Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Search for Happiness ❯ A Friend ( Chapter 2 )

DISCLAIMOR: DON'T OWN ZILCH, JUST THE IDEAS THAT FLEW IN MY HEAD ONE DAY.

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It's been a few days since I've been at the orphanage. Only a few days and already I felt my life was a living hell. Not that it much differed from the past few years anyway. This time, things just felt more...to the extreme. Was this what if felt like to be all alone? I felt that I had no real life to me, that I just was and nothing more. 'I really stand out,' I thought to myself, glancing at the other kids in the room with me. I was like a drop of oil in a glass of water. No matter what was done, the two would just not mix.

I was sitting next to the window, so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize I was not alone. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I jumped, surprised, and saw an eight year-old boy next to me. He had brown hair and his bangs were overgrown in his face of which two emerald green orbs pierced through and shone.

He smiled at me and said, "Hello there."

"Hi," I said softly.

"What is your name?" Although he held a certain solemn expression, his green eyes seemed to smile.

"My name is Catrina. What's yours?"

"I don't have a name."

"You don't have a name? That's wierd."

"Why's that wierd?"

"Because it's not normal."

"What is normal? For me, it's normal not having a name. For me, it's wierd that you have a name."

"You're kinda wierd too."

"At least I don't stand out as much in a crowd of kids my own age."

"Good point."

"So how'd you get here?" he asked as he sat down next to me.

"Car crash. What about you?"

"I don't remember."

"Wow, you don't know your name and you don't know how you got here? That's scary."

"So, why aren't you talking with anyone?"

I looked at him, puzzled. Why didn't he want to answer my question? Shrugging it off I answered, "I don't have anything to say. I have no friends."

"Me neither, but I'll be your friend. Will you let me?"

Did I hear right? He wants to be my friend? Why? No one had before. I was amazed that someone would want to be my friend. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather be alone." I went out of the room and into the music room. He followed me.

"Is loneliness your friend?" he asked.

"I grew up with it. It's the only thing I know." I sat at a piano bench. I've taken a few lessons, so I played a song I knew. While I played, no one spoke. Then in the middle of my song, I heard the flute. It was the boy playing along side me. The music was wonderful and flowed like the wind caressing a wave on the ocean. When it was over, we sat quietly.

Then the boy said, "The piano by itself sounds pretty, but when it plays with the flute, in accompaniment, the music is beautiful."

He was right. He was referring to us as instruments. One sounds nice, but two in harmony are better.

"You still haven't answered my question," he said. "Will you be my friend?"

I sensed something special about this boy, something going to happen to him. His act of kindness filled up the emptiness in my heart that ached for my parents and for a companion. I felt warm and said, "I'll be yours if you'll be mine." For the first time, in a long time, I smiled.

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I've never had a friend before. Just like the boy had said, "Loneliness was my friend." Mostly, the only people I knew were my parents. However, everything was different now. I had someone to talk to. I called him `The Boy With No Name,' or Nanashi.

We were very similar. We both spent our lives alone, both orphans, both enjoy music, both are quiet. I remember one some days we would just sit somewhere and be quiet, just reflecting on things and enjoying eachothers company. When we weren't quiet, we'd be in the music room playing songs and laughing.

I had a friend. Never had one, never knew what it meant to have, or be, a friend. Until now. Now I thank Nanashi for letting me out of the darkness of my heart. However, I knew that one day we wouldn't be together. Either he or I would be adopted, and we would never see each other again. I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to loose my friend; my only friend.

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It's been several weeks that I've been in the orphanage. Nanashi was still with me; we had been inseparable since the day we met. We had just came out of the music room and back into the playroom, sitting in a corner when these older kids came.

"Hey, check out the kid with the weird hair!"

They started making fun of him, but Nanashi didn't do anything about it. Why wouldn't he stand up to them?

Finally, I had enough and went up to the kid and said, "Leave him alone!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" the kid asked.

"Keep it up and you'll find out! That is, if you're not knocked out cold." I snapped.

"Out of my way you little brat!" he yelled, pushing me hard onto the floor.

When I looked up I saw Nanashi run up to him and kicked the other kid in the face. He left him sitting on the floor.

"You leave me and Catrina alone," he said. He helped me up and we went to the window. "Are you all right Catrina?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Then, the woman that was in charge of the orphanage came to us with an old man next to her. She said, "Young man, I've got good news for you. This gentleman here has agreed to adopt you. I suggest you get your things ready, you're leaving this afternoon."

"This afternoon?" I asked shocked. "No! You can't!"

"It's all right, Catrina," said the lady. "You'll get your chance one day soon. I'm sure they're are lots of families willing to adopt you."

"That's not the point!" I shrieked. "I'll never see Nanashi again! Please," I pleaded to the old man. "Please don't take him away from me."

Although I couldn't see his eyes that were hidden behind thick dark glasses that just hung on his nose, his facial expression was apologetic. "I'm sorry young lady," was all he said before they walked off.

"I knew this would happen! I just knew it!" I cried.

"It's OK Catrina,"

"No it's not! You'll go away, and I'll never see you again. Just like my parents. I'll never see them again either! They'll never be with me again!"

"They are with you. In your heart and memory. I'll be there too." With that, he went to his room.

I was in the dark once more. I didn't want him to leave. He couldn't leave me here alone! Why did he have to go? Why couldn't he stay here? I'll be alone again, just like before. Once again, `loneliness would be my friend.'

I followed him to his room, afterwards, and saw him packing.

"Are you glad to go?" I asked.

"No."

"Why not? You should be happy that you're able to get out of here."

"Because I don't want to loose my friend." He looked at me again, but his eyes weren't smiling, or had its usual sparkle. "Listen, Catrina. I've always sensed something special about you. You're not an ordinary girl. Your time will come soon."

"I've always thought the same things about you too. The only thing is that your time has already come. I wish you didn't have to go."

"I do too."

"Nanashi? Don't forget me."

"I won't," he said and walked past me out the door.

I ran to my room and opened my window. I saw him walking to the car where the old man was waiting for him. As if he knew I was watching, Nanashi turned and waved good-bye. I waved back. Then he got in the car, and I never saw him again.

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~*~Lady Pheonix~*~