Tsubaki pulls into Crona's driveway. Her house was small and worn down, paint peeling and shutters half off. It was overgrown, weeds growing on the walkway where we walked to her door. The porch light flickered creepily. I wrap my arms over my chest, the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
Tsubaki rings the doorbell. It opens almost immediately. Crona stood before us in her usual black dress. She looked alarmed and confused.
"Wh-what are you guys doing here?! It's not 6 yet, is it?" She exclaims, glancing around nervously.
"No! No, we're early. Take your time if you're not ready." Tsubaki said, smiling. Crona sighs and nods, about to close the door. I step forward a little, and she holds it open.
"Oh, do y-you wa-wanna come i-in?" She stutters. I nod, smiling warmly. She holds open the door. She's practically shaking; I feel a sense of unease settle in my stomach.
The house was blank. No paintings hung on the walls. There was hardly any furniture aside from basic pieces. The walls were cream colored and were accompanied by old wood flooring. The floor had many scratch marks on it. I was beginning to wonder if they'd been here when Crona moved in when I heard barking.
I never knew Crona had a dog. She never talked much about it. A flash of black bolts from the kitchen right for us. It was small but quick, barking the entire way.
"Ragnarok no!" Crona shouts, stepping towards the dog. But it was too late. The dog made a beeline for Tsubaki and I, and begins ferociously biting and tearing at Tsubaki's skirt. She gasps in surprise, stepping backwards and pulling up her skirt higher.
But Ragnarok won't give up. The dog leaps from the floor, baring its sharp teeth. Once it gives up on Tsubaki, it turns to me. I swallow a large gulp as it steps toward me growling, but Crona grabs the dog around its midsection. It bites and snarls in her grasp, getting some scratches in on her hand.
"I-I'm so sorry. He gets ve-very hyper." She said, clutching the dog. I gape at her as she tries calming it down, but to no avail. Eventually she turns and walks away, and I hear something like a door opening and closing. She must've let it out.
"Crona, are you alright? It looks like Ragnarok scratched you." I said. I avert my eyes to her hand as she tugs her sleeve down, hiding the damage. I frown.
"Oh, I'm fine. Yeah. Haha." She fake laughs, but it looks more like a grimace.
"Well you finish up what you were doing before we got here. And then we can go to the game." Tsubaki said, smiling.
"W-we can go now. Let me say goodbye to my mom." Crona said quickly. She turns towards the stairs but stops dead in her tracks when a voice rises from the back of the house.
"Why is Ragnarok outside again? He's already been out." It was feminine and smooth, like butter on toast. Crona jumps at the sound, her eyes wide. A woman walked into the clearing, clutching the demon dog and scratching its chin. It growled at us again.
The woman was young, very young to have an 18 year old daughter. She had long brown hair tied in a braid that went across her chin, which I found strange. She wore all black, with dark ink curling on her arms. Her toenails and fingernails were covered in black polish, with strange yellow designs on them. Despite all of this, the strangest thing about her was her eyes. They were yellow and slitted, reminding me of a snake.
"R-Ragnarok was biting a-at my friends and I." Crona said nervously. Crona's mother raises an eyebrow at us and makes a face, as if it was our fault somehow.
"Well, he's just defending his home. No need to punish him." She said, placing Ragnarok back on the floor. Once on the ground, it begins biting at Crona's shoes. Crona sighs, ignoring it.
"Mom, this i-is Allie and Tsu-Tsubaki." She said, motioning towards us. I put my hand out, shaking Crona's mother's hand. Her skin held a weird texture; somewhat scaly and cold. Visions of snakes replay in my head, but I shake them away.
"Nice to meet you girls. I'm Medusa, Crona's mother." She said, smirking. Of course, the woman who reminds me so much of a snake, is named Medusa. It takes everything I have not to laugh.
Medusa turns to Crona, who stands there anxiously. "Crona, be home by nine." She said. She begins walking away, but Crona interrupts her.
"Ni-nine? But the game is sup-supposed to be two hours." She said. Medusa slowly turns around, a look of anger in her eyes. Crona whimpers quietly and backs into the wall.
"Nine o'clock, Crona. Any later and you'll never be allowed out again." Medusa said. Her tone sent a chill down my spine. I would never want to cross this lady.
"Don't worry, Crona. I wasn't planning on staying the whole game anyway. I'll take you home." Tsubaki said, placing a hand on Crona's shoulder and smiling. Crona stares at her in shock, but manages a nod.
Medusa grins. "See? No need to get an attitude over it. Have fun." She said. She called Ragnarok, who sprang from Crona's feet and followed Medusa into the living room. Crona quickly opens the door and ran out, Tsubaki and I following closely.
Once in the car and settled, Crona spoke. "I-I'm sorry about my do-dog. And that you have to ta-take me home early, Tsubaki." She said. Her head was low, her eyes cast toward her lap.
"Oh Crona, I really don't mind." Tsubaki said kindly. Crona doesn't make any sort of response. I shrug at Tsubaki's concerned face, and we start towards the school.
The lights blazed above the stadium, illuminating the dark sky. We'd been lucky to find a parking spot; it was almost as if everyone in Death City was here tonight.
