Chapter 4
A matter of stamina.
Shinji's training had involved two things, one; pissing me off and two; making me do weird errands, for example: getting them their groceries (almost killed him for that one), running around the block (pointless- I'm easily fit enough for that) and sweeping (was I a slave?).
So, so far I'm still waiting on amazing and insightful training by old, wise and powerful beings.
I wonder if I'll wait long.
My ringtone played and I did a double take and picked up the small, sleek, shiny black plastic phone.
"YO! Where you been, man?"
"Why are you talking like an idiot…man?"
"AW! Humour me, please?"
I could almost see him pouting, "Nu-uh."
"Well… I wanted to say that the date for the funeral is set for Friday- our class is rehearsing on Monday, since you're the 'total overseer'(a job I'm not sure how you got but, meh) you're not allowed to go, so do something fun- sport is cancelled for Monday and Friday."
"So… I miss all of my sports for a silly funeral?"
His tone changed from one of a little, kind kid (his usual voice) to a sombre more settled one.
"I know you two argued a lot but try to be compassionate."
"No."
"Please?"
"He's my rival not my bloody brother!"
"We've talked about using 'bloody' Shizu… Why are you even called Shizu?"
"What do you mean?"
"It means peaceful… your, very… un-peaceful."
"And you're not very tactical."
"YOU BROKE MY HEART!"
I sighed and when he calmed down I explained, "When I was young I was would always cry when someone yelled so they named me, 'Shizu'- peace."
"They? As in, your parents?"
"Yep."
"See you on Tuesday… and rest or play on Monday- I forbid you to work and I implore you to have your speech ready!"
"Speech?"
There was a pregnant pause, "…You know- your speech for the funeral?"
"…Oh, that one… I better get going!"
He made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sigh then Kei hung up.
"…speech, eh? Whoops~!"
"Speech?" Iwao walked in.
"What are you here for?"
"…Why not? Speech?"
"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." He nodded, "Right… Speech- for you funeral, why not- it's my bloody home, and…. Where do you always go to- your dead? And, are you going to gate crash your funeral? And, how did you learn kido?"
"Curious today? Where I go- a place, none of your beezewax. Gate crashing is rude, besides one of me will already be there, so no. And I learnt it from those friends of mine who, incidentally, taught me how to stop my chain of fate crumbling."
"That was not a fair information exchange."
"Your right- I did more work."
I pegged my pillow at him and launched myself at his smirking figure.
…
Flashback
…
First day of school, jeeze- everyone is so damn happy.
I shook my head and made my way to my first ever classroom.
Ever.
Before this I had always been home-schooled by my parents, we moved around too much to pick one school, and besides they can't really teach me now. Not after that.
No, not after that.
I banished those thoughts from my head and stepped into my classroom.
The first people I noticed- 5 people, each with name badges.
Kei Sazaruki.
Ai Sazaruki.
Iwao Saito.
Kasuki Tanaka.
Deiki Ito.
I wonder…
…
A year later…
…
Wow, the start of my second year of high school, and I already have so many friends.
Ai, Kei, Deiki, Iwao and Kasuki.
They were my closet friends but by some miracle I had ended up as a member of one of the popular groups. I'm still not quite sure how- I certainly wasn't very inviting to them… I think it's cause they like my friends.
Ai is an ice queen but underneath that she is kind and also very witty. (She has a heart of gold, really...Just it's covered by ice)
Kei is funny, charismatic and probably the kindest person I've met.
When the two take over their father's business- a massive record company- they will be awesome; Ai can handle business and hard decisions while Kei got people over to their side. (The only reason I know that was because I had to accompany them one day to their dad's work while thy were learning the ropes, I didn't know what was going on most of the time but enjoyed the hot chocolate the staff gave me)
Deiki was a class clown and regularly got in trouble with the teacher.
His best friends Kasuki was funny but slightly more level headed than his friend/other half.
The two had been best friends since the second year of elementary and were the dynamic duo of the school. For as long as I'd known them they'd never once gotten bad grades or listened in class.
Iwao was sporty, sarcastic and energetic.
He had joined the dynamic duo in the last year of middle school; the trio was headed by the latter. He had a chair in the principal's office for himself (no joke- it had his name engraved on a bras plague that was stuck to the wooden chair) and was almost as sporty as I was. Almost.
…
2 months later.
…
"So you want to be sport representative on the school council?"
"Yes, you?" the wind blew his hair off his face as we leaned on the balcony above the school.
