Here we go, second chapter.
Been busy for Thanksgiving as you know, is this Thursday! (essited)
I'll be near a computer for the brunt of this week, except Thanksgiving Day itself and possibly the day after. Depends on how long my mother wants me…but yeah.
Anywho! You secret readers should send me a note sometime! I love getting mail! :D
Soulkill: Time of Old
The Tree of Ages – 2
I reached the top of the steps and turned, looking at Souta as he turned his brown eyes on me.
I couldn't help but notice that he was actually taller than me now, not by much but still taller…that little rat must've been eating extra rations for dinner! So now I had to look up at him!
It all must be part of his plan to get me to marry him! The fool!
I scowled a little, earning a look of confusion in return.
"You're taller than me."
I stated glumly.
His confusion turned into a full-blown laugh, he clutched his sides and bent over. My face contorted into one of genuine hurt, I was hoping he'd catch the joke, but he was serious.
He thought it was funny.
I sure as hell didn't, I hated being short, a measly 5'3''.
"You are so rude sometimes!"
I snapped angrily, furrowing my brows. I turned away from him, flipping my braid sassily, and began walking towards his household. I spotted his mother, with a slight smile on her lips, standing in the traditional sliding doorway. A shawl draped across her dainty shoulders.
I'd always been amazed at how much the woman could do with such a fragile looking body.
She'd have been a prince's bride if it were some 1,000 years earlier; I could only imagine how beautiful she would have been.
But knowing what the smile was for sort of dampened that image just a little. I stopped having noted that Souta had stopped his out-break.
"Well don't just stop!"
I jumped, whirling around and sending a well aimed smack at his head. This of course was something he had to be used to by now, therefore easily dodged as I blushed furiously.
"DON'T DO THAT!"
I cried, my face ripe as a tomato sitting to long in the sun. I was ready to pop him a good one right then and there; I could imagine Kagome doing something similar.
Kagome.
I stopped the descent of my fist towards his face, straightening myself out a bit and dusting imaginary dirt off my shirt and skirt.
Punishing Souta was her job and she wasn't here, I wasn't going to end up her replacement.
There was only one of a person in a lifetime, reincarnations were just a myth.
"But no Souta Higurashi, STOP making me jump like that! I might actually have a heart-attack one day!"
The persecuted boy had a look on his face that reminded me of a deer caught in headlights. I stared dumbly at him for a moment before I someone cleared their throat.
"They'll get cold at this rate you two.."
"Awe! Come on Ahiru!"
He grabbed me by the arm in his mad rush towards the house, not bothering to make sure I was ready. In the end I was dragged through the dust, sadly up the steps (don't try this at home kids!), and across his not quite perfectly sanded porch.
By the time I'd been seated at their table I was ruffled and stuffed to the brim with splinters.
I'd learned a very valuable lesson in the time of a few seconds.
Never let Souta Higurashi 'lead' you anywhere, you might not come out alive.
'An understatement…'
I growled to myself, making an effort to tame the wild wisps of chocolate brown that now crowned my head. A light dusting of pink brushed across my cheeks as I tried to make myself a little more presentable.
'I'll just use this chance to get him with pay-back.'
A variety of scenario's ran through my mind as Miss Higurashi, who I'd gotten into the habit of calling 'Namo-kun' seeing as she wouldn't tell her me her real name, entered the kitchen carrying a steaming plate of cookies.
I noticed only when she placed the probably hot plate on the table that she was skillfully balancing three milk cups in the crook of her elbows and one on her head.
Dear god she had to teach me how to do that! I really wanted to know where 'she' learned to do it. Maybe I could swing by the place and get a few pointers.
That would most definitely impress any potential husbands!
Now I blushed out of admiration, holding my hands in a prayer like stance I almost begged her.
"Where did you learn to balance like that!"
"What—oh this?"
She made sure to finish putting the glasses down before referring to her balancing act.
I nodded my head furiously in return. My heart sank though as she got a look on her face that was all too familiar.
"Lots and lots of practice Ahiru-chan, now eat some before they get cold!"
She scolded mockingly before taking a moment to seat herself.
I don't know what in his right mind could have made him say something to embarrassing or inappropriate at that point in time. I'd personally been trying to ignore Souta who had taken up a chair beside me.
I'd be in a much better place now, had he not opened his mouth…and said something stupid.
"Your hair looks a lot like a halo the way it is right now…it's beautiful."
"What!? Souta!"
"Ah…"
I stared blankly at him for a moment, my admiring blush spread like a rash across my entire face.
I had no reply to that but to pat frantically at my now fuzzy brown head.
I suddenly felt like crying.
"Souta you should know better! You need to prepare a girl for something like that!"
"But it's true! And all beautiful things only happen once!"
"But that's beside the point! You don't say something like that to a girl at a table eating cookies!"
His mother scolded him angrily, this time she was quite serious.
I on the other hand was practically in tears.
I'd been trying to avoid this very situation by giving him some space. But maybe I should ask a boy's opinion on what to do next time. They'd probably know better.
"Souta you're an idiot!"
I suddenly shouted, standing up and throwing back my chair. The loud 'thunk' of it hitting the floor startled both culprits more than my voice did.
I almost tripped over my chair as I turned and fled the scene, I was practically crying and Souta had no right to see me do such a thing! It only made things worse knowing that Namo-kun had known about how he felt about me, and had given him advice as punishment!
What kind of punishment was that?
"I KNEW I should have grabbed my baseball bat!"
I said to myself as I ran, narrowly avoiding multiple corners as I made my way through his house. I would escape out the backdoor and take a short-cut through the houses behind them.
I turned a corner and abruptly burst through a paper door. I shrieked in fear and shock as I landed harshly on my shoulder and ribs.
A cloud of dust swirled around me as it settled. I hadn't been expecting that, at all.
I groaned as my shoulder throbbed, my ribcage sent sharp stabs of pain through my chest and whole left side.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to rise to a sitting position. I could hear yells of fear and worry from somewhere to my right, but I ignored them.
The only thing running through my mind was getting away from the scene and keeping Souta from seeing me cry, his mother to.
I never realized that I felt so strongly about Souta seeing something so simple.
Hormones can do amazing things to a person when they're emotional.
What I did wasn't fuzzy or dark, though my vision was a little off, but I knew what I was doing when I painfully launched myself to my feet and continued on my mad race for someplace safe. Someplace without people!
But I didn't get very far.
I know that I passed directly in front of the Higurashi's Sakura tree in my haste, but I'm not really sure how to describe what happened after that.
Most of it was dark..univiting and painful to the mind (And my ribs damnit!).
But I do remember hearing a voice…it was a woman's, very pretty.
"You can never come back!"
What in the world did that mean?
Chapter two finish.
Ech, I just wrote this in class and the bells about to ring.
Bear with me.
KohakuJo
