The Depra King 3 Summer: A Salty Snow Warms The Hidden; Soul

I yawned as I was laying down in my bed, staring up at the ceiling as the sun gently illuminated my room.

It had been about two weeks since Lachesis and her friends came over, and I had spent most of time sleeping, both inside and outside the house. If it was outside, I would do it underneath a tree in my backyard. I mostly slept inside though.

I groaned as I picked up my phone. Only 10 in the morning, huh? I set my phone down and shuffled out of my bed, brus.h.i.+ng my teeth and was.h.i.+ng my face before shuffling to the living room. I collapsed onto the couch and turned the T.V. on, yawning as I turned on a show that Hiro suggested I should watch.

It was a show about stopping evil by dating it or something, and I got to what Hiro called the cla.s.sic beach episode before my phone rang.

Ah, speak of the devil, it's him. I answered the phone with a simple greeting. "h.e.l.lo."

"Hey, you're at home, right?"

I paused the show before sitting up straight. "Yeah, why do ask?"

"Didn't Lachesis tell you? Ugh, whatever, it's fine. According to our club president, we're due for a visit to the beach."

I looked at the television, and a small smile came over me. Funny coincidence, huh? "Okay, when is it?"

"… Right now."

Huh? I couldn't help but briefly stare at my phone before responding. "So by right now, you mean…"

"We're already here."

d.a.m.n it, that was annoying. "Well, have fun without me."

"Like h.e.l.l I'm about to let that happen. If you leave now, you can get here in about an hour or two."

"But he's there, isn't he?"

"Nope, he's not."

"… Fine, I'll call you when I get close."

"Alright, see you later then Depra."

"Yeah, bye Hiro." He hung up, and I sighed before scratching my long, unkempt hair. d.a.m.n it, has the bus left already? I got up and started to get changed. I packed a beach towel I had bought but never used from long ago and brought a change of clothes along with some flip-flops.

I ran outside just as the bus was leaving, zooming around the corner.

"Agh, d.a.m.n it!" I yelled out before pursing my lips. Now what? I gazed back at the empty house, wondering if it would be better to stay inside after all.

"Yeah, that may be for the best after all," I muttered as I made my way back inside. I guess my beach escapades will never happen…

I was just about to lay back down on the couch before remembering something important. "Ah, my clothes."

I shuffled my way downstairs and into the laundry room, where I had started the washer last night. I put the now damp clothes into the dryer before yawning again.

Well, spending the day in the house like this isn't so bad, I thought as I shuffled my way past my old bike. I looked at a second too long, and an idea popped into my head.

"d.a.m.n it Depra, you just had to look, didn't you?" I grumbled to myself as I inspected my old mode of transportation. The tires were surprisingly not flat, and all the parts seemed to be in a decent enough condition for another escapade. I didn't have a helmet or anything like that, but it should be fine.

I wheeled out the bicycle to the front door before grabbing my bag. d.a.m.n it, do I really care that much? I thought about the members of our dandy club, and how the a.s.s wouldn't be there to spoil it.

And without so much as a second thought, I clicked up the stand, and I zoomed away, going as fast as I possibly could. Although completely out of shape, I kept on pus.h.i.+ng.

"d.a.m.n it! Why the h.e.l.l does it have to be so far away!" I half-panted, half-yelled out. I had to go around the outskirts of the city to get there, since it's a lot easier going around than in a straight line, since there aren't that many stop lights.

This better be d.a.m.n worth it…

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"h.e.l.lo, Hiro?"

"Oh, it's Depra. Whoa, why do you sound like that? Give me a minute guys!"

"Don't worry about it. Where the h.e.l.l are you?"

"Have you pa.s.sed the convenience store yet? Well, once you get there, you just go straight ahead towards the sea, and you should see us."

I skidded to a stop in front of said store, barely able to catch my breath. "All right, I'll see you in about 30 seconds." I hung up and peddled even harder, having to go over a giant sand dune before being able to see the sea.

And right as I reached the top, the sand crumbled out from beneath me, and I tumbled down towards the beach, the bike tumbling down after me.

I skidded to a stop, the hot sun glaring down at me as if punis.h.i.+ng me for pus.h.i.+ng myself too hard. I groaned, and a shadow blocked out the sun for me.

"Uh, what the f.u.c.k happened to you?"

I glanced up at my shadow, and wearing blue swimming trunks, with dark brown skin glistening with sweat, along with hair that was cut drastically low, it was my best friend, Hiro.

