Mad

Two

"Hey, Ethan~ I want to see your inside."

I sighed, gently pushing Zylen back. I've been hearing that a whole lot often lately that I've gotten used to it. But I always feel a cold chill run down my spine...

The first time he said that was two weeks ago, just a few days after we became friends. We were quietly eating our lunch when he just whispered into my ear. I got so creeped out I jumped out of my seat, literally.

Zylen would just grin like some sort of, I don't know, maniac?

"Zylen," I started, sitting on a bench in the park, "Why do you keep saying that? It's creepy."

"It is~?" He replied with a question. Here we go again.

"It is."

"But I honestly want to see you insides."

Does he have some sort of mental illness? It seems so much like it... Doesn't his parents notice anything and take him to a doctor?

"Does it have to be mine?" Let me tell you. I cringed terribly when I asked that.

"Well... It has to be you. Aren't you my friend~?" He leaned closer again, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Flinching, I pushed him back again. He was smiling and I sweated nervously. Getting nervous by a smile might be normal, but not in this situation.

It was that smile. It wasn't normal. It wasn't warm. Rather, it was insane.

To get the uneasiness off by him staring at me with that crazy filled eye, I decided changing the subject.

"So...um... Do you have any... You know, role models?"

The craziness left, and his eye brightened. Zylen's smile changed into one which held hope. This sudden change with only the mentioning of a role model, surprised me.

It might've been the first time I've seen him look so... Normal.

"The Redmond couple," Zylen mumbled with this distant look in his eyes, "I want to become like them, a successful, scientist."

"You want to become a scientist?" I asked, awed.

"Ethan, don't you have any dreams?"

"Me, huh? I don't particularly have any at the moment, but maybe I want to be someone who is able to help others achieve stuff in their life...? Lame, huh," I chuckled, scratching my cheeks a bit embarrassed.

Zylen's eye seemed to gain a shine.

"I think that's wonderful in its own way."

—

"What are you staring at, huh!?" The infamous school thug, Billy, sneered at Zylen who chuckled in response. Zylen tilted his head to one side, studying his body. That eye...

"Zylen... Let's go," I urged, tugging the sleeve of his coat.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going huh!? Mr. Colourless!" He yelled acting all smug. I could tell he felt uncomfortable when Zylen smirked at him, because he flinched.

"L-look at you, man! How can you hang out with that creep!? Even your friends don't come near you anymore!" Billy yelled after me. Who the hell was he, telling me who's a creep and who's not. It's a free country. I'm free to do whatever I want.

Yeah, my friends, classmates and even Allen started avoiding me as soon as they found out I was Zylen's friend. Now that sounds depressing...

Anyway, I yanked the white haired boy, until we got away from his sight.

"Don't stare at people like that!" I scolded. Great. I sound like some mother.

"I was studying if he would make a good subject," Zylen replied, smiling at me.

Okay. This dude has seriously got some problems. Before I could say anything he added, "But it definitely has to be you~"

I stopped dead in my tracks. He was looking at me so sincerely... Like he meant everything he was saying. I tried convincing myself that he got to be joking all those times. But... The way he looked at me, it held no lie. And every doubt on whether or not he was joking, disappeared.

He seriously meant it.

I nervously cleared my throat, "W-well, who knows... Right?"

The next thing he did, seriously caught me off guard. Zylen slipped his hand into mine, and leaned in, slowly whispering into my ear, "You'll help me with my dream, won't you~?"

I gulped . . . and mentally slapped myself for letting heat rise to my face. Okay, rather than getting creeped out by his chilling whispering, I got flustered by the action he took.

The hell was with me that moment.

"Z-zylen...!" I exclaimed pushing him away for how many times today? He chuckled and we both continued walking down the road.

Only, I failed to notice his intense gaze on me, and the hungry look in his eye due to the fact that I was still pondering on what the hell was up with that guy.

And I was to find that out sooner or later.