Devine Intervention
Chapter Three
Three days later, much to my dismay, I have heard no more from Sasaki Hideaki. It's annoying to me that I actually care so much because if I had stayed true to my character, I would have forgotten all about him all ready and moved on. I don't normally linger on thoughts of people like this that is…unless they really stick out to me. I guess that this boy had been somewhat different than the rest of them, with his charming smile and clever dialogue.
He had been able to make me interested in him, make me think about him and keep me hooked after he had walked away to a point where I had actually stared at him. I had successfully made Pete jealous as well, though he had tried to hide it. It hadn't been my original intention but I have to admit that I like the idea of having one more thing he doesn't like to use against him when I'm mad at him. That makes a total of two things that will hurt Pete and only Pete. Even though that makes me sound like a complete bitch.
I push my window open and take a deep breath, enjoying the warm summertime air. Even though school's been out for a while now and I've been going outside so much more, it's still so nice to sit in the sun and enjoy it like this. I love ice skating but it's a winter sport, forcing me to go out so much when it's cold out. I like summer better in truth, being able to do so much more than indoor activities. Because being lazy just doesn't fit me at all. I want to be able to do so many things.
My door opens suddenly and the coach is standing there, looking at me as if he is expecting a bad reaction.
I raise an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"It's time to go to practice again, Tazusa."
I nod and stand up, getting all my gear together and head to the rink with coach and my little sister.
I can't help letting my thoughts wonder back to that boy from the lounge through the practice and this causes Pete to show up beside me. "You're still thinking about him?"
I smirk. "What's it to you if I am? I can do whatever I want."
He shrugs. "Of course you can, I was just curious." This does not sound as effectively casual as he would have probably liked it too.
I nod in complete disbelief and make my jump. "Right, I'm sure." Landing successful!
He grits his teeth. I knew this was upsetting him, but I hadn't realized how much. Boy, this is great. I like having ways to make him angry instead of the reverse. Always having him around me, stuck to me, changing with him here, bathing with him there, it sucks. Now he can get a taste of his own medicine and what's even better is that I don't think he can handle it.
It does bother me at times however. I have to wonder why it is this bothers him so much. I mean, we just met so it's not like he's been my friend with some sort of secret crush on me for all of our lives. I find it odd that me liking some guy like this, just being remotely interested in some guy that I might never see again is bothering him so much.
I hear him growl. "Hey, focus please!" Just as I collide with the wall around the ice covered rink and fall back onto my butt.
"You couldn't have said something any sooner than that?"
He pouts. "Well I was trying and you ignored me!"
"Well that's because the sound of your voice is so annoying I block it out!" I get up and dart off across the ice. "You're interrupting my practice, so kindly shut up for a while."
Shrugging, Pete disappears back inside of me. Sure, sure…
Thankfully, I am able to make it through the entire rest of my practice with no further interruptions from my lesser half. I had forgotten how good it is to skate while you aren't constantly being bugged by a ghost who has taken up residence in your body and I must say that it has really calmed me.
Later, after I am changed and have packed up to leave, someone knocks on my door. "Come in," I call back.
A male delivery boy pokes his head into the room and then walks in. "Sakurano Tazusa?" He questions and I nod. He places a box down on the little stool in front of me and I look in between the box and the boy, who is now holding out a clipboard. "Sign here,"
I rummage through the Styrofoam peanuts in the box until I come across a lone walkie-talkie. That's odd. Someone paid to deliver this to me? I turn it over to the other side, just to make sure there is nothing attached to the other side, just as Coach and Yoko come in to see what all the fuss is about.
A voice startles me. "Funny how you tell someone your name and then they know how to get in touch. This your friendly neighborhood stalker saying hello,"
Right away, I remember the voice as Sasaki's and my mouth falls open in a sort of pleased shock. Pete appears beside me, looking really annoyed and I decide to talk with Sasaki, just for that reason.
"So this your friendly neighborhood stalker saying hello," What thing to say!
Yoko mouths to me, "The guy from the lounge," And I nod, pointing to the little device and shrugging, a sheepish grin on my face.
"I can't think of any more nonchalant way to approach a girl." Yoko makes a face and Coach's face has already turned to stone. I repress a laugh.
The voice on the other end comes again. "So since I'm such a gluten for punishment, I was wondering if maybe you'd like you punish me further. Would you like to go to dinner on Friday?"