"Water…" was all I managed to say, and he knelt down in front of me, already carrying three of them.

"You know, I wasn't expecting you to bike here," he said, scowling as he handed me a bottle of water.

I managed to sit up and gulped the water down faster than I had ever done before. I motioned for another one, and he handed one to me, and I drank that one a little bit slower.

"Ah, that's much better," I muttered as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "I missed the bus, so I actually wasn't planning on coming, until I saw my old bike downstairs anyway."

"I see… Guess I made you too motivated, huh?" he said, scratching his cheek, looking slightly embarra.s.sed. And, as usual, he had his normal necklace around his neck, that showcased an intricate silver key, the handle looking as if it was made from spare gears or clocks.

"How long did it take me anyway?"

"About an hour. Honestly, I'm rather impressed that you managed to get here that fast. Although, your bike's seen better days though…"

I turned around to find the wreck that was my bike, half of it buried under the sand, the chain having snapped in two from the fall.

"Guess I'm walking home then," I muttered, sad at the current state of my bike.

"h.e.l.lo! I see he's finally arrived, hasn't he?"

I turned back to see both the student council president and the president of our club, a girl who we called Prez. She was wearing a light-brown two-piece swimsuit that suited her rather well. She was also really hot too, but her weirdness far outstripped her attractiveness for most guys.

"A pa.s.sionate bike ride to meet with the one you love, wanting to be in his warm embrace; you guys are so close, aren't you!?"

That comment got her legs swept by Hiro, causing her to fall into the sand.

"We both know that it's not like that, so cut the c.r.a.p already."

"Hey, but it could be true!"

"Like h.e.l.l it could! Now hurry up and get going already!"

Prez pouted before sticking her tongue out at Hiro. "You're so mean Hiro! Do you like acting like that?" He simply rolled his eyes in response before turning back towards me.

"By the way Hiro, is your sister here today?"

He nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yep, but she's with her own friends today. She's over there." He gazed over to his right, where in the distance were a couple of girls playing volleyball.

"She really has grown so much…" Hiro said, a complicated expression on his face. One filled with happiness and with worry, but neither having to do with one another.

"I see, so the one he actually likes is the forbidden type of love then," Prez commented, still nearby. Hiro swung around to kick her, but she dodged it as she ran away giggling, with an angry Hiro close behind.

"Those two still act the same, don't they?" I turned around to see Caelus, wearing swim trunks adorned with clouds and a blue sky. He had sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes; his skin having tanned from being outside.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Depra?" he asked, offering me a hand. I grabbed it and was pulled up to my feet.

"Thanks. You are right though; it has been a while." I said, brus.h.i.+ng off the sand off my body.

"You know, we didn't know if we would see you again after what happened during the last school year."

I felt white hot pain envelop me, and I clenched my fist tightly. "Please don't."

"All right then, I know better than that," Caelus said, raising his hands up innocently. "It's part of why we planned it so he wouldn't be here, you know?"

I felt the pain go away, and I relaxed as I heard those words. "So, Hiro wasn't lying? The a.s.s actually isn't here?"

"Nope, he went off somewhere with his family yesterday, and won't be back until a week from tomorrow."

"Good, let him stay there for as long as he needs too," I growled, and Caelus only chuckled.

"Come on, let's get to our umbrella. I'm sure everybody else will want to know you made it okay."

We walked to a pair of umbrellas' that I can only a.s.sumed belonged to us, and laying underneath one was another member of our club.

"Oh, it's Depra! How's it going?" A cute voice called out to me, and a small girl in a pink one-piece swimsuit came running towards me, a big smile on her face.

"Hey Pinkie, it's been a while," I said, giving her a small smile.

She stopped in front of me, her pink hair swis.h.i.+ng to a stop. "I heard you biked here. That's amazing, you know that? Especially since you're completely out of shape."

"No need to remind the guy Pinkie," Caelus said, glaring at her.

"It's fine. Where's the other two?"

"Oh, Hera's out building sandcastles, and Lachesis isn't here yet. She'll be here later today she said."

I see, she probably wanted to come here with me, I thought, and a miserable feeling started to take over before I was suddenly slapped on the back.

"You're not allowed to get down today. We won't let you." I turned around to find Hiro, who seemed to have stopped fighting with Prez.

"… Thanks."

