4. A kiss from Elodie.
Sakura looked in the mirror. It had been a while since she wore her bikini but it still fitted. In Sakura's opinion it looked even better, since her breasts had grown a lot since the last time she wore it. She had always liked the bikini. Not only because the dark blue colour made her skin look beautiful and it looked good on her body, but also because she got a lot of attention from men while wearing it.
She grabbed a light blue dress off the chair next to the mirror. She slipped it on and closed the lace on the front of the dress. She left the last part of the lace open to give her breasts a little accent. She smiled while stroking her hair behind her ear.
She looked at the mask on her dresser and putted it on, just to see how it looked. She kept staring at her self in the mirror while slowly removing the mask off her face.
The golden mark the tear had left on her cheek was still there. Sakura tried once again to wash it away but it didn't help. She wondered if Kakashi would mind if she wore his mask to hide the, in her opinion ugly, line.
She unlocked the door and ran down the stairs on her way to the front door.
''I'm gone mom!''
''Are you in time for dinner?''
''Probably not. I'll eat in the cafeteria next door on my way home!''
Her mother entered the corridor. She looked surprised.
''Since when do you wear masks? Do you guys wear those things to fight better?'' she smirked.
''Very funny mom. Can I go now?''
''Sakura you hardly eat home lately. You haven't seen you're father for a whole week!''
''I'm really sorry mom. I'll eat home tomorrow, I promise. But I really need to go now.''
''Why? You don't have any missions to day. At least not as far as I know.''
''Mom, please. I'll tell you later, maybe.''
She opened the door and left her mother alone.
Sakura's mother looked at her daughter till she was out of sight and closed the door.
I hardly see you Sakura.. I miss the times we used to spend together.
SHIT! He locked it!
Sakura stood at the place where Kakashi took her earlier this day. She stroke her hands firmly against the small door.
''Shit!''
Slowly she started to walk in direction of Kakashi's place.
She stood in front of the big wooden door. She knocked quietly and looked at the sunset.
Kakashi opened the door and looked at his student.'' So there's the other part of my shirt.''
He smirked.'' I'm surprised to see you.'' He turned around and walked inside leaving the door open for Sakura.'' I thought you were mad at me.''
Sakura walked inside the house and closed the door.'' I was eating actually. Do you want some. I've got enough.''
Sakura didn't reply. She looked at the kitchen doorway where Kakashi walked into. After a while his head appeared from just behind the door-post to see if she was still there. He stared at her not knowing why she didn't say anything.
''Are you still mad at me? Are you here to show me you still are?'' his head disappeared again an she heard the he was eating.
''Kakashi?''
''Hmm.''
''Can I borrow your key?''
There was no reply.
Sakura walked into the kitchen.
''Kakashi. Gimme your key.''
''Nice. First you ignore me. Than the first thing you do is ordering me to give you my key. No 'Hi Kakashi how was your game?' no the first thing madam says is 'Gimme your key.' Why do you want it anyway?'' He resumed eating.
''Come on Kakashi. Just give me your key. I wanna see the mermaid.''
''Why? I remember you didn't know how fast you could get away from her. Than why do you wanna see her now?'' He stood up and walked over to Sakura.
''You can go there, but only if I can go with you.''
''What is that for? Don't you trust me. I won't steel her if that's what you are afraid of!''
''That's not what I'm afraid of.''
''Than what are you afraid of?'' She sounded calmer then she did before.
Kakashi didn't say anything but walked even closer to her. Sakura tried to figure what he was doing, but before she knew he grabbed the lace of her dress and opened it in one quick movement. The dress slipped off her shoulders and Sakura fell against the wall. She stared, still shocked, at her teacher.
''Just what I thought. Sakura it's not a swimming pool.'' Sakura crossed her arms in front of her body and started to cry. Kakashi realized what she must have thought when he opened her dress so rough. He pressed the teenager tight against his chest and stroked her hair while she was still crying.
''I know what you're thinking.'' Sakura said.'' But I'm not wearing this bikini because I want to swim with Elodie. I trained in the water this morning, and I'm still wearing my bikini, that's all.'' I hurt her to lie to him, but she couldn't think of any other way to get what she wanted.
Kakashi grabbed Sakura's dress, which was now half way her hips, pulled it back up and closed it the way Sakura had done before. He took the key from his pocked and held in front of Sakura.
''You can have it, if you promise to bring it back to me before midnight.''
''I promise.'' Sakura took the key and ran away from Kakashi.
Quickly Sakura unlocked the door and slipped inside. She enjoyed the darkness for s few seconds before the lights got on.
