THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO A SPECIAL FRIEND BECAUSE IT WAS HER BIRTHDAY!!! YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Series: Initial D
Disclaimer: Initial D does not belong to me, more's the pity. I'm just using the characters and concept for a little nonprofit fun and will return them to Shigeno Shuichi relatively unharmed. ^_______^
Rating: PG
Warnings: NON-YAOI
Genre: romance
Author's Notes: chapter titles are lyrics to the song , "Don't Stop the Music" by Lou Grant, featured on the Initial D Selection CD.
*** denotes thoughts and/or random stylistic elements. ^^;;
Feedback: craved and coveted!!! heiwanakokoro@hotmail.com or leave a review here.
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Title: Don't Stop the Music – chapter 3
Jump and Go – The Power of the Night
Author: kokoro
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***
I remember the view from Akagi Mountain.
I remember the moon was full.
I remember the feeling of contentment you gave me.
I remember the music of your voice calling out my name.
***
Shifting in fifth I pressed harder on the gas pedal. I had to get to Akagi before the Red Suns' practice session ended.
"Stupid Keiko!" I hissed at myself. "Why are you doing this? For Kenta? Not likely! For Him? Keisuke?" My heart clenched at the mention of his name.
///
"Nakamura-san!"
Keiko turned around at the sound of her name. She clutched her books to her chest, nervously chewing on her lower lip. Headed in her direction was the most popular guy in her class.
"Takahashi-san?"
A young man with bright green eyes skidded to a stop, nearly missing bowling her over.
"Hey!" he greeted breathlessly. "I kind of fell asleep in physics. Do you think I could borrow your notes?"
Keiko looked slightly taken aback. First of all, she didn't take physics, and second of all, Takahashi Keisuke was standing on her foot.
Keisuke stuck out his tongue and gave the tiny girl a goofy grin. "Alright, so I lied. I saw you last night at Escape..." He let the sentence trail off, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Keiko's eyes widened. No one was supposed to know!
"E-e-escape? Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingaboutpleasegetoffmyfoot!" she stammered.
Keisuke laughed. "I'm joking! Jeez! You should see your face!" He chucked her lightly under the chin before taking an exaggerated step back. "I know a good girl like you wouldn't be in a club with a reputation like Escape's."
Keiko tried not to let her relief show. Instead, she tried to cover it with small talk.
"Was there something you wanted, Takahashi-san?"
"Ah, yes," Keisuke backed her up against a tree, leaning forward like he'd seen in old American movies. "I've been watching you…"
Keiko looked down and a fine blush spread across her cheeks. "Anou, Takahashi-san…"
He chuckled, reaching out and tilting her chin up so that she was forced to look up at him.
"And I know you've been watching me…" he leaned forward a little more, almost as if to kiss her.
Keiko's eyes widened. Her heart was beating furiously. She did the only thing she could think of. She babbled, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.
"Why are your eyes green?"
Keisuke whispered in her ear. "Sore wa…himitsu desu."
Keiko thought her heart would burst. He was so close, she could almost feel his cheek against hers, skin to skin.
"Do you like cars, Nakamura-san?" Keisuke pulled back.
"W…what?" she stuttered, utterly taken aback by his non-sequitor.
"My brother is racing on Mount Akagi tonight, do want to come watch?"
Keiko felt conflicted. On the one hand, Takahashi Keisuke was the most popular kid in school, practically royalty. He had girls hanging all over him, and she probably wasn't the only one he'd invited up to the mountain tonight. On the other hand, Takahashi Keisuke was the most popular kin in school, practically royalty and, on the off-chance, she *was* the only girl he'd personally invited up to the mountain, it would be so prestigious.
"I…" Keiko started to speak.
Keisuke cocked his head to one side, looking at her expectantly, much like a puppy.
"Sure," she smiled at him. Who could resist that look?
///
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I smacked the steering wheel a few times for emphasis. "I should never haven fallen for those puppy eyes! Then none of this would have happened and I'd be—"
But when I really thought about it, I knew how that sentence would end.
"I'd be dead." I didn't want to say it out loud, but it slipped out.
I closed my eyes, willing the tears I felt welling up to just go away. I didn't want to cry anymore. Not for that. Not for any of it.
///
Keiko stood next to a row of parked cars, a very privileged position seeing as all the cars had "Red Suns" written somewhere on the body, and more particularly because she had just gotten out of a brand new yellow RX-7. She was the envy of a bevy of fangirls, all clamoring eagerly to get a glimpse of the famed Takahashi brothers. Keiko could even hear some of them talking about her, whispering loudly about the blonde streaks in her hair, the hemline of her skirt, her knee high boots. Unconsciously she leaned toward Keisuke.
"You cold?" he asked, a warm twinkle in his eye.
The tall youth reached out and pulled the slight girl closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her upper arms meaning to warm her up.
"Keisuke! Focus!" An even taller young man was snapping his fingers, trying to draw Keisuke's attention.
"Hai, aniki, I'm paying attention~~"
"You're not supposed to bring girls to team meetings, Keisuke. Now grab a two-way and go take your position at the finish line."
"Haaai~~ Aniki~~" Keisuke waved his brother off with a careless gesture. "C'mon Keiko. Looks like I've got finish line duty today."
He grabbed a two-way from one of the other guys and dragged Keiko to his car.
She heard the outraged squeals of the other girls. But even they couldn't drown out the dark muttering from Keisuke's older brother.
"Keisuke, I don't think your brother likes…"
Keisuke cut her off with a quick kiss on the lips. "My brother only has eyes for the road. I'm sure he hasn't even looked at you, much less formulated an opinion about you."
But as the yellow car peeled off, Keiko thought she could see the other man's eyes follow them, darkly glaring.
///
"You didn't like me, even then, did you Ryousuke? Did you know?" I gripped the steering wheel even tighter.
///
The two-way crackled to life.
"Ryousuke's passed the last corner! He's in the lead by two car-lengths!" was the static-y shout.
"Keisuke! Get ready with the stop watch!"
"Keisuke!"
"Keisuke, respond!"
Even at the high speed at which Keisuke's brother drove past the finishing point, he could clearly see Keisuke and that new girl, wrapped in a passionate embrace. The streetlight cast a halo about them, freezing the image in his mind.
///
I touched a finger to my lips, gently, remembering that first kiss. Now that the memories were coming back, I had to go see.
Him.
~* TBC *~
(sorry folks that it took so long for me to update, ne~~~? it's a long story. suffice to say I'm back on track now! ^_^)