He gave me a grin and a thumbs up. "No problem. Now come on, there's fun to be had. You too Pinkie, you haven't done anything since we've gotten here."

"Shut up Hiro! I don't wanna hang around you!"

"This c.r.a.p again? Listen, I know we got into a cla.s.sic anime scene together, but I apologized, didn't I?"

"He's right Pinkie, he did. Quite profusely too."

She crossed her arms with a "Hmph! I'll forgive him if he gets me something to drink!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What do you guys all want?" He asked, going towards his bag to grab his wallet.

"Lemon lime Gatorade!" Heracles yelled out from behind him.

"Water for me," I said.

"I'll also take the same as Depra," Caelus said.

"Ooh, I want cherry c.o.ke!" Prez said, clenching her hands in excitement.

"And what do you want Pinkie?" Hiro asked, pocketing his debit card.

"3 Strawberry Fanta's for me!" She said, her lips pursed.

"Oi, you said one drink, not three."

"Deal with it!" She yelled back out, and he just rolled his eyes and started to walk away to the nearby convenience store.

"Glad to see we all get along!" Caelus said happily.

"If you consider that getting along, then you're wrong Mr. Pervert," Pinkie said, staring at Hiro's back as he walked away.

"Hey, just because I appreciate the intricacies of the opposite s.e.x doesn't make me a pervert. Although, I would prefer if this were a nude beach, but this is fine once in a while too."

"You make it sound like you've been to them before," I said, chuckling nervously. Honestly, I couldn't tell with him if he was being serious or not.

I suddenly felt two soft hands grab one of my own. "Hey, let's go play in ocean already Depra! Come on, let's all go!" Prez said, starting to drag me towards the glistening blue sea.

I nodded and allowed myself to be dragged, while Prez also started to drag Heracles as well.

"You too big guy! We're going to have so much fun!"

"My sandcastle," Hera said, watching it get engulfed by the waves. "I worked hard on that too…"

We stopped as soon as the water engulfed our feet.

"So, what exactly do we do?" I asked, curious at how this worked.

"What, have you never been to the beach before?" Prez asked, looking shocked.

"Nope, never."

"I haven't either," Hera said.

"I see…" She turned away from us and started to think. "Hey Cae, bring them out!"

"This early!? Are you sure!?"

She turned back around, and she had a giant grin on her face. "Of course! Let the Seventh Hidden Club's Water Fight take place!"

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It went like this:

The battleground was the shallow part of the ocean. Weapon of choice: Water guns or Water Splashes. Two teams, Pinkie, Caelus, and Heracles vs. Hiro, Prez, and I.

Hiro c.o.c.ked his water gun, a serious look on his face. "We're going to destroy them."

"That's the spirit Hiro! Come on Depra, you get pumped too!" She had tied her hair into a ponytail for the fight, and she had a wicked grin on her face.

"Um, it's just a water fight guys," I said, knowing there was no use in saying that. In each of the water fights we've been in, it's like we're in a warzone every time.

"Begin!" Hiro suddenly appeared behind Pinkie, catching everyone off guard.

"Sorry, but you're the most troublesome one on this team."

"Like h.e.l.l she is!" Suddenly he got blasted with a splash of water, sending him back on the sandy beach.

Eh? Me and Prez both looked at each other before looking back. The one responsible for that splash of water was none other than Hera.

"Now that we've got water surrounding us, I can easily get everyone here wet!"

Hiro appeared next to us again, spitting out sand from his mouth. "d.a.m.n, that hurt! I forgot how strong that guy is. Well Depra, he's all yours."

"Huh! Why me!?"

"Duh, because you're the greatest matchup we have against that freak of nature over there. Prez, can you handle Pinkie?"

"Yep, since we have water, I should be able to sneak up on her, although it might take a while."

"Alright then, I'll handle Cae then."

"Huh, don't I have any say!?"

They both gave me a thumbs up. "We're counting on you Depra King!"

They both left me standing there, water gun in hand. I stared at Heracles, who was yelling out happily. I guess I have to then…

"Sorry about this Hera!" I started to run towards him, and he noticed me coming. He slammed his fists together and grinned at me.

"Nope, I'm sorry about this!" He let out a gigantic wave of water, about double my size, cascading straight towards me.

I ran through it just fine, not even getting a bit wet before continuing. He scowled, before sending off two more.

"Take this Depra!"