I blink, confused and look to Yoko and Coach for help. Coach, of course is no help and is just staring at me, looking frightened. Yoko, however, seems to have some of her wits left about her, so I mouth the word "help."
"You have practice," Yoko mouths, holding her hand beside her mouth as if telling a secret.
I shrug. "I'm sorry, I have a long practice that day."
He laughs on the other end. "Okay then, Saturday?"
I grit my teeth. "Um, sorry…I'm going out with Mika to go shopping that day," I must admit I am lying, really just wanting a free Saturday.
Sasaki still sounds amused on the other end. "I figured someone like you would understand what it means to be persistent."
I laugh to myself conspiritally, thinking how he couldn't have left himself more wide open for an insult. "Yeah it means you have a free pass to be a major thorn in everyone else's…" I am forced to stop before the profanity hits my lips because the stupid ghost interrupts. Was this conversation even one he has been a part of?
Pete laughs loudly in my ear. "Good one, Tazusa!"
I growl under my breath, right before hearing Sasaki speak once more. "It means to have the drive to continue, even if it seems like you're out of luck. In other words, I'm making myself into one fine target for a certain skater."
I laugh to myself. "Okay then Target, what do I have to do to get you to stop talking?" Yoko makes a face as I laugh to myself.
"Well there's always the option of turning off the walkie-talkie, unless of course you are enjoying my banter, in which case the other option is breakfast on Sunday morning," He tells me on the other end. Funny how I hadn't even considered turning off the walkie-talkie until he made fun of me like that.
I look helplessly at Takashima, who is frightened out of his wits that Ms. Mishiro will somehow get wind of this and the media will get to me again. Sighing, I look away from my horrified coach and to my sister, who just shrugs. "Come on," She mouths to me and I finally sigh, giving in.
"Okay," I say it as if it pains me and Pete is thus far, silent. "That could be arranged, I guess."
There is a short pause and then more banter. "You forgot to say 'over,' over." He says and he sounds so serious, though we both know he's joking.
I laugh. "Have I been saying it from the beginning of the conversation? If I recall correctly, you haven't been saying it either Commander so give it a rest." He laughs at me in turn before giving me the time and place.
"Meet me in the Mall, seven o' clock, Sunday," Sasaki tells me, making my nose scrunch up in annoyance.
I gasp. What the hell? Another earlier-riser? I am so sick of all of these people who like to wake up early. Go to bed and sleep in for crying out loud. I always have to end up with morning people. "Are you crazy? Seven o' clock! Who gets up that early just to eat?"
But after my out burst I hear nothing more. He must have turned off the walkie-talkie. I give coach a final glance as he looks about ready to cry and then look at Yoko, who is smiling at me, conspiritally.
I go home, eat in silence, bathe in silence and even go to the bathroom without one word from Pete. I am beginning to wonder if something is wrong with him to make him be so quiet. He usually has so much to say and now that it's quiet like this, it's weird for me. It all seems so familiar, to be so used to hearing his voice, or being with him in general and then he's suddenly not talking.
"Hey Pete, what's the matter? Did you not like the tomato soup that I made for dinner tonight?"
He doesn't answer.
"Oh come on, have a sense of humor!"
There is still no reply.
"How unfortunate, the one time I actually want you to talk, you have nothing to say!"
Now the Canadian appears beside me, his arms crossed. He still looks so pouty and I grin to myself, knowing that I have indeed stumbled onto something he hates more than tomatoes.
"Feed me all the tomatoes you want," He says like an indignant teenager talking to his parents.
I sigh, rolling my eyes and turn away from him to look at my magazine.
"Why are you all upset? It's none of your business who I like."
He lifts his head, his arms falling to his sides. "I…" Boy it must have took some guts for him to even make it that far, but he cuts off all on his own, falling again to silence. It's really sad because I can tell exactly what it was he had wanted to speak with me about, even if he hadn't actually been able to voice his opinion. I really would have liked to hear him say it, but it's his loss. He should have been quicker and more determined like he usually is. Oh, well it's like I said, it's not my problem.
His head lowers and then he looks back up at me, smiling. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Disappearing back inside of me before I can ask him what was wrong he tells me goodnight. Goodnight, jealous Canadian parasite. I smile to myself, reading my magazine until I eventually become sleepy and drift off.
