Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½. I DO own Tomoko.
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Seventy-Nine Mondays
Chapter Two
Pieces of the Past
By Ame
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I had let myself out of the room not waiting for my tears to dry and walked down the hall, passing the rooms of my family sleeping, and outside. I sat myself down on the cold stones that surrounded the small pool. I had often come here just to think. Listening to the wind rustle the tree leaves, watching the tiny ripples of the pool splash up against the rocks, it was all so serene. Quite a difference from the home right behind me.
The night was warm and clear. Silvery blue moonlight had shone across the yard reflecting off the water and shining up into my face. Of all this I paid little heed. I had been lost in my mind, drifting through my own thoughts. I had wished we were all back in high school, where the greatest of our troubles were finals at the end of the year. I had wished Ranma and Akane would get over their pettiness and just accept each other. I had wished everything had stayed the way it was so many years ago. But it didn't, it can't, it never does. Times have to change as surely as night moves to day. People have to change. I've changed.
* * *
The realities of life have been smacking me in the face since I came here four years ago. Now it all seems so long ago. Well, I fist arrived here from Kyoto. Like Ranma said, Happosai found me. or stole me, either way. The thing is I had been kidnapped and my mother and father, being the loving parents that they are, never paid the ransom; I never found out the reason, but I abandoned them as they had abandoned me and looked for my own ways of freedom.
At the time, I was thirteen, headstrong, and all around stupid. I had it in my mind that no one had the right or power to hold me like this, so I planned my escape over the long, tedious, and brain racking time of twenty minutes. Yeah, twenty minutes was all it took to plan my "flawless" escape. As expected, I was caught, and not surprisingly my captors weren't too happy with the fact I wasn't being a cooperative hostage. They dragged me back to the small shack on a hill behind the city and beat me. I had never known so much pain in all of my life combined. Blow after blow I stood silently sobbing, refusing to give in and cry out, and I fell unconscious.
When I awoke I could hardly open my eyes, one had been swollen completely shut. Pain throbbed all over my body, shooting up and down my spine every time I took in a breath. I wanted to die, right there, just die on the floor. It took me a while to realize I was far from death, so I'd settle for the next best thing. passing out again. I moved my hand, gingerly at first, forgetting my purpose as new stings reeled up my arm, but I soon remembered and touched my cheek. My fingers felt the warm, sticky mess of puss and blood as they moved up my face. I found a particularly deep cut just above my left eye and pressed. The pain returned, washing over me, never stopping, unbearable, but I pushed all the harder. I had clenched my teeth but a groan escaped my split lips all the same. One of the men turned around mumbling something unintelligible even to ears not caked full of blood. My hand dropped, unable to stand it anymore, but I was still conscious and could still feel the pulsing all over my body.
My captor was walking closer, or rather stumbling over to the corner where I lay. It was only then I realized the foul stench of alcohol settling thickly in the cabin air. The man was drunk and dangerous and I was hurt and helpless. Fear crept into my mind, crowding out everything, even the pain. All I wanted was to get away from him, NOW!!! I tried to raise myself to my feet, but barely got to me knees. My struggle must have amused the man because he had been laughing in between drinks from the bottle in his hand. I don't know how long he talked to me, laughed at me, while I kneeled hopelessly on the ground, but it wasn't long enough. I felt a cold hand touch my shoulder and I recoiled falling over against the wall. He laughed and then was silent. Suddenly white pain blinded the world I saw behind my closed eyelids as the man poured his alcohol over my body. It seeped into every cut and burned. I could hear his sadistic laughter as I screamed and curled myself into a ball as though it could help. My screams of utter pain pierced the night and reached the ears of one. Even after his bottle was empty I shook until I was exhausted and I finally lost consciousness once again.
