Here's Chapter 4! Sorry it took so long, I've just been extremely busy with school, combined with writer's block and procrastination. -_-' But it's quite a bit longer to make up for the lateness hopefully!

But anyways, thanks to a little inspiration from one of my epic friends, and a 12:00 a.m. eureka moment, I pulled through! So I hope you enjoy this chapter, and HOPEFULLY, I will update sooner next time!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Vocaloid.

I see my best friend in a hospital bed as I peer through the small rectangular window. For a few hours, the doctors haven't been sure what to do, except to keep oxygen to her lungs. Her parents showed up just a few minutes ago, obviously frantic. Apparently, they had been in New York on business. Rin hadn't bothered to mention this to me. I see a nurse stick an IV in her arm, and grimace. She hated needles. When it was time for us to get our yearly physical, we'd make appointments the same day, so I'd be there to hold her hand when she got her shots.

It was sort of silly, since we were 14, but Rin still always insisted. If someone wasn't holding her hand when she got a shot she would have a panic attack, almost acting like a completely different person. I allowed myself a small chuckle, knowing that if she was feeling like herself she would be clinging to the nurse now, like a wet, distraught cat that had just jumped out of a bath. But because of a few ignorant, conceited twits, Rin isn't herself.

She isn't herself at all, and who knows if she ever will be again.

"It's so beautiful!' Rin exclaimed, looking around the small, beach alcove, surrounded by palm trees. It was my secret hideout, if you will, but I had decided it might cheer her up to let her see it. I always came here when I had a lot on my mind that I needed to sort out, or when I just felt like blocking out the rest of the world. When I needed to escape.

"You think so?" I asked. She nodded, smiling. "Then follow me, I want to show you something." I said, grabbing her arm and leading her a little further through the leafy trees, until we got to a tall, wooden fort.

"Wow!" she gasped, her blue eyes sparkling. "Did you build this?"

"Yeah." I replied. "A couple years ago. You wanna climb up? The view's great."

I was barely done talking before she started climbing up the ladder excitedly. I stood on the ground for a second, just so I'd be there to catch her if she fell. Once she was safe on the top, I climbed up behind her.

Up in the "crows' nest" as I called it, you could see the waves crash on the sandy shore below. A light breeze blew, causing Rin's golden locks to sway slightly out of place. We both stood there silently for a while, just taking it all in, momentarily forgetting the confusion that had been looming over us.

"Len?" She addressed me, snapping me out of my trance.

I looked at her and smiled. "Yes, Rin?"

"I don't mean to be invasive, but what is the bandage on your arm for?" She asked curiously.

I looked down at the waterproof bandage on my arm, a bit caught off guard. I quickly remembered what I was supposed to say. "Oh, I was injured the other day. Playing volleyball with a few guys on the beach. Nothing serious, just a pretty nasty bruise. It'll heal up though."

"Oh." she said, returning her eyes to the sunset, day turning to night already. Then I remembered something.

"Um, Rin. My dad is probably expecting me home by now. I'll need to go eat dinner with him. But... what about you?"

She looked of into space for a moment, thinking. "Well, I'm still not exactly sure how to get home, so I guess I could stay here in the fort tonight." Then she quickly added. "I mean, only if that's alright with you!"

"Yeah, of course." I replied. "So, I guess I could try to sneak some food and blankets out here to you, but it might be a while."

"That's okay. Thank you so much for letting me stay here though." She said, very gratefully. But I could tell she was hungry. And the cold breeze was getting harsher with the creeping night.

"No problem." I said with a warm smile. "I'll try to hurry." I began carefully climbing down the ladder. As soon as I got a fair distance away from the fort, I started sprinting towards my house. My dad was not going to be happy with me for spending so much time out without his permission.

I caught my breath, reaching my front door, then tried to collect myself as I turned the nob. When I walked in, there was my dad, sitting at the kitchen table alone, his brow furrowing after hearing me enter. He didn't turn to look at me right away, just spoke. "Where have you been, Len?" His tone was stone cold, neutral from emotion. For now.

"I went to the beach to hang out today. It was a beautiful day, and so-"

He cut me off with a harsher tone. "I don't want your excuses, Len. You didn't tell me where you went. And you've been gone all day."

I clenched my jaw. Why did he have to do this every time I went out? He should know by now that staying in the house drives me stir crazy. My mom works all the time, as a traveling news reporter, so she is almost never home. And my dad just sits around all day, writing screenplays or war plans or whatever; I'm not really sure. But that's only when he isn't too busy yelling at me. "Dad, don't you think you could trust me a little bit more than this? Enough to go out on my own for a while every once in a while. The beach only is a few minutes away."

He stands up from his seat abruptly, balling up his fists. "No, Len. I don't believe I can. You have violated my trust too many times before, and you know that your mother and I have to keep a closer watch on you now.

I close my eyes, knowing what he is refering to. Knowing what he has never been able to let me live down. Or at least his excuse. I slipped up- fine, I'll admit that much. But I also know that he's hated me long before that. "You know I have turned it around since then. You know I'm not getting into that crap ever again. I've learned my lesson. All you're doing is reminding me of it."

"Damn right I am!" My dad exclaims, getting more infuriated. "Why should I let you forget, you little whore?!" He slams me into a wall, and I prepare myself for the harsh ruetine I have had to become accustomed to. For the next half hour I will be his punching bag.

His hard fist pounds repeatedly against my jaw, my chest, and my arm. The one he didn't bang up the other day. The one I didn't lie to poor, innocent Rin about. Rin, who was shivering, hungry, miles from home right now. Rin, who probably didn't have to come home to this kind of crap whenever her father felt like taking his anger out on her. Then again, she would never deserve anything like this.

My father kept me pushed up to the wall with one arm as he slipped off his belt with the other. As I braced my self for the first lash, I tried to tell myself that I deserved this. But did I really? I wasn't sure. Another blow. But it didn't matter. And another. I was going to have to deal with this anyway. As the lashes got harsher, I willed myself not to cry out in pain. That would only make him more angry.

Five more. I cringed, tilting my head back against the wall. My dad chuckled maliciously. "Yes, I hope it hurts. I hope it hurts like Hell. Or, in other words, the place you deserve to be." And I just stand there, taking the words, the pain. What else am I supposed to do? I can't fight back. So I just take it all for another ten minutes.

Then I collapse to the ground. "Weakling." He mutters, but he drops his belt and walks up to his room, locking it and leaving me crumpled on the ground like a broken piece of china. There is now another fresh bruise on the arm opposite to the one that was already bruised, a welt on my cheek from a blow aimed too high, and my whole body aches. How will I explain this to Rin? Would she even understand? After a while, when the pain has gone away just a little, I pull myself up some. I need to get back to Rin.

Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for those following and reviewing, and please continue telling me what you think! See you in Chapter 5!