Disclaimer - For the record... there are a lot of things mentioned in my story that are either brand name or brand product, whatever. I own none of them. Just the story and it's ideas. Nothing more.
Author's Note: Hello all! How has everyone been? I know, before you say anything I am very much aware it has been over a month since my last update. But in my defense a lot has been going on this past month... for starters, my dad found out he has cancer. This was found out early in December. Within that week, he had surgery. He's recovering well, but still has to do chemo. Also, my grandmother fell ill right after Christmas and is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. Between those two disasters, birthdays, Christmas, New Years, working, and social life, I haven't been able to get on here much to write. I do apologize for the lengthy wait but as you can see I've been a little preoccupied.
On a happier note, this chapter will switch view points toward the middle AND it's going to be pretty lengthy overall. It will go from Tai's POV to Mimi's for a little bit. Mimi's POV will be written in italics so no one gets confused. I'll also pinpoint when it starts and when it ends. Thank you to those who are still following me on this story. I'm hoping to get it finished soon. There's isn't much left so just bare with me. :)
Chapter Eleven
"Pushing people away and denying yourself love makes you weak, not strong. Especially when you do it out of fear." -Author Unknown
Building. Another building. An even more boring building. Now we're driving over a really long bridge... Trees. Red trees, green trees, orange trees. There's a guy riding a tractor. There's some cows in a field on the other side of the road. I think the cab driver just ran over a cat. Ugh.
I somehow managed to avoid the awkward conversation with Mimi's parents after they walked in on us being not so subtle with the make out session in her bed. I'm not exactly sure how I averted it but I did and that's kind of all I care about at this moment. Mimi, however, wasn't as fortunate.
After we'd showered and gotten ready for the day, she hurried ahead of me downstairs where she was confronted by her parents. Her aunt and uncle -the two that walked in with her parents earlier- quickly excused themselves and made their way outside. That's when the yelling started. What a mess.
I was glad when we finally left. Mimi's dad wouldn't even glance my way when I stumbled by him in the kitchen.
Currently, Mimi and I are sitting in the back of a cab that's driving us outside the city to visit her grandmother.
"When is everyone supposed to be arriving?" I ask, breaking our drawn-out silence.
"There won't be many of us there today. Basically it's just going to be you, me, my parents, my dad's sister and her husband and their two kids. Everyone else will be there tomorrow," Mimi responds.
This whole day is just weird. Mimi is ignoring me. I'm not in the mood to talk to her either but still. I have a feeling this weekend is going to awkward.
I must admit, Mimi is a good actress. She plays this whole we're-desperately-in-love-so-leave-us-alone card very well. I heard the words: "I love him!" and "I don't care what you think because it won't change anything!" used more than once in the heated shouting match between her and her father. I just kept my distance. Her dad managed to strike a nerve -whether it was reasonable or not- and Mimi fed off of it in her heated fury.
I sigh as I continued to watch the lack of interesting things go by out the window. I'm not exactly sure how far away Mimi's grandmothers house is but from what I can see, we're not getting there any time soon. She said she lives in the country but this is just ridiculous.
I glance up at the cab driver, who is just nodding his head to the light music playing over the radio. He is an older man of the Middle Eastern persuasion. I don't think he speaks English any better than I do which kind of makes me feel better. In a country full of people I can't understand, I suddenly don't feel like the only outsider.
I think I ended up falling asleep on the drive because when I realize what's going on, the cab has stopped and we are parked outside a massive home in the middle of nowhere. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Mimi's parents have money; it's safe to assume her grandmother would as well. Rumor has it Mimi has a pretty hefty trust fund in her name that hasn't been touched since she was born. I can only imagine how much money its accumulated over the years. If Mimi and I decide to elope in Vegas while we're here at least I'll be rich the rest of my life.
Just kidding.
"Looks like we're the first ones here," Mimi says, exiting the cab.
I follow her in suit and retrieve my crutches from the trunk while she pays the driver. I grab my bags and look around, just admiring everything around me.
The estate is beautiful. The large home sits on endless acres of well-maintained land. There's a wrap-around porch with rocking chairs and other furniture. I can see horse stables in the distance and even an old-fashion red barn. I've never ridden a horse before. I wonder if we're going to get to do that while we're here? Oh wait. I have a broken leg. Scratch that thought.
"Remember, we're madly in love. So feel free to kiss me any time you feel necessary," Mimi says as she hauls her bag out of the trunk.
I laugh nervously, "Yeah. Sure."
"You'll be fine."
She walks over to me and kisses me lightly on the cheek. Her gentle fingers play with the hair in my face for a minute as she gives me a reassuring smile. It's enough to make me feel a little better, but not enough to make this constant nauseated feeling go away. I have to spend the next two days lying to people. I feel like I'm going to throw up.
"Nana!" Mimi calls loudly as she approaches the front of the house. Majority of the windows are open so if she's anywhere within hearing range, she'll be out shortly.
I brace myself as the front door opens, revealing an old woman. She has a smile plastered on her face and arms wide open ready for a hug. Mimi runs to her full-speed and my first initial thought is that she's going to break the Nana. Old people just look so fragile to me. Take my grandmother for example. My parents were forced to spend an extended visit with her recently all because she broke her finger. Her finger.
