Chapter 22|| Family Time

Poke.

I turn my head the other way.

Poke. Poke.

Argh! I put the pillow on my head. Some removes it and pokes me again.

"Stop."

"Wake up Mikan, it's snowing outside!" I hear a girly voice. I open my to see Aoi jumping on my bed excited. I sit up on my bed, still in a sleepy mode and look at her.

"Aoi what is it?"

"Mikan-nee-chan it is snowing outside! Can we please go out and play in the snow?!" she looks at me with those puppy dog eyes that no one can resist. I smile at her and say yes. She yells out yay and I told her to quite down, knowing my parents don't like being awakened. I get up and make her go to the washroom. She does her business and come out but I send her back in giving her an extra toothbrush so she could brush her teeth. While was in the washroom, I look in my closet for her to wear something. I find some clothes that could fit her and keep warm. I am so glad that I didn't throw anything away. Aoi comes out of the washroom and send her back in, again, to get changed. After she gets ready I get my outfit for today and go to the washroom to get ready for today.

When I finish we both head downstairs I go into the kitchen and make breakfast for us. I asked Aoi what she wanted and she said eggs, two slices of bread and some apple juice. After making her breakfast and giving it to her, I made mine. It was quite smiple and quick. I made jam (mango) and butter sandwich with some chocolate milk.

After eating I put the dishes in the dishwasher, clean them and put them in the rack to dry. Aoi comes up to me begging to go take her outside to play and so I agreed. I was in mood to have fun. I get her dressed first and myself. I grab my camera to take memorable photos. We both head outside and start to have fun. Aoi started to run in the snow, and I took pictures of her.

"Look Mikan-chan, I am making a snow angel." She says happily to me. She laid her back on the snow and started making a snow angel. I snapped some photos of that. I put my camera on the porch, and joined her. We both played in the snow making snow angels, a snow fort and even had a mini snowball fight. She was filled with joy and life, like I was expect I use to play alone most of the time. I use to sit on my porch and look at my neighbors and see how they were having fun, together as a family.

"Having fun?" I hear my dad say, looking at us smiling. I didn't say anything just nodded my head yes, while Aoi says yay really loud and happy. If he is up, then I am guessing everyone else is as well. He came up to us.

"Mind if I joined the fun?" he asks while laughing at us. Aoi jumps with joy.

"Yes! Can we build a snowman, sir?" she asks my dad and he smirks at her.

"Of course dear, and don't me sir. You can call me dad." He says and she smiles at him. I get up and head to the house, when Aoi voice stops me in my tracks.

"Where are you going Mikan-chan?" she asks. I smile at her and answer.

"I am going to go make us some chocolate, alright. I'll be right back." I look to see my dad with a sad expression. I head inside taking off my boots, jacket, and gloves and head in the kitchen. I start making chocolate for three people. I pour three cups of milk and warm it in the microwave one by one.

"Morning Mikan." I turn to see my Youchi standing there. He was wearing a simple white shirt with black pants.

"Morning." I reply. BEEP BEEP BEEP I hear the microwave meaning the first cup of milk was done. I take it out and put the second in and warm it up for a minute like I did wit the first. As I was doing this, Youchi attempts to talk to me.

"Can you make me some?" he asks and I nod in response.

"Can I asking you something."

"You are." I hear the milk done and place another cup of milk in and warm it up. I can a spoon and pour some chocolate powder in the milk and stir it.

"Why are you so upset with me? With us?" wow, did he really just ask me that.

"Are you seriously asking me that Youchi?" I look at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Figure it out. You're the engineer, you got the brains." I say angry at him, talking to him right now makes it seem like I am the one at fault. When the third cup was done I take it out and pour the powder in there as well. I start making his.

"Mikan I didn't do anything wrong to you. I don't know why you hate me." He says with slight anger, which gets me angrier.

"You're right Youchi. You didn't do anything Youchi and that is just it. Nothing. But when you say nothing wrong, that statement is wrong. Youchi you did nothing with me and you didn't even acknowledge the fact that I am sister. Little sister. You ignored me most of my life and you have the courage to say that you have do nothing." He looks at me with wide eyes.

"You remember when we were in grade school and I got bullied?" I say and he nods. Good at least he remembered something. "Remember when some big boys came up to me and ruined my book. I was sitting there minding my own business until they came and made of me. You knew I had no friends and was to sky and couldn't protect myself yet you saw and did nothing.

