DN: Next Kira; Vol 4: Collapse

Pre-Chapter Twenty-Four: Before School

JANUARY 28, 2003

TOKYO, JAPAN

AROUND 6:30 AM 

                                                                                       MARIE

My eyes popped open in my bed as I woke up gasping. I then sat up in my bed heavily breathing. I couldn't remember what my nightmare was about, even though I knew that I had one. "Are you okay?" I heard Light ask before I looked up and saw him sitting in my chair at my computer desk. I nodded and rubbed my eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm fine," I answered. "Just had a little nightmare." He then started to become interested in what I had to say. "A nightmare?" Light asked. "About what?" I tried to remember, but I couldn't since it was all just a big blur. I shook my head. "Nevermind," I told Light before I got out of bed. I went straight to my closet so I could pick out the outfit I was going to wear at school that day. I looked at all of the black clothes I had in my closet. "I'm thinking about wearing something that screams female version of The Crow," I told Light. I heard my computer desk turning as Light turned in it. "So, you're going to school cosplaying a female Eric Draven?" I shrugged. "Eh, pretty much," I answered. "Why don't you just save it for cosplay?" he asked. "You're going to school, not a cosplay convention. Why not just go with something a little bit more...I don't know...like how your parents would want you to?"

 I peeked out of the closet and glared at Light without saying anything. "Hey, I'm just saying that it might not be a great idea to have a female Eric Draven going around the school," he told me. "And besides, I'm not saying wear colorful clothes and natural makeup, I'm just saying...maybe where some casual black clothes and wear some dark red makeup." I rolled my eyes and sighed right after Light told me that. "Fine," I let out with a little bit of an attitude. I then searched for one of my favorite Goth band t-shirts but didn't really find one that I wanted to wear that day. "Maybe I can just wear a long black sleeve shirt with some leggings and some dark makeup." "Sure," I heard Light say. "Do what you want." I continued to look for what kind of clothes I should wear for that day at school. "Are you still mad at me because I made a mean comment about your Maleficent and Jareth love child outfit?" Light scoffed. "I thought you were a Gothic girl who wouldn't judge anyone," he complained. "And wouldn't judge me by my new Shinigami outfits." "I'm not judging," I told him. "I just didn't think that would be something that you would usually wear." "Why, because I dressed casually as a human?!" Light asked in an annoyed tone. "I dress casually too, you know!" I reminded Light. "Only except I'm a Gothic casual chic."

I then picked out a long-sleeved black shirt with some black leggings, but before I could say anything to Light, I placed my hands on the shirt as I got this weird feeling. I felt around the middle and the bottom area of the shirt. "Why are you caressing your shirt like that?" I looked up at Light and I turned and looked at Light. I stared at him for a minute or two. "It's not polite to stare, you know," he reminded me. After he told me that, I shook my head and looked down at the shirt. "It's nothing," I told him. "I should get ready." "Okay," Light said as he got up and left the room. I was happy that he didn't forget to close the door because I didn't want someone to come into the room and find me changing my clothes. I then placed my eyes back onto my shirt. I just had this feeling that I could shake off. I placed my hands into the shirt and felt around it just so I could make sure that I didn't have a hole in it. Regardless of the feeling that I had at that moment, I shrugged it off and changed my clothes.

After I changed into my clothes, I went downstairs so I could see what Christy made for breakfast. I was surprised when I saw her looking inside the refrigerator. "Ooh," Christy let out. "A yummy red velvet cake just for me and my roommate. This looks so..." "Don't get that cake out!" I warned Christy as I held my arm out. She then looked up at me and gave me a confused look on her face. "Why?" she asked. "That's got something in there that's supposed to be for the Sweet Snatcher and I don't think you'll like it." "Oh really?" Christy asked. "What did you put in it?" I shook my head. "You don't wanna know," I answered. "Why?" Christy asked as she got up. "Is it something bad like drugs or poison?" I hesitated for a little bit. "Why are you hesitating, Marie?" Christy asked in a concerned tone. "You didn't do something like that, did you?" I shook my head since I knew that I didn't put any kind of drugs or poison in the cake. "No," I answered. "It's just an ingredient he wouldn't like." Christy slowly nodded. "Okay," she said as if she didn't know what else to say. She then closed the refrigerator door.