Vol 2 ~ What if I ain't no Violinist?

3. Twoset Searchers IX (Warren's story 2)

Warren smiled then whispered;

"You really shouldn't push people this far y'know. They could get up to some really crazy sh*t."

The school bell rang and Warren went to class.

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Thursday

The next day when Warren got to school something was different. He was left alone. No one made snide comments from afar nor purposely came close to him to push or shove him. He went up to his locker which he noticed was closed shut. When he opened it, his notebooks were still torn and covered in scribbles but someone had stacked them neatly into a pile.

Warren made his way to his first class of the day, maths. The boy who he usually sat next to was reading a manga. Warren loved manga too but he'd never told anyone in fear of getting bullied for it. Besides, he had no friends to talk to. Yet today, Warren felt he had nothing to lose.

"Hey."

Keeping his eyes on his manga, the boy replied;

"Hey, Warren"

Warren's eyes shot open in shock. The boy noticed Warren's response and looked up at him.

"..What's the matter?"

"You... actually called me by my name? You actually know my name?"

"Yeah, of course I do. Wassup?"

"Um.. What are you reading?"

"It's a manga. The Murder book series."

"Oh wow. I really like that series."

The boy's face lit up.

"Do you?! Me too!! Did you know it's recently been made into an anime?"

"I didn't know that. That's great !! I like anime too."

"Really?! That's great!! Do you wanna go watch it together on the weekend?"

"Seriously?"

"Um yeah? Of course. I'm Eddy, by the way."

When Warren got home from school, Death had paid him a visit and greeted him in his bedroom.

"Hey welcome home. How have you been the last 2 days Warren?"

"Oh, not too bad.. in fact, I think I had my best two days in a while."

"Really ? "

"Yeah, it's been.. interesting."

Death smirked.

"Mmm my favourite word, iNtErEsTiNg. So what happened?"

Warren told Death what had happened yesterday, at school,  in front of the lockers.

Death widened his eyes in shock.

"Oh my f*cking god, were you alright!?"

Death looked genuinely concerned.

"What ? What do you mean? Of course I'm alright."

"I mean.. what if one of those kids had a real knife and used it against you in self defense thinking you had a real one, too?  I'm just glad no one got seriously hurt."

Warren shrugged.

"I had nothing to lose. I'm gonna die in a couple of days anyway, right?"

Warren furrowed his brows and wondered why Death looked pained.

"Warren.. I know. I'm not gonna start preaching to you. As I said, I'm just glad no one, especially you,  got seriously hurt. And I say this fully acknowledging that you must have already been hurt plenty of times."

Warren bit his lower lip.

"..Thank you Mr Death."

"..So did you get into trouble for this?"

"Actually no, not at all. No one dobbed me in. Nor dobbed in the other guys."

"F*ck, that's so messed up. Mate, if I had my way with them..."

Warren furrowed his brows;

"..I thought you were against hurting people."

"No, you humans say that you are against hurting people. Yet you humans do. I, on the other hand, am not shy to admit that I'm all for it. You just have to not know about it and I can make it all look like an accident for you."

Warren gave out a chuckle.

"That's okay. But I suppose it's the thought that counts. And I do appreciate it, thank you Mr Death."

"Look, just call me Brett."

"..Brett?"

"Yeah. I realise Mr Death is a bit too impersonal since I'll be around you for one more day... I should've told you my name on day one."

"Okay, thank you Brett."

Warren then told Brett about Eddy, his new friend he made today.

"Wow, it sounds like you indeed had a couple of very iNtErEsTiNg days."

"Yeah... um, y'know what Brett?"

"What is it Warren?"

Tears welled up in Warren's eyes and ran down his cheeks.

"I ... I haven't made a new friend in years.. Eddy and I.. we were meant to go and see an anime movie together this Saturday. I now wish I wasn't dying tomorrow..."

Brett furrowed his brows.

"Oh f*ck Warren.."

Friday

Brett's POV

I need to harvest souls in order to earn credit points or else I'll get a fail again. I'm not worried about the Dean but if I flunk and come last in my year again, my mother's gonna do more than just kung pao my chicken.

This Warren kid was nice enough. He certainly didn't deserve the sh*t he's been copping at school and he really didn't deserve to leave this world so early. Especially now that he's made a friend and seemed to be happier. Such a shame.

"Good morning Brett."

"Hey Warren. ..You slept well?"

"Um.. yeah."

He didn't. He cried himself to sleep and couldn't even remember when he eventually did fall asleep. And Brett knew this as well.

"Oh... That's.. good. Well, you better get ready to go to school."

"Yeah I suppose."

"I... I might come with you today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah.. y'know, I just felt like going on a stroll with ya. Don't worry, no one else is can see me except you anyway."

"Okay.  Sure."

When the end is nearing, I get an urge to stay closeby.