AUTHORS CUT:
Hello…sorry it took long for me to write. I've got lot of works these past days and I'm having a hard time trying to budget my time in writing.
Well…I would like to thank you all for sending reviews for this story.
Against It All
Written by Jhoeydagger
Chapter Two:
She yawned loudly and looked around her. It's six in the morning and it's already Saturday which, she's glad about. She got up early so she could arrive at the shop at around six thirty. She's still tired from all her running yesterday but it was worth it. She again held the record of the fastest girl runner in her school and she really feels good about it. She silently smiled walking a little faster.
"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed looking at the young boy from yesterday sitting in front of the door. He pulled a hundred bills and offered it to her again.
"Wait a minute, don't tell me you're here to eat again?" she asked opening the door, turning the sign that says close to open. She walked towards the counter pulling her apron at the cabinet. She looked at him as he takes a sit on the same table where he sat yesterday. He sat there holding the money up.
"Are you here to eat?" she asked tying the apron behind her.
"Yes! I was sitting there long." He said looking at her.
"Well…it's entirely your fault. You shouldn't go here early in the morning, we're just opening up."
"What's entirely?" he asked.
"It means all. It's all your fault. Get it?" she answered.
"I'll wait." He was looking at the empty glass cabinet.
"Won't your mother be worried?" she asked taking a sit in front of him.
"I don't have any." He said staring at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have any mother. If you want to you could be." He said grinning at her.
"What! I'm too young to be a mother!" she exclaimed so surprised with his suggestion.
"Where is she?" She looked at him for any hint of loneliness unfortunately she found none.
"I don't know. Maybe you should get the cakes now." He said.
"I can do that later."
"But people will come soon"
"It's still early and you're the only costumer anyway."
"But…" he's voice trailing off.
"Did you eat breakfast?" she asked staring at him suspiciously.
"No. They're still sleeping when I left and I couldn't wake them up and they got angry whenever I wake them up and sometimes they start screaming and they'll tell my brothers that I'm with them early in the morning and…"
"Okay, okay!" she said holding her hands up. He was gasping for air.
"Fortunately for you the bakers are already here and all I have to do is place the cakes in here." She explained while standing up.
"What's fortu-fortu."
"Fortunately, its means 'lucky' you do know what lucky is?" she asked
"I guess…could you hurry Hitomi?" He couldn't sit still he keeps on looking outside.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked going behind the counter.
"Nothing, but I'm really…really hungry." He wasn't really good in lying. He was looking down at his hands on his lap and his feet swaying back and fort that it could hardly touch the floor. Moreover, he was turning red in the face.
"You stay here okay?" As he nodded, she got inside and one by one out the cake on the cabinet. She can't prevent her self in looking at him every now and then. He's becoming tense at the passing time he could hardly stay seated. After placing the last cake, she walked towards him and sat down.
"What's the matter?" she asked her voice soft.
"Nothing." He answered shaking her head back and fort.
"You don't have to hide anything from me Ken. You already told me I'm nice right." As he nodded but he still wouldn't look at her,
"Okay…why don't I get you that…" before she could even finish her sentence the door opened. She looked up and stared.
"Good Morning sir, would you like anything?" She asked, before she can even walked back to the counter Ken was instantly clutching her left leg tightly hiding his face behind her leg.
"What's wrong?" She was trying to pull his hands away from her leg but he only held it more firmly. She looked up and glanced at her costumer.
"I'm sorry sir, I'll be with you in a minute." She pulled him harder until his grip loosened. She got down to her feet facing him. His head bowed and he was trying to get hold of her.
"Hey, hey…come on Ken. Stop this now. What's wrong, tell me?" she asked holding his arms away from her. But the boy was strong for his small body that he pushed her hand away and hug her neck as tight as he could. She got up carrying him. His face buried on her neck and she could feel his even breathing. She was rubbing her hand on his back when she looked at her costumer walking towards her.
"Oh…I'm sorry sir, is there anything you like?" she asked walking towards the counter but a firm and hard hand griped her arm. She stared startled at him, his grip tightening.
"You're hurting me." She tried to pull away but his grip tightened. She looked at him *He looked familiar.*
"Do I know you sir?" she again tried to pull away. When he didn't answered and still held her arm firmly, she pulled away harder than before but his was strong and she couldn't get away.
"If you don't let me go right now I'll scream." She threatened holding Ken firmly.
"Ken." The guy said still holding her arm. Ken buried deeper on her neck and tightened his grip that she could hardly breathe.
"Ken you're choking me." She said pulling his hands away. He loosened his grip but he still held her firmly.
"Who are you?" she looked at the guy and tugged her arm away. She was thankful that he let her go.
"Ken." He said again, his voice hard and menacing. Ken stiffened in her arms and slowly pulling away from her. She held him fast and held him closer.
"Don't you dare scare him! Who are you anyway?" She looked at him really looked this time. She stared at his dark hair and the reddish brown eyes. *reddish brown eyes.*
"Are you his brother?" she asked.
"That's none of your business." He was about to pull Ken away from her when she stepped back.
"How do I know you're his real brother? You might be a kidnapper whatsoever."
"Give him over." He ordered looking directly in her eyes.
"I don't know who you are mister but I'm not giving Kenneth to you. I want to know first if you are both related."
"Brother." She heard Ken whispered in her ear.
"So he's your brother." She looked at the guy in front of her. She walked towards the counter and was glad when he didn't snatch her arm again.
