"Hey Tohru, which book should I get? Beginners Guide to Martial Arts, or How to Kung Fu?"
Tohru and I were in the library searching for books, it was study hall and we were taking a break. I was looking through books on martial arts while she was deciding on the right gardening manual.
"Um, Beginners Guide to Martial Arts" Tohru pointed at the thicker book.
I put the other book back on the shelf, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. The other one was way too cheesy sounding." not to mention Kyo would laugh himself silly if he caught me reading it.
As we were checking out our books a teacher's aid poked his head into the library, "Tohru Honda? You have a phone call"
I frowned and followed Tohru into the back room. Who would be calling Tohru as school? More importantly, why would anyone be calling Tohru at school? The last time there was a phone call for her at school, it ended up being about Kyoko.
She picked up the phone, "Hello?" Her brown eyes went wide, "Grand. . . Grandpa. . ."
My stomach sank. Oh-no, Grandpa Honda. There was only one reason he would be calling Tohru at school, the renovations are done. I chewed on my lip until she hung up.
"To-Tohru?" I asked hesitantly.
"The renovations are done" Tohru began wringing her hands together, "Grandpa says I can move back in, but I have to share a room with my cousin. Mandy I-"
I shushed her and pulled her in for a hug, "It's okay sweety. I'll figure something out."
The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out how to ask Shigure if I could stay with them, quite honestly, I don't think I could leave them. Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure had become a sort of family to me. And I was just getting to know Kyo too. . .
When we got home Tohru and I went upstairs to change before asking Shigure to speak to us in the living room. I just walked past her to sit on the porch, Kyo was working out back there. It wasn't much of a distraction though, no matter how cute he was, because I could hear every word that passed through Tohru and Shigure's lips.
"I just found out the renovations are done"
Shigure made a small sound of surprise and Kyo's head snapped to me, looking for. . . something. I just shrugged and pulled my knees to my chest, I had changed into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.
"I, uh, I got a phone call from my grandfather up at the school. He told me." Tohru said.
There was the sound of newspaper rustling and then Shigure spoke, "Ah, I see. And if memory serves, you were planning to move back into the house once the work was done. Is that right?"
"What renovations?" Kyo stood with his fists planted on his hips, staring into the room.
I had forgotten that we didn't tell him about that. He'd just popped through the roof and threatened Yuki, and then he was living with us. To be perfectly honest, I'd forgotten about the whole deal entirely.
"Oh, I guess we never told you Kyo" Shigure sounded sheepish.
"So what? Tell me now!"
"Well you see. . ." Tohru began explaining her situation, "After mom died we went to stay with my Grandfather on my father's side, but then we found out that my aunt and her husband were gonna move in the house with us and Grandpa decided it would be a good idea to have some remodeling done. You know, to make more room for everyone, so he went away to stay with my aunt while the work was going on and we stayed here so we wouldn't miss school. Well, we didn't stay here, here, not at first I mean. We were living in a tent for awhile. But anyway, now they've finished with all the construction it look's like I can go back and-"
"Okay! Enough already!" Kyo snapped before looking away, "I get it"
"I-I'm sorry" Tohru stammered, "I just thought that. . ."
I blew my bangs out of my face with a sigh, man, this was just one big mess. Poor Kyo didn't expect this, and with his temper, it's no surprise that he blew a cap.
"Don't mind him, I think we caught him a little off guard with the news is all. We just witnessed a classic example of what I like to call misdirected rage. I believe the technical term is 'being an ass'" Shigure said amiably.
I resisted the urge to get up and whack him across the back of the head. What is it with him and antagonizing Kyo all the damn time?
"You are so full of it!" Kyo shouted angrily.
"I guess I can understand" Shigure ignored him, "This does seem sudden"
"I suppose I should go ahead and get my things packed while I still have the rest of the day" Tohru murmured, "I'll try to be out of your way by this evening"
As the two spoke I watched as Kyo grew tenser and tenser. I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He saw me watching him and turned around, visibly forcing himself to relax. I smiled slightly and leaned my forehead against my knees.
"Hm, a thousand perfectly lovely things you could have said, yet what poetry spews from your mouth? Anytime. Really Yuki, that might just be the most unsentimental thing I've ever heard, or at the very least insensitive. . ."
