A/N Hi people!!!! Just taking the time to say that, not even a day old, this story has already had 4 reviews and favorites. That is COOL!!! I spazzed when I opened my e-mail to find 10 messages from about reviews and favorites. So THANK YOU to those who already contributed their opinions on my (what I thought was crappy) story. You guys make a girl feel loved. ^_^ Anywho, ON WITH THE STORY!!!!
Chapter 2 "Whats your name?"
It was late before we reached my street, thankfully free of pedestrians. Passers-by have not been friendly on our way home, shooting looks at the girl, then at me, moving hastily out of the way when we encountered a crowd, parting like the Red Sea. You would think we contained a plauge or something. Others just ignored us completely or whispered speedily to their friends while motioning, not to secretly, toward us. I had to lock my jaw and clench my fists to keep myself from punching somebody. I did NOT tolerate disrespect. Well....disrespect toward the innocent at least. If somebody dissed Boris, heck, I'd join in, but that's beside the point. The girl seemed to notice the suspicious glares too, 'cause she would constantly try to hide behind me, and I could see her watching everyone out of the corner of my eye. Pity floated up in me agian. She was clearly resented, classified as a dirty, drug dealing bum, yet that wasn't true at all, as far as I knew. Always living in fear. Fear of starving. Fear of lbeing caught alone. Fear of being beaten. Fear of almost everything. People like her had enough to worry about without city smits making it worse. I could rant about it if I wanted.
I turned into my driveway and I heard her gasp behind me. I look at her and saw that she was staring at my home. Her reaction confused me at first, but a second later, common sense jumped in. She probably thought I was the richest person in the world, which I kinda was. Not to be offencive to all you non-speciallypriveliged people of course. I'd never really looked my house before, actually LOOKED, but with her here, I saw everything. Three stories of dark brick. A full wooden porch in the back by a pool and beystadium. Five windows on either side of my ten foot oak door, the bottom two being humongous twelve by eights. Greenery everywhere. Trees, lush grass speckled with white giving backdrop to the cobblestone of the driveway that let up to a three car garage. I don't know how I overlooked all this for so long, but apparently I had.
I walked her up the driveway and the three steps leading to the front door, her clutching my arm still. I drug out my key, turned the lock, and stepped inside. If she wasn't awed enough just by the outside, she was truely awed now. My house is huge, so everything in it is huge. Huge kitchen, huge living room, huge couches, flat screens, chandeliers, tables...and this was technically only one room, for the livingroom and kitchen in front of us was joined. The girl's eyes were saucers as she took in everything, softly brushing her fingertips along the forest green walls, probably checking if they were real. I heard shuffling from upstairs and a short, older woman appeared at the top of the staircase, which faced away from us.
"Master Kai? Is that you?"
Mrs. Gladys, my one-and-only maid, came down the stairs, donning her usual apron-on-floral-dress combo.
"I was starting to get worried. I was about to...Who is this?"
Mrs. Gladys blinked as she looked at the girl, who just now moved behind me agian. The girl shifted nervously as Mrs. Gladys gives a small smile, turning to me for an explanation.
"A blizzard is comming tonight." I state simply, knowing she would understand.
Mrs. Gladys nods her head, her grey puff of hair bouncing, and turns back to the girl.
"My, my! She's dirty!" she says, comming up to us. "I'm Mrs. Gladys, but you can call me Gladie,"
Mrs. Gladys smiles reassuringly and I feel the girl loosen her grip on my arm the tinyest bit.
"Here Master Kai, I'll take...." She stops, blinks, then looks pointedly at me agian.
I shrug, not knowing the girls name.
"Well, I'll take her to get cleaned up." She continued, detaching the girl, who looked like she was ready to kick AWOL any minute now, from me. "And you can go and fix yourself something to eat."
Mrs. Gladys smiles and while turning away, girl in tow, whispers almost inaudiably, "We'll talk about this later." before heading back up the stairs. I knew what she ment. She wanted to know why the girl was so mutilated. You would think that she would be more interested in why I brought home a girl in the fist place, but Mrs. Gladys was used to me bringing home lost or injured animals for a night or two 'cause, let's face it, I just have a small soft spot for animals, and she probably saw the girl as the same thing, a dear creature of the Earth in need of help. Ok...that sounded wierd. Note to self:Never repeat that again.
