The Sealed Pendant
Episode Nine - A Surprise Visit For
Meilin
The one to hear the phone ring first, was not the one most likely to get up at the time. Kokkei groaned and rolled over. "Where is Wei?" She moved Yue's hair out of the way, since they were in the one bed, and climbed out. She yawned as she headed for the phone in the hall. She picked it up. "Who are ya, and you better have a damn good reason for waking me up." There was silence on the other end, then someone finally said, "Um... I'm sorry. I just wanted to know if Meilin was there." "Yeah. She's sleeping..." She yawned, "...with Li." "What?!" "Who may I ask is calling?" The tone was flat and dark, "Dominic. Dominic Kasaki." "Okay. Hold on." She covered the mouth piece and yelled into the house. "Meilin! Someone named Dominic is on the phone for you!" A loud thump of a body hitting the floor was heard, then Meilin slid into the hall. She breathed deeply and took the phone from Kokkei. She smiled and looked down the other end of the hall. "Dominic?" She waited. "No... but, listen... Kokkei's insane..." She waited again. "She meant "sleeping" as in sharing a room with him... Wei still has to fix up the guest room a bit..." Meilin turned and glared at Kokkei before speaking again, "So, why did you call?"
Kokkei crossed her arms and waited. "You are?! That's so great! I can't wait." Meilin giggled happily and twirled the phone cord in her fingers, "Great. I'll see you soon. Bye." She hung up, sighing. Kokkei moved to the side of her. "Sooo.. who is he?" Meilin glared at her. "How could you tell him I was sleeping with Li? And just like that!" Kokkei laughed nervously. "But, I need a girl to talk with this about anyway." The two girls sat in the hall. "He's my boyfriend. From back home." Kokkei squealed excitedly. Yue groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. "Eriol was right." he muttered, "Girls do seem to have a lot of energy." "Glad you think so." He looked up to see Li standing just inside the door with his pillow and sheet, bags under his eyes. "Can I just try and rest in here? They just moved the conversation into my room." Yue smiled and nodded. Li closed the door and made his make-shift bed on the floor, curling up. Yue tossed him a pillow then rolled over onto his side. "Thanks." he said. "Sure."
After several minutes, the door squeaked open and the two girls peeked in. "Should we wake them?" Meilin asked. "No. They look so cute." They closed the door and walked downstairs. "So, he's coming today?" Meilin nodded. "Later tonight. I wonder if he remembers the others." "Well. He remembers Li." Kokkei said. Meilin grinned and nodded. "Who are we gonna get to drive us there to go pick him up?" Meilin thought for a moment, "Wei?" Kokkei shrugged. "But where will he stay?" "Well, I guess he could stay here. But we hardly have much room." "What about Eriol's?" "You think?" Kokkei shrugged again. "He's basically living by himself in a large house." By this time, while talking, the two girls had made themselves breakfast, which caught the sleeping males' attention. Yue sleepily floated down the stairs, with Li in tow. "Who was on the phone and why was I "sleeping" with Meilin?" Li asked, pouring a glass of juice for himself and Yue. Yue looked at his then turned back to face the girls. "Dominic." Meilin said cheerfully. Li cracked a smile. "That's why you were so excited." He sat next to Kokkei. "She nearly killed herself getting out of bed." "Yes. I heard." she laughed. "So what?" Meilin blushed, "I'm sure both of you would've acted the same way." They looked at each other, grinning, then shook their heads. "Yeah, right." Yue said, taking the glass of juice away from his lips. "What'd ya mean by that?" Kokkei said, eyeing him curiously. Yue smirked and walked away. "You'll see." Kokkei watched as he disappeared around the corner.
Meilin stood and emptied her plate, placing it in the sink. "I'm gonna get ready early." she said, running out of the kitchen. Li looked at Kokkei. "Life seems back to normal now." She banged her head on the table. "Very." She rubbed her bruised cranium. Meilin's yell ran through the house, "Yue! Can't you lock the door for a change?! It's not like Kokkei's gonna come up here!" A slam was heard then stomping footsteps. "Says who!" Li held onto the sink as Kokkei took off like a bolt of lightning. She nearly ran through the door, trying to get it open. Yue stood there, a towel wrapped around his waist, his arms crossed, and a triumphant smirk on his face. "Told ya." was all he said, making the blushing Kokkei facevault. Meilin and Li stood by the door, laughing. "Liked my acting?" Meilin asked, stepping over Kokkei to get her stuff. "You were acting?" Kokkei groaned, getting up. Meilin glared at her then walked out. As she passed by Li, she smiled. "Don't worry. Your turn will come also." Li blushed and walked into his room. Yue took the band out of his hair. Kokkei's eyes sparkled as she stared at him. "I've fallen in love with you all over again." she sighed.