"I'll give him over…after he ate his chocolate cake, you may sit if you like." By using her right hand, she took a slice of cake while her left arm took hold of Ken.
"Would you like me to add sprinkles on it?" she asked against Ken's temple, she felt him nod his head. She looked up and was glad that the guy took a sit but still looking directly at her. *What do you expect?*
"Hmm…your brother is grouchy don't you think?" she whispered in Ken's ears.
"What's a grouchy?" he asked, pulling away and looking into her eyes.
"Grouchy means bad tempered." Ken laughed.
"You know what?" he asked.
"What?" she whispered back.
"You're right."
"That your brother is grouchy?"
"Uh-hum…he's very grouchy." They both laughed as she carried him to the table where he's brother is sitting. She put Ken opposite his brother and sat herself beside Ken. Ken seemed too tense to eat his cake.
"Eat I don't want you hungry when I take you home." His brother said looking at him but Ken still held his hands on his sides.
"So…you don't want to eat? Well…I'm a bit hungry so why don't I eat…" before she could even take the plate from him, he already took it and starts eating. She couldn't help herself and laughed.
She looked up and looked at Ken's brother. He does look familiar but she couldn't remember when and where did she saw him.
"Why is it he's here early in the morning?" she asked him. He finally looked at her.
"Yesterday, he was here at around six in the evening." She said but he didn't say anything so she just shrugged and let the matter go. She watched Ken eat. Ken smiled at her and pouted his lips, which is full of chocolate icing and also his cheeks. She laughed and took a tissue and wiped away the icing.
"You should be more careful in eating." She said but Ken just smiled.
After eating Ken's brother stood up.
"We're leaving." He said and putting money on the table. Ken stiffened and then stood up. Hitomi stood up too and slowly took Ken's hand. She got down to her feet and stared at Ken.
"Next time, ask your brother permission to come here okay, so he won't be worried about you."
"What's a per-per…"
"Permission. You should ask your brother if you could come here before you leave. Do you understand?"
"Okay." He answered smiling. Then he puts his arms around her hugging her tightly.
"You know what?" he asked. Hitomi instantly smiled.
"What?"
"I like you." He whispered giving his brother an uncertain look.
"You already told me that."
"I know, but I like you more today." He whispered again.
"And why is that?"
"You know what?" she frowned when he didn't answer her question.
"What?"
"You ask dumb questions." He said his brows drawn together. She laughed.
"Do I?" she asked. He slowly nodded.
"Sorry. I couldn't help. But I still want to asked why you like me more today?"
"Because you make me laugh."
"I see." Before she could say more he was being pulled by his brother.
"Wait." She said standing up.
"If it's okay to ask…I want to know where you live?"
"Why?" he asked his voice hard.
"So little Ken here won't have to go all the way here to buy his cake. I'll do the honor of sending him his cake." She said smiling at Ken, who's already grinning widely at her and at his brother.
"No." he said.
"What?"
"I said no. He won't be coming back, never." And he started pulling Ken towards the door.
"No! No! NO!" Ken screamed trying to pull away at him. She stared at Ken who is crying hard. She couldn't help herself. She run towards Ken and pulled him away from his brother, carrying him in her arms. His brother stared at her with anger in his eyes.
"There's no need to make him cry!" she said rubbing Ken back.
"Shhh…stop it Ken…There's no need to cry." She whispered. His brother took a step forward.
"Stop it!" she screamed.
"You're scaring him. What kind of brother are you?" Ken cried harder. She tried to calm him down.
"I…*sniff* don't want to go…" he said against her neck.
"Shhh…of course you do."
"No!" he wailed.
"Ken…listen to me. I don't want you to go but you have to. You know why?"
"Why?" he asked between hiccups.
"Because you'll eat all the cakes here! And if you ate them all surely my boss will get angry because there's no more cakes left for the other customers." She felt him giggled.
"But…I can't…eat them all…"
"But you can try." He nodded.
"See…so you can't stay here."
"But I want to come back." He said his voice hard, stubborn. Hitomi looked at his brother with angry eyes.
"You can ask your brother about that. It seems he doesn't like me."
"But I like you." She answered him with a tight hug and a kiss in the temple.
"I know you do. Why don't we play a game?"
"What game?" he asked looking at her.
"Whenever you see a cake, any chocolate cakes imagine me as the cake."
"But you're not a chocolate cake!" he wailed and then laughed.
"I know. That's why you need to imagine me as the cake so you won't miss me at all. Okay."
"I'll try. But I still want to come back here."
"I know you do. But some other time okay." She put him to the ground.
"Okay…" with head bowed he step away from her and stood beside his brother.
"I still want to come back…" he said looking at his shoes.
" I expect you to. But at the moment you imagine me being the cake okay?" he silently nodded. His brother took his hand and pulled him to the door.
"Would it hurt if I ask your name?" she said staring at the back of Ken's brother. He slowly turned.
"You obviously don't like me and I don't like you either but I still want to know the name of the brother of a friend of mine." He didn't answer her. He just stared long and hard.
"If I had been an ice cream I would have been a dripping liquid by now." She joked with a hint of a smile.
"Van…my brothers name is Van." Ken answered.
"Van?" she asked. It sounds familiar. *Van? Van! The soccer player! * She looked at him shocked but they already left.
"Why didn't I remember him?" she whispered.
AUTHORS CUT:
Thank you again for those people who reviewed! I'll try to update soon!