I woke to the gnawing of my injuries and the sounds of crashing. My one good eye opened only a sliver, enough to see what was going on. The drunken man staggered around the room as a small, old man hit him from all sides. Under any other circumstances I would have laughed to see the tiny man beating up the big-bad kidnapper. Well, the little, old man won and the drunken bastard collapsed to the floor. Little, old man walked up to me and examined me with his big beady eyes. I don't know how he managed to pick me up but he did it so gently I was surprised to feel the cold of the wood gone from me body.
We darted through the treetops, the soft wind cooling the heat and pain from my wounds. Soon he laid me down gently on grass and I lay there with one eye half open watching him. I didn't know who he was, but he had taken me from that place of terror. His eyes move over my body once again, resting only a moment longer on my breasts, bruised and cut. At the time I couldn't have cared less, as long as he didn't cause me anymore pain. Then he spoke to me.
"Who are your parents little girl?"
I couldn't speak; it took all the energy I had just to breathe.
"Where do you live? You need to go home."
"Dame," I whispered. I only hoped he had heard me, I could not say it again. Already I tasted blood as my tear in my lips re-opened. Little, Old Man nodded gravely before scooping me up again and leaping into the trees.
We traveled like this for two days, stopping occasionally for food. Little, Old Man offered me broth, but I would have none of it. I no longer wanted to live, the constant drumming in my head, the ever suffering of my body, and the eternal knowledge that my parents had forsaken me, gave me all the more reason to die.
I once asked Little, Old Man where he was taking me.
"Nerima," He had answered so simply. There was no other explanation, but it was of little concern to me. I planned to leave this world behind; it didn't matter where I did it.
* * *
On the evening of the second day, the sky was blazed with a red sunset. Houses ran in endless lines through the streets where we finally stopped. One house with a dojo in the back looked just as cold and heartless as the rest of the world. We went inside.
By now I was in a dazed state of hunger from an empty stomach and pain from my untreated cuts. I don't remember much from the first three days I spent in the Tendo home, just white lights, pain, warm soup, and one calming voice hushing my cries into sleep. When I finally awoke, a window beside my bed glowed with the early morning sunlight.
I was bandaged from head to toe with bags of ice resting on my shins and hips but the pain was gone. For once in a long time, I was happy to be alive.
A few minutes later a woman walked in.
"Oh my, you've woken up," She exclaimed. "Would you like some breakfast?" She asked setting down fresh bandages at the foot of my bed. I nodded and she left, smiling.
When the door latched behind her, I started to look around. The white walls were splashed with rays from the rising sun, filtering through the peach curtains of the window. Another futon lay folded in the opposite corner of the room beside the door. A small desk lightly cluttered with papers, books and pictures stood on its own in the sun. I slipped from under the cotton covers and attempted to stand. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I was restless. Taking slow, tentative steps, I made my way across the room to the desk. I picked up one picture residing behind the glass of the picture frame. The Smiling Lady was seated beside three other girls, one with brown hair one with blue hair, and one with red - looking vaguely annoyed - a tall man with long lack hair - seeming mildly confused- a panda, and Little Old Man, who seemed like he dove in at the last moment. It was a very nice picture, I decided and set it back on the desk. The other picture contained simply the blue haired girl and a boy with a pigtail braid. The boy was cute, I had to admit, but his incredible resemblance to the red head was disturbing.
I had made my way back to bed and lay down to think, trying to organize myself mentally.
(I am in a house of strangers, nice strangers, but they're still strangers. Little Old Man is here, I'm sure, ut the others. would they send me home. I never want to go back! Perhaps. if I can prove myself. they'll let me stay.)
The Smiling Lady came back in with a tray of a little rice, more broth and water. I started to eat, fumbling nervously with my chopsticks as the Smiling Lady watched. I began to hear the rest of the house rising outside, muffled voices and thundering feet up and down the stairs. When I had finished, I meekly thanked the Smiling Lady. She took the tray and quietly left the room.
"Ranma, will you go get Akane, it's time you two left." I heard her say outside the door.
