Author's Note: If you're reading this, the first chapter must have kept you interested. I want to thank you in advance for reading this because I'm excited to find out what other people think of it. This chapter is where you might actually be able to figure something out about the plot. *monotonous cheering, Monty Python style* It's a lot shorter than the first, which wasn't really long to begin with… But the rest of the chapters will be longer if it all goes as planned and I don't chicken out on another story. Hehe.
Disclaimer: I don't own the song whose lyrics are in the fic. Don't own Omi, either. This isn't my day, is it?
…Another warning for possible OOC-ness from the paranoid author…
Chapter Two: Recall
Even assassins have to go to school. I hate that, you know. Going to school a few days after a mission. Having to fit in with the crowd and act like nothing is wrong. When you know what you're responsible for, it's not always easy. Most of the time I can pass it off as having a nightmare or not getting much sleep—and that would be telling the truth. Some of my life is a living nightmare.
I think I'm losing my mind completely. This is worse than the flashbacks that I used to get—that I still get sometimes—from when I was younger. The dream became more vivid. A few times, I swear I could almost distinguish that boy's face. The song seems to be going on longer now, too.
"Mister Tsukiyono! I asked you a question. Are you going to answer?"
That would be the teacher hovering by my desk, I noticed, trying to redirect my thoughts to the current situation.
"Aa… I'm sorry… What was the question?"
The teacher sighed. "Nevermind that."
She turned to face the rest of the class. "All of your grades have been improving quite a bit, so I've arranged for a small break from classwork. A movie."
There was an audible silence. We weren't sure whether to cheer or groan. A movie it may be, but knowing the teacher, it might be something educational and boring. Oh well. If it was boring, then I'd have even more time to replay events in my head and wallow in my confusion.
"As you know, this is English class. So the movie we will be watching will be in English. I don't expect you all to understand the movie perfectly, so there will be subtitles. I'm not that cruel," The teacher paused to pick up the case and show the class. "My children are fans of Disney movies, which are quite a few steps up from all of the anime you watch. Much better to watch in school. I expect you to pay attention because at some points I will be turning the subtitles off and expecting you to translate some of the easier parts."
Now came the groans. American stuff, and a children's movie at that. Even worse, we'd have to do work while watching it. I joined in, rolling my eyes. Yet there was something in the back of my mind that cautioned me not to write off the movie altogether. I knew I'd never seen the movie—The Hunchback of Notre Dame—but all the same it sounded familiar.
Easier said than done, paying attention to the movie. At every turn, another thought seemed to prevent me from watching. Not to say I wasn't glad. The talking gargoyles were a little amusing, but other than that….
Another musical number began. That's one thing these American cartoons sure didn't lack. But the melody seemed familiar. The voice—it, too, rang a bell (pardon the pun). Involuntarily, I gasped. I'm sure the look on my face caused a few of my classmates to stare, but I was beyond caring. It was the song from the dream--it had to be! There was no way that it wasn't! If I had never seen…no, never heard of the movie before today…how was it that I knew that song?
This had been what I needed to hear. I strained my ears to hear it, my eyes to watch the subtitles that flashed across the screen.
All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone
Hungry for the histories they show me
All my life I memorize their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them
And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever
Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there
Another wave of déjà vu hit me, so intense that I could almost feel it trying to knock me over.
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure ev'ry instant
A chill ran down my spine as the song was winding down.
Just one day and then
I swear I'll be content
With my share
Won't resent
Won't despair
I'll have spent
One day
Out there…
After school, rather than start homework—even forgetting about the computer—I flopped down onto my bed. There had to be a reason for all of this! I needed to find an explanation, and soon.
"Omi? Are you alive in there?"
"Wha—?" I nearly jumped up, head twisting in all directions, searching for the source of the voice. Finally I realized that it was just Ken, standing by the doorway. Immediately, I felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry to worry you."
Once he had gone, I wiped the smile off my face with a sigh. I've become so used to hiding behind it that I don't have to think twice before it shows itself on my face. Sometimes it feels wrong to act like that around them. We've gone through so much, yet I still feel like I have to hide. Hide what exactly, I'm not sure—
—I couldn't see! A brilliant flash of light, then that unknown face danced across my eyes. As it slowly tilted upwards, the bangs that had held it in shadow receded. Those mysterious eyes were becoming clear. They were dazzling blue as the sea—so much like my own that it was almost scary. It was impossible. The boy could never be me. It was no memory; he was easily my age, possibly a year younger. A sad grin lingered on the mirroring face, shared by the stranger and myself.
"What do you mean that you're OK, Omi?!" demanded Ken, the nervousness seeping into his voice. He made no effort to hide it, either.
I looked around. The worried faces of Ken and Yoji were hovering above me; even Aya's stony face seemed to soften. Yet as soon as I saw them, I looked back down. I couldn't meet their gazes, couldn't bring myself to look into their eyes. It was embarrassing to have blacked out, and I was reluctant to explain the reason, should they ask. That dream, I felt, was meant for me alone.
I opened my mouth, but another voice cut through the air and interrupted what was never spoken.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"Manx!" Yoji exclaimed, switching instantly from the concerned friend to the annoying, flirtatious one.
Manx ignored him. "Sorry for the short notice, but you have a new mission."
"Omi…" Ken began.
"I'm fine. I'll go." I said, lying with that smile again. I knew it was coming. There was nothing they could do to stop me from going. I was not going to let that dream destroy my life, as it seemed so intent to do.
"You are not fine. You've been acting weird the past few days." Ken protested.
I didn't listen to him and followed them all as Manx led us down the stairs. She grabbed the remote from where it lay and clicked on the TV. The familiar silhouette of Persia appeared. Lost in thought, I was shocked back to reality when Yoji began to push me out of the room, holding his hands over my ears.
"Don't argue." Yoji said, an apologetic tone creeping into his voice afterwards. "We need to make sure you're OK before you risk your butt on any more missions. This one is tomorrow night."
End Note: My parents are Disney freaks. I've been practically raised on Disney stuff. I've been to Disney more times than I can remember. To tell ya the truth, though, I hated The Hunchback movie. But that song always stuck out in my head. I got bored one day and starting thinking about how often characters got killed off in some shows. Thus the line was born: "Every moment the author left me alive/Out there/Where they're randomly killed off~~~" Somehow that random idea never really went away and I found some way to use the song in a fic. I'm starting chapter three as soon as possible, and I hope you all stick around to read it. You do want to find out about Omi, ne?