An Unheard Voice - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

It's the day before Halloween, and a good update is that school days are much shorter with An and Akito. .. They're still my only friends, though.
She introduced me to her girlfriend Kohane Azusawa. Azusawa goes to a different school, but visits Ken's café regularly, just to see her. Akito goes sometimes too, and I always stay by his side. Her dad is really a nice guy, it's no wonder Akito looks up to him. But I still get to scared to talk to him and immediately walk out.
"Toya, guess what!" An says, sneaking up behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Stop scaring him." Akito says, pushing her off of me.
"Since Halloween is tomorrow, I'm going to host a party!! And you guys are invited!" She throws her hands up in the air, bringing attention to her... Again. She hands us two envelopes.
"I guess I'll go. Only because Ena is always complaining about never being invited to anything. How about you, Toya?" Akito asks.
I stay silent for a moment, trying to debate if my father would disown me 50 times if I went to someone else's house for a whole night.
"Toya? You don't have to go if you don't want to." Akito says, and I snap out of it.
I shake my head.
"No, I was just thinking. I'll go." I show them my notebook.
"Woohoo!! I'll pass out invitations!!" An cheers, running around throwing paper like a madman.
"What costume will you wear?" Akito stares as An turns into a tornado.
"I don't know." I shrug, erasing that to save another page.
"I'd offer to help you find an outfit, but I need help finding my own.."
Once An gets tired, she walks back to us, putting her head on my lap.
"Who knew passing out invitations could be so tiring~!" She says, putting her hand on her forehead like one of those dramas.
"That's only 'cause you were too crazy doing it. Now get off." Akito grumbles, kicking her head.
"Ow! Okay, okay! I'll see you guys later! I promised Kohane I'd sneak-- visit her school."
"Whatever." Akito rolls his eyes, and I wave.
"She sent a message of the address to everyone going. Let's go shopping later for a costume with An, okay? I'll pick you up. Get home safe!" Akito smiles, and nod. It's a little embarrassing being new to highschool and still not having a phone. Maybe I should get one soon.
I've never been to a party before.. how many people will be there? As I think of that, I can't tell what I'm doing, and bump into a pole. Ouch..
When I return home, my mother screams like there's a murderer.
"Toya's been invited to a.. party?!" My mother bursts into tears. I'm surprised on how her heart hasn't stopped from the shock she's been having lately.
I nod, and she sobs even more.
"I'm so happy for my babyy~!! He's all grown up now!! Don't leave me so soon, Toya~!" She cries, hugging me closely.
I try squeezing out, because I can't breathe. I struggle for a bit, and she lets go and I fall.
"Oops! Sorry!" She says, helping me up. "Of course you can! I won't tell your father, he's on a trip anyways. You may go out shopping with your friends, but eat first." She grins, humming on her way to put the invite An gave me on a frame.
"Toya! Over here!" An shouts while she's sitting on a table with Azusawa and Akito.
"H-Hello, Aoyagi!" Azusawa waves, smiling.
"So, where do we go first?" Akito asks.
"The halloween store, obviously, dummy." An sticks her tongue out at him. He rolls his eyes, and goes with her. Azusawa and I follow, trying to not get swept away. That's the one thing we share in common..
[ At the store ]
"Kohane! Let's get matching outfits!~" An says, hugging her.
"Okay!"
"Do I have to dress up, though..?" Akito sighs.
"Yes. If you don't I won't let you in, and you're gonna leave poor Toya all alone."
Shocked, I stare at Akito giving him the: "Please don't." look.
He sighs, and goes to ask An asking what she recommends. I stand there alone. Guess I should try thinking for myself.
It's been about 10 minutes, and I'm still standing here. There are so many options... I can't pick.
"Boo." Akito says, with a zombie mask. Even if it was a calm tone, I still managed to fall back.
"Woah-!" He says, catching me. I blush, and immediately get out of his arms. "That was a close one, haha."
I nod, flustered. Why do I keep embarrassing myself in front of him? It's so bad to the point I get all red. Still, my heart almost jumped out of my chest for a minute.
"Yo, Toya! I found an outfit for you!"
My eyes fill with excitement, and I turn to her. The blood from my face flushes when I see it.
"You would totally fit a nurse outfit!!" She laughs.
