Save Me From the Lies

Fighting and Sweets

"Don't you think it's a little strange that he suddenly appeared right after you told us about him?" Rin asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a bit much to be a coincidence. Also, you heard what Mephisto said. People are after me and Yukio simply because we're Satan's sons. I don't trust this guy."

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes.

"Hiro has been by me since I moved and basically taken away from you guys. He's my friend. You can't just judge him without meeting him. That's judging me."

"I'm not judging you, Eri."

"Well, you kind-of are, Rin. My current friend wanting to meet my past friends so that we're all friends. But you're just standing here, never having met him, refusing to just get to know him."

"I'm not refusing anything, Eri!"

"You're making it seem like you are. You painted him as a bad guy, making it like he just became friends with me to get to you guys! Sorry to say the world doesn't revolve around demons and monsters and such things! If I wasn't bitten, I wouldn't have known about exorcists and supernatural entities. You and Yukio would just be regular guys to me. Hiro is just a regular guy who is also my friend. So if you can't accept that...I guess that's the end of this friendship."

I turned my back and started walking away from Rin.

"Hey wait a minute..." I felt a hand on my shoulder but shrugged it off.

"You're just going to stand there Rin?" I heard Shima ask close behind me. So that was his hand I shrugged off. Rin didn't even go after me. Some best friend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The argument I had with Rin put me in a bad mood that I didn't feel like attending my next class. So here I was lounging by the school fountain, letting the trickling of water calm my nerves. I couldn't even care less if a teacher caught me and told me off for skipping. Maybe if I could get in enough trouble, I'd get kicked out and avoid having to see Rin's idiotic face again.

But it wasn't a teacher who caught me.

It was a white dog with a majestic coat of fur who questioned my attendance.

"Miss Eri, what are you doing here?"

Without looking at him I answered, "Skipping class."

"From what I know of you, you're not that kind of student. You've had perfect attendance and outstanding grades."

"Maybe it's time for a change."

I heard a puff and felt my chin being lifted to meet the eyes of my headmaster. Who is also a demon king. Mephisto Pheles.

Being close to him, I never noticed he had bags under his eyes.

"Do you get enough sleep?" I wondered.

Mephisto looked puzzled. I took that moment to gentle caress around one of his eyes.

"Sleep is very important you know. I understand if you're busy running the school and being an exorcist, but take care of yourself," I softly murmured.

"While I am happy that you care about my health, I'm more concerned about others' wellbeing. Eri, are you okay? Something happened for you to skip class."

I nodded.

I yelped as Mephisto scooped me up into his arms and began carrying me bridal style.

"Mephisto, put me down. Where are you taking me?"

"To my office. You can talk to me over some tea."

As this was happening, someone was watching the two.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mephisto's office looked the same in appearance, but this time there was someone else present in the room.

"Welcome back, master."

"Belial. Prepare tea and sweets for us."

Belial bowed before disappearing to complete his task.

"You have a butler."

"A king needs someone to attend to him."

"That makes sense."

Belial re-entered the room holding a tray consisting of a teapot and two tea cups, slices of strawberry cake, cupcakes, and tea biscuits. He set them on a nearby table and pulled two comfy chairs to either side. He then bowed before Mephisto gestured a hand in dismissal.

"Come Eri. Have a seat." Mephisto then pulled a seat out for me to sit.

"Why, Mephisto. Such a gentleman."

"I am the King of Time. I understand etiquette," he explained as he took the seat across from me. He poured tea into my cup before his own. "People may have the view the demons are brutes, monsters of destruction. However, we demons do have our own rules of etiquette. Care for a cupcake?"

"Yes please."

Time to satisfy my sweet tooth.

"Now what is the reason a well-behaved lady such as yourself would consider skipping class?"

I paused in the middle of taking a bite out of the cupcake.

"Rin and I had a fight. It's nothing."

"A fight between good friends is not nothing. There is a strain on your relationship now. There are hard feelings you have against each other, which given past good memories make each of you frustrated at each other. But given human history, I'm sure you guys will resolve your differences and get over it."

I ignored him, indulging my sweet tooth with a bite into my cupcake. Wow, demons are lucky. The cake is so moist. The frosting light and not overly sweet and just so satisfying.

However, the moment was ruined as Mephisto appeared right in front of me, his forehead rested on my forehead.

"Eri. It's not nice to ignore people."

I swallowed the cupcake and simply stared into his eyes.

"W-what are you doing? How did you appear out of nowhere?"

"You were ignoring me, so I thought this would get your attention. Also I'm the King of Time. I got up and walked over slowly as I stopped time. Now please listen to me. Rin is only looking out for you. You two have reunited after all these years and he's only wanting to keep you safe. See the situation from his shoes."

I thought things over. He was right to suggest the strange coincidence. But he did overreact. He was the one acting unreasonably in refusing to meet Hiro. But I did just end our long friendship over an argument.

"I understand. We both acted unreasonably. Thank you, Mephisto. I'll go and find Rin to apologize...but after finishing this delicious cupcake."

He smirked in response. Then reached a finger up slowly to my face and wiped the corner of my mouth.

"A bit of frosting," my face heated up as he stuck the finger into his mouth. "Delicious," he whispered.

They didn't notice the pair of eyes watchingtheir interaction.

*****************************************************************************************

And now they fight. Pay very close attention to this chapter-it's very important for later on.

Author Note: I've been keeping to weekly updates (Fridays) but next week I'll be moving into a new apartment and classes are starting up again for university so it might take longer for me to update. But don't fret! This story is in my mind. You might have to keep reminding me to update though lol

Until next chapter,

~The Ninja of Pie