"Yeah, sure, Kasumi," Came a boy's reply. "Akane! Time to go!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he stomped up the stairs. A door creaked open.
"Ranma, you PERVERT!!!" Crashed and more yelling came from upstairs.
"Com'on Akane! It's not like I wanted to see you or anything!"
"Ranma. Baka!!!
**Splash**
"Hey! Whadja do that for?!!" (A girl's voice?)
"Hmph. You deserved it!"
"Whadid I do.?"
"Ranma, you disgrace your father going around like that. What ever happened to your dignity?"
"Hey! That's HOT!!!" (.a boy's. voice.?)
"Shuddup, Pops,"
**Splash**
"Bor bor." (Panda!!)
"It wasn't me! It was that stupid, un-cute fiancée..."
"Stupid?!! Who are you calling stupid, Baka?!!" More Crashing.
The Smiling Lady came back in apologizing for all the noise before.
"Kasumi, will you PLEASE explain to your sister I was just trying to." His eyes fell on me. It was the boy in the picture, the on that looked like the red head. "Hey, you're awake." I would have acknowledged his comment, but then the girl with blue hair came in.
"Ranma, I'll.oh," She stopped when she saw me and dropped her giant hammer, purposely, onto Ranma's foot. She quickly crossed the room and knelt down beside my bed.
"How are you feeling? Better?"
I nodded surprised by her sudden composure.
"Ranma, Akane," The girl with short, brown hair came in. "If you two are through killing each other, I suggest you resurrect and grab your stuff. You're going to be late." She too saw me and immediately turned around. "Everyone! The girl's awake!"
After that my room got very crowded. Tree girls, two boys, me and a panda, are enough to make any room seem cramped. For a while they all just stared at me and I couldn't help blushing.
"Are you just going to stare at her?" The girl in short, brown hair asked bluntly.
"My name is Tendo Nabiki. This man is my father," she sighed sadly, "Tendo Soun."
"Nabiki, why are you so cruel to you father?" Tendo Soun ask as tears welled into his eyes.
"You know I love you, daddy," Nabiki replied in a rather unemotional tone. At this Soun began to cry, hiding his face in his sleeve. Nabiki ignored her father and continued.
"This is Saotome Genma," She gestured towards the panda who promptly held up a sign reading, 'Nice to meet you!'
"You've already met Kasumi," She pointed at the Smiling Woman, "and finally, there's Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane." She sat down obviously pleased with herself.
I sat up and introduced myself. "I'm Habikashi Tomoko. Um, where are the others?"
"Others?" Ranma's face twisted in trying to remember.
"Hai. Little Old man and."
"Tomoko-chan! You remembered me.!"
**Thunk**
Ranma's fist came down on Little Old Man's head. "Little Old Man. Oh! You mean the Freak!"
"Who are you calling a Freak, Ranma?!!' Little Old Man interjected.
".Freak?" I was so confused.
"Yeah, He's a freak alright," Ranma said fending off Little Old Man. "You'll get the idea after a while, if you're staying with us, I mean."
"oh no! She must go home!" Kasumi broke in.
"She's right," A sign read, held up by Mr. Saotome Panda. "She can't stay here."
"Tomoko-chan, where are your parents?" Akane asked gently.
"Kyoto." I said as fear welled within me. I didn't want to go home!
"Her parents must be worried."
"They aren't," I interrupted Akane. "They don't care about me." Venomous hatred dripped off every word.
"Oh, dear."
"Tomoko-chan, tell us what happened."
They were all watching me, waiting, while I shook nervously. I didn't want to go home! I NEVER wanted to go back!!!
"L-Little Old Man, f-found me just after my f-father beat m-me." I lied; and everything went from there. Within half an hour they all agreed to let me stay.
"Alright you two!" Nabiki called to Ranma and Akane, "You're already 45 minutes late, let's no see how many buckets sensei will make you hold if you wait any longer!"