Much to my relief, Mimi doesn't break her. Actually, upon further observation, Nana doesn't look all that fragile anyways. She seems strong and poised and in control despite her old age. How old is she again? Ninety? Wow. Talk about a lifetime of achievements.
"Is that him? Is that the boy you're seeing now?" I hear Nana ask as I hobble closer to the porch stairs. Ugh, stairs. Why does everything have to have stairs?
"That's him," Mimi whispers back, a warm smile on her face.
"Very nice. I approve. You two will make beautiful babies."
I all but die from choking as I'm thrown into an awkward coughing fit. Did she just say we'd make beautiful babies together? Mimi and I aren't even technically together let alone talking about making babies. What is with this family?
"Tai, are you okay?" Mimi asks hurrying down the stairs to be by my side.
"I'm, *cough*, fine *cough*," I say as the choking begins to lessen.
"Let me help you up the stairs."
She does, and I manage to make it up there quite easily, despite the steep elevation. I get to the top and I'm greeted by Mimi's Nana, who has a very approving smile on her face. I smile back, except I feel like mine is lop-sided and awkward. I hope she doesn't notice.
"Good teeth too," Nana says.
"Um, thank you?" I reply, not meaning to make it into a question.
"So this is the boy that has stolen the heart of my granddaughter."
I laugh nervously, "Ha, yeah, that's me."
"I can see why she's so smitten with you. You're a very good looking young man. Let me guess: you play soccer?"
I brighten up at the mention of the beautiful game, "How did you figure that?"
"Strong legs, muscular build. Oh, and the soccer ball poking out of your travel bag might have been a giveaway."
I look down and see the soccer ball I brought peeking out of my bag and smile, "You're clever."
"How long have you played?"
"Since I was a kid."
"Tai was the best striker in Odaiba High School history," Mimi throws in.
"Was?" Nana asks. She would catch on that Mimi used past-tense.
"The school year is almost over," Mimi says quickly, "So soccer ended a while ago."
"Oh. Well, that's too bad. Are you planning to play in college?" Nana wonders.
I just shrug, "Probably not. My chances of anything like that are slim-to-none after what happened."
"Oh. What happened?"
Oops. Probably said too much on that.
"After he broke his leg!" Mimi chirps in. I'm glad she's better than me at lying on impulse or this conversation would get really awkward really fast.
"Oh, yeah my leg. I broke it last weekend after playing a recreational game with some friends. College scouts won't even consider someone who can't make summer tryouts," I say.
"That's too bad. So what made you decide to carry a soccer ball around with you even if you can't play?"
I shrug, "I take it with me everywhere, broken leg or not."
She smiles, "Good enough reason for me. Well, no use standing out here talking all day. Come in and I'll show you to your rooms. There's lunch waiting for you on the patio," Nana says turning and leading us into the house.
Though the house is only one story, it's bigger than most homes I've ever seen. The front door opens up to a large living room/kitchen area. There's a dining room set off to the side and what appears to be a work room and other areas that branch off. She leads us down a long hallway and at the very end is a set of stairs. I guess there is a second level I wasn't aware of.
"I was going to give you two the loft, but I wasn't aware Tai had a broken leg. It would probably make more sense to keep you two on the main floor so you can have this room," Nana says opening the last door on the left before the stairs, "I'll let you two get settled."
She walks away and Mimi doesn't waste any time making herself at home. I'm a little confused though. Why is Mimi's Nana allowing us to stay in the same room together? Does this family have any boundaries when it comes to inappropriateness? Guess not.
"Sorry the room is so small. At least the bed is big," Mimi says, unpacking her bathroom supplies and placing them on the counter in the adjoining bathroom.
I look at the "small" room and shake my head. This room is larger than my living room back at home. I don't think Mimi would survive in a regular sized apartment. She probably considers this "roughing it" for the weekend.
"If this is the smallest room, I'd hate to see what the others look like," I say.
"This house has five bedrooms and then the loft. This room is the smallest which is understandable as to why we're in here. Nana is probably putting everyone with kids in the bigger rooms," Mimi replies.
"I'm not complaining. It's fine to me. I must say that I'm kind of surprised she's letting stay in the same room though."
"Why? I'm an adult. I make my own choices. Not to mention she really wants a great grandbaby before she dies. I think this is her subtle way of hinting at it."
"That's... really uncomfortable, honestly."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"It's not like we'll actually be sleeping together while we're here. I mean, we'll be sleeping together but not actually... oh, whatever I'm sure you get it."
"Yeah, got it the first time."
"Great."
"Hurry and unpack. I'm starved."
She left me after that. I watched her walk out of the room and contemplated whether I should just hide in their all day versus facing awkward and prolonged conversation with Nana. She seemed like such a nice old lady. I really didn't want to lie straight to her face to make her believe Mimi and I were together when we really aren't. A rock and a hard place. Story of my life.
"You coming, sweetheart?" I hear Mimi call from the hallway.
I guess it's time to suck it up and put my game face on. I just have to keep reminding myself that this charade will only last another forty eight hours. If I can get through this then I can get through anything.
I walk through the hall and into the living room and see that Mimi and Nana have made their way outside to the large porch. I crutch my way through, trying not to break anything in the process, and join them outside. They both greet me with a smile.
