Chapter Six: Red and Black
Before she dialed Callie's number, Sayu paused, suddenly afraid. She hadn't spoken to Callie in well over a year.
"She probably doesn't even have my sketchbook."
But she needed that sketchbook. And if her mother didn't have it, Callie was her best bet.
"Hi, Callie? It's Sayu Yagami."
"Oh my gravy!" the person on the other end of the line squealed, "Sayu! Long time, no speak!"
"Yeah…it has been a while," Sayu said, "Say, Callie, can I ask you something?"
"Sure!" Callie squeaked, "What you need?"
"Have you seen my sketchbook? I think I may have left it at your house the day I was…kidnapped."
"Oh, the sketchbook… Hang on a sec!"
There was a sound of shuffling around, a crash, and a girlish scream.
"Callie, are you all right?"
"Yep! I found your sketchbook!"
"Are you busy?" Sayu asked, "If not, would you mind if my mom came over to get it?"
"Your mom totally doesn't need to come!" Callie declared, "I can bring it to your house. I haven't seen you in, like, forever!
"All right," Sayu said.
After Callie hung up, Sayu sighed.
"I didn't really want her to come over here. But I suppose I'll be expected to get back into the world at some point…"
About twenty minutes later, Sayu heard someone knocking on her door.
"Come in," she said softly.
The door burst open, admitting a very hyper young woman. She was fairly small and thin, with bright red hair and green eyes. Callie Suzuki's mother was an American woman who had met her father in college. They had moved back to Japan when Callie was in high school, but, luckily for Callie, her father had taught her to speak Japanese when she was a child, so she had no problem communicating with anybody.
"Hey, Sayu!" Callie squeaked.
Sayu tried not to look annoyed. A definite downside to having Callie around was that she could be very loud.
"Hi, Callie," she said softly.
"I brought your sketchbook!" Callie announced, "Here!"
She produced a small sketchbook from her purse, and offered it to Sayu.
"Thank you," Sayu said, "Thank you for keeping it for me."
"If I threw it away, you'd murder me," Callie said.
Sayu winced.
"Sorry," Callie said, "Bad word choice a la Callie. Would you prefer that heated or chilled?"
"You're ridiculous," Sayu said with a small smile.
"So, what are you going to do with the sketchbook?" Callie asked.
"This room needs color," Sayu said, "I need to draw something to put on the walls."
"What about your old drawings?" Callie asked.
Sayu grimaced.
"They're horrible. I need some new ones. These ones are too…there's something…not quite right about the old ones."
"Okay," Callie said, "Anything you need?"
"Black pencil," Sayu said, "And red, I think. Definitely red."
"O…K…" Callie said, "Should I be scared now?"
"Not at all," Sayu said, "Drawing in black and red is hardly bad."
"Not yet, anyway…"
Matsuda stifled a yawn as he trotted up the walk to Sayu's house. When he and Naoki had gotten back to headquarters, they had gotten in a little trouble for disappearing without telling anyone, and then they had mostly clowned around for the rest of the afternoon. The funny thing was that Aizawa had let them.
It was getting late, but he figured that he owed it to Sayu to come see her anyways. Just because she was talking now didn't mean she wouldn't expect him to drop by every night…or would it?
He knocked, then waited until Sachiko opened the door.
"Don't keep her too long," Sachiko said, "She already had one visitor today."
"Who?" Matsuda asked.
"A friend from university," Sachiko said, "She needed to return something."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Yagami," Matsuda smiled, "I just thought I'd come by and see how she was. It'll only be a minute."
He trotted up the stairs to Sayu's room, forgetting to knock in his haste. He had a lot to tell her about today. When he entered the room, however, he stopped short.
"Whoa…"
Sayu's bedroom had undergone a rather startling transformation. The walls were now decorated with sketches in black and red pencil.
"Do you like it?" Sayu asked.
"Uh…yeah…" Matsuda said, "It's really cool, Sayu."
"Actually…the red and black is kind of creepy… It's not like Sayu at all."
"You don't like it," Sayu said. She was staring out the window into the night.
"No, it's really pretty, Sayu," Matsuda protested, "It's just not really my style, I guess…"
"I should have drawn you a unicorn," Sayu said.
Matsuda blushed.
"Who told you about the unicorns?"
"You did," Sayu said, "It's interesting, what people will say to someone who they think will never be able to betray their secrets. I suppose…you won't be coming here as much, now that I can speak."
"No, Sayu. I'll come every night, just like always," Matsuda said.
The girl did not look at him. He sighed.
"Sayu. Listen to me…I promise, you're not just…"
Sayu gazed fixedly out the window.
"Really, Matsuda? I'm not so sure…you seem so awkward around me now. Like you're scared…"
The girl jumped as she felt someone's hand brushing her hair out of her face.
"Stop it, Matsuda!" she squeaked. "Don't touch me like that!"
She immediately felt sorry. Matsuda looked very surprised, and rather like a sad puppy.
"Sorry…" he stuttered, backing away. "I'll just…go home now…"
"No, wait," Sayu said.
Matsuda paused, evidently expecting her to say something, but she didn't. She couldn't think of anything to say.
"What do you think about me?" she asked, "Honestly?"
For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to answer. Sayu waited for him to turn and leave, but he didn't.
"I think that you are a wonderful, sweet girl," Matsuda said softly, "I think you're a great person, and I don't care if you can talk or not. I like you just the way you are. If you change, I'll like you just that way too."
Sayu frowned. This moment of sincerity from Matsuda confused her. She was fairly certain he was serious. There was no playful gleam in his eyes. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had seen his silly smile reach his eyes.
"Matsuda, are you all right?" she asked without thinking, "You're unhappy. You have been since…"
Matsuda's face clouded.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Sayu."
He looked at his watch.
"Wow!" he said with a pitifully fake smile, "It's late! I should get home!"
"Goodbye, Matsuda," Sayu said.
After he had gone, she studied the walls of her room. They were covered in sketches done in red and black, and, while she liked it, there was something missing.
"What is it?" Sayu thought, as her eyes flickered from sketch to sketch, "What is missing?"
The girl pulled out her sketchbook. There were still a few blank pages left somewhere, she was sure. But, surprisingly, the book fell open to one particular sketch of a handsome, brown haired boy.
"Light…when did I draw him…?"
Sayu flipped through the rest of the sketches. Mom…Dad…Misa…Callie. Her family and friends, as they had been when everyone was alive and happy.
She frowned.
"Someone's missing…"
"That's what's wrong!" she gasped suddenly, "I know what I have to draw…"
Well, I made a cover for the story, and I rewrote the summary. In a few chapters, the REAL plot will kick in...but in the meantime, please review! Reviews are to me what sweets are to L...I live on the stuff. XD