Straw for the Heart

Chapter 2: I Want You to Know

Emi shook, her heart was lost. As a child, they were always together; each playing pranks on the other and enjoying one another's company. Emi and Luffy had seen each other go through the awkward stages of their adolescent lives. It was so natural to be together that when Luffy disappeared, that's when Emi's hidden emotions came to the surface.

Emi grabbed Luffy's hand, making Luffy drop his half-eaten pretzel. Joy filled every fiber of her being. "It's been so long," she laughed, her voice nearly shaking. "I haven't seen you in so long, since middle school. Where have you been all this time?"

Luffy glanced at his pretzel that had fallen to the floor, then at Emi. He bent down, pulling his hand away from a hopeful Emi. Luffy picked up the pretzel, dusting off any dirt that could have been on it before he stood back up to face Emi. "I've been pretty good," Luffy said with a carefree smile. He paused momentarily, letting out an awkward laugh that made Emi stare at him probingly. "Who are you? I don't know who you are."

Emi felt her blood boil. She remembered their jokes as children would always push the other's buttons; so Emi took a deep breath, willing herself to calm. "I don't recall many people from my hometowns middle school; so if you know me, I'm sorry but I don't recall anyone named Emi." Emi clenched her fist as Luffy continued. "So, maybe we should just continue on the date and have a good time rather than try to recall some things in the past."

As soon as Luffy finished his sentence, Emi's fist connected with his cheek. Luffy was so surprised that, when it happened, he was knocked over, landing butt first onto the pavement. Luffy's hand came to his cheek, soothing his wound as he stared at Emi incredulously. "Why'd you hit me," he yelled. Emi was seething, her breath ragged and her eyes glistening in anger and sadness. She had always pictured the reunion between herself and Luffy, so many different scenarios. But none of them were the cruel one laid before her.

"You knew me even before middle school," she stated, shaking as her voice rose. "We were friends since elementary school. We took baths together, played pranks on teachers, and ate dinner at one another's houses so often that it was if we were one another's family. The pranks we played and the jokes we shared were always the highlights of the day when class and other things brought us down. We did nearly everything together and you're able to stand there and say you don't remember!" Emi's lavender eyes darkened as she felt herself wind down from her ranting. "You were my best friend… If this is some sort of ridiculously cruel joke, you had better knock it off. It's not funny."

Emi's tone was serious, her heart burning from the betrayal. But Luffy didn't understand. He pushed himself off the pavement, removing his hand from his cheek as he stood. His eyes wandered to the discarded food but he decided to leave it were it was; he could always get more. There wasn't much Luffy could explain to Emi that wouldn't hurt her though. He had to be honest. There was no way that they could continue the date and have fun if they were too busy fighting. "I'm sorry," Luffy lamented. "I honestly don't remember you. I'm not intentionally hurting you with this information. It's just that there are a lot of my memories that I don't recall before I changed middle schools. I was told that I have a trauma so strongly connected to my heart that my brain subconsciously suppressed a lot of it to protect me."

Emi felt her anger simmer down as disappointment replaced her feelings. She couldn't understand. Memories connected to her were going to hurt Luffy if he remembered them? Emi wanted him to remember her. Her feelings for that wish were strong; however, if Luffy remembering would cause him pain, she couldn't simply tell him. "No, man, no," Emi muttered to herself, her feelings conflicted. Stepping back once more, she held herself together. Emi put on a painful smile. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you. You've gotten taller and matured a lot. I don't recall the scar below your left eye."

Emi was trying; Luffy could see it as he compiled his thoughts. "I got it when the string from Ace's guitar snapped and barely missed my eye."

"The string flew off?"

"No. I got that a long time ago when I was little." Emi's eyes widened at the memory he regaled to her. She remembered that incident. She was there. "You see, I was trying to copy my brother by playing the guitar to impress a friend." He chuckled at the memory. "It went wrong when I strummed the guitar too roughly and ended up breaking the string. It slung out and barely missed my eye, which was lucky. My friend at the time screwed up the wound with a needle and thread because we were both worried about the amount of trouble we would be in if we were caught having broken the string on Ace's guitar. I can't recall the friend's name or how he looked."

"She," Emi offered. She remembered why she didn't remember the scar. It was because after the incident Emi always unconsciously avoided looking at that part of Luffy's face. It was like her brain refused to acknowledge the existence of the wound she had caused to her dear friend. "We were barely into elementary school when it happened. I told you that I thought that Ace was cool because he was able to play the guitar and you got mad saying you were cool too. So when class was over we went to your house and that happened. I wasn't necessarily the best to sew the wound shut. I didn't expect the scar to come out so noticeably." Emi extended her hand as if to touch the scar but stopped short.

