• Chapter Four

    Otaku

    I hyperventilate a lot. When I’ve been crying, or something shocks me, I breathe too fast and too hard for too long. I begin to feel weak, dizzy, and my head feels fuzzy and heavy. After a minute maximum, I feel faint. Most of the time I just put my head in between my legs and eat something sugary and I feel better, but other times, I actually faint. The fainting spells don’t last too long, and I can usually be roused awake after about a minute. This time, I was shocked. I breathed faster and harder. The REAL L? The anime character from my dreams?

    I searched L’s pale face for a smile, waiting for him to burst out laughing and shout ‘April Fools!’ (though I doubted that he would drop his serious manner for a joke) but I saw no signs of any kind of trick. I studied the face I had seen on so many pages, and stared intently into his dark, dark eyes. I knew then, gazing into his pale, solemn face, that he WAS L, as he said. He was… real? I felt weak, my knees gave out and I collapsed. I had fainted, but, strangely, I could still feel Hattie catch me, her gasp, and felt the cold floor beneath me as she laid me down on the tile. This was strange. I was still half conscious. I could hear the people around me, shouting and clamoring to see what happened to the girl who had fainted.

    Soon, though, the crowds lost interest and began to drift away, either to get more cake or leave for home, since the party had just ended. L, Light, Misa, and Hattie spoke to each other in low whispers, and I couldn’t make out what they were saying about me, but I could tell from the anxious tones that they WERE discussing me. I felt Hattie press a wet towel to my forehead and cheeks, felt her fan my face. It felt good, refreshing, and I wanted to wake up, but I didn’t. Or, couldn’t, I should say. It isn’t in my power to choose when I gain consciousness again. I heard Hattie rise from crouching at my side, heard her question L and Misa’s reliability. Then, I heard Light, then a gasp and a small crack. Light Yagami’s scream cut through the air.

    Suddenly, my eyes were open. I stood and saw Light crouched over, holding his face. Anger boiled inside of me. He was Kira. He had killed so many, so many, so he could rule the world. And he planned to kill… L! I clenched my fists, my nails pinching my hands, ignoring the warm blood seeping out where my nails actually pierced the flesh. My jaw tightened until I could feel a dull pain in my gums and I gritted my teeth together. I didn’t notice, but my feet held a position to fight, completely balanced and threatening. Impulse controlled me, and I threw my right foot out in powerful kick that slammed into Light’s already slightly broken nose. Light screamed again, but I didn’t hear. A buzz rang in my ears, anger still seething through my veins. I almost didn’t see the rest of it, just acting on impulse, only half there.

    I lunged for Light again as he began to laugh mockingly, loudly at us, claiming to find it funny that we thought he would kill L. (although anyone could see it was painful for him to speak with a broken nose) But I was jerked to a stop by two pairs of powerful hands. I felt weak again as they held me, not dizzy or faint, but weak, tired. I let L and Hattie pull me back, dropping my weight to the floor. My head hung, and I was grateful for my hair falling around my face and blocking my wet eyes as tears began to trickle down my flushed cheeks. I didn’t lift my hand to brush away the tears. It was too late now.