I will work on this the whole vacation so it gets done faster and so people don't tear my head off. ... Maybe I can play sick for a week and not go to school... I will contemplate this later.
Yay reviewers!
((Sanji-luver))- Yes, I am evil aren't I? And I never said it was him... You will have to find out.
Disclaimer- I don't own anything special... especially One Piece... On with the story!
RECAP- How to explain? Nami had to think of something and fast. There was no telling what Bellemère would do if she found out. She swallowed and breathed in. Here we go. "Well, Bellemère..."
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"The thing is... the sink it...blew up becau-... ... the thing...yeah" Nami couldn't think of a good reason and Bellemère just sat there making it worse, she was staring at her. Nami was now under the pressure of an ex-marine's glare. The pressure was almost unbearable. But then, the lightbulb that was tucked in her brain suddenly switched on. Nami shifted and stood on the soaking floor, then turned to Bellemère. "Sorry, but I didn't want to scare you."
Bellemère looked amused. "Scare me? Don't you remember, Nami? I'm an ex-marine. Why would I be scared? I've seen many things"
Holding her hands behind her back and looking away from Bellemère, Nami spoke softly, "Well, you know how I said that I lied and said there was nothing in the tub?" she watched as Bellemère nodded. "Well... I lied. The thing that was in the tub, came out of the sink and made it blow up." She said in one breath. Adding hand motions to emphasize her point.
"I thought you said that thing didn't exist!" She jumped off the counter and picked up the box of rat poison off the floor. "I knew you were lying!" Nami just stared at Bellemère.
"I told you you'd be scared if I told you" She said in a very I-told-you-so voice. At hearing this, Bellemère stopped in her tracks, back faced to Nami. She slowly turned around to face Nami.
"Who said I was scared? I just don't want that damned thing in my house!" She shouted. Probably intending to draw notice from the whole neighborhood.
Nami feigned a shocked expression. "Watch your language, Bellemère! Remember you manners."
Bellemère just sneered at her. "Don't go mimicking my parental unit," She turned toward the sink, box in hand, "I swear, every time I go over her house she says that." She started taking out the basin Nami used to help clean her wounds and started filling it with the powdered rat poison. "Whatever is ruining our bathroom is going to die today." Then turning on the water, she filled the basin and poured it down the drain. What a waste of rat poison, thought Nami. there's nothing even in the sink.
"Okay, Bellemère, I think you got it. Now let me finish... my stuff." Bellemère looked very triumphant.
"Okay. You do you your stuff and I will go make breakfast." She threw the now empty box of rat poison into the trash can and shut the door. Nami sat on the rim of the tub and pinched the bridge of her nose. All of everything happening was starting to give her a headache. The door suddenly opened. "Hey, what do you want for breakfast?"
Surprised, Nami fell backward into the tub. Bellemère, who was at the door, rushed over and helped her up out of the full tub. As soon as she made sure she was okay, Bellemère burst out with laughter. Nami was not one bit amused. "What's so funny?" she said, trying her hardest to sound menacing.
Bellemère could barely talk. "Y-you!" she managed. Nami was fed up. Bellemère was bent over and on the verge of tears.
Nami stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "STOP LAUGHING!" Bellemère stopped and looked up at Nami. "Just get out and let me finish washing my clothes. I don't care what I want but, Bellemère, when you are making breakfast, please don't burn it." Bellemère just glared at her.
"Just because I burned breakfast yesterday doesn't mean I will burn it today." she walked out of the door. Nami sighed and walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a clean towel out of it. At the same time, the door reopened. "Hey, Nami. You know how yesterday you said dinner was burning?"
"Yeah. Why?" Nami was surprised that she remembered.
"Well, at that time, the only thing in the pan was some wine. How could it have been burning if I had just put it in there? It wasn't even burning."
Nami's eyes widened some. Maybe I can get away by stalling. "Uh, Bellemère, I'll tell you later. Why don't you go down to the street corner and go get a newspaper," Nami walked over to the door and opened it wider, "I'll give you the money okay? I'll tell you once I'm done." She walked out the door and closed it behind her. "Come on, Bellemère, I'll give you the money." She led Bellemère across the hallway and into her room to get some money. Sitting on her shelf nearest the window, was a little coin bowl she kept her spare change in. She picked out two quarters and plopped them into Bellemère's hand. "Go buy your newspaper. And take your time. Very slow. What are you waiting for? Go!"
