Hardened

Chapter 2

--Miku-

"Y-You mean your brother?" I asked. Rin nodded, pale-faced.

"I...I thought he was dead...h-he's in Crypton hospital...I-I need to go there right away! You coming, Miku?" She asked, standing up, and getting her purse. She took her car keys out. I nodded.

"O-Okay, if you don't mind." I said. She nodded, and walked out of her room. I followed her, and she locked up the house, and we got in her cherry red Camaro.

~*~

It was quiet for the most part until I found the silence to be a tad uncomfortable; I always immediately became slightly nervous or uncomfortable when it became silent. There was literally no memory of me being grateful for silence as long as there was another person in the room with me. Well, I suppose the only exception being going to sleep.

"So, um, what's he like?" I asked. The question seemed appropriate, and it didn't look like they were on bad terms. The relief and happiness on Rin's face was genuine. But then again, whether or not they parted with an argument or something negative, it was her sibling. Of course she'd feel happy, he'd been missing for two years after all. Rin smiled gently and glanced at me, then quickly redirected her gaze to the road in front of her.

"Sweet. Shy. Smart. Dorky. Too kind for his own good. Way too selfless for those he cares about. Real popular, too. And not the fuckboy kind of popular where he dated everyone. Lot of desperate people were crawling all over him. Fucking whores. But then again, he is pretty hot. Like me. Hm...what else...oh, yeah. He's pretty damn innocent for someone his age. Didn't even get half of the innuendos I made. I swear to God, that kid has the brains of a freaking snarky-ass college student but the purity of a 7 year old," She chuckled. She glanced at me once she came to a stop behind a white pick-up truck at a red light. Her lips were pulled into a small amused smile. "You know, he's real nervous around beautiful chicks, so don't be surprised when he starts to stutter and stumble over his words when talking to you." I felt my cheeks heat up at the comment.

"E-Eh?" I exclaimed. "N-No way I'm p-pretty!" Rin rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, hell yeah you are!" Rin said, slapping my back. "I see a shitload of guys staring at that ass when you walk. I mean if they were ever to make a move, I'd kill them, of course, but that's not the point." She smiled crookedly.

"W-What else?" I finally settled on, changing the subject. Rin thought for a moment, glancing at the light, muttering something like "Damn, this light ever gonna turn green?"

"Well, that boy was clumsy and tough as fuck, let me tell you. Once, he tripped down the stairs. Over nothing. Another time he accidentally set a table on fire. You know what he was making? A freakin' cake. To this day, I still don't know how he did it. Oh, yeah, once when we were about eight or nine years old, he broke his leg because he jumped off the roof-"

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"I think he was trying to fly or something, I dunno. He was a wacky kid. Anyway, so I go up to him and ask if he's okay. You know what that little sassy bastard did? He gave me blank look, like he was so done with my shit or something, and I kid you not, he literally said, 'Yeah, Rin, I just fell off of a two-story roof and I'm totally, completely fine.' I swear to god, that kid- Oi!" She yelled, suddenly as she honked the horn of her car, making me jump. "Get the fuck moving, you slowass bastard! Jesus fucking Christ, some of us have places to be, you inconsiderate cunt!"

The car in front of us finally began to move and Rin grumbled something. I silently reminded myself not to tick Rin off while driving. "He seemed like a real character," I said after a moment of silence. Rin grinned.