Chapter Four.
Yanagi was pacing back and forth like an angry tigress. She has probably traveled back and forth enough to go around the world six or seven times. She bit her lip, calculating her newfound knowledge in her head.
"Yanagi, would you stop this pacing, you're giving me a headache." Itio barked at her. She glared.
"Shut up, Itio. I'll do whatever the hell I want in my house."
"Well, go someplace else to pace. It's annoying. And it ruins your posture."
She shot him another glare. If only looks could kill. Itio rolled his eyes and placed down his tea cup, full of hot tea.
"All right, all right. You don't need to be such a jerk about everything. What's wrong?"
She bit her lip.
"Nothin' is wrong. I'm just angry. An' you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Don't lie to me, Yanagi. I can tell whether something is wrong."
She stopped.
"Can you now?"
He nodded and picked up the tea cup.
"Now, you don't need to be brave if that heartless idiot broke up with you. You can cry. It always makes it all better."
Yanagi's jaw dropped.
"Ya know, for once in your life, I thought you were actually gonna say somethin' smart. An' guess what? I was wrong. Again. Shut up Itio, you're breakin' my concentration."
"No need to be crude about it. You're not the first one it happened to. It happens to the best of us." Itio sighed with regret, as Yanagi rolled her eyes.
"Oh get of yer high horse, you idiot. No one broke up with anyone, k? That isn't the damn problem."
"Well what is than?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"I dunno. Now SHUT up. You're breakin' my train of thought."
Suddenly she felt her early breakfast knocking on the doors to her throat. Yanagi made a face and swallowed. Itio's eyes carefully watching her enlarged.
"Oh my gosh, Yanagi. are you all right?"
She covered her mouth with her hand and frantically searched for the bathroom.
"OH my god ."
She lost her breakfast half way down to the restroom. It was a disgusting sign of weakness but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Yanagi fell to her knees and coughed as the she emptied the contents of her stomach. Itio stood behind her, watching in horror.
"Oh my god..Yanagi."
She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt and turned around.
"WHAT??"
"What just happened? Are you ok?" He was right beside her now, patting her gently on the shoulder. Yanagi stared at the soiled floor as her heart hammered against her rib cage.
"Yeah. I'm all right. Must have ate somethin' that didn't agree with me this mornin' Do me a favor, get me a mop. I need to clean up this damn mess."
He didn't say a single word to her as she cleaned up. Yanagi was glad, Itio kept his mouth shut. She didn't feel like listening to another lecture on proper nutrition from her brother. He sat quietly as she paced between the kitchen and the hallway getting rid of all the mess. They were both quiet. She knew what he wanted to say, but on the other hand she really didn't want him to say it.
"I don't know for sure." Yanagi thought to herself as she shut the doors behind her brother and fell on the couch. "It might just be.something else.I'm a good girl. I stay on the pill. It's nearly impossible to." She nursed her lip. "Except that it's been a while since I've taken the damn pill. I didn't think I was gunna need it." She closed her eyes and sighed.
She finally decided to wait a few more days and see. It might have just been something that she ate that particular morning. These were serious accusations that she didn't want to spew on anyone's head without being totally sure. For the first time she actually prayed before going to bed for everything to be ok. She barely fell asleep, and was almost late to the meeting with her students. That was after she threw up. Yanagi became increasingly nervous and a lot more aggravated. This was bothering her. And she hated being bothered.
"I have had it." Itio said after she walked out of the bathroom the fifth morning in a row.
"What?" She stared at him, astounded.
"I have had it with you, Yanagi. If you don't see what's going on, than I'm going to spell it out for you. You're PREGNANT."
Her hands began to shake.
"No. I am NOT, you idiot."
"Yes you are. And stop calling me idiot. You are the idiot, if you're in some sort of a denial about this. Do you know what this is called? It's called morning sickness. Pregnant women experience it in their first trimester."
Yanagi shot him a death glare.
"How wonderful that you know so much about being pregnant" She hissed, giving her shoulders a roll. The muscles on her neck were in tight knots from all the stress she has endured. Itio rolled his eyes and slammed a small parcel on the table.
"Here. If you don't believe me, than maybe this will take you out of your dark age and turn you towards the light."
Her eyes went dark for a moment.
"What the hell is that?"
Itio's lips parted in a grin.
"It's a HPT. For those of you who are not familiar with that term, it's a Home Pregnancy Test."
Yanagi growled. She balled her fists and bared her teeth.
"I'm not pregnant!"
