*silently updates* This is chapter one of two for my apology package. I will not hold you up with details. All will be explained in the end Author's note for chapter 21. Read and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Chapter Twenty
Ino was a constant source of anxiety for me, even when she wasn't trying to be.
Too often I'd have to lecture her about not walking away when I had my back turned when we were out. More times than I could count, I would have to nag her about trying to keep a low profile and not accepting every request for a photo. Her answer? "As if you'd let anything happen to me."
I mean, she wasn't wrong. I'd die for her and not just because it was my job.
Even still, I wasn't perfect and more than I cared to admit, I had taken into consideration what would happen if, one of these days, I couldn't get to her in time. What if I wasn't fast enough or what if I wasn't strong enough? Not only would I probably get killed in the process but even if I didn't, there's no way I'd be able to live with myself after the fact.
I didn't need to think about that. For now, I would take her advice to have a little more faith in myself and my abilities.
However, Ino was already testing my patience with her carelessness today.
It was Fall Break. A brief reprieve from all of the hustle and bustle of college life for a solid week. No class. No studying. Just a week of some much needed peace. But of course. Ino had almost begged me to take her to the mall today. An early Monday afternoon. Of all the other things that we could have done that didn't even require leaving the house, she chose to go the mall. What was worse? She wouldn't tell me why.
So of course, because I am nothing short of completely whipped when it comes to her, I am in fact at the mall, albeit against my will. To make matters slightly worse, it would seem that virtually every other student had the same idea which wouldn't have been a problem, that is, if Ino didn't happen to walk right into the midst of a crowd the very second my back had turned.
Now, here I was trying to contain the small panic attack that was threatening to show its face at any minute as I scanned for that familiar figure.
She seemed nowhere and yet everywhere at the same time. In every direction, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes would pass by but it was never her. Every blonde was too bright and every blue was too dark. Everything about her stood out and yet I couldn't seem to single her out amongst each body that moved beside me.
Before I could succumb to my own twisted imagination, a warm hand clutched my own before carefully slipping our hands inside my pocket. Beaming up at me with a completely innocent smile was the very girl I had been searching for. Though the contact we were making in public should have made me far more anxious, I couldn't just ignore the fact that she had just popped up out of nowhere like this was all okay.
"Where the hell did you go," I asked, not bothering to attempt to mask my tone.
"Bathroom. I thought you heard me," she answered back, not phased the least by my tone. Her eyes glistened as she spot things that caught her attention. Regarding my silence with interest, she finally locked eyes with me but my frown did not produce the desired reaction. She laughed instead, bumping me lightly and squeezing my hand in turn.
"Ino…"
"What," she managed through bits of laughter, "Why are you looking at me like that?
She literally didn't have the slightest clue. I figured that maybe she was just having a go at me, after all, she often made it a point to get under my skin from time to time. But no. Her amusement was genuine with no intent of embarrassment on my end simply because I was getting so worked up over her going to the bathroom.
It sounded so petty that way, which it wasn't.
"I didn't hear you say anything, Ino. I thought something had happened to you," I mumbled, realizing that I probably made the situation seem worse than it was.
Almost immediately her face changed. She knew I was prone to worry and like I mentioned, she oftentimes did things that worried me without meaning to. This was one of those times. In a meek voice, she apologized, stating that it was a split second thing to answer a phone call from Kiba which, needless to say, made me frown even harder.
I didn't continue to give her hell for it, just mentally berating myself for getting distracted in the first place.
They must have been one and the same because she's apologizing again and I'm unintentionally giving her dry answers in retaliation. "You know. I'll admit that watching you get worked up when I'm out of your line of sight for less than five minutes is kinda cute. If I didn't adore you, I'd probably say that's the sole behavior of developing stalkers," she breathed, grin splitting her lips when I fixed her with a confused raise of my brow.
It was then that I became more aware of her hand in my pocket with our fingers locked together. We were pressed essentially shoulder to shoulder and the cool weather called for warmer and bulkier attire. To anyone else, it probably didn't look the least bit suspicious but to me, I was suddenly overly aware of every pair of eyes that lingered too long on us.
"Easy," she whispered, "We're fine. I'm safe. It's break. Relax a little, okay?"