The following day is Friday and I am out with Mika today, having nothing else to do until my practice in a few hours. "So, have you heard from 'lounge guy' at all?" She asks, smiling at me.
"Yeah, actually he didn't call me just yesterday." Mika tilts her head at me, looking really confused. "Okay, listen to this. This guy sends me a walkie-talkie via delivery guy and asks me out on a date. He threw me."
"So, then," Mika looks exceedingly enthused to be hearing this from me, which gets me to giggle. "What happened?" Scratching my head, I feel a little sheepish.
If you hadn't said yes, you wouldn't feel nervous right now… Pete points out in an obnoxious way and I stomp down onto my foot in response, making him cry out.
"We're going to breakfast on Sunday morning." I scrunch up my nose again at the thought of it.
"Really?" Mika says softly. I nod at her, confirming her thoughts. "That's great, you've never been out on a date before. I hope everything goes well."
I nod. "Yeah, I do too."
By mid morning it is scorching and the sun is beating down so endlessly that Mika and I decide to go swimming at a private outdoor pool. I slowly get changed into my bathing suit, a lovely little red two-piece, which covers enough of me so that I don't look bad, but I do look appealing at the same time.
Pete swallows harshly.
Why are you in a swimsuit? He questions and I roll my eyes.
"Because I am going to go swimming, and you're going to deal with it, one way or another." He sighs as I take off the blindfold and then I hear his breath hitch.
He appears beside me in the changing stall, his mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies. His eyes are about as wide as a car's head lights and I feel my face begin to heat up, but I know that it can't be me who is blushing. I'm not the one who's embarrassed here. I'm unreachable for him anyhow, why should I be embarrassed?
It's just boosting my ego and I don't mind. I like the feeling of being able to make him blush so much like this. It builds my confidence and isn't that a good thing?
"So," The idea pops into my head and it sounds good enough to get a laugh out of, so, I ask. "What do you think? It suits me very nicely, don't you think?" I all ready know this, but making him struggle with getting a reply together is just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.
My face turns even redder as he must have realized what I had said to him and I grin. "Um…it's…it's…"
I place my hands on my hips, making a face at him like a little kid teasing another child. "It's what? Can't you speak?"
He finally turns his head away and puts his hands in his pockets, giving up and retreating back inside of me. I just shrug. "I knew you were a perv from the moment I met you."
Now he argues and I must say it's refreshing to hear him whine again. Oh come on, just because I didn't have anything to say you're going to assume I'm a pervert? Maybe I just didn't like it!
I nod and make a face at him. "I'm sure of that."
I head out to the pool, diving into the cool water from one of the boards at the deeper end. Mika joins me in the middle. "This is so much better!" She tells me and I nod at her with a smile.
"Yeah really, I thought the heat was getting to me. I'm glad we came here now."
We have a few water battles, splashing and then do a few laps around the pool and finally just relax, sitting down at the shallow end to talk.
"So you're going on this date Sunday," Mika turns to me and I nod, weary of the term "date." She shakes her head. "What are you going to wear?" I look at her and I can all ready tell that she is coming up with my outfit in her mind as she speaks. This is going to be a hell of a Sunday.
"I don't know what I'll wear. Why? Did you want to make the outfit?"
She nods. "Would you let me? I all ready have one made that would suit you nicely for this type of outing." I just nod at my friend, happy that she wants to do this so badly. Everyone seems to be trying rather hard to help me out.
I head to practice after that, showering and getting changed into some light workout clothes to go to the rink. The time I have for practice today I spend working on my opening routine for the upcoming season this winter. I know it seems like a while away but it's really not in retrospect, because it takes a long time to get the routines right without falling and to have the confidence it takes to know you won't fall the next time you skate.
I circle around to the center of the rink, after the first run, and hold my hand up as if I am a waitress carrying a platter full of food. I begin to skate my routine from back then, flawlessly making every jump, every turn and every move.
Pete appears, flying beside me in his own form. I smile over my shoulder at the boy, who only returns it with his own gentle smile. That's the one thing that both Sasaki and Pete have in common: a gentle smile. It's comforting and loving at the same time, no matter whether you need comfort or not.
"Thanks," I tell him suddenly, causing him to make a small, confused noise. For some reason, I find this extremely adorable and I don't know why. Sometimes, he just does that to me, throwing me off with a smile or a look and I don't have any reason for it. "Just for dealing with me I guess."
