Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

And then Namine remembered. Looking into his eyes, what she saw at that moment was replaced by a memory. He was angry, staring at her. And then he slapped her. Namine could almost feel the pain of the slap at that moment. Not physically, but emotionally. This guy was trying to take advantage of her. She furrowed her brows in anger, bringing back her leg and kicking him in the shin.

Jeff lept back, stumbling to regain his balance. "Wh-what'd you do that for?" he cried out. He was shocked at her actions, and he was shocked by the strength of that kick. Though it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt before...

"I may be forgetful, but I'm not stupid," Namine snapped. "You're lying to me."

 

The action caused Roxas to straighten. His expression, even with his sunglasses, may have shown surprise, but on the inside he was very proud of Namine. She knew, even without her memories, that Jeff was the one to be careful around. Whatever it was that clicked in her mind, Roxas was happy about it.

 

"Namine..." Jeff tried again, his voice sounding like a plead. No, it was more like a whine.

"Save it," Namine spat. "I'm leaving." The blond girl tightened her grip on Ty's leash, gently tugging at it. She turned away from Jeff and started walking, her loyal pet right by her side.

"Hey!" Jeff shouted, rushing in towards Namine again. But the foolish boy didn't know what was in store for him.

Namine turned around when Ty growled viciously, snarling with teeth showing. But Jeff didn't stop. Ty tore out of Namine's grasp and turned around, jumping on top of the boy but not hurting him. His handler gasped softly, turning around and seeing what had happened. Jeff was lying on his back now, staring up at a very angry and protective dog.

 

Thatta boy, Ty. Roxas smiled slightly despite the scene, knowing how protective Ty was of his owner. Roxas remembered how relieved he had been when Namine received the dog as a gift on her birthday. It was a wise decision by her parents, especially for instances like this one.

 

Namine pat her leg twice before letting out a whistle. "Ty!" she called, staying where she was as she tried to get the dog's attention. "Come on, boy; he's not worth it." The blond girl watched as Ty looked from her to Jeff. He gave him one last fake snap, making the boy scream like a little girl. Namine smirked as Ty came back to her side obediently, keeping an eye on Jeff in case he did something stupid.

 

Roxas snickered quietly. I knew I loved Ty from day one, he thought. He adjusted his sunglasses and stayed where he was, keeping his eyes on Namine. He was still very protective, especially when she didn't know what to watch out for.

 

Namine picked up Ty's leash again, keeping an eye on Jeff, who was sitting himself up now. But she wasn't through with him; Ty had his fun, now it was time for hers. "If you ever try something stupid again, I won't call Ty back," she warned. "Understand?"

Jeff nodded, rising to his feet now. "Y-yeah."

Namine smiled. "Good." She turned to her companion, who was looking up at her for a new command. "C'mon boy, we're going home," she said, giving him a quick ear rub. Ty let out a bark, wagging his tail. All the signs of anger and viciousness were gone as the two turned around and got back onto the path, leaving Jeff behind.

 

Roxas finally paid attention to the music playing in his ears, the boy stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. Now that the conflict was over, he continued along the path, walking at a relaxed pace. He couldn't help but look at Jeff, though, nearly laughing at the guy's face. He got what he deserved, the blond boy thought.

 

Namine walked with Ty on the path, a small smile still on her lips. "When we get home, you're getting some treats," she promised. Ty looked up at her and wagged his tail, happy with the pledge his master made. But even more than that, he was glowing with pride; it wasn't every day he got to prove himself to Namine.

 

Roxas walked along, staring down at this feet, watching one disappear with every step he took. He finally glanced up under his shades, seeing the love of his life ahead of him. She was strong and independent. He could tell by just the way she walked. You see? She doesn't even need you anymore. Look at the way she handled herself. The voice inside his head was probably meant to comfort him, but all it did was put a heavy weight on his existing heart.

 

Namine turned somber, the events starting to sink in. What could have happened if Ty wasn't with her...it was a scary thought. She frowned, looking down at the dog. But this time, he wasn't looking at her. He was looking straight ahead, panting happily. ...At least one of us is happy, Namine thought, bringing up a hand to tuck back a piece of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. At least you're happy, Ty.

 

Roxas peered at the pair ahead of him from behind his dark sunglasses. He was happy that Ty was so smart; if he hadn't been there with Namine... Well, Roxas didn't like to think about things like that. If Ty hadn't been there, he would have. There was a reason he had been at the park at the same time, but he didn't really know what it was since he wasn't needed to protect Namine.

 

Namine bit her lip lightly, looking ahead of her. The path turned, and she followed it without thought, too concerned over what had happened. Should she call the police for attempted assault? No; it was just a punk kid. Namine randomly stopped walking, Ty stopping to steps later.

 

As the music boomed in Roxas's ears, the boy continued down the path of the park. His eyes stayed on Namine, still thinking about her. He vowed to protect her, but he hadn't been doing a very good job lately. It saddened him, especially with the thought that had entered his head earlier. By the looks of it, she didn't need him anymore... Not with Ty there to protect her.

 

Namine stood still, blinking back tears. But when one escaped her eye, she brought up her free hand and wiped it away, hoping nobody had seen it. She doubt it; after all, the park wasn't extremely crowded. Clouds were starting to form above her head, and it looked like it would rain later that day.

 

Roxas became concerned when Namine stopped, the sunlight disappearing for a moment behind a cloud before it came back. But Ty was with her, right? He handled Jeff pretty well, so surely there was no need for Roxas to protect her from whatever was bothering her...right? The boy kept walking, his eyes staying on the girl as he tried to tune into the music blaring in his earpieces.

 

Namine looked down at her dog, seeing him stiffen. "Boy?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. "What's wrong?" While she wasn't holding onto his leash tightly, the dog sprinted away, heading for a squirrel across the park. "Ty!" she cried after him, feeling his leash slip through her grip. She swallowed hard, knowing that he wouldn't come back until the squirrel was dead or long gone.

Jeff smirked, walking along the side of the lake many yards away from Namine. Fate was giving him a second chance. He kept walking, keeping Namine in his sights. But she was too distracted with the stupid dog to notice.

 

Roxas gasped slightly, stopping short at the sight. Uh-oh... The boy watched helplessly as the dog ran off, chasing after something. It appeared to be a squirrel, and catching onto that, Roxas let his eyes flick back to Namine. He looked at her as she just stayed where she was, probably not knowing what to do. He was tempted to offer to help her catch him, but there was an ugly feeling in his gut. Roxas looked around to see what was triggering his instincts, and that was when he spotted somebody moving along the lake.

 

Namine stood fully upright, holding her hands together. Most of the time, it wasn't even worth chasing Ty. After all, he always came back. And besides, he was moving far too quickly for Namine to catch him. She'd just wait for him...

Jeff walked away from the lake, heading straight to where Namine was. But he was slightly behind her so that she didn't see him. He grabbed onto her arm, rousing a gasp from the girl. He spun her around roughly, glaring at her.

 

Roxas's eyes immediately narrowed behind his sunglasses at Jeff's actions, despising them more with every second that passed by. He searched for Ty once more, but recognized that he was much too far away for Namine to call over. Plus, he was distracted. Roxas let his eyes relocate Jeff and Namine, the boy's instincts kicking in almost immediately. He disposed of his sunglasses, hooking them into his pocket before he started walking again, this time toward Namine.