Side Effects (Natsuri)✔️

Part 4. The Next Morning

**SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING**

Yuri woke up earlier around 8:00 am, waking up to realize the sleeping Natsuki's arm was wrapped around her. She tried not to wake up her friend, and carefully placed her arm aside so she could get up.

Yuri decided to take an early morning shower. She scurried into the bathroom and undressed. She turned on the warm shower water and hopped in. She lathered her long, violet hair in the water, then with shampoo; as she proceeded, she began to wonder about Natsuki; why was she acting such more friendly and gentle with her? What was going on? Was she ok? Did she really ask her father if she could spent the night? Yuri's guess was that she didn't, and was unknowingly right.

When she finished up her shower, a terrible, psychotic rain of thoughts clouded her mind; she remembered the razor in the cabinet under the sink. She couldn't help it, she grabbed the little blade and made a series of bleeding cuts on her left arm, mostly around the wrist area. Yuri was, and always was, a cutter. She didn't like it, but she couldn't help but feel as if it was what she deserved. Also, the sight of glimmering bloodshed from the cuts would awe her, she liked watching it trickle from the wrist down to her fingertips. Once she was done two minutes, she dried herself off, cleaned up her cut up area, and put her long sleeved sweater back on with some black sweatpants.

She walked back out and went to the kitchen, figuring she would just go ahead and make breakfast already. She put two waffles in the toaster, one for her, and one for Natsuki. Once they were done, she put them on paper plates with an arrangement of fruit from the fridge, then placed a carton of chocolate milk by each plate. By this time, Natsuki woke up and followed the scent in the kitchen.

"Breakfast is ready."

"Cool! Waffles and fruit! And chocolate milk too? You make breakfast better than I do!"

"Heh, I actually tried this time though."

They sat together on the couch again, watching random tv while they ate. Suddenly, Natsuki noticed red leaking out of Yuri's sleeve.

"Uhh, Yuri?"

"Yes Natsuki?"

"Are you ok this morning? There's red on your sleeve."

Yuri suddenly turned red. "O-oh, is there?"

"Yuri what happened?"

No answer.

"Yuri, are you okay?! Lemme see!"

Natsuki forcefully pulled up the sleeve, and was in horror of what she saw.

"Y-Yuri? Why? Why are you doing this shit to yourself?!"

"Ahh, I uhh, I ca-can't help it."

"How long has this been going on?!"

"For a few years."

"But, this is shit that hurts you, why do it?!"

"I always feel as if I deserve it."

"Yuri stop it, I'm serious. You are an amazing person, you matter to everyone, if not, you at least matter to me, so don't cut yourself. You are smarter and braver and deserve better than that."

Yuri got quiet. "Th-thanks I guess."

"You wanna know why I've always been a bitch towards you? It's because I was jealous of how you lived life. No one picked on you, no one abused you and tossed you around like a rag doll every single day, your quiet and peaceful life was always something I wanted. But now I see, even you have flaws, even you are struggling, and that's what makes our friendship strong, with the ability to take care of one another."

"You're right, I'll try harder not to do this; I'll try for you."

Natsuki suddenly jumped up out of her seat, grabbed Yuri's hand, and led her towards the door.

"Now c'mon! We're going out!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Out! We're going out! Somewhere! It's about time you and I have some real fun together!"

Yuri gulped. "Oh dear.."