Emi wasn't sure how to take the situation given to her yet mirth built up within her chest until she began to laugh aloud. It was so ridiculous. Luffy didn't remember her at all but he still retained the same personality and stupidity he had when they were children. It was a relief yet it still broke Emi's heart deep down. He didn't need to know who she was to be the person she had fallen in love with. "Just so you know, I didn't enter this contest to just have some reminiscent moments with you." She placed her hands on her hips, pointing towards the amusement park. "We're supposed to be having a date, regardless of whether or not you know me. So come on, let's go have some fun."

Emi gave him the fake smile. Luffy knew that smile because he had seen that face on many of his friends. They would do it to reassure a friend they were not in pain. But sometimes the look would simply fall short. He felt bad having forgotten who she was but the situation couldn't have been helped. Luffy wanted to ask her more. The fact that he could not recall many of his memories bothered him. At the moment, they needed to continue their date though. "Let's go in," he said cheerily, grabbing Emi's hand and leading her towards the amusement park.

At the entryway, there was a large arch that was designed to look like pieces of driftwood huddled together. Overhead in large archaic letter was the words 'The Coral Reef'. When Emi and Luffy entered the park, the area was overwhelming. The pavement was layered in white pieces of stone that were spotted with green and brown splotches to simulate a coral reef. Left and right there were gates protecting entryways or regions that contained seashore themed rides: rollercoasters, water rides, spinning machines, carousels, a haunted house, and in the center a large salmon-pink Ferris wheel with passenger cars the color of sea foam. Vending carts were scattered around, one around the corner of every block.

Emi glanced around eagerly; she hadn't been to an amusement park since elementary school. Her head darted from one region to the other, contemplating which area to try first before trying it all. Emi turned to Luffy, excitement written all over her face, and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything, her stomach had beaten her to it, grumbling loudly in protest, begging for food. Emi's cheeks pinked, her hand immediately clutching at her stomach as if to silence the growls. Luffy laughed in amusement, patting Emi's back. "Don't worry, I'm pretty hungry too. There should be an area with concession stands or maybe a restaurant around here somewhere."

"Yeah," Emi agreed readily. "I didn't get the chance to eat very much this morning. I wasn't very sure of the location they wanted us to meet at so I left early. I got lost a few times, but I did at least show up on time."

They looked around for some sort of map, hoping it would divulge the location of a place to eat. "I hope that there's a buffet more than anything."

The smile on Sakiko's face was half excitement and half ecstasy. The day was a wonderful dream for her. Sakiko stood next to Sanji, her hand lacing fingers with his as they walked down the park's pavement. Sakiko and Sanji had ridden both of the water rides and three of the five rollercoasters. It seemed that everyone was able to immediately get onto rides because of VIP passes that were paid for by the company that had sponsored the dates so Sakiko took advantage of the situation and took Sanji with her on as many rides as possible. Sakiko wanted to build as many memories with Sanji as she could. She didn't buy any of the pictures that the amusement park offered for people though. Regardless, neither she nor Sanji needed pictures anyway. Sanji was quite the gentleman about everything, offering her seats and holding doors open for her. It was a wonderful experience for her. Sanji was the lover of women.

Sanji found Sakiko to be an amusing woman. She had a childlike attitude when the rides were concerned but she seemed to have a relatively decent amount of knowledge about classic bands and was able to keep the conversations they had on interesting topics. At first, Sanji thought that Sakiko was simply an avid fan of him, like many other women who had approached him. But there was more to Sakiko than that. Sanji enjoyed the conversations they had and appreciated Sakiko's company. She had moments were she seemed to be self-conscious about herself, when men or women would look their way then focus their attention on her. It didn't bother Sanji to receive so much attention. Being famous made any of the awkwardness of random people staring at him lessen. It was simply that Sakiko seemed uncomfortable when the attention was directed at her. Sakiko didn't seem the shy type so her actions made no sense to him. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself on the date regardless so Sanji continued to ensure that the day was joyful for her.

A block away stood a large, imposing black sign with dripping green letters that read 'Haunted House'. Sakiko stared, the hair on her neck standing at the thought. Then a brilliant thought came into mind: she and Sanji could go into the haunted house and she could cling to Sanji whenever something 'scary' happened. Yes, it was silly but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. "Let's go in the Haunted House."