She quietly run one of her fingers trough the clod dark water. She heard a soft sound of something moving in the water.
Sakura pulled her hand away and tried to focus but al see could se was a few sparkles on the water surface.
As soon as the lights got on she looked in the dark blue eyes of Elodie, who was right in front of her. Sakura shocked for a second. She walked closer to Elodie and laid her hands on the cold wall.
Elodie did the same and was still looking straight at Sakura.
Sakura didn't feel comfortable but she didn't want to leave the way she had done before.
''Do you.. do you remember me?''
Elodie seemed to understand her question en made a strange noise.
Sakura mentioned Elodie had the same golden line on her cheek. She remover the mask to uncover the line on her own cheek.
''You did this, didn't you?'' her voice was trembling.
Elodie reached out her hand and stroke her fingertips over the line on Sakura's face.
Sakura shivered. Elodie stroke her hand down Sakura's throat and grabbed it. Sakura shocked and stepped back, but she wasn't careful and fell on the floor.
Sakura was terrified seeing Elodie come out of the water. She looked shocked at how the fish woman came closer and closer. She wanted to stand op run away and lock the door, but her body seemed frozen. She couldn't do anything more than look how Elodie laid her tail upon her chest. She felled her dress get soaked. She wanted to scream but the mermaid grasped her throat and held it firmly.
Sakura gasped for breath. She felt Elodie's cold wet lips pressed against hers, followed by a stabbing pain in her neck just behind her ear.
Elodie broke the kiss and looked at Sakura. Sakura tried to scream, but the only thing she heard was a wired noise. She started to cry, wishing Kakashi had never given her the key.
Elodie got off Sakura and seated her self next to her.
As soon as Sakura's arms were relieved she pressed her hands against the hurting spots on her neck. She shivered.
As she stroke her fingers over the spots, she felt four cuts on each side.
She wanted to ask what it was. She still made the strange noise, but Elodie seemed to understand.
She took one of Sakura's hands and stroke it over her own neck. Sakura was surprised to feel the same kinda cuts, only six of them.
Elodie removed her hair to uncover the yet unidentified things. Sakura shiverd when she saw the cuts moving slightly. She got a little closer to get a better view. The skin in the surrounding area was scaly. She suddenly understood what it was. The things Elodie gave her were gills.
Elodie grabbed the wall and pulled herself back in the water. She made a strange noise and gestured Sakura needed to follow her. Sakura didn't know why she was going to follow her, but al of a sudden she felt like Elodie never wanted to hurt her.
She slipped the dress of her shoulder and seated herself on the wall. She slowly moved her legs into the water. She shivered. The water felt cold but it wasn't uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and jumped in the water. She opened her eyes and saw that Elodie already had started swimming.
Sakura was happy she swam a lot, she could use that now. But even al her swim trainings weren't enough to keep up with Elodie. Sakura tried to keep Elodie in sight but even that seemed impossible. After a while Sakura couldn't hold her breath any longer and coughed out everything. She swam up to get some new but when she was still on her way back op she realized she didn't need the air.
She looked down hoping to see Elodie, but she saw nothing more than some fish bones and plants. She swam further down in the direction she thought Elodie had gone to. After a few minutes of swimming she saw a tail peeking from behind a huge rock. Sakura smiled and swam at the rock.
Sakura looked at Elodie who was laying in the sand. She looked bored playing with her hair. As soon as she realized she had company she quitted the 'hair brushing' and got up. She smiled friendly at Sakura. She grabbed her wrist and pulled Sakura with her to something which looked like a wall of water plants.
Elodie smiled again and let go of Sakura. She suddenly disappeared by swimming through the plants. Sakura didn't feel like doing the same, since she didn't know what to expect to find.
She moved the plants aside to see where Elodie had gone.
Sakura couldn't believe what she saw.
Elodie made some cheerful movements over some place which looked liked a pond.
But that was impossible. She already was in the water.
Elodie swam over to Sakura and stared at the small silver coloured lake under water. The playful fish-woman seemed to get bored and pulled Sakura inside the plants maiden room. She rested herself in the sand and looked into the strange liquid as if it was a mirror. Sakura walked over to her and did the same. She didn't know why she was here, but she liked the fact she could sit underwater without caring for fresh air.
She stroke her fingertips over one of the gills and wondered if they would get away when she got away from Elodie. For now it didn't really matter, as long as they remained where they were until she got out of the water everything was okay.
Elodie tried to get sakura's attention by making some funny movements. As soon as she got the attention she wanted, she gestured Sakura she needed to look in the pool.
Sakura understood and did what her was asked. She saw a clear reflection of herself and took a good look at her brand new breathings-ability. Than she stared in it not knowing why she needed to look into it, if there was nothing to see.
