A bit of a change up…

Yep. I have written another fanfiction. This one continues the story of the other two that I have posted previously. Please read and comment.

Comfort and Pain

A car crash. The news came suddenly. She hadn’t heard from her parents in a week, now she knew why. That was two weeks ago. No one knew. She was good at plastering a smile on her face and passing by unnoticed. She had learned long ago how to cover up her tears – a little more makeup here and there. For now, though, she didn’t have to hide them. She lay curled up on top of the covers of her single bed, not bothering to change out of the day’s clothes. Tears traced their way down the side of her face before soaking into the blanket – her now damp brown hair sticking to her cheek.

Thoughts refused to coalesce, yet her brain wouldn’t…no, couldn’t stop working. Sleep wouldn’t come. Her dinner sat half eaten on the small table near the kitchen of her tiny apartment. The TV, perpetually tuned to an all anime network, droned on in the background, playing to the empty couch nestled against the wall. An acoustic guitar sat cradled in its stand, the brand lettering all but worn away by time. The instrument had been a gift from her mother.

Sleep refused to come for several hours. Tears continued to wind their way down the paths their predecessors etched in her wet, hair-matted cheek.

Sleep finally did take the distressed girl, even if a fitful one.

******

TAP TAP TAP

Huh?...what’s that noise?

The girl’s mind struggled to function after the fitful rest she had obtained the night before. Her eyes, encrusted by her tears, finally wrenched themselves open as she fell off the bed, landing with a *thud* on the floor and startling the breath out of her.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Someone’s at the door.

Her mind registered the thought as she pushed herself up off the floor. She stumbled over to the door, tripping over a kitchen chair along the way. Upon reaching the door she looked through the peep hole, turned the lock, and pulled open the door coming face to face with the worried face of her leader, Ai Takahashi.

“Lin-cha….what the?

Ai had seen the look of surprise, and the evidence of the tears the girl had fought to hide. Lin turned away.

“Go away!...Please leave me alone Ai-chan.” Lin choked out, trying to run to the only place she could hide from her leader – her bathroom. Ai was too fast however, and she caught up to Lin as the younger girl once again tripped over the same chair she had fallen over on the way to the door. The two girls landed sprawled out on the floor, Ai landing on the back of the other. Ai quickly pushed herself up and pulled Lin into her arms before the girl could run away again.

“Lin-chan!? What’s wrong?!”

Tears fell freely from the younger girls eyes and her face drew tight in her refusal to answer her leader’s plea.

“Dammit Qian Lin! Stop hiding! Am I not important enough to you for you to be honest with me?!” Ai shouted, her eyes flaring with anger as she grabbed Lin’s face in her hands forcing the girl to look at her.

Lin’s eyes snapped open and she finally brought herself to look Ai in the eyes.

“Lin……Lin-chan…” Ai’s tone softened. “I’m here…please tell me…”

“…car accident…parents…” were the only words Lin could manage before sobs wracked her small frame once again. Ai pulled the sobbing girl closer and wrapping her arms as tightly as she could around Lin. As the sobs continued to come, Ai felt her own eyes welling up but attempted to show strength by holding her own tears in. She ran her hands through the girl’s hair and held her until Lin’s cries subsided and soft, steady breathing remained. The comfort of sleep had taken her. Ai lifted her up and carried Lin over to the slightly mussed bed, laying her down and pulling the blanket over the sleeping girl. Ai’s cell phone vibrated – she walked to the kitchen before answering .

“Moshi moshi?”

*pause*

“Yes, I found her.”

*pause*

“No, you stay with Reina, Junjun.”

*pause*

“I’ll stay with her. Call Gaki-san and tell her to run practice for the rest of you this evening.”

*pause*

“Hai. Arigatou Jun. Ja matta ne.”

Ai closed the phone and returned it to her bag. She laid her bag on the table and cleaned up the leftover dinner. Ai lifted up the fallen chair and carried it over to Lin’s bedside. She sat down in the chair and wrapped her hands around Lin’s hand.

“Don’t worry Lin-chan. I’m here with you. You don’t have to go through anything alone anymore.” She whispered to the sleeping girl.

I’ll do everything in my power to stay with you…