Sanji stared at the building warily. Haunted houses were ridiculous places. They were places for cheap thrills and not in the slightest romantic. Sanji couldn't understand why Sakiko wanted to suddenly go into the haunted house. But that's what she wanted so he complied, escorting her.

The inside of the haunted house consisted of darkness and creaking floors. The walls were cold, giving off a damp, moist feeling so touching it was disgusting. There were flickering lamps that lit small portions of the hallway, unveiling small portions of darker passages. Sanji and Sakiko continued forward, Sakiko staring at the darkness as if willing her sight to see what the dark hid. Sakiko thought that the darkness wouldn't make her paranoid but the partial vision and the creaking noise of the floor created a lot of the sounds that made her insides jump. But she kept composed, forgetting about her plans to latch onto Sanji when something would jump out. They had walked a good amount into the haunted house and nothing had yet to jump out or try to frighten them. Sakiko didn't understand why the haunted house was so empty. As she sniffed the air, the smell of iron filled the air and she couldn't help but have chills. Wasn't iron the smell of blood? It seemed like a typical ploy that haunted houses would play, but the smell was starting now as they were reaching the halfway point within the haunted house.

Silhouetted in the darkness, lay a figure that leaned heavily against the wall; its head was inclined downward, its facial features hidden by the flickering of the lamps. Its hand lay limply at the side of the body and the clothes he wore were tattered, caked with clotted blood and dirt. Sakiko stopped her mind fully alert. It was just a haunted house.

Sakiko's pace slowed as they grew closer to the body; Sanji continued walking next to her as though there was nothing wrong with the situation. It was going to simply be a cheap scare. That's what haunted houses were good for. So when Sakiko go close enough to the body, she nudged the body with her toe. There was no reflexive movement. It simple moved the direction her foot pushed it. "What is with this haunted house," Sakiko asked, indignant at the emptiness of the place. "I swear, did the person who designed this place not care…"

Sakiko felt a hand on her ankle and jumped yelling, "Oh shit!" as she stumbled back. Sanji caught her before she fell over and watched her breath heavily as she stared at the body on the floor. Though the face was shrouded in darkness, there was a visible smile on the face. Sakiko stared at the body, mad. It wasn't just some mannequin. She was embarrassed by her reaction; and when Sanji began to laugh vigorously, she pinked even more.

They were quick to leave the rest of the haunted house after that, occasional frights of ceiling falling items or jumping bodies avoided. Sakiko was too embarrassed by how she reacted to the first fright to be scared of the rest of the haunted house.

Once they were out Sakiko sighed. Sanji had a look of amusement the entire time. She loved his smiling face, but she wasn't so sure if she enjoyed it at the expense of her pride; although she had originally not cared when it was to be silly and jump into his arms, but that one she did was not what had been planned. Sakiko looked at Sanji, a little angry at his continued expression. "You don't have to look that happy about the whole thing, you know."

Sanji continued to smile, and Sakiko's expression grew sour. With a smile still on his face, Sanji put an arm around her shoulders. She flushed immediately. The situation wasn't too bad. "I'm sorry," Sanji apologized, "the whole situation was cute though so I couldn't help but find it all funny."

The haunted house was somewhat of a bust, but in the end it did have its advantages. Plans went awry, however the end result was still something nice.

"Well, that seems like a sufficient amount of information for my article, thanks Franky."

Franky and I stood from our seats, Franky giving me a carefree smile. He was pretty good-natured about the date turned interview. I only had two members left to interview after this. Luffy seemed easy enough to do. Zolo was someone who was more difficult to handle though. He was hardheaded and a very private person. I remember the first time I tried to get an interview with him; he had a rather rude response in concern to my request. Recalling where he said my article should be was disheartening but didn't deter me.

"Well, KK, we still got a good amount of the day to have fun if you would like." It was weird being called KK by Franky. I hadn't had a nickname since college. It was a little refreshing to be called something that wasn't so formal. Made me think of the days where my friends and I did stupid things just for the hell of it.

"I have a rather fun idea, if you're up for it." I hadn't had much ridiculous fun in a while; it was just something I had been hoping to do a lot lately.

Franky smiled as if he understood my plans, striking a pose. His legs were apart and his arms extended above his head held together next to each other at a 45 degree angle where half the stars on his arms connected to create one whole star. I laughed in amusement. I knew about his trademark pose previously and had seen multiple pictures of it. Seeing the pose in person was a completely different experience though.