I continued to run through them just fine, not a drop of water from those large waves. .h.i.tting me. I looked over at Hiro, who was having an insane fight himself over near the shallower end of the beach.

I swerved away from their fight, witnessing an impossible amount of water streams being shot out and from so many places all at once, and the craziest thing was that they were dodging every single one.

"Not bad Hiro! Just what I'd expect from my counterpart!"

"Counterpart my a.s.s! I'm better than you and you know it!"

I felt a shadow pa.s.s over me, and I barely managed to get out unscathed from a bomb of water that had collapsed directly on me.

"Sorry Depra, I won't miss next time!" Pinkie said, five more of those water bombs encircling her.

"And don't forget about me!" I rushed through another one of Hera's giant waterfall before shooting my water gun at him, hitting him on his right leg.

c.r.a.p, this is so nerve-wracking! The closer I got to Hera and Pinkie, who were nearer the deeper part of the sea, the bigger and more frequent the waves were.

"C'mon Prez, where the heck are you?" I muttered to myself, shooting out another shot, aimed at Hera's chest. He simultaneously dodged and attacked, forcing me to retreat a little bit, right into Pinkies trap.

"Gotcha!"

It suddenly disappeared, leaving me breathless as I stared at the strongest duo.

"Um, can I surrender?" I asked sheepishly, scratching my head.

"No can-do soldier! It's not over till it's over!" It was Prez, and she had managed to restrain Pinkie from behind.

"What the-! Where the h.e.l.l did you come from Prez!?"

"That's a maiden secret!" She exclaimed before suplexing Pinkie into the salty ocean.

"Pinkie!" Hera yelled out, and I quickly realized now was my chance.

"You're right Prez, it's not over till it's over!" I yelled out, nailing him with my weak version of a water splash. It was more than enough however, as the water blinded him temporarily.

"Now Prez, attack!" We both c.o.c.ked our guns and aimed square in his chest.

"Hidden Club's Duo Move! Rapid Double Shot!" Prez exclaimed, and we rapidly shot him simultaneously, tipping him over to make him fall into the water.

"All right, we did it Depra!" She said, leaping into me as she embraced me tightly.

I embraced her back, twirling around in the royal blue sea.

"Um, what exactly are you guys doing?" I stopped twirling, and me and Prez both looked at who spoke.

It was Lachesis, in her yellow two-piece swimsuit. She was standing on the beach, her arms crossed as she surveyed the scene.

"You guys do know there are like, a ton of people watching you, right?"

Me and Prez both looked at each other before looking back at the beach. Sure enough, there was a rather large crowd of people watching us from the sh.o.r.e, taking pictures and videos with their phones.

Ah, this is actually really embarra.s.sing! I quickly released Prez, my face growing warmer by the second.

"Sorry, that was really embarra.s.sing, wasn't it?" I asked her, but instead of being embarra.s.sed, she laughed as she patted my back.

"Of course not! That was a moment of youth right there Depra! You should always try to experience as much of them as you can, before it's too late!" She replied, letting off a big smile.

Prez… I nodded and smiled back, giving her a high five. "Alright, where's Hiro?"

"Oh, he's collapsed next to Caelus. I'm not sure if he won or not though…"

Eh!? I looked to where he should've been, and I saw him on one knee, breathing heavily. I rushed towards him, calling out his name.

"Hey, are you okay Hiro!?" I reached him, and he collapsed into my arms, looking ragged.

"Hey… did we… win?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes, but you shouldn't be talking right now! We need to get you some-!" He shook his head, and his hand reached up and touched my face.

"It's… okay Depra. It was… my time… any…way."

"Don't say such things!"

"I'm glad… that I met… such a wonderful… friend…"

"Hiro!" I yelled out, sniffling.

"Oh, quit it, he's fine." Pinkie kicked his leg, and Hiro pouted.

"Oi, way to ruin our fun their Pinkie."

"Shut up and stop being so melodramatic!"

"I'm not, it's called roleplay stupid!" Hiro shot to his feet, groaning. "Seriously though, I thought for sure I could've won that. Looks like we're still even using our base tricks, huh…"

"You make it sound as if you have more," Caelus said, groaning after Pinkie kicked him in the leg. "But, it was a good match, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, good game guys! And you know what punishment for the losers are, right?" Prez said, walking up behind me.

"They get to pay for our lunch today!"

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"Cheers!"

We clanked our gla.s.ses together (non-alcoholic beverages of course) before beginning our meal.