Like magic, I eased up. A small wave ran through my body. It would begin at my feet and release a small tide with every breath until it was no more. Were we so attuned to each other that she was able to ease any stress I felt with a few words. A gift she no doubt knew she possessed and took great pride in. I suppose that could be a good or bad thing depending on your outlook on the situation. I, of course, was grateful.
Managing to relax a bit, I asked the question that had been sitting atop the tip of my tongue the moment she asked me to take her to this godforsaken place.
"Why are we here?"
Chewing her lip, she nudged me to move around the corner of what looked like a maintenance room. Eyeing the end of the hall warily, I asked her what was going on, only to feel lips on mine in a fevered and desperate kiss that damn near took the breath out my lungs. I swiftly steadied myself to switch our positions as I eagerly returned the surprise.
And just as swiftly, she dropped the bomb, "There's a party this weekend…"
I snatched away just as swiftly.
No. No. God no. Not another party.
Now don't get me wrong, quite a few good things happened the night of my first and last party with Ino. Memories would be treasured and others would forever leave me in a deep state of contemplation. However, that night was the one that officially thrust me into this pit of chaos that I, for some reason, can't seem to stop digging myself deeper into. There are things that I had wished never happened and things that I had wished I had decided differently.
Ultimately, the pros did little to match the obvious con that was me simply not wanting to go to another damn party.
Ino being the clever little deviant that she was when it came to me, knew exactly what buttons to push and steps to take to get me to go along with her plans. That was, afterall, how she managed to get me out here in the first damn place. However, going to the mall looked a lot more favorable than going to a party so she's going to have her work cut out for her.
"Oh come on! The last one was fun, right?"
"That particular quarter of the night, while completely enjoyable on its own scale, does not make up for the remaining shitty seventy-five percent of the night." An amused scoff at my comment did minimal work for my ego. "It's Halloween themed which means it'll be ten times more fun. And on top of that, it's not a whole party dedicated to me which means we can be as low profile as you want which I know is a huge part of your mysterious loner kid starter pack bullshit. One more won't hurt Sakura."
"I got stabbed at your party by your shitty future husband Ino, forgive me if I'm not all sunshine and rainbows about another party," I groaned, making a move to head back down the hall and escape but Ino was still quick, jumping in front of me with a deep scowl.
"To be fair, you partially instigated that little fight. Besides, if anyone asks about it you can always say you got jumped by some gangbangers and survived to tell the tale. Girls will be all over you."
"Shut up."
"Although I'd be pretty jealous. You know I don't like to share. Unless I get to pick the girl. Maybe Ayame would want to join in considering she-"
"Ino. Why the fuck are we here?" I snapped, losing all patience.
"Gosh, you're so hostile today. So, we are here, primarily, to find a gift. One of the heiresses, Naomi, her birthday is on Halloween so I wanted to get her something," Ino admitted, pulling me along back into the chaos before tugging me into a random store.
Naomi? Had she ever mentioned anyone with that name? If she had, I sure as hell didn't remember her. She must not have been so important, otherwise I surely would have remembered her.
"No you haven't met her before. You will this weekend. Don't worry she's nice and she's basically like Ayame and Temari in the same body," she finally said, taking note of my wariness with ease. "Great." I mumbled with the most muted form of sarcasm that I could muster. "Be nice, I talked you up to her so she's expecting you to be nothing short of an angel," she teased, eyes focused on a particular pair of shoes.
"I've never disappointed before. There's a first time for everything I suppose."
"Just as long as you don't disappoint in other areas, I'll take it."
She didn't even need to look at me but the suggestive curve of her lips gave me a clear understanding of just what those other areas were. She needn't worry about that. The bedroom or any other place for that matter that involved me and Ino on our own would never allow me to disappoint, that much I did now.
Well, it would seem that she won this fight and without exerting much effort. Reflecting on it a little, I came to realize that I never really had a choice to begin with. I still had to accompany Ino anywhere that she went, unless a dire situation deemed it otherwise. My only chance of getting out of going was to convince Ino not to go altogether, which seemed unlikely at this point.
"So what do I have to do? I assume you've got some role for me in all this." My tone was tired and defeated but Ino seemed to take no direct pleasure in my misery. "For being such a good sport and bringing me out here today, I thought it would be nice to allow you to pick out my outfit for the party. It's only fitting considering you'll be the one taking it off."
