Chapter 2
The whole way home the little event with Haruka-san stays in my head. I just keep replaying it over and over again, trying to figure out what exactly happened. Did she tell me to call if I needed anything or was that just my imagination? I question myself not even paying attention to the beautiful spring scenery around me.
What is wrong with me? I muss. I should not be acting like this about someone younger than me… Let alone that she's my sister's friend and a female… I'm just about home when a sudden wave of dizziness followed by nausea hits me, making me sway. Maybe my multiple blood rushes to my head caused a hallucination? This strange dizziness as well?
What? I question myself after regaining my footing. Gingerly, I place a hand to my forehead to feel for a fever and to my surprise I find one. Huh? I find myself asking. Looking around to see where I am at and how close I am to home I realize I have no idea where I am.
Turning around I try and find a familiar landmark to direct me back on course. Where am I?! I can feel the beginning stages of panic sink into me as I look around and see nothing familiar about the houses around me. Most of them look pretty similar in size and shape, only varying in colors up until one house only a little ways away.
This house has two floors compared to the other's one and has pretty rose bushes lining the front of the house from what I can see from through the fence. Tearing my eyes away from the house I look up and down the street to see if I can see anybody who can point me in the right direction. A little ways behind me someone is walking in this general direction but even with my glasses on it's hard to tell if I know them or not, they're so far away.
Holding my bag closer to me I lean against the brick wall to my left, only about two houses away from the odd one that keeps drawing my attention. Maybe it's the roses, I think. Or maybe it's partially due to this strange fever…
I lean my head against the bricks and quickly become grateful that they're cool. A little happy sigh escapes my lips as I lean against the wall waiting for the person in the distance to come closer to me. Another wave of dizziness passes through me and I'm glad that I'm leaning against the brick already because if I wasn't I'm sure I would have fallen either into it or onto the ground.
"Excuse me ma'ma," I voice comes from behind me. "Are you okay?"
I carefully turn my head to look at the feminine voice that sounds vaguely familiar but with my cloudy mind I can't place. "Oh, Mitsuki-kaicho!" The voice exclaims when only about half of my face is visible to her.
"Haruka-san?" I ask finally recognizing the voice. A sense of dread fills me as she walks around to the front of me and confirms my question. I don't want you to see me like this please go away… I silently beg her but of course she ignores my silent plea.
"Oh my," She says with an adorably worried expression. "You're all pale! You shouldn't be out right now! Why aren't you at home in bed?"
As she talks I force myself away from the wall, wanting to not look like total crap in front of her. Her attentive eyes make my heart race as the rank over me, trying to figure out what is wrong with me. The accelerated pace of my heart brings another wave of dizziness and I begin to sway.
"Mitsuki-kaicho!" She exclaims and immediately wraps her arm around my waist to try and support me. "Come on," She says and starts to pull me forward in the direction I had previously been traveling unconsciously and I'm forced to wrap my arm around her shoulder to keep from falling. "My house is right over here."
"I can't do that," I protest feebly, feeling weaker by the moment.
"Of course you can," She says tilting her head up slightly so that I can see her smile. "You are sick and you are my friend. No way am I going to let you try and walk to your house from here."
"But we barely talk," I try again a little distracted by the way her arm feels around my waist. "We barely know each other, how can you call me your friend?"
"Because," She states. "You are Yuu-chan's older sister and our dependable Student Council President. You preform both of your jobs effortlessly. Is there really much else I need to know?" By now we are in front of the house with the roses and I feel oddly touched by her kind words.
"If you insist," I finally relent with a sigh after seeing her stubborn look.
"Thanks," She says with another smile in my direction and I swear my heart skips a beat. She releases me to get her key out for the gate and front door. The lack of her arm around me sends an odd sense of longing through me. Stop it, I scold myself. She's only helping you because you're Yuu's older sister. But an odd part of me wishes that isn't true.
"Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?" I ask a little late, having been too distracted by her lack of touching me to say it earlier. We are standing in front of her door and I glance towards the rose bushes. Yes they are rose bushes of all different colors. Pink, red, purple, coral, orange, yellow, white, and even black.
"No," She says as she opens the front door to a normal entrance way. "I know it must be hard for the Student Council Prez to accept help so I'm glad you did." Another smile. My god is she trying to kill me?! I ask as my heart does cartwheels.
"Well thank you anyways. Excuse my intrusion," I say as she gestures for me to take off my shoes. As I bend over to do just that I start to fall forward, feeling very faint.
"Mitsuki-kaicho!" I hear Haruka-san exclaim as she grabs my shoulders and helps me down into a sitting position. "Oh my gosh are you alright?" She asks as she sits down next to me.
"Yeah," I say placing a hand to my problematic head. "Just got dizzy again…"
"Come on," She says as she begins to pull off my shoes. "We need to get you off your feet."
