Chapter 2-The Next Dream
"G-Good night, Kyou-kun..."
Slowly, as the yells of my sister and mother arguing reached my ears, I woke to the sun blinding my eyes.
"Get up, Nita!" I heard my mother screaming. Three bangs echoed throughout the house. "Now!"
I swung my legs over to the side of the bed, letting the shag carpet tickle the ends of my toes. Stretching, I spread my fingers and lifted my arms well above my head, then let them drop back to my sides.
I stood up and walked over to my mirror. I had a tumble weed where my hair used to be. Fighting with the knots, I brushed my hair down smooth.
As I went to grab a change of clothes from my dresser, a leaf blew in from my cracked window. It landed softly on my left foot. It was orange and brown, just like the last leaf. At the thought of the last leaf, my cheeks grew in temperature, and probably darkened in color.
I sighed. "Sadly, it was only a dream. Kyou-kun would never kiss me. I doubt if he even knows I exist..." I sighed again.
I picked up the little leaf and sat it on the top of my dresser as I opened the top drawer of the Oak dresser.
Digging through the top drawer, I found a lavender t-shirt with black horizontal stripes. I tossed it on my bed and grabbed a pair of black leggings. Along with a purple skirt and matching jacket.
Quickly, I changed and turned on my radio. "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga was playing. As it played, I danced and sang along with the music. Twirling and singing, "And I wont stop till that boy is mine." That is, until my mother started knocking on my door.
"Mishi?" She opened the door and peeked in, "Ah, good. You're awake. Breakfast is ready." She smiled at me and looked at my face. "You look prettier everyday, you know that?"
I smiled back at her, "Thank you, Mother. How could I forget when you remind me everyday?"
She shrugged her shoulders and left the room, leaving my door open. I cut my radio off and walked out of my room, shutting the door behind me. My feet went from carpeting to linoleum, causing me to lose my balance and slip. I hit the floor hard; butt first, then head. Opening my eyes, I saw my father staring down at me.
Gulp. I jumped up and brushed myself off.
"You should be more careful, Mishi-Chan," he looked at me in the eyes as he spoke, melancholy, to me.
"Y-yes, father. I was in a hurry and I forgot of how slippery the floor was..." I looked down at the floor, avoiding his gaze that always seemed to bury itself in my skin. It made me want to turn around and hurry back inside my room, locking the door and never come out again. That was the power he had over all of us. My mother, sister, and me, we we're all kept captives in our own home. My mother had lost almost every one of her friends, for father always scared them off or threatened them. Nita was afraid of all guys at school. When she was given a male teacher, she freaked and had a panic attack. She was in the hospital for a week.
And me...I'm the girl who stays in the background. Well, that tries to stay in the background. It's been impossible ever since the day I tripped in the hall, once at school. The day I met Kyou Urinano when he helped me pick up all of my things off the school hallway floor. And now, I'm noticed by everyone almost in our grade. Some of the upper classmen even notice me.
My world became suddenly unstable and shaky.
"Mishi!" My father was shaking me. "Listen to me, damn you! I am your father," he raised his hand, high up in the air, "and I will NOT be ignored!"
I quickly covered my face with my forearms. I didn't want any bruises on my face. The excuse of "I ran into a door" was running really thin from using it so much. Tears formed in my eyes as I felt the air from the impending smack. Less than a split second, my breath was gone and a sharp pain had started at the crown of my head and was splintering farther out. I fell to my knees, clutching the back of my head, trembling in agony and terror.
My mother heard my scream and came running down the hall. As my father rose his hand to strike me again, my mother grabbed his arm, fearfully.
"If you leave any bruises, people will start asking where she got them!" My mother pleaded, desperate to save me from further torment. "And you don't want that, do you?"
I stayed curled up on the floor, anticipating the next strike. Then, I heard footsteps. My father's footsteps.