We found Kid and Liz waiting for us outside the entrance. After a quick greeting, we were inside the stadium. We fought our way against the crowd to the bleachers, and sat down. The air was warm, a light breeze blowing. We'd sat down all of two minutes when Liz was already asking to go to the concession stand.
"Must we fight against that huge crowd of people to get you a popcorn?! Why not just pop a bag at your house and bring that?!" Kid said, exasperatedly. Liz shrugs, standing.
"I'll go with you, Liz." I said, standing as well. We carefully make our way down the crowded stairs and to the line outside of concessions.
"Damn, lacrosse boys are way hotter than I thought." Liz said, looking appreciatively at some boys in lacrosse jerseys walking by. I laugh. Liz bumps my shoulder, making me face her.
"Don't you agree?" She asks.
"Yeah, they are pretty hot." I said, laughing. I watch the boys walk by, but my mind remained on one specific lacrosse boy with white hair. Soul definitely fit the title of an attractive lacrosse boy. Ugh, why must everything go back to Soul?!
I open my mouth to make a comment when someone shouts my name.
"ALLIE! There you are!" The voice yells. Liz and I turn to see Maka barreling through the crowd, straight towards us. How someone so small can reach her destination in such a crowded area is beyond me, but she manages to reach us.
"Hey! I've been looking for you." She said, smiling. Liz looks at her strangely, and Maka extends a hand.
"Hi! I'm Maka Albarn, nice to meet you!"
"Liz Thompson." Liz said. When Liz didn't extend a hand, Maka draws hers back embarrassingly. Her eyes widen at the sound of Liz's last name.
"Thompson? Oh! You must be Patty's sister!" She exclaims. Liz nods. Geez, I'd Tsubaki thought I was standoffish to Maka earlier today, she would be mortified at Liz's actions right now. Although Liz never came off warmly to anyone; it took much interaction before Liz so much as responded to your conversation.
Maka seems to notice Liz's attitude, and turns to me instead. I force a smile, my feelings from earlier today still deep in my heart.
I shouldn't blame Maka for being with Soul so much. It wasn't her fault, and yet I act so coldly towards her. Guilt fills me as she looks into my blue eyes with her emerald ones. She didn't seem like she meant much harm. I take a deep breath, willing all anger and frustration towards Maka to go away.
"Do you want any snacks?" I ask as we step up to the concession counter.
"Oh no I'm good, but thank you!" She said, smiling appreciatively. I smile back, for real this time.
Once Liz got her popcorn, the three of us made our way back up the stairs and to our seats on the bleachers. Everyone slid down to make room for Maka. Tsubaki gave her a warm smile when she sat down.
"Guys, this is Maka. She's new here." I explain. Maka smiles at everyone. Liz rolls her eyes, looking at the field. Crona shifts uncomfortably in her seat, raising a hand as if it were a wave. Kid smiles back.
"Hello Maka, I am Kid. To my right her is Crona, and on the far side is Liz. How are you liking Death City Public?" He asks, leaning forward to look at her.
"It's great! I enjoy my classes and have made some new friends, which is always good. The teach-"
"That's great, were you shown around on your first day? I don't remember ever hearing about a new student." Kid interrupts. Maka looks a little confused, looking to Tsubaki and I for an answer. I sigh and shrug. Figures Kid would bring student government into a conversation; it was either that or cleanliness.
"Oh um, no I was taken to class by the principal. Soul Evans showed me around during lunch." She explains. I feel Tsubaki's eyes on me at the mention of Soul's name. I will my fist not to clench.
Kid smacks the bleacher angrily, making Crona jump. "This is disastrous! Horrible! Atrocious! This school cannot do anything I ask. I'm supposed to show new students around. How aggravating!" He yells, burying his head in his hands. Maka gapes at him.
"He's the student body president, he takes it very seriously." Tsubaki explains. Kid sat on the bleacher, rocking slowly back and forth. Crona scoots further away from him. Liz continues eating her popcorn.
"I'm glad you're making friends, who are some of them? I may know them." I said, smiling.
"You and Tsubaki, of course. Your other friends... I'll have to get to know them a little better," Tsubaki and I laugh, and she grins. "And Black Star and Blair are nice. Liz's little sister Patty is cute. But I've probably grown friendliest with Soul; he's in all of my classes." She explains.
"Soul's a good guy; he's my neighbor." I said. I will myself not to get angry. It's not her fault... It's not her fault... It's not her fault...
"Oh yeah! Soul told me that too. He's really great, he invited me to the game tonight so I could meet new people." She explains.
A part of me wants to retaliate something, but I know it's futile. Maka clearly doesn't see this the same way I am, and it'd be wrong of me to treat her like she did. She just seems to want friendship, which I can't blame her for.
Luckily before the conversation could continue, the whistle blows. I turn my focus to the field, watching as players ran onto the field. I find Soul's number easily, standing on the left side of the field. I couldn't make out any other players except Black Star, whose turquoise hair hung out of his helmet.
"I've never seen a lacrosse game before, this should be fun!" Tsubaki said next to me. I smile at her, and watch as the game begins.