Authors note: I was playing left 4 dead 2 today on my brothers friends conputer and i realized i am probably one of the only girls i know in my class who would play a first person shooter game with fast zombies.

   Mari picked up the last few things she had had in the hospital room. Stein was sitting on his chair watching her grab a few books. He was smoking a cigarette and the light glinted off his glasses just right so you couldn’t see his eyes.

Mari turned. “Stein,” Stein shook himself from a daze as she said his name. “Stop staring at me. It’ creepy.”

He began to laugh. “I was just thinking about something. Don’t worry, I’m not a Spirit.”

Mari laughed a little. She had only been going to DWMA for a few days before she had met Maka’s dad Spirit. At first he seemed all sweet like a dad should be. Then he ruined it by telling her she had beautiful eyes and skin and going all I’m a stalker and I know where you live. She had punched him and Maka had Maka-chopped him and then he had gone all redemption mode. Mari had seen him the other days at school before her dad had…

She stopped laughing and she looked at her feet. “Mari.”

She looked up at him. “Y-yes Stein?”

He smiled a little. “My students usually don’t call me ‘Stein’.”

Mari put her hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry Professor! It won’t happen again!” She was blushing because she had forgotten.  

“No.” He said. “I feel like people don’t call me Stein enough. Don’t worry about it.” He said.

Mari shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “Okay.”

Stein clicked his screw a few times as he pulled out a really thick student folder and flipped through the pages. “Oh yeah. I was wondering where you were gonna stay for a while?”

Mari picked up her bag. “I’m staying with Kidd, Liz and Patty for a while. They… uhm… They were getting my stuff from my old house today with Soul and Maka. Liz Patty and Kidd were gonna set up a room for me at Lord Death’s house. All of them are being really cool about helping me out while I spend an hour grabbing a few books.”

Stein nodded. “They’re all really good kids.” He turned a page on the file he was reading. “Marie wanted me to tell you that if you ever need a place to stay, you can stay with us.” He glanced up at her. “I won’t even dissect you.”

I smiled, a little shakily. “Th-thanks Stein. Say thank you to Miss Marie please. Oh! And…” She tilted her head. “Congratulations!”

He looked a little confused for a moment, then he grinned. “Thank you, Mari.”

Mari walked out of the hospital room. She saw someone at the end of the hall and squinted to see them. She couldn’t quite make out  who it was so she just walked towards the person. As she walked down the long hallway, she thought about what had happened. She had been asleep for eight days then woken up and had to stay another two. She had hit her head and gotten a large concussion. And after she had woken up, Kidd has kissed her. She blushed and smiled for a stolen moment. She looked down the hall to see it was Maka waiting for her.

“Hey!” Maka said cheerfully when she saw Mari.

Mari waved a little and smiled. “Hey. How long were you waiting?’’

Maka shrugged. “Five minutes…?”

Mari smiled. “I’m glad I didn’t make you wait long.” She hooked her arm in Maka’s and they started walking toward the exit.

“I actually have no idea where we’re going Maka.” Mari said as they walked down a big street with a few people walking past or riding bikes.

Maka grinned. “I guess you’ll get the hang of it after you walk with Kidd, Liz and Patty, but it’s actually hard to get from their house to school. You’ll get it sooner or later.” They arrived at a huge house that had a big metal gate. Maka pressed a button and it opened. They walked into a huge garden where different bushes were growing with a few flowers.

“Wow..” Mari breathed. “This is the biggest house I’ve ever seen… I can’t believe I get to live here…”

Maka smiled. “I know.”

The room that Kidd Liz and Patty had set up was a white theme and was really symmetrical. When Maka and Mari walked in, Liz and Patty were making the bed and Kidd was examining some paintings on the walls. They all looked up and smiled.

“Hey~” Liz said as Patty jumped up and down. “Do you like it?” Kidd adjusted a painting tp the right, then moved it back.

“I love it!” Mari stared at the three. “You even added some of my old stuff…” Mari bit her lip. “Some of this furniture is new… I really can’t pay for it.”