The quarters flipped around and clinked softly. Her hand clenched around them and she said, "If that's how it's going to be, then fine. I will go over my friends house for a while." With that, she walked away toward the coat rack. "I will be home around 10:00 tonight. Expect me home." Putting the coat on, she smiled and opened the door.
"Bellemère, wait! I need to know where the scrubbing brushes are." With a pointed finger toward the back room she left without another word. Nami placed her ear against the door and waited. She listed the things she did before she left. "Get in car, seatbelt... check mirror, and makeup. Call friend," That took a while, but Bellemère finally finished, "Pull out to the end of the driveway and back into the street... and leave." Standing up, Nami opened the door and watched Bellemère drive away in the old, beat-up station wagon. "I have to buy her a new car when I become rich." Yeah right!
Going toward the back room, Nami looked out the kitchen window and noticed it had started to rain. Great. She ran up to the table and climbed up it to reach the blinds and pull them down. She stopped, though, in the middle of closing them. Outside the window was the alley. And to her horror, she saw the man sitting in plain view.
The window was high up on the house, so he was pretty far down. But if you looked down for some stupid reason, you would see him. Bellemère can't see him. Wait. Why wouldn't she want Bellemère to see him? He might be a cannibal. Or a criminal of some sort. Or he might just be some homeless man and she would be kicking him farther in the streets. And that just wouldn't be cool. So she had to find a way to know who he was and if he's a criminal or something to that extent.
She closed the blinds and ran into the bathroom. Her clothes could soak in the water for a while and get all of the blood and dirt loose. She just had to make sure that the water was cold first. Apparently, she had a small problem with making the water hot for a while. As she got to the bathroom, she kneeled on the ground in front of the tun and looked at the temperature knobs.
No wonder she had been getting the water mixed up! The cold water knob was out of her line of vision. It was placed on the other side of the faucet and she could only see the hot water knob. She smacked herself in the head. How was she stupid enough not to look on the other side? There are always two knobs. Hot. And cold. How did she think you get warm water?
Now that she found out there was a cold water knob, she turned it on and waited by the tub until it filled to the top. Some water splashed over the side. Nami went to get a towel from the shelf to dry it up, when she noticed that the whole bathroom was soaked...still. She released the towel and groaned. At least Bellemère wouldn't be home until 10:00. The digital clock on the sink counter read 7:14. It's still early.
Remembering that it was raining out, she ran across the hall to her room to dress in the proper attire.
The only problem was that on her way into her room, is that she tripped on the way inside. She looked in frustration at the floor where she tripped. To her displeasure, there was a dreaded rug wrinkle. One day, I am going to get wooden floors... or at least a new rug. Her rug was one of those furry, shag carpets with the curls. It was kind of irritating. Especially since it was green. A bright, irritating, obnoxious green. It kind of reminded her of those algae that grow in the Japan Sea. What were they called?...Marimo! That's it.
There was only one way to deal with rug wrinkles once and for all. So Nami headed toward the kitchen. Upon getting there, Nami dug through the junk drawer in the drawer opposite the stove. She dug until she found it. A stapler!
She went back into her room and kneeled down on the floor next to the rug wrinkle in question and pushed the rug wrinkle over to the wall by pushing the trapped air under it. Once at the wall, Nami slammed the stapler into the floor. Repetitively. That should prevent her from falling on her face in the future. She nodded her approval and put the stapler on the coffee counter next to the refrigerator. She stood in that spot for a good, long minute, wondering why she was just standing there.
After another good minute of thinking, she realized that it was still raining. She looked at the coffee pot clock and it read 7:20. It hasn't been a really long time but the guy outside might be soaked to the bone by now. He could catch a cold.! Nami dismissed those thoughts. Why should she care if some homeless guy gets sick? It's not her problem. But it was unbecoming to be indifferent. And besides, the guy was sort of cute. No! He isn't! He's just a poor homeless guy! What am I thinking?
She walked back into her room looking at the floor so she didn't get caught in another rug wrinkle again and went over to her dresser.
Considering it was still Fall, she decided on wearing a pair of old jeans. They do have holes but I can just change when I get inside. She then picked out a red shirt and changed into them. The coat rack in front of the door leading outside held many of her jackets but none of them were suitable for rain. She looked around it several times, but all she could find were sweaters, sweatshirts, and jean jackets. All of them would absorb the rain. She felt like killing something. "Does the world need to be against me all the time?" She decided to look in Nojiko's closet. She was about her size.