We were at a nearby restaurant by the sea that opened recently, called Sea G.o.d's Palace. It was already filled when we got here, but it seemed that Pinkie knew the owner of the place, and so the owner of the place set up a table for the seven of us outside on the patio, overlooking the sea.

I dug into my burger, eating like I hadn't in days. Then again, all of us except for Lachesis, who was paying for her own meal, was eating in the same way.

"You all eat like animals," Lachesis commented, putting a forkful of salad in her mouth.

"Ah, that was delicious," Hiro said, holding his stomach in bliss.

"Yes, I would have to agree," Caelus agreed, both of their plates empty of the food that was just there.

"Huh! How the h.e.l.l did you eat so fast!?" Pinkie exclaimed, only half-way through her fish.

"The fact that all of you eat that fast after using your tricks like that is frightening in of itself," Lachesis commented, putting another forkful of salad in her mouth.

"Have you ever considered that maybe you eat slow relative to how fast normal people eat?" Prez asked, nudging her elbow into her. She herself was half-way through her food, a steaming hot plate of fish stew.

"I would get seconds, but I'm helping to pay, so I would rather not purposely add to the bill," Heracles said, looking at his now empty plate sadly.

Hiro got a look at my face and started to laugh. "You enjoying your food over there Depra? You look like you're in heaven."

Everyone turned towards me and started to laugh. I was happily eating my burger and had just finished it with a burp.

"Hey, it was delicious! Oh, waiter, seconds please!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

Caelus sighed, looking downcast. "And so it begins. Goodbye money, I'll miss you greatly."

I chuckled before getting up from my seat. "I'm headed to the bathroom."

"Alright, don't fall in then!" Prez said, and everybody started to laugh, and I smiled at her joke before heading back inside the air-conditioned building.

I maneuvered through the tables, noticing that many of the people in this restaurant were wearing fish fins, or had scales adorned all over their body. Well, I was used to seeing such things nowadays, so it didn't really bother me too much.

I went into the men's bathroom and got myself into a stall before doing my business. I took a deep breath and relaxed, the first time I had done so since I had gotten to the beach.

I've been having so much fun that I haven't really had any time to think at all today, I thought to myself as I rested my head on my hands. It's been strange, but I've been feeling different lately. Ever since Lachesis' friends came over that day, my life has been slightly more enjoyable now. And with this too, I feel as if I'm enjoying myself for the first time in a long time, not bounded by any worries of the past year. Just Free.

I suddenly felt my memories stirring within, and weightlessness started to overcome as I was slowly about fall down, further into the memories of the past...

My head slipped off my hands, causing the episode to suddenly cut short. I was breathing hard and was also clutching my s.h.i.+rt tightly as I desperately tried to catch my breath.

I grabbed some toilet paper and finished my business before pulling up my swim trunks and flus.h.i.+ng the toilet. I opened the stall door and started to wash my hands.

I guess I really did almost fall in.

I dried my hands and yawned as I walked out the bathroom when I accidentally b.u.mped into a girl.

"Oh, my bad. I wasn't paying any attention."

"No, you're fine. Hmm, hey, do I know you?"

I stared down at the girl, frowning. She had beautiful purplish-orange hair, like what a Padparadscha Sapphire would rarely have, and that unique hair color I could never forget made me smile in remembrance of the memory.

"Wait, don't tell me! You go by… Depra, right?"

"Hey, you got it right!" I said, looking down at the girl. She was wearing a black one-piece swimsuit, showcasing her slender body and modest chest. She looked temporarily bewildered at us running into each other, but her face quickly turned into a joyful expression.

"Of course I did! You're not easy to forget, you know that?"

"You really think so? I feel like I've always blended in with people though. You know, just always in the background."

She rolled her eyes before grabbing my hand. "Do you have time to talk right now? I would love to catch up with you."

"I'm eating with a couple of friends right now if you wanna join us," I said as she slowly led me back outside. "If you can't, then if you're willing to wait until we're done, I would like to catch up too."

"Darn, you're here with friends huh?" She frowned before she started to think to herself. "Alright, wanna meet later this summer then?"

Eh!? "Um, sure, but I don't-!"

"Here, does anyone of your friends have a marker?"

"Probably, why?"

"Then lead the way my friend!" She started to drag me again, and we ended up back outside the cool building to the patio, where the Hidden Club was still eating lunch.

