I yawned and stretched some as I rummaged through my locker. The school day was over but I still had to go to the club meeting. I threw my math book into my bag and cursed softly as it fell and scattered some of my things. I knelt down and started to carelessly shove my things back into my bag. "Humph! So there you are," I heard a voice say as I zipped my bag shut. I stood to my feet to meet eyes with this person. She had on a violet cardigan, as opposed to Kitanohashi High's standard light yellow. Right off I knew who she was. She was the president of the freaky group of girls that worships everything Aburatsubo touches.
"Uh.. Is there something you need?," I was trying to be nice even though I just wanted to say, "fuck off, I've got something more important to do." I've come to inform you that you are putting yourself at high risk," she spat as if she was talking to some wrenched creature. "Hm? What do you mean by that?," I asked and I could here myself begin to snap towards the end of the sentence. "Humph! We see how you are always smutting around with his Aya-ness. And the worse part of it is he's playing right back! You must have some nerve doing such a thing! Your nothing but a little whore who's trying to take away the person who is rightfully mine! And what is up with him giving you that little kiss before class? Did you pay him for that or something?!," she was beginning to yell at me. The way she said it. The things she said. My self-control was slipping. If she did one more thing I'd completely snap.
"Rightfully yours? RIGHTFULLY YOURS, MY ASS!! It's not my fault that Aburatsubo-sempai acts like that around me! He's going through a tough time and I'm the only who he thinks really gives a damn! And another thing! No, I would never pay anyone for anything thing affectional! I still don't even know why he did it myself, and why the fuck you I tell a little stuck up bitch like yourself about my personal life! So why don't you and your little mentally ill club go get yourselves a real life and stop fawning over someone who doesn't even personally know you. You might as well have a crush on a movie star because that's probably got the same chances of them loving you back!," I was right up in her taking the last bit of my self-control to avoid striking her. With a scorn look on my face I awaited her comeback. "Why you no good, rotten little bitch!," is all I heard of her reply and then I felt the left side of my face sting with pain as her right hand connected with it.
I stumbled back a pace or two and clasped the side of my face. I heard someone yell, "Stop it!" It was no use. "That's the final straw and payback's gonna be a bitch for her..," I thought for a moment while I regained my stamina. "Humph! That should teach you a lesson! Next time it will be much worse!", she spat that at me and began to laugh mockingly at me. I simply removed my hand from my face and replied, "Who said there's gonna be a 'next time'?" All she was able to do was question my statement with a "Huh?" before I tackled her to the ground. She started to scream in fear. It agitated me more than anything and I let my right hand curl into a tight fist. With my right hand prepared I drew back and held her still by curling my left hand around the collar of her shirt. I no sooner let my fist connect with her face than I heard a filmier voice shout, "stop" over and over. I drew my fist back for another strike but I was stop short by someone wrapping their right arm tightly around my waist and the other around my shoulders.
"LEMME GO! LEMME GO, DAMN IT!! I'M NOT FINSHED WITH THE BITCH YET!!!," I screamed as the person pulled my off of her I started to kick to try and free myself. The person's arms were tighter around me now and I felt the person whisper softly in my ear, "Nanaka.. What were you thinking?!," I blinked a few times and my anger subside some as I realized it was Aburatsubo-sempai. The girl who I'd been fighting with was crying profusely as a few of the member of her club helped her up and carried her away, a few of them mutter "bitch" in my direction, the others just glared. I let out a small sigh as Aburatsubo-sempai loosened his grip and set me down on the floor.
I glanced at my knuckles on my right had and saw that they were red. I guess I hit her harder than I had meant to. I couldn't look Aburatsubo in the face. I was all too embarrassed. "Nanaka.. What happened? You can tell that, can't you?," I still didn't want to get eye contact with him because I knew I'd end up blabbing the whole scenario to him by every detail. He sighed softly and placed her right hand under my chin and left it and got eye contact. His face looked concerned more than anything. "Fine.. Fine.. I'll tell you..," I sighed softly and then told him the whole story, from beginning to end, not leaving out the most minor of details.
* * * * Time Passes Some * * * *I crossed my arms slightly as I awaited his reply from the story. I just wanted to go home and forget that the whole thing had not even happened. That it was all just a bad dream. I kept my gaze at the ground but I glanced up every now and then to check his reactions. He placed his left hand on my shoulder and caressed the left side of my face where she had slapped me. Just at his mere touch I felt my face burn in a slight blush.