She said it in such a casual way. Like the very words were harmless nothings between two children. Taking my silence as an answer, she grinned and leaned in. "I'm sure you've got ideas brewing in your head about what you want to see me in. No need to be shy. After all, you'll be at my side all night just to make sure no one tries to touch what's yours. I know how you hate sharing." I swallowed that last bit of moisture in my mouth, taking hold of her arm with a grip akin to that of a stern mother and her child.
"Cut it out. It's not funny," I tried to warn, but I know it didn't sound nearly as threatening as I had hoped.
Shamelessly, she slipped her fingers under my several layers of shirts and jackets and dragged her nails down my abdomen. "I'm not playing games, Sakura. I'm simply making you an offer with complete freedom. Since you refuse to use any of the money that Daddy is giving you to make some entertainment for yourself, I'll give you a little push in the right direction." She pulled away too soon, returning to sift through boxes of the same shoe, presumably to find the right size, upon doing so, pulling me along to the checkout line with her.
"And what if, per say, I can't seem to dig deep enough into my filthy subconscious to think of anything?"
"While that creates more work on my end, I'm pretty sure that my imagination is big enough for the both of us," she answered a little too swiftly for my liking.
She was too good at this. She used all the right words and gave me all the right looks to persuade me. Like it or not, I was going to this party. At least the night wouldn't be so bad with my treat at the end. Unintentionally, my mind began wandering to a place that it shouldn't while I was out in public with her. Images played through my mind, each more tortuous than the last. My eyes fell to her figure, already familiar with every party of her.
God, I felt disgusted at myself.
I wasn't that much of an animal. I can assure you that fucking around with Ino wasn't on my mind every hour of everyday. To be honest, my mind was often on other aspects of our relationship. Thinking about her and Sasuke, about her father, wondering about what if things had been different somehow. Even Ino wasn't so much a deviant that she craved me so badly.
However, I could easily attribute that each time I had slept with her, was primarily her doing in some way. She knew I was wrapped around her finger in every sense of the word and knew that if she so much as bit her lip and glanced at me a certain way, I wouldn't be able to think about anything else but her.
She knew the game and she played it well.
"Come on," she intervened with a laugh, "I'll stop giving you a hard time. Let's grab something to eat and we'll look around some more." I didn't speak, choosing instead to silently follow behind her while keeping my thoughts to myself.
We walked for a few minutes or maybe it was longer. I wasn't keeping time. The food court appeared, surprisingly one of the few spots around here that wasn't already filled with people. Ino asked me what I was hungry for but I didn't have much of an appetite anymore. However, she wasn't going to let me leave here without consuming something so I pointed at a burger spot to our left with only a few people in line. Off we went and we waited in line, ordering our unhealthy meal in a comfortable silence before picking a random free table to sit at.
We picked at our food and a second later, Ino's phone rings again. I studied her for a moment to see who it was but she spared me the struggle and simply whispered that it was Temari.
I assured her that she didn't need to leave to answer Temari and simply settled on lowering my head to rest on my folded arms, suddenly, very lacking in appetite and energy. Out of nowhere, things began to slip and my mind unraveled to escape into somewhere that I didn't particularly want to it to be.
It was raining again. It never seemed to stop raining these days.
Training had kept me late and with the absence of daylight with the approaching fall nights, I knew I had to get home soon. My mother always worried when I was out after dark despite me telling her that I could take care of myself.
It was hard to see what with the rains pouring, leaving every street with a murky gray depth that hid everything from sight. But this was my home. I had been walking these same streets for years and a storm wouldn't take away my memory along with my vision. So I pushed on, turning when I knew to turn until the familiar orange glow in the window had appeared.
I quickly shut the door behind me, shedding my jacket and boots at the door, not wanting to track water all over the floor. My damp hair was another matter but a lone towel hanging on the back of one of the dining chairs would have to do for now. Grasping it firmly with both hands, I shimmied it across my head, fully aware of how awkward my hair would look afterwards.
In that moment, I became aware of something else. It was quiet and dangerously so.
"Mom," I called for her into the empty hall.
Nothing.
Maybe she had gone out or simply went to a neighbors house for something. It wasn't uncommon but she would usually leave a note for me. There was no note, not one that I had seen anyway. I called her again only to be greeting with the echo of my own voice. Fingers slipping to my thigh, I gripped the holster of the knife I always kept on me and pushed through, deeper into our home.