"Oh hey, it's Depra! You didn't actually fall in did you?" Prez exclaimed before noticing the girl next to me. "Ooh, who's this girl!?"

She got knocked on the head by Caelus, who just shook his head. "Sorry about that. She's just crazy, so you can ignore her ramblings."

"Hey, I'm not crazy! You're the crazy one!" Prez retorted, glaring at him.

"Yeah, crazy about girls," Heracles muttered, chuckling.

"You need something Depra?" Hiro asked, cutting straight to the point as usual.

"Yeah, do any of you guys have a marker?" I asked, and Hiro fished one out of his bag almost immediately. "Whoa, how convenient."

He tossed it to me, and I handed it to the girl next to me, who grabbed my left arm. "Hold still, otherwise I'll screw up." She scrawled something down on my arm before tossing the marker back.

"All right, that should do it!" She grinned at me before skipping away, her hair practically glowing orange in the summer sun. "I'll see you later Depra! And you better call me today before that washes off ya hear!?"

"I'll see you later than!" I said, giving her a wave goodbye. I watched her run across the sandy beach before sitting back down into my seat.

"So, am I going to be the one to ask what that was about?" Prez asked, basically already asking the question.

"You and Hiro both need to learn to have more tact," Lachesis grumbled, and Hiro scowled at that statement.

"Hold up, I have tact. Don't lump me in with the idiot sitting next to you." Prez gasped; feigning being hurt. "Besides, I already know who she is anyway."

"Oh, you know her Hiro?" I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion. "Did I introduce you two or something?"

"Uh, no. Well, I guess it would be better to say I know of her." He looked conflicted, as if he was withholding something, but he did that often, so I really didn't mind.

"Okay, so who is she?" Lachesis asked, looking at me with her soft blue eyes.

"Oh, I met her at the beginning of the year when I helped out with this performance the school was hosting. I was a server, and we met there. We also hung out at the after party, and I've also seen her around a couple times after." She also helped me out a great deal during the second half of my junior year. Honestly, she really did end up saving me a great deal of times. Of course, I wasn't about to say that aloud.

"I see. What's her name, or do you not know it?" Caelus asked.

Her name? Now that I think about it, she only told me once. I frowned as I pondered, trying hard to remember. "What was it exactly?"

"Seriously? How dare you forget such a beautiful maiden's name!"

"Shut it Cae." Lachesis shut him down with a single sentence before he could continue.

"Now that I think about it, Pinkie, you've been awfully quiet." Hiro commented, finis.h.i.+ng off his plate.

"Well, I know her too. I met her last year too. She's a nice girl, but…" She trailed off, lost in her thoughts.

"I see, so you too then…" Hiro mumbled, and the two nodded at each other before getting up from their seats.

"Eh!? Where the h.e.l.l are you guys going?" Prez asked, and they ignored her as they both walked out onto the beach.

"It's been a while since I've seen either of them act like this," I muttered. "Especially not at the same time."

Lachesis smiled to herself. "Despite outwards appearances, those two do get along quite well. Then again, Hiro gets along with just about anybody, surprisingly enough."

We watched as their mysterious conversation unfolded, a serious atmosphere unfolding, before Prez decided to ad-lib.

"It's that d.a.m.n woman again, huh?"

"Yes Pinkie, I already know what it means." Hiro scratched his head, sighing.

"I don't want her anywhere near you, my love."

"I've already told you, you're the only one for me." Hiro grabbed Pinkie's shoulders, and she stared up at him.

"Li-liar. You said that to all your previous women, haven't you?" She turned away, shaking away Hiro's grip.

"What will it take for you to believe me honey?"

"A kiss shall suffice!"

"I, I cannot do such a thing."

Pinkie turned back quickly, anger filling her tiny body. "But why! Why can you not!? Do you hate me that much!?"

"Because it wouldn't make any one of us happy."

"Like h.e.l.l it wouldn't! You know what that woman's capable of, so don't you dare choose her side! Besides, think about-!"

"I am thinking about it!" Pinkies face grew shocked, and Hiro clenched his fists tightly. "It's what I believe is best for both of us. So, for now, let's not interfere. I have no reason to mess with her, just as you don't have any reason to mess with her either. Doing that would only cause trouble."

"But what if she-!"

"I would never let that happen. You know that." He rested his hand on her head and started to pat her head. "After all, I care way too much about both of you to ever let it get to that point. So please, trust me this once, okay?"