On the patio table there's a feast awaiting us. I can see everything from sandwiches and fruit to rice balls and everything in between. My stomach starts screaming at me and I can't wait to dig in.
"Help yourself," Nana says as she stirs what I assume to be tea in a glass cup.
"Thank you!" I reply, helping myself to just about everything on the table.
I look over and see that all Mimi has managed is a bowl of fruit and half a sandwich. It kind of makes me wonder: does she ever eat? In all the time we've been spending together lately I never notice her do anything more than pick at what's on her plate. I mean, she's always been skinny but isn't lack of eating a sign of depression or something? Should I be worried?
"How's Bella?" Mimi asks suddenly.
"Who is Bella?" I reply just as quickly.
She smiles, "Bella is my horse."
"You have a horse?"
"Sure do."
"You never told me that."
"The conversation never came up. So how is she, Nana?"
"She's fine dear. I haven't been leaving the house much, what with my knees bothering me and all, but the stable keeper says she's doing just fine. Go ahead and see her. I won't mind. I know she misses you," Nana says.
Mimi's face lights up and she stands, "Excuse me while I go change."
I panic as she runs into the house leaving me alone with Nana. Now what?
"I didn't know Mimi had a horse."
Ugh. Of course I'd pick the dumbest thing to say. She already knew that, ding dong.
"Oh yes. We have a lot of horses on the property but Bella was a gift to Mimi on her thirteenth birthday, right after they moved to New York. She's a stubborn little thing though. She won't let anyone except Mimi ride her. Others have tried but she just bucks them right off, or throws a fit before they even try. She's a beautiful animal, but so very, very stubborn."
I laugh, "Kind of like Mimi."
Nana laughs too, "Mimi definitely does like to get her way, that's for sure. She gets that from my son; her father. There are some stubborn people in this family. It's probably why I'll live forever. I refuse to give in to this old age."
I just laugh again, not really sure what to follow up with that. Thankfully, Mimi appears again in that moment. She changed from her cute sundress into a pair of skinny jeans, a tank top, and boots that look like something straight out of a Western movie. Did I mention the boots are pink?
"Oh! Almost forgot!" She said rushing back into the house, this time reappearing with a pink cowboy hat on. Why is everything always pink?
I'm suddenly flooded with memories of when we were eleven. Mimi went through a huge cowgirl phase and wore boots and a pink cowboy hat just about everywhere. We all thought it was strange, and she eventually grew out of it, but now she looks... sexy; rugged, even. I like it.
"You ready?" She asks me directly.
"Uhm..." I look toward the horse barn, way in the distance, and then down at my broken leg. Well, if it'll get me away from being left alone with Nana for a while then I guess I'll just suck it up and haul my butt out there. I might die halfway there but that's okay. At least I'll go out peaceful.
"Be right back!" Mimi said, running down the porch steps and disappearing again.
"She's so full of energy," Nana comments.
"You're telling me," I reply, "Where's she going, anyway?"
"To get the Beast, probably."
"The what?"
I end up hearing it before I even see it. The loud revving of an engine and wheels crushing things comes barreling through the yard and parks right next to the porch stairs. I can literally feel my mouth hanging open in awe.
"This is how we like to travel on Nana's ranch," Mimi laughs, hopping off of the thing.
"What is that? It's amazing!" I ask.
Sitting in front of me is "The Beast". If you took a golf cart and a four-wheeler, combined them and jacked it up on steroids, you would end up with this thing. It's painted in camouflage colors and even has a monster face drawn on the front. The word BEAST is spray painted across the side. I wonder how fast it can go? I think I'm in love.
Mimi's laughing at the look on my face, "Well, don't just sit there! Let's get going!"
I don't waste any more time. I excuse myself from the table and walk over to the stairs. I end up leaving my crutches behind because let's face it, I won't need them if I'm going to be riding on this thing.
"Do try to keep it on the path until you're out in the field, please," Nana insists, "I like my yard to remain green without tire tracks."
"Will do, Nana," Mimi says and helps me down the stairs and onto the Beast.
Damn this broken leg of mine! I want to drive it so bad!
"You ready? Buckle up, buttercup," She says, "See you later, Nana!"
Mimi turns the key and the Beast roars to life. My eyes widen as she steps on the accelerator and we speed off. It is in this moment that I realize Mimi drives this thing the same way she drives her car... and that kind of scares me.
"Where did you get this thing?" I yell over the roaring engine and wind zipping past us.
"My cousins and I built it two summers ago! It can reach up to sixty miles per hour and can drive through anything, even snow!" She yells back and smiles.
"Mimi, I think I just fell in love with you."
She smirks, "We're already in love, remember?"
I just laugh as she flies across the marked path that Nana mentioned. The horse barn is a lot further away that I first realized. It takes a good couples of minutes before we even reach it. Nana's house looks so tiny in the distance.
As soon as Mimi pulls up, the horses standing near the outer fence take off into the open field. Hell, I'd be scared of this thing too if I didn't know any better.
Mimi shuts the engine off and all is peaceful again.
"I probably should have asked where Bella is," Mimi says and jumps off The Beast.
"What does she look like?" I wonder.
