And we're back. Just moved to a new household so now I'm ready to crack down and write up the next chapter. Also, I'd like everyone to meet my new beta reader, LannerFalcon (I'm going to call him Lanny for funzies) So if there's any mistakes you can place the blame on him now. (Love yah Lanny)
I just want to make a note on Aoi's character:
I didn't mean to make her so... interesting this chapter. You'll see what I mean in the first two paragraphs, but I'm sure everyone who has had repressive parents has rebelled in some way / shape / form, whether it be physical or emotional. I hope I wasn't too extreme with it, and if it was tell me.
Chapter 6 - Repressed Fire
I felt myself gulp as if I was a character in a cartoon facing a rather terrifying task or situation. All I could think about was how stupid it was to being doing this. In fact, I knew there would be some consequences down the line in some way.
I took a deep breath.
"You sure you want to do this? You're starting to look a little pale," Rei grinned at me. I stared at the entrance of the tattoo and body piercing shop, a place where I'm sure Rei has been to many times and somehow got away without a parent's signature for all his piercings.
"You know you can always get a tattoo that says "I love Mom," a chuckle escaped his lips. Haha. Yeah. Right. He knew damn well that Mom and I weren't on the greatest of terms.
"No, I know what I want." I bit the inside of my lip. I guess it's got to be done eventually;should I stand here and keep staring? Then nothing gets said or proven, and thus nothing achieved.
I wanted my tongue pierced.
I know, right? It sounds totally not perfect-med-school-Aoi capable. I wanted something changed about me to symbolize the fact that I am embracing my own changes. I know it sounds pretty stupid and corny poetic, but it was completely true.
I wanted to show my parents that I don't give a damn.
"You could just, like, dye or cut your hair you know," Rei offered a way out. He obviously could tell I was nervous.
"Not drastic enough."
"Eyebrow pierced?"
"Too visiable— and ouch."
"Then let's do it."
I took a deep breath. My legs quivered a moment,but I felt my feet move forward, despite my head screaming how huge of a mistake this was.
The piercer was an unusual large guy with tattoos and piercings covering his body. When he saw Rei a grin spread to each side of his face, exposing the gap between his front teeth.
"Hey Parker Boy, whatcha getting done this time?"
Rei shook his head and pointed a finger at me.
"Not me. Her." The burly man raised his pierced eyebrows as he inspected me. I think I squirmed a little underneath his stare.
"Whatcha gettin' done sweet haht?"
"My…tongue if it isn't too much trouble," my speech was merely a mumble.
He turned back to Rei.
"She of age?"
Rei snorted.
"Has that ever stopped you?"
I rolled my eyes at Rei's reply and handed the man my ID. He inspected it then flashed his eyes towards me.
"Hokay, let's get this partah started." Another gap filled grin consumed his face.
My stomach turned inside out. The man sat me down in a leather chair next to a sink, as he put on gloves and opened the needle's packet. He poured me a tiny cup of listerine and handed it to me.
"Swish it around yer' mouth until I say stop."
I nodded and pouring the liquid, in I began to swish. At first the taste was unbearable; tears actually clouded my eyes.
"So why is a girl like her doin' this sort of thing? I mean, I can see a guy like you Rei, but her? She looks like she needs to be at some girl scouts meetin'." He bursted into a laughing fit over his own joke. I would be offended at the comment if I wasn't distracted by the damned searing liquid that was numbing my mouth.
"Hokay," he said and pushed my chair towards the sink. "Spit."
Gladly, I spat the vile listerine out as fast as possible. Rei was grinning at me as he leaned against the doorway with his arms folded. He seemed to be enjoying this too much.
"All righty, open yer' mouth but yah' don't hafta say "Ahhhh"," he gave another chuckle which blew his heated breath into my face. Bleck. It smelled like nachos. "Stick out yer' tongue all the way for me and show me the bottom of it." I did so and he inspected it.
"Aight, I know where I need ta' put it, so stick it out all ta way for me." I did so, and he grabbed a good portion of my tongue with a prong-like tool. It felt cool, and he continued to apply pressure with it.
