How Did I Miss Your Tears?

What Did I Miss With You?

Karma's POV

It had been three days since I had felt that one warm tear on my arm. Three days since I had seen Nagisa anywhere.
It was like he had disappeared.
I knew his mother had something to do with it and that this was all my fault.
I told myself it wasn't my fault.

x x x

It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault. I chanted it to myself as I entered homeroom.
He was there.
Nagisa was at his desk, surrounded by a small cluster of students who were asking him questions.
"How did you fall down the stairs again?" Kayano, a small green-haired girl, asked.
He shrugged, and his head lifted as the door clicked shut behind me.
I held my breath as I saw his face.
One eye was half-closed, surrounded by a dark purple bruise. His cheek was swollen, and bruises covered his bare arms. Small scratches were scattered across patches of bare skin.
It was the worst I had ever seen him, and I looked away quickly. I could feel his eyes follow me as I crossed the room to my desk. A glance down to his bag made me want to throw up.
His bag was stained with dark red, and had obviously been scrubbed to try and hide it.
How bad had his mother hurt him?
I remembered suddenly a few years ago, when Nagisa had been hurt by his mother then. The first time I had ever seen the damage she did to him.

I was standing on the doormat of the Shiota household, reaching up to knock on the door. I had invited Nagisa to study with me that afternoon, and he had agreed, but then he had never shown up.
I knocked on the door, stepping back as a loud scream cut off my knocks. It was Nagisa's voice. My heart leapt into my throat and I turned the knob quickly. It was unlocked.
The moment the door opened, a flash of blue knocked into me, and we both tumbled to the ground. Nagisa was squirming and crying and covering his face.
"K-Karma?" He whimpered, peeking through his fingers at me. "What are you doing here?"
I ignored his question, grabbing his wrists and forcing his hands from his face. My breath stopped.
A large welt covered his cheek, and it was turning a dark purple in front of my eyes.
"Nagisa! Who did this to you? Your mother?" I was shocked. How could someone do this to their own kid?
He shrugged and scrambled to his feet. "You should leave." His voice was trembling, as was he, and I stood and wrapped him in my arms.
"Nagisa," I murmured into his blue hair, "you're not safe here. Come with me, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, I pulled him away from the dangerous house towards the park.
"You're the first person to see this." He mumbled when we were sitting curled up under a tree. His face was pressed into my shoulder, and my sleeve was completely soaked from his tears. "I don't want anybody else to know. Do you promise to not tell anyone?" Blue eyes peered up at me; vulnerable and lonely.
I nodded, offering my pinky. "Pinky promise." I whispered.
He linked our pinkies and smiled. "I trust you, Karma."

I stared at the dark stains covering the bag. It was obvious that her punishments had gotten worse over time.
I had to tell someone. As much as I disliked the blue-haired boy, no one deserved that awful treatment.
I trust you, Karma.
I glared at my hands in annoyance. Why had I promised something to him? If I told someone, he would hate me. Did I want him to hate me?
He probably hated me already anyway.
But promises meant something to him, and to me. If I didn't say anything, Nagisa would just continue to get hurt and to lie for his mother.
I groaned in annoyance. Why was this so complicated? The right thing to do was to tell someone, right? That was all I had to do; an anonymus tip.
But I was the only one who knew.
I glanced once more towards Nagisa. He looked smaller and fragiler that I had ever seen. He was going to break.
No, I had already broken him. It was my fault.
My breath left me as I realized something. Nagisa had gone home wearing that costume. It was my fault. All of it.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is short and late!! I promise I'll make them longer starting next update! I just have to do all my summer homework and stuff before school starts so I've been distracted. I hope you like this!