Fade Away My Memories Chapter 10
Lise: I liked the last chapter a lot!
Yusei: I'm bad at telling stories though…
ME: you did fine
Lise: -nods-
Yusei: -blushes-
ME: -eye roll- Well, now that that's out of the way…
Yusei: disclaimer?
ME: yes…
Lise: can I do it!
ME: um…sure…
Lise: yay! Okay, she doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds at all. She does own her fan character though! Good?
ME: spectacular…
Lise: -beams-
Yusei: -smiles-
ME: anyway, the next chapter! Please enjoy!
/
I rubbed my eyes. I'd fallen asleep on my desk…again…I'd been doing that a lot recently. Between homework, duel runner maintenance and tests I had gotten basically zero sleep for the past few days. And also…some really bad dreams…nightmares that I didn't want to share with anybody…
The literary sensei passed out our essays from last month. A big D+ blared at me in red. I sighed and slowly ran one hand through my hair. That was better than I'd expected. I really hated writing. And I sucked at it…
The bell rang and I gathered up my stuff. The last kid to leave, Sasaki-sensei called to me.
"Yusei…Can you stay for a little?"
I shrugged. "Sure…"
She sighed and sat at her desk. It was neat and tidy; everything in its proper place…I'm kinda messy…Lise says really messy but she's messier. Her excuse is that it means she's creative.
Sasaki-sensei removed her glasses. "I hope you want a better grade than a D. I know it's only November so this time it's all right. You don't want to fail the other essays I presume?"
I nodded. "That…was the plan…I kinda suck at writing though…"
"Do you know somebody who's good at writing that can help you? I think you can do better on the next three essays."
"Sorta…I'm not sure if she'll help me…"
"Okay…if she can't then come to me and I'll help you." She smiled at me kindly. "You all right?"
"Huh? Oh yeah…I'm fine…" I said…I didn't think I was though. My head and eyes felt fuzzy…
"Well, get home quickly. See you Thursday."
I nodded again and walked out of the classroom. It was a short trip but it somehow became long.
The trek outside to find Lise and the others felt like it took years. I shook my head to clear it.
"Is it hot out here?" I asked, loosening the collar on my uniform. By the way, uniforms do suck. I should've listened to Lise on this one…
"Uh, no, it's like 4.44 degrees out here, Yusei," Fish stared at me like I was crazy. I was starting to think I was. (Note: 4.44 degrees is Celsius. In Fahrenheit it is 40 degrees.)
"Well, let's start walking," Lise suggested. "Sooner we get home then the sooner we can get out of these stupid things."
"Good idea," Akiza agreed.
"Wait for us!" the twins called as they dashed up to the girls. I walked behind their group. I felt too sluggish to keep up today.
Their chatter continued till we reached Lise's house. The twins left with Akiza and Fish skittered off towards her grandparents' home.
Lise was humming happily to herself as she unlocked the door. We walked inside and Mayoko greeted us with a wave and a smile as usual. I managed to smile but just stood there trying to catch my breath.
"Yusei, are you okay? You look terrible…" Mayoko's eyebrows knitted up in concern as she wheeled closer.
"I'm fine…just tired…I haven't been sleeping well for a while…" I told her, shrugging off my jacket and putting my stuff away.
"If you say so…" Mayoko turned away doubtfully. She reentered the kitchen. "What would you two like to eat?"
I shook my head and grabbed the edge of the counter when I was close enough. "Just water."
"A bowl of honeydew!" Lise grinned and Mayoko laughed.
"Not a whole bowl, honey, but you can have some strawberries."
"Yay!" She disappeared into the kitchen pantry.
I stood and tried to keep my balance. My head was really messed up.
"Mom we don't have any strawberries and- Yusei!" Lise shouted when she came out of the pantry.
The floor had suddenly come up to meet my face. The floor was cold. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Voices in the back of my brain were buzzing in some language I didn't know…or I did know it but couldn't understand what they were saying for now…
"He's not faking…He's sick…" Lise…Lise's blurry image swam over me. She'd turned me onto my back.
"No…" I said hoarsely. "Just tired…swear…"
Lise rolled her eyes. "Yusei, you're sick." She felt my forehead. Her hand felt cool against my forehead under my bangs. "You're really hot…" Lise sighed and hoisted me onto one of her shoulders.
"No…I…"
"Take him to his room. I'll make something for him…" Mayoko said from out of sight.
"Sure," Lise waved and started to drag me up the stairs.
She quickly reached my door even though she was completely supporting me. My head spun. The room was just a mess of blurs.
Lise kicked my door open and lied me down on my bed. She proceeded to open all the windows and the bathroom door. She came back to the bedside and pulled off my uniform shirt. My undershirt was coated with sweat.
"I'm not sick…" I insisted.
"Oh really?" Lise scoffed. She left for a couple seconds and came back with a thermometer. I had no time to protest before she popped it into my mouth. "And don't! Spit it out…" she told me before I could do exactly that.
I scowled and let her take off my undershirt. I was now completely shirtless…If she started on my pants…
She seemed to be satisfied with that and pulled the covers over me. I hadn't bothered to make my bed this morning.
"Lise!" Mayoko called from downstairs.
"Be right back," Lise promised. "And if you spit that thermometer out I'll break your hand." Then she was gone…
/
I slid into the kitchen as usual. I was still in my dumb uniform. Number one thing to do on my list.
Mom handed me a wet washcloth, some saltine crackers and a bottle of water. "You'll have to help him. I can't get upstairs."
I nodded, fully aware of what I needed to do. "Got it." I turned and ran back upstairs to my room. I changed out of my uniform and put on my Star Wars Coffee t-shirt and black yoga pants. Much better.