I was leaning back against the railing with my hair blowing across my face- Iwao was standing straight and had his back leaning against the railing looking at me through the sides of his eyes.
I nodded, "In which case, Iwao, we're rivals."
"Sure."
I pushed off the railing and walked away.
…
At the beginning of the third year of high school.
…
"Our new sport representative in the school council…" there was a pause then the old captain took the podium.
"This year two students stood out- I couldn't pick, but in the end a solution presented itself to me.
"Iwao Saito and Shizu Sasaki… are joining to be co-captains."
1 second.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
Then I let a bunch of cuss thoughts take over my formerly bank head.
CO?
CO?
CO?
…
A month later…
…
"So we're making it Tuesday afternoons?" I asked Iwo who was sitting in a chair that he adopted in my living room.
"Sure."
"I still can't believe we're co-captains, I've wanted this since the first bloody year."
He grinned and left.
So now, we had to spend every Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoon together as co-captains. (To organise things- like captains for teams, schedules and any other things that a captain would usually do but we couldn't- every decision had to be approved by both of us. Both. I ask you…)
Ugh.
Sharing is so overrated.
My rival and I- we spend too much time together.
Rivals- not friends.
I hate it when people mess that up. Actually they do it Regularly- it sucks.
…
Many meetings that we had…
…
"I bet I could eat a noodle soup faster than you could." I told Iwao.
"You're on."
…
"Bet you if I made a list of my friends I could beat you." He said after we had finished watching a kids show about friends. (For homeroom)
"You're on."
…
"If I made a will and a list of things I'd like to say to people who I would leave behind after my death and made you safe keep it, you would peek."
"As if." I replied.
"Well, you make one too and we'll see who caves in first and whose is longer!"
"You're on."
…
"I have better handwriting than you." I said after I had finished reading his notes.
"Wanna get that lady, the newspaper one who did a course in calligraphy, to decide?"
"You're on."
…
"Bet I could read a book faster than you."
"You're on." I replied automatically.
…
"I bet I could beat you if we played sack racing, Iwao."
"You're on."
…
"Bet I could get more signatures for a petition than you could SS."
"You're on."
…
"I bet-"
"You could beat me if we raced to the kitchen, made something yummy and sat down before the add break?"
"You're on, Iwao-baka."
…
"Hey! SS- I bet I could win-"
"If we both tried to convince someone that the other was dead?"
"You're on.
…
You get the idea…
…
I woke up to an unfamiliar sound. Silence. My alarm clock wasn't ringing.
Wasn't.
DA' HELL!
…But… School… Kei… Funeral…
Oh.
That makes more sense...
What do I do...?
?
?
?
One thing at a time will (hopefully) make it easier.
A quick checklist of jobs I need to do before the day is up;
Breakfast
Get dressed
Clean flat
Do homework
Distract self for rest of time…
...
RECORD! Yes! 1:30 and my flat was clean, homework fineto and I was ready for the day- oh.
What do I do…?
…
…
Grocery shopping?
I went to check my MASSIVE pantry (I'm not exaggerating- it was huge) and decided that shopping would be useless.
Hmm.
What now? Training? For school? I don't feel like- wait.
Hold your horses. ( a metaphor of course- because I'm pretty sure that I'm not riding a horse).
Training.
Perfect.
…
I decided this time to break my self-made tradition. To be radical. To change everything. This time, before opening or entering the warehouse, I…
Knocked.
But I pushed open the door anyway a millisecond after.
At least I'd knocked. It's the thought that counts right?
Today there was only one person sitting on the battered, blue couch reading a magazine with a blank face.
"Hi."
Lisa looked up and surveyed me coolly, "Hello, are you here to train?"
"No, I'm here to deliver pizza." It came out as an automatic response (Something that IA had taught me when someone asked a stupid question)but considering a few things (E.G. I worked at a pizza shop, I had previously came here with that very intention and that the first time I had met the Vizords I was doing exactly that) I deemed that I needed a new response to questions like that… for the Vizords.
She raised one of her eyebrows and I coughed, "Yeah, I'm here to train."
She nodded then stood up and spoke to someone, they were behind me judging by the fact she wasn't speaking to me but was looking close to me.
"Are you going to handle this?"
"Ain't it my personal game?"
I turned around and rolled my eyes.
He was wearing a grin fit to shame the Cheshire cat.
"Going to teach me anything today?"
"Aw! I taught ya' heaps last time."
"How to do domestic chores?"
"Exactly."