I was cautious of corners, easing around them before pushing into my room first. It was empty and just as I had left it a few hours ago when I had left. The restroom was empty too, leaving only my mother's room. I wasn't quite sure what I expected to find when I opened that door. A deeper and darker part of me had expected to see her mangled and lifeless body on the ground, covered in blood as her eyes hung open with an ghostly emptiness in them.
Instead, I was met with a eerily cold room. My mother's body lay in the bed and in the dark, it was hard to see if she was awake or not. When she was feeling particularly ill, it was hard for her to speak and she often felt warm. Her remedy was to basically freeze herself in her room, something I always argued against. Relaxing only a bit, I moved inside, shutting her window as I used the towel around my neck to wipe away the rain that had begun to pool in the windowsill.
I whispered her name, sitting on the other side of her bed. I reached for her face, fingers skimming her skin which was cold to the touch.
It took awhile but I felt her stir beneath my fingers, a shaky hand reaching out to rest on my own. Reaching behind me, I turned on the lamp beside her bed, and when I turned once more, I was met with a sickening sight. Blood hung in each corner of her mouth and her skin was void of color. Her lips were cracked and even though she was facing me, I could tell that she couldn't see through her cloudy eyes.
"Sakura," her voice cracked near the end of my name and I could only grip her hand tighter as I assured her that I was here.
She seemed to relax at this but it did little to soothe me. She was unwell and we didn't have an ounce of medicine in the house for her. There was Lina. She wasn't far and if I was quick I could reach her and she would come to our aid.
"I can tell what you're thinking. It's okay sweetheart, I already called and someone will be here soon. I...I need you to be the last one I see, okay?" Her voice was too sweet and too optimistic. She spoke as if her life wasn't about to end in a matter of moments. Swallowing and fighting back any tears, I could only whisper back a weak 'okay'.
A cough racked through her body and I began looking for her glass of water she always kept nearby but she waved it off.
"I'm sorry."
That's what she said to me. I knew I should be upset but for that brief moment, all I felt was burning rage. 'Sorry.' What the hell did she have to be sorry for? She didn't choose this life. She didn't choose to struggle each and everyday to take care of us. She didn't choose to-
"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you the kind of life you deserve. You've always been such a sweet and smart girl. I'm sorry that I won't get to see you go on to win the tournament but you win for me anyway, okay? You keep going and make a better life for yourself. One I wasn't able to give you," her voice trailed off and tears burned in her eyes.
What did normal people do in these situations? They would cry or scream. They would urge their mother to keep fighting and that it was all going to be okay.
But I knew better. I always knew.
There a part of me that never expected my mother to make it long enough to see me win the tournament. Each year that she trudged on brought a bittersweet feeling. I was proud of her for fighting but knowing that she was suffering more and more each year for me made me feel like the worst kind of person. But I knew she didn't think that way. She was a mother and blindly loving her child allowed her a certain optimism and understanding that I would likely never know.
I myself had never wanted any children of my own, knowing fully well that I couldn't provide for them. Even if I did win, what kind of life would that be?
I brushed those thoughts away for now. They wouldn't help me here. She was going to die and there was nothing I could do. Even if we did have medicine, it wouldn't be able to help. It would only prolong the inevitable. I could see in her eyes how tired she was. She didn't want to leave me alone but she had been fighting so long already. I could see that she was ready to go. I wanted to be selfish, to demand that she stay but I didn't have the right to make such demands.
"Lina…" her voice was straining now. She didn't have much time left. "Lina will look after you. I shouldn't have to say this to you but you be good to her. You've got your father's bullheadedness so try your best to not be so stubborn. After you win, make sure you take care of her. As a request from me. Can you do that?"
"Of course."
"That's my girl. I love you so much...so so much," her voice was trailing off again and I quickly brushed away my own tears, ceasing my trembling lips with a bite. I managed to choke out the same to her, tightening my grip on her hand.
The front door opened and footsteps passed through along with it.
Her eyes were closed now and wanting to have the moment to myself, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead and told her it was okay. I told her I'd be okay and that she didn't have to fight anymore. And with my words, she took her leave. Her hand fell from mine and she passed with a smile on her face. A doctor stood in the doorway along with Lina.
They both looked at me, sympathy evident on their faces.
