Teen Hiroki

Chapter Three: Phone Call


It was much later that night when Hiroki finished reading Akihiko's new story. She'd been reading while laying on her belly in bed. Clasping Akihiko's notebook to her chest, Hiroki rolled over onto her back.

Even though she knew she was alone, out of habit, she still glanced surreptitiously around her room before wiping away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Like so many of Akihiko's stories, it broke one's heart in the most exquisite ways.

Of course his tales weren't to everyone's taste: his works were were like him, cold and lonely on the surface, but warm and incredibly complex underneath. Looking at the connections he made in his pieces, one would think Usami Akihiko saw everything, and yet…

Hiroki sighed.

There's some things right in front of him he doesn't see at all.

Still, she supposed she should consider herself fortunate that she possessed this part of him at least. It was more than all the other ridiculous girls at school were privy to- the ones who giggled and pouted, or batted their eyes at him every time he walked down the hall or sat next to them in class.

Hiroki got up off the bed setting Akihiko's notebook down carefully. She moved over to stand in front of the large mirror hung on her wall near her dresser. Posing there, she slowly rotated herself from side to side.

It was not the type of thing she would have usually done, as her self-reflection was generally more internal than external.

Though petite, Hiroki wouldn't have been bragging to say she was perfectly proportioned, if a bit on the thin side. But she was inclined to an athletic build after all. The fact that her parents had had her doing swimming, gymnastics, and taking classes in traditional Japanese dance since she was young had encouraged this physique.

Her breasts were small, but not too, and pert. Her hips had just the right amount of curve to be enticing, and her butt gave the short skirt of her school uniform that teasing hike in the back that drew covert glances from perverted businessmen when she passed them on the street. And she had caught more than one boy at school shooting cautious looks her way until her scowl scared them off.

She adopted that same scowl now and glared at herself in the mirror.

It is rather fierce.

Hiroki allowed her features to soften. When she gentled herself, while no one would ever call her "beautiful," she imagined she could at least pass for "pretty."

Studying her face she pushed a her bangs aside. Her thick auburn hair was a bit unruly and she kept it cut shorter in a bit of a bob, much to her mother's chagrin, but it suited her heart shaped face perfectly and emphasized her huge hazel eyes.

When they're not hidden behind my reading glasses.

Hiroki took her glasses of and set them on her dresser. Turning back to the mirror, her uncontrollable blush crept up onto her cheeks. It showed up so easily against her pale skin and coordinated with the natural pink of her small but full mouth.

Looking at her lips, she suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss Akihiko.

She felt herself blush further.

They actually had kissed once, but that was years ago when they were both much younger. Akihiko had done it in an attempt to distract her from crying.

It worked too.

Hiroki wondered what Akihiko might do if he found her crying now.

Not that he ever will.

She was incredibly proud and would rather die than have Aki see her bawling like…

Well… Like a girl.

Hiroki suddenly wanted to know if Akihiko's lips would be as cool as his hands. Regardless, she could imagine taking his hard jaw in her own small hands, pressing her body up against his broad firm chest and…

Her cell phone rang.

"Oh shit!" Cursing, she scurried over to her bed to pick up the phone. Seeing the number her face grew hot.

"Speak of the devil."

Unconsciously Hiroki straightened her skirt and fluffed her hair, then realizing what she was doing she let out a horrified, "Gahhhhhh!"

"Stop being so stupid!" She chided herself.

Flipping open her phone she hissed in greeting. "Aki, what in the hell are you thinking, calling so late?!"

On the other end of the line, Akihiko sounded completely nonplussed. "Well you're up aren't you?"

"Yes, but my mother's in the other room and she'll freak out if she hears my phone ringing at this hour!"

"Then why don't you just put it on vibrate?"

Sometimes Hiroki hated Akihiko's cool logic.

"What do you want Aki?" she snapped.

"Well, I told you I'd call you, and so I did. I wouldn't ever want to break my word to you, Hiroki."

When Akihiko said this, Hiroki's chest suddenly constricted.

"Yeah, well, thank you." She muttered, her tone much more mild.

"Look, I'm sorry that I called so late."

"No, it's fine. So how was your dinner with Jerk-a-hiro?"

Hiroki moved away from the mirror and flung herself backwards on to her bed.

"You really need some new material, Old Man." Akihiko did not sound amused.

"I think one could say the same for you." Hiroki said drily, bristling at the hated nickname.

"Point taken."

Akihiko sighed, "Can we call a truce?"

Taking Hiroki's silence as consent he continued. "Look it's just that Misaki came down with a fever while we were out and I wanted to make sure that he and Takahiro were settled before I left them."

Now Hiroki once again felt like a complete ass next to St. Aki.

"But while I was with them tonight I had a lot of time to think about what we talked about this afternoon and I made a decision… I think. But before I do anything rash, Ki-chan, I need to ask you a question."

Hiroki's heart stopped.

"Okay, Akihiko what is it?"

"Hiroki…"

There was a sudden loud crash on the other end of the line.

Akihiko's voice dropped and changed from silk to sandpaper. "Haruhiko, get the fuck out of my room!…"

"Look Hiroki, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow at school, I need to go."

Hiroki could hear the boys starting to argue before Akihiko shut his phone. Her friend's usually cultured tone had broken into a full growl

"There are twenty-three rooms in this god damn house and I only ask you to stay out of one!"

Then, the sounds of a scuffle and Haruhiko's voice bleating loudly, "Get off me you dumb bastard!"

The line went dead.

"Arrrrgh!" Hiroki threw her phone across the room and pulled a pillow over her head.

Her heart pounded with the possibilities of Akihiko's unasked question.


Thank you for reading