One Step forward, two steps-
Back to a place Ichigo never thought she'd return to, only on Christmas and New Year's, birthdays and reunions.
"Ichigo, I have something I need to tell you," The crisp lights dangled from the ceiling on the porch of the restreaunt, a firm moon clear in the sky above, Ichigo looked up, taking into consideration his seriousness.
"Yes?" Hopes built up in her stomach, while a smile welled up ear to ear.
He shuffled a bit nervously, "Uhm, Ichigo," He said, now trying in a soft tone, "Yes?"
"I met someone,"
Ichigo's hands were on the table and for a moment, the words seemed to travel lazily, a rattle of chills traveled across her arms and back.
"What do you mean?"
She asked, she could feel her jaw tense, she wondered, was she jumping to conclusions, or was what she thinking right? She was so confused.
"I've met someone,"
He echoed and her eyes widened in realization, it made since now, the hushed and gentle of his speaking, the way he did things, how he was so gentle with her soul for the past days. "W-who?" She asked, her eyes glossing up now.
He looked down, and then sighed, "Ichigo, I care for you, and I always will,"
"But, truthfully, I don't love you, I love someone else,"
She was in a state of shock, dumbfounded by his words, "Mark, we share an apartment, what's going to happen, y-ou you can't be honest about this, you've stayed with me, we w-e love each other, don't we?"
Mark watched her and glanced away, keeping eye contact scarce.
"No, you love me, but I don't love you, not anymore,"
"Who is she?" Ichigo asked, glaring with tears pouring, stroking gently down her cheeks.
He fidgeted, "Is she a girl at your college, in one of your classes?"
"No," He breathed, "She's a child hood friend,"
Silence struck Ichigo, like some type of twisted spell she could hardly speak.
"And to be honest Ichigo, you were always the distraction, after we separated…"
He paused thinking of his words and glancing around, "Ichigo, after her and her family moved, I tried to distract myself with you,"
She watched him, and took another deep breathe, "Ichigo, I've always loved her and have always missed her,"
Ichigo now stared at him, "Were going to share an apartment, on the east side of town,"
Ichigo rubbed her head, crying now, "How can you do this to me Mark?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"So you can be happy," She looked at him eyes filled with tears and a pain in her chest, the pain, it felt like it was pulling her apart, muscle by muscle, bone by bone. "You shouldn't live your life in love with someone who isn't in love with you, I'm sorry Ichigo, I'm going now,"
He stood up after pulling out the money for the check and placing it on the table, Ichigo looked back down covering her face.
"Be careful Ichigo," He said and disappeared from her life.
After that day, it seemed like he was a dream, something that wasn't real, all that was left of him was the bell, the one given during all the mess of her younger golden days.
She was sitting on the terrace, watching the stars in her pajamas.
"Why?" She asked, although nobody answered.
It was cold, Christmas around the corner.
And all she had were questions, "How am I supposed to pay rent?" She asked, knees up to her chin, she sighed.
Her face was red from the whole ordeal and eyes soar.
She watched the phone which sat in her lap. As weeks strolled on, things got harder, instead of it being a dinner it were green beans in a can, till it became mushrooms in a can, and bills stacked high.
She sighed while watching the high towers of bills and finally resorted to plan Z…
"Mom,"
"Hey sweetie, how are you?"
There was silence, "Uhm, do you remember the old days?"
"Oh, yes," She could hear a smile, "I call them golden days, because the ones I'm living in now aren't going too well,"
"Oh, sweetie what's wrong, what could be the problem?"
"Mom," Ichigo said with a crackling voice. "I can't pay my bills, Mark left me, and my last meal was a piece of bread with some peanut butter…"
"Sweet heart, well what about the job you were working?"
"I have twelve hours a week because I run out of gas money, and don't have enough for the bus for every trip,"
There was silence, "Mom,"
"Yes, sweet heart, you can,"
"But,"
"You can come back home,"
And that was that, Ichigo packed what little she had left and headed for the golden days.
She took a plane with the money she had left, although it was daunting, because at that point she had not a dollar to her name.
"This place, it's like, a trip to the past," Ichigo said watching the park, sitting at the top of the hill.
She straightened herself and closed her eyes, thinking about it all over again, "I wish I could re live those days,"
"The café," She said remembering its existence, "Mom is coming in about two hours, I've got time, I wonder if it's still running,"
She stood up the fall leafs crunching beneath her feet, while the smell of pine and fresh air blushed against her face.
People were scarce, the park not being in its prime like it used to. And despite the youth left in Ichigo, she couldn't help but think the same about herself. She came to the small stone road which was covered with orange fall leafs, and the smell of pine and honey drifted through the air.
It must have been the flowers.
The café which stood tall in sight, was dampened in colors, it had been twelve years since she laid eyes on it again, it was painted brown, remodeled, and old, it didn't look like a café any more, despite the old signs in the windows, with pictures of cake and coffee.
She couldn't help but notice all the changes, she stood there on that stone road for probably six minutes before moving.
The over cast sky above was white, pure white, it was bright but yet not blue or sunny.
"I wonder if Ryou and Keiichiro even still own it, or if anyone does these days,"
Ichigo said, thinking out loud, a blistering breeze blew sweeping some of the crisp red leafs, scraping them along the path and pushing the stands of her pink reddish hair.
"Ryou?" She asked, now closer and stepping through the gate, the breeze blew once more.
"Keiichiro?" She called.
There was no answer. She came to the front steps and stopped at the door.
She watched it before putting a hand on it and pushing.
She came in, "Hello?" She asked, but no one answered. "What was I thinking?"
She asked herself, "Thinking that after twelve years, they'd still be in the same place, like Tokyo paused while I was gone,"
She chuckled at herself and watched the empty old café.
"What a silly thing to think,"
She looked down and left after that.
She rummaged through her purse and came to a diner, sitting at one of the tables outside.
It was a silent day, sitting on one of those streets that never had anyone on it, not on a Monday anyways.
She rummaged through her purse and found some quarters, good enough to form a dollar and buy herself a coffee.
She ordered a Carmel coffee, something the mew café use to serve.
She savored the taste while she watched the white table cloth, she sat in silence and obscure memories came to mind.
Some that would make her smile or cry.
Some she couldn't even bare to think about.
At this point she was staring into the cup or the table cloth, really she wasn't staring at anything in particular, just something.
"Ichigo?" Asked a voice.
She had sat up straightened, and finally turned around to Keiichiro.
"Keiichiro!?" She asked with a smile, he smiled at her softly, "I though you left for college years ago?"
She smiled, "I came back," she motioned for him to sit with her and he came.
"Why did you come back?" She smiled, "I, just needed a change of pace,"
"Do you run the Café?" He frowned, "Na, not any more, I own it, but I don't do anything with it." He smiled and watched her then asked. "I haven't' seen a mew since you left,"
"Where's Ryou?" Keiichiro chuckled a tad, "He's in college,"
"Nowhere around here?"
"Yeah, your really the first one I've seen in a long time from the old days,"