"Okay, we're coming! Com'on, Akane." Ranma pulled on his backpack.
"Just a minute," She was still kneeling by my bed, talking to me. Everyone else had left the room.
"Get better soon, then maybe w e could move you up into my room, if you like." I nodded, smiling. "Let's be friends, okay?"
"That's what she said to me first time I came here," Ranma said. "Now look."
"Ranma! You Jerk!"
Ranma fled the room as soon as he saw Akane's hammer come out of nowhere. Akane followed, screaming at him as she went.
Soon the house was quiet again, only the distant sound of Kasumi cleaning breakfast dishes could be heard. I laid back on the bad and tried to sleep, but I could only cry.
I suppose some of the tears were for the pain I felt as the painkillers started to wear off, a few for the fact that my father was now that drunken bastard that had kidnapped me, but most of the droplets shed by my eyes were for my happiness. I don't know if it's possible to cry tears of joy and sorrow at the same time, but if it is. I did.
* * *
I walked back from that shining, shallow pool and lay down in my bed. A million questions had battered my head that night, as I lay awake in bed thinking about my fight with Ranma. I wanted to help but I didn't know how. 'I should have expected such a reaction. What could I have done to help? What could anyone do to help? Was Nabiki right? Would this arguing ever come to an end?'
I wished I had all the answers, but that was impossible. I had dreamed for weeks on end that everything would return to the way it was four years ago, but dreams always last the longest when they're furthest from our reach. I lay back in bed contented with my frustration and tried to sleep.
Tomorrow would bring another Monday, another day of teachers and substitutes, homework and quizzes, projects and midterms. It all sounded pretty depressing, but it was comforting to know there were only 79 Mondays left in my high school career, only 79 left till freedom. And only 78 more Sundays like this one, lying awake wishing tomorrow would never come..
* * * End Chapter Two* * *
Hopefully things are starting to come together! Read and REVIEW!!! I'd love to hear what you think!!! 'Till next time! ~Ame
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Seventy-Nine Mondays
Chapter Two
Pieces of the Past
By Ame
-----------------------------------
I had let myself out of the room not waiting for my tears to dry and walked down the hall, passing the rooms of my family sleeping, and outside. I sat myself down on the cold stones that surrounded the small pool. I had often come here just to think. Listening to the wind rustle the tree leaves, watching the tiny ripples of the pool splash up against the rocks, it was all so serene. Quite a difference from the home right behind me.
The night was warm and clear. Silvery blue moonlight had shone across the yard reflecting off the water and shining up into my face. Of all this I paid little heed. I had been lost in my mind, drifting through my own thoughts. I had wished we were all back in high school, where the greatest of our troubles were finals at the end of the year. I had wished Ranma and Akane would get over their pettiness and just accept each other. I had wished everything had stayed the way it was so many years ago. But it didn't, it can't, it never does. Times have to change as surely as night moves to day. People have to change. I've changed.
* * *
The realities of life have been smacking me in the face since I came here four years ago. Now it all seems so long ago. Well, I fist arrived here from Kyoto. Like Ranma said, Happosai found me. or stole me, either way. The thing is I had been kidnapped and my mother and father, being the loving parents that they are, never paid the ransom; I never found out the reason, but I abandoned them as they had abandoned me and looked for my own ways of freedom.
At the time, I was thirteen, headstrong, and all around stupid. I had it in my mind that no one had the right or power to hold me like this, so I planned my escape over the long, tedious, and brain racking time of twenty minutes. Yeah, twenty minutes was all it took to plan my "flawless" escape. As expected, I was caught, and not surprisingly my captors weren't too happy with the fact I wasn't being a cooperative hostage. They dragged me back to the small shack on a hill behind the city and beat me. I had never known so much pain in all of my life combined. Blow after blow I stood silently sobbing, refusing to give in and cry out, and I fell unconscious.
