Chapter 2:

When we were young the future was so bright,

the whole neighborhood was so alive.

And every kid on the whole damn street

was gonna make it big in every beat.

–

"They're kind of assholes."

Miku grimaced at Rin's rather unorthodox approach at the situation, and her uncouth language, but she had to agree with her statement. It was rather rude of two strangers to force themselves into her life, after all, with or without her fathers consent. But that's what the two Vocaloid members currently sitting in her living room planned to do. Miku had only known Kamui and Luka for two hours, and already they were kicking her best friend out of her own house.

Sure, she and Rin hadn't been doing their project like they said they would be, but that wasn't the adults' problem. So what if the two girls preferred video games over history?

Plus, they weren't letting the tealette walk her tiny blonde friend home like she normally did, which kind of worried her. Yeah, Rin could probably take care of herself, but she was so... small. And delicate. Like a fruit or a flower or something.

Again, Miku scowled, because fruits and flowers were really nothing like loud-mouthed, crazy, flirty Rin.

Why'd I think I had to take care of her again...?

Shaking her head, the green-eyed teen did her best to smile. "I know," she finally said. "I don't like them here anymore than you do." She cast a glance down the hall, towards her apartment where they were currently waiting. They said Miku could walk Rin to the elevator and that was it.

"I mean," Rin shrugged, "The one with the purple hair's kind of cool, in a stupid way—"

"You would think that," Miku groaned. She was well aware of her blonde friend's more... coquettish tendencies, but hitting on Kamui—a gang member; and he was probably, like, thirty—was kind of... ew. Still, Rin had winked and smirked and waved cheekily at him, like she did with the boys at school.

The smaller punched the tealette's shoulder. "Shaddap," she snapped. "He's okay, but the chick has something stuck way up her ass."

Miku sort of concurred. Luka was awfully strict. As soon as the two-hour mark had hit, she'd jumped up and demanded Rin leave. The blonde-haired girl had pouted, saying Miku wouldn't mind if she spent the night, but Luka wouldn't have it and practically shoved the younger out the door, Miku trailing hopelessly behind.

Which brought the two here. In the hallway avoiding Miku's new babysitters and their fiery wrath. "It's my dad's fault," Miku said on a sigh. "He worries too much, I guess. Give it a few days. He'll get over it."

Rin frowned. "I hope so." Miku watched as blue eyes narrowed, and she turned to see the pinkette who had so arrogantly marched herself into the tealette's daily schedule peek her head out of the apartment door.

"Are you done yet?"

Rin parroted the sentence with a lower baritone, and Miku bit back a giggle. Shaking her head, she opened her arms for a hug and Rin ran at her, throwing her skinny limbs around Miku's taller frame. She nuzzled her nose under the tealette's chin, kissed her cheek, and then looked over her shoulder to stick her tongue out at Luka, who Miku assumed was still standing in the doorway. Bidding her friend a goodbye, Rin turned on her heel and the elevator opened for her. She pushed a button, and was gone.

When Miku turned around, Luka was still there, of course, not looking much different from when Miku had left. She was still tall and super pretty and model-like. And she was still scowling, still looking like she hated the whole world for whatever reason.

A wry smile playing on her lips, Miku cautiously made her way back into her home.

It was going to be a long couple of days.

–

It was getting dark.

Her watchers were still freakin' here.

Miku liked to think she was a kind, patient person. Sure, she could whine and bitch and pity herself, but she was assured that's what being a teenager was all about. She got impatient, and she complained about stupid things, but that's only because she's human. And, as a human being able to function perfectly by herself, she enjoyed downtime and solitude on occasions.

This happened to be one of those occasions.

"So," she murmured to her guests, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot in the doorway of the kitchen. Kamui was currently snoring in her armchair, a pleasant smile on his face as he mumbled something or other about what seemed to be eggplants, but Luka, still sitting rigidly on the couch, glanced up at her. "...When are you guys leaving?"

The pinkette tapped chipped nails on her jean-clad knee. "Whenever your father gets home," she answered, voice monotonous.

Miku pursed her lips in a pout. "Okay, well," she started lamely, "There's a problem with that, 'cause sometimes he doesn't come home at all. And I'm not exactly gun-ho about hosting a slumber party for his—" The tealette was about to say something like lackies, but the icy stare she received from the older woman shut her down. "—coworkers," she finished instead.