"Even though you were just retaliating from being both verbally assaulted and physically, you shouldn't have gone to such an extreme. I mean what would you have done if a teacher had found you two instead of me? You could have been expelled..," his voice trailed off some and I could hear the hurt in his voice in his last sentence. "I know.. I know.. I just have a short temper OK?," I raised my voice some at him even though I didn't mean to. I was still pissed off at the little bitch and her group. "Aburatsubo-sempai.. I'm sorry I didn't mean to raise my voice it's just..," my voice trailed off some and I cupped my face into my hands. It took everything I had to fight back the tears.
I gasped slightly as I felt him move his arms around my waist and hold me there snuggly. Aburatsubo began to slowly caress my back gently with his left hand. He moved his head down to my shoulder and whispered comfortingly in my right ear, "It's OK.. I'll always be here for you.. Just like how you're always there for me.." I slid my arms lightly around his waist and pressed my face into his chest and just let the tears come as he continued to massage my back.
My tears weren't just because of what had happened. They were mostly from frustration. The frustration of wanting to be with him, and the actions he had recently been showing seemed to say he felt the same way. But why weren't we together like Sae and Takakura-sempai? Is this how it's always gonna be? With confused emotions and never just coming out and saying "I want to be yours and I want you to be mine"? Why does my life have to be some difficult and confusing? Why cant everything be perfect?, they thoughts kept running through my mind and it only seem to make the matter worse.
Even though I wasn't to aware of my surroundings I'm sure people that walked by to get their things at the end of the day were looking at us. This little factor only made me more on edge. I finally was able to get myself somewhat under control. At least enough where I got my tears to subside. I pulled myself away some from his embrace around me. He took his shirtsleeve and wiped my face some from my tears. A slight smile crossed my face and he smiled warmly back. "So are you going to be OK, now? Or is there anything I can do?," Aburatsubo asked concernedly. "No, I should be OK now. Thank you very much, though," I replied, "Ah shit! Now we're probably gonna be late from club! Gah! How could I have forgotten?."
Aburatsubo merely chuckled at me some and teasingly said, "First time I've actually heard you somewhat complain about being late for club." I playfully gave him a soft punch in the stomach and told him to hush. We both laughed some at the situation and headed to the clubroom. As we rounded the corner of the hall the girl I had punch was standing there with her arms crossed and evidently waiting for me. It was so hard to hold back the laughter. This was due to the fact that her left eye was getting swollen and it would most likely be a black eye tomorrow. She gave a slight startled gasp when she saw that Aburatsubo was still with me.
"Your Aya-ness, I honestly don't know why you hang around with such garbage," she nodded in my direction then continued, "I honestly thought you had more taste than that!" He simply just shrugged and smugly replied, "I guess that just shows you don't know me very well. What you consider 'garbage' is actually something I hold very dear in my life. Now if you'll excuse us, we must be getting to our club meeting." Her mouth fell agape and he simply grabbed my arm gingerly and we continued our way to club. As we walked away I could faintly hear the girls muffled tears and profanities.
We neared the clubroom and I thought I heard something. I felt my eyes go big as I realized it sounded like muffled moaning. Aburatsubo paused for a moment then placed her right hand on the club door and slid it open. I glanced away as I saw Takakura-sempai and Sae in a tight embrace, kissing. As soon as they had heard the door open, however, they pulled apart quickly and mumbled some to try and explain themselves. Each of them was beet red with embarrassment. Why would Sae do this to me? She and Takakura-sempai both knew that we would be there sometime yet they still took the chance to do this. Don't they realize how badly it hurts Aburatsubo and myself to see them like this?
I glanced up at Aburatsubo and noticed that he was trying to hide his pain and tears. Seeing him in such pain hurt me as well. I wish I could do something. If only they wouldn't have done this knowing that we would eventually find them. Some friend, I thought to myself.
We started to practice our usual magic warm up for the day, but I just couldn't seem to concentrate. I tried everything but I just had this feeling in my heart I just couldn't get rid of. It felt as if a mountain was weighting down my soul. Our magic kept going wrong. The simplest little thing of turning an orange to an apple went wrong. Instead it was transformed into a pineapple. Sae thought it was her fault and kept apologizing.
"Hey guys," I started, "I know why our magic isn't working today. I'm just kinda not together today so I guess I'll just leave so I wont interrupt the whole meeting by fucking it up." I put my wand in my bag and picked it up. "Nanaka, are you sure you're OK?," Sae inquired. I stifled a slight tear and replied, "Yah! I'll be fine. I think I just need to go home and listen to some music. So I'll see you guys tomorrow! Ja ne!" And with that I hurried out the clubroom and dashed through the nearly empty school halls.