"I think I still have pizza sauce in my hair." he grumbled, running a hand through it. "Ohh. Can I help you get it out? Please, please, please?" She was bouncing up and down like a child waiting for candy. Yue laughed, "Fine. Just lemme warm up the water." He knelt next to the tub and turned on the water, testing it to make sure it was the right temperature. When he stood back up, Kokkei was looking at him strangely, never really seeing him when he was in the bathroom, so she didn't know he knew, that. "Oh. Wei showed me how to work them. Besides, Julian did these things all the time." Kokkei smiled and rummaged through the cabinet over the sink. "I-I-I keep on falling, in and out of love, with you. I-I-I never loved someone, way that I loved you. Oh-oh-ohhh." Kokkei pulled back from the cabinet, humming the rest of the song. She had bottles of hair oil and brushes and combs. "Lovin' you darlin', makes me so confused..." She dropped them on the floor next to the tub and kneeled down. Yue was already relaxing in the water. She let her hands massage through his hair. "That song..." he sighed. "Oh. You liked it?" She smiled. "It's by Alicia Keys." She ran a brush through the wet hair, smiling. "How do you give me so much pleasure? Then cause me so much pain?"
She poured some oil in her hand and rubbed it into his hair. He sighed and sank lower into the water a little. "It feels that good?" Yue just smiled. "Ok. Your hair's sorta.. really long, and I don't really want to get the floor wet, so...?" He looked at her and she blushed. "I really don't want to. Like you said, I'm too young." "And like you said, age is just a number." "But still... that's a whole complete different situation compared to now." She stood up and wiped her hands off in a towel. "That's it? You're done?" Yue asked, pulling himself out of the water halfway. She nodded slowly and headed for the door. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard the splashing of water behind her. "Wait." She turned and looked at him. He and the towel wrapped around his waist, but was still standing in the tub to not get the floor wet. "I'm sorry. I.." he sighed and looked at the floor. "You know. You're weird. It's just like the song says. Lovin' you darlin', makes me so confused.. It's like I can never hate you, and I just wanna know how your hair got so long." Kokkei stood with her hands clasped behind her back and was smiling. "You looked like a problem-free school girl." "I am."
A loud banging on the door snapped them out of their "each-other" moment. Kokkei pulled open the door to see Li standing there. "Wei came back just as Meilin got finished with the bathroom, and you two have been in here for over a half hour." Yue pulled the curtain across, drained the tub, and turned on the shower. "You're kidding me!" Li cried. Kokkei grinned nervously and closed the door. "Don't worry. He'll be out in a few." she said, pulling him into her room, since Meilin was still using his. She plopped down on her bed, cross-legged. "So... are you and Sakura true enough an item to show it in public yet?" Li blushed and shrugged. "Madison and Eriol are." "That's them, not me and Sakura." "Well, maybe Sakura wants to show it, but you're holding her back." Li looked at the floor. "I never really thought about it that way." Kokkei gave him an encouraging pat on the back. "Go for it. It wouldn't hurt to try." He smiled and looked up as the door opened. "The bathroom's..." Li was up and out of the room, leaving papers fluttering in his wake, "... free." Yue finished.
Kokkei laughed and bounced up and down. "You guys make me laugh so much!" Yue smiled and tightened the belt on the robe he was wearing. "Glad you're happy." "How are you going to dry your hair?" she asked, already looking for her blow-dryer, a towel over her shoulder, and a comb slicked back in her hair. "I don't know." he said, changing into a T-shirt and a pair of pants. He sat down in front of the bed as Kokkei finished plugging in the blow-dryer. She turned it on on full power and passed it over Yue's hair. "I'll just dry outside in." she yelled over some of the noise. He nodded.
By the time Kokkei was officially finished, it was early evening, and both were nearly half asleep. "Never..." she yawned, "Never wash your hair." She pulled herself out of bed and grabbed her towel and some clothes. "You better get ready. Meilin will probably come in here and tell you--" "It's almost time to go!"
