bonbonbunny: I am so happy to have internet again! I finally get to update! This is the first of three chapters to be updated! I hope you enjoy! ;)
Chapter Fourteen: The Calm Before The Storm
Ruri sighs and looks up at the school, her legs crossed in front of her. She leans back, her arms supporting her. Karin lies next to her, her arms crossed under her head. Reiko sits on the other side of Ruri, her legs neatly tucked under her. Reiko plucks small bites of rice from the bento box sitting in her lap.
"It's pretty quiet today." She says after swallowing some rice. Karin smiles and closes her eyes, the sun shines down warming her skin.
"Yeah, its peaceful days like this that makes it worth coming." Karin says. Ruri smiles and nods, as she tilts her head back.
"I wish things were always like this." Ruri mumbles. Reiko and Karin sigh in agreement.
"Miss Nakamichi! Miss Steep! Miss Kumajiro!" Ruri groans.
"Please tell me it's not the ass stick?" Karin asks. Ruri opens her eyes and looks towards the school doors. A tall handsome young man walks towards them, his walks at a purposeful pace. His shoulder length blonde hair shines golden in the sun as he storms over to Ruri, Karin and Reiko. Karin groans.
"Great." She mutters sitting up. Reiko frowns.
"Students should be in class." The guy says as he stops in front of the three girls, his hands on his hips.
"We're allowed to eat lunch outside, Sensei said so." Karin says standing up. Ruri smirks up at the guy.
"Fine, we'll go." Ruri says standing up and dusting the dirt off her backside. The Student Body President looks at Ruri, a look of disdain on his face.
"Good." He spits. Ruri grins.
"What's it feel like to be so far up the principal's ass we can barely see your feet?" Karin laughs and Reiko snorts. The President turns bright red.
"How does it feel to get a detention?" He yells. Ruri groans. The President grins.
"Have a good day, Miss Nakamichi." He says. Ruri glares after him and sticks her tongue out.
"Asshole." She mumbles. Karin grins shaking her head.
"You always do that." She says wrapping an arm around Ruri's neck. Reiko sighs and stands up.
"I'll go tell Shuichi." She says walking off, her bento in hand. Ruri heaves a sigh.
"He's gonna be pissed." Ruri whines. Karin shakes Ruri a little.
"Naw, its Shuichi remember. He'll be nice and calm about it." Ruri smiles slightly, but doesn't look convinced. She and Karin split up and walk to separate classrooms. Ruri sighs as she sits in her seat. It had been a two weeks since Ruri had given Shuichi his giant greenhouse and he was happy to have it, but recently Shuichi seemed to have a shorter temper with her. The last class passes quickly; leaving Ruri the horrible task of walking to the chem. Lab. Ruri drags her feet as she slowly walks to the lab. She gulps as the door comes into view. Ruri peeks in quickly, spots Shuichi then leans away. She slides down to the floor and wraps her arms around her legs, as she brings knees to her chest. Ruri sighs. Shuichi was gonna be ticked.
"Ruri?" Ruri looks up and smiles seeing Tohru, her homeroom teacher.
"Hi, Sensei." She says. Tohru smiles.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be heading home?" He asks setting his brief case on the floor across from Ruri. Ruri shakes her head.
"No, I'm waiting for Shuichi." Ruri says nodding towards the chem. Lab door. Tohru frowns.
"You don't sound so happy about that." Tohru notes sitting against the wall opposite of Ruri. Ruri shrugs.
"He's just a little upset with me, that's all." Ruri says resting her chin on her kneea. Tohru's eyebrows knit together.
"Not so great in paradise." He whispers, looking at Ruri sadly. Ruri looks up hearing Tohru whisper.
"What?" She asks. Tohru laughs and waves his hands in front of him.
"Nothing. Nothing. So, does Shuichi get angry with you a lot?" Ruri blinks. She shakes her head.
"No. Actually I deserve it usually. I probably annoyed him or something." Ruri mumbles. Tohru's fist clench. He leans forward catching Ruri's eye.
"Ruri, does he ever hit you?" Tohru asks. Ruri blinks her eyes wide. She stares dumbstruck at the man that had played an important roll in both her's and Shuichi's younger, and now older, years. Did he honestly think Shuichi would ever hit her under any circumstance? Obviously so.
"Sensei, Shuichi would never raise a finger against me. Yes, he may raise his voice, but he hasn't ever committed a violent act against me." Ruri says her face set in a determined frown. Tohru heaves a sigh of relief, believing Ruri.
