It's Not a Disease

Chapter 1: He Knows Me So Well...

"Takeshi! Takeshi WAIT UP!!" Orange's whine was so pitiful I was forced to stop and wait up for him. I chuckled watching his shaggy red head turn the corner. "What, am I too fast for ya?" I asked, smirking. He was panting loudly but patted me on the back. "Not a chance. But you see, when WALKING, you slow down." Orange responded, slowing down on the last part. I sighed and continued walking, but now Orange had his arm wrapped around my shoulders, holding me a little close. "Are you really that hungry?" He asked. I shook my head when we arrived at the food court. "Not anymore." Just as we were about to walk in, however, Orange yanked my arm, pulling me to a corner of the room. His searching glare made me uneasy. "You should know better than trying to hide it," he said, wiping the makeup off my bruised cheek. "You know I'll notice. Five years worth of girlfriends doesn't say 'I don't notice'." I winced and shrugged, trying to hide it. "It was accidental this time." At my words, Orange clenched his fists and fumed, "It's never accidental!!" I grabbed his wrists in the hopes of calming him, and I heard his reluctant sigh as my gaze fell to the floor. "You know she hits you on purpose!" He yelled. I heard exclaimations of surprised and blushes slightly, releasing his wrists. "You're making a scene," I replied meekly. His hands rose to his head and held it in frustration. He was mumbling, and began kicking his feet for a few minutes. He suddenly released a sigh that sent me jumping. I looked at him curiously, and recieved a look of tired pity. "Let's get something to eat." He grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to the counter, ordering two chocolate shakes. He paid, shoved a shake into my hands and sat me down in a corner booth. I was dazed; confusion had overtaken me. He took a drink of his shake, then took the lid off and threw it on the table. "Why do you let her push you around?" He asked. I knew what he meant. My mom had hit me since the day my dad left, when I was only seven. She never cared about me anymore; Orange's family had raised me from that day on. The only thing that I wasn't doing with them was living there. I chuckled lightheartedly, trying to lighten the mood. Orange's shouting incident still had us recieving looks, so I kept my head down. "What do you-" "You know what I mean, Tak." Orange's interruption had me spluttering trying to find an answer. Then I sighed, relaxed my tense shoulders and looked him in the eye. "If I do what I really want to do, I'll be just like Dad. I'm not gonna be the son that abandoned his mother. Mom is NOT going to be alone for the rest of her life just because I couldn't handle a few bruises. I'm not leaving her alone! She doesn't-" I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see a custodian smiling at me. She nodded and said, "Please. Your interrupting the other customers." I smiled uneasily and nodded in reply. "Sorry," Orange said casually. The custodian smiled, nodded again, and left to resume her sweeping. My face felt hot and I looked down at my shake. "It's okay to not want to leave her," Orange said gently, "but it's not okay that she hurts you." I nodded, tears threatening to reveal themselves. My glasses began to fall and I pushes then up, my gaze rising. "Let's go. Please." I begged. Orange nodded sympathetically and led me out of the food court and into the nearest bookstore.