Let the Tick of the Clock Pursue Me.

Akiko Chan

Info- This takes place in Mid-November. And a little note...I really hate this chapter; you won't believe how many times I said that while typing it. But I like how I ended it. And don't worry Omi and Meiling aren't going to be a couple or anything like that.

Chapter 4

Omi walks out of the bathroom dressed in street clothes. He is wearing blue jeans and a gray t-shirt. He puts on his blue jacket and looks at the small TV at the end of the room. The weather is on. It is going to be in the high 50's today. Right now it's in the forties. Meiling is wearing light color jeans and a dark green sweater. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ears. She was looking at a schedule.

******

Omi

I turn from the tv to Meiling.

"Meiling?"

"What?" She went back to the schedule. "We should leave in a few minutes and be back before dinner."

"Why not after dinner before lights out?"

She stops for a second and looks as though she was deep in thought.

"I thought you have done this before."

"My old roommate planned every time out."

I walk over to the schedules to look at them. I figured my experience in Weiß would help me out. I never realized how dependent I was on the computer. This was like one of those math story problems I loathe.

'If Ling-Ling and Tommy are planning to leave unnoticed between what time would be best to leave and return based on the schedule below?' Where did they get those names? The first part to solving one of these is making an equation. The hard part is deciding what kind. I usually know what kind based on the lesson we just took notes on. I didn't take any notes for this. I think I'd rather do geometry instead of whatever math I'm trying to figure out. Most likely a form of Algebra, that's always confusing. Maybe it's probability but I need a calculator for that and they never taught us to put it to a problem like this.

"Meiling just pick a time, and we'll wing it blindly."

"Huh?"

"We'll just guess and hope for the best."

"Ok, Let's leave now."

She puts the schedules back and grabs her jacket. She puts it on and then her purse. She looks to me.

"You have money?"

"Yes."

I go to the dresser and take mine out."

I look at her.

"Okay, how are we going to get out?"

She walks over to the window and opens it. I follow. She points to the right.

"We slid down the drainpipe."

"What about getting back up?"

"The vines on the left. It will be a decently long climb but we should manage."

******

"Okay, now in what direction do we walk?" I ask.

"The parking lot until we get to the sidewalk and then to the left."

"There are few restaurants and stores over there. Where are we going?"

She shivers a bit and pulls her hands in her jacket.

"We can ice cream or if you're hungry we could eat somewhere and after if we have time I'd like to go to the shops."

We start walking.

"We can shop first then go to a restaurant."

"No, because we don't know how long it takes to eat."

"I'm not hungry, what about you?"

"Doesn't matter to me. Let's get ice cream and then shop."

I sigh; making plans with Meiling is interesting. We walk down the street.

"Your name is Chinese?"

"Yes. My mom is from China; my dad is from here in Tokyo. What about you? You have any family?"

"The only relative that I know of that's alive is my half-sister's mother. She has a restaurant on the other side of town."

"Do you see her often?"

"Not since my sister's death."

"I'm so sorry." Meiling says. But I guess the curiosity was too much for her because she asks.

"How'd she die?"

"She was shot in the back... I'd rather not talk about this."

We walk into the ice cream parlor. It has high oak doors with tinted glass. There is tables scattered around in an abstract manner. It's bright in here and the carpet is green. The ceilings high. We go up to the counter to see what kinds they have. A smile spreads across both of our faces. She looks at me and I return her gaze.

"There are too many flavors." I whisper.

"I'm thinking of just getting Vanilla." Meiling says.

She looks up at the menu.

"On second thought I think I want one of the fancy ones not just a cone."

A lady in a green apron comes up to them from behind the counter. She hands us two menus.

"You can take these to a table and come back up here when you've made your choice."

We sit at a table looking over our menus.

"Doesn't this sound good Omi? A warm flaky brownie with pecans, topped with vanilla ice cream and whip cream."

"It does..." I reply not looking up from my menu.

"So what are you going to get?"

"I'm thinking the 'Grasshopper*'

'Grasshopper?" Meiling says shocked. "Is there grasshoppers in it?"

I look at her disgusted. "No silly, there is vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate with." I pause for a second to think. "You know that hot fudge stuff they put on sundaes...well it's like that but it is mint flavored."

Meiling nods and says laughing. "But no grasshoppers?"

I roll my eyes and then go up to the counter to order. She follows. We order and wait at the counter for the ice cream. I guess at this point we were supposed to exchange small talk. I have nothing to say and shockingly either does the loud mouth.

"Meiling, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're actually being quiet."

She slaps my arm.

"Shut up!"

I smile and laugh at her. She really doesn't like this. She looks at me confused.

"Stop it." She says and pouts slightly.

The lady sets the ice cream on the counter. We both go to a separate table and sit down to eat. We exchange glances a few times.

"You are such a jerk." Meiling says.

I ignore her and continue eating. A few minutes later I hear the sound of a chair being moved. I look up and she is sitting by me. I roll my eyes.

"Is it as good as you thought?"

"Yes...yours?"

"Good."

******

Most of the times we snuck out where like that. Today we were planning on leaving after dinner. Dinner is coming up soon. Right now I am stuck in a self-help meeting. I don't see why I have to come here. Every Wednesday, we share our lives with these people. At the moment Meiling is telling a story. One time when we were out she had bought a multicolored scarf. But not like a rainbow, less defined, where you can't tell where one color begins and the other ends.

