The very second I stepped through the door of the apartment the phone rang. I snatched up the phone as I walked by and hit the large gray TALK button.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ames."
"Urawa! I just got in. I was just about to call you! You've been stalking me haven't you? That's how you knew I was here."
"I am SO good. Who needs a rainbow crystal when you've got skills . . . ?"
I shoved open the door to my room with my shoulder and shrugged off my bag by the desk. It hit the ground with a solid THUMP.
"So what are you doing Urawa? Are you still looking for a job?"
"Urawa . . . " He is so pitiful. He loathes anything that brings him into contact with people. Which doesn't leave him much in the way of career choices.
"I don't get it. You get the job, you do it well, and then they fire you."
Yeah right. "What did you do?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all. You wouldn't believe how sensitive some people are about their weight though."
"Oh no... you didn't..."
"I tried to explain I was just kidding. I mean, come on. The guy weighed 350 at least and wanted extra butter on his popcorn. You know I just couldn't let that go."
"Urawa, you... you are an idiot..."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll remember you said that when I'm a multi-billionaire."
"Whatever . . . " I went through a quick full-body stretch and gave the loudest sigh I could.
"Don't worry. I already have a new job lined up. I'll be back on the working force Monday."
"Good for you. In the meantime..."
"In the meantime I thought we'd go dancing. Right after Endless Waltz is over."
He is so pathetic. "You just got fired and you're watching anime?"
"Gundam Wing is an anodyne. Plus, Relena's cool. I just can't understand why everyone pairs her with Dorothy. I can see Heero, but Dorothy's... evil."
"It could be the theory that people who seem to hate each other are just covering their attraction."
"But Relena and Dorothy don't hate each other."
I smiled as I saw the seed of another one of Urawa's pointless debates. I actually argued with him because I can't stand the thought of him being right and my being wrong. It just . . . goes against nature. We have had this debate many times before so I gave him my customary answer as I crouched down to untie my bootlaces.
"It could also be because Dorothy's a sadist and Relena is a masochist..."
"SHE IS NOT! Relena is not a masochist!"
I pulled off my boots and chucked them across the room just to hear the sound they made when they hit the wall.
"Explain the basis for your belief that Relena is a masochist."
I stifled a laugh as I seated myself at my computer desk and turned my laptop on. "Heero. The boy threatened to kill her how many times? And that hideous pink car. It has to be painful to her. It's painful to me."
Silence.
"Ok. So what about your theory that James is gay?"
"His hair is violet. And he cross-dresses. Plus that thing with Brock..."
"What thing with Brock!"
"He would have gone after Ash if he was older. Although Jessie doesn't care if they're minors. That's why she's always chasing Misty..."
"I am not hearing this! I am NOT hearing this! LALALALALALALALALALAAAA!"
"Face it. That harmless show you love to watch is chock full of yummy sub- text."
"I hate you Ami."
"Love you too."
An hour later we were off the subject of anime. Now, joy of joys, we were talking about love. How did I let us get to this subject? "There is no way. I think that you can fall in love with anyone. All you have to do is get to know them and eventually the fear will become respect, the respect will become like, the like becomes love."
"So you don't believe in that one true love thing everyone talks about?"
"Overrated. The divorce rate is like, 52 now. I would hope that those people were in love when they married. It just gets old after awhile."
"That's horrible."
"That's how it works babe."
"It doesn't always get old. I've been in love with Makoto for almost 4 years."
"Yeah, but your love is unrequited. It's the forbidden fruit. You want what you can't have. If she liked you back the novelty would wear off..."
"Ames?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"Oops. Whatever I said, I'm sorry."
"It's too late now. I'm going to kill you dead. After I'm done crying."
"Sorry."
"You don't just fall out of love with someone Urawa. If it was meant to be, if they're your soulmate..."
"I knew if I waited long enough you'd bring up soulmates. The concept is trite and cliched."
"You're treading on thin ice."
"Well come on Ami. There are a couple billion people in the world. Are you saying only one is to be your 'true love'?"
"Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Fate tries to bring both halves together. If you're looking for your other half, chances are you won't miss them."
"So fate is responsible for-"
DING DING
"-who the hell?"