He smiles broadly now. "Come on Tazusa! Do some more jumps. I love watching you skate!"
I can't help another smile at the boy's words but I soon turn away, embarrassed. I'll be going out with another guy on Sunday, I shouldn't be like this. Pete and I are hardly friends at times. Most of the time we seem like we hate each other, or I seem like I hate him and he's endlessly nice to me. Yup, that's the nature of this human-ghost parasite relationship.
He floats around behind me, one of his hands supporting one of mine and I look back at him, timid for the first time in so long I can't even recall feeling like this before. My mouth falls open a little and he smiles at me again. "Let's do this," He says soothingly and I nod at him almost from instinct, giving him my best one hundred watt smile.
For some reason, sleep comes to me really easily that night. Since I'm used to not being able to sleep through the season, this is rather refreshing to be able to get into bed and go right to sleep.
"Tazu-nee," Yoko comes in and I look over at her with a smile when I see she has my outfit for the date tomorrow. "It's here." I go over and take the outfit, thanking her and sending her back to wherever she had been before.
"All right!" I'm actually pretty excited now and take off my clothes without thinking about it, humming to myself lightly as I go to change.
Umm…Tazusa…Pete's voice breaks my concentration.
I look down, realizing that I am only in my bra and underwear and hear him yell out. "Hurry up and close your eyes!"
With those words I waste no time in shutting my eyes tightly, somehow feeling very embarrassed. "Stupid hentai," I mutter as I feel around my room for my blindfold and get it on and then and only then do I change into my date outfit. "You should really do something about that nasty habit of letting me get my clothes off before saying anything."
He whines. "Oh come on Tazusa, I'm not like that! Not even a little! I can only do my best!"
I take off the blindfold, getting mad again. "Yeah right, give me a break! Like in the changing stall yesterday? That had no meaning behind it whatsoever, I'll bet," He is speechless and I nod, taking the silence to mean I am right. "I thought so."
He sighs. "Tazusa, who wouldn't become interested in someone they are stuck to for one hundred days? It's only natural to become curious."
I nod my head in a sarcastic manner. "Right. Completely convincing."
He throws his head back. "Fine, be that way!"
This just pisses me off and I turn to the boy, screaming. "Be what way? I'm not 'being' anything! It's you that's being a pervert!"
Turning to my wall I beat my head against it until I can't stand it anymore and then fall back onto my bed, tears at the corners of my eyes from the amount of pain I'd just caused myself. "Tazusa," He sounds like he's about to try and rationalize. "Look, stop hurting yourself okay? Eat tomatoes or go out with this guy, but I don't want you to go smashing your head off walls to punish me."
I sit up, turning to the ghost, astonished. "Pete?"
He shrugs casually, smiling.
I get up and go and stand in the mirror, looking over the new outfit.
It's just my style, a thin summer shirt with a wide collar and a pair of khaki shorts that underlay it, complete with a pair of sandals. It's so cute that I think I could pass out…or maybe that's just from me hitting my head against the wall so many times. I guess lightheadedness does tend to follow smashing your head against a wall.
Pete appears beside me, grinning widely. "It looks good!" He compliments.
I feel my face go red and this time, knowing that it's me blushing makes it a different story. I lift a hand to my face and slap myself, hard.
"Ouch! Hey, what did I just tell you about doing that!"
But I don't reply to him. You deserved it! Why? I don't know! But you just did and that's all there is to that!
How can he make me blush like this so suddenly? It's just plain strange and it's throwing me way off. I'm always mad at this boy for one thing or another and here he is making me blush and saying sweet things.
The next morning is a bit early for me and I am groggy, that is, until I am at the mall, waiting for Sasaki to show up. I look at my cell phone. Six fifty-five and almost show time. I can't help but feel a little nervous. This is the first time that I've ever dated someone and I'm about dying here. I've never been nervous. Not once in my life. I'm the confident beauty, Sakurano Tazusa. I don't get nervous. All except for this moment that is and it's irritating me.
Imagine the famous Sakurano Tazusa, sitting on a bench in an empty mall, feeling apprehensive. I mean really, me being nervous like this? I feel so utterly ridiculous. I have never let anyone get the better of me like this, well, except for maybe the mass media, but they're shameless, slinking parasites who will do anything to get the stories they put in the papers. It's a whole different story when it comes to those leeches.