"You're cute when you're in denial."
She folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Whatever. I ain't takin' it."
"Why not? Are you afraid I might prove you right???"
"You ain't gonna prove anythin', Itio! Who the hell gave you the right to tell me."
Her brother got up and walked up to her. His left hand was clutching the small white paper bag.
"Shut up and take it. Or I'll force you to go to the doctor this instant. And if that won't work, I'll notify your team captain and than you'll be forced to see the doctor anyway. Which way would you like it, Yanagi?"
She sized his neck with her eyes, measuring how long would it take her to snap it. But this time, Itio stood firm. He didn't back down until she ripped the bag out of his hands and growled.
"Fucking idiot.Gimme that."
He smiled and patted her on the shoulder, but quickly removed his hand as she snarled at him and growled.
"All right, easy girl, easy. I'm doing this for your own benefit."
Yanagi slammed the door into the bathroom shut, making the glass in the windows shake. Itio rolled his eyes and sighed bitterly.
"I swear.if it wasn't for me.."
She didn't come out for the entire time it took the test to work. Itio waited patiently in front of the bathroom, making sure she didn't try to sneak out. He began to worry about her, when the door opened slowly and Yanagi walked out. One look at her face told all. He was right. She WAS pregnant.
"Yanagi.."
She walked past him as if she didn't see or hear him.
"Yanagi wait.."
She made her way to the kitchen and collapsed on the chair. Her left hand, hanging by her side was clenching and unclenching, making a fist, while the right idly played around with the little plastic tube.
"What did the test say?"
She ignored the sound of his voice, staring at the window.
"What are you going to do?"
Silence. Itio sighed and sat besides her. He carefully removed the plastic tube from her fingers and took a look. The little stretch of white material in a cut out plastic window displayed a plus.
"Yanagi.."
"WHAT???"
The sound of the magnitude and violence of her voice startled him. He growled and looked at her.
"Stop yelling at me. Sheesh. What are you going to do now?"
She grabbed the tube from his hands and balled her palm into a fist, squeezing it so tight he heard the plastic crack.
"Whadaya think I'm gonna do, you dimwit?"
He rolled his eyes and got up.
"I don't need this abuse from you, Yanagi."
She jerked, startling him again.
"Get lost." She growled and bolted out the door.
Yanagi was pacing back and forth like an angry tigress. She has probably traveled back and forth enough to go around the world six or seven times. She bit her lip, calculating her newfound knowledge in her head.
"Yanagi, would you stop this pacing, you're giving me a headache." Itio barked at her. She glared.
"Shut up, Itio. I'll do whatever the hell I want in my house."
"Well, go someplace else to pace. It's annoying. And it ruins your posture."
She shot him another glare. If only looks could kill. Itio rolled his eyes and placed down his tea cup, full of hot tea.
"All right, all right. You don't need to be such a jerk about everything. What's wrong?"
She bit her lip.
"Nothin' is wrong. I'm just angry. An' you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Don't lie to me, Yanagi. I can tell whether something is wrong."
She stopped.
"Can you now?"
He nodded and picked up the tea cup.
"Now, you don't need to be brave if that heartless idiot broke up with you. You can cry. It always makes it all better."
Yanagi's jaw dropped.
"Ya know, for once in your life, I thought you were actually gonna say somethin' smart. An' guess what? I was wrong. Again. Shut up Itio, you're breakin' my concentration."
"No need to be crude about it. You're not the first one it happened to. It happens to the best of us." Itio sighed with regret, as Yanagi rolled her eyes.
"Oh get of yer high horse, you idiot. No one broke up with anyone, k? That isn't the damn problem."
"Well what is than?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"I dunno. Now SHUT up. You're breakin' my train of thought."
Suddenly she felt her early breakfast knocking on the doors to her throat. Yanagi made a face and swallowed. Itio's eyes carefully watching her enlarged.
"Oh my gosh, Yanagi. are you all right?"
She covered her mouth with her hand and frantically searched for the bathroom.
"OH my god ."
She lost her breakfast half way down to the restroom. It was a disgusting sign of weakness but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Yanagi fell to her knees and coughed as the she emptied the contents of her stomach. Itio stood behind her, watching in horror.
"Oh my god..Yanagi."
She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt and turned around.
"WHAT??"
"What just happened? Are you ok?" He was right beside her now, patting her gently on the shoulder. Yanagi stared at the soiled floor as her heart hammered against her rib cage.