"Well, for starters, she's our only horse with blue eyes."
"Horses can have blue eyes?"
"Guess so. I guess it's a birth defect or something and breeders don't keep them around."
"What color is she?"
"She's brown with a white face and spots and white feet. Her hair is white too. She kind of stands out among most of the other horses that are solid colors."
Mimi starts walking around the barn toward the fence and begins calling her name. I look too, even though I can't move around. Soon enough, the horse she described comes running through the field toward the fence. She stops abruptly and starts neighing. It kind of reminds me of when a dog whines after not seeing their master for a long period of time. It's kind of cute.
"There you are! Come on, sweetheart," Mimi says and opens the gate to let the horse through. She grabs onto her bridle and leads her toward the barn. I just watch in amazement as Mimi handles this magnificent creature with ease.
"You don't mind if I take her out for a minute, do you?" She asks, grabbing a saddle.
"No, not at all. Do what you need to do," I reply.
"Thank you."
I can see how genuinely happy she is to be able to reconnect with this horse. I've heard that horses can sense good in people, perhaps that's why she only let's Mimi handle her. Mimi's a gentle person, most of the time. I can also see that this horse would follow Mimi anywhere.
Mimi gets the horse geared up and climbs on the saddle. Bella walks gracefully out of the barn and stops in front of me.
"I won't be long, I promise," she says and soon enough they're off.
I don't mind being alone. It's so peaceful out here that I can literally just sit here and take in everything around. It also prevents me from having awkward conversation with people I don't know. Take your time, Mimi.
Mimi stays close to where I am, never leaving eye sight. I'm mesmerized by how well she handles Bella. I've never ridden a horse before let alone been in contact with one except at a petting zoo. Horses aren't exactly a common thing on the mean streets of Tokyo. Mimi makes it look so easy.
I'm distracted when someone starts shouting at me from behind. I turn and see a rather attractive girl, probably around my age, walking toward me. She's asking me something, but I have no idea what it is. I guess she's asking me in English but I have no clue. I just stare at her dumbfounded.
She approaches me with a confused look on her face. She starts talking again and I just stare at her. She's giving me this "Well, what are you going to say?" look, making me extremely uncomfortable. I hate this language barrier.
I take a moment to check her out. She's a tiny little thing, built much like Mimi but curvier and larger breasted. She has dark brown hair, sun-kissed skin, and the bluest eyes I think I've ever seen on anyone besides Yamato and Takeru. She's wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts with the pockets hanging out, showing off her toned legs. She, like Mimi, is wearing a pair of cowboy boots and a button down shirt tied up under her breasts leaving her toned stomach exposed and my brain to think inappropriate things. Okay, she's hot, I admit it. Basically picture Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke, but with dark hair, and that's this girl.
My lingering question though is: who is dark-haired beauty?
"Hi?" I say in broken English, hoping she catches on that I don't speak it fluently.
"You must be Tai," she says finally and I actually understand her.
"Uh, yeah. That's me," I reply.
"Sorry. I wasn't aware you don't speak English."
"Well, in all honesty I'm just glad you speak Japanese."
She laughs, "Well, my mom is from there so I grew up bilingual."
"Um, who are you exactly?"
"Oh, sorry! How rude of me. My name is Kayleigh. I'm Mimi's cousin."
"Oh!" I say, pretending like I've heard of her before, even though I haven't. Outside of Mimi's parents and now Nana, I've never met or heard of anyone in her family. I guess she doesn't get along with them very well so she never mentions them.
She laughs again, "You have no clue who I am do you?"
I sigh, "Not a clue. Mimi has never mentioned you before."
"It's okay. I'll forgive you because you're cute."
I feel myself blushing. Wait a minute, I'm supposed to be "in a relationship" with Mimi. I shouldn't be blushing at this cute girls comments. If it were some random girl, sure, maybe, but this is Mimi's cousin we're talking about.
"Where is Mimi, anyway?" Kayleigh wonders, looking around.
"Out riding her horse," I respond.
"Why did she leave you here?"
I lift my leg with the cast and show her. She nods in acknowledgment.
"Broken leg. Got it," she says, "How did you manage that one?"
"I... fell."
"Don't tell me Mimi pushed you down a flight of stairs or something?"
I laugh out loud, "No, nothing like that. I was playing soccer with some friends and it started raining. Well, needless to say the competition got pretty heated toward the end. Someone slid into me and I went down, hard. The bone went straight through the skin."
"Wow. That's awesome. The bone through the skin thing not the fact that you broke your leg."
"I guess. I just wish I had a better story to tell. Maybe I'll start telling people I was on the black diamond course snowboarding when a bear jumped out of the trees and he grabbed onto my snowboard, breaking my leg in the process. Now that would be a bad ass story to tell."
I've managed to make her laugh again. She has a really nice laugh, even if it is only the kind you get when girls do it to flirt with you. I don't really mind to be honest.
She moves closer to me and we start talking. We are connecting really well and the conversation is just flowing. I end up forgetting all about Mimi and my focus turned solely to Kayleigh.
Mimi*
The greatest thing about riding horseback is the feeling of absolute freedom that comes with it. I've had my share of problems recently, what with the whole pregnancy scare and Michael pushing to get back together thing, and then Tai and I casually sleeping together and now pretending we're actually together just to please my grandmother. But up here, on Bella's back, none of that matters. It's just her, me, and the wide open field.