"NO." Akito shouts, snatching it from her. It doesn't seem like the appropriate length of a female uniform skirt..
"Yes!" She yells, taking it back. Then, she runs, dragging me by my arm, shoving me in a fitting room with the outfit. I hold it up, looking at it. Why me..?
"All done?" Azusawa says, looking the other way.
I hesitate to open the curtain, coming out. I try to pull the skirt down a bit, because it barely goes to my knees. Why did I agree to this..?
"OHMYFUCKINGGOD" Akito screams, hiding in the clothing racks.
"Toya, you suit it so well! Oh my gosh, you have such long, slender legs! So feminine! So smooth!" She drools, getting close to my legs and taking pictures, admiring them. What.. is going on. She's acting like an art judge. Why am I always getting told I have a feminine figure?
"Wow! With your chest semi exposed, you could get any guy or girl in the world! Now let me get a picture under your skir--" An tries to put her phone under me, but Akito slams her to the wall. He glances at me up and down, and goes back to hiding.
"Wow, Aoyagi! You look amazing!" Azusawa claps, and An puts her thumb up. I stare at them, and attempt to look bashful, but fail. I immediately go back to tugging my skirt. An glares at where Akito is, and smirks.
"Toya, I think Akito wants a 360 of your dress!"
"NO, TOYA DON'T--" Before Akito could finish his sentence, An shoves me where Akito is, making me trip, falling flat on my face right next to him. I rub my forehead, why does she throw so hard..? Then, I see Akito passed out with a nosebleed, and his face is really flushed.
"Shit, I think he's dead." An says, poking him with a hanger.
I feel his forehead and try to see if he's sick, but why did he come if he is? I grab his face, looking if he got hurt anywhere on his nose. He opens his eyes slowly, and they widen. Akito scoots back, looking away.
"Okay, okay! I give up, An! Toya, you look so great in it, now please go change!" He says, hiding his face with his sweater. My face quickly burns up, and I look the other direction. We're both flustered, and I don't even know how or why.
After, I ended up getting a more appropriate vampire costume. An got Akito a wolf costume against his own will, but she paid for it so he didn't care. I don't think she told him it came with a collar... As for Azusawa, she's matching with An. She got a dead bride outfit, An got the same, except a suit and a veil.
"Hi, Toya! You look amazing!" An says, pulling me inside.
"Akito isn't here yet." She says, but nobody except Azusawa and I are here.. did I come too early? Then, the doorbell rings.
"Coming!~" She opens the door, and people flood in. How many friends does she have? I'm actually really impressed.
"Hey, Shiraishi! How are y-- Wait, is that-?!" A loud person yells, and I look around. I look behind, and someone jumps on me, knocking me down.
"Toya!!! Oh my gosh!!!" The girl cries, holding me tightly.
It's Saki?! I look up, and see Tsukasa??!
"Toya!!!" He jumps on me too, and now I'm laying down with them hugging me.
"Aww." An says, taking a picture.
"Holy guacamole, is that really you?! I missed you so much, where have you been?!" Saki cries, and I try getting her to not squeeze my stomach so tight. I actually remember my mother being very fond of Saki.
"Don't cry!!" Tsukasa sobs, still hugging me. I have two identical siblings sobbing and suffocating me. I try reaching for my notebook, and I begin writing, causing them to get very confused they calm down.
"Can we go to An's room?" I hold my notebook to them.
They look at each other, agree, and get off me. When we're in the room, I close the door to block out the noise, and stare at it. They sit down, confused. A tear falls off of my face, and they immediately come to both of my sides.
"Ahhh! Toya, we're so sorry!!! Please don't cry!!!" Tsukasa says, giving me a head pat.
"Don't cry, don't cry!!" Saki shrieks, hugging me.
I sob, and smile.
"Is it.. really you guys..?" I say in a shaky, quiet voice, with tears falling down my face.
Tsukasa and Saki freeze, and stare at me. I stared at them with a confused look for a few moments, and realized... I talked. Saki squeals in delight, and Tsukasa ruffles my hair.
After a few moments of explaining why I didn't see them for years, and how that was basically one of the first times I had spoken after my father practically imprisoned me. And that I liked their costumes.