"I can do that myself," I protest but she already has both of them off and placed neatly next to hers. It's then that I realize no other shoes are present. "Where are your parents?"
"They both work really late," She replies as she hooks my arm around her neck and her arm around my waist again. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to climb the stairs."
I just nod numbly to stunned to think of a coherent response. I'm alone… in a house… with Haruka-san…
It takes a good five to ten minutes to get up the stairs with the way we're linked together but once we get there we're greeted with by a small stand with a vase of roses on it and to the left a hallway with four doors.
"Almost there," Haruka-san says next to my ear, making my heart race worse. At about that same time a wave of nausea creeps up on me. Oh please don't let me puke on Haruka-san. That's just what I need! Surprisingly my body listens to my thoughts and the nausea recedes but in its place a wave of dizziness hits again, stronger than the ones before.
Taken off guard I lean heavily on Haruka-san. "Sorry," I murmur as she takes more of my weight.
"It's alright," She says as we continue down the hallway. It seems our goal is the last door on the left. "I've got you. No need to worry."
"Thanks," I say as we finally reach the door. Carefully Haruka-san opens the door and I'm greeted with a generally bright room. Not bright as in light but bright as in color and aura. "Is this your room?" I ask quietly as I look around.
The floor is dark wood paneling with a colorful rug placed between the bed and the desk. Her bed has an orange floral designed bed spread and her desk has the normal accessories such as picture frames and books. At the end of her bed is a bookshelf stacked full of books and CDs. "Yes. Do you like it?" She asks as she leads me over to the bed.
"It's pretty." Just like you, I think but don't add, not at all wanting to creep her out. Was it just me or was there a hint of happiness in her eyes?
"Thanks," She says flashing me a smile. Without asking me she grabs my bag and sets it on the desk as she places hers on the floor leaning against the desk. "You lie down and I'll go makes some tea."
Before I can even protest she's out the door and it's closing behind her with a click. Why don't you listen?!
Gingerly I lie down on her bed and examine her room further. Next to the bookshelf I somehow missed the dresser and on her head bored are more books and a simple alarm clock. On her desk are even more books and a picture of her, Yuu and a few others in their middle school uniforms. Her bed sits under a window with a pink, floral patterned curtain and past the head bored is her closet.
As I lay there and wait for Haruka-san's return I notice the different smells. Like how each house has a different smell. Roses are a definitely a prominent smell but underneath it I smell a gentler scent of other flowers all mixed into a perfect combination.
The door opens then preventing me from further exploring the strange smells. "Here's the tea," Haruka-san says as she kneels next to her bed to finish prepping it. "You should be under the covers," She notes dully as she pours two glasses.
"I was wai…" I begin but the look on her face silences me. She holds out a glass to me and I sit up to take it. "Thanks," I say as I gently blow on the steaming tea.
"You're welcome," She says as she picks up her own and begins carefully sipping at it. We are silent as we finish our tea. When I finish with mine she takes it without a word and places it back on the tray.
From where I'm sitting at on her bed I end up very close to her as she stands up and carefully nudges the tray away with her stocking covered foot. "Now you need to lie down," She says gently taking my shoulders in her hands and standing me up.
Once I'm standing she keeps a firm hand on my elbow to keep me from falling as she pulls back the comforter. Then she's pushing me down onto the bed again. An odd tingle runs through me and I shiver with another odd emotion that I'm not used too. "See you're shivering," She says as she gently pushes me into a laying position. If only you knew why…
Every movement Haruka-san makes is very gentle and thoughtful as she pulls the comforter up to my chin. She then places a cool hand to my forehead checking my temperature again. "Now you get some rest. I'm going to call your sister so that she doesn't worry about your late return." And with that she picks up a rag off of the tray I hadn't noticed before and places it across my forehead. Then she turns and picks up the tray and heads out the door flicking the light off as she goes. At first I think she's going to shut the door but she leaves it open a small crack.
She's so fascinating, I think as I begin to drift off, not realizing before just how tired I am. Turning slightly a get a whiff of that strange floral mix and I realize it is coming from Haruka-san's bedding. Maybe it's their laundry detergent… I think as I drift off but a part of me knew that it wasn't that. That it is Haruka-san's own personal smell just like everyone has…
A/N Thanks for the reviews so far! I really appreciate it and they mean a lot to me. I didn't think anyone would like it!
Reviews seem to help my writing so truly thanks!
Lariie: Thank you for your sweet comment! It really helped me write this next chapter. And I know what you mean about Mitsuki-Kaicho and Yuu-chan! Something about Mitsuki's innocent and confused thoughts has it's own appeal! Thanks again for your comment and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. :D
mazaka-san: Thanks for the review! :D Hopefully this Chapter meets your expectations?
Nexus Infinity: Here's the next chapter for you! Hope you enjoyed it :)