I feel bad for leaving Tai alone but I don't get this chance very often. Bella is the main reason I used to come out here during the beginning of every summer before visiting Japan. I mean, I like seeing my Nana and all, but she can travel, Bella can't. It's hard being away from her. She's the only thing close to a pet I've ever had. Even then, I don't consider her a pet. She's more like family.
I remember the day we were introduced into each others lives. It was my thirteenth birthday and I had just gotten over my whole wishing I was a cowgirl phase. My parents drove me out to Nana's, after much protesting mind you; I would have much rather spent this very big birthday out with friends but they forced me anyways. I remember being bitter the entire drive. I didn't want to go to my grandmother's house. I used to think it was so boring. She lived out in the middle of nowhere, had no neighbors, and I couldn't even bring a friend with me. I just couldn't seem to find an upside to it.
When we got there, I tried to pretend that I was happy to see Nana, even though I was royally pissed for being dragged here against my will. I love my Nana and I never wanted to hurt her feelings so I sucked it up and played happy face for a while. The whole time I was thinking 'She better have gotten me an amazing birthday gift to make up for this'. Looking back on it now, I realize how selfish I used to be. Everything was about me. I grew up very privileged though and always got what I wanted so it was hard to expect otherwise.
I hate that I used to be like that. It's not who I am now and it really makes me wonder how I managed to maintain the friendships that I still have. I would have told me to get lost a long time ago, but my friends stuck through it and I'm grateful everyday for it.
But anyways... when we got to Nana's she drove me out to the horse stables telling me it was where she'd hidden my birthday present. My first thought was that she'd gotten me a car, as ridiculous a thought as that was. I was only thirteen and couldn't drive for two more years but I was hopeful. Instead, I opened the barn doors to see her - my Bella.
She was a tiny little thing to begin with. She was small and loud and had a bow wrapped around her neck. She looked scared to death and tried to pull away from just about everyone that came in contact with her.
The first thing I noticed about Bella were her eyes. Imagine the ice blue color of a Siberian Husky's eyes and stick them on a horse and those were her eyes. It never dawned on me that breeders disliked horses with blue eyes because they were considered a genetic defect and they usually got rid of them as quickly as they could, as to not continue passing on the gene. I didn't care. Those were the most beautiful eyes on any animal I'd ever seen. She was perfect to me.
Everyone around me was talking loudly about how beautiful she was and I could see that it was making her nervous. She didn't know what to think of any of us. She was young so I could only assume she'd been plucked away from her mother recently. She probably felt abandoned and horrified of the experience.
"Hush!" I remember shouting at everyone so they would stop talking.
When the barn became quiet, I slowly walked to Bella. I could see her struggling against the rope tying her to the stable door. She wanted to get as far away from us as possible and I didn't blame her at all.
"It's okay. I won't hurt you," I whispered, slowly putting my hand out toward her.
If I've learned one thing about animals it's that you always let them come to you first. If you can stand still and gain their trust, then that's the only way you're ever going to get in. You can't force them. It doesn't work that way.
She stared at my hand for what seemed like hours. Finally, just after I was about to give up, she nudged my hand with her nose and even licked it after taking a sniff or two. My heart melted and I was instantly in love. I think she sensed that no harm would come to her, not from me at least, and that opened up a trust I can never explain.
After that, we were instant best friends. I took every chance I got to come visit my Nana just so I could be with Bella. She was the one constant thing in my life that remained good and I wasn't about to give up on that for anything. To this day, I'm still the only one she will let ride her. She doesn't mind the guy that comes out here and takes care of her and the other horses, but I think that's only because he feeds her. God forbid he let him ride her though.
I'm rounding back toward the stable when I hear an all-too-familiar laugh catch my attention. I look over and see Kayleigh, my cousin, sitting next to Tai on the Beast. When did she get here?
I bring Bella to a slower pace and just watch them for a minute from the distance. They're talking. Okay, that's innocent enough. Tai looks like he's genuinely enjoying having someone to talk to since I dipped out on him. Then they start laughing and I see her hand gently caress his arm. He's not doing anything about it. In fact, he actually looks like he's enjoying that she's touching him.
Something inside of me snaps and my heart starts racing. I can even feel my cheeks turning red in rage. That bitch! Who does she think she is touching Tai like that? I mean, granted Tai and I aren't actually together... but regardless! Does she have to hit on every guy she comes in contact with?
See, here's the thing about Kayleigh. She is, for lack of a better term, a skank. In other words, she gets around... a lot. She is my dad's sisters daughter. She is almost exactly one year younger than me; a soon-to-be senior in high school. She and I attended different schools but hung out sometimes on the weekends. Her family lives in Greenwich, Connecticut in a multi-story, multimillion dollar house. If people think I'm spoiled, they haven't seen anything until they meet her. She's rude, backstabbing, and selfish, which completely blows my mind because her parents are some of the nicest people in the world.