I was vaguely aware of Shigure scolding Yuki in the background for something, and Kyo sat next to me on the porch, one knee bent to his chest while the other leg was stretched out.
"Are you going too?" He asked bluntly
I peeked at him through my bangs, "Not to Grandpa Honda's, no. There isn't any room. Tohru already has to share a room with her she-bitch cousin, and the last time I saw them I kicked her uncle's son in the groin for trying to get handsy"
Kyo choked and Shigure let out a bark of laughter, I smiled wryly. "So you can imagine, I'm not exactly welcome in the same house as them.
"Then you're staying here?" Kyo asked, shoulders tensed for my answer.
I shrugged, "Kyo, I don't exactly have anywhere to go. My mom is MIA and I was just living in a tent not too long ago. So, if you'll have me, I will stay."
A hand landed on my head, messing up my blonde locks. I looked up to see Shigure standing over the two of us, "Of course you can stay Amanda, it would be horrible to lose both our princesses!"
I swatted his hand away and used Kyo's shoulder to stand up, "You always manage to say the strangest things Shigure, but thank you, for everything."
Saying goodbye was horrible. I mean, I know Tohru and I would see each other on Monday, but it wouldn't be the same as sleeping in the same room together. Or being able to share dinner, or simply saying good morning to each other. I threw my arms around her before she left and squeezed her tight.
"Tohru, I want you to tell me if that nasty cousin of yours does anything. Okay? Bye"
She squeezed me back before turning to Yuki and Shigure and bowing deeply, "Thank you for allowing me to live here"
She spared a sad glance at the roof before turning around and walking away.
Once she was out of sight I hugged myself and sighed, "I'm going to bed. I'll see you at breakfast"
I lazed in bed for a while, staring at Tohru's old bed and her pale yellow comforter, before rolling over onto my stomach and letting the tears flow. It was okay to cry when nobody could see it.
~LINE BREAK~
When I woke up the first thing I saw was Tohru's empty bed, it wasn't like I forgot or anything, but the sight was still like a slap to the face. I swallowed the lump in my throat and got up, mentally scolding myself. C'mon Mandy, get up and suck it up. The boys are probably feeling her absence just as bad as you are.
I dressed myself in a simple pair of boot-cut jeans and a purple v-neck t-shirt before pulling my hair up into a clip. Once I was presentable and all traces of redness from my nighttime cry were gone I walked downstairs to the kitchen. Yuki and Kyo were already there. They paused in their search for food and eyed me like I was going to burst into a snotty sobbing mess.
"Guy's, I'm fine." I pasted a bright smile on my face for them, "Let's see what we can cook up for breakfast this morning shall we?"
They nodded before going back to their search for food. Kyo was examining the nearly empty fridge while Yuki poked at the rice maker. I shook my head and began searching the pantry. The quiet was broken by the resident dog. Of course.
"Tohru! I'm starving, what's for breakfast?" Shigure froze as we all glared death at him, "I forgot, our dear sweet Tohru has gone, gone away"
"That sounded like you forgot on purpose" Yuki said with quiet menace.
Shigure laughed it off, "No! Of course not, that would be pretty despicable of me, don't you think? But you know, without Tohru here, it does feel like all the fire had gone right out of this kitchen. Suddenly it feels so cold and dreary"
"Dammit! You are saying that on purpose, aren't you?" Kyo lunged at Shigure, fist's swinging.
"You wanna know what's despicable?" I crossed my arms over my stomach, "A middle aged man calling a sixteen year old girl his dear sweet anything. And what am I? Chopped liver?"
"You wound me Amanda!" Shigure cried, one hand placed on Kyo's forehead to keep him out of striking distance. "I am not middle aged. I am twenty-six!"
"Was that seriously all you got out of what I just said?" I could feel a twitch starting in my right eye.
"In any event, consumed by grief though we are, I suppose we can't help but get hungry at some point. Which reminds me, Tohru left us a pot of her delicious beef stew in the refrigerator. Yes?" Shigure totally ignored my previous statement.
Yuki pulled it out of the fridge, holding it awkwardly in his hands. I abandoned my search of the pantry and moved to stand by Kyo.
"Perfect, now why don't you heat that up for us Yuki?" Shigure smiled happily.