I scowled and punched his arm.
He ducked and I crossed my arms.
"Time ta' start training!"
"…For real?"
"Yep."
…
"So… you have a pretty neat basement."
"This is only a copy… ya' should see Kiskue's."
"… Never heard of him."
"Do ya' like lollies?"
"No." If he was trying to be funny with the lolly comment- it wasn't working.
"Then ya' won't have met him."
"…"
"So… Are ya' parents alright with this?"
"Dunno." I shrugged casually
"Whad'a'ya' mean?"
"I mean I don't know."
"Haven't ya' asked them?" No duh, dumb brain! But instead I said;
"I don't make a habit of speaking to corpses."
"… I'm sorry." It actually took him a moment to figure out what that meant. Sucker!
"Nah, its fine."
"…How?" Well, isn't he curious today?
"Animal attack."
"Oh."
"But it happened a while ago so I'm fine." I can't recall how many people I've had to say that to- many people more than twenty and some people more than once.
There was a question in his eyes.
"Just a bit before the first year of high school." His question- I assumed- was when it happened.
"That must 'a' been tough."
"Sort of, I made some friends at school so that made it easier."
"So, ya' live alone?" Bloody hell- it was like doing a questionnaire.
"Mmm, but they had already put aside money for my high school life and had bought a flat so I'm good. Financially speaking."
"…hmm." Hmm, seriously?
"…Can we train now?"
"Good idea, run a lap of this." He gestured to the sandy, rocky, sunny and oddly desert like basement.
"WHAT?"
…
I… am… tired.
3 and ½ hours of FULL ON training can do that to you.
After running and doing various activities in that basement with evil Shinji… I was exhausted.
The only reason I hadn't collapsed yet was unadulterated fury towards Shinji- instead of possibly endangering my life by insulting him in Japanese I swore and cursed him in Portuguese.
(A/N: like any normal person…;P)
When I walked up the stairs- Shinji was staying down there for a while so he had told me to go home- I decided to take a little rest.
The couch looked really inviting.
I resolved to only lie down for a moment… or maybe a tiny nap.
No-one will ever know.
…
#3rd person POV#
Shinji walked up the stairs after doing an hour of meditation and talking to his Zanpakuto.
It was now 6:30.
He walked over to the couch, to go to the table and distract himself with one of Lisa's magazines.
However there was a person on the couch.
It wasn't a Vizord.
It was someone who Shinji had told to go home an hour ago.
A whole freaking hour.
…What was he supposed to do with her?
…
…
…
…Take her home?
After a minute of contemplation (/arguing with his Zanpakuto) the blonde man decided this was the best course of action.
He had to stifle a laugh as she mumbled, "I'm never getting a budgerigar."
Then a small hindrance occurred to the de facto Vizord leader.
Where did she live?
Shinji went over to the her keys and wallet which she had left on the table after taking them out of her pocket before she came down to train with him.
He looked at her keys and saw a small tag on her key ring.
Flat 2, Top Floor.
The Glass Street flats.
Ah, so that's where she lived.
He quickly went outside to get her bike and took it over then came back to get her. (Carrying the bike and her, he reasoned, wouldn't be too difficult but very awkward to carry.)
She was still lying on the couch.
She mumbled something else, "Des animaux stupides, je ne peux plus me! " (Translation: Stupid animals, I will never get any!)
He stopped and looked at her…
How many languages did she speak? She was ranting at him in some language earlier- something like Portuguese. She could obviously speak Japanese and that had sounded like French.
He shook his head and lifted her up gently.
Two flash steps later and he was forced to stop because Shizu was waking up.
…
#Shizu's POV#
I yawned and opened my eyes.
I was not on the couch anymore…In fact I was being carried by strong hands. Their shirt was orange.
…Why was Shinji carrying me?
I blinked and fully opened my eyes. I quickly jumped to the ground and stumbled.
Just before I hit it face first, though, a hand gripped my arm and pulled me up.
I blushed heavily and met his sparkling brown eyes.
"…Why the hell where you carrying me?"
He grinned and said nothing.
I turned around and promptly realized I was too sore and tired to walk.
How did I realize?
Well, my knees gave way.
For the third time that day I felt Shinji's hands on me.
"Tired?"
I was too busy blushing to answer.
He seemed to realize that I couldn't walk unsupported and I heard some stifled laughter from behind me.
He looped his arm around my waist.
My voice was deadly quiet- I was FURIOUS, "What the hell do you think-"
"You can't walk, right?"