Since Kayleighs dad is American, she inherited some of the better physical appearance genes in our family. Her eyes are sky blue, she has curves and a flat stomach, and was blessed with large breasts whereas others in the family, like me, will probably have to pay a plastic surgeon to ever achieve that size. She is tan and skinny and pretty and knows it (You know that song, "Sexy and I Know it" by LMFAO? Well, I'm pretty sure it's her theme song). She's been with more people than I can count on two hands and is a heart breaker in it's finest form. She's never had a boyfriend for more than a month and doesn't believe in long-term commitment. I had the same boyfriend for over three years, only come to find out recently that she made his list of people he was screwing around on me with. How that happened I'll never know. She lives a state away. I honestly don't want to know how it happened.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't like her. We're family, but that doesn't mean shit when you're as two-faced as she is. We play pretend around each other but we both don't like one another. And now that she's trying to take Tai away from me just so she can add another person to her list, which is a really low blow. Not that she even cares.
I figure it's probably time to stop this before it goes any further than harmless flirting and arm touching. Tai's will power to say no is pretty much non-existent so if she was really intent on screwing with him, the odds would be in her favor.
I bring Bella up to the side of the fence near the gate and hop down off of her. I quickly pull of the saddle and reigns and let her be free, even though she is resistant to leave my side. I reach in the side pocket of the saddle and pull out a couple sugar cubes. She graciously takes them and then trots off to do whatever it is horses do when they're out in a field.
I see her touch him again. She knows I'm standing here, I saw her glance my way, but she doesn't care. It's time to put a stop to this before she jumps on him without caring who sees.
I'm not exactly sure how much time has passed since Kayleigh and I started talking. She's easy to get along with and is super sexy. I don't see any harm in casually flirting with her, seeing as how I'm not technically in a relationship with anyone.
"Your hair is so pretty. How do you get it like that?" Kayleigh asks as she reaches up and begins playing with my hair.
"Oh, you know, I just kind of roll out of bed looking like this," I reply.
"It's very sexy."
She continues playing with it when I see Mimi quickly approach out of the corner of my eye. I didn't even know she was back. As if I'm doing something wrong, I quickly pull away from Kayleigh's touch.
If Mimi noticed she doesn't make any indication of it. Before she even says anything she grabs both sides of my face and forces me into such a passionate kiss, I feel like if Kayleigh weren't sitting right here next to us, we'd be doing it right now on the Beast not giving a crap who sees.
She drags the kiss out probably a little longer than she should have but eventually does pull away. Why do I get the feeling that she did see Kayleigh and I flirting and this is a warning to make Kayleigh back off?
"Hey cuz," Mimi says with a snide grin.
"Mimi," Kayleigh replies just as snide.
I look between them and I'm suddenly very uncomfortable. I make a mental note to ask Mimi what the deal is between her and Kayleigh later. It has become very clear that they do not get along.
Dinner that night turns out to be really uncomfortable. Mimi's parents arrived shortly after three, along with Kayleigh's parents (Ayame and Jonathan) and their fifteen year old son, Taylor. I was told everyone else would be arriving tomorrow in the early afternoon.
We are all sitting at a long dinner table that sits near two French doors, opening up to the back patio. I sit quietly and pick at my food trying to ignore everyone around me. Mimi is on my right side and Kayleigh just so happened to pick the spot on my left side. Mimi's dad has been shooting me disapproving/you-better-sleep-with-one-eye-open-because-I'm-coming-for-you looks all night. If looks could kill, I would have been dead a long time ago. Ayame and Jon are chatting it up with Nana and Mimi's mom keeps glancing my way and winking every time we make eye contact. Kayleigh's little brother looks just about as thrilled to be here as I feel. He has barely spoken two words since they arrived. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"So Mimi," Kayleigh begins, drowning out the conversation between everyone else, "How long have you and Tai been together?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but not very long," Mimi replies with an attitude.
"So was it love at first sight then? I mean, you two are in love, right?"
"You could say that."
"How did you two meet? I've never heard you mention him before."
"We were eleven and at summer camp."
"Good for you moving on so quickly after just having come out of such a serious relationship."
I think I felt Mimi flinch next to me before I ever saw it happen. Her failed relationship with ex-douchebag was still a sensitive subject. What was Kayleigh's problem bringing it up like that?
"Speaking of relationships," Kayleigh continued, "Gran, I invited a friend to the party tomorrow. I hope that's okay."
"Fine by me, dear," Nana said and then continued her conversation with Ayame.
"New flavor of the week?" Mimi said.
Kayleigh smiled like she was trying to hold back a secret, "Something like that."
"Do we know him?"
"I guess you'll just have to wait and see won't you?"
"Bring on the next ex-boyfriend."
"He's not a boyfriend. More of just a casual fling."
I feel her hand snake under the table and begin rubbing my thigh. This girl just screams trouble. It's like she's trying to get me in trouble with Mimi to give herself some sick pleasure. I move my leg and feel her hand lift away.
Mimi gives a laugh/bark and rolls her eyes, "Aren't they all? How many is this now? Ten? Twenty?"
"Wouldn't you like the know."
"I don't care, actually."
"I never thought you did."
I feel the need to excuse myself at that moment and make as quick of an exit as I can. I am not planning to stick around and see how long it takes for them to start throwing knives at each other.
I walk down the long hallway to mine and Mimi's room and take a long bathroom break. I'm trying to waste time more than anything.
