ToD Chapter 7
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A/N: Super-duper sorry for taking so long people! Finally some good stuff! Thank you Kyra Adelaide for following, CelticMagic for reviewing and all of you for coming back for more!
:3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3
Recap: So started the day of waiting, for it was Sunday, and tomorrow I'd see Izzy at school, whether he was ready to talk or not.
And I so hoped he was. 'Cause I was already getting impatient.
I woke up a few minutes before my alarm and lay in my bed thinking about the day ahead until its annoying squeals roused me up to get dressed. White dress-shirt, gray pants, green blazer, and go!
Breakfast was quick and uneventful, as was the walk to school.
1st through 8th periods were blurred and boring, my foot tapping each hour away and my hand scribbling what notes were necessary though I probably wouldn't be able to decipher them later. Finally 9th period! World History, my only class with him.
Much like the others, this class was a blur, but unlike them it was punctuated by glances in his direction. Once, he sneaked a look back at me and turned back to the teacher as soon he saw me looking his way, a look of determination and shock on his face.
Finally, the bell rang. I packed my bag and made for the door. Fast enough to get out ahead of Izzy but slow enough so he was the first after.
"3:15, across the street from the school." His voice made my eyes widen, just a bit, and then he was in front of me, dodging quickly through the crowd and expanding the distance between us until I could only recognize him by his hair.
The last hour dragged by. Each second feeling like a minute, forcing me to pay attention to the class to escape from death by boredom. I was both looking forward to the end and dreading it.
My fingers shook as I opened my locker, the school day over. I kept glancing at my watch. I did not want to be late. 3:03, Geometry, English, History books all go in my bag. 3:07, the bag goes on my shoulder. 3:10, one foot goes in front of the other.
I take a deep breath exiting the building, and walk to the crossing. I look across the street. Of course Izzy's there already, waiting for me to say his thoughts.
The light turns green and I jog past the stopped cars straight to him. I get closer and he turns, hearing my footsteps, and looks at me stoically.
I don't know how to respond except a, "Sorry I'm late."
"Not a problem. I expected it." He turns and starts walking down the sidewalk. I still can't read his expression.
Those first few words made it seem almost like old times, but the silence that followed didn't. Half a block along, he was the one to break it.
"Why did you do it?" He asked still staring straight ahead.
I opened my mouth to speak but he raised his hand to stop me, "Sorry, I knew that already. You wanted to convey feelings to me. What I don't understand." He paused both in words and steps. "Is why those feelings are for me."
I blinked, not expecting the question "Isn't it enough to know that I love you?"
He flinched at those words. I don't think I ever actually said them before. Out loud anyway. We resumed walking in silence. This time I broke it.
"I guess you could say it's because you're my other half. That's really cheesy, but I think it explains it pretty well." I kept walking even after he stopped again, and turned around to look at him with my hands in my pockets. "Like Yin and Yang. Opposites attract you know? It's all about balance."
His head was bowed. I saw something sparkle on the way to the ground. He was crying again. My mind flashed back to that sleepover. The tears he cried there. I counted in my head. It had only been three days since last Friday night. I took a step toward him. Not knowing whether they were tears of sadness or joy, I asked him what was wrong, concerned.
He sensed my step and flinched again, making me stop in my tracks.
He finally replied, "I am what is wrong. Sorry. I still don't quite know why you love me. Even if I did though, I'm sorry, I don't feel the same way." He wiped his tears away and looked up at me, a look of helplessness on his face. "You have always been nothing more than a friend to me Tai. Again, I apologize, but now that I know what you feel, I don't think I can be comfortable around you anymore. If you'll excuse me I would like to get some money from the bank for the train ride home."
"I have some if you…"
"No thank you. If you don't have anything more to say, then goodbye." He bumped me on his way past. I'll never know if it was an accident or on purpose. I don't think he'd let me ask. I watched him jog away down the street. Just like earlier that day in the hallway, though he was alone on the sidewalk. I watched him until he disappeared into the local bank then started walking that way too. Towards home.
It had turned out like I'd expected as an outcome. It almost made me wish I hadn't kissed him. I couldn't change that now though. I had to live with it. I just hope that he lives happily. With or without me.
