A week had passed and surprising enough nothing had happened. NOTHING. I
was unbelievably bored. Big J had disappeared, Misao had suddenly become
really busy, Kenshin was avoiding me, Soujiro was pissed as hell at me, and
still searching for Saitoh, Arturo was. who cares where Arturo was; I
didn't give a damn where Aoshi was either. The only person I saw was Sano,
and he was leaving today to go to my parent's dojo an hour and a half away.
Life sucks. Here I am sitting in shorts and a t-shirt eating Trix cereal at
3 in the afternoon. Can you say pathetic? Someone rang my doorbell. My eyes
glittered with anticipation. I was so bored I would welcome any distraction
at all. I hopped up happily to answer the door. "Coming!" I yelled. I was
smiling like a dope, hoping it was Kenshin, or at least Sano. Hell, anyone
would be great!
"Hola." Arturo said the moment the door was open. I tried to close it in his face, but he pushed it open. "You don't want to see me Kaoru?" He asked. My eyes widened with shock. How the hell did he know my name, wait, how did he know where I lived? My mouth hung open, and I gaped at him. I recovered as quickly as I could, and swept my leg under his legs. He fell to the ground, and I shut the door before he could stand. 3 words vibrated through my head as I leaned against the door to my apartment, 'what the fuck?' I knew I said anyone would be great, but. "Open the door chica." It was a bit muffled, but I could still hear him.
"What happened to 'senorita'?" I called back.
"Does it matter which one?" I could almost feel him shrug through the door.
"The hell do you want Arturo?"
"Eduardo." He corrected. He was really pissing me off.
"Does it matter which one?" I retorted.
"Let me in." He ignored my remark. That ass.
"Does it matter?"
"Let me in Kaoru."
"How the hell do you know my name?"
"Let me in so I can tell you. I mean no harm." I snorted at him. Sure he meant no harm. No harm my ass.
"One second." I had to let him in. I had questions, and he had answers. Simple. I just needed a gun or a knife, and then he could come in. Still simple? Not really. I marched into my room, changed into some jeans, and picked up the sword I normally wore on my back. It took me ten minutes to change, and put on the sword, but he could wait. I walked back to the door, feeling more confident, and opened it. To my surprise standing next to Art.Eduardo. was Sano. Sano was glaring a hole into Eduardo, but Eduardo was smiling at me.
"It seems your friend came to the door while I was waiting for you." Eduardo said walking in. I didn't even invite him in yet. He just walked in. Oh, Sano just loved that. He opened his mouth to protest, but I dragged him into my apartment, and pulled him into my bedroom.
"Who is he?" Sano said angrily. I don't know why exactly he was so angry, but I could guess.
"Eduardo, a co-worker. I wasn't expecting him. He just popped up." I shrugged.
"He's the guy from the super market. His name's Eduardo?!?! What kind of name is that?" Sano scowled.
"A Hispanic one."
"Thank you Kaoru." He said sarcastically. "I don't like him. If you want I'll kick him out." He looked hopeful. I guess he got bad vibes from Eduardo. Either that or he was being over protective, like a big brother. I'd call it cute if it wasn't so annoying.
"It's fine." I smiled, "Now why are you here?"
"Me and Kenshin are about to hit the road. This is your last chance Jou- chan. You comin?"
"Nope."
"Busy right?"
"Right."
"Oh yeah, you look real busy."
"Sano." I said angrily. Is he implying that I'm staying behind because of Eduardo? I hope for his sake he's not.
"Whatever. It's you're life. I'm gonna go." He said turning to the door. Once out into my living room he yelled bye to me, ignored Eduardo, and left. I was pissed at Sano, but I also managed to miss him too. Talk about talent.
"Your friend doesn't like me much." Eduardo said.
"I don't like you much." I glared at him. What if Sano told Kenshin that Eduardo was here? Grrr, it was all Eduardo's fault. All of it.
"I suppose so." He smiled shrugging.
"You wanted to come inside, now you're inside. How do you know my name?"
"I found out."
"How?"
"Finding out is what I do."
"Why the hell do you even care who I really am?"
" It's not me, it's Big J."
"Big J?" My face paled. That's how Big J got my number. Eduardo. In an instant my sword was in my hand. There was fire in my eyes as I stared at Eduardo. I am not a person that is fond of being betrayed.
"Calm down Kaoru." He said backing up.