When I awoke I could hardly open my eyes, one had been swollen completely shut. Pain throbbed all over my body, shooting up and down my spine every time I took in a breath. I wanted to die, right there, just die on the floor. It took me a while to realize I was far from death, so I'd settle for the next best thing. passing out again. I moved my hand, gingerly at first, forgetting my purpose as new stings reeled up my arm, but I soon remembered and touched my cheek. My fingers felt the warm, sticky mess of puss and blood as they moved up my face. I found a particularly deep cut just above my left eye and pressed. The pain returned, washing over me, never stopping, unbearable, but I pushed all the harder. I had clenched my teeth but a groan escaped my split lips all the same. One of the men turned around mumbling something unintelligible even to ears not caked full of blood. My hand dropped, unable to stand it anymore, but I was still conscious and could still feel the pulsing all over my body.
My captor was walking closer, or rather stumbling over to the corner where I lay. It was only then I realized the foul stench of alcohol settling thickly in the cabin air. The man was drunk and dangerous and I was hurt and helpless. Fear crept into my mind, crowding out everything, even the pain. All I wanted was to get away from him, NOW!!! I tried to raise myself to my feet, but barely got to me knees. My struggle must have amused the man because he had been laughing in between drinks from the bottle in his hand. I don't know how long he talked to me, laughed at me, while I kneeled hopelessly on the ground, but it wasn't long enough. I felt a cold hand touch my shoulder and I recoiled falling over against the wall. He laughed and then was silent. Suddenly white pain blinded the world I saw behind my closed eyelids as the man poured his alcohol over my body. It seeped into every cut and burned. I could hear his sadistic laughter as I screamed and curled myself into a ball as though it could help. My screams of utter pain pierced the night and reached the ears of one. Even after his bottle was empty I shook until I was exhausted and I finally lost consciousness once again.
I woke to the gnawing of my injuries and the sounds of crashing. My one good eye opened only a sliver, enough to see what was going on. The drunken man staggered around the room as a small, old man hit him from all sides. Under any other circumstances I would have laughed to see the tiny man beating up the big-bad kidnapper. Well, the little, old man won and the drunken bastard collapsed to the floor. Little, old man walked up to me and examined me with his big beady eyes. I don't know how he managed to pick me up but he did it so gently I was surprised to feel the cold of the wood gone from me body.
We darted through the treetops, the soft wind cooling the heat and pain from my wounds. Soon he laid me down gently on grass and I lay there with one eye half open watching him. I didn't know who he was, but he had taken me from that place of terror. His eyes move over my body once again, resting only a moment longer on my breasts, bruised and cut. At the time I couldn't have cared less, as long as he didn't cause me anymore pain. Then he spoke to me.
"Who are your parents little girl?"
I couldn't speak; it took all the energy I had just to breathe.
"Where do you live? You need to go home."
"Dame," I whispered. I only hoped he had heard me, I could not say it again. Already I tasted blood as my tear in my lips re-opened. Little, Old Man nodded gravely before scooping me up again and leaping into the trees.
We traveled like this for two days, stopping occasionally for food. Little, Old Man offered me broth, but I would have none of it. I no longer wanted to live, the constant drumming in my head, the ever suffering of my body, and the eternal knowledge that my parents had forsaken me, gave me all the more reason to die.
I once asked Little, Old Man where he was taking me.
"Nerima," He had answered so simply. There was no other explanation, but it was of little concern to me. I planned to leave this world behind; it didn't matter where I did it.
* * *
On the evening of the second day, the sky was blazed with a red sunset. Houses ran in endless lines through the streets where we finally stopped. One house with a dojo in the back looked just as cold and heartless as the rest of the world. We went inside.
By now I was in a dazed state of hunger from an empty stomach and pain from my untreated cuts. I don't remember much from the first three days I spent in the Tendo home, just white lights, pain, warm soup, and one calming voice hushing my cries into sleep. When I finally awoke, a window beside my bed glowed with the early morning sunlight.