Sliding off the bed, I pushed through them, ignoring their voices urging me to come back. I shrugged on my jacket and boots and pushed through that door. I ran and ran until my lungs burning with a desperation that even I could not push through. I don't recall where I ended up after that, only that as I sat there alone and empty inside, that for the first time, I began having doubts. What did it matter anymore? The sole reason I had to train everyday was now gone. My family was all gone. I didn't have anyone. Why bother at all?
And for the first and last time, I attempted and failed to end my own life.
"Oh come on, I wasn't on the phone long enough for you to fall asleep."
It was Ino, a playful glint in her tone. Slowly pulling up my head, I could only blink as my eyes adjusted to the light. In a second, perhaps less, I watched the grin on her face drop as panic took its place. Confused, I turned to see what was behind me only to spot nothing and no one of particular importance. When I turned to her again, her hand was on my cheek, wiping away tears that I didn't know were there.
"Hey...what's wrong?"
Her tone had changed so quickly in such a short time. It was so soft and filled with a budding sense of concern. I didn't realize I had been crying and of all the people that I never wanted to witness it, Ino was at the top of my list. I pulled away, furiously rubbing at my eyes until that sting faded.
"I'm sorry. We don't have to go to the party and we don't have to stay here." I wanted to laugh. She'd done nothing wrong and yet she was convinced that she had to stop her plans just to make me feel better. It wasn't her job to take care of me, I was supposed to take care of the both of us. "Hey, come on. We can just go home and watch a few movies together or something, okay?"
I stood, tossing away the food that I didn't manage to eat. My mind was reeling far too much for me to be concerned about being wasteful. Shaking my head, I took hold of her this time, pulling her with me as we stepped back into the crowds. "We can stay. I'm alright. Let's finish up here first." I couldn't stand to look at her but I could feel her burning stare.
I didn't want her to look at me like that. I hated being handled like a child. Something fragile and unable to take care of itself.
I knew that's not what she was thinking and that she was simply worried about me as was her right. I just...wished she didn't. She didn't buy my story and I could see how she began warily looking around for the exit. I didn't want to go yet. This was good, to be out here with her. She was the only constant thing that kept me grounded and getting out was good.
I laced our fingers together and slid them into my pocket. Instinctively, she tightened her grip and gave me a small smile, guiding me along to the next store.
She did her best to distract me, opting away from her flirtatious jokes to lighthearted comments and easy smiles. We passed a store, filled with games and consoles and related merchandise. With much coaxing from Ino, I decided to go in and check things out. As a kid, I had always wanted a game system of my own but I knew better than to ask my mother.
I mentioned to Ino that Naruto had just had a birthday and had picked up the newest system for himself. Since then, he'd been raving about a game that just released a few days ago. I figured I could pick it up as a late gift for him.
Grabbing the game from the shelf, Ino caught hold of me again. "You should get something for yourself too. You deserve it," she encouraged. I was reluctant to buy a system for myself. Sure, I had the money for it and it would be a good way to pass the time. I suppose my mother had instilled a deep sense of financial awareness that made me hesitant to spend money on anything that I didn't need.
But I suppose it didn't hurt to treat yourself every now and then.
I agreed, much to Ino's delight.
She refused to let go of my hand which, yet again, made me wary. There were too many people around and virtually everyone seemed to know who she was. But she didn't care. She kept a firm grip on my hand as we strolled through the store, using her free hand to pick out an additional controller for herself when she mentioned that she'd like to learn to play too.
I picked up Naruto's game as well as one for myself and even allowed Ino to pick out any for herself that would peak her interest. We didn't stay long before we ended up at a few other stores. Informing Ino that I refused to pick out her outfit, she proceeded to pick out various items and fabrics but utterly kept them hidden from my view. If she was going to pick, then it was going to be a surprise. Not that I minded.
Departing from one final store, we pushed through the crowds until finally, I could taste the fresh air once more.
I had never been one for crowds and being outside in the open again significantly reduced the anxiousness I'd been feeling. Ino even made a comment about me looking particularly happier to which I even responded with a genuine smile. We stood for a bit, trying to remember where we parked when a boy around our age or a little older who looked a lot like Ino all but ran over to us. He didn't seem aware of my presence until I tugged Ino protectively behind me and glared him down.