"…Not really."
I hate feeling weak.
HATE. With a capital; H-A-T-E.
"So, I'll help ya'."
"How generous."
He grinned and I spent the next 10 minutes feeling very awkward.
His left arm was looped around my waist helping me walk and I had my right arm around his waist while I leant on him.
Awkward.
That was the only word.
Awkward.
When I finally got to my flat I was more that relieved to finally get to the familiar door.
(I didn't need to worry about my bike- Shinji had told me he had put it in my flat.)
I took my keys that Shinji had put in his pocket (at least he remembered them… if I had forgot it then it would have been triple awkward going back) and opened my door.
Unfortunately I still needed help getting to my bedroom.
Super awkward.
We went inside and passed the kitchen to the first left, dining table on the right, then down the hallway to the last door on the right.
He opened my door and finally let me down onto my bed.
Of course- he found this whole situation hilarious and had alternated between laughing and grinning while lightly teasing me the whole way back.
"There's hardly anything personal here." He commented.
"I don't like collecting junk. And you don't have many things personal in your home, uh, warehouse."
"Aw, so mean! But have ya' actually come and looked at our rooms?"
I rolled my eyes and jumped when I heard my home phone ringing.
He waved his hand as if to say- 'I'll get it' then he went into the kitchen where I kept the receiver.
"Hello?"
…
#3rd person#
Shinji walked to the phone and picked up the small silver handset.
"Hello?"
"Who's this?" a girl's voice asked.
"Who're you?" Shinji replied.
"Why are you at Shizu's place?"
"I'm her… friend."
Little did Shinji know the girl picked up on this pause and interpreted it in some way he wouldn't have dreamed of.
"I'm Ai Sazaruki her friend, but what's your name?"
"Shinji Hirako, do ya' wanna' speak to her?"
There was a sound of surprise on the other line, "She's there with you?"
"Yes."
"Oh… Can you put her on?"
"Sure."
…
#Shizu's POV#
I heard his footsteps walking back and raised my eyebrows when he walked in.
"Ai Sazaruki, apparently." He whispered before he handed me the phone.
"Ai?"
"Shizu- who's Hirako?"
"The man who picked up the phone…?" I wondered briefly if it was a trick question.
"Ah, so did you do anything productive today?"
"Yep; cleaned my flat, did my homework and spent the rest of the day training."
"Why's the Shinji character there then?"
"He was training with me."
I heard a small giggle on the other end, "Ai, why're you giggling?"
"No, uh, Kei said something funny."
I had the feeling she was lying but there was no point negotiating with the queen of ice.
"Anyway, just wanted to check on you, see you tomorrow."
"Bye."
I hung up and turned to Shinji, "Thanks… for training me and, uh… well, you know… anyway, thanks see you later."
He waved and then before I could blink was gone.
Omake!
Iwao: Shizu blushed~!
Shizu: did not!
Shinji: did too.
Shizu: no.
Kei: yes.
Shizu: no way.
Ai: Yes way.
Shizu: I refuse.
Deiki: I think you did~!
Shizu: I didn't!
Kasuki: Uh-huh…
Shizu: why are you all here anyway?
All: we just want to say… MERRY CHRISTMAS! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Shizu: oh yeah, Merry x-mas and Happy New Year~!
A/N: Hello~! sorry this has taken ag~~~~e~~~~~s. I'm on holidays and the internet here is very crappy! Anywho's I'm using my brother's computer out of desperation to submit this (and him and I are currently having a race to see who can eat the pile of Capsicum first). I just wanna say THANKYOU SO MUCH! to my beautiful reviewers who gave me the inspiration for this chapter! I was going to delete this and work on another story but thanks to those two people I am carrying on! If anyone wants my disclaimer: it's on my profile cause I couldn't bother to write it on my stories -_-'
Secretname: thankyou~~~~~~! And I shall give you more! Your review was AWESOME~!
Solarfalcon: Yeah, she is a bit wierd like that, but not to worry because I have a plot n the while which will make her realize how important they are~! (and stop being obsessed with her boring life) It's all here in my head... Anywho's thankyou for the review!
Plus I just ant to clear up: Shizu and Iwao are rivals but when he died she was like "Maybe he is my friend?" but when she saw him again she realized "Rival not buddy" and that was confusing for her when he died (It was badly written, gommenasai!). So they aren't friends but they do get along... when their competing .
Ja ne!
=^.^=
Flashes Of Honeycomb