When I open the door, my heart skips a beat when I see Taylor standing directly in front of me.
"Holy shi-" I say, my heart pounding, "What are you doing?"
"Tell my sister you smoke," he said.
"What?"
"If you tell her you're a smoker, she'll back off. She doesn't go after anyone that smokes. It's her biggest turn off."
"But won't she kind of figure out that I don't if I never excuse myself to take a smoke break?"
"Here."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He hands a couple of them to me and a spare lighter. So Taylor smokes. Good to know. I wonder how his parents feel about that? Scratch that. I doubt they even know. He is only fifteen after all.
"If nothing else just purposely let her catch you with it lit. She'll leave you alone after that," he says and proceeds to walking out of the room.
I suddenly have a whole new respect for this angst-filled teenage boy that I just met. Maybe I will get along with someone this weekend after all.
Dinner manages to pass by pretty quickly after that. After our plates are removed, Kayleigh excuses herself from the table to take a phone call. Everyone else places themselves elsewhere as well leaving Mimi and I alone at the table. I use this opportunity to tell her about my "smoking habit".
"That's a really good idea, actually. She won't touch a person who smokes," Mimi comments.
"All I gotta do is have her catch me doing it and she won't bug me any more," I say.
"Go outside right now and light one up. She's out there she'll definitely see it."
"What? You mean now? But I have to mentally prepare for this. I've never smoked before in my life what if I start choking to death? She'll call me out immediately."
"Just don't inhale the smoke. Suck it in but don't do anything with it."
"Why do I get the feeling you've done this before?"
"We all have our secrets. Now go."
I grumble as I lift myself up and crutch my way outside. I see Kayleigh down in the yard, talking to someone on the phone. She's far enough away that she hasn't noticed my presence, but close enough so that I know when she's done.
I decide to pick a spot on the side of the house where no windows are open and no one can see me from inside. If Mimi's dad dislikes me now, he'd probably freak out if he thought I was a smoker. He'd probably pull some "You're corrupting my daughter with your bad habits!" or something crazy like that.
I pull the cigarette out of my pocket and just stare at it for a minute. I've never smoked before. Ever. How am I supposed to pull this off like I know what I'm doing?
I hear her conversation slowly coming to an end and she's about to turn around. I stick the cigarette in my mouth and cup the end of it while lighting it. I've seen Yamato do this a couple times so I guess it looks legit. It works and the cigarette lights. I see her turn around and head back to the porch just as I fake a puff of smoke.
She hops up the stairs and smells me before she sees me. She glances my way and I see a look of absolute disgust wash over her face. It takes everything in me not to start smiling. I blow the nasty smoke out of my mouth and casually glance at her.
"Want one?" I ask lamely.
"You're a smoker?" She replies.
"Three years now."
"You know those will kill you, right?"
I shrug, "So I've been told."
"Your funeral."
She scoffs in disgust and walks into the house. As soon as she's out of sight I throw the nasty thing on the porch and stomp it with my foot. How does Yamato get a kick out of these things? Gross.
Mimi joins me a couple minutes later. She has a smug smile on her face. I guess that means the plan worked. I also notice that she's managed to change her clothes in that short amount of time. She put on a pair of white pajama shorts that say PINK scrolled across the butt (I'm assuming Victoria's Secret on that one? Don't even ask how I know that) and an old black t-shirt that says "Cheerleader 2005" across the front. Also, she switched from bare feet to black Ugg boots. It really bothers me that I know what those are. Good thing I have a sister or that would be some really awkward fashion knowledge.
"I'm glad that's taken care of," she said.
"What's with the bag?" I wonder, noticing she's carrying a large bag full of miscellaneous items under her arm.
"How do you feel about late-night golf cart drives?"
"Won't the Beast wake up half the state?"
She laughs, "The Beast isn't the only golf cart we have, silly. There are quieter ones. Wait here I'll be right back."
She runs down the patio stairs and disappears around the side of the house. I'm not entirely sure what she has planned but anything sounds better than sitting around here waiting for awkward small talk from her family.
I see her pull up in a smaller golf cart moments later. She puts it in park and comes back up the stairs to me.
"Ready?" She asks, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the stairs.
"Is this the part where you kill me and dump my body in some lake on the property?" I ask.
She smirks, "Not quite. It's either come with me or hang out with my parents. Your choice."
"Lead the way!"
She helps me down the stairs and assembles my crutches so that they're snug tight in the back. I look back toward the house and wonder what everyone else is doing.
"Won't they notice we're gone and come looking?" I say.
"Doubtful. Nana's already heading to bed and everyone else is getting close to it. Tomorrow's going to be a big day so they all want to sleep early. Kayleigh will find some way to entertain herself I'm sure and Taylor already disappeared into the office to play on the laptop. We'll be fine. Trust me."
She steps on the gas pedal and we zoom forward. It's dark outside but the moon is shining so brightly that it makes crossing the yard a piece of cake. I'm honestly not sure where Mimi's planning to take me or what she's got in that bag. Should I be scared?
I see the horse barn coming into view and shortly after we're parked next to it. Mimi turns off the golf cart and makes her way to the back to grab my crutches. After handing them to me she opens the barn door slowly and peaks around as if she's making sure no one's there.