The door popped open and Kokkei side-stepped the sudden impact. "Told ya." She walked past Meilin and into the bathroom. Meilin shrugged and went back to Li's room, both of them already ready. They both had to help walk Yue and Kokkei out to the car when they got ready, and when it was time to leave. "You two are hopeless." Li said, shutting the door. Kokkei mumbled something that sounded like, "Whatever, Showron." He smirked. Meilin giggled happily as the headed for the airport. As they pulled up, she was out of the car before it even fully stopped. She looked around and spotted a young boy sitting on his suitcase, smiling over at her. She smiled and ran to him. "Dominic!" she laughed as he got up and hugged her, swinging her around. He stopped and put her down, both of them staring at each other. He leaned forward and kissed her then pulled back. She sighed and hugged him again. "I missed you so much." he said, running a hand through her hair. "I was only gone for a week or so." Meilin said. "I know." He kissed the top of her head, "That's long." She laughed and picked up his shoulder bag as he picked up his suitcase.
Someone ran up to them. Dominic looked like he was waiting for the boy. "Hey." the person breathed, "It was closed. Sorry." He handed Dominic some money back, then picked up his own bags. Meilin looked at him oddly, then smiled. "I think I remember you. I used to see you around sometimes." Kokkei leaned forward in the car and honked the horn. The three looked over. "Hurry it up. It's near night. This is a time for sleeping." She looked at Li as she came out of the car. "Look how open their relationship is." Li shoved her out the rest of the way. She squeaked and pressed herself against the car as a truck rolled by, honking. "Showron. I'm going to kill you..." She dived back in the car, only to have both her and Li fall out the other side. Knowing something would happen between the two, Yue had already stepped out of the car and was separating them. Meilin smiled apologetically at the two boys. "Sorry. But those two, are slightly crazy."
Dominic laughed, but the other person just stared straight ahead. Kokkei straightened up and smiled at them. "Dominic. Hi." His eyes narrowed and then he smiled. "You're the one who said Meilin was "sleeping" with Li." Kokkei laughed, her hand behind her head, "Yeah. That was me. Crazy Kokkei Akarui." "Nice to meet you. And I'd like you to meet my friend. He decided to come with me here. Kaoru Ohkawa." Kokkei's head tilted to one side, a sweatdrop there. "Rooms, Meilin." she whispered, "Rooms." "I know!" Meilin whispered back, smiling sheepishly as she looked at them. The boy next to Dominic stepped forward. He had bleached blond hair, and light, sky blue eyes that sparkled. "Hi." he said. His voice was semi-deep, but filled with richness. Kokkei found herself blushing as he took her hand and kissed it, little tiny stars floating around the two of them. "Nice to meet you." "Likewise." she sighed. He smiled and pulled back, looking at Yue, since they were near the car now. "And you are...?" "Yue." he answered blankly. Kokkei eyed him curiously for a second, then turned back.
Kaoru looked between Yue and Kokkei. "Has anyone ever commented on how you two look alike?" "What?!" That was from Li and Meilin. Kokkei and Yue looked at each other then back at Kauro. "We do?" they said, the other echoing, "They do?" He stepped forward and held Kokkei's face. Yue's eyes narrowed a little. Kokkei's eyes held a narrowed, almond shape, but were still rounded with her youth. "You're wearing contacts. The one that just changes your eye color." No one had really known that. "Yeah. So?" "Can I see your original eye color?" "How about after we reach home?" Kokkei rushed them all in the car. "Or tomorrow morning? I'm too tired." "You're not supposed to sleep with contacts in." Meilin and Li were whispering amongst themselves about not knowing Kokkei wore contacts. "Oh, well." She shrugged, "Wei, let's go. Let's go." The older man, who waited ever-so-patiently, had the tiniest of sweatdrops as he started the car up, and took off, Kokkei talking excitedly.
"Kaoru. We can't wait to introduce
you to all our friends. Rita, Nikki, Chelsea, Zachary, Chris, Julian, Tori,
Antonio..." He blocked her out after "Antonio", and looked out the window.
"Yes," he said softly, so no one heard, "Antonio, or Mizuiro, Rukki, Ceaira,
Hannya, Aquilia, Sabaki, the Gems, and the Pendants." He smirked and shook
his bangs out of his face, then looked away from the window, focusing on
Kokkei, who was still rambling on.