"You're joking right?" Yuki deadpanned
"of course, you're not too handy in the food department are you?" Shigure turned to Kyo, "Kyo, I guess that leaves you"
"Why do I gotta do it?" Kyo snapped and jabbed a finger at me, "Why not her?"
"Dude, I bake, not cook" I raised an eyebrow at him, "You'd have better luck getting Yuki to do it"
"What's the difference?"
"Boy, I will bite that finger if you do not get it out of my face" I glared at the offending digit, sniffing when Kyo quickly retracted it.
Did I mention that I wasn't a morning person?
"No, no, it alright! If you don't mind letting the last of the wonderful beef stew that Tohru put her heart and soul into preparing for us get burned to a crisp, then neither do I. After all, I suppose burnt beef stew will be just as satisfying as burnt miso soup, or burnt rice, or burnt eggs, or any of the fine burnt dishes Yuki used to make for us before Tohru fell into our lives. Ah yes, we all seemed to do quite well on our charcoal rich diet and I'm sure that we will become accustomed to it again"
During Shigure's theatrical ranting, Kyo had taken the stew pot from Yuki and set it to warm on the stove, while I got the bowls out of the cupboards. Sometimes, I wonder what could be going through that man's head. It seemed like he was riling the boys up on purpose. Was he trying to get his head pounded into the ground?
Once we sat down to eat Yuki immediately set into Kyo, "I'd have to give your presentation a zero"
"Fine, then do it yourself next time!"
Shigure held his hands up in the praying position, "We thank you for this food Tohru, wherever you are"
We all clapped our hands together and began eating, I took my first sip and closed my eyes. Tohru always was the best cook.
"Ahh, I'm in heaven" Shigure sighed happily, "And to think, two bright handsome young men like yourselves couldn't even find a way to keep the girl who cooked this delicious stew from leaving. Oh, the tragedy!"
"If she could go back to her grandfather's house, then there is no reason for her to stay here is there?" Yuki said coolly.
I clenched my hand around my spoon. He's only saying that because he misses her, I think. But, then again, boy's handle these things differently than girls do. Right?
"I'm afraid only our sorrow will tell us as the long lonely hours without her pass us , and our only solace will be the few scattered traces of Tohru's presence left about the house. Like this cute little strawberry towel for instance, I found it still hanging in the shower. I have but to press it against my face and the sweet scent of Tohru reminds me of happier days"
The three of us surged forward, each landing a punch to Shigure's head. I snatched the towel away from him and started for the stairs, hearing Kyo's screams of rage behind me.
"YOU SICK BASTARD!"
I placed it on the towel rack before grabbing my purse, I needed to get out of the house before I neutered a certain dog.
"Miss Cho, are you going shopping?" Yuki appeared next to me at the door, making me jump.
"Y'know, that must be a Sohma thing or something" I slipped my coat on. Yuki tilted his head to the left in curiosity, so I elaborated. "Sneaking up on people, none of you make any noise when you move. Except for Kagura, but I think that reason is obvious. And to answer your question, Yuki, yes I am going to the store, You wanna come?"
"Of course, Miss Cho." Yuki slipped on his shoes, "I guess I've never noticed it before,the whole silent moving thing, but it could be because most of us were trained at an early age in martial arts"
I realized that I didn't know very much about Yuki at all, so I used that as a conversation opener. I only asked about impersonal things, but he wasn't really there for the walk to the store. The walk back was even quieter, so I addressed the topic I knew we were both thinking of.
"Yeah, I'm going to miss her too"
Yuki looked at me startled, his purple eyes growing wide. I smiled sadly at him, "You were thinking of Tohru, right?"
"I-I suppose so, Miss Cho" Wow, I've actually caught Prince Yuki off guard.
I carefully bumped my elbow into his, "You can talk to me if something is bothering you. You know that, right? I mean, you'd probably rather Tohru, but I'm here if you need a willing ear."
Yuki blinked owlishly before a small genuine smile curved at his lips, "Thank you Miss Cho, I'll keep that in mind"
I grinned back at him, "Be sure that you do, I may not be Tohru, but I can sure try. What else are friends for?"
Now to get through the rest of the weekend without killing Shigure, maybe I'll ask Kyo to teach me martial arts to keep me busy. Anything to get away from the drama that is Shigure Sohma.