She walked up the stairs and yet again tripped. At that time, she remembered that her arm hurt. But she realized this the hard way. The way that involves lots of pain. But she pulled herself together and walked over to Nojiko's door. She raised a hand and knocked on the door. Once. Twice. Three times. Still no answer "Nojiko? You in there? Are you okay?" She opened the door and remembered that Nojiko didn't even come home yet.
Well, since she wasn't home, she wouldn't miss her rain coat. Man, this is bittersweet. thought Nami. Nojiko not being here was still concerning, but out of it she got a rain coat. Her closet was still open from the other morning, so she grabbed Nojiko's dark blue rain coat. She slipped it on and tied it in the front. Since I'm here, maybe I'll snag her umbrella while I'm at it. She ran over to Nojiko's shelf and looked around until she found it stuck in-between two books. She carefully pulled out the umbrella, but the world wasn't on her side today. Apparently, the umbrella was holding up two more books on top of it and they were holding up the shelf on top of them. The result of pulling them out was that she was lost in a junk avalanche. A sharp something-or-other poked her leg wound and she cried out in pain. It felt like a white hot needle piercing her skin. But it was probably a pencil poking her band-aids or something.
She decided that she would pick everything up and apologize later. But she had to get outside. Why am I thinking like this? What if he's a killer. A killer of young girls! I don't want to be eaten. Nami almost had regrets, but she was already dressed to go outside, she couldn't back out now.
What if he is a killer? He could try to kill me! Not if I kill him first! She remembered the blinds and the stapler in the kitchen. An evil smirk caught her lips as she grabbed the stapler. She could make sure no one ever looked out that window again. She climbed on top of the table and pulled the blinds the rest of the way closed and pounded the stapler into the windowsill. Good thing it's wood. Now all she had to do is think of an explanation before10:00 tonight and she should be home free. Remembering her previous thought, she opened the junk drawer and pulled out a small jack knife. After practicing popping the blade in and out, she placed it in her pocket and went outside.
Under the overhang, she opened her umbrella and started heading toward the alley. But she stopped on the way there. If she was going to talk to him, she needed a towel to sit on. I knew I forgot something. She closed her umbrella and ran inside at the speed of light and grabbed a towel. She continued on her path.
The alley didn't smell too bad when it rained, but afterwards, it probably smelled worse than a wet dog. Further ahead she could see something moving behind the garbage bags. She knew it was him. No one could sleep in the rain. thought Nami.
This time, she would get a better look at his face. Last time she was so frightened she hardly saw anything. Just the fact he was dressed semi-fancy and wore lots of black. I like him already. "Shut up, Nami!" she scolded herself aloud. Immediately, she covered her mouth. Ready to kill her self with anything lying around, or the knife in her pocket. To her amazement, he didn't stir. Maybe he's dead? Or he's too shocked to know someone's found him.
She had the knife, so she continued further. She didn't want him to notice her when she touched him, so she started making her footsteps louder and she gathered enough strength to say, "H-hello there,"
The man turned around right away and Nami put her hand around the pocket knife in her pocket. He is not going to kill me.
The man nodded. Surprised, Nami spoke again, "Y-you're not going to kill me?"
"Do you want me to kill you?" His voice was deep. Mesmerizing.
She noticed she was staring and turned her head around. Her face turning several shades of crimson. "Not really, no." replied Nami. Why am I blushing? I just met him. He had to be most handsome man she had ever seen. Even though he was a wreck. Through the dirt that coated his hair, she could tell it was a bright shade of yellow. Though you could only one half of his face, his one eyebrow curled in a small spiral on his forehead. From the look on his face he didn't look like a killer.
He smiled lightly and turned back around. Eyes set on the back wall.
Nami walked up to him slowly. "Is it okay if I sit down? My leg kind of hurts." Remembering how she got her leg cut in the first place brought her back to the alley on Friday. Was he the one who threw the broken bottle? He looked too nice to do that. What if he's trying to win my trust so he can kill me easier? She gripped the knife harder. No one's killing me.
Nami could have sworn she saw him beam, but maybe it was just the rain. "Go right ahead, no one is stopping you." He reached out his hand, expecting something in return. Nami looked around and then at her hands. Maybe he wanted the towel? It's worth a try. She held out the towel and he took it. Bingo!
He took the towel and placed it next to him. Then he patted the spot he wanted her to sit on. Okay, if he's not a killer... maybe he's a rapist! I can't sit too close. She sat down as far away she could but he still seemed happy. "What's your name?" asked Nami, holding her umbrella over him as well.
"Well, my beautiful lady, you may call me Sanji."