"I was looking at you. Waiting for you to make a move to save me but you never came. You were never there when I needed comfort, and never there to help me. Later I found out that those boys were your friends. No body had told me about but I saw you hang out with them, laughing and smiling. That hurt me the most. My brother was friends with the people that use to bully me at school, but obviously you never cared." My eyes held tears my know but I did the best I could to hold them back. Youchi faced turned from anger to pain, sadness, regret and other emotions, but I wasn't done.

Then later you started to ignore me even at home. When I use to come up to you for homework help, you never did, I use to call you but you either ignored or said I was busy. When you went off to U.S to study, I thought maybe having some space, and me not being there may help us talk. I wouldn't be stupid or bothering you all the time, but I didn't know you hated me so much that… that… you couldn't even talk to me over the phone. It was then I realized that I was nothing to you. I realized that your actions you didn't want me. You didn't want anything to do with me. So then I made a choice. I told no one that I had a brother." I confess, and I see a tear fall from his eyes.

"Everyone at school thinks that I am an only child because I never talked about you. They new about my mom and dad of course but I rarely talked about you guys. I went through so much during my high school years that you wouldn't even know."

"Mikan, I so so…" I cut him off.

"Don't. You were never sorry. You never were. Don't pity just cause I'm dying." I say and grab tray placing three mugs of chocolate and taking it outside.

"Enjoy your hot chocolate." With that I leave.

"Ok Sumire, see you soon." I say over the phone. I was in my room getting ready to go shopping with Sumire, and Aoi wanted to come along, which was fine by me. I called her to see if she wanted to do some Christmas shopping with me today, and since she is a shopaholic, she agreed.

I take out my wallet put my debit card in and some of my cash, yes mine. I use to have a part time job and use to do a lot of saving. However I had to leave it because of my cancer since Hotaru literally forced and threatened me. So today was the day, I was going to spend it.

Knock Knock Knock

"Come in." I say and in came my mom. I wonder what she wants; she doesn't really make a visit to my room unless it was about a business deal overseas.

"Yes mom." I ask looking at her.

"Hi sweetie, are you going somewhere?" she asks looking at me with a smile.

"Yes, I am going shopping with Sumire and taking Aoi with me. She wanted to come."

"Oh, we can go shopping together. There is no need for her to go, and she probably busy. I'll come so just give me a few minutes." She says and was about to leave when I stopped her.

"No mom, she said that she is coming in her car. She said that she has her secret shopping to do so we decided to go together." I say and she looks a little disappointed.

"Oh. Okay sweetie, I give you some money." She says.

"No thanks, I have my own cash and debt card, but thanks for the offer." I say and she looks a little confused.

"Where did you get the money from?" she asks.

"I use to have a part time job at a coffee shop. I didn't want to be burden on you or dads' money so I started saving up, and barely spending it. But when Hotaru found out about my cancer she forced me to quit two years ago. The stress was causing unbearable pain." I say she looks at me in shock, surprised by my response.

"Mikan why are you distant from us?" my mother asks me, not surprised because I knew that question was gong to come up soon.

"I remember when I got my grade school awards night, and the day before my teacher gave me a ticket saying give to your mom for that night. I went up to your office where you were on a business call. I came up and said that this is for the awards night but you scolded me and said I'm the phone. So I waited for the call to end and when it did I came up to you again. I told you that it is for the awards night but you said that you couldn't make it.

"I was sad and you didn't even glance at me, but looked at the files and continued your work. I left my ticket there keeping faith in myself that my mother would come, and silent left without another word. The following night, the night of the awards I never saw you. You never came and you were never there. When I looked around and saw other kids with their mum or dad, it shattered me.

"So to answer your question mother, I was never distant from you from the beginning you did that yourself." I say to mother she was surprised by my answer. I can see the tears forming in her eyes I wasn't though. I have sheared enough tears as it is.

"But why did you tell us about your cancer?" she asks, shakily.

"Because you treat as some charity case. I didn't want to be a burden any further than I already was. So keeping it from you was the best option out there, and honestly you still wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Hotaru and the others." I say confessing on why I hide from her.

"You were never a charity case to me Mikan." She says.

