Middy and Polo

Laiko stood back and watched the situation with increasing concern and sympathy for Ada. It was so cruel... He had never seen anything like it. They were so... Beastly. It was like watching a pack of starving wolves kill off one of their own to survive... Only these girls were by no means attacking Ada to save their own lives. They were doing it for fun. For sport. Laiko felt his jaw clench in uncharacteristic annoyance, suddenly wishing that they would just stop and go away. As the one walked toward him, he fixed a determinedly pleasant expression on his face, but before he could reply, Ada had broken in, and was asking for the book again. When he saw the boys jump out of the bushes and dunk water over her, Laiko felt definite anger, unlike he had ever felt it before. He barely recognised the emotion... In fact, it was alarmingly difficult to control. He clenched his fists, willing himself to keep calm and patient. He didn't know what would happen if he lost his temper... It had never really happened before. He turned willingly away as Ada came back over to him and suggested that they leave. He was most eager to get away, so he had no complaints. Then he heard the 'Amanda' girl's voice behind him again. He turned around to see what she was talking about, and when he saw the phone, presumably taking a video, he felt his patience snap. It was 5 against 1. None of them had reason to hurt Ada. Why did they do it? Had they no shame? No decency? No - they were simply spoilt brats. Brats with nothing better to do. They needed to learn a lesson. Barely aware of what he was doing, yet unable to stop it even if he had wanted to, Laiko walked toward Amanda. His bright green eyes were locked on her face as he stepped calmly toward her, his expression unreadable. He came to a standstill right in front of her and, without a moment's hesitance, pulled back his fist and punched her in the face, the cellphone shattering instantly upon impact with his blow. Still not showing the slightest hint of emotion, Laiko turned and walked back toward Ada, acting almost as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. "Now we can go." He stated simply, coming to a standstill beside her.

Amanda smiled with satisfaction as Laiko began to walk toward her, and my heart sank. He actually believed them? I sighed. "Let's go, Max-" I broke off when I saw Laiko draw back his fist and punch Amanda square in the face. The cellphone shattered, falling to the ground as Amanda gasped, the blow sending her stumbling backwards. All of Amanda's crowd stared, unable to add up what they had just seen with their own eyes. Nobody dared to hurt Amanda. Even the people who considered hurting her always thought twice. She was the richest person in town, and she had the power to do almost anything she wanted. Amanda seemed to be in shock, and glared at Laiko. "You. Idiot." She said, glaring at him. An idiotic grin was spread over my face, and suddenly the boys began howling with laughter. Not at me, but at Amanda. Wow, my day was really brightening up. "Now we can go." I turned to Laiko, who was at my side once again. For once, I was filled with satisfaction. All of her "watchers" might see me soaked from ice-cold water, but they would also see Amanda receive her first punch in the face. I looked at Laiko with a smirk. "You're lucky that Amanda and her friends think you're cute." I said, beginning to walk down the street towards home. "Her father, the richest man in town, would not be pleased. But I have a feeling she's not going to tell anyone, because she'll be too embarassed." I laughed a bit. I wondered if I was being a bit cruel now. I probably was, but after all those years of Amanda being cruel to me, I wasn't sure if I should be worrying about it. "I just can't let her read this any more than she already has," I whispered. "My life is written in here." I said quietly, looking down at the book and flipping through the pages.
May 24
I'm running away. I just can't take the beatings anymore. I have countless scars, including an iron burn on my back, knife slits on my arms, rope burns on my neck, and more bruises than I could imagine. The school is questioning and I hate the remarks I get when changing in Gym. I'm not sure where I will go, but I'm going to try and get a job and save up some money. Maybe I'll do something useful with my life...
Uh-oh, here she comes. Maybe I'll try escaping tomorrow...

I sighed as I finished reading the page. Everything was so much better now... I felt better than I had ever before, mostly thanks to Laiko. I looked at him. "Are you okay?" I asked him, concerned. He didn't usually snap like this; I should have been paying more attention to him, instead of bathing in the glory of having Amanda taken down...