He released her from his head pats, and her pink hair covered her eyes before she spoke next. "Fi-fine, then I'll leave everything to you, because we must trust each other in our relations.h.i.+p of ours, right?"

He smiled at her. "Right, now let's get back before they suspect anything about us, honey."

She nodded. "Right, darling."

The two returned, both unable to look at each other for the remainder of the day.

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I groaned as I stretched, packing away the few things I had brought with me.

"Everybody's gone home already, right?" Hiro asked, leaning against a nearby umbrella.

The sun was now setting, our beach-filled adventure at an end. The last to leave was Prez, waving us a constant goodbye as she slowly walked to the nearby bus stop.

"Yeah, it's just me and you left," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. I then turned towards my bike, still half-buried under the sand. "I really don't know how I'm getting back though…"

"Oh right, your bikes wrecked now." Hiro tugged it out the sand and gently placed it in front of me. "Seriously, how did you even manage that?"

"Well, it was old to begin with, but I guess pedaling as fast as I could for an hour takes its toll. The fall didn't help." Besides the bike chain having snapped, the seat had cracked in two, and the handlebars had bent almost beyond repair, along with both tires being flat. "Maybe it can be fixed?"

Hiro just shook his head. "Easier to just get a new one. Unless it means a lot to you."

"I've had it for so long, but it kinda a shame that it's busted." Yep, that bike holds a lot of memories for me, both good and bad.

I remember a couple years back in middle school I used this bike to get away from home. My mother's mother was visiting, and Lachesis was out of town that week. So, I simply got on my bike and left. I was gone for the entire week she was there, and I spent it near the farmlands.

There was a nice old couple that took me in for the week, and I remember that was probably one of the happiest times I had, far away from my family, meeting people who didn't know anything about me or my problems.

One night, I wasn't able to sleep for whatever reason, so I decided to take a walk in the nearby fields. The night sky was brilliantly lit up by the greatest number of stars I had ever seen, and a full moon accompanied them to light up the world.

It was a beautiful scene that helped solidify the memory of my time there, and I ended up falling asleep underneath that night sky, gazing at the sky I saw once and would never see again.

Because after that, there was only darkness…

YOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULT!

I felt myself drifting away from the picturesque scene as I slowly fell back down into the dark pit, the cold enveloping me as I drifted further and further…

YOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULT!!

I suddenly found myself on a grainy surface, and I started to panic when I heard a familiar voice.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake then."

I opened my eyes to see Hiro sitting next to me on the sand, gazing out at the darkening sea while absentmindedly drawing in sand.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

He snorted. "Please, remember what happened last time?"

"That was an accident and you know it!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

I sat up and looked down at the sand. "…Sorry."

He looked at me before responding. "How often?"

"Every day now. Occasionally more."

"Tch." He made a clicking noise with his tongue before sighing. "Come on, let's go home already."

He gave me a hand up, and we both looked back at the sea before walking up the sand dunes, towing along a broken bike.

I've known Hiro since soph.o.m.ore year, and he's what I would consider my one and only best friend. He's always willing to help me, regardless of how the situation looks. He's a tad bit strange at times, but he's an overall good guy.

I glanced at him as we walked back towards the bustling city, and he seemed to be deep in thought. Of all the people I've met, they always tend to ask me sooner or later what happened to my family, and I've always responded painfully, it always bringing back dreadful memories. But Hiro's different. Not once has he asked me a single thing about my past. I asked him about it one day, and he said the most shocking thing.

"The past makes you depressed, and thinking about the future gives you anxiety, so the best one to think about is the present. That goes for you especially Depra. I won't ask, but I'll be here if you need to talk."

I was stunned. I later found out he was quoting what someone else said in an anime, but the feeling was still there. He really was a kind person, the kindest I've ever met.

A slap on the back brought me back to reality, and I had found we were getting closer to the urban area of the city.

"So, how has your break been so far?"

"Oh, that. It's been fine, I guess. I've been mostly sleeping though, both outside and inside."

"So, in other words, you haven't done anything substantial yet."

"Gh!" The words struck straight to the point, and I frowned at his statement. "Yeah, I guess I haven't huh?"

"Good, then stay over at my place for a while."

"Huh? Where's that coming from?"

"Duh, so I can absolutely destroy you in games. Also, so I can make sure you're watching the anime I've recommended."

"Hey, I've gotten better at that racing game!"