"Is that why you treated me the way you did?" I ask but she didn't saying so I continue, "You were always there for Youchi, his award nights, parties, function even for all of his graduation days. You were never there for my elementary school graduation or middle school, so I really didn't except you be there for my high school and guess what. I won't be there either." I let out a bitter laugh.

"Please Mikan, I am sorry for the way I acted with you, treated you differently from your brother. Give me another chance and also why won't you be there for your high school graduation?" she questions.

"I'm dying mom. I don't have as many chances to live. And the answer to your first question there were so many chances in the past ten years, don't change because of my health you just heard off." I say, and I see she gets mad.

"Listen to me young lady, you will live, and I will for the better for you." She says, encouraging.

"Don't put false faith in me mom." I say to her. She was about to say something but cut of by my phone ringing. I see it was a message from Sumire saying she was outside.

"I have to go, Sumire is waiting for me outside." With that I leave my mom in my room and head outside with Aoi. When we get to the car I see Natsume and Koko. WHAT WERE THEY DOING HERE!?

"Sumire why are Natsume and Koko here?" I ask her, demandingly.

"Koko called me and said that he needed to buy a few things and got in the car without asking like a five year old. Natsume was hanging out with him and when I mentioned your name he tagged along as well." She says rolling her eyes at me and I sigh. I sit in the passenger sit while Aoi sits in the back seat.

"Are we done yet?" Koko says for the millionth time today. He was getting tired and annoyed because we have walked half the mall and purchased many things. Sumire was however not tired at all. Natsume was to getting annoyed, and surprised that he was saying as much as Koko. I didn't buy as much as Sumire, I had like six bags and she had twice as much. Aoi was munching down some candy Natsume bought for her. She stayed close to us since it was a rush I the mall but once she got tired of walking Koko put her on his shoulder and told her to hold tight but not too tight.

"Sumire, I think we should go home now. Everyone is getting tired." I say to her.

"Okay I ran out of money anyway, I'll be back later for more." She says and we walk towards the exit. Wow did she really spend all of her money.

"Finally!" Koko yells dramatically as soon as we leave the mall and head towards the car and head home.

When we arrive at my house, I get out of Sumire car with Aoi and grab my bags from the trunk, which Natsume helps me with. I tell him its okay but he ignored me and headed in away. He put them in front of the main door.

"Thank you Natsume." I say I was about to open the door when he pulled me towards him and kissed me, deep. I obviously kissed him back. I heard someone cough and I jumped, pulled myself away from him. I saw my dad at the door, and I face was heated up.

"I get to decide how I want to be thanked." He smirks at me evilly and walks off to Sumire car and they drive off. I take the bags and enter the house, and I see Aoi already with my brother watching T.V. man that girl has got some energy in her. I take the bags into my room and put them away in my closet. I changed my clothes into comfortable clothing and head downstairs to make dinner. When I got into the kitchen I saw mom already working on dinner preparations.

"Mom, go relax I can make dinner." I say to her.

"No Mikan. You go relax and I will do the cooking today." She says and pushes me out of the kitchen, gently. I sigh and head out and go upstairs but get stopped, again.

"Mikan sit with us." Dad says gesturing a seat beside him. I sigh and walk over and sit. We were all in an uncomfortable silence until dad decided to speak to me.

"I know you talked you your mother and brother." He says low enough so only I could hear.

"Yes. I did."

"Are going to say anything to me?" he asks.

"Would you like me to say anything to you because I still remember that phone call." I say to him and looks guilty, "Mikan we can't come because of your brothers career, what happened to it know?" I question him. He looks away not being able to look at me.

"You were never there for me dad. You, mom or Youchi were never there. I don't think you even acknowledged as your daughter, it always your business or Youchi. Well when I am gone, you three have all the time in the world." I say to him, turns his head to look at me. There is a bit of anger, and sadness in his expression.

"Mikan don't you even think like that. You will live and won't let you die. I may not have been the best father to you but I will change on that and be the best father you want me to be." He says to me, determined that I will live.

"Dad I told this to mom as well, don't give me false hope. I have lost it all two years ago." I say him and he didn't say anything back. He kept staring at me and I was at him. I got up to go upstairs when mom called dinner is ready; since I wasn't hungry anymore I just went straight to my room.