Laiko turned to face Ada as she began to speak, smiling slightly ashamedly as he saw her smirk. Well, at least she wasn't upset that he had punched her 'friend'. He had been worried she might have been annoyed that he'd stood up for her... That perhaps she was the sort to always want to fight her own battles with no help from anybody else. He was rather glad she wasn't, since he tended to be quite interfering when he saw something he didn't agree with. Still, he felt rather guilty for punching the girl, simply because he couldn't remember having done anything like that before. He didn't like to cause pain... He liked to ease it. Though he supposed in that scenario he had done both, as one had seemed to rely quite heavily on the other. Besides, Amanda seemed to deserve the pain far more than Ada did, at least in his opinion. Thankfully, the fact that her gang of cronies had not defended her made him even more certain of his opinion. If one's friends were disloyal to them, then they clearly attracted the wrong company, for whatever reason... He shrugged off his thoughts, suddenly remembering that Ada was speaking to him. "They did?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't noticed that... But then again, he did tend to be rather clueless on such matters, though that was to be expected, given his circumstances. "I daresay he wouldn't." Laiko said in reply to Ada's next comment, grinning slightly and seeing rather sheepishly pleased with himself. "She could tell the pope and it wouldn't bother me." Laiko stated bluntly. "She's a spoilt brat, and she was asking for it. If you ask me, I did her father a favour." He shrugged vaguely, then walked in silence for a while. he glanced over at Ada in concern as he heard a sudden change in her tone and she began to speak again. "Hey, don't worry." He comforted her kindly, "She seems the sort to do things jut for fun and games. I doubt she actually thought too much about any of it, and I doubt she'd have bothered to read past the first few pages, since she doesn't seem the intellectual type." He shrugged, then concluded, "She'll probably have forgotten most of it in a week." He smiled at Ada, only to see that she was engrossed in reading the page. He turned his attention to Max instead, whistling to the dog, and keeping a respectful distance from Ada as her eyes scanned the page. "Huh?" He asked, turning back to Ada at her comment. "Oh- Yeah, I'm fine." He replied with a smile. "Well, my hand hurts quite a lot, but since I doubt it would be considered proper etiquette to complain about something like that after hitting somebody, I'll just keep quiet." He added with a devious grin.

I grinned. "She totally deserved it. But don't blame me if one of her friends start spreading word that you're their new target." I said with a grin. "I wonder how much she paid those guys. The most she ever paid someone to torture me was 100 bucks." I shuddered at the memory. "After that, I never drank fruit punch again." I was considering telling the story, but decided to only if he seemed curious. "Trust me, you'll need a worst word than "spolied brat" when describing Amanda and her group. She's probably more mad that you ruined her third nose job than the fact that you punched her and broke her cell phone. Even the most expensive cell phones are considered cheap for her." I said, rolling my eyes. I appreciated that Laiko made a point of not reading over my shoulder; it was one of my pet peeves, and I had secrets here I didn't want anybody to know. "How about we go to the park?" I asked suddenly. After the incident with Amanda, I didn't feel like going back inside. And for all we knew, those strange people could be back at my house again... I shuddered. Deep down, I knew that I didn't care about those people, as long as I had Laiko as my friend. Perhaps I should have waited for an answer, but I headed in the direction of the park anyways, feeling a burst of energy and my earlier cheerfulness. I was lafready starting to dry from the warm sun, and I didn't mind being a bit cold. After a few minutes, I was completely dry and I could see the park sign. "Can you see the sign?" I asked him curiously. I wanted to know whether or not I did have better sight becuase of my disease...

[Another bad post *hides*]

"They can try." Laiko replied with a laugh, "But I doubt they'd get very far, seeing as how I don't remember anything worth hiding." He finished with a wink. "100?!" Laiko gasped, "I don't think I've ever even seen that much money..." He admitted, scratching his head thoughtfully. Then he glanced oer at her with a curious frown. "Fruit punch...? Dare I ask what they did to it?" He asked, raiing his eyebrows slightly. He was somewhat curious, yet he still left her the option to opt out of telling him. He didn't like to stick his nose in where it didn't belong, curiousity or none. Laiko frowned in concentration at her next comment. "Very spoilt brat?" He suggested helpfully, a sweet, innocent smile on his face. Insults were not his strong point. Laiko nodded at her suggestion to go to the park and followed her with alacrity, glad to see her looking cheerful right now. Laiko was just admiring the glorious warm quality of the weather when Ada's question reached his ears. "The sign?" He squinted into the distance, and could just make out a spash of yellow. "Almost." He confirmed with a slight nod. "Why, can you?" He asked in sight surprise, regarding her curiously. A slight gust of wind picked up, flipping a thick mop of golden hair over Laiko's eyes. He flipped it back patiently, then turned his attention back to Ada, still watching her with a typical innocent curiosity that made his face seem almost childlike.

(Ditto. *joins hiding* )

I grinned. "Yup, 100 bucks. That's why they didn't attack you." I said with a smile. "The Fruit Punch Incident? Okay, here goes." I took a deep breath, pretending to be getting ready to begin a huge speech. "In 8th grade, I got invited to my first - and only party. I had never been to a party before, even a birthday party, so I was quite excited." I said. "Well, I got there and Amanda suggested I try the punch." I shuddered. "When I got over there, they picked up the bowl and poured the entire thing over my head. It was spiked, and I smelled like alcohol all night. It was a new outfit I had paid over fifty bucks for it, but I had to throw it away because I couldn't get rid of the smell." I sighed. "And I liked that outfit." I said with a smile as I pretended to pout. I grinned at his next words. "You're not good with insults, are you?" I said with a grin. "I could think of a couple words, actually," I added, "But very spoiled brat will do." I said, looking up at him. "The sign?" He squinted into the distance. "Almost." He confirmed with a slight nod. "Why, can you?" He seemed curious about this. I was suprised. "Yeah, I can almost make out the words..." I squinted. "Something... Park. I can't make out the first word." I admitted. "You can't see it?" I asked, suprised. Maybe I did have really good eyesight... either that or Laiko had very poor eyesight. As we got closer, I could makie out the first word. "Melgrove Park." I said. I could see some kids playing, along with parents watching them. There was even an ice cream stand where a line of children stood, waiting for their turn. I smiled at all the happy faces as we got closer, then kept my gaze down. I didn't liek it when children stared at my eyes; it freaked me out and made me feel like an interesting new toy.

