Clear Before the Future

You can make your dreams come true they had told her. It was statement that had been permanently

imprinted in her memory. She could see it all before her, as she would turn the glossy page of one of her

textbooks. College, a bright future, and a high paying career were all waiting at her doorstep. They had also

told her from day one that these were the things to strive for. She could remember sitting on a dusty couch

with a comforting arm around her shoulder and then sharp crisp words would tell her of all the things she

could have if that was held in the palm of her hand. Then her father would tell her in a minor whisper in her

ear that his daughter would one day make the world bright. His large hand would sweep out in front of her

eyes, but she could not see the vision that he saw when his palm made the rest of the house fade away into

what would be her future. The light from the window glared back at her on the freshly printed pages and she

shut her eyes tightly making the memory that crept into her thoughts vanish as the vapor did hours ago

from her now cold cup of tea. She sighed and shut her bright yellow highlighter with a tight click, forcing it

into the stiff binding of her book and then shut it and decided that would give her studying finality for the

day. He always said that she studied too much anyway. Yes, he was the one that made her doubt the

academic future that she had always wanted. Or, at least thought she wanted up until now. Yusuke

Urameshi was the name his parents had given him at birth. Many would regard it as just a name, but to her

hearing that name was what made her whole world spin. Not that he knew just how strongly she felt, of

course. Telling a person something like that was as hard as it would be to fight off nightmares. She ran her

fingers through her thick, rich brown hair exasperated. She laughed lightly remembering that this was the

boy who took pleasure in doing just that. Not only did he fight off her nightmares, but he had also saved the

only world she had known from complete destruction and chaos numerous times. Somewhere inside of her

admitted that he had come a long way from the boy that was about to fail jr. high, and she felt warm when

she thought of how proud she was. He had shown her that being the smartest wasn't always for the best.

When she saw him fight off horrible monsters, she would have gladly traded every ounce of intelligence she

possessed for just a touch of the courage and strength he had both mentally and physically. He was the

type of person that should be handed the opportunities the world had to offer on a silver platter, not her.

She had never been the person to let this happen, but doubt was skillfully sneaking it's way into her heart

and she felt the weight of her body try and pull her to the floor. Suddenly, the world they wanted her to

make bright, was growing larger and the light of her future was fading away before her eyes. Ironic, she

thought, that the setting sun had gone below her window and the warmth left her, too. The glowing sphere

was going where it was needed, far away to others sleeping in their beds. He, Yusuke, had gone where he

was needed, as well. The illusive spirit world that she found to be rough and jagged on the edges was in

peril again. Many times, it had been her who needed a hero to come and save her from the grip of a demon.

She hated being a weight pulling him down, just another thing that got in the way of greatness that she

knew he was destined for, although he couldn't see it. A thought pricked at the back of her mind, and

gained strength till it was buzzing very strongly and she knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. A person

looking from the outside in would see her, Keiko Ukimura, straight A student, and then Yusuke who was a

gang fighter, trouble maker, and always did manage to pass with anything he could pull at the last minute,

and clearly see the opposite side of the coin. That he was pulling her down and stealing her future. Is this

what he saw, as well? She let her head fall and hit the wooden desk, and despite the pain in her forehead she

smiled the most genuine smile she had all day. They both thought that they weren't good enough for each

other. She faintly wondered if this was what it was like to be on one of those soap operas her mother

watched all day. She and him were alike in more ways then one. If that were true, she thought, then he had

had to be the most intelligent boy in the high school, and she the bravest and strongest girl. Though not as

one would normally perceive from looking on the edge of a telescope. The revelation and it's importance

overwhelmed her senses and she shot back from her desk the chair scraping against the floor in a low pitch

sound as it moved back. She stood up quickly and nearly ran to open her window and let the summer night

air burst in. She blinked and just as suddenly the world seemed smaller again, and though the blackness of

the night dared to surround her she saw the light ahead as if it had never faded from view. She stretched a

hand out to feel the humid air surround it like a glove, and hoped wherever Yusuke was he saw the future,

too. Waiting for the both of them in all its glory.