"That's good. I didn't think he'd ever do something like that." Ruri giggles, more relaxed than she was a minute ago. Ruri sighs; she plays with the laces on her shoes.
"I think he's getting tired of having me around." Ruri mumbles, but Tohru could still hear. Tohru frowns and crosses his arms.
"Well, then maybe you should spend less time together. You always seem to be together. Maybe a little time apart will be good." Tohru says smiling.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Ruri lifts her head up and looks around hearing someone whisper. She looks at Tohru.
"Did you hear that?" She asks. Tohru blinks and looks around.
"Um, hear what?" Ruri frowns.
"The little girl's voice. She said 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' There did you hear that?" Ruri asks as a childish giggle echoes through the hall. Tohru looks around and strains to hear anything.
"I don't hear anything." He says. Ruri blinks and stands up. She looks down the hallway.
"I could have sworn-"
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but then you just forget." Ruri gasps as a chill fills the air. She looks towards Tohru and her eyes widen. He was frozen in spot as he was getting up. The giggles happen again, but it was closer this time. Ruri spins around and steps back at the scene before her. A little girl floats in the air watching her. The little girl smiles and giggles again. She wears a black cloak with green hair and a scythe thrown over her shoulder. Her pale childlike limbs hang from the oversized cloak. She smiles.
"She looks pretty good for mid-thirties." The little girl says, seeming truly happy.
"You still broke the rules." Ruri looks to the left of the girl to see another little girl, her brunette hair reaching past her short dangling pale legs. A white cloth wraps around her body, two small white brown spotted wings curl around her hiding most of her face, except a pair of soft golden eyes.
"Don't worry, Lay, she doesn't remember anything." The cloaked little girl says grinning. Lay, the brunette, frowns. She unfurls her wings to reveal a tiny frail looking childish face. Lay peers at Ruri and gasps, her eyes wide.
"Kei! She can see us!" Kei, the cloaked girl, looks towards Ruri and screams.
"Ahh! She does!" Ruri blinks as Kei grabs Lay and they disappear with a loud pop. Warmth returns to the room and Tohru stands up. He frowns at Ruri.
"Ruri?" Tohru looks over top of Ruri's head to see Shuichi looking at her.
"Ruri?" He repeats. Ruri blinks and looks towards Shuichi. Shuichi's eyed widen as her Ruri's eyes roll back into her head. Shuichi rushes forward and grabs Ruri before she hits the floor.
"Ruri?" Tohru yells rushing forward. Shuichi leans her against himself. Ruri groans turning her head toward Shuichi. Shuichi feels her forehead, seeing the flush come to Ruri's face. He sighs with relief. He looks up at Tohru and smiles.
"She just feinted. She must have made herself sick." Shuichi says picking her up. Tohru sighs. He steps forward as Shuichi starts to walk away.
"Um, Shuichi, there's nothing going on between you two is there?" Tohru asks, concerned for Shuichi and Ruri's relationship. Shuichi smiles.
"There's nothing wrong. Just a quarrel among friends." Shuichi says before walking away.
When Shuichi arrives at home he lays Ruri on his bed. Shiori rushes in and gasps. She races forward, Shuichi moves away. Shiori feels all over Ruri.
"What happened to her?" Shiori asks.
"She fainted while I was leaving chem. Lab." Shiori gasps. Shuichi walks forward and smiles seeing Ruri move around. She groans and slowly blinks open her eyes. Ruri tries to sit up, but hands restrain her. Ruri looks to her left and her eyes widen seeing Shiori.
"Shiori?" She asks. Shiori smiles, tears in her eyes. She wraps her arms around Ruri's neck.
"I thought you had another attack!" She cries. Ruri blinks as her memories slowly return.
"Angels." Ruri whispers. Shiori pulls back and looks at Ruri through tears.
"What sweetheart?"
"I saw angels." Ruri whispers, staring blankly at Shiori. Shiori looks over her shoulder towards Shuichi, but he shrugs his shoulder. Angels? Shuichi thinks. Ruri blinks as she comes back to reality. She looks at a red eyed Shiori.
"Um, what?" She asks. Shiori heaves a sigh and rests her head against Ruri's chest. Ruri looks over at Shuichi, but he smiles and shakes his head. Ruri smiles lightly and pats Shiori's back.
"I'm sorry, Shiori. I didn't mean to worry you." Ruri mumbles. Shiori hiccups but pulls away, wiping her eyes.
"I was so worried." She says. Ruri looks away feeling guilty. This didn't feel like an attack, more like someone had tried to make her forget. Again, finished Ruri's thoughts. Again, she thinks. But what had she forgotten?