We walked through the park casually, our eyes looking around carefully for our targets. The plan was simply to observe the dates and have a little fun with the situation. Fun consisted of either watching the dates turn into something ridiculous or helping it turn into something ridiculous. Yes, it was kind of mean to interfere with another person's date, but Franky and I were on our own date and our enjoyment happened to consist of making the other dates something amusing to watch.

The first place we decided to check was the concession stands and the small restaurants that were within the area. Franky and I both agreed that that would be the most likely place for Luffy to have taken his date when either of them had gotten hungry. We checked a few restaurants and seats near their respective stands until we got to a restaurant where a crowd had gathered outside to watch through the windows. They were probably inside.

We carefully sifted through the crowd, getting to the forefront of the window to see. My jaw nearly dropped and Franky laughed at the sight ahead. There at a two seated table sat Luffy and Emi with stacks upon stacks of plates on the table in front of them. The people weren't there to see Luffy. They had no idea it was him. The crowd was too busy gawking at the fact that he had eaten plate upon plate of food. I could tell that they were probably waiting for him to finally finish but that didn't look like a possibility that would occur anytime soon.

"That's Luffy for you," Franky crowed proudly. "That boy can eat enough for a group of ten large men and then some. I don't know where he puts it, but when a buffet is involved he literally has no limits."

"I can tell," I muttered, jotting down some notes about him for my article. Out of curiosity, I looked towards Emi, interested as to her reaction at the spectacle that Luffy was putting forth. She looked unfazed by the whole event though. She had a small stack of three plates before her, working on her desert plate patiently as Luffy continued to attack the food that was left on his plate. Emi seemed content in Luffy's company. She was enjoying her meal undisturbed by the ravaged plates stacked next to Luffy without a care. It must take a lot to disgust that girl.

I shook my head, sighing at the sight. The situation here was pretty much ridiculous looking without Franky or I doing anything. That was no fun. "We might as well search for Sanji and Sakiko. Come one, Franky."

Franky complied, the amusement at Luffy and Emi's situation still reflected on his face. It wasn't very far until we spotted Sakiko and Sanji together. They were waiting in line to get on the carousel. Sanji looked well behaved… it was a strange sight to behold. I could only assume that Nami had threatened him. Otherwise, he would have been flirting shamelessly with almost every pretty lady he encountered.

Sanji had an arm around Sakiko's shoulder and everything seemed normal. That was when I noticed Sanji's head incline slightly and his line of vision was directed elsewhere. I followed his line of sight to a group of young women all dressed in form-fitting clothing, giggling. A lecherous look came on his face as his gaze ran over the women. I could feel a look of anticipation come over my face. I knew this would happen. Sanji couldn't have been so well behaved without some sort of slip up on his façade. I could see Franky watching the scene also and he grinned knowingly.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to completely resist," Franky commented. "Nami said for all of us to behave but as you can see some of us have a hard enough time."

I stared at Franky. I assumed him not behaving would be his bottom half only being the customary speedo he would wear. I wasn't so sure about Luffy behaving much, since he was already causing a scene with his eating habits but he could have been worse. There wasn't much to be done. I just watched Sakiko and Sanji get into the chariot seats of the carousel before it began to spin slowly in its rhythmic motion. They looked content, so any notions I had of interfering with their date for my amusement quickly deflated.

I looked at the sky, tints of orange of purple streaking above the horizon. The day was slowly coming to a close and all that was left of the date was a few hours of daylight. "Come on, Franky," I said placing a hand on his elbow. "Since we have a few hours left, let's get in line for the Ferris wheel."

Franky looked at me strangely. Was what I suggested so abnormal?

"Sure," he complied, posing quickly in front of the horizon. Some people took photos of it. I couldn't help but find amusement at the scene. Franky had done that pose quite a few times when we were talking about his past. Seemed like a reflexive response on his part. But it made him a unique and likable person.

Three couples were ahead of Emi and Luffy in the line for the Ferris wheel. Luffy looked eager to ride. Emi was nervously fidgeting as their turn was nearing. He was too oblivious to the fact that the Ferris wheel was normally considered a romantic ride for couples. Emi sighed after glancing at Luffy. He was always so simpleminded. She wasn't sure when her feelings for her long-time friend turned to love, but when it did she realized how oblivious the idiot was to it.

"Next!"