"Ohh, I see!! That's okay, we still loved you after all this time!" Saki says, and wraps her arms around me again. "Your eyeliner ran by the way." She whispers, and I try wiping it off. She tries too, but I can't tell if she's taking it off or smearing it. The door opens, and Akito enters.
"An said you'd be here, are you oka--" he says, and stops. ".. Tenma?"
"Akito?!" He says. "Toya, Saki, stay behind me! This guy is danger!"
"Toya, what are you doing with... This?" He says, pointing at Tsukasa who takes offense to what he was referred to. "Holy shit, were you crying?!" Akito runs up to me, pushing them both away, looking at my face. He didn't push Saki as hard, though.
"Who did this?! I swear, if I find 'em I'll--"
I shake my head, and pick up my pencil.
"Nobody made me cry. They are my childhood friends. I haven't seen them for so long, the tears just came out. I'm sorry for making you worry." I smile, trying to reassure him.
He wipes some of the eyeliner, and he looks at Saki and Tsukasa's... legs sticking out of the closet. "Really?"
I nod, and he smiles back at me.
"Okay. I'm just relieved you weren't sad."
"Did you really have to push me all the way here, though?" Tsukasa says, getting out, rubbing his head. "I'll have you know, we helped Toya through a lot."
Akito sighs, and takes me to the bathroom. Once we're in, he sits me down on the edge of the bathtub, and opens the cabinets to find An's eyeliner.
"Here, I'll fix it for you. I'd say I'm decent at this, after doing Ena's for the longest time."
I nod, and he lifts my head up to face him.
"Stay still."
He goes close to my face to see clearer, but my face grows red. What? He's so close... My heart starts pounding, and I'm afraid he hears it. Why am I getting so flustered?
Before I know it, he's already done. When he turns away, I try to calm down. Why was that so embarrassing..?
"Okay, let's go."
It feels like whenever I turn my back, more and more people start to follow me. What's up with that? Something makes me uneasy if I keep walking... A chill runs down my spine, and I look back. Everyone is looking at me now?!
"Shoo!" An says, hitting them all with her broom. She groans, and throws it at the crowd, going to get her vacuum. That scares them all off... For now, at least.
"Wow, you're really popular, Toya! When you got some fruit punch, everybody started to fight over who gets to get the next cup." An laughs, and I get confused.
"Pests." Akito glares at them, scaring a few away.
"Oh, you must be Toya?" A girl in a witch costume says, taking my hands. "You really are beautiful! How would you like to model for--" Akito smacks her head, and I take a step back.
"Ouch! Don't do that, you gorilla!" She punches him.
"My hand slipped." He shrugs. "Stop harassing him, you clown."
"Says you! You talk about him all the time! It's always narrating his every move, and trying to get me to draw the picture An sent to you yester-- mmpf!!" She says, and he shoves a donut in her mouth.
"Sh-Shut up!!" He yells, and grows red. An bursts out laughing, and my whole body turns red. I regret ever trying on that dress. I'm really glad she didn't it would be so embarrassing.
"Emmf mna." She tries speaking with a donut stuffed in her mouth. I can't figure out what she's trying to say, and look at Akito for help.
"Don't speak with your mouth full. That's gross. Toya, this is Ena." He says, and she waves. Wait, they look so.. close. They fight, too. Are they..
Dating?!
I started examining her, and begin overthinking just one single thought. He said he's been doing her eyeliner, too! Why am I feeling a somewhat strong envy? I wonder. The pieces are coming together.
"Except I'm embarrassed to be related to her."
... Oh. I grow flustered by my own thoughts. I want to die. They go somewhere, and leave me behind. I shouldn't rely on them to much, but.. why is everyone looking at me?
"U-Um, hello, Aoyagi!" A girl says, shyly talking to me. I stay silent, and start trembling with fear so much my drink starts spilling out.
(In reality, her pov)
Of course! I am in no place to be talking to a god himself! What was I thinking?! No wonder why he's staying silent, he has nothing to say to a low life scum like me! But now, that stupid Shinonome is out of the way, I can shoot my shot!
(Back to Toya)
I take a deep breath in, and decide to greet people properly now that I finally spoke to Tsukasa and Saki.
"H....
H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h--" I barely get the rest of the word out. My face freezes in a cold stare, and she runs away. Good job, Toya. That ended up so great. Tsukasa saw, and pats my back.