The door of Yusei's room was still wide open. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slowly. The thermometer was still in his mouth. I took it out and he opened his eyes to watch me.
"You have a temperature of 39.44 degrees. That means fever, Yusei," I announced. (Celsius: Fahrenheit= 103 degrees)
He groaned. "Great…"
I sighed too. "Could be worse ya know. At least you don't have to go to school tomorrow." I talked as I placed the wet cloth on his forehead.
He blew a raspberry and I poked him in the chest. "Don't do that."
"The cold feels better…thanks…"
I nodded…again…I seemed to be doing that a lot now. "I brought food and water too…" I added.
"Later…"
"Okay…Um…what do you want right now?" I asked nervously.
I blushed when I realized I was in Yusei's actual room. He wasn't a neat freak but then again neither was I. He was moderately messy. His clothes were everywhere but his duel runner parts and tools were put away neatly.
"Nothing really…" he said quietly. "Just sleep…" He closed his blue eyes and tried to breathe normally.
I played with the edge of my t-shirt. The place where I sat on his bed was right beside his hip. I was feeling really, really, really nervous…Maybe I'd come down with a fever too…I felt hot enough…
I got up and started picking up his clothes. It gave me something to do. When I tossed them in the dirty clothes then I had nothing to do…except my homework…Which today, thankfully, wasn't much.
I sat on the bed again…completely bored…Yusei had fallen asleep and his breathing was pretty normal now.
I squeezed his hand that stuck out from under the covers beside him. Being alone when you're sick is scary. My Mom used to work a lot after Dad passed away and I got sick afterwards. The house felt so empty, scary and lonely. I hated that feeling. It terrified me.
I looked closer at our hands and noticed something strange on Yusei's. I turned his arm over and a strange black marking met my eyes. It looked like an invasion of his skin. The thing was a gnarled and ugly looking tree with arrows and a clock face on his arm. Four arrows emerged from the clock's center and crossed over each other on the other side of Yusei's wrist to connect with the face of the clock. To me it looked like a lock of some sort…I mean, it didn't resemble a lock but it seemed sort of like a clamp attached to his wrist. Why hadn't I noticed it before?
So he had more than one mark than the one on his face…I traced the yellow mark with my finger. He still hadn't told me how he got it…I didn't even know he had a second one…Somehow the black mark seemed more sinister. I didn't want to look at it anymore. I gently placed Yusei's hand, palm down, back on the bed. He smiled in his sleep. A sweet smile that filled his face and made him look happier than I'd ever seen him.
I couldn't help but smile too. There was also the nagging thought in the back of my head that he should smile like this all the time instead of just in his dreams. I wanted to see his dream, but I couldn't. I still couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that I couldn't read his mind…ever…
I decided to get my homework done. I started to stand up and leave but Yusei's hand grabbed my wrist. Jerked back by the sudden action, I was forced to sit back down. In his sleep he opened my palm and traced the red spiral there with his thumb. I watched him like a hawk; checking to see if he was awake, faking it, or doing sick induced hallucinogenic actions. Right now I think he was asleep and hallucinating… or like I'd said dreaming…but what was his dream about!
"Lise…" he whispered.
I felt myself blushing. He'd said my name! Well, my nickname he'd given me anyway. That answers the dream question I guess…I was silently freaking out and I was so grateful that my Mom couldn't come up and see us.
I took a deep breath and decided to be patient. He'd let go eventually. Right?
Quite the opposite actually. His face screwed up in pain suddenly and he squeezed my hand really hard. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Yeah; I'm stuck here…
The cloth fell off his forehead and Yusei kicked the covers off. He was still drenched in sweat. And…I knew I was an unattractive red color at this point…he…he didn't have a shirt on…I forgot I'd taken it off…the heat intensified…
Yusei's jaw clenched and he squeezed even harder. I grabbed the side of the mattress to keep from screaming. He was obviously in a lot of pain. But from what? I wasn't hurting him and a fever wasn't supposed to do this. He'd said earlier he had been really tired. I assumed he hadn't been sleeping well…maybe this was why; weird nightmares…
I was able to lean down and grab the rag. It was pretty dry at this point. With one hand I managed to get the rag wet with the water bottle again. Being extra careful, I screwed the bottle lid back on and put it back on the bedside table. Doing things with one hand was tricky I realized as I one handedly folded the rag back up.
Still feeling like a one armed weirdo, I bent over to put the rag back on his forehead. His back arched and his eyes half opened when the coolness hit his forehead. Judging on how glazed his blue eyes looked, he was sorta sleepwalking or half asleep…if there's a difference…
"Lise…" he whispered hoarsely. He released my wrist and gently ran his left hand through my hair.
I saw his lips move but I didn't hear what he'd been trying to say. "What?"
"I…need something…I can't see you…"
"What?" I moved closer so I could hear him.
He inclined his head upwards and pressed his lips to mine. I instantly froze. His left hand stayed in my hair and his right hand was on my waist.
Right now I was ridiculously glad my mom couldn't come up here! This was really, really embarrassing and I swore he was gonna get me sick from this.
It…the kiss didn't feel…possessive…or greedy…and he didn't try to jam his tongue into my mouth. He wasn't touching me in places he shouldn't have either… All I was getting from this kiss was that it was really sweet and cautious…but it was full of longing and sadness too…
Yusei finally let go…of everything; my hair, my waist, my hand…A single tear trickled down his cheek. I stared at it for a few seconds and wiped it away. Why would he cry about kissing me?
"…lost forever…" he whispered so softly I'm surprised I heard it.
I ran out of the room thinking about what he'd just said. I knew I had to stay with him, but I needed to grab my homework at least. The trip was quick and I spread my homework out on the floor of Yusei's room.
I'd be here when he woke up…