Luka sighed and stood up, and for a joyous moment Miku actually believed she meant to leave. Alas, things never worked out that well for the seventeen-year-old, and Luka simply waltzed to her, using her height as an advantage as she leaned menacingly over the younger. "Look, kid," the pink-haired woman practically growled. Miku made a face. Luka was rather fond of that phrase, wasn't she? "I already told you that I have a job to do, and it just so happens that your my job for the time being. Until Master says so, I'm going to be your shadow." Eyes set in a firm glare that actually made the younger feel a little, well, threatened, she continued, "So you better just fucking lay low and not cause me trouble." Blissfully, Luka finally leaned back, no longer an ominous, scary presence. "Got it?"

"...S-Sure."

And then she turned, just like that, and sat back on the couch. Nervously, Miku's eyes darted to the other stranger to find he was still asleep throughout that whole conversation. She was sort of jealous.

Hands shaking, Miku realized why her father, as overbearing and silly as he may be, sent Luka. Yeah, she was a woman, a gorgeous one at that, but she was kind of terrifying. Miku knew why Luka was in charge, and why she was feared. When the pinkette wanted to, she got freakin' horrifying. And Miku couldn't say she liked it that much.

Murmuring something about homework, the tealette spun on her heel and bolted down the hall to her room, slamming the door shut behind her and leaning on the comforting wood separating her from her guardians.

–

Needless to say, and some hours later Miku wasn't so much as scared as she was totally P.O'd. Who was that... that bitch to try and threaten her in her own house! The teen slammed her Math textbook shut, nearly catching her finger in the heavy stacks of paper. Shoving her chair away from her desk, she spun the thing around so she faced her bedroom, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring towards her bed, like it was its fault or something. She debated standing and confronting Luka once more, but as angry as Miku was, she wasn't quite in the mood for a showdown at—she glanced at her clock—eleven o'clock at night. Wow. It was that late already?

The tealette did stand, a bounce in her step as she walked through her doorway and out into the hallway. Maybe Luka and that Kamui guy would be gone by now! That'd certainly be a blessing, indeed.

God, of course, didn't like her that much, and both of her watchers were still there, though Kamui was up now... and rummaging through her DVD collection. She watched as he picked up a copy of The Notebook, wrinkle his nose in what she assumed to be disgust, and put it back. She glared at the back of his head before turning her gaze to Luka. Who was staring straight at her.

She jumped a bit, because she hadn't been expecting the pinkette to be standing right there. She made a noise of surprise in the back her her throat, stumbling back. "I thought you went to sleep," Luka said monotonously.

And I thought you went home! "Yeah, well," she said lamely, "It's not like I have a bedtime."

"Ah," Luka countered, "But you should. Don't you have school tomorrow?"

Miku pouted, lower lip jutting out as she crossed her arms in indignation. "What are you, my mom?"

"Luka's right," Kamui chirped, craning his neck to look at her as he sat cross-legged in front of her cabinet. "Kids need sleep so they can learn. If ya don't, you're gonna end up like Lu-Lu and me! And, trust me, you're too pretty for grunt work."

Miku didn't know whether to blush at the indirect compliment, or laugh at Luka for having such a stupid nickname. She ended up failing at stifling a giggle, and Luka turned pink in embarrassment, which the tealette probably took too much pleasure in. With a growl, the older woman picked up the remote controller sitting innocently on the couch and chucked it at her friend's head. Miku winced at the resounded crack as the hard plastic met what had to be Kamui's even harder skull, because the man merely laughed at his partner's attempts, not even rubbing at his temple.

"You throw like a girl!" he teased, turning back to the excessive movie collection in front of him as Luka flared in anger. Miku sighed, wishing she'd asked Rin to spend the night or something. She wasn't cut out for dealing with these sorts of people.

"Uh," she said, cutting off a particularly colorful rant coming from the female Vocaloid member, "I think I'll take your advice and go to bed." In her mind, Miku was waving a white flag around saying "I surrender! I surrender!" She'd come out here to chew Luka out, but she sort of failed at that, didn't she? With slumped shoulders, she made her way back to her bedroom, closing the door with much more gentleness than she had earlier, and threw herself on her mattress. She dug her face into one of her pillows, wrapping her arm around the soft cushion.

This is gonna suck so bad.

–

Now the neighborhood's cracked and torn.

The kids are grown up, but the lives are worn.

how could one little street

Swallow so many lives?

–

A/n: Late update is late. Forgive me D:

Thank you, reviewers! (TheLastOne, Negitoro in my Heart, blackbloodbaby, Chinensis' Fan, RedCoat97, Medoree, yuukimoko, Xander Cruize, Douglas-362, LukaFan, TjSiren)

R&R!