DINGDINGDING
"Answer the door stupid."
"Would ya give me a second? Not everyone has Senshi reflexes."
"Shut up."
On the other end of the line I heard Urawa open the front door of his apartment. After another moment he returned.
"Alright Ames. Motoki's here. We'll finish this in the car after we pick you up."
"Well hurry would you? I am really feeling the need to pummel you."
"I'll take my time then."
It was an hour before Urawa actually came and picked me up.
I was getting ready to call his apartment and threaten his life when there was a knock at the door. It opened before I got to it.
"Hey Am- Holy HELL who are you?"
Urawa and Motoki were standing in the doorway. Which in and of itself is not very strange. But they weren't moving.
"What is wrong with you two?"
Motoki jabbed Urawa in the ribs with his elbow.
"She sounds like Ami..." "Yeah, but she looks like Mistress Pain. Ami doesn't wear leather. Ever. I think she's got some kinks we don't know about. She's probably tied up in the bedroom right now."
I stomped over to them, stopping within arms length.
"Urawa! First you question my devotion to Makoto. Then you and Motoki are a half hour late. Now you're insulting my clothes?"
I felt quite justified in causing them pain.
So I did.
"OOOOWWWWW!"
"SHIT!"
I released the pinches of skin from their forearms I had previously been twisting.
"Jeez Ami-"
"- Ahh, so now you recognize me."
"I hope that made you feel better."
"Why I do feel better. Maybe I should do it again."
They both stepped back a foot.
"Umm, okay... If you're done terrorizing us Ami... Can we..go?"
"Yeah. I promise not to comment on your attire... or lack thereof."
"What was that?"
"NOTHING!"
"Out of my house! Let's go!"
The Club was packed. That's the name of the place Urawa always brings me to. The Club. A quasi-bohemian cesspool of pseudo-intellectuals. But a good place to relax regardless. Of course, should I feel the need for stimulating conversation I'll have to look elsewhere...
The thing about this place, this club... It's a melting pot of people. For a small entrance fee, you could enter a place where you could be whoever you wanted. If you knew what to look for you could find the others like me. Shy bookworms who want to go out and be the butch darling or the lipstick femme that they can't be anywhere else.
And me? I am whoever I feel. I buy the drink or I accept it. I lead or I follow. Sometimes I dance alone.
"Alright guys. You go have your fun. I'll be around."
Urawa and Motoki sniffled as I walked away.
"She's embarrassed to be seen with us!"
"Our little Ami is all grown up!"
I turned at their exaggerated sobs.
"Cut it out. You know I would love to stay, but no one's going to even attempt ot talk to me with you two here. Especially after last week."
Sniffle, sniffle
"O-oh kay Ami. We... we understand..."
"Big jerks."
They gave me a big smile before retreating to the tables in the back.
I myself retreated to the bathroom. Whenever I go out, I always get this panic attack. I kept getting the feeling that my clothes were showing more skin then I wanted.
The skirt. OK maybe it wasn't such a good idea. The black leather looked better in my room. Behind closed doors. Locked and closed doors. And the shirt... well, I really liked the shirt. And apparently so did a few other patrons. I caught a tall blonde leering at me in the mirror. I glared at her. She huffed and left.
"OK Ami. You have a very nice body. VERY nice. You are attractive and should show off every once in awhile." I was now talking to myself. Great.
Eventually I talked myself out of the bathroom and over to the bar. I really don't drink much here (mostly cause it's illegal...). But at the bar everyone can see you. I gave the floor a quick once-over. I didn't feel like waiting for a partner. So I didn't.
I observed the reactions people had to me with a sort of detached curiosity. Taking it as a scientific experiment, I moved to see what got attention. A roll of the hips got a glance. Another hip-roll received another glance. A roll with a swing got yet another.
A youngish girl came over to me, not much younger then me. Maybe sixteen or seventeen. Scared to death and barely able to get the question out of her mouth.
"W-will you d-dance with me?"
She spoke with a stutter born of nervousness and the fight against her instinct to be quiet and avoid notice. I extended my hand to the girl whose name I probably would never learn and I really didn't need to. And we danced.