I was bandaged from head to toe with bags of ice resting on my shins and hips but the pain was gone. For once in a long time, I was happy to be alive.
A few minutes later a woman walked in.
"Oh my, you've woken up," She exclaimed. "Would you like some breakfast?" She asked setting down fresh bandages at the foot of my bed. I nodded and she left, smiling.
When the door latched behind her, I started to look around. The white walls were splashed with rays from the rising sun, filtering through the peach curtains of the window. Another futon lay folded in the opposite corner of the room beside the door. A small desk lightly cluttered with papers, books and pictures stood on its own in the sun. I slipped from under the cotton covers and attempted to stand. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I was restless. Taking slow, tentative steps, I made my way across the room to the desk. I picked up one picture residing behind the glass of the picture frame. The Smiling Lady was seated beside three other girls, one with brown hair one with blue hair, and one with red - looking vaguely annoyed - a tall man with long lack hair - seeming mildly confused- a panda, and Little Old Man, who seemed like he dove in at the last moment. It was a very nice picture, I decided and set it back on the desk. The other picture contained simply the blue haired girl and a boy with a pigtail braid. The boy was cute, I had to admit, but his incredible resemblance to the red head was disturbing.
I had made my way back to bed and lay down to think, trying to organize myself mentally.
(I am in a house of strangers, nice strangers, but they're still strangers. Little Old Man is here, I'm sure, ut the others. would they send me home. I never want to go back! Perhaps. if I can prove myself. they'll let me stay.)
The Smiling Lady came back in with a tray of a little rice, more broth and water. I started to eat, fumbling nervously with my chopsticks as the Smiling Lady watched. I began to hear the rest of the house rising outside, muffled voices and thundering feet up and down the stairs. When I had finished, I meekly thanked the Smiling Lady. She took the tray and quietly left the room.
"Ranma, will you go get Akane, it's time you two left." I heard her say outside the door.
"Yeah, sure, Kasumi," Came a boy's reply. "Akane! Time to go!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he stomped up the stairs. A door creaked open.
"Ranma, you PERVERT!!!" Crashed and more yelling came from upstairs.
"Com'on Akane! It's not like I wanted to see you or anything!"
"Ranma. Baka!!!
**Splash**
"Hey! Whadja do that for?!!" (A girl's voice?)
"Hmph. You deserved it!"
"Whadid I do.?"
"Ranma, you disgrace your father going around like that. What ever happened to your dignity?"
"Hey! That's HOT!!!" (.a boy's. voice.?)
"Shuddup, Pops,"
**Splash**
"Bor bor." (Panda!!)
"It wasn't me! It was that stupid, un-cute fiancée..."
"Stupid?!! Who are you calling stupid, Baka?!!" More Crashing.
The Smiling Lady came back in apologizing for all the noise before.
"Kasumi, will you PLEASE explain to your sister I was just trying to." His eyes fell on me. It was the boy in the picture, the on that looked like the red head. "Hey, you're awake." I would have acknowledged his comment, but then the girl with blue hair came in.
"Ranma, I'll.oh," She stopped when she saw me and dropped her giant hammer, purposely, onto Ranma's foot. She quickly crossed the room and knelt down beside my bed.
"How are you feeling? Better?"
I nodded surprised by her sudden composure.
"Ranma, Akane," The girl with short, brown hair came in. "If you two are through killing each other, I suggest you resurrect and grab your stuff. You're going to be late." She too saw me and immediately turned around. "Everyone! The girl's awake!"
After that my room got very crowded. Tree girls, two boys, me and a panda, are enough to make any room seem cramped. For a while they all just stared at me and I couldn't help blushing.
"Are you just going to stare at her?" The girl in short, brown hair asked bluntly.
"My name is Tendo Nabiki. This man is my father," she sighed sadly, "Tendo Soun."