Liz waved her hand in the air. “No, it’s fine!”

Mari was still staring at the painted walls and brand new white furniture. “I can’t even…” She said.

Tsukbaki called from downstairs, saying something about cookies. Maka, Liz and Patty and Mari began to walk out but Kidd glanced over at them. “Mari… Can I ask you something about these paintings.” He adjusted another one.

Mari looked around at the others, confused. “S-sure!’’ the others walked out and down the hall a little. Mari walked over to Kidd. “What?”

He turned to her. He looked like a confused puppy. “I really don’t know how to feel about you.”

Mari stood there for a second. “Uhm..” She bit her lip, then doubled over with laughter.

“W-what?” Kidd asked.

She looked up at him. “You just look so cute when you’re confused. It’s… adorable!” She gasped to catch her breath. “And.. you’re stuttering again!” She straitened and smiled.

Kidd folded his arms. “Well… Fine.” He ran a hand through his hair, seaming not to care that it was getting rumpled. “Okay. So when I’m around you… I guess…” Was he… blushing? “it feels like the world doesn’t have to be as symmetrical.” He looked at her, moving a small strand of hair to the other side of her part.

She wrapped her arms around his middle to give him a hug. “Kidd… I think…” She looked up at him and smiled. “I think I might be falling in love with you.”

The corners of his mouth tilted up a little. “You’re the first person who’s said that to me.” He leaned down and tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “And I think I may be falling for you, too.” He rubbed the scar on her cheek, his mouth twitching.

Mari bit her lip. “Sorry…”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing you can do about it.” He smiled. He kissed her. It was gentle, almost feeling like Kidd felt he would hurt her.

Mari reached her arms up and pulled him in a little closer. She could feel something off, like the world wasn’t moving right, but for one second, that didn’t matter.

“OOHHHHHH!!!!” Someone shouted and Mari and Kidd broke away from each other. The other three girls, Soul, Tsubaki and Black Star were standing in the hall just outside her room and they all were grinning like crazy. Patty had cookie crumbs all over her face in different patches, mostly on the right side for some reason.

Kidd sighed and walked over to Patty, pulling out a random napkin he had had in his pocket. He threw it at her and it landed on her head. Patty wiped her face off then pointed at Kidd. “Your hair is all messy Kidd!”

Kidd looked up at his bangs and his nose started bleeding as he realized that he had messed up his own hair. He held his nose shut and walked across the hall into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. You could hear little ‘oh god’ sounds coming from the other side.

They all turned back to Mari and stared at her. Mari’s face started heating up as they all looked at her silently. “S-S-S-St-Stop st-staring a-at m-me!” She said. She ran a hand through her hair as they laughed at her. She walked over to the window and pantomimed unlatching it and opening it. “I’ll be jumping out the window now.”

They all laughed. Patty held her stomach. “Your mom and dad can wait before they needs to see you Mari!” The others went dead silent as Patty kept laughing. Mari clenched her fists as started shaking with anger. “What!” Patty said, continuing to be clueless. “It’s hilarious! Why aren’t you guys laughing-“

“Patty…” Mari interrupted. Patty looked up at her, still laughing. “Patty… shut the fuck up.” Patty got really quiet as she saw Mari was shaking with anger.

“What?” She asked.

“You really are and idiot.” Mari replied.

Patty’s face got red. “Well at least I have Liz and Kidd! At least I have family!”

Mari lost her breath for a scary moment. She couldn’t breathe. She took a few shaky steps over to Patty and slapped her with the back of her hand. Patty’s head whipped to the side. She held her cheek. Her eyes were wide with pain.

Kidd walked out of the bathroom, his hair perfectly combed so it was symmetrical. He stopped as her saw Mari panting and Patty holding her face. “What happened?” He asked.

Patty turned, tears filling her eyes. “Mari slapped me for saying a joke!”

Mari laughed. “So you’re blaming me?! You were the one who made a joke about my dead parents! Not even two weeks after my dad died!”