I take a seat on the nearest bench I can find and breath in deeply. Pete appears beside me, looking worried. "It'll be okay. There's no reason to be that nervous. I'm sure he's a good guy and that it'll go well." I look at Pete, pretty confused.
He didn't seem too happy the first time I talked to this guy and he never seemed to like the idea that I was going out with him and yet here Pete is, assuring me that the date will be a success. From the first time I even seemed interested in Sasaki, Pete hated the idea of my being around him and he didn't seem to wild about Sasaki himself, either. He sure can be possessive for such a laid back, casual type. That's why behaviors such as encouragement are so utterly baffling to me coming from him at this moment. Pete is helping me out now. He's trying to make me feel better about this date even though he doesn't want me to go on it. I can't help but wonder why. Who wouldn't?
"Pete?" I ask.
"Yeah?" He appears, smiling.
I have to make myself ask this, because now I am not sure how he will react. "Why are you helping me with this?"
Looking shocked initially, Pete shrugs. "You're going to do whatever you want. I'd rather not spend my extra one hundred days doing battle with you all the time."
Well, that certainly makes sense but just to be sure, I glance over at him. Pete is silent, staring at the floor with a small smile on his face. I know he'd like me to believe that he's happy for me, but it's really not working. He definitely looks like something's really upsetting him.
It pisses me off that he'd be so upset and just not say anything about it to me. I mean, hell we are sharing a body. That's as intimate as two people could ever be. Why shouldn't we just talk to each other when something is bothering one of us? I mean, I have spent every day listening to all of his comments and advice and things like that, but now, when I want him to talk, he's got nothing to say. Am I that difficult to speak with?
I look at my cell phone again. Six fifty-seven. He should be here any minute. I smile confidently to myself, recalling how I had nailed my performance at the Olympics and how I had come home with a forth place title. Out of all of the skaters in the whole would I am the forth best. As to be expected of this ten billion yen beauty, because when there's something I want, I go for it and I get it.
If I can get forth place a worldwide competition then I can most definitely handle some guy, right? I mean, I am me after all. I can do anything that I set my mind to. Then, why is it that I still feel so nervous?
I close my eyes, trying to envision the skating rink, because in times like these, that seems to calm me down.
I skate across the ice in my waitress outfit, smiling as much as I've remembered smiling in a long time. I turn to someone, words coming out of my mouth, but all I see is an obscure figure moving beside me. I am still smiling so widely. My eyes open again and I feel a little angry. Why can't I remember that person? What is it about them that keeps evading me so well?
I sigh and look up to see Sasaki standing in front of me coolly, smiling that gentle smile. I grin back and stand up.
"Good morning." He says, doing a little dance with the cups in his hands and spinning around to hand my cup to me.
I roll my eyes. "Morning people." Great, I grin not only agitated but also happy. That's just what I need, another one of those.
He shrugs. "We all have our thing. I guess I tend to think you should start all your days with a positive attitude instead of a bad one."
"Well that's just great for you. Personally, I think people should start every day when the sun actually has risen," He looks amused by this, which causes me to smile. How cute can one guy be with just an amused smile on his face? I don't know, I'm still trying to think of something to compare it to. "That being said, you have probably noticed that my attitude about being up already on a Sunday isn't the greatest," I comment, making Sasaki laugh this time.
"I noticed." He returns, grinning playfully at me. "Hopefully the day will make you feel a bit better about waking up so early. My apologies for waking Ms. Nocturnal before the correct hour of the day."
"You should be sorry and be praying that this day does go well." I tell him this, mocking anger. He laughs at me again.
By god if it's not the cutest sound that I've ever heard. I mean really, if people could bottle this sound and sell it, they would make a fortune because this noise could make even the gloomiest, most irritable person with the worst attitude ever break into a smile or even laugh. I would know, sometimes I do have the worst attitude ever.
This is not my personality at all, to be thinking some guy is so cool like this. But, by the same token, I've never met a guy like Sasaki before. Most men either marvel at my feet or they think I'm a snob, but he has done neither since I met him. He treats me like we are just two people that happen to be headed in the same direction.
"Shall we get started then?" He holds out his elbow to me, offering it for me to take hold of. I smile and reach out, taking his arm confidently.