"Nabiki, why are you so cruel to you father?" Tendo Soun ask as tears welled into his eyes.
"You know I love you, daddy," Nabiki replied in a rather unemotional tone. At this Soun began to cry, hiding his face in his sleeve. Nabiki ignored her father and continued.
"This is Saotome Genma," She gestured towards the panda who promptly held up a sign reading, 'Nice to meet you!'
"You've already met Kasumi," She pointed at the Smiling Woman, "and finally, there's Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane." She sat down obviously pleased with herself.
I sat up and introduced myself. "I'm Habikashi Tomoko. Um, where are the others?"
"Others?" Ranma's face twisted in trying to remember.
"Hai. Little Old man and."
"Tomoko-chan! You remembered me.!"
**Thunk**
Ranma's fist came down on Little Old Man's head. "Little Old Man. Oh! You mean the Freak!"
"Who are you calling a Freak, Ranma?!!' Little Old Man interjected.
".Freak?" I was so confused.
"Yeah, He's a freak alright," Ranma said fending off Little Old Man. "You'll get the idea after a while, if you're staying with us, I mean."
"oh no! She must go home!" Kasumi broke in.
"She's right," A sign read, held up by Mr. Saotome Panda. "She can't stay here."
"Tomoko-chan, where are your parents?" Akane asked gently.
"Kyoto." I said as fear welled within me. I didn't want to go home!
"Her parents must be worried."
"They aren't," I interrupted Akane. "They don't care about me." Venomous hatred dripped off every word.
"Oh, dear."
"Tomoko-chan, tell us what happened."
They were all watching me, waiting, while I shook nervously. I didn't want to go home! I NEVER wanted to go back!!!
"L-Little Old Man, f-found me just after my f-father beat m-me." I lied; and everything went from there. Within half an hour they all agreed to let me stay.
"Alright you two!" Nabiki called to Ranma and Akane, "You're already 45 minutes late, let's no see how many buckets sensei will make you hold if you wait any longer!"
"Okay, we're coming! Com'on, Akane." Ranma pulled on his backpack.
"Just a minute," She was still kneeling by my bed, talking to me. Everyone else had left the room.
"Get better soon, then maybe w e could move you up into my room, if you like." I nodded, smiling. "Let's be friends, okay?"
"That's what she said to me first time I came here," Ranma said. "Now look."
"Ranma! You Jerk!"
Ranma fled the room as soon as he saw Akane's hammer come out of nowhere. Akane followed, screaming at him as she went.
Soon the house was quiet again, only the distant sound of Kasumi cleaning breakfast dishes could be heard. I laid back on the bad and tried to sleep, but I could only cry.
I suppose some of the tears were for the pain I felt as the painkillers started to wear off, a few for the fact that my father was now that drunken bastard that had kidnapped me, but most of the droplets shed by my eyes were for my happiness. I don't know if it's possible to cry tears of joy and sorrow at the same time, but if it is. I did.
* * *
I walked back from that shining, shallow pool and lay down in my bed. A million questions had battered my head that night, as I lay awake in bed thinking about my fight with Ranma. I wanted to help but I didn't know how. 'I should have expected such a reaction. What could I have done to help? What could anyone do to help? Was Nabiki right? Would this arguing ever come to an end?'
I wished I had all the answers, but that was impossible. I had dreamed for weeks on end that everything would return to the way it was four years ago, but dreams always last the longest when they're furthest from our reach. I lay back in bed contented with my frustration and tried to sleep.
Tomorrow would bring another Monday, another day of teachers and substitutes, homework and quizzes, projects and midterms. It all sounded pretty depressing, but it was comforting to know there were only 79 Mondays left in my high school career, only 79 left till freedom. And only 78 more Sundays like this one, lying awake wishing tomorrow would never come..
* * * End Chapter Two* * *
Hopefully things are starting to come together! Read and REVIEW!!! I'd love to hear what you think!!! 'Till next time! ~Ame
