Alone Together

22: Get Mariku, go home.

Ryou just stared.

The counter was covered with empty containers and cartons. The fridge was completely empty.

And so was Mariku's bedroom.

The keys were gone, along with the phone.

All he left behind was the biggest mess on the counter Ryou had ever seen. Not only that, but the bathroom and Ryou's bedroom doorknobs had been attached by a string, making it impossible to enter either room.

Ryou was stuck between being angry, confused, and seriously concerned. No, Mariku wasn't hurting anybody (as far as he was concerned), but he couldn't help but think that the person with the audacity to do something so unorthodox was out and about, possibly terrorizing the village.

The poor thing wanted to cry for some reason. If Mariku was going to empty the fridge, did he have to leave a mess?

So, he started to clean up. He opened up a trash bag and began to throw everything away, and the reusable containers were placed in the sink.

"And I just got groceries too!" He pouted as he closed up the bag.

It did come to his attention that pots and pans, cups, plates, bowls, and silverware were left untouched. Meaning, Mariku ate everything with his bare hands, and drank everything straight from the carton.

And yes. Ryou did see the empty egg carton.
He made a face, seeing that the shells were nowhere to be found. "Ew..."

Ryou held his grumbling stomach, which was horribly timed because now there was literally nothing to eat.

He was just about to finally call Mariku when the phone rang. Mariku was calling him first.

Ryou swallowed the lump in his throat, and looked out the window as he answered. "Hello?"

"Hi...Ryou...?"

It sounded like Mariku was in space. "Where are you?" His words sounded meaner than he wanted, but he bit his lip to hold back any apologies that were not his to make.

There was some silence for a bit. "I..." and some background voices. "I'm not sure."

Now Ryou was less angry and more concerned. "You don't know?"

"I just told you that. I may or may not have gotten lost."

Ryou rubbed his temples. "What streets..?"

"I don't know. I'm somewhere downtown."

The phone almost dropped from Ryou's hands. "Downtown?"

"Yes! Aren't you listening?"

It was a stupid question, but Ryou decided to ask and be sure, because he really did not want to go downtown.
"Do you need me to come get you?"

"I don't see any other reason I'd call you."

Shifting his weight, Ryou felt he wanted to cry again. "I don't have a car. I don't even know what part of downtown you're in."

"Hang on...the street names are on the green signs, right?"

"What does it say?"

Mariku did his best to enunciate the word, but Ryou recognized it the instant he began to speak.
He really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really (it doesn't even look like a word anymore) really really really really really did not want to go downtown, much less to this particular street, but Mariku really really really needed his help. Other people's reallys were more important than his own.