"You're correct. That wouldn't be good," he turned to face her. "Wouldn't want people thinking you're abusing the children, now would we?" His famous theoretical questioning. He always used that on us. Mainly, mother. He turned back around and started walking to the dining room for breakfast, as if nothing had happened. I lifted my tear stained face up to my mother. She looked at me with sorrow filled eyes. She mouthed 'I'm sorry, darling', to me, and offered me her hand. Grabbing it, I pushed of with my knee, only to stumble and almost pull her down with me. She gripped my shoulders and lifted me up off the floor, like she had million times before.
After breakfast, father left for work, leaving the three of us to freedom. We cherished what time he was gone off to work, or anywhere that didn't involve us going with him.
As Nita helped mother put away the dishes from breakfast, I pulled on my shoes and headed for the front door. "Mom! I'm going out! I'll be back later!"
"Ok, just please be careful." She popped her head out of the kitchen, "and if your head starts hurting, come straight home. Ok?"
I opened the door, and stepped out into the sun, "Yes, ma'am. I will. I don't plan on being out very late." I went through the door, grabbing my purple jacket, and closing the door behind me. I walked down the steps to the sidewalk. There were dark clouds off in the distance. "Must be going to rain later."
I went to the restaurant at the corner of my street. It served the best pizza in the area. Barbeque chicken, bacon, and ranch sauce all combined on to it; it was delicious. It made my mouth drip at the scent that came from the open windows. Walking in, I spotted an open booth to the far right wall, at the one window that wasn't letting out any warm air. I took a seat and waited for someone to take my order. Someone came up to me and, thinking it a waiter, started telling them what I wanted.
"I'll take a medium-sized pepperoni and chicken pizza, please." I looked up at the 'waiter', and promptly felt my cheeks turn hotter than the sun.
"Hey, Mishi!" Kyou flashed his famous grin, "If you don't mind, when an actual waiter comes to take your order, can I join you for lunch?" He looked at me and kept smiling down at my stunned, flushed face.
'K-Kyou...' I thought to myself, 'wants to e-eat lunch wi-with me?' I looked down while poking my index fingers together, and nodded. "S-Sure, K-Kyou-kun..." I said, looking back up at him, "I'd like that."
Still smiling, he sat across from me in the booth. We sat, waiting in silence, for 10 minutes. Then, someone finally came to take our orders. We changed the pizza to a large and Kyou ordered a thing of cheese sticks. We each ordered a Pepsi. After eating half the pizza in silence, he asked me something that I definitely was not expecting for him to say.
"So, Mishi," he reached across the table and took my hand, "did you enjoy last night?"
"W-what?" I said, shocked. "What do you mean, 'did I enjoy last night?'"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you not remember last night, Mishi?"
He looked confused and sort of disappointed. Like as if I not remembering last night actually upset him, or maybe even hurt him. What could have happened last night for to of been so important that I remember?
"G-Good night, Kyou-kun..."
"My dream!" I looked at him, mouth agape. "The last leaf. We both catch it. That was real?" I pleaded with my eyes that it be true. I needed to hear those words. The ones that would tell me that my dream had finally come to life.
He smiled wide at me. "Yep. And us-"
My mind started wondering. I drifted away from Kyou and the restaurant and everyone. I settled into my own little world. Until I remembered when I did that this morning. I snapped back to the world, only to see Kyou reaching towards my face. I clenched up, covering myself with my arms and pulled my knees up to my chest.
"No! Kyou-kun! Please, I'm sorry!" Tears formed in my eyes for the second time today. "I didn't mean to faze out, I swear! Please don't hurt me. It won't happen again!" Sobs filled the surrounding area as I trembled in fear. I froze as I found myself wrapped in two strong arms. Kyou had me held close to him, his chin resting on the top of my head. "K-Kyou...?"
"Mishi-Chan..." He turned me towards him, "why do you think I was fixing to hurt you?" Hurt was evident in his eyes. "I was just worried causing you weren't answering me." He wiped away my tears from my cheeks and nose.
"I-I'm sorry, Kyou-kun. I don't know why I thought you were going to hit me..." More tears accumulated at the corners of my eyes. "Please forgive me, Kyou..."
"It's ok. Just remember, I will never hurt you. I can't hurt you, Mi-Chan..."