Orange with a stroke of dark Venetian blue, appeared in the sky as we reached our neighborhood. Which is a very boring neighborhood, in my view. All of the houses here are pretty much identical, all are two stories in height, with a small porch, fronted by a small wall or fence, a small back yard behind, and almost every house has the same, square-like design. The only thing that makes this community of clone-like houses, unique from one another is the different color of the roofs and different paint jobs of the houses.

"See you later at dinner Arthur. Nya!"

We began to part ways when we arrived on the front of my house. She waved cheerfully as she ran to her house. Emi lives next door to me, her house was just like the rest, but in terms of designs her house stands out the most. Her house has a superb paint job, an elaborate patio up front, her lot holds the largest backyard, and inside her house was magnificently designed compared to my house, or to any house in this neighborhood. Our status in life is different, she's rich and I am an average, the only thing we have in common is that we both live alone and that both of our parents died in a car accident. Her parents died due to break malfunctions of their car. As for me my father, he was run over by a car, a car with break malfunctions.

Both accidents happened when were on our last day of being middle schoolers, and both accidents happened in the same location.

I wasn't sad about his death.

My father was a drunk. His alcoholic habit began when my mother died, I was just eight at that time. And during those times, due to my father's habit, I learned how to live on my own, cooking my own meals, doing my own laundry and time to time, being a body bag when my father drank too much. Because of this, I would constantly go out to the nearby park and sit there for hours until night falls. Today, my kind aunt looks after me, and pays for the bills of the house, until I can stand on my own.

As for her, she too felt the same way towards her patents death, no sympathy nor sadness.

Because of her parents work they have to move into this neighborhood. They moved in a month, after my mother's death. Her father and mother were workaholics, and both would neglect her. Her mother orders pizza for her, since her mother doesn't know how to cook. Her father was always late coming home since he was a very important figure at his work place. After just a few days after they just moved in, she was quickly enrolled in the nearest school. Probably so that, they wouldn't have to look after her.

Then on some occasions, they would entirely leave her alone for days, due to business trips. "As if I never existed in their lives..." She quoted to me once when we became friends. And because of her parent's treatment, she too would run away and stay at the park alone until night falls. And that's how I met her, my childhood friend, Emi.

****

I went up to my room and threw away my uniform on the bed and changed to my casual. I went down stairs and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

I wore an apron then I looked in the fridge, took out what was needed to prepare Emi's favorite food. Once done preparing, I took out the chopping board and took an onion, I took the knife and began to cut the onion.

*SFX: cutting sounds*

"Whatcha doing?"

"Ahhh!"

A cold breath surged behind my ear that sent shivers down my spines dropping my knife in the process. Looking behind, it was Emi, standing on a chair, wearing her blue pajamas, with a blue hoodie jacket with sewn cat ears on top of it. The majority of her hair was still slanted to the left, covering her left eye.

"Can you please, not do that? And could you please enter my house normally? How did you get in this time anyway? I know I locked all doors and windows and I don't recall giving you any spare key." I said irritably.

"He he he, that's a secret, besides I just want to surprise you. I was stealthy wasn't I?"

"Ughh...Why are you in your pajamas anyway?"

"Today's Friday! That means I can sleep here today until Sunday!" She shouted in a very cherry tone.

"What do you mean? You always sleep here." I blatantly said.

" Nyan? What do you mean by that Arthur?"

"Don't play dumb, you always break into my house and sneak up to my room to sleep."

"Oh, that! Sorry, looks like I didn't explain it very well. What I mean is that I can sleep here with you, without sneaking up tonight!"

She gave me a gleeful smile after that.

Emi has a reputation for being really stealthy, back when our parents were still alive, she would sneak up to my room with absolute silent and stealth. I only noticed her beside me whenever I wake up. Her reason for coming up to my room was that she couldn't sleep in her house, its either because of her parents arguing over work or that she was left alone again, in that haunted house as she calls it.

It was very understandable, and I let her do it. And I would intentionally leave my window open for her. But when our parents die, this became a habit of her. Even when I told her that she can use the front door now, since my father is gone, she still insisted on sneaking into my room, rather than entering normally. Until to this day, no matter how hard I try to make sure every opening in this house is locked, I would wake up beside her, just right next to me, wearing her complete uniform and hoodie.

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"And besides I felt like I've gotten used to sleeping with you..." she said blushingly "Almost as if I can't sleep without you anymore." She hugged from behind, almost tilting me.

"Well anyway, you did surprise me there. Dinner would be ready soon, you can watch T.V. while waiting."

I said as I picked up the knife and continued where I left off.

"Ehhh? but I wanna I help you make dinner!"

"No. The last time you helped me, make dinner our food got burned and we ended up ordering pizza instead."

I said to her while I cut and minced the onion. She grabbed me by the shoulder and, watched over my neck.

"Emi, I am cutting onions, don't disturb me."

"But I want to help you so that I can learn how to cook. Besides, you said it your self, that I shouldn't depend on you too much, and it was your fault that you didn't supervise me." She said as she pouted.

" I asked if you knew how to cook and you said yes, so I trusted you."