I watched them until they disappeared over the balcony before heading to the kitchen, pulling out a couple eggs, crutons. hamburger meat, and sauce for meatloaf. I didn't feel like making anything special. I wont bore you with all the oh-so-interesting details. It was done cooking about 45 minutes later and Mrs. Gladys and the girl still hadn't come down yet. 'What the hell is taking them so long?' I sigh and deside to wait for them, 'cause I'm just a gentleman. Well, I FINALLY hear the upstairs bathroom door open, and I hear Mrs. Gladys say an apology to me.
"I just couldn't find something for her to wear. She's so tiny that not even my clothes fit her. I'll go out tonight and find some cute outfits for her after dinner."
Mrs. Gladys morphs into the kitchen, all smiles as usual, pulling the reluctant girl behind her. I was amazed at how much better the girl looked, free of dirt and dried blood, hair clean and still glistening wet, old cuts and scratches tended to. Event the bruises on her face didn't look as menacing as they had before. I knew she felt better, her eyes bright, open, excited when I looked at them, and I nearly stopped breathing agian. I'll have to watch out for that.
"Well I hope your hungry." Mrs. Gladys chimes to the girl.
She opens her mouth to answer when a growl erupts from her stomach. she swiftly covers her angry abdomen and blushes like mad, making me almost laugh outloud. Mrs. Gladys did though, and the girl smiles a tiny sheepish smile at her. 'She looks so cute when she smiles like that. Wait...did I just think that? I must be sick or something.'
"Well lets eat then! No need to make you wait!" Mrs. Gladys giggles, immediatly lightening the mood.
* * *
Dinner was good. I had offered the girl a seat (I'm a gentleman, remember?) which she took, and I sat in a seat next to her. I could have sat on the other side if I had wanted, but I felt like sitting near her, which is really wierd considering that I usually sat AWAY from people. Anywho, food was passed out and we ate in silence. I was suprised at how slowly the girl ate. I would have thought she would have eaten her first serving in ten seconds flat considering how hungry she must be, but she proved me wrong. She had quite good manners, and I caught on that she would copy me sometimes when she thought I wasn't looking. We finished and Mrs. Gladys had gone off to the store just like she said, leaving reluctantly when the girl made it clear with her reaction, that she didn't want to go along. I couldn't blame her after how people looked at her on the way home, which is probably a part of the reason why she declined. When I had cleaned and put up all the china into the cabinets, the girl had disappeared. I looked around but found her nowhere. The livingroom, bedrooms, bathrooms, the library, study, dining rooms, were all empty. I checked everywhere, and after a while, I was begining to worry that she had left. She was no where inside the house, so the only place she could be...'The porch! Why didn't I think of that sooner? 'Cause I'm a dumbass.' I answer myself, walking through the livingroom to the back porch window, and there she was, sitting on the bench by the wall, covered with little snow flakes. I walk out to join her.
She looks up and smiles at me as I brush snow off the other side of the bench and take a seat, arms crossed and eyes closed. I tried to enjoy the quiet, but the slight brush of her leg agianst mine was impossible to ignore. I open an eye and see her looking over the yard, pool, distant mountians, all the color or winter. I had been so drawn to her face that I didn't even notice she was wearing Mrs. Gladys' plain white pants and pale blue turtle neck sweater, both of which looking two sizes to big. She looked great in them anyway. 'What? No! Damn it Kai! Pull yourself together!' But no matter how I tried to deny it, Dranzer just pops in and chirps in his annoying know-it-all voice.
'Just admit it...you dig her.'
'Do not' I counter.
'Do to.' 'Do not.' 'Do to.' ' If you don't shut up bird...'
He snickers but leaves my mind. 'Thank gods.'
I didn't realize the girl staring at me until I came back to earth. Those internal conversations kinda make you zone out from time to time. I saw the question in her eyes and replied simply.
"Nothing."
She seemed to accept that and turned away, gazing out into the vastness agian. It wasn't until then that I still had no idea what her name was.
"What's your name?" I questioned lightly, turning my head to look out over the scenic vastness that had caught her eye, but instead of appreciating the veiw, my gaze meandered to peer at her from the corner of my eye.
She turned back to me, question in her eyes agian. I repeat myself and then recognition colors her gaze.
"Mesa." she replies simply.
A/N Ok, another authors note. If your wondering how 'Mesa' is pronounced, the 'e' is like the 'e' in 'street' or 'feet'. The original spelling is 'Misa' I think, but that looked like it should be a name from Star Wars, so I changed it. Also, the next chapter will be more exciting, trust me!