Only Friends and Nothing More
Chapter 1
"Yep," Lita sighed, "Just another normal day on the job at the local business of running a restaurant."
Lita wiped the tables of the closed restaurant and closed up for the evening. She was twenty-two and finally fell into some money to start her own restaurant, it was not much but the business was fair and the money was sufficient. Lita locked the front door and began to walk dismally down the street she yawned and stretched as she headed for home. She had locked up much later that night because it was New Year's and business had been fuller than usual.
She had rung in the New Year in the kitchen of her restaurant and stared at all the happy couples embrace as the clock struck twelve. Then she had stared down and remembered how she had given up on that business long ago.
It was about one in the morning as she walked down the dark streets of Tokyo. She had decided because it was such a big city and would be good for her business to move there. Slowly she huffed up the steps to her one-room apartment and heaved her shoulder into the door to pry it open.
"Honey, I'm home!" She yelled as she entered.
A small dog ran up to her and expectantly stared at her with wide eyes.
"Hello Honey!" Lita said as she scratched the dog behind the ears. "Sorry I've been gone so long, I worked late tonight."
She rose as the dog followed her into the bedroom. Lita slipped into her pajamas and went into the bathroom to wash up. She stared into the mirror and examined the dark circles under her eyes.
"Boy, I'm tired." She yawned and squirted some toothpaste on her brush.
Suddenly there was a knock at her door.
"Now, who in the world would come at this hour?" She thought.
Toothbrush still in hand she went to the door and opened it.
"Kento!? What on earth are you doing here?!" She asked surprised. "It's one o'clock in the morning."
"My, you look like a vision of beauty he joked…here." He handed her some flowers and walked inside.
"Oh, by all means come in." She said sarcastically as he walked past her.
Kento and Lita had once been romantically involved but it didn't work out so they were now just friends. Lita sometimes wondered why theirs, out of all the Ronins and Scouts was the only one that feel apart. She supposed that she was content with it though.
"So, why are you here?" She asked him.
"What am I being interrogated.?" He laughed. "I thought I'd stop by to wish you a happy New Year, is that so wrong."
"An hour afterward, Kento?"
"Well, you see I figured you'd keep the restaurant open until midnight and you would spend about an hour cleaning up, and it takes you ten minutes to walk home and so…here I am"
"You stalk me don't you?"
"Only when I feel like it. He he."
"So, what is everyone else doing tonight?" Lita asked half expecting to know what the answer would be."
"What else?"
"Sharing In The Moment." They both said aloud, and a bit annoyed.
"I wish Amy had never written that book." Lita retorted. "I'm so sick of hearing about it."
After Amy had met Cye she felt a whole new world had opened up. She had decided to write a book entitles Sharing In The Moment it had rave reviews as for being a true romantic novel and Lita was sick of everyone praising her for it, Kento had become equally annoyed.
"You know that whole book is just about her and Cye!" Lita huffed. "She never used to drone on about that kinda stuff like she does now."
"I hear ya." Kento replied as he sunk into one end of the couch and became comfortable.
Lita joined him at the other end of the Sofa.
"You think we're just jealous?" Kento asked puzzled. "You know, because we didn't work out and they did."
"Nah, just annoyed." Lita retorted.
The phone rang. Lita reached over and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Lita! It's Serena I hope I didn't wake you up." The voice said.
"Nope, just sitting here with Kento."
"Oh? Really. Maybe I should call back another time." Serena giggled.
"Ya, I'm sure." Lita said dryly. "You know better than that Serena"
"Yeah I know, I just wanted to wish you a happy New Year."
"Who doesn't?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind."
"Well, me and Sage just wanted to wish you a good one."
"Ugh." Lita thought to herself.
"Tell Kento too. Oh, and I invited everyone over tomorrow for a barbecue at our house at about two. Can you make it?"
"Yeah, I've got nothing else to do."
"Great! What about Kento?"
Lita put her hand over the phone and turned to Kento.
"The happy couple invited everyone over for a barbecue tomorrow think you can go?"
Sage and Serena had just got married the previous month and Lita couldn't be any more jealous, sure she was her friend, but you didn't see Lita with anyone so she supposed she had a right to be.
"Free food? Sure." Kento responded.
Lita turned back to the phone.
"Yeah, he's good for tomorrow."
"Good we'll se you then!" Serena replied happily.
Lita hung up and looked down and realized the toothbrush still in her hand.
"I've gotta get some sleep."
Lita got up and stretched.
"I'll see ya then." Kento said getting up.
Lita grunted and walked with him to the door.
"Thanks for the flowers." Lita said groggily.
"No prob, see ya later today."
"Yeah see ya."
Lita shut the door behind him, sighed, and turned around. There was Honey waiting for her wagging his tail. Lita picked the small Beagle up and walked slowly to her room. She set the dog down on the bed, it ran to the end lied down, and she got in. Pulling the covers over her she stared at the ceiling and thought, not about anything in particular, then looked at her dog and smiled.
"She you in the morning," She said, and closed her eyes.