"How cruel..." Laiko muttered, shaking his head in disgust. "I honestly had no idea people could be like that." He admitted with a frown. "I mean, why torment somebody like that? It can't really make them feel good can it?" He sighed sadly, shaking his head again at the thought. "It's really pretty pathetic if you think about it..." He shrugged, trailing off into silence for a moment. "Of course, when I came across a bowl of fruit punch, my friends conveniantly 'forgot' to mention that it was spiked." He chuckled softly at the memory, "But you've already heard that one." He added with a slightly sheepish smile. He was silent for a while, lost in thought, then he heard Ada speak again, returning her grin. "Nope, not at all." He confirmed with a smile, "You're going to have to help me on that one." He followed her gaze to the sign, now able to make out the vague shape of it. "Wow, that's impressive." He replied as she read it, applauding teasingly. "Your eyes really are good. That must be quite useful." Laiko commented with a slight smile. Laiko raised his head and looked around with curious interest as they neared the park. He had seldom seen parks before, and he found it rather fascinating to see all the people going about their on personal business. He frowned slightly at the sight of all the childred; wondering, not for the first time, what childhood must be like. Had he even had one? He supposed he must have, since he was only a few years out of it, but to not be able to remember any of it was quite confusing at times. He wondered if he would miss it if he knew what it was... He watched the playful children wistfully, trying to imagine himself as one of them. He couldn't. It was like trying to picture a colour you'd never seen... It simply wasn't possible. He gazed around the place, so deeply lost in thought that he forgot about Ada completely and began wandering around on his own, his feet gradually drifing off track away from her.

I shrugged. "I don't want to seem full of myself, but I think she may be jealous of me." I said quietly, then added with a goofy grin, "But who wouldn't be jealous of me?" Then I said more seriously, "People hang with Amanda for the glory of being popular. I hate to admit it, but she's dumb as a doorbell and very few people actually look up to her." I sighed. "I almost feel sorry for the girl. Almost. I smiled. "Forgot to mention it was spiked? It must be a common one, but I've never heard it actually." I said with a smile, then put on a pretend serious look. "Drinking at 17? Never seen the likes of such." I said, poking him. Then I began to think. "Let's see... insults for Amanda..." I looked around. "Were getting a bit close to some younger ones, I think we better save that conversation for later." I said. I felt pretty good when Laiko commented my eyesight. "I think it must help me with aim and hand-eye coordination as well, becuase I've always been complimented about that from my gym teacher." I said thoughtfully. "I know you have good aim, too. I've seen it." I added, thinking of when we were in that alley last night... I shuddered, shaking off the thought. As we neared the park, Laiko seemed to put on an almost wistful look as he watched the children play. "Never been to the park very often, huh?" I asked, saying it more like a statement rater than a question. The next thing I knew he had drifted way from me and Max, and I had to start following him. "Laiko?" I asked curiously, already beginning to feel the stares. "Mom, look at that girl's eyes!" I heard a little boy exclaim quietly, and his mother shushed him. I sighed softly. I loved the park - but not the stares I received.

Laiko continued walking absentmindedly forward, his feet plodding along a track that they seemed to remember, but he did not. He started heading toward an ancient oak, its gnarled trunk stretching to over a meter in width and it's python-thick branches stretching his into the sky. There were a billion inscriptions in the wood from generations upon generations carving their initials into the trunk. Laiko's eyes slipped back into focus as his bright green gaze darted to the tree, but before he was close enough to read any of the inscriptions, Ada's voice cut through his thoughts. "Huh?" He asked, turning to face her and frowning in confusion when he saw that she was behind him. Zoning out was not too uncommon for him, but zoning out and walking away from her? That was odd. He was about to ask a question, when a sudden shout caught his attention. Before he had time to hear what it was, or even to turn to face the source of the voice, something collided hard with him, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. Winded, Laiko coughed and spluttered for a moment before squinting up into the grinning face of his friend and roommate: Mike. "Your recovery time is as bad as your reaction time!" Mike jeered teasingly. "Mike-" Laiko attempted to get his friend's attention. "I mean, if coach Gary saw you get taken down like that..." Mike continued chattering away, clearly not hearing Laiko's attempts to get his attention. "Mike!" Laiko interjected again, though to no avail. "Dude, you'd be off the team. Like, no joke. You're gonna have to step it up a notch if we're gonna-" "MIKE!" Laiko shouted, wincing at the strain on his lungs so soon after having been badly winded. "What?" Mike asked, glancing at Laiko in surprise. "Get off me." Laiko replied, narrowing his eyes threateningly. "You didn't say please!" Mike teased, flicking Laiko's forehead. "Gerroff you big lump!" Laiko moaned, throwing Mike off him and quickly getting to his feet before his friend could push him down again. He sighed, shaking his head and dusting himself off with as much dignity as he could muster. Mike seemed to bounce to his feet the second he hit the ground and Laiko chuckled softly in appreciation of his friend's vast amounts of energy and enthusiasm. "So, Laiko, did you find somewhere to stay?" Mike asked, walking over and leaning on Laiko's shouler. Laiko shoved him patiently away before replying, "Yes, Ada's letting me crash at her place." "Ada...?" Mike asked uncertainly, then followed Laiko's gaze to the girl standing nearby. Laiko shrugged at Ada with a slight smile before walking over to him. Mike followed, his mouth dropping open as he stared in undisguised awe at Ada. "Mike, shut your mouth." Laiko advised distastefully, frowning at his friend. Mike instantly shut his mouth, then leaned over to Laiko, and speaking in a carrying whisper, "Dude, she's hot! Introduce me, quick!" "Introduce yourself." Laiko laughed, shoving Mike away again. "But what if she doesn't like me...? Mike asked quietly, throwing Ada a nervous glance. "Then I'll make you hot chocolate and sing you a lullaby when we get back on Monday." Laiko replied sarcastically. "Really? Cheers mate!" Mike replied with a grin. Laiko shook his head incredulously at his friend, slapping a palm to his face in disbelief. He stepped back lightly to observe as Mike stepped forwards to introduce himself to Ada.