"Famous last words."

I rolled my eyes, and Hiro started to chuckle. "Man though, we really are far away from my house. I forgot how long it takes."

"How did your sister get home?"

"She went with her friends, so she got a ride from them. She's also sleeping over at their house for a while, so it'll just be me for about a week."

"Is that why you asked me to come over? So you wouldn't be lonely?"

"Nope, it's so you're not lonely."

I gave him a light punch in the arm, but, nonetheless, appreciated the gesture. "I don't have clothes though, so are we stopping by my house?"

"We're about the same size, so you can use my stuff. Worst comes to worst we'll go shopping for you."

Now that I think about it… "We are the same height, aren't we?"

He grinned. "Yep, we sure are. You used to be a lot shorter than me, but you managed to catch up to me yah sly dog!" He messed with my hair before laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Still, I wish your sister was there too…"

"I'll kill you, you know that right?"

I gave him a slight shove. "Um, what was the word again? Ah right, siscon. Mr. siscon, I have no interest in your sister. I just really like her cooking is all."

He glared at me. "I'm not a sister lover thank you very much! Also, I asked her ahead of time to make meals for two."

"Ah, so you were planning to ask me for a while then?"

"Don't think too deeply on it man. I just know you eat trash every day."

While it was true that I was eating junk every day, I also knew that I hadn't eaten anything homecooked in a long time. And his sister's Luna's cooking was G.o.dtier, so I wasn't about to complain.

"Well, lucky me I guess."

Hiro smiled at me before nodding. "Good, then I'll race you to the house then?"

"Like h.e.l.l I'll race you!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I yawned as I collapsed onto the bed, having borrowed some of Hiro's pajamas.

I was in Hiro's house, more specifically inside the guest bedroom. I would normally sleep in the same room as Hiro, but he said I could have the room since his normal guest will be gone for a while, whatever that meant.

I sprawled out on the comfy bed, looking at my arm before I realized I had almost forgotten.

I stared at the phone number on my arm, starting to fade from the sea and having taken a shower a couple minutes before. c.r.a.p, I need to call this girl.

I grabbed my phone from my bag and entered the number in before pressing call.

The line rung for a bit before it answered with a click.

"Is that you Depra?"

"Um, yeah."

"I said later today, not almost at midnight!" I pulled the phone away from my ear as she yelled at me.

"…Sorry."

I could hear her sigh before she continued. "Well, at least you remembered. What took you so long anyway?"

"I'm staying at a friends house, so it took us a while to get back, since I brought my broken bike with me."

"Broken bike?"

"It broke when I rode it to the beach."

"I see. Well, now that you've called, let's get to the main topic at hand. I just found out I'll be out of town for about a month or so, so we won't be able to hang out until the end of summer break."

"Oh, okay. Well, whatever works for me, so just call me when you get back, I guess."

"No, this is the part when you tell me when you're free!"

I frowned. "But I'm always free?"

"But you're not-! Ugh never mind. I forgot how you are." What was that supposed to mean? "So, I expect us to keep in touch now that we have each other's numbers then, okay?"

"But I don't really do-!"

"Not allowed."

I got cut off when she said that, and I started to scratch my unkempt hair. "I'll do my best then."

"Good. So, I'll talk to you later then, okay?"

"Ye-yeah, sounds good."

"Alright, bye Depra!" and before I could say anything else, she had hung up. I stared down at my phone for a bit, confused at what just happened.

"Why are girls like this anyway?" I muttered to myself as I plugged my phone into the charger. She was rather weird, but not in a bad way though. A breath of fresh air so to speak.

The door opened, and Hiro waltzed in, yawning. "I would stay up longer, but today wiped me out, so I'm going to bed."

"Oh, okay. I was just about to too."

"Alright, then see you in the morning."

"I think you mean afternoon."

"So you do get it then." He gave me a small wave. "Night Depra."

"Night Hiro." He closed the door behind him, and I was left in the room alone.

I fell back into the bed, the memories of today still fresh in my mind. "I really had a lot of fun today," I murmured as my consciousness started to fade into a peaceful slumber.

Oh right, that girl's name. I just remembered. I grabbed my phone and made a new contact, saving her phone number before entering in her first name.

I put it in before turning off the nearby lamp, bringing the only light in the room from the night sky,

Still, what an interesting name she has. Those were my last thoughts before the clutches of sleep finally took me away.

Pandora…