered like this. "I am. You know we need Stein in our group, without him, we are all doomed and we will all die faster than flies. I had to do this for the group."

I clench my fist and I draw blood from my lower lip. I need to be strong. I can't cry now. "No, you didn't have to do anything. You could just have come up with a different solution. No one held a gun to your head and forced you to make the deal. I bet you were more than happy to accept the deal so you could be around someone who puts out."

"What! No!" Soul roughly grabs my chin and forces me to look into his eyes. He is mad. I can see it in his eyes. "I love you and I would rather be with you than her. Why can't you see that?"

I push him away from me and tears burn in my eyes. "Oh please! Her outfit? The lack of a shirt on you? I bet you are more than happy to jump into bed with her. You always were the guy who broke down girls just to sleep with them. Don't lie! You told me yourself you were with girls for sex and to forget everything about her."

"That is not t―"

"Soul!" Kim shrieks in a high pitched voice as she storms up to me. Wow, her chest is practically transparent through that thing Soul calls a sport bra. I bet he got it at Death's secrets. "You said you would teach me how to fight." She grabs his arm and clutches onto him, her chest smothering his arm. Oh she isn't over him alright. "I want you to teach me that trick you did yesterday on that Kishin." Kim must feel threaten since she glares at me, a stare full of hatred and jealousy.

"I said five minute break, Kim. Go and drink some water." Soul says annoyingly.

"You know what the deal says." Kim smirks wide as she looks at me. "You have to be close to me all time and that includes sharing a room with me."

Kim managed to rip my heart into pieces. Reluctantly I look away from Soul and I feel my tears going to burst at any given moment. "Just go. I'm going to train with Hiro. Do whatever. I don't care what you do." I turn on my heel and starts walking toward Hiro who is lifting weights in the gym.

"Don't walk away from me Maka!" Soul hollers but I don't care. I keep walking and tears pour down my face. As soon as I reach Hiro, he sees my tears and immediately put the bar with the weights on away.

"I guess you met Kim for the first time." Hiro says and I wipe them away, keeping my back toward Soul so he can't see my tears.

"It's just… It's hard."

"Yeah, if I were in your place, I would knock the shit out of her and Soul. To even think he allowed her to be dressed like that is fucked up. She obviously is trying to get him back." Hiro says as he rubs his head.

Wait. So Soul didn't give her those clothes? So they are Kim's clothing? Oh well, it doesn't make a difference, Soul would still have put her in similar clothes, just as he gave me those poor excuse for clothing.

"You know, we can leave if you want to. You don't have to train when they are here. I understand if you want to go home." Hiro says and I shake my head.

"No, I need to be here. I need to realize that things between Soul and I are in the ditch. There is no way we can repair this." I'm such a masochist. I should go away but instead I'm still here, suffering every second of being in same barn with Soul and Kim.

Hiro stands up from the bench and holds out his arms. "You're in need of a hug."

I am, I so need one. I slam into his body and hug him tightly. "It's just so hard. How am I supposed to deal with this? Everything was so great and now this? It is so sudden."

His arms tightly wrap around me, his hand gently rubs my back. "Unfortunately, we might not be ready for everything that life throws toward us, but we need to accept things and move on."

I sniffle and I feel myself trembling in his arms. "I changed my minds." I pull away from Hiro. "I just want to go home."

"I will drive you home then." Hiro pulls away and grabs his shirt, putting it on. Hiro fish up a keychain with a car key along with a house key on it. As we leave, I feel Soul's glare on us as we leave the barn. Kim must be really happy that I left because now he and she will have all the time to go at each other and hump the fuck out of each other.

Hiro walks up to his car that is parked just outside of the barn. I'm about to walk toward it when a flash catch my gaze. It comes from within the forest. What is it? Is something trying to call me from within the woods?

"What is it?" Hiro says as he opens the door to the car.

I look toward Hiro and the forest. Something is inside of the forest, calling me there. "I… I…" What should I even say? "Can you just give me a minute?" I blush violently, I can't even believe I'm going to say this. "I kind of need to go to the bathroom and I don't want to go inside."

"Can't you hold it?"

I shake my head. "It will just take a minute!" I say and without his approval, I run into the forest where I saw the flash. The branches of the bushes claw at my sweatpants and rip at my pigtails. Deeper and deeper inside of the forest I go and I can no longer see the barn through the trees.