Mike stepped up to Ada, then knelt before her, picking a dandelion from the ground and holding it up to her. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art-" He broke off suddenly as Laiko cut in, "Mike... I think you're trying a little too hard, mate." Laiko told him in a serious tone, stifling a chuckle. "Yeah, you're probably right... I've been watching too many cheesy romance movies." Mike replied with a grin, tossing the flower over his shoulder and standing up. He held out his hand to Ada, a friendly expression on his handsome face. "Hey, I'm Mike - Laiko's roommate. Your name's Ada, right?" He asked with a friendly smile.

"Huh?" I barely heard Laiko as I saw a person running towards him. "Laiko-" I broke off as I heard a shout and someone barrelled into him, sending him crashing to the ground. I was about to head towards them, but I was unsure. "Mike! Laiko pushed the person off him and got up. So he knew this person; I was guessing it was a friend of his. Suddenly, their gaze drifted to me, Laiko offering me a slight smile as they headed toward me. I groaned when I saw the person's jaw drop. Could he possibly see my eyes from here? I gave Laiko a look that begged for help as he stepped back, a hand over his face as his friend stepped forward.

My jaw dropped as the person knelt before me, picking a dandelion from the ground and offering it to me. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art-" I stared incredulously at him, suprised. I watched Laiko stifle a chuckle. "Mike... I think you're trying a little too hard, mate." I looked down at him, curious. Trying a little too hard? What was that supposed to mean? "Yeah, you're probably right... I've been watching too many cheesy romance movies." He replied to his friend with a grin, and I smiled slightly, feeling a bit confused as he tossed the dandelion over his shoulder and stood up, sticking his hand out for me to shake. "Hey, I'm Mike - Laiko's roommate. Your name's Ada, right?" He said with a friendly smile. I smiled back, trying not to meet his eyes though I was filled with curiousity. "Yeah, I'm Ada. So your Mike's roomate, huh?" I asked, smiling again and shaking his hand. My gaze flickered to Laiko with a curious look. What's going on? My look said before I returned my gaze to the ground. I had forgotten about Max, but I was soon reminded of him as he jumped up on Mike, barking enthusiastically. If all the people at the boarding school were this kind, I wouldn't had minded going to school there...

"Nice to meet you, Ada." Mike replied with a smile, letting go of her hand. "Yup, Laiko's my roomie." Mike added, beckoning Laiko over. Laiko acquiesced, walking over to Mike and and Ada, flashing Ada a quick wink. "Poor guy knew nothing when he came to us. It was like bunking down with an alien, except in the mornings... He's more like The incredile Hulk in the mornings..." Mike nodded seriously, then laughed at his joke. Laiko chuckled politely, glancing at Ada and rolling his eyes. "Don't mind him." Laiko said quietly to Ada, gesturning toward Mike who was now doubled over with giggles, clutching his stomach and shaking with laughter as tears of mirth streamed down his face. "Hulk..." He murmured to himself, then burst out into a renewed fit of laughter. "He's got way too much energy. Probably on a lucazade trip or something." Laiko explained with a chuckle.
"MIKE!" A woman's voice rang out through the park, and Mike instantly resurfaced from his laughing fit. "Damn! I've gotta go." He admitted, pulling a face. "Ada, if you ever want to grab a coffee or something, give me a call." Mike offered with a charming smile, pulling a pen out of his pocket and grabbing Ada's hand, quickly jotting a seiries of numbers down on her skin. "I'm surprised he hasn't got business cards by now..." Laiko muttered under his breath, an amused smile twitching his lips. "I hope to hear from you." Mike said with a wink, waving farewell to Ada and teasingly blowing Laiko a kiss before dashing over to an impatient-looking woman in a black Sedan. He jumped in, and the car screeched away.
Laiko shook his head in incredulous amusement, waving to Mike before turning back to Ada. "Sorry about that..." He apologised with a slight chuckle.