"Take some deep breaths," he murmured. I was focusing on the pressure of the prongs, knowing I'd feel a prick somewhere near that area. Within a blink of an eye, I felt a sudden sting that made me wince. "There we go. Good gal." He lifted my tongue up a bit, and screwed on the bottom ball.
"Take a look." He turned my chair towards a mirror that was behind me. A long silver bar with a small ball at the end judded up from the surface of my tongue. I looked at my overall face and noticed I was a lot paler than usual.
"Keep sittin' for a bit, don't wantcha fallin' on me." He let out a loud chuckle that made his body bounce in sync with his laughs.
"Kickass Aoi." Rei smiled at me. My stomach didn't feel as queasy, although my tongue still stung. It didn't hurt me enough to make me cry, but I sure felt it.
"Just so yah know, you'll have to stay with that starter bar until about a month or two, depending on the healin' it goes through," he began cleaning up his supplies while he talked. "Don't even think about takin' it out until at least eight weeks, remembah that yer' tongue is a muscle, not cartilage like yer' ears, so it's gunna heal twice as fast."
I stuck my tongue out and examined it once more. A strange affection bubbled inside me. It was kinda' cool.
"Try and swish some Listerine at least twice a day, but don't go overboard or else yer' tongue's gunna turn more brown than red." I glanced at Rei with a disgusted look on my face. He smiled back. "Also, try and brush the tops when yah brush yer' teeth to get rid of the plaque that builds." I nodded at him and smiled.
"Oh and no oral sex and whatnot until at least a month, don't want no infections of that kind in yer' tongue hole." He didn't chuckle this time like he did before, but I couldn't help but burst into laughter, making Rei join in.
"I'll try not to."
I think deep down I knew what piece of my work I was going to use. My specialty was landscaping, but after a while landscapes got boring. My photoshop skills aren't as great when it comes to editing images with people in it, so I didn't want to send any of those off to Embry as part of my application. However, there was one landscaping piece with a person in it that always took my breath away.
When I first considered sending Aoi's creek image to Embry, I immediately rejected the notion. It was too brutal of a reminder that sank with that moment. Besides, I wanted it all to myself. My selfish heart still clung onto it—still clung to her snapshot beauty. It wasn't until Amy pointed out that it was one of my best pieces of work.
Her blonde hair was strung out in my lap as she examined the photo.
"She's beautiful." She said in her adorable American accent. I smiled weakly, and nodded.
"Yeah. The lighting really brings out the glow in her skin– I hardly have to do anything Photoshop-wise."
"I think you should submit this one," she said. I cocked my head and looked down at her as she looked up from my lap, a smile wove through her face. I ran my fingers through her long, curly hair.
"Yeah. Maybe."
Amy reached her head up and met my lips. I was getting pretty comfortable with her after our trip to the gardens. She just seemed so open and honest, not afraid to hold my hand in public, or even wrap her arms around me as if we were a couple. I could fall in love with this American girl if my heart yearned for it, but this time it seemed to be all brain.
It was strange, because I thought of her like I thought of an equation.
Amy was defined as beautiful, smart, adorable, honest, and overall comfortable. That's like five points plus three points, etc.
Eventually it just added up that I should like this girl.
However, when her lips brushed against mine, I didn't receive that jolt that I did from Aoi. My heart didn't speed up a thousand miles per hour to the point where it was going to drive straight out of my chest. My heart was hardly putting in any effort, for it was still yearning for Aoi like it had been for the past few weeks. My brain saw to it that it would conquer over my heart and force me to involve myself with this American girl.
Besides that fact, Amy was merely on vacation trying to have a good time. She was leaving in a week and probably never coming back again – or a least for many years.
For now though, she seemed to be the bandage that helped mend me.
She moved to now sit in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"You could take a photo of us doing the nasty and send that to them," a sly smile came upon her face.
"Then I'd really get in, but only if I gave them your number," I teased. She smiled back and kissed my lips once more, pressing herself harder against me.
My eyes couldn't help but to venture to Aoi's photoand her face. Perhaps my heart made it so that I was unable to tear my stare away from it, but the entire time I was with Amy, my heart won my brain over and forced it to imagine that it was Aoi in my arms.