(3rd person pov)
"I am nothing to Aoyagi! He definitely looks down on me!!" She huffs, in... Odd excitement.
"Here, watch me." A guy pats her shoulder, and goes to Toya. Halfway through, he comes back. After that, people started going up to Toya just to get him to glare at them. They overwhelmed him.
(Toya's pov)
I don't want to walk out, because that would be rude to attend a party you won't even be at. An comes back, and squishes my cheek.
"Yo, Toya! Wanna play a quick game??" She asks. I nod, and she claps. "Okay, Simon says!" I tilt my head, and she scoffs then explains the game to me.
.. Okay. Seems easy enough...
"Simon says put your finger on your nose!" She says, and I do that. "Simon says to say cheese!"
I shyly open my mouth, but the fangs make it a bit difficult. A sudden flash happens behind me, and the next moment it's all over me, and people pay An... This party is getting creepy.
"Wow, 500 bucks at my own party. I'll treat Kohane to Denny's tomorrow."
(With An and the others)
Akito pays 100 bucks as An hands him a printed out photo from Kohane's camera.
"Woah, I just got Toya to do a pose, not rob you..." She awkwardly laughs, trying to refuse the money.
"No, keep it all. Thank you for your service." He casually says, with a nosebleed.
(Toya's pov)
Akito comes back to me, and I wave. He starts explaining how An dragged him away, and he would've stayed with me alone if he could. Once he realized what he said, he blushed while trying to make it not awkward.
"Akito, don't forget our deal." An glares at Akito from her kitchen, and he sighs. He grabs the collar from her, and hands it to me.
"She.. said I can only escape from that hell to you if we put this stupid thing on me." He mumbles, looking down to the side as he's still flustered. Oh no, he's cute.
I hesitantly put it around his neck, but not tight enough to suffocate him. I'm kind of glad An hadn't thought of her putting it on. I was fine with doing it after a few seconds, until I noticed people glaring at him. I blush from the people staring and stop quickly, and he bangs his head on a wall.
"I'll kill her." He puts his palm on his face.
"Awww, what a cute puppy!" An says, patting his head. I'm jealous. "Don't you agree, Toya?!"
I nod, and they stare at me. I'm confused. An snickers, and Akito tries to say an insult to An but nothing comes out. I realize what I answered, and shake my head, waving my hands. She continues laughing, and Akito hits her, making her drop to the floor.
An gathered a few people in her room, and I thought we were being held captive until she told us she plotted a secret sleepover for 'VIP members'. I thought everyone was ordered to bring an extra pair of clothes, but apparently not. I had to remove the eyeliner Akito put on me, which was a waste. I don't know any of the people here, but they seem very close to An. After she kicks the others out, she flops on her bed.
"Feel free to sit anywhere, guys!"
Akito sits by the bed, Saki and Tsukasa go sit by him, and everyone else stands.
"Toya, come help me with snacks!!" An says, dragging me by my arm again.
(With the others)
They begin fighting over who gets to sit next to Toya, but before they turn this into a war, they surrender and sit wherever, hoping he sits next to them. They all left a space open next to them for Toya to sit at.
(Toya's pov)
We come back, with a mountain of snacks and drinks. Although, she's only carrying 1/3 of it.
"Kohane! Sit on my bed with me!" An says, bringing Kohane to sit with her.
They stare at me, wherever I go. I feel very uncomfortable. I tremble, slowly putting the chips she threw in my arms on the table, and sit next to Akito, Saki, and Tsukasa.
"Hi, Toya!" Saki waves, and Tsukasa smiles.
I wave back, trying to ignore all the death stares aimed at them. Saki clings onto my arm, and Akito looks the other direction. I'm confused, but decide not to think about it.
"Alright, who's up for some games?!" An cheers, and sprints to a closet, which she opens the door and about 50 games fall out. W.. Woah...
"Why don't we play something that doesn't include making a mess?" Akito sighs.
"Good idea, Akito!" She finger guns him, and winks. "Now clean this up, smart ass." Her face quickly drops, and he goes to stuff them in the closet again.
"So, how about we play truth or dare!?" She jumps back on her bed.
Everyone agrees, and wait for my answer. I nod, and a weird aura covers the room. I'm scared.