I opened and shut my mouth a few times, not getting a chance to speak as Mike rambled on. Laiko... his roomie... something about ailens? I simply nodded, pretending a knew what he was talking about as he suddenly doubled over in laughter. I looked over at Laiko who explained, "He's got way too much energy. Probably on a lucazade trip or something." I chuckled with him, jumping when I heard a yell. "MIKE!" A woman's voice called. "Damn! I've gotta go." Mike admitted, pulling a face. I smiled slightly "Ada, if you ever want to grab a coffee or something, give me a call." He offered with a charming smile, pulling a pen out of his pocket and grabbing my hand, quickly jotting down what I was guessing was his phone number. I kept a faint smile on my face, though inside I felt really happy. It would be fun to have someone else to go for coffee or something with... by the sounds of it, I surely wasn't going to be alone this summer. But then I thought about what would happen in the fall. Mike and Laiko would go back to school for their last year... I had forgotten they were younger than me. "I'm surprised he hasn't got business cards by now..." I heard Laiko mutter and grinned. "I hope to hear from you." Mike said with a wink, waving farewell to Ada and teasingly blowing Laiko a kiss before dashing over to a black Sedan and jumping in. "He's quite the character, isn't he?" I said with a chuckle, watching them leave. I was beginning to wonder what his other room mate was like...

Laiko nodded in agreement at Ada's comment. "He has way too much energy though, especially in the mornings." Laiko announced with a dramatic groan. "And he's a legendary womaniser, so watch your back." He added with a wink. Although he was a complete goof and a bit of an idiot, Mike's handsome features and supreme sporting abilities always had girls lining up to date him. Mike enjoyed it thoroughly, though typical of him, he would get bored quickly and move from one to the next as he pleased. Laiko had attempted to discourage him at one stage, but had soon given up when Mike had quoted "Don't hate the player, hate the game." And burst into a laughing fit. Laiko shook his head at the memory. Mike never really paid attention to much, other than girls and sport... A typical high school jock, yet without the bullying attitude that had become quite common in modern day sports stars. Laiko suddenly dragged his thoughts back to the conversation, aware that he had stayed silent too long. "He's played some rather awful pranks on me, but he's a good guy. He's easier to deal with when Kevin's around to set him straight, of course..." Laiko trailed off with a shrug. "But that's my life." He concluded with a silly grin, "You don't really want to hear about all that, do you?" He asked, though the question was clearly rhetorical. It seemed slightly strange to Laiko that, when talking about 'his life' the only things he could really come up with were the lives of the people closest to him. He really needed to stop attempting to capture a past that wasn't there and start living in the present instead. Perhaps if he spent some more time with Ada he could actually get around to doing something with his life...

I nodded, laughing a bit. "Well, your story is quite boring," I teased with a fake yawn. I looked up and noticed it must be getting close to lunch time. "Well, I guess we should go," I said, tugging on Max's leash and walking out of the park. Soon, we were on the streets, with me hoping Laiko hadn't gotten distracted. "Did he even notice my eyes?" I asked. I don't know why, but I really needed to know. There was no way he could be that nice, just like Laiko was. I shook my head in disbelief. Suddenly, Max bolted across the street, probably spotting a squirrel. "Max!" I yelled as I spotted a car coming at a very fast speed. It swerved at the last minute, just barely hitting Max's leg. I rushed to him, relieved but worried. The driver drove on, obviously not very concerned. "Oh Max," I whispered as I saw that he was bleeding. "I think we should get him checked out at the vet's," I murmured, looking down at him. He seemed shaken and his leg wasn't looking very good; I thought about how much money I would lose if he was fine, but I couldn't take the risk. I would get a job and work it off, hopefully one where I could stay home most of the day to see Max and Laiko. I frowned at the thought, looking down as Max whimpered. I couldn't carry him, and it would be a long way for limping...

"Well, he prob- MAX!" Laiko began to reply to Ada's question, then broke off and echoed her yell as Max dashed away. He instantly broke into a sprint after the dog, his mind seeming to calculate automatically exactly what was going to happen - judging speed and distances to conclude that Max would not quite be in time to get away from the car: A prediction that proved to be true a moment later. Where the sudden flood of knowledge and calculations had come from, Laiko had no clue, but that dreadful feeling of knowing what was going to happen... That moment when he had literally calculated that the car would hit Max... It shook him to the core. But the next moment, concern for Max hit him with a rush and all else was forgotten as he dropped to his knees beside the dog. Biting his lip in concern at the sight of the blood, he watched Max with a tender expression and stroked him gently, murmuring soothing words of comfort to the dog. "Thank goodness he's all right..." Laiko murmured softly, not changing his tone out of respect for the shaken dog, though his words were now directed toward Ada. "If that car had been one meter-per-second faster..." Laiko trailed off, deciding it best to keep this alarming newfound knowledge to himself. Okay, so he had always been a bright spark when it came to maths and physics, but to work something out automatically, that accurately and that quickly... That was downright unnatural. Laiko forcefully shook the thoughts from his mind as he heard Ada speak again. "Definitely!" He agreed earnestly, getting to his feet and turning to face her, his eyes glassy with concern for the dog. He knew how it felt to be lying and bleeding in the middle of the road... "Where's the nearest vet?" Laiko asked, turning his attention to Ada again, suddenly all business. "I'll carry him." He offered, a slight firmness to his tone that stated that his offer was non-negotiable.