No wait. Sakura moved her head closer to the substance it looked like there moved something down there.
Golden teardrops flew over her cheeks and mingled whit the unknown substance. Sakura didn't understand. She stroke her hand over her cheek and looked at it. The golden teardrop dripped off her hand without leaving a mark. Sakura looked at the water again.
The moving thing seemed closer then before. Sakura tried to focus on it as it came closer She could see it was some kind of film of a girl on a swing. But she still had no clue. The image kept growing till the whole surface of the substance mixed with tears was covered.
Her tears stops flowing and the image cleared op. Sakura's eyes got wider as she looked at it.
This was the girl she saw in her photo album, this was the girl she saw in Elodie's reflection earlier this day only much younger. This wasn't her.
The girl on the swing smiled at her and gestured she wanted Sakura to come closer. Sakura was so amazed by the little girl, she forgot about everything else. Sakura moved closer to the image.
The girl looked very cute; the pink-white coloured dress; the white ribbons in her hair; everything.
Sakura smiled back at the kid. The girl looked shy and so touchable.
Sakura extended her hand trying to touch the girl trough the substance. As soon as she touched the liquid there suddenly came a hand out of the water. Sakura fell back her heart beating heavily.
She looked at the pond from which a girl was rising.
She looked for Elodie for a brief moment, but she didn't seemed interested and was playing with her hair like she always seemed to do when she was bored. Sakura focused on the girl who now was walking towards her. She tried to creep away, but her way was blocked by huge plants.
''Sakura!'' It sounded from far away, but was loud enough for Sakura to hear.
Sakura turned around and wrestled herself out of the strange room.
''Sakura!'' The voice sounded familiar. Sakura searched for someone somewhere. She wanted to scream when she saw her teacher standing inside the glass maiden tunnel a few meters away from her, but when she tried a wave of water flew into her lounges. Sakura cough but it was no use since there kept flowing water inside her. The gills just behind her ears hurt again and when Sakura touched it she felt they were slowly getting away.
She felt the urge for fresh air came back and her lounges started to work again. She swam up, but instead of the air she expected there was nothing more than stone. Sakura started to cry out of pure panic.
Kakashi, who tried to comfort the girl a little, pointed to the left side of her and started to run in that direction. Sakura tried to keep up with him, but the further she swam the more she wanted to breathe again. She pressed her hand against her head and tried to suppress the dizzy feeling, but it didn't help.
Suddenly she felt a firm grip on her wrist which drag her through the water. Sakura tried to focus, but everything was hidden behind a thick haze. She knew it couldn't be long before she would get the ability to breath swimming in this tempo, but it seemed like hours to her.
Sakura felt the calming coolness of fresh air on her face. Yet she couldn't enjoy it. She coughed trying to replace the water in her lounges with air.
She felt Kakashi's arms as he pulled her out of the water. He pulled her close making sure she wouldn't fall.
''Why did you do that! I told you not to swim.''
"I'm so sorry…. I'm so sorry.'' She was still crying and tried to hide her face by pressing it against Kakashi's neck and shoulder.
''Lets go to my place and dry you up.''
Kakashi took the dress from the floor and held it in front of Sakura. She took it gratefully, but didn't put it on.
It was already dark outside and most of the lights in the houses were off. Just a few in the houses of people who used to stay up late and the lights in the cafeteria were still on.
''What time is it? I didn't realize I was there so long.''
''It's after 2 a.m..''
''Why did you came to look for me? Didn't I ask you to leave me alone?''
''You did. But I realized after you were gone, you didn't wear the bikini because of your training earlier this morning.''
''Oh. You don't trust me! You weren't even with me this morning, how can you be so sure I didn't swim hah?''
''I didn't say I didn't believe you when you said you had a swim training. It's just that when you were with me this afternoon you wore a black bra. And I am sure of that, I saw it when I closed dress. So when you didn't came back I went after you to make sure you were okay.''
Sakura was ashamed for making such a stupid mistake. She knew Kakashi always had a good memory.
'Well lets not get in a hassle, I'm not the one who should tell you what to do anyway.'' Sakura was happy Kakashi didn't make such a big deal out of it and nodded a little in agreement.
''Kakashi?''
''hmmm?''
''I ehmm..'' Sakura hesitated a little. Should she tell him Elodie kissed her? Or would he only think she'd be crazy?
''what?''
''Elodie kissed me.'' She said it real fast to be get over it as fast as possible.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow. ''She did?'' There fell a long silence. ''I think she likes you. No-one ever got a kiss from Elodie……''