At Bel's place Andrew layed Aozora down against the sofa.

"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?"
"I have a first aid kit here, I'll get it."
"Sure." Andrew was left alone with Aozora who was fast asleep, he was in visible pain but still tried to hide it in his sleep.

Aozora isn't cut out for lying and hiding. Andrew gave a faint smile before turning to a door where Bel came from. His smile, now gone and replaced with an expressionless, indecipherable face.
"Are you still going to do that with me?" Bel asked as she got closer.
"Do what?" He played dumb, he didn't want her to get closer but she still did. He braced himself but she walked past and sat next to Aozora with a first aid kit.

"You know what you're doing, anyway hold this." She ignored him and handed over a bandage and started to fix up Aozora as best as she could. Andrew's heart was beating fast and he just barely managed to control the redness in his cheeks. Was he embarrassed, warm, flushed? He couldn't describe his emotions so he put them to the side and helped Bel and Aozora.

"You're good at this." Andrew was looking at the finished product, neatly tied bandages and perfectly applied ointments.
"Is it that uncommon?" Bel was packing up the first aid kit, focusing on her work rather than the conversation.
"I think so, I don't know any six year old who can do first aid." Andrew was trying to read Bel but she was just as good at hiding her true self as he was. Just who is she? He had this thought the first time he met her as well. But this time he knew her name and where she lived but it felt as though nothing had changed.
"You get used to it after a while." Bel left, leaving Aozora and Andrew alone again.
"I don't get her deal." Andrew looked off at Bel's back and muttered to himself.
"Girls."

"Girls." Andrew gave a nod then stopped. What? He turned and saw Aozora trying to sit up. He moved to stop him and keep him lying down.

"You're awake."
"Hey, good to see you too." Aozora flashed his usual smile but face twisted in pain.
"Hold it, don't move." Andrew pressed Aozora back down on the sofa, preventing him from getting up.
"Where are we?" Aozora looked around at his surroundings catching glimpses of furniture and delicately painted walls.
"At Bel's house."
"Ah, so you know her name now." Aozora gave a teasing smile.
"You know her?"
"Of course I do. I know everyone in our class."

"You're weird."
"And you're depressing."

"Who saved you earlier?" Andrew fought back against the allegations.
"No one, I was unconscious so for all I know a ghost saved me."

"I think you're forgetting someone." Bel came back and gave a nod to Aozora now that he was awake, she had chosen her side.
"Ah right. A ghost and Bel." Aozora corrected himself.

"So I'm not even real now?"
"With how you act it feels like you want to be." Bel answered for him.
"A ghost! Me! No way!" Andrew spoke sarcastically with excessive hand movements and the teasing died down. It was fun and lighthearted while it lasted but the pictures caught his attention. In them all there is not a single one with Bel in it. There were always two parents and a kid but never Bel.

"Watch where you're looking." Bel shot out at Andrew, he turned his head away and looked at the two.
"You're in a girls house, you should be careful."Aozora started lecturing Andrew and acted displeased, sighing and shaking his head. "Honestly so inexperienced."
"And you're a veteran when it comes to house visits?"
"With the amount of friends I have it would be strange if I wasn't."
"Showoff." The two of them had a good laugh but Bel felt distant. In that sense Andrew was similar. However he couldn't act rashly without stepping on a landmine so he kept quiet. The mood stayed like that for a while with the occasional chime in from Bel as if to make them remember she they can't forget her. Just by being in her house he had learnt a lot about her.

"We better go now." Andrew broke the cycle of conversation and gestured for the door.
"True, I can't just stay at a girls' house." Aozora tried to get up from the sofa, supporting himself as he did.
"It's fine, my parents won't be home tonight so you can both stay the night." Bel spoke up, what she said was surprising but in that moment she looked fragile, like someone who needed to be taken care of. It stunned Andrew but he regained his senses and answered.
"If I did that, I wouldn't hear the end of it from Emi and Granny Izuka. They've already started complaining."

"But…" Bel who was usually strong was in this moment, in the safety of her own home, weak. Why?
Footsteps and voices were heard and Bel visibly shook. Andrew didn't waste a second he picked up Aozora supporting him to the window.

"We'll be going then." He looked back at Bel who had her hands to her chest and just watched them leave in silence. Aozora tried to speak but Andrew stopped him, climbing out the window and leaving from sight. As they left they heard the murmur of voices and what seemed to be a smash. Andrew shook off his feelings and helped Aozora to the Hyuga compound.
"You sure you don't want the hospital?"
"I'm sure. I'll be fine. It'll heal with time." It sounded like Aozora was making excuses but Andrew didn't ask.
"You should check up on Bel." Aozra was concerned, and rightfully so. Andrew just couldn't shake a feeling deep within that something was wrong.
"I will." They parted ways and Andrew made way back to the apartment, scaling the walls he had dropped down with Aozora and waiting outside the window.

"You useless waste of space! Why's their dust?"

"I-i-i'm s-s-sorry."
"Sorry's not good enough. Do better."
"Honestly, why can't you be like your brother?" The words were like daggers to her heart. Bel just stood there, shaking and took the hits one after another. The words dug into her until you could see through her. All the while her brother watched from the sidelines with a smug face. It was as if she was getting what she deserved.

She wasn't treated as family but like a slave. Something less than human. Her arms and legs revealed bruises the size of golf balls. All across her body. They must've been hidden by her clothes before and some seemed older than others. She was always bright, positive and curious, strong and unfaltering but in her family's presence she crumpled down like a wall of sand. She wasn't strong nor weak, she was a human girl struggling to push through with life.

Andrew gritted his teeth as all he could do was listen. He left and didn't come home that night.