I hear a shout from the bank as I pass and look inside. Just Izzy's luck, he had walked into a robbery.
I could see it clearly as it happened, just like anyone else could if they looked through the bank's large windows. I was the only one on the street though. I watched with wide eyes as the figure of the black-clothed robber swung his gun around, threatening everyone so they would not come near. I watched as the patrons slowly bent down to the floor, one after another, and lay down on the tile with their hands in front of them. I watched as the robber forced one of the tellers to open the large safe holding their customers' money. I watched as Izzy trembled on the floor.
Something snapped inside me when I saw that small body huddled on the carpet, shock of hair quivering where there was no breeze. Why was I just watching as the scene unfolded? I needed to help. Or someone could get hurt.
Quickly I pulled my cell phone to my ear and ducked out of sight of the window. Even though I wasn't in there, I could have been, and I'm most likely just as scared as if I had.
I punched the numbers that I had had to memorize at age 5 when I babysat Kari. 9-1-1.
It rang for what seemed longer even than that final period of school.
"Hello. What is your emergency?" The phone was answered by a bored sounding man.
"Hi. Um I'm outside of the bank of Tokyo right now and someone is robbing it." Nervously, I explain the situation and finally convince the officer that it's not a prank. He agrees to send a car over, still a bit wary, and hangs up.
I breathe out and slide to the ground against the wall of the bank. It should be alright now. I peek inside to see what's happening. Good. No one's resisted and the robber's calming down a little. It's not likely that he'll shoot. I sigh, relieved, and wait.
Oh no. Oh no. Ohnoohnoohnoohno! The police are coming. That's a good thing. The siren's blaring. That's not.
Sure enough the robber has heard it too. He's agitated again. Forcing everyone to pull out their phones and waving his gun around. Izzy, the calm and cool one, is shaking again. He doesn't want to die. I watch as he tries to reason with the robber. I can imagine him assuring him that it's a big city, something must be happening somewhere else. The robber doesn't listen to reason. Izzy's voice makes the robber frightened, it makes him seem not in control. And when you can't keep control, can't keep them in line, someone tells and you get in trouble.
The gun swings to Izzy and stays there. He says that if Izzy's wrong on his assumptions he'll shoot. He motions for him to turn and watch the window so he'll know if he's goin to die.
I don't duck away fast enough. Izzy sees the flicker of me in the corner of the window. His eyes widen impossibly wide. He knows that I called the cops. He knows he'll die for it.
The sirens get louder, they're all I can hear. My ears ring with the song. I need to do something or Izzy will die because of me. I can see the lights coming down the block now. Soon the robber will see them reflected in the window.
They don't go past. The police stop in front of the bank. An officer gets out of a car and shouts in a bullhorn.
"POLICE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"
The robber doesn't know who called but I don't think he cares. All he wants is to not get caught. His hand shakes and his finger squeezes the trigger the slightest bit.
It's enough to move my feet.
All I can think of is saving Izzy. My love who doesn't love me back. I don't notice myself running, sprinting through the glass doors, until I feel the pain in my chest. The robber, frightened beyond belief, shoots at me.
I see Izzy's face, tears rolling down his cheeks for the second time that day, and fall to the ground.
I hear his scream as I black out. Then I'm floating in the darkness.
I can't see or hear or feel or taste or smell anything at all. It's like my worst nightmare. Yet it comforts me. Then a whisper battles through the darkness. I hear Izzy. He's yelling at me to wake up. I feel him holding me to his chest. All I can think is that he's safe, that the robber is gone, and that he can keep on living. I don't know whether I smiled in my mind or on my face but it doesn't matter. I can go in peace.
=3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3
A/N: WHOAH! I just found there IS a view counter! And it must be pulling my strings! Just this month, so far, as I'm writing, there have been 271 views! People from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, the Philippines, Finland, Australia, Mexico, Spain, and even Croatia and so many more places have read my story! I don't even know where Croatia is! *sniffle* Thanks for reading everyone! Tai dying is the way it played out in my head and I tried to make it go well so no flames please! As always reviews are encouraged and appreciated. :3