The onion's odor was already taking its effects and my eyes and I was letting out some tears. I tried to hold it in but it was no good, I began to quicken my mincing to finish this up as soon as possible.

"Oh, did that trust in me, mean so much to you? And that dinner means so much to you? Is that why you're crying right now? I am sorry Arthur, I promise I will make it up to you."

" It's the onions odor! And I am not upset about that... Ok, and if you want to help, then wipe off my tears please." I said as I gave her a cloth.

"Eh he, You don't have to be a tsun-tsun around Emi, Arthur, here close your eyes and I will wipe it off." She said as she took the cloth.

I was a bit irritated and wanted to tell her how wrong she was, but I kept my mouth shut and dropped the knife near the chopping board as I closed my eyes.

"He he good boy..."

"Just hurry up and wipe them off. I want to finish cooking dinner as soon as possible."

"Oh Arthur, such a tsundere."

" I am n—"

*Lick*

Before I could say that, I felt a soft, wet sliding sensation on the tip of my right eye, surprised I quickly opened my eyes and saw Emi reaching her tongue to my left eye. I stopped her and asked.

“ Emi! What are you doing? ”

“ Mipish ofsh yursh tearsh yusing my toungsh.

( Wiping off your tears using my tongue )

She replied while her tongue still out, and was still attempting to lick my left eye.

"Ok, I didn't understand that, but stop it already! And what happened to the cloth I gave you?" I said as I tried to stop her.

" Jush Holsh Shtill Ansh Lesh Meh Finesh."

She said as she tried to close into me harder, just to reach my left eye. For a small person, she's giving me quite a struggle. I instinctively back off as she almost neared me and somehow I slipped, with her pushing, she fell along with me.

“ Kyaa!" she screamed.

After our fall I saw Emi on top of me silent.

"Emi, are you alright? Can you stand up?"

I got no reply, she just laid on top of me silently, while her face was buried in my chest.

"Oy, get off me already."

I tried to push her off me, and as I reached for her shoulders I heard her say No,

"Let's stay like this for a while...please?" She said while her voice was a bit muffled, as she buried her face.

I retracted back my arms and looked up at the ceiling. Soon, her hands moved around my neck and hugged me.

"Emi, I still need to cook."

She hugged me tighter and laid silent on me.

"Please pat my head."

She said while her face was still buried in my chest.

"* Sigh * Ok."

I complied and I let this slide for about a minute or two, gently brushing and stroking her hood. I can feel her whole body pressing into me tighter and tighter as I patted her head. And as she pressed tighter I began to feel a something soft, and that soft sensation, gave me a very dangerous feeling.

"Ok, Emi I really need to cook, I'm not settling for pizza again."

When I was about to push her away, she crawled up and looked at me, face to face.

"Emi...?"

Her hair slowly slanted downwards, slowly the left side of her face, where most of her hair was slanted, fell, exposing her left, dark blue eyes. Sapphire, was the word that popped into my mind as I finally, once again, saw her left eye.

"Emi..."

Her whole face was red and her eyes were full of want and in a kind of pained expression. Slowly she neared my face.

"Arthur... A Arthur...I...I..."

She said in a very soft and pained voice as if she wanted to say something to me. She held me down by the shoulder and pushed me down. In response, I tried to push her away, but somehow this small girl was really putting up a fight, not only that but she was much heavier than usual. Her breathing became warm and heavier as her face slowly closes into my face. I really struggled this time, and I was pushing her with all my might, but to no avail. Slowly she closed in, slowly I began to feel weird... I have to think quickly, or something might happen.

"Emi, you know what, I think pizza is not bad, so why don't I make a quick call..." I spouted quickly as I can, because, if there's one thing she likes next to me, it's her love for pizza, and it worked. First, she stopped, then her eyes went back to normal. Slowly she retracted away from me and stood up silently. I did the same and looked at her.

She didn't put on her hoodie nor did she tried to hide her left eye. Which she would do immediately if her left eye were suddenly exposed. Intentionally concealed every day by her hair, her left eye was now exposed. Her black hair, laced strands of white silver, was now paired by two eye colors. On her right was a blue sapphire stone, and at her right was a jaded green eye. I know for a fact that she didn't want her left eye to be seen in public, nor in private. For me and her friends, her child-like body and personality added together her with black hair and with her heterochromia blue and green eyes, she was like a beautiful living doll. But when we first met, where she looked much cuter and adorable, she didn't mind showing her right eye in public, nor does she care if people stared at her. Back in middle school, many boys would ask her out, even when she tried to cover her left eye, she would be admired. But for some reason after the death of her parents she would try to conceal her hair and blue eyes with a hoodie. I asked her about this but, she never said anything about it. I guessed it was because of her parents, but she said that they didn't care for her appearance, since her existence is invisible to them. Her motives as to why she wanted to cover her left eye are still unknown to this day.

"Ey, stop staring at me and make a call already, I want pepperoni pizza."

She said in a cold tone and gave disappointed look.

"O-of course."

Much as I hate eating pizza for dinner, I have at least averted something bad.