Chapter 11
Blinking a few times Kia made sure she wasn't hallucinating. She turned to look at Kai only to find him smiling.
Smiling!
Yup, she was definitely hallucinating.
Looking back at the person who was heading straight for her, Kia wondered if she was asleep. The sun was very warm.
The next thing she knew was that a pair of arms embraced her and held her tightly.
"Missed me?" her cousin's voice was exactly as she remembered it.
"Mika…?"
The girl let go of her and gave Kia her perfect smile. Then after a few moments Kia slowly smiled back.
Bouncing about, she hugged Mika again oblivious to the many people watching them; it was only Kai's voice that brought her back to the present.
"You know her?" he asked
"You know her?" Now Kia looked even more surprised.
"I asked first Twee"
"But I know her better Hiwatari"
"How can you be so sure?"
"STOP" Ryushi interrupted their little game "She's our cousin Kai"
"Now, how do you know her?" Kia asked her eyes fiery.
"We're in the art club together" Mika answered for her, her face showing amusement.
"But what're you doing here; I thought you were in Tokyo?"
"You know Dad was ill and all so I decided to spend a term here!"
"But how come we didn't know" Ryushi frowned
"I told your parents not to tell you so I could surprise my favourite cousin" Mika answered hugging Kia again.
Ryushi introduced Mika to their other friends while Kia just stood back and looked, unconsciously her eyes turned to Kai.
He was watching her cousin, his eyes betraying silent intensity. Slowly realising what those emotions were saying Kia grew still.
Oh God!
Maybe she was just mistaken. How many people did she know who could read Kai's expression exactly right? Not many…….
But what if……she was right?
Looking back at her cousin she caught a glance Mika directed at Kai, then a smile.
The last thing Kia would do was hurt her cousin, or any of her family. Lowering her and trying to sort out her thoughts the young girl made a quiet decision.
"Guys" she said loudly drawing attention to herself "I'd really like to stick around but I've gotta go, it's important"
Everyone nodded in understanding, apart from Kai who just looked at her with a suspicious glance and Mika who told her they would catch up later.
Grabbing her bag all too quickly and running faster than usual Kia disappeared into the building.
They were leaving that morning, and even though her cousin was coming with her, Kia felt the same uneasiness she always felt just before they left for Tokyo.
She was still in her room, packing her small backpack that carried her books and a few CDs. As it was Thursday today, Kia had decided she would stay over the weekend with her grandparents, though everyone else would return, and then come back by train on Sunday evening.
And that would give her a chance to stay away from Kai.
The thought of him made her fill with self pity but she didn't need a guy to help her so she assured herself she was fine.
The things we do….
In a distance the doorbell rang and someone opened it, then her mother shouted.
"Kia! It's Kai!"
Speak of the devil and the devil appears.
Walking as slow as she could and keeping her face as neutral as possible, Kia went down to meet Kai.
He was standing in the lounge, talking with her mother. He was holding some flowers in his hand.
Kia hid behind the door to watch them, it wasn't every day a girl got to see Kai, with his hair wet from the shower and flowers in his hand, looking as hot as ever.
Even though she knew what the roses were for, Kia couldn't help imagining they were for her.
Realising what she was doing Kia stood up straight.
She would be drooling soon………if situations stayed the same.
Confidently she stepped into the room her face quietly pleasant. Both her mother and Kai turned to face her.
"Hi" she said, making her voice slightly perky.
Kai just nodded. Mrs Tilwaree excused herself; she knew this was a private affair.
The Ceremony of Handing Over the Roses.
Sakei would find that really funny.
"Here" He handed her the roses "I came to give them to you before I left for school. I'll come back for them tomorrow evening and give you the homework then as well"
It was possibly one of the longest sentences Kai had ever spoken but Kia got over the shock fairly quickly.
"Kai I won't be coming back tomorrow, I'll come back only on Sunday evening, is that okay?"
Kai looked at her as if he couldn't understand what she was saying then nodded.
He moved towards the door and Kia followed him, when he stepped outside he turned to look at her.
"Have a nice time"
Then he walked away.
They reached Tokyo fairly quickly, without an uneventful car drive. It had just been Kia's luck to be stuck in the middle of Mika and Ryushi who kept leaning over her to talk to each other. And they didn't even agree to exchange places with her.
Kia's grandparents welcomed them warmly and hugged Kia tightly.
Later in the day the event of visiting Sakei's grave was a solemn one. Kia's mother cried a little, but the rest were quiet throughout it. Kia left the white roses on the grave giving her younger brother Kai's wishes and promising to come and collect them on Sunday.
The rest of the day the Tilwaree family and Mika spent with Kia's grandparents. They all had lunch together and after that while her parents and grandparents, and Ryushi surprisingly, discussed something, Mika and Kia went into the garden to bask in the sun.
They both lay in silence for a while, then Mika spoke up.
"Kia, do you know if Kai likes anyone?"
Kia couldn't even turn her face towards her cousin. Then, with quite a lot of difficulty, she did.
"Why?" she even managed a teasing smile.
Mika blushed and looked away "Stop it, you know why"
Only too well.
"No, Kai doesn't like anyone" the smile still remained.
Mika pouted and then gave Kia a scowl. Kia forced a hollow laugh.
"But I don't think he'll resist you for too long!" she said reassuringly.
Mika smiled as well.
The girls were quiet, both lost in thought of, who we would guess to be, the same person.
But our guess turns out wrong.
"Kia" she turned to see Mika who had a sad look on her face "is it possible to like two guys at once"
Surprised Kia stared at her cousin and before she could answer Mika got up and went inside.
That night everyone apart from Kia returned and she was happy not to have, Mika had decided to ask Kai out. Most cases said that he would not agree but Kia did not even think about it.
Or tried not to.
Her aunt, the one who lived in Tokyo took her shopping on Friday and also gave her a huge surprise. (You'll have to wait to find out)
She spent some time with her grandfather and her grandmother gave her a crash course in cooking with some helpful tricks.
She spent the rest of her time looking around the city, which she had always liked and all in all managed to keep her mind off her problems.
Not.
Sunday afternoon, about an hour before her train her grandfather dropped her off at Sakei's grave, but stayed in the car like he always did.
Kia went over and picked up the roses which were damp and withered, quite like her soul. She sat next to Sakei's grave and tried to cry for a moment but couldn't.
She wanted to pour all her sadness out, the loss of her brother, her self-pity on Kai not liking her, her guiltiness for wishing ill of Mika, but she couldn't.
Because she was only reminded of the happy moments she had shared with Sakei and how irritating Kai was and how she didn't need him to survive and how she could never wish ill of family even if it was her sacrifice and no one noticed that sacrifice.
She was fine. She was going home renewed, in more ways than one (secret! Surprise remember) She knew she was fine and so did everyone else. She was not going to crib, whine, and not even worry about any of Kai's taunts, though it would be difficult she would try.
Kia left Sakei's grave with a smile and lifted esteems.
Kia waited for the rest of the passengers to get off before taking her time to exit, she was in no hurry.
Stepping on the platform she looked around for Ryushi, and saw him. He hadn't seen her yet.
Walking towards him she called his name; he turned, looked right past her and looked away again.
She growled and reached and tapped him on the shoulder he looked at her again and then did a double take.
"Kia, that's you? Oh god! What did you do?"
Another cliffy! Sorry couldn't resist.
Review!
Kia