"Hello sweetheart." I almost jump out of my skin and turn around.

"Mama." I say as she smiles gently toward me. "I have tried to get a hold of you since that night, where were you? Why didn't you come and visit me?"

"I tried my dear." She grabs my hand sand holds them tightly. "I haven't been able to get close to you because of that boy Soul Eater. You have to listen to me, Maka, he is bad news. You should get away from him."

"What exactly do you mean? I don't get it." I say and her eyes shimmer. Her eyes are so cold. They usually are so warm.

"What I mean is he is a bad boy. He has hurt you before and he will hurt you again. He will cheat on you with Kim. You need to get far away from him and his gang. You will only end up broken and hurt. You can manage on your own without them." She squeezes my hands. Why are her hands so cold?

"I know Soul has a bad history―"

"Listen to me." My mother sneers at my. "Evil is coming. The Star*Clan is returning and you need to get away from them. They are going to confront his gang and if you are still there, you will die. Cut the strings with them and then return home. Not to their apartment, to your real home with your papa and me. We will leave this city and I promise I will keep you safe."

"If that is true, then I have to warn the others―"

"No!" Kami hollers and she tightens her grip on my hands. "You can't tell anyone. Leave when you still have the chance. Don't you trust me? Don't you trust your own mama?" Her eyes turn to something hurt and sincere. Her lower lip puckers out. Oh man, who is the kid here, her or me?

"Okay, I won't tell them, but will they hurt them?"

My mother lights up. "They won't. They will just pass and see if you are there and if you aren't they will leave them peacefully."

Good, at least they will be safe. That is what matters the most to me. As much as I want to hate Soul and want to punch him, I can't hate him since I still like him very much.

My mother leans toward me and gently kisses my forehead, like she always used to do when I was younger. I close my eyes and enjoys the nostalgic feeling of her lips on my forehead. "You have grown up to such a beautiful young woman. I promise you we will all have our happy ever after ending. Come home as soon as you can."

When I open my eyes, she is gone.

Hiro doesn't question me when I get back from the woods. I guess it is awkward to ask why it took so long peeing in the woods. Not exactly a subject you want to talk about. I arrive back at the apartment and Wes isn't home. He must have gone to the barn or someplace else.

Because of Scrap Metal, Hiro stayed at my place. I told him I needed a moment alone and that is exactly what I got. I locked myself inside of Soul's former bedroom since now he lives with Kim and Stein. I fished up my phone from my pocket and found Soul's cellphone number in my contacts.

I didn't expect Soul to pick up, but he did.

"Are you ready to actually talk to me instead of running away?" Soul says through the speakers.

"Yeah." But it won't end as you want it.

"Is that Maka?" I hear Kim spit out in disgust.

Soul sighs into the phone. "Yeah, just shut up and let me talk in peace. She is still my girlfriend." Soul says to Kim.

Not for long.

"I will make it quick." I say, clenching my fists. "I'm breaking up with you and I'm leaving the gang."

"What?!" Soul yells into the phone. He sighs loudly and I can almost see him ripping at his hair. "Are you serious? Maka! It is you I love! Just because I'm stuck to her doesn't mean I will grow feelings for her or love you less. I swear I'm working on a solution to this p―"

"I'm not going to stick around for it." I say and tears blur my vision. "She is your first love and you obviously fancied her a lot. With you having to be around her all the time, I know I will lose you and I don't want to stick around to the bitter ending. We both know it will end with me having my heart broken and you hooking up with Kim."

"Geez Maka." Soul says irritated. "You don't know that! I still love you! Don't break up with me. You know I have to do what is best for the gang, I don't want things to end between us." Wait, is that a sob I'm hearing? "Please, don't leave me." He is sobbing. He is crying! "I know I fuck up a lot of times and I know I treat you like shit, but in the end it will always be you and me. Please, you got to have faith in me."

"I'm sorry but we are over. You have to do what is best for the gang and now I need to do what is best for me. Please don't call me. Make me happy by not contacting me." Tears roll down my cheeks.

"Maka don't―" I hang up on him and my sobs wrack my body. There is no time for tears. I need to pack my things and leave before he or someone else from the gang decides to go after me.

I cry as I pack my things with intentions of leaving Death City and all the people behind me.