Chapter 10

Walls and Breakings / Music Box

In the end, I go to his house. I've been there a few times since we've reunited, but since the concert, it seems a bit different this time. His younger sister peers at us from her room before disappearing, and Midorima tells me to ignore her. His parents, meanwhile, are out on a date together. Must be nice, I think.

"I have some movies," he says.

"Sure, sounds good."

He doesn't ask me about what I'd like to see, but pops one into the DVD player. I don't argue, but curl up onto the couch in his basement, hugging a pillow to my chest. I trust his judgment, and I'm pretty sure he knows me well enough to know what I'd like.

He sits down beside me, and because something strange is still coursing through me, I turn and stare straight at him. It is dark and hard to see, but as the TV boots up, suddenly going bright, I can see myself reflected in his glasses.

"Am I making you lucky?" I find myself asking.

"I . . ."

He is at a loss for words.

I almost laugh, because it's so rare for him to be rendered speechless, but it seems to be happening a lot lately.

"We did have a test today," I say. "I'm sure you'll get a perfect score. Not that you ever don't." I shake my head slightly, grinning to myself.

"If anyone is lucky," he says, finally finding his voice, "it is you. You are the one who actually possesses the ocean eyes."

"That is true," I say.

And somehow, I do feel lucky. Because of them, I'm here with him.

I smile at him and shift, throwing the pillow to the other side of the couch, until I'm nearly on top of him. His eyes are huge. "Etsuyo —"

The movie plays in the near distance, but I don't hear it at all.

I lean my head down and curl up against his chest, letting out a yawn as I do. He's firm and warm, a rock wall . . . not infallible, but so strong.

"Etsuyo." His breath comes in short gasps.

My eyes are closed, and I breathe in the scent of him. I grip his shirt, and I bury my nose into it. "Shin," I say. "Is this okay?"

He doesn't say a word. For several moments, he doesn't move at all. Just sits there, stiff against me. Then, he begins to relax, and he wraps his arms around me, hugging me against him. I smile, and let out a sigh at his answer.

"Thank you," I say.

He rests his chin hesitantly on top of my head. "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?" His voice sounds a bit odd, a little higher than normal. "You're . . ."

He doesn't finish, but I don't need him to.

I'd texted Dad before I went to Midorima's house, telling him that I'd be home late. Good thing, too, because Midorima doesn't walk me home until after midnight. Both of us barely talk, each of our senses still buzzing. We didn't pay much attention to the movie.

It wasn't much, really. He held me. I lay against him, and hugged him so tight that my arms began to ache, but I never wanted to let go.

It's not quite like a step. But it's something.

"I'll see you later, then?" I say to Midorima, at the steps to my apartment.

He nods, wordless, and turns to head back.

A small smile graces my lips, and I let myself into my house.

It's not dark like I expected. Instead, I hear a laugh coming from the kitchen. I frown, my heart beginning to pound with anticipation, and move toward the sound.

Dad stands in the kitchen with a woman, his head back, mouth smiling widely, a glass of wine in his hand.

I stare.

Both of their gazes turn to me.

Dad nearly drops his glass. "Etsuyo! Oh, goodness, what time is it? I thought —"

"Who is she?" I ask him, pretending like the pretty woman next to him doesn't exist. She narrows her eyes at me and clucks her tongue.

"This is . . ." He hesitates and offers me a smile. "This is Kurihara-san. She's my girlfriend."

I turn away, then, and when I reach my room, even though I want to, I don't slam the door. Because that's surely something that Mom would do, and I don't want to be like either of them.

"Etsuyo." There's a knock on my door. "Etsuyo, I took the day off. Do you want to go out and do something? We could go to the mall. Grab a bite to eat. I'll get you out of school —"

"Go away!" I yell at my dad.

When he persists, I rip the covers from over me, and storm to the door, and open it with such force that he stumbles back. "Etsuyo —?"

"I thought you were torn up over Mom!" I shout at him, tears springing to the corners of my eyes. "I thought that you were nowhere near getting over her. And yet here you are, already on dates with beautiful women, without even a thought for her! And she's — she's dating people, too — and you're both just moving on, and I — what about me?"

I hate how my voice whines at the end.

Dad's face softens and he moves to pull me into a hug, but I push him away. "I don't want to go anywhere with you," I tell him. "Tell your boss that you'll come into work, after all."

His face crumbles, but he nods.

I glance at my clock, and when I see that I'm already on track to be late for school, I dive back under my covers. Today is not starting well.

Of course, it only get worse.

My phone starts to ring no less than five minutes later.

"Etsuyo!" My mom's bubbly voice spills over the speakers. "How are you doing?" She doesn't wait for me to answer, but plows on. "Guess what? Guess what? Hada-san proposed to me! Etsuyo, we're getting married! And he wants to take me to America! Can you believe that?"

I don't respond. I want to hang up, shut her voice out of my mind, forget her words, but my hand seems frozen, unable to move. She babbles on.

"I want you to come with me, Etsuyo," she says. "I think America will be a great opportunity for you. And your dad has had you for long enough. I miss you! And I really want you to be there for the wedding, which will be in America, of course. So I'm going to talk to your father today, and he really can't refuse, of course."

"What about me?" I repeat the words that I said earlier to Dad.

"What?" She falters.

"Do I have a say in any of this?" I ask.

"Don't — don't you want to go to America?"

I practically scream at her. "Why on earth would I want to go to America?"

"Etsuyo!" Shock fills her voice. "What are you saying?"

"I hate this! I hate this! I hate all of this!"

My hand tenses, and feelings returns. I snap the phone shut and throw it onto my bed. It immediately begins to ring again, but I ignore it.

Then there's a knock on my door, and I hear Midorima's voice.

I whirl around. I'm still in my pajamas. I haven't combed my hair. My emotions are even messier. I'm definitely not going to school. And Midorima —

"Etsuyo?" he calls.

I press my back against the door of my room, listening to his voice, calming my breathing.

"Today's lucky item," he continues. "It's a music box. Do you think you have one?"

My stomach drops out, and before I know it, I've burst out of my room to face him.

"Etsuyo?" His eyes widen at the sight of me. "What are you —?"

My eyes catch sight of the music box, and I pick it up.

He holds his hands out in habit, but then I simply glance at him, and his eyes wrinkle in concern.

I throw the music box across the room and it shatters.

A/N: The ending might seem kind of sudden, but most should be explained most chapter. As for Etsuyo's sudden and out-of-control reactions, well, she's still figuring stuff out. Thanks for reading!

~ J. Dominique