Patty huffed like a three year old. “Well you’re the one being a bitch!” She stuck out her tongue.

Mari screamed with anger and raised her fist to punch in the face but Black Star grabbed her waist and moved so she couldn’t reach Patty. He threw her bed and Soul held her other arm as she writhed and kicked the air, screaming terrible things at Patty.

Patty put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out again at Mari. “What? Bipolar much?”

Liz hit the top of her head. “You deserved that slap Patty. Just think if Kidd or I died?” Patty started thinking about it and shut up.

Mari started gasping when she ran out of breath. “I… hate… you…” She gasped as pain stabbed through her head. Suddenly, all her friends disappeared. The room got dark, I seemed like black dye was flowing over the walls and chairs, turning them black. She tried to get up but she looked to side and saw chains keeping her down on the bed. Out of the darkness stepped a man that didn’t look like a man anymore. He had long claws and sharp teeth. It looked up at her and she started hyperventilating when she realized it was the thing that had killed her dad. It stepped forward and Mari started pulling at the chains, trying to get out of the room, wanting to run as far away as she could from the thing. She looked back at it. It was smiling, brandishing its claws. Its hand flashed and stabbed into her stomach. She started screaming as it moved its hand around, tearing her up.

“Mari! Mari!” Someone was shouting her name. The room went back to white and she wasn’t bleeding to death. She stopped screaming as she saw her friends. They all looked worried. Her chest was heaving and her eyes were wide. Tsubaki was shaking her arm and looking into her face.

Mari slowed her breathing and looked at the sealing. She could feel hot tears running down her face. She looked at Soul and Black Star. “Let go of my arms or I will brake both of your wrists.” They let go of her.

“Mari? Are you okay?” Maka asked. “You were yelling at Patty, then your eyes got all glassy. You got really quiet, then started hyperventilating. And after a minute, you started screaming bloody-murder.” Maka looked worried. “Are you okay?”

Mari shook her head. “I-i-i… saw something.” She held her stomach. “I don’t know. It was like…” She sat up. “The room got really dark and all the furniture turned black. I saw the man… thing that killed my dad.” She gulped. “I-it stabbed i-its hand into m-my stomach and…” She put a hand over her mouth. “It started ripping me apart.” She looked over at Patty. “I’m sorry for slapping you.”

Patty shook her head. “No. It’s alright.”

Mari smiled at her, thanking her silently for forgiving her. “Sorry be being so much trouble. I’m really sorry.” She looked at her hands. “I’m sorry. Sorry.”

Liz tilted her head. “It’s okay. Really.”

They all left a minute later so Mari could be alone. She looked at her hands and saw that they were shaking. Someone knocked at the door and it opened a little. Kidd looked in. “Are you okay?”

Mari nodded tucked her hair behind both of her ears. “Uhm… Do you need something?” Mari asked. the room was dark because the curtains were closed.

Kidd shuffled his feet and looked at her. “Can I just fix the painting?”

Mari’s face went blank for a second. “Uhhh… Sure?”

Kidd sighed with relief. “thank you…” He walked in and straitened a painting of a tree.

Mari stared at his back as he fixed the so called “crooked painting”. She though about him kissing her and she started blushing. ‘Wow.’ She thought. ‘I am such a girl.’

He turned around and smiled. “Thanks. I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep if it wasn’t strait.” She smiled. He was so cute when he went all OCD. She shook her head mentally. He walked over kissed her forehead. “You should go to sleep.”

She chuckled. “It’s only five in the evening.”

Kidd shrugged. “We have school tomorrow.”

Mari flopped backwards into her pillows. “School…”

Kidd walked to the door. “Well… Maybe you Liz Patty and I could go on a mission together?” He swung his arm unconsciously by his side.

He wasn’t looking at her. Then she remembered that she was in a thin night gown and she thought, ‘Oh right…’ “Um… oaky!”

He smiled and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Mari closed her eyes and fell asleep.