I closed my textbook. I had finished my homework and that terrible feeling sunk back into the pit of my stomach. Why did I abandon him? “I should go check on him, see if he’s home.” I started walking towards the door but stopped. “But what if he isn’t home and still outside with Soubi-san?” I asked glancing out the window. “No, that wouldn’t be the case. I mean it’s already dark out.” I opened my door and stared into the hallway. “Then again he might not answer because I abandoned him.”
I slammed the door shut and leaned my back against it. “Come on Aymie. Be smart! You’re an American! Americans are idiots who run into things!” I sighed. “That doesn’t really help my self esteem much.” I slid down the door sitting. “I mean, even if he is home and doesn’t answer the door I can understand, I did leave him there to deal with Mr. Soubi.”
I went from English to Japanese, bite me.
“And if Soubi-san was a fighter unit than he either hurt Raphael really bad or Raphael hurt him. But if he was right saying that Raphael needed someone, he couldn’t do anything.” I stared out my window into the city lights. “Where are you Raphael?” I murmured. That was the wrong question, was he in good condition is what I wanted to know.
Occasionally I would hear voices or footsteps, but those were from the students on my floor. I was so nervous. Did he even have a cell phone? I did but he didn’t know my number. I looked at my Chocolate cell phone. No missed calls. I glanced at my answering machine, no missed calls. But it was eight. “I’m going to take a shower.” I stood up and quickly stopped. The fur on my tail stood up again.
Slowly I turned to the door and sat back down placing my head on the wood. Why were there drops of blood on the carpet? I stood back up and opened the door. Some movement to the right caught my eye and I turned to find Raphael’s door closing. I took a step out and looked down. “The carpet is warm.” I closed my door and walked staring at the carpet. What did Soubi-san do to Raphael? There was blood on the carpet.
I reached his door and lightly knocked. “Raphael?” I asked softly. After a few moments I didn’t hear anything. As expected. Should I leave though? I did that outside and he’s bleeding now. If I left what would happen? I felt my tears coming but I held them back. “Please open the door Raphael.” I knocked again. “Please.” I stared at my hand on the doorknob before letting it move into my pocket taking out a skeleton key.
The year after I moved here I decided to make a copy of it because something told me I would need it. I did now. Before I could even stick it into the keyhole it opened and I saw the silver eye staring at me.
“Raphael let me in.” I almost pleaded.
“No.” He was straining to even talk.
“I demand that you let me in!” I nearly yelled. I saw in his eyes that he didn’t want to and I glared. “That’s an order!”
Slowly he opened his door and my eyes went wide. Across his neck was bloody and there was a gash just below his chin. His hands were covered in tiny holes droplets of blood leaking staining the whiteness of his shirt dyeing it pink. Raphael’s pants were also stained red in various places and his slippers were evidence his own feet were bleeding too. Looking back up there was a trail of drying blood from his forehead down to his eye. All in all he was…there was no words to describe how terrible he looked, not to imagine how much pain he was in.
I let myself in and he shut the door following behind me.
“I’m sorry.” Raphael mumbled.
I scanned over the mess of anesthetics and bandages. “If ‘sorry’ would fix everything there’d be no wars. I don’t care if I’m your enemy!” I turned to him and he quickly without question sat on the couch. “For now I’m your supposed sacrifice! I don’t even know my name! If you’re hurt just come to me! We’re friends! You’re supposed to trust me with this!” I took the cotton swabs and sighed. “Take off your shirt.”
His chest was adorned with more droplets of bloods. “What happened?” I asked cleaning the wounds.
“He’s good with needles.”
“I can tell.” I wasn’t good with first aid, I was terrible. “Why did you do something so stupid?” I grabbed some of the stray bandages and stood up wrapping them around his torso. He didn’t seem to have a head injury. Then again only his bangs were covered in blood.
“I used to respect him.” Raphael said. I felt his head tilt forward slightly. “I wanted to be like him when I was younger.”
I couldn’t imagine what it was like. All I knew was either the mean words of everyone older than me, or the sympathy of everyone older than me. “I’m sorry for that.”
“It isn’t your fault.”
I started to clean his arm and I glanced up at his eyes. He was sad. “Hey. I’m sorry for yelling. Just please don’t hide things from me. You’re my only friend, so please don’t. Okay?” I was looking back at his arm watching the blood disappear.
“Yes.” I saw his head tilt forward but it jerked back up. He was in pain.
“Dammit, look up.” I saw him slowly lift his head up and he winced. “Nevermind I got it.” I sat in between his legs on the floor and started cleaning the wound. He hissed at the anesthetic and tried moving away. “I’ll add more if you keep moving.” He stopped and let out a sigh flinching at the touch. “Just be patient. This’ll do wonders.”
I suppose…maybe that’s when Raphael started trusting me. I don’t know though. But at the same time, that’s when things started getting tough, and my sweet silent moments would be far and rare in between.
((Comments and questions make me post faster))
 Your Missing Period · Sat May 24, 2008 @ 09:22pm · 1 Comments |