As I slowly made my walk home I could feel myself slip deeper and deeper into a dark depression. What's wrong with me? Why have I been feeling this way for a while? It's just not fair.. It's just not fucking fair! Why is it she can have the guy she's had a crush over since our freshmen year and I can't?, with that last little thought it hit me. I was actually jealous of my best friend. Jealous that she had the man of her dreams and the one I loved so much was queer. "Why does my life have to be an endless labyrinth of confusing emotions, and love for the one that I'll never have?," I mutter this question softly a loud. Hoping for an answer but knowing one will never come.
I walked into my home only to find my annoying little brother slurping some ramen noodles as a snack. My mom peeked her head in through the curtain that lead to our small store. "Hey, Nanaka, your home early. Is everything OK?, " she asked somewhat concerned. "Yeah. I'm fine I was just tired so I didn't go to club today. I'll be up stairs in my room if you need me," I replied as I headed up the narrow steps. I dropped my things at the end of my bed and flopped down upon my bed.
I try to figure out what's up with my emotions by shutting my eyes and replaying everything from the start of the fight until now. I feel myself begin to drift off into sleep but my mother hollers up at me, "Nanaka! You have a visitor!" "OK, Mom!," I yell back down wondering who it could be. I hear someone begin to climb the stairs and head towards my room. I sit up quickly and I feel my mouth drop slightly open as I see Aburatsubo standing in my doorway with a smug smile.
"A—Aburatsubo-sempai! Wh—what are you doing here?," I question him in shock and curiosity. "Mind if I come in?," is all he says. I simply nod in acceptance as he shut my door and slipped gracefully over to me and sat down beside me at the edge of my bed. I ask him again why he's here and finally I get an answer. "I saw you hold back your tears as you quickly darted out of the clubroom. I knew something was up because it's just not like you to not be concentrated on your magic. Plus, I wanted to make sure you were still OK from your little cat fight earlier," as he finished he slid his hand right arm around my waist and gave my side a gentle squeeze with his hand. "Abura—," I started but was cut off by his lips taking in mine.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. I could feel the fire of pleasure run through my veins at the mere touch of his lips on mine. A thought of why he's doing this crossed my mind for a moment but I gave up on it and just indulged on the moment. He slid his other arm around my neck and cradled my head as he pressed gently against my body with his own. I felt a muffled moan escape from my throat. I was enjoying every moment of this. I didn't want it to stop. His tongue gently traced the outline of my lips, searching for entrance. I complied and opened my mouth slightly. Aburatsubo slid his tongue into my mouth and at the first touch of his tongue I mind I felt my body go tense. I slipped my arms around him and began to rub his back gently. We played a little tongue wrestling for a while before he pushed on me more and pinned me against my bed. I let out a slight sound as it shocked me some. Our kissing kept getting more passionate, and I jerked some as I felt him slip a hand soothingly up my shirt.
"Nanaka! Hey, Nanaka!," I heard my mother call. Damn it! Damn it all! Why does she have to yell for me right now?!, I ponder to myself. I realize that my mouth is really dry. I open my eyes and discover myself to have been making out with my penguin plushie in my sleep. I gasp some in realizing that the whole thing was just a dream. I started to cry. I didn't want it to be a dream. I wanted it to be Aburatsubo, not my plushified penguin. I did feel quite stupid that I was acting out my dream and wanted to forget it happened, but I didn't want to forget the dream.
"Nanaka! Are you awake? You have a visitor!," when my mom hollered that up to me I felt myself stop breathing and hold my breath. "No.. It can't be..," I mutter a loud then yelled a reply to my mom, "Yeah, mom! I'm awake I'll be down in a sec!" I straighten my school uniform that I was still wearing, and darted out my room and down my steps. I know I had a shocked expression on my face but I couldn't believe it. Aburatsubo was sitting on my sofa waiting for me. "A—Aburatsubo-sempai! Wh—what are you doing here?," I ask realizing as soon as I said it I was quoting my dream. "I was worried about with all that happened. Want to take a walk so we can talk about a few things?," he questioned. All I could do was nod in response. He smiled happily and stood up. I quickly slipped on my shoes, told my mom I'd be gone for a bit, and headed out the door with him.
I know. I'm leavin' ya hangin' but, hey, that's what authors are for, ne? ^_~ I have a slight idea for the next chapter so it'll be on it's way shortly. Until then, ja ne! ~*~Nikkeh~*~