I bit my lip. "It's about 3 blocks from here; I'll help you carry him." I said in a firm tone. It was going to be hard, but we had to get Max to the vet... I thought of how hurt he wad the first time I saw him, and couldn't bear to see him like that again. "I'll get his head," I said, sliding my hands in under his neck.
How could this possibly be happening? Me and Max had been together for so long without any injuries... but as long as he was okay, everything would be fine, right? After all, he was a very lucky dog... Laiko even said it himself. If that car had been one meter-per-second faster... I shuddered at the thought. That couldn't happen; me and Max were practically inseperable!

{Really bad post *hides* Didn't want to powerplay them walking down with Max... }

Laiko nodded. "That's pretty far... Thanks." He bent down and examined the wound briefly, letting his eyes do the searching. "It looks like he should be fine, though I'm no expert... Don't worry yourself too much though. He's a tough dog. One in a million." Laiko murmured softly, stroking Max's head affectionately before lifting the dog and holding him with relative ease in his arms, using one hand to support his injured leg. "Let's go." He said softly, not wanting to speak too loudly out of respect for Max. He waited for Ada to show him which way he ought to go, biting his lip nervously, though he wasn't sure why. He already knew that Max was going to be fine... He would, right? He was Max... He had to be fine. He just couldn't not be fine... It was incomprehensible. Yet still, Laiko was helpless. What could he do for Max? He loved that dog, yet he could think of nothing he might do that could actually help in the situation, other than get him to the vet as fst as possible.

I nodded, and we were soon on our way.

It was hard, but we eventually made it to the nearest vet office. When we explained the situation, the receptionist frowned. "Well, we can take him in and get him checked in a minute," She said. "Please sit down." I sat, still holding Max's head and shoulders as I ran my hand down his golden fur. It seemed like we had been waiting for ages until the vet finally came. "I can take a look at that dog of yours now," He said with a smile, then frowned when he saw Max. "Looks like he- or she, got pretty lucky." He said. "It's a he - his name is Max." I said. "Okay, let's take him into the examining room." The docter said, and I got up and follwed him into a room. "Just lay him in on the table," The vet instructed so I put his head down gently and backed away, sitting down in a chair. Would Max's leg be alright? It would be fine, right? I couldn't bear have him in pain. I listened to the vet as he mumbled to himself. "Possible fracture, maybe a break..." He used an X-ray to check. "Yup, he's got a hairline fracture," The vet said half to us and half to himself. Max began to squirm and I watched worriedly. "It's okay," The vet soothed as he attemped to clean and bandage Max's leg. Then he turned to us. "He will heal," He assured us and I let out a huge sigh of relief. The vet smiled. "He hasn't had any shots in a while; do you want me to give him them?" He offered. "Actually, I'm pretty broke right now so-" I began to say but he broke me off. "It's okay, I can do the basic shots free of charge." I stared at him, my mouth dropped open. I must be dreaming - there was no way I was getting that lucky. "You really don't have to do that-" I began to say, but the vet shook his head. "No, I insist." He said with a smile. Did Laiko or me know this vet, or did he just really love animals? "Thanks," I said gratefully. I wasn't sure if Max had ever gotten shots before...