"Shit," he breathed out, "Sorry." Whether he was talking to Ino or me, I wasn't sure.
His scraggly blond hair reached his shoulders and his facial hair was light and kempt. Holding out his hand to me, he said, "I'm Myron." I didn't return the gesture, only asking him what he wanted. He didn't seem to take offense to my lack of manners and simply answered, "I recognized Lady Ino. I'm a huge fan of yours and was hoping for a picture, if it isn't too much to ask?"
I was already thinking of a polite way to tell him to fuck off but Ino intervened first, "Of course. I don't mind."
She offered him a sweet smile and handed me her bags, as if I wasn't carrying enough already, before lightly draping her arm over his shoulder. Eagerly, Myron shoved his phone into my already struggling hands before curling his arm around her lower back and gripping her waist. I snapped the picture quickly, not caring in the slightest about the quality.
He turned to thank her with a hug and I wasted no time in shoving his phone into his chest when his hands began to creep to low.
Our eyes met for a moment and brewing in our equal-eyed glares, was a clear amount of contempt that Ino ended up having to dissolve. Even as she stepped between us, I continued to stare him down with scorn and a bit of curiosity. He looked vaguely familiar but I knew we'd never met. But his face and the name. There was something about him that was rubbing me the wrong way. Ino was polite in our exit, giving him an apologetic smile before snatching me by the arm and making our way to the car. "Your manners need some serious work." I'm sure she meant it to sound more serious but the sly smile on her lips was taunting.
"He was going to grab you Ino. Some random prick who just met you. Let's not talk about manners," I brushed off, grateful to get the excessive weight off my arms when I spotted the car.
She scoffed, smiling sweetly with an unnecessary flutter of her lashes as she waited for me to get the door for her. "Just admit it," she started once I finally joined her inside, "You just don't want anyone else touching me." I smirked and pulled forward and out of the lot. I didn't need to answer because she and I both knew. She was mine. There was no need to be jealous of something that's yours and I knew Ino didn't have eyes for anyone else.
She leaned over and stole a kiss at each light, smug little grin on her face the whole ride home. "I'll take it that you're feeling a little better now," she asked once we finally made it back, bags in hand as we passed through the front door.
Aris greeted us excitedly, nearly knocking me over in the process. He was even bigger now, practically full grown at this point. I'd need to look into getting him trained with more guard commands for Ino.
Grabbing some files from my desk, I moved to sit upon the couch in the living room. "I'm better," I nodded, eyes locked on the papers in front of me. Arms slid over my shoulders as mischievous lips brushed my neck. I sighed, eyes never leaving the files in my hand, "You know...I'm starting to think that you only want me for one thing." Her laugh bought me time as she pulled away, "Can you blame me? Anyways, work can wait." I knew what she was driving at and any other day, I would have given in without so much as a second thought. However, something compelled me to look through these files. There was something there, something important.
"How about you set up the game? We can check it out together," I suggested. While not her initial intentions, she seemed to enjoy the idea and eagerly grabbed the box. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she began piecing everything together. Having bought myself even more time, I pulled the coffee table a little closer. Spreading everything out, I nearly gave up before a single document caught my eyes.
A picture. It was a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. His name, was Myron. Myron Coy.
With a frown, I began looking over the records, the information suddenly being recalled into my memory. This boy. He was the one who had had all of these stalking charges. A supremacist of sorts whose primary goal was to create a strict line of blonde haired, blue-eyed children and potentially start some sort of race revolution. It was madness and he had already been labeled as unstable by multiple professionals.
My wariness around him was not due to a lack of manners, but rather, a subconscious reminder that was telling me he was dangerous.
The anxiousness that had been temporarily suppressed was now creeping its way back up through my throat. He knew Ino was here and he would likely be doing his best to keep tabs on her. I swallowed the urge to tell her, not wanting to cause her any unnecessary anxiety. For now, I would simply keep this to myself and do my best to keep vigilant of anyone who attempted to get too close.
"Hey," Ino called over, patting the empty space on the floor beside her with a smile, "I got it."
She didn't need to know. For now, I'd simply play like everything was fine. Nodding, I joined her on the floor, "Alright, well what do you want to play first."
She chose the game she had picked out and though I was enjoying myself, this nagging voice in the back of my head kept telling me that something bad was going to happen. Soon.
Next chapter coming up right now!