I laid Amy down and kissed her neck.
Aoi's gorgeous face was all I could see.
"What on EARTH is in your mouth young lady?" My face became real hot when Mother noticed my new "accessory".
"Just starting on my new look I guess." Rei snorted behind me. My mother's eyes seemed to bulge.
"I don't know what you're trying to prove, but that thing will come out IMMEDIATELY."
"I paid for it and it's not coming out. I'm eighteen now which means I'm legally allowed to have it."
"I am your mother and you WILL do as I say," her fists were clenched as she glared at me.
"Sorry, Mom," I mumbled. "But it's not coming out. I still haven't gotten the chance to use it yet." A grin became plastered on my face. I heard Rei howl from laughter. Part of me couldn't believe what I was saying to my mother, but yet a more dominant part of me didn't even care. It was the end of my senior year, my girlfriend broke up with me and god damn it I'm going to at least have something to show for it.
"We'll see what your father says about this at dinner tonight," her eyes became slits as if she was trying to send her lasers from them to zap me where I stood.
"Sorry again, but Rei and I are going out to the Town Center to eat right now actually, so I'll have to catch Dad later," I slung my purse over my shoulder. The great thing about being eighteen was a newfound confidence that I was in some legal sort of way, an adult. With that, I felt power. If I didn't want to do something, I had some sort of right not to do it without my consent. It was utterly amazing.
As I drove us towards the center Rei was still laughing at my confrontation with Mom.
"Man, Aoi, I didn't even know you had it in you."
I smiled. Things were definitely changing, and I was loving every part of it, except for the whole single thing.
"Oh, and I hope it was okay for me to invite Dray along," he tried to slide in smoothly. I smiled and rolled my eyes.
"Ooooh Draaaay is coming, hmm?" He play slugged me in the arm.
"That boy is moving so slow, he keeps telling himself that he is in no way gay, yet I've caught him staring at my ass so many times," a grin placed itself across his lips. "But then again, I do have a hot as hell ass." I almost gagged.
"Can we NOT talk about your ass?"
He chuckled even as we stepped out of the car and began our walk around the center. Dray met us towards the beginning, and somehow Rei managed to swipe him away from the crowds towards the back, leaving me alone and ditched by my own brother.
I sighed and shook my head, glad enough that both Dray and Rei found one another.
I headed to coffee shop alone, craving for some sort of Hazelnut coffee. I ended up buying a regular Hazelnut with the usual cream and sugar, and was sipping on it as I exited the shop.
I looked across the street, and practically dropped my cup.
I saw her.
I saw the girl clinging to her, their hands were intertwined.
I wanted to puke.
I stood on the sidewalk, dazed. What was she doing? Was I that easy to get over?
A biker was yelling at me to move, but I didn't register his yells in my head, I just kept my eyes focused on the couple across the street. I took a small step forward, when I finally heard the biker as he almost ran me over, but instead lost balanced trying to swerve away from me and tumbled to the ground.
The entire street focused on him.
She focused on me, wide eyed. Briefly, I met her eyes, but tore them away as fast as I could.
I apologized to the man, then ran. I might have heard someone yell my name, but it could have just been my eager imagination. My chest felt like it was ripped apart.
That girl. Her face was as fake as her hair color. I immediately despised her. A part of me even despised Chie for chopping up what we had like that. She rebounded on the first tourist she could find.
Tears clouded my eyes again. I thought I was re-defining myself. Starting over. Being more confident.
Instead I was huddled in a store's bathroom, crying my eyes out with a swollen and hurt tongue, longing after a girl who has completely moved on.
I didn't feel very defined.
I felt pathetic.
And that's chapter 6! Thanks once again to Lanny for editing my horrid grammar and spelling. We're nearing the end of this story, but don't fret! I have two projects that I'm thinking about working on, one which will be my very own project (you know, entirely my creation) and then another Chie / Aoi. Keep checking my LiveJournal for updates regarding those.
As always, leave me some love or criticism and until next time.
-Lillium