Laiko glanced up from Max as the vet walked in, his expression grave and desperate as he gazed beseechingly up at the older man, hoping that he would be able to fix poor Max up with relative ease. He heaved a soft sigh of relief when he heard the vet agree with his earlier conclusion: Max had been lucky. He got up, cradling Max gently and carefully in his arms, then followed the vet into the examination room and slowly lowered the dog onto the table. Laiko stepped away, gnawing his lip nervously as he watched the vet closely and waited for his verdict. "He will heal." The words struck Laiko like a tidal wave, and he heard Ada echo his relieved sigh as a grin split his face and he ruffled Max's fur in relieved affection, a weak chuckle bursting from his lips. "Thank you!" Laiko exclaimed, looking up at the vet with a grateful grin. He thought he saw a brief flash of recognition flutter through the man's expression, but he thought nothing of it, simply turning back to Max and coddling him happily. He glanced up in surprise as the vet offered to do Max's shots free of charge. Blinking in pure bewilderment, Laiko's eyes remained wide and bisbelieving as he watched the vet aminister the shots. Were people usually this nice? He doubted it... In fact, was the vet even allowed to do this? He doubted that, too. If he offered free service to every animal that came in, he'd be a broke man. Why, then, did Max get special treatment? He was glad, and he was grateful, from the tips of his toes to the hair on his head, but he could not help but wonder... Why? Then the man turned to him, and Laiko smiled, but the words of thanks he had formed died on his lips when the vet beat him to speaking. "Can I speak with you for a moment, boy?" He asked suddenly. Laiko frowned in confusion, but nodded all the same and followed the vet into the next room. He shut the door behind them, then pulled down the blinds and turned to Laiko. He stared at Laiko in open disbelief for a moment, then his eyes became glassy and he rushed toward him, grabbing his face in his hands. Laiko stiffened and stumbled backward in surprise, eyeing the man with a mixtue of concern and suspicion as his rough hands rubbed Laiko's cheeks. "It is you, oh it is!" The man exclaimed with a gleeful, relieved laugh, throwing his arms around Laiko and giving him a hearfelt hug. Laiko was definitely worried now, mostly about the man's mental health, and a tad freaked out himself... "Ummm... Mister... Are you okay?" he asked uncertainly, patting the now sobbing man awkwardly on the back.
He pulled away instantly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and gazing down at Laiko in disbelief. "But... Don't you r-recognise me?" He stuttered weakly, his eyes searching Laiko's face. "I suppose you don't." He admitted with a harsh chuckle, "I don't suppose you've ever seen me sober, have you?" He asked, shaking his head in self-disappointment. "Matt, it's me. It's Dad!" The man said, a hesitant smile lighting up his face.
Laiko's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. This man was obviously crazy... He was starting to feel a little nervous... "Sir... I- I think you've got the wrong guy." He explained soothingly, raising his hands in submission. "I'm not your son, and my name isn't Matt, it's Laiko." He assured him with a firm nod.
"Oh..." The man replied, his face falling. "Oh... I- I see... You just looked so like him..." He sniffed, pulling himself together, then took out a hankerchief and wiped his face.
"Well.. I'll just... Go then, shall I?" Laiko asked awkwardly, edging toward the door. He had never seen a grown man cry so openly before... "Yes. Sorry about that." The vet replied, seeming for the most part to be composed once more... Laiko turned away, a low, silent whistle issuing from his lips as he shook his head in utter disbelief and left the room, still feeling slightly shaken by the man's onslaught.
Of course, he had not stopped to consider the fact that, seeing as how he had never known his father, what the mad had said might have been true... Thankfully, Laiko was as blissfully oblivious as always.

I watched curiously as the vet finished the shots and asked to speak to Laiko for a moment. They went into another room and I tried to think, confused. Did Laiko know this person? Was that why we had gotten free shots? I didn't understand. Maybe this was another part of Laiko's huge mystery... I jumped when the door opened suddenly, Laiko emerging. "What was that all about?" I asked quietly as we lifted Max off the table and walked out, another long walk ahead of us.

After a while, we made it back, having only had to help Max a bit at times. I got my key and unlocked the door, stepping in and leaving the door open for Laiko as I prepared Max's second meal. "Do you want some lunch?" I offered. I had been planning on having a sanwich myself, and I wanted to make sure I was still a good host for Laiko. For once, Max only nibbled on his food a bit before seeming uninterested. I frowned. "Eat up, Max." He looked at me remorsefully then took a few bites, eating slower and without his usual enthusiasm. I sighed. Hopefully, this fix wasn't permanent. The sun shone through the glass-paned windows, brightening up the day. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" I said, an idea forming in my mind. After all, they must not see much of the outdoors in the boarding school... for me and Max, this was barely possible. Since there wasn't much else to do, we were usually outside most of the days, going for walks in and around the neighborhood.

[Not very good ]

Laiko shook his head at Ada's question. "I'll tell you later." He muttered softly, casting a fleeting glance over his shoulder before turning his attention to Max, watching the dor with concern as he followed Ada out of the door and out onto the street.

A while later, they finaly arrived back at Ada's house, and Laiko gave Max a congratulatory pat on the achievement. The dog had made it most of the way without assistance, thankfully allowing Laiko's untrained lungs a bit of a break. He walked into the house after Ada, a smile slipping onto his face again as he glanced around the now familiar place. "Sure, thanks!" He replied with a grateful smile, then turned his attention to Max as Ada fed the dog. He gnawed on his lip as Max nibbled listlessly at the food, his gaze soon darting to Ada to see her concerned frown. "Don't worry." Laiko consoled her reassuringly, "The shock just kills appetite. Trust me, I know. He'll be right as rain in no time." He assured her with an encouraging smile, hoping that his words would be some consolation to her worries.
He squinted suddenly as a bright ray of sun hit his eyes, and he shielded his face with his hand as he followed Ada's gaze to the window. "It is." He agreed with a soft sigh of contentment, staring blissfully into the warm, comfortable sun that lit up the world outside. He seldom got to spend time outside, save for sports, and as he did not really enjoy them much, it was just not the same...

((Don't worry. Mine neither. ))

I nodded, finding comfort in Laiko's words. After all, he would probably know. I began to make myself a simple peanut butter and jam sandwich. "I'm hoping you like peanut butter and jam?" I asked, feeling a bit uncertain. I didn't want to give him something he didn't like, especially if he was hungry... I sighed. Maybe I was just over stressing the whole "be a good host" thing... I looked down in Max's bowl, relieved to see that it was empty. I took a bite out of my sanwich and got 2 slices of bread for Laiko's, still waiting for his answer. I petted Max a bit, then opened up my journal once more. I had almost forgotten about some of the stories.
June 2
I finally managed to escape the house while my mother left - probably to get drugs, knowing her. It's my first night on the street and I have to admit, I am a bit scared. The afternoon was okay, but who knows what coulod be in the darkness?
I think I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight.
June 3
Last night was pretty rough. I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so cold, dark and lonely. Someone had taken my few items, but I'm not all that concerned. I still have the 100 dollars I stole from my mother safe in my pocket, and my golden locket is still around my neck.