Emi was startled at the sudden announcement. She was so lost in thought that it had already become their turn to board the ride. Luffy and Emi were ushered towards the doorway of the passenger car by the park employee. When they entered, Emi and Luffy sat on opposite sides though. Luffy looked directly at Emi as the ride began to start its revolution. She could feel his watchful gaze and embarrassment overcame her; as a result, Emi paid special attention to her lap, trying desperately not to think about Luffy staring directly at her.

Luffy couldn't help watching Emi. He knew it made her uncomfortable but there was something about her that felt normal. Natural. All day, it was easy for him to speak to her uninhibited. Emi made the day fun for both of them; as if it was something she always knew how to do. When Emi had first told Luffy that they were childhood friends, he was skeptical. He didn't know who she was, and there were no definite memories of her that he could recall. But throughout the day, Luffy being with Emi triggered something that could only be described as familiar. There was a warm feeling that filled his chest every time Luffy stared at Emi. He couldn't identify it though.

The ride jerked slightly, stopping midway to the halfway point. Emi looked up at the sudden movement and locked eyes with Luffy. She flushed but didn't look away. Luffy and Emi were always together before. There was nothing more natural in the world. But after so long, Emi could feel herself weaken. Emi thought she had gotten over the loneliness that accompanied Luffy's disappearance, yet seeing him again brought it all back. All the warmth, the sadness, and the joy she always felt in Luffy's presence were rushing back to her as she stared into his eyes. Her thoughts were interrupted as the ride continued to the peak.

Luffy was always told that there were pieces of his memories that were missing. He never believed it before because there was no one from his far past that could confirm it. Here sat Emi though. She was a piece of his past that he could feel more than remember. A part of him wanted to desperately remember; however, there was this tight pain in his chest holding it all back. It was too painful for Luffy to let loose.

The Ferris wheel stopped once more as it reached its peak. Emi looked out the window as the sun lit up the horizon. Orange and red spread from the sun turning the blue of the sky a warm color. It was a lovely sight. To see such a sight, it would have been considered good timing. Emi looked forward. Luffy was still staring at her. She felt self-conscious, fidgeting but refusing to look away.

Luffy saw Emi's eyes were on him and he couldn't help but wonder. Who was she? There was too much familiarity between them. Luffy could feel it when he was with Emi. There was warmth in his chest, and he could feel himself moving closer to the side Emi sat upon. He could remember something. It was vague but he saw himself and his brother eating together in their home around a low table. Luffy had barely turned ten and they were celebrating with a large meal. They were laughing and nudging one another jovially. It was a happy memory. That's when Luffy saw another person. With short brown hair and a bright smile, she laughed along with them. Luffy wasn't sure but maybe that was Emi.

Emi stared at Luffy in surprise. He held her hands in front of him, smiling. "I remembered something. It isn't much but I think I remember eating dinner together with you and my brother on my birthday." He frowned momentarily. "I'm sorry but I can't remember much else."

Emi shook her head. "It's fine. No worries," she said giving a reassuring smile.

Luffy looked at her smiling face. There was a tinge of sadness behind it. He leaned in kissing Emi's cheek lightly, startling her. It was a familiar gesture that she could recall from their childhood. He had always done it whenever she was extremely upset and nothing else would calm her down.

"Luffy..?"

Emi questioned it but he didn't have a response or a reason that he could give her. To his relief, the Ferris wheel continued down. The rest of the ride they spent avoiding eye contact so they wouldn't have to discuss what had happened. Normally Emi would be ready to talk about it all immediately but she was still confused about the fact that he had no solid memories of her.

Once they were off the ride, they were able to talk. They avoided the topic of any event on the Ferris wheel though. There were too many thoughts and actions that occurred that neither was able to understand completely.

The day had finished. We all met again at the entryway that we were all dropped off at and met. Emi and Luffy had an awkward air about them, but they weren't distancing themselves from one another. They seemed confused. Sanji and Sakiko seemed to be getting along well, exchanging emails and phone numbers to keep in touch. All of us girls did the same later on when we had all gotten the chance to be together by ourselves. I was as curious about their dates as they were about mine.

When the limo arrived, Nami came out to usher the women inside. She had said something about the band members getting separate rides. All of us didn't mind though. Emi, Sakiko, and I were all too busy exchanging numbers and contact information.

A nice day had ended, but it was too soon to decide whether or not that was the end of anything.

XXX

a/e: Sorry it took so long to update. I plan to have it up within a week normally. Just had a lot to type and find someone to proofread. Have fun reading. It's time for me to get started on the next chapter.