An Angel's Whisper

Part 1: A Troubling Start

The morning came around extremely quickly.
The alarm clock started it's shrill ringing.
Pulling the bed cover over her head, Neru groaned. Today was the day that she and the other loids would visit a high-class, state-of-the-art recording studio. Not thinking all that much of her own abilities, she wasn't ecstatic. She covered her ears and closed her eyes again. She could still faintly hear the sound of the alarm.

Throwing her arm aimlessly at the bedside table, she knocked off the clock and it smashed into the floor.
"Oh, for god's sake.."
Neru threw the cover to the side, and picked up her phone. It was 9:01am. She had to leave at 10:30.
She got up, and ran her fingers through her hair. She caught herself on a few knots here and there. She put her hair in her signature ponytail and got changed into her uniform.

Abruptly, from the dresser across the room, Neru's phone started ringing. It was from an unknown number.
She picked it up regardless.
"Uh, hello?"
"HELLO?"
"Jeez, quieten down. Some of us don't want to bleed from our ears."
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, ITS SO LOUD HERE!"
"I don't know who this is nor where you are."
"YOU KNOW ME, DON'T HANG UP PLEASE IM BORROWING THE BARTENDER'S PHONE HE IS GLARING AT ME PLEASE PICK ME UP."
"I- Haku is that you?"
"YES PLEASE PICK ME UP I'M SCARED."
"I can't drive, you know this, dipshit. And plus, why are you at the bar at literally 9:30? IN THE MORNING?"
"I figured I can't come later on because I would be recording so why not come now?"
Neru sighed.
"How much have you had?" She asked.
"Uhh.. hang on a sec."
Neru heard Haku shouting at a guy, asking if he knew how many pints she had had.
"10."
Neru scoffed loudly and annoyed.
"Ten?! It's not even the afternoon yet and you'll probably be complaining about a headache in an hour."
"I won't!! Promise."
"You break that promise and-"
"OKAY don't hurt me please. I'll be fine. Trust me."
"Okay, I'm hanging up now."
"WAIT NERU PLEASE WAIT-"
"What now?!'
"Please let me come to yours."
"Fine. Be quick. Try to walk in a straight line? Maybe on the pavement too?"
"Hehe. Okay. Bye~"
"Yeah whatever."

Neru applied a small yet noticeable amount of makeup, and brushed her hair through again. She caught her ear with the brush.
"OW! Ah, sh... shoot."
A clatter came from downstairs. Still holding her (painful) ear, Neru went down the stairs to see what had happened. Her door was wide open.
"What the fu-"
She turned around and saw Haku in her living room. On the floor. Petting her cat.
"How did you even get in?!" She yelled.
"You.. you gave me a keeeyy.."
"I didn't?"
"Yeah you did! Liar. You gave it to me like, uhhhh.... last year. hehe."
"Why would I give you a key to my house?!"
"Because we're.." Haku made a hand shaking gesture,
"Best fwiends!"
"One, can you speak normally, and two, I've not even given my own brother a key. I-"
Standing up, Haku laughed at the much shorter girl.
"I don't know what you're laughing at but you better sit down. I'll get you some water."
"I picked your lock."
"W-WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?!'
"I wanted to get in a whole bunch."
"That- that doesn't even make sense. You've not vomited all over my front garden, no?"
"No.." Haku looked up at Neru, with a seemingly guilty look in her eyes.
"Haku why are you looking at me like that I'm scared-"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
"Okay, okay, don't yell. It's fine. I was joking, okay?"
"Okay, well in that case can I tell you something?"
"Uh, sure?"
"I did but I thought you would smack me again."
"You- did- what?"
"Hm? Nothing, nothing."
"I'm going to feed my cat now. Don't do anything stupid for the ONE minute or so that I won't be with you."
"Hehe. Got it."

"Shizuko? Food! Come and get it!"
The small tabby cat padded towards Neru, who smiled.
"Good girl! Eat up!"
The cat gently pushed Neru's hand out of the way to reach into the bowl.
The girl watched her cat eat, gently stroking it's back.
"Aww, you're such a cutie~!"
Shizuko was the only thing that Neru showed any sign of affection to. Shizuko would spend a lot of time comforting her owner.
After crying, smiling, loving, breaking, Neru's cat was always there. To her, Shizuko was the best thing.

Purring softly, the small cat faced her owner.
"Are you done? That was fast! Do you want some trea-"
"NERUUUU!"
"Wait there, sweetie. I'll be right back."

Walking into the living room, Neru sighed.
"What do you want?"
"What was the thing that was in the bowl in the corner?"
"Some rare plants that only come out once a year. Nero gave them to me and I-"
"They're dead now. Oops."
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"I- it's not my fault! It was.. uh.."
Looking around the room, Haku tried to find something - or someone - to blame. She pointed at a mini spider that was crawling across the ceiling.
"Him."
"What did you even do to my poor plant- OH REALLY?! HAKU THAT'S DISGUSTING! I GOTTA THROW IT OUT NOW!"
"Neru I'm sorry. Honestly."
Opening the back door, and throwing out the pot, Neru muttered curses to herself.
"You're not. Otherwise you wouldn't have VOMITED INTO MY PLANTS."
"I- I didn't know there was actually something in there! I just saw a bowl and used it! I didn't want to puke onto your carpet because I know that would would get really mad!"
"Ugh, forget it. Just get out."
"Neru we gotta go record-"

Ah, right.
She had forgotten about that.

"I never wanted to go anyway." She mumbled.
"Hm? Why?"
"You don't need to know. You're already drunk and should probably be sleeping and I'm having a bad day anyway. You come along and make it worse."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were having a bad day."
"Well it doesn't matter now, okay? You ruined it. Just take a nap."
"Now? We should be at the studio in half an hour-"
"Yes, now. We're not going until you're in a well enough condition."
"But-"
"I'm going to check on Shizuko. Just lay down, please."
"Alright. Sorry."

Shizuko meowed happily as Neru gave her a treat.
"There you are. Do you want some chicken?"
As a yes, the tabby started walking to the fridge. Neru tenderly fed her a small piece of chicken.
"Was that nice? You have to wait until dinner for more, okay?"
Shizuko meowed and rubbed against Neru's leg.
"Awwh, I'm sorry."
She picked her up and hugged her. She took her into the living room and placed her next to Haku, who was asleep. Shizuko laid down.

Neru sighed. Maybe it was for the best that she wasn't going. She hated singing in front of the other loids, in fear that they would make fun of her. In high school, Miku would always put her down. She had changed since then - but Neru still held a grudge against her. She didn't trust anyone. She couldn't trust anyone.

Suddenly, Shizuko let out a low, quiet, painful yowl. Neru looked over. Haku had her arm over the cat. Shizuko was trying to scramble away but couldn't move.
Neru snickered at the helpless cat.
Shizuko bit Haku's hand.
"OW!" Haku jolted upwards, holding her hand in pain.
"SHIZUKO! Bad kitty!" she shouted.
The small tabby ran out of the room.
"Are you alright?" Neru asked.
"I'm bleeding a little but I'm fine."
"How are you feeling?"
"Uh, I'm okay. What's the time?"
"11am."
"Shouldn't we be at the studio by now?"
"I don't want to go."
"Why not?"
"Why does it matter to you?"
"Please? Tell me?"
"It doesn't matter."
Standing up, Haku reached out her hand to Neru.
"Come on. We're in this together."
"Fine, I guess."
Haku smiled.
"Let's go. Call Miku, tell her that we're on our way."
"Alright."