"Yeah. I'm all right. Must have ate somethin' that didn't agree with me this mornin' Do me a favor, get me a mop. I need to clean up this damn mess."
He didn't say a single word to her as she cleaned up. Yanagi was glad, Itio kept his mouth shut. She didn't feel like listening to another lecture on proper nutrition from her brother. He sat quietly as she paced between the kitchen and the hallway getting rid of all the mess. They were both quiet. She knew what he wanted to say, but on the other hand she really didn't want him to say it.
"I don't know for sure." Yanagi thought to herself as she shut the doors behind her brother and fell on the couch. "It might just be.something else.I'm a good girl. I stay on the pill. It's nearly impossible to." She nursed her lip. "Except that it's been a while since I've taken the damn pill. I didn't think I was gunna need it." She closed her eyes and sighed.
She finally decided to wait a few more days and see. It might have just been something that she ate that particular morning. These were serious accusations that she didn't want to spew on anyone's head without being totally sure. For the first time she actually prayed before going to bed for everything to be ok. She barely fell asleep, and was almost late to the meeting with her students. That was after she threw up. Yanagi became increasingly nervous and a lot more aggravated. This was bothering her. And she hated being bothered.
"I have had it." Itio said after she walked out of the bathroom the fifth morning in a row.
"What?" She stared at him, astounded.
"I have had it with you, Yanagi. If you don't see what's going on, than I'm going to spell it out for you. You're PREGNANT."
Her hands began to shake.
"No. I am NOT, you idiot."
"Yes you are. And stop calling me idiot. You are the idiot, if you're in some sort of a denial about this. Do you know what this is called? It's called morning sickness. Pregnant women experience it in their first trimester."
Yanagi shot him a death glare.
"How wonderful that you know so much about being pregnant" She hissed, giving her shoulders a roll. The muscles on her neck were in tight knots from all the stress she has endured. Itio rolled his eyes and slammed a small parcel on the table.
"Here. If you don't believe me, than maybe this will take you out of your dark age and turn you towards the light."
Her eyes went dark for a moment.
"What the hell is that?"
Itio's lips parted in a grin.
"It's a HPT. For those of you who are not familiar with that term, it's a Home Pregnancy Test."
Yanagi growled. She balled her fists and bared her teeth.
"I'm not pregnant!"
"You're cute when you're in denial."
She folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Whatever. I ain't takin' it."
"Why not? Are you afraid I might prove you right???"
"You ain't gonna prove anythin', Itio! Who the hell gave you the right to tell me."
Her brother got up and walked up to her. His left hand was clutching the small white paper bag.
"Shut up and take it. Or I'll force you to go to the doctor this instant. And if that won't work, I'll notify your team captain and than you'll be forced to see the doctor anyway. Which way would you like it, Yanagi?"
She sized his neck with her eyes, measuring how long would it take her to snap it. But this time, Itio stood firm. He didn't back down until she ripped the bag out of his hands and growled.
"Fucking idiot.Gimme that."
He smiled and patted her on the shoulder, but quickly removed his hand as she snarled at him and growled.
"All right, easy girl, easy. I'm doing this for your own benefit."
Yanagi slammed the door into the bathroom shut, making the glass in the windows shake. Itio rolled his eyes and sighed bitterly.
"I swear.if it wasn't for me.."
She didn't come out for the entire time it took the test to work. Itio waited patiently in front of the bathroom, making sure she didn't try to sneak out. He began to worry about her, when the door opened slowly and Yanagi walked out. One look at her face told all. He was right. She WAS pregnant.
"Yanagi.."
She walked past him as if she didn't see or hear him.
"Yanagi wait.."
She made her way to the kitchen and collapsed on the chair. Her left hand, hanging by her side was clenching and unclenching, making a fist, while the right idly played around with the little plastic tube.
"What did the test say?"
She ignored the sound of his voice, staring at the window.
"What are you going to do?"
Silence. Itio sighed and sat besides her. He carefully removed the plastic tube from her fingers and took a look. The little stretch of white material in a cut out plastic window displayed a plus.
"Yanagi.."
"WHAT???"
The sound of the magnitude and violence of her voice startled him. He growled and looked at her.
"Stop yelling at me. Sheesh. What are you going to do now?"
She grabbed the tube from his hands and balled her palm into a fist, squeezing it so tight he heard the plastic crack.
"Whadaya think I'm gonna do, you dimwit?"
He rolled his eyes and got up.
"I don't need this abuse from you, Yanagi."
She jerked, startling him again.
"Get lost." She growled and bolted out the door.