"Come on," she says when she sees me hovering by the cart.
"Is there a reason we're planning to hang out in a horse barn? I'm not gonna lie... the smell alone might make me change my mind."
She rolls her eyes and comes forward to grab my arm, "I told you to trust me. Come on."
I sigh and follow her because I figure there's no way of getting out of this. Mimi is so stubborn. When she wants something done her way there's no changing it. You either give in or get punched in the face.
We're walking to the end of the barn and I hear all of the horses making noises from both sides. Just how many horses do they have exactly? They're sounding as if we disturbed their sleep.
We reach the end and Mimi slips a key into a locked door on the right. She opens it and flips on a switch and I'm stunned.
"Welcome to my home away from home," she says with a smile.
At the end of the barn is a fully furnished room complete with couches, a futon, HDTV, small kitchen, and bathroom. I didn't even know barns could have spare rooms like this. What was this room used for? Casual hang out for the stable help?
"Make yourself at home," she says shutting the door behind us.
I walk over to the couch and sit down with a sigh of relief, "What is this place?"
"This is where us grandkids come when we want to have some fun. Thirsty?"
She opens the tote bag she brought with her and reveals two blankets and a bottle of good old Captain Morgan. This girl never ceases to amaze me, that's for sure.
"I figured you and I deserve a little fun after today," she says opening the bottle and taking a swig. I can imagine the feeling of the alcohol coursing down her throat, warming her cheeks up to a soft pink.
"Where did you manage to get that?" I wonder as she hands me the bottle and I take a swig. Again, probably not the greatest idea mixed with pain killers. Oh well.
"Stole it from my parents liquor cabinet. They never pay attention that thing so I put their booze money to good use. It was also the reason I threw the best parties in high school."
"I would imagine so."
I hand her back the bottle as she takes a seat next to me and turns on the TV. She grabs one of the blankets she brought and throws it on us both. I wrap my arm over her shoulders and she leans in, resting her head against mine.
"Sorry about my family," she says, "I know you didn't want to come on this trip but I'm really glad you did. As you can tell, I don't exactly get along with them."
"What's the deal with your cousin, anyway?"
"She's a cold-hearted bitch. There's not much else to it then that."
I decide not to push it. Mimi doesn't sound like she's in the mood to talk about it so I'm not going to make her. I take another swig of the spiced liquor and slowly but surely things begin to get fuzzy.
"I'm glad you're here," she whispers, cuddling closer to me.
"Me too," I reply.
Hours seem to pass and Mimi and I have managed to get a little more than toasted. Somehow, amidst all the drunken conversation and playfulness, we just so happened to build a fort in the middle of the room. How this happened I will never know but I'm not complaining one bit because it's awesome.
We're lying on the floor in opposite directions with our heads are next to each other. She's talking about nonsense but everything is making me laugh. We're really having a nice time enjoying each others company.
"Can we just stay here the entire weekend?" I ask, staring up at the multicolored blankets above us.
I see her smile through my peripheral, "If only."
"Forget everyone else. We'll wish Nana a happy birthday then be on our way, back home. To Japan."
"Home. You know, I've only been living back in Japan for not even two months now and it already feels more like home than New York ever did."
"That's because you have people like me who hang out with you and build forts in the middle of pint-sized horse barn apartments."
She laughs for a minute after that, "You're amazing. You know, if the world worked the way it was supposed to, you and I would probably make the perfect couple. Granted that actually happened, ever."
Hmm. Where have I heard that one before?
"Too bad I'm emotionally unavailable and you're emotionally damaged though, right?" I repeat.
"I wouldn't say that exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"To be honest, it's not that I'm not emotionally ready to start dating anyone. It's more... oh, I don't know, fear of rejection? I guess."
"Any guy who rejects you would be an idiot."
She scoffs, "Tell that to my ex."
"You know, he'll get what's coming to him. Forget about him he's an asshole. You should be glad things happened the way they did because if it hadn't, you would have continued going with a relationship that was always going to be a lie. Not to mention, you never would have made the decision to move back to Japan permanently, even though it's what you've always wanted."
"I've never thought of it that way before."
"Well, it's true. He missed out on something great because he was a loser and I'm sure later down the road he'll realize that. You got the better end of the stick, believe me."
She rolls over from her back so that she's propped up on her elbows and we're looking at each other. I smile at her and she smiles back. That's one thing that I love about Mimi, no matter how many times shes been beat down, she still manages to find a positive side in everything.
"Thank you for being so amazing," she says and leans to kiss me lightly on the lips.
Now, you should know by now that nothing between her and me ever ends with just a peck on the lips. I guess we only have ourselves to blame though. When we get alcohol involved, we start talking about real-life issues, and then we end up doing things we both will regret in the morning. At the moment, it seems like Heaven though. I guess we'll just deal with it in the morning.
To be continued...
I think this was my longest chapter so far. Over 10,000 words. What what! Now, don't start freaking out on me saying "Omg so it's going to end in Michi" or "Dang it! I wanted this to be a Taiora/Sorato!" Just remember, Mimi and Tai are currently alone, in another country, without the influence of anyone from their social group. Things are gonna happen but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to end in that favor. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. That is all. Please review!