I froze when I read this. My golden locket. Where had I put that? A hand instantly flew to my neck. I barely ever took it off, but it wasn't there. I wondered how long it had been missing. I hadn't been thinking about it much like I usually did; I had almost forgot about it's importance. I headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. It had to be in on my dresser. I looked in, searching my whole room for it. I couldn't lose that locket. This couldn't be happening...

"Sure, sounds great. Thanks!" Laiko replied with a grin, stepping over toward her. "Can I help...?" His question trailed off into nothingness as he saw that she was busy reading that book again, and he stood back, staying respectfully silent as he waited for her to finish. His eyes widened in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up to vanish into his fringe as she suddenly froze, seeming petrified by panic. His eyes followed the rapid movement of her hand as it darted to her neck, and he was about to voice his concern when she turned and darted off up the stairs. His eyebrows drew together in confused concern, and for a moment he was the one frozen to the spot - then h came to his senses and headed up after her, leaping up the stairs like a stag, before pausing at the top to glance around. He heard sounds coming from a room nearby, so he jogged over to it. He paused at the open door, seeing Ada frantically searching the room. His eyebrows knit together in a concerned frown, and he rapped lightly on the open door with his knuckles, hoping to alert her to his presence rather than just barging in. "What's up?" He asked, worry thick in his kind tone. "Can I help?" He asked, stepping hesitantly forward and offering a tentative smile. All his actions were calm and soothing, as he didn't want to get poor Ada into more of a state than she was already in. He wondered vaguely what she had lost... It must have been extremely important to get somebody as level-headed as Ada to panic like this... He hoped he'd be able to help her find it.

I sighed. It had to be somewhere... Suddenly, Laiko came in, probably to inquire about his sandwich. "What's up?" He asked, sounding a bit worried. "Can I help?" He said with a tentative smile as he stepped forward. "I promised." I said. "I promised..." Remembering Laiko, I sighed. "I have this locket..." I began to say, refreshing the memory.
"Take me with you," My brother begged. I hated to leave him here to deal with my mother alone; my mother seemed to go after him more lately. I thought about all of the times I had stepped in, taking the blows meant for my brother... How would he fare without me to help him? Tears pooled in my eyes. "I can't." I said finally. He was too young; if he came with me, it would be noticed, and they would probably guess he was with me. I looked down at him as tears ran down his cheeks. "Just be careful and stay out of her way," I told him softly, turning to leave. "Wait!" My brother yelled, and I turned once more. "Keep this. So if I see you again, I'll know it's you." He handed me a golden locket in the shape of a star. Inside, there was a picture of me and him, laughing and joking around. If you looked at this picture, you would never guess what actually went on in our home... "I will." I said, putting it around my neck and tucking it in under my shirt. I only wondered where he had got it for a moment. "Do you promise? To always keep it, close to your heart?" I looked down his face and swallowed my tears. "I promise." I kissed him on the forehead, something he wouldn't usually let me do but allowed me too this time. I held his face for a moment before letting go and walking out the door, leaving him there to suffer.
I took a deep breath. "It's a golden locket my brother gave me," I explained to Laiko. "I left him back with my mother, and I promised to hold on to that locket... I promised him!" I felt so sad and angry at myself. How could I lose it? I had to find it!

((Noooo! That was too sad. It made me want to cry. ))

The concern in Laiko's expression deepened at her next words as he felt an unexpected stab of empathy. He understood. He didn't know how, but he understood, and it hurt. "We'll find it." He said softly, determination flaring in his gaze as he stepped toward her. "I promise you - we'll find it!" He promised, the sincerity in his gaze reaching so deep it was almost palpable. Laiko impulsively folded his arms around her in a light embrace, hoping to comfort her, then stepped back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Can you think of the last place you had it? If you can just retrace your steps, you will find it." He assured her, his expression soft and kind as his concerned gaze darted over her face, searching her expression. He wished desperately that there was something, anything he could do to instantly obliterate that pained expression from her face, and assure that she would never have to wear it again... But there was nothing. Once again, he was helpless.
Though once he thought about it, that was not completely true. He had always had a knack for finding things. Partially because, ironically enough, he had a very good memory and partially because he simply harboured an arcane talent for working out where things might have ended up, much like a detective. He might not be able to fix everything, but at least there was a chance he would be of some use to Ada in recovering the locket. Once thing was for sure - He would not fail in this. If it took him until his final breath, he would find that locket. Not just for Ada, but somehow for himself as well... For he somehow felt that he shared this pain. That somehow he was going through the same thing. He didn't understand any of it, but he supposed he couldn't expect to. It was the DejaVu all over again. Something his mind had forgotten, but that his heart remembered.