Here's the next chapter. I think I'm going to be doing at least one new chapter a week except Candie encouraged me to do another one today so I'm going to do another today and then another by this time next week I think.
Thanks to Candie for the inspiration for this chapter.
"I'm home!" I craned my head around the front door and yelled into the house; no reply.
I stepped into the empty kitchen and dropped my backpack onto the kitchen table. The many new books I had received on my first day of school made a bang on the wood.
"Don't everyone greet me at once," I made my way into the living room; empty except for my husky, Alternawolf, laying dazedly on the sofa, his head lolling off the edge. He slowly looked up when I entered but quickly lowered his again; staring upside down at the fishtank across the room, "Great to see you too, boy."
I reached the stairs and trudged up to the second floor. Obnoxiously bright light streamed in through the window above the landing and I covered my eyes with my forearm.
"Damn light…"
"Damn what?" Uzuki looked over the banister above my head, garbed in a towel, and smirked.
"I've been home for like five minutes; why didn't you answer when I called?"
"Um, hello," She pointed at her head wrapped turban-like in a towel, "Shower."
"Hm," I finished climbing the steps and stood facing her, her lavender eyes looking down at me through a few loose strands of pink hair dangling from under her head covering, "Where are Mom and Dad?"
"Work. But they're both getting back at 6:00 and they want to go furniture shopping. I'm going to be with Kariya though, so—"
"Kariya!?" My sister's boyfriend was such a cocky asshole, "I thought we'd gotten rid of him when we moved!"
"You'd like that wouldn't you?" She grinned deviously, "But my beloved has decided to move here too, to attend college with me."
I blinked at her. She batted her eyelashes.
"Isn't that sweet?"
"No!" I brushed past her and walked briskly to my room and closed the door behind me.
My bed sat welcomingly in front of me. I flopped down onto the mattress and pulled the pillow closely around my face.
"Not such a new life, then." I said into the pillow, my voice muffled.
I awoke to the sound of large fists rapping on my bedroom door. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes and then called out to the person on the other side of the door.
"Open it. I'm not wearing a shirt but I'm not naked."
My mother popped her head around the door and smiled widely.
"How was your first day of school?"
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"Yep. School is school, Mom."
"Well, shopping is shopping and we want you to come along. We'll be shopping mostly for you anyway." I looked around and saw that my room was only composed of my bed and a small dresser. I hadn't even put up my posters on the walls or anything.
"Sounds good." I pulled my vest over my slim chest and looked up at my mom, but she had already gone downstairs.
So, we found ourselves at 104, a huge department store with a whole floor dedicated solely to the sale of furniture. As my Mom and Dad tittered casually about this or that and browsed the selection I wandered into the 'modern furniture' area of the floor. The furniture was mostly black and white and angled sharply or curved geometrically into abstract forms. I sat down in a black and white checkered leather chair and pulled my heaphones onto my ears. Def Märch began to play loudly from the speakers into my ears and I leaned my head back. I'll have to tell Mom that I like this chair.
"Hello, Neku.
I opened my eyes to find a blurry Joshua bending over me. His wavy silver hair fell all around his face and haloed my vision. He reminded me of some kind of archangel, coming down from heaven to rescue me from damnation. Before I could stop myself, I felt my arm extending and I held a piece of his hair between two fingers. It was so soft. I felt a groggy smile come over my face and Joshua smiled slyly back at me.
"Neku, I've wanted to tell you, I love you."
"What?"
"I love you." He put particular emphasis on every sound.
"WHAT!?" I released his hair from my hands and sat straight up, my blurred eyes cleared and I realized what I had been doing and what Joshua had been saying, "You… love me!?"
"No," Joshua straightened up, the sly smile still lingering on his lips, "I just wanted to wake you up. And it worked."
"I…" Joshua put a finger to my lips.
"No more needs to be said, dear Neku, no one will know of this."
Joshua stepped back and the smile dropped from his face. He pivoted on his heel and strode away. I felt the sweet warmth of his finger still on my lips. I licked the spot where he had touched my mouth and savored the saltiness of it. What!? No! I'm straight! What am I talking about!?
"Yo, Neku!" Beat stood at the edge of the pillow aisle, his hand over his eyes as if staring through the sun even though we were inside.
"Neku?" Shiki glanced over Beat's shoulder at me and flashed a bright smile. She maneuvered around Beat's large frame and walked over to where I was still sitting in the black and white chair, "Shopping for furniture?"
"Um," I stood up quickly, "Yeah, with my parents."
"Oh," Shiki glanced around, "Where are they?"
"I don't know." I truthfully replied.
"Wanna come with us?"
"I would but I should probably find my parents."
"Come on, Phones," Beat shouldered his way around Shiki and placed a large, strong hand on my weak shoulder, "Do it for the girl."
Beat winked and I couldn't help noticing how handsome he was even through his strange gangster lingo and black head-eating beanie. His blue eyes glittered with childish energy as he grinned widely at me.
"I really can't Beat, I'm sorry." I really was.
I found my parents in the kitchenware section of the next floor. Their backs were to me and as I walked up I noticed they were talking to someone.
"Hi Mom."
My mother turned to greet me, and as she moved her shoulder I saw the black coif that belonged to Sanae Hanekoma. He stood there, hand on hip, his stylish glasses sitting on his slender nose. His stubble followed the line of his strong jaw and when he smiled his face seemed to lighten and almost glow.
"There you are, Neku. I've just been helping your parents look for you," He winked and shrugged, "They've just been telling me all about my newest student. I'm sure we'll get along fine."
Another wink.
I felt my heart melt.