She told them her sister had given it to here. I try not to laugh. No one else will understand. Her sister lives in Hong Kong. She hasn't visited since I've been in kitten. She has no other siblings. Her parents are sad when they come in to visit. I know because her father's face is so stern and yet his eyes are full of sorrow. Her mother usually has tears in her eyes. I'm sure she misses her older daughter. She probably couldn't handle to lose her younger one.

"Omi!" I snap back to reality.

"Huh?"

It was the meeting director.

"Tell us about your week."

I try to think back to what's gone on. I can't tell them how Meiling and I snuck out. Yohji visited on Sunday. He thought I was asleep. He talking to me but I couldn't quite hear him or make out the words.

"I had some visitors...that's all."

"Not talkative today are we?"

She says mockingly and moves on to the person on my left. I really dislike the meeting director. How is this helpful to any of us?

Anyways, back to Yohji's visit. I felt him very close to me, the feel of his lips on my forehead. I smelled his cigarettes and his hair. He whispered something again, and stood up. He held my hand for just a moment and let go. He turns to walk out and I open my eyes watching him exit. I wish his visits weren't so short. Aya and ken haven't visited. I can't understand way. I'm sad here and I miss all of them. Sometimes, I don't want Yohji to even visit. It makes me sad, because it reminds me of the others. Maybe if none of them visit I will forget and not be sad. And again I snap back to reality. Meiling has just hit my arm.

"Omi...clap...what's wrong with you today? You're totally out of it. "

"I've just been thinking."

The meeting was soon over and we returned to our room.

******

After dinner we returned to our room to get ready. We decided to go to a club close by where other teens and young adults hang out. We got out the usual way and walk down the street. After fifteen minutes of walking and turning down streets Meiling spotted it. We walk in and look around. It's dark and smoky in here.

"See anyone you know?" She asks.

"No...you?"

"Not yet."

Suddenly she spots someone sitting over at on of the tables. She drags me over there.

"Hey Tomoyo!" A girl turns and hugs her.

"Hey! I've missed you. How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Omi."

"Where'd you meet him?"

"At a place around here."

"Well, Meiling and Omi have a seat."

"Why haven't you been in school? Are you going somewhere else?"

Meiling laughs nervously. "My mom is home schooling me now.'

"Oh well that's cool, I'm always begging my mom to do that."

I look around the place. Girl talk is really boring.

"Hey you want a cigarette? Since you're being home schooled you can't smoke in the bathrooms any more."

"No thanks, I quit."

Tomoyo takes out a cigarette for herself and hands one to a girl sitting next to her. minutes seemed like hours, I am very bored.

"I'm going to be right back." I say as I stand up.

"Where are you going?" Meiling asks.

"To get some fresh air." I walk out, more concerned about where I'm going then my actual surroundings. I bump into a man.

"Sorry." I say as I look up. I stare blankly at him and his mouth opens, his cigarette
falling to the ground. I put it out with my foot. I am looking face to face with Yohji. Caught in a place where I shouldn't be. He grabs my arm and pulls me outside of the place.

"What are you doing here?" He asks little hints of anger in his voice.

My eyes are still locked with his. I say nothing because I have not good words to explain myself.

"Answer me..."

He lets go of my arm and pushes me against the wall. His hands feel like they could break my shoulders. I look to the ground and wince. His grip loosens and I think his anger fades slightly.

"You need to be in the hospital, so you can get better."

"I'm lonely there... and your visits just make that worse."

He loosens his grip completely and turns away from me.

"You don't want me to visit anymore? Why?"

"Aya and Ken never visit. You remind me of them. If no one visits then I will forget all of you."

"I'm assuming that's the medicine talking. I'm taking you back."

"In a minute, I have to tell here I'm leaving."

He grabs my arm.

"No, I can't trust you to go in there and come back."

"Trust me?" I say shocked and insulted.

"Considering you snuck out of the hospital; I can't trust you."

My eyes narrow and I look into his eyes.

"You have no idea what it's like there."

He pulls me towards the parking lot.

"Get in the car." He says as he lets go of my arm.

Yohji smokes a cigarette as we drive down the street.

"You know we'll have to sneak you in."

I say nothing, just stare out the window ignoring him.

"It's like a prison there.'

I whisper loud enough for him to hear.

"Really?" He replies back. I take a deep breath and open my mouth to speak. But I still say nothing.

"How so?" He finally asks. I still don't reply.

"You confuse me; first you want my sympathy."

"I never asked for it.'

"Just the way you're acting is enough of a hint."

"And just because you used to be a PI. you think you know what everyone wants." I finally say.

The car stops and I realize we're in the hospital parking lot. We exit the car and Yohji puts out his cigarette.

"How many times have you done this Omi?"

"More than once.'


"I want this to be your last...if staying in the hospital all the time is going to make you well. So be it."

"And why is this your choice?"

He leans down putting his arm around my shoulder, leaning his head in close.

"Because I know best."

"And yet, you know nothing."

Yohji pulls away.

"What?"

"You know nothing of what it's like."

*I think there is a dessert at the Coney Island by my house called the Grasshopper. Anyways...I no own it.