KILLUA [NOVICE MADE]

Chapter 13

     People were mumbling and talking. I was in my seat. Truth and my group of friends walked in. "Hey, what's up man?" Zach asked, patting me on the back, sitting on my right. Francie was in front of Zach. "Dude, look at this!" Showing us her phone, "6th guy to ask me out ---- this week!" She squealed. I rolled my eyes.

     Truth cane in and pressed her lips against mine softly. "I missed you!" I smiled, "I did too." Devin sat to my left, writing in his notebook while smiling.

     I looked over, trying to peek. But he pulled it away, making an X sign his arms. "No, no! No looking!" I pouted, "awww, come on! Just one look!"

     He shook his head. I sighed dramatically, "aww - ok - I guess no body wants to share their secrets with me. Ahhh, even though I've been such a good friend!" I said, clenching my fists over my heart, turning away.

     I quickly turned back, trying to steal it away but he grabbed on first, pulling it away from my grasp. Clenching my fist, I sarcastically said, "oh darn!"

     Devin smiled, "got 'em!" I scratched the back of my head, "I really can't read it?" I frowned, "tsk tsk tsk! Nope! No can do!" Said Devin. Troy, who was in front of Devin, rolled his eyes, "he won't even show me. His own cousin!"

     Truth sat on my lap as I hugged her. She put her head down on my desk, "so tired," she mumbled. I softly brushed her hair with my fingers. "Just rest," I whispered.

     The bell rang, "diiiiiiinnnnnggg! Diiiiiinnnnggggg!" The professor walked in, shutting the door. Everyone had a green aura, how boring.

     "Okay class, today we will be ---," he was cut off when Mag ran in late. She looked around, "heh, uh, sorry, sorry," she said as she made her way in front of me. The professor sighed, "okay, Miss Truth, please find a proper seat." I hugged her tight, "can't I keep my stuffed bear here?" I pouted.

     He face palmed himself, "no, Mister Zodiac, you cannot." Truth stood up and sat in front of Mag. 1... no... 2 seats in front of me. I sighed. Oh this distance is keeping us apart. "Oh thou Juliet," I recited out loud.

     The professor groaned, "please refrain from speaking shakespear in my biology class. "Anyways --" he muttered on, although I tuned him out. Soon after, I couldn't take the boring lecture so I had an idea. "Owwww, oww, ouch," I groaned.

     "Mister Zodiac, w-what seems to be the problem?" I pointed to my stomach, clenching it. "My stomach hurts, I think I drank expired milk."

     He gave me a pass to the nurse. I looked inside the infirmary room, no one inside. The nurse must be out. I decided to check myself out and go on home.

     I reached the front door, opening the large grey door. "Honey, are you home?" A soft voice came from the kitchen. My mom walked out in an apple apron and hugged me.

     After for about 5 minutes, she let go of me. She winked at me, "skipping school again?" As she went back to the kitchen. I threw my book bag and shrugged, "it's my first day of school, how could you say that again?" She waved around, putting her hand on her hip, "mhm, I meant the year before and the year before that and the year before that, and-" I waved my hands away, "okay! Okay! I get it."

     "No more skipping, you hear me?" She demanded. I nodded my head, "yes mom, yes." She opened the fridge, grabbing some ingredients, "I'm making steak for dinner. Oh, by the way, your father will be coming home late." I nodded then clapped my hands together, "got it!"

     I walked upstairs towards my room. "Screeeeccchhhhhh." I looked up in the hallway. There was an attic. Since when did we have an attic?

     I opened it up and walked on the stairs leading towards it. Surprisingly, it wasn't dusty, no rodents or anything either.

     Though, in the corner, there was a desk with paper neatly collected and a can of utensils. There was a window next to it. I looked through it. Whoa. I could see the world from here.

     I sat down in the seat, in front of the desk. I opened up the first drawer. Nothing. Second drawer. Nothing but something white. Third drawer. Nothing. Whoa, this was completely useless.

     Wait... I opened the second drawer again. There was a white outline surrounding it. Most people wouldn't know this but ---. I checked under the drawer. Exactly what I thought. The was a layout. The bottom was a different shade of white. I pushed under upwards, letting the layout stand up.

     If a person just removed it, it would have still been nothing. You had to go under in order to be able to pull out the real drawer.

     There was a normal sized notebook inside. I opened it. And there I saw... my friends' names.

     It was on the 10th page after 9 pages of emptiness. Someone really didn't want anyone to read it, I thought.

     I looked at the top name, Zach. It said, "I overheard him talking to my dad. They know each other. But for what reasons? I was only 5 at the time. What did I know? I have to keep a watch on him. I asked him about it, he simply denied it.

     I moved on to the next name, Devin. "His mom sets him a curfew. One time I followed him, instead of going home, he went to this abandoned shed, this happened for a month, then he stopped for a month, then continue the next month."

     Francie. "Her mom was in a mental rehab, she often went to visit her she said. She brought me along with her once, but her mom wasn't there. Yet she insisted on her being there. I learned her mom died 6 months ago. She didn't know, she was crazy.

     I didn't notice I was crying till a water drop fell on the page. I wiped it away. Maybe I should stop reading. But something made me go on.

     Mag. "She always went on this hill every night and looked at the sky. To search for the stars."

     After another 10 pages, there was a list of about 200 people but only like one sentence each. Such as, "she secretly aborted her baby, I saw her walk out the hospital with her doctor telling her it was a success."

     At the end of the book, I saw something weird. It was my signature, "Zodiac - They Lie to Live." I walked backwards and stumbled over the chair.

     "Oh my." I gasped. I fell down, hitting my head. "Ouch." I rubbed my head.

     I heard my mom yell, "dinner is almost ready!" Still rubbing my head I replied, "alright!"

     I walked back towards MY desk, MY attic, MY notebook. I heard my dad's voice from way back then, "wake up Zodiac, wake up!" Closing my eyes, concentrating on his voice.

     I opened my eyes. I remember EVERYTHING.