Lover's Quarrel

I live in a dorm. Being a University student has it's upsides--you have no parents to watch over you, and you can buy whatever clothes you want or whatever, and nobody'll care, as long as you don't spend too much, your parents wont know…there are also downsides--living with foreigners. Recently, a couple of Raibaan girls moved into the dorms here, at World Alliance University. W. A. U. for short. Every night, I hear them talking to their long-distance boyfriends and crying, fighting over something and saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again.
Really, what kind of relationship is that? I know my lover and I would never fight like that. We were sweet, and he treats me like a princess. He'd never hurt me. That is, until I was thrown out of the apartment--the one we shared together on weekends and vacation time. "I never wanna see you again, you little whore' he screamed, before slamming his hand on the table. I yelled something back, as hard as I could as I ran out of there. I didn't care.
I didn't care where I went. I didn't care what happened to me. He was everything to me. He always held me gently and spoke softly. And then he would tuck me in at night and whisper in my ear. He always said I was the prettiest in the world, and nobody was more perfect or beautiful. I was his 'queen'. So why…why did a simple smile turn everything into this?
I ran and ran, passing street signs and hearing people everywhere, cars, voices, footsteps. I could just drown in all the sound, be swallowed up--afterall, I'm just another face in the crowds. I could die, drowning and drenched in it, and nobody would notice. I even imagined myself getting hit by a car. Maybe that's what I wanted, as I ran through the streets, not caring what color the traffic lights were and just dashing madly past everything and everyone.
But this isn't a movie. And I didn't get hit by a car.
So here I am, standing here, like a pathetic little whore on the sidewalk, arms hugging myself as I shivered in the cold of the night. It didn't rain either, there was nothing dramatic or special about what happened. No drowning, no accident, no rain, no nothing. It was pitiful. So…ordinary.
That's when I met her. Now, I'm not into girls…since…nevermind--but, she…she was cute. Very cute.
She was there on the outskirts of a compound, crouched atop the barbed wire on top of the wall. I was surprised she didn't get hurt at all and managed to tiptoe across the wire, like an agile cat.
Yes, that's what she was like--a wild cat. Feral, with those blue eyes that seemed too strange to be natural, and that wicked, playful smile. She looked at me and smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. I could have sworn her eyes were sapphires.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"…Ritsuka…" I replied, staring at her in awe still.
"Why're you here, Ritsuka-niichan?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, balancing on one foot, arms out as she stood on the dangerous thrown vines of wire.
"…" I looked away, but answered. "My lover threw me out…so…I'm just running."
She seemed to understand very well. The looked in her eyes suddenly turned strange, they widened, making her look more like a curious cat.
"Mmmh…" she said, looking sad and crouching once again, looking at the ground. "Running makes things easier. It hurts too much sometimes."
She was so strange. "Ano…are you…how…how old are you?"
I was the curious one now--she looked so young, and yet…the look in her eyes seemed…experienced?
"Haha!" she laughed suddenly, grinning, revealing a set of choppers that looked as if they were sharpened at a city dentist--like some of those strange vampire fanatics do these days, in the Riaru Seken. "Now, that's a good question. Haah…not even I know myself for sure. But…for now, I guess I'm fourteen. Yeah, this should be my thirteenth year. How unlucky huh? So Ritsuka-niichan…"
"Hm?"
"…did he really love you?" she asked me.
…I can honestly say i didn't quite know how to answer that.
"I mean. You're sure, right? I bet he did. It's not normal for a man to love another man." she said.
I flushed--I don't know whether it was rage or embarrassment…or both. Maybe both.
"W-well, of corse it isn't!" I yelled, balling my fists. "He came to me first too! He always…"
I felt cold wetness run down my cheeks.
"…I was betrayed too." she told me.
"Wh-what…?" I stuttered, hiccuping and looking up at her.
Those blue eyes were a darker color now--as if her soul was opened up through her eyes, like peering into windows. She was more than just sad…she was despairing.
"I think…" she added. "No…I have a feeling I'm right. It's sad. It hurts. It hurts a lot…to be left alone."
"…it does." I replied.
She hopped down from her perch and landed gracefully, grinning. "So, you wanna be friends?"
I had a strange gut feeling she was toying with me. The sadness was real, but there was something off with her grin--something evil.
"…friends?" I asked.
"Haha…" she chuckled--suddenly looking more serious. "It's fun to play with lonely humans like you. It's tempting…really tempting."
And then I grew frightened. There was a sudden change in her look and she looked at me with such…malevolent intent. It was horrifying--like she was going to eat me. More than that--it was like she was going to torture me first--then cut me till I died, then hack me to pieces, and then eat me. Her eyes were a devilish gold and slitted.
"It's so tempting." she said, laughing. "I love it…the smell of your sadness…your dear…your doubts…"
Her voice was accompanied by deeper ones that bellowed and higher ones that hissed. I ran. I ran again. it seemed that all I could do was run--so pathetic. But no way I was going to stay there! I had to get out! To get away!
"Umph-!"
"Ritsu!" Waka gasped, grabbing the other by the shoulders. "Ritsu, I found you! Oh god…"
I felt Waka's warm arms wrap around me, and he was holding me tightly. I breathed in deep--realizing only then that I was panting so hard. I hugged him back, twice as tight.
"So…so scary…" i whispered.
"I'm sorry…" he said, 'I snapped…I….I'm sorry….I saw you being so friendly with your lecturer…I…I was jealous…I shouldn't have yelled…"
That made me the happiest I could ever be. Waka cradled me in his arms as we walked home, my feet aching and my whole body sore. We got home and spent the night like normal--making love. And then the next morning, I awoke to his sleeping face and smiled again.
"Say…Ritsu…" Waka asked, pouring the tea into our cups.
We were having breakfast.
"Hm?"
"What were you so scared of?" he asked.
"Ah…" In all that, I forgot about the girl. "Well…"
Then there came the doorbell. I got up and went to the door, peering through the hole.
"Huaah!" I gasped, backing away from it and leaning against the wall. "I-It's her! Th-the creepy girl from last night!"
She was at the door! Oh god! Oh no! Please! Please, don't! Please just…go away! How did she know we were here?!
"Ritsu?!" Waka came rushing in.
I had to warn him. "Waka! No! Don't open it!"
But it was too late. He grabbed a nearby broomstick and unlocked the door, throwing it open.
"Ah-…?" he blinked, upping seeing the girl.
She grinned. "How lucky, ne Ritsu-niichan?"
I just stared--she was the same as before. Cute and smiling.
"It may not be a movie, and you may not have gotten lost in the crowds, had an accident, or even had the rain drench you to the bone till you were sick…there's no drama but.."
She continued as she turned to walk down the hallway. "…good--and sometimes very sappy things, can happen. Make sure you keep him close and never let go. I know I wasn't as lucky."
Only then did I realize--…she wasn't a little girl.

---

"OW!" Seshiru cried, holding her head.
Shindi frowned. "That's for running off during a mission. Where did you go anyways?"
Seshiru frowned, looking back as they walked away from the apartment. "Just…to visit an Oniichan. Probs?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow and rubbing the back of her head still, feeling a lump form. "I need a break too, you know."