"Shut up." I said my voice trembling with anger. He had probably purposely kept me distracted at the club, it was also probably his fault why I couldn't find Big J, and then he has the audacity to come to my home and tell me that he's betrayed me. That idiot.
"It's not as it seems, let me explain."
"I said shut up."
"Kaoru."
"Do not say my name." I growled.
"Senorita, I haven't given him anything." He was backing up slowly.
"Then explain how he had my number."
"That I did give him, but I had to or he would have killed me. He likes to check out everyone around him; usually he gets me to do it, but I didn't want to hand you over to him. He said he'd slice my throat if I didn't give him a file on you. The next day I told him that all I could find was your phone number and name, and I gave it to him."
"The club, what the fuck was that? A set up?"
"He wanted me to take you there so he could question you. He wanted to see what you'd say, and then check it against the file he expected me to give him."
"So you haven't given him a file on me yet?"
"No."
"Are you planning on giving it to him?"
"No." I lowered my sword. So he wasn't too bad of a traitor in the end I guess.
"Thanks."
"Welcome." He smiled, "I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving."
"What? Why?"
"He will come after me, he has paid me in advanced, and I have not produced anything but your number and your name. I was hoping that you would have killed him by now, I had not expected him to depart from my club so early. He is impatient. He will also come for you soon. It won't take him long to get someone else to deliver a file on you. He has your name now, so he'll have everything soon enough. Nothing near what I have, but enough to get you killed. You realize the fact that you have no job, and yet you have money will raise suspicions in him?"
" Yes, I do." Eduardo shrugged, and even though it didn't really matter, I just had to ask, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because Senorita, because." He pulled a thick file out of his jacket, and placed it on my coffee table. He smiled a sad smile, and left. I had a feeling it would probably be the last time I'd see him again. Can't say I was sad, but then again, can't say I was happy either. I never did find out the mystery of Eduardo. Arturo. whoever he is.
~~~PREVIEW: Everything about me was sitting all nice and neat in a folder. I shuddered. It made me feel vulnerable for some reason. I hated it. Did I want to read it? No. Should I read it? Probably. Will I read it? Yes. Damn it.
"Hola." Arturo said the moment the door was open. I tried to close it in his face, but he pushed it open. "You don't want to see me Kaoru?" He asked. My eyes widened with shock. How the hell did he know my name, wait, how did he know where I lived? My mouth hung open, and I gaped at him. I recovered as quickly as I could, and swept my leg under his legs. He fell to the ground, and I shut the door before he could stand. 3 words vibrated through my head as I leaned against the door to my apartment, 'what the fuck?' I knew I said anyone would be great, but. "Open the door chica." It was a bit muffled, but I could still hear him.
"What happened to 'senorita'?" I called back.
"Does it matter which one?" I could almost feel him shrug through the door.
"The hell do you want Arturo?"
"Eduardo." He corrected. He was really pissing me off.
"Does it matter which one?" I retorted.
"Let me in." He ignored my remark. That ass.
"Does it matter?"
"Let me in Kaoru."
"How the hell do you know my name?"
"Let me in so I can tell you. I mean no harm." I snorted at him. Sure he meant no harm. No harm my ass.
"One second." I had to let him in. I had questions, and he had answers. Simple. I just needed a gun or a knife, and then he could come in. Still simple? Not really. I marched into my room, changed into some jeans, and picked up the sword I normally wore on my back. It took me ten minutes to change, and put on the sword, but he could wait. I walked back to the door, feeling more confident, and opened it. To my surprise standing next to Art.Eduardo. was Sano. Sano was glaring a hole into Eduardo, but Eduardo was smiling at me.
"It seems your friend came to the door while I was waiting for you." Eduardo said walking in. I didn't even invite him in yet. He just walked in. Oh, Sano just loved that. He opened his mouth to protest, but I dragged him into my apartment, and pulled him into my bedroom.
"Who is he?" Sano said angrily. I don't know why exactly he was so angry, but I could guess.
"Eduardo, a co-worker. I wasn't expecting him. He just popped up." I shrugged.
"He's the guy from the super market. His name's Eduardo?!?! What kind of name is that?" Sano scowled.
"A Hispanic one."
"Thank you Kaoru." He said sarcastically. "I don't like him. If you want I'll kick him out." He looked hopeful. I guess he got bad vibes from Eduardo. Either that or he was being over protective, like a big brother. I'd call it cute if it wasn't so annoying.
"It's fine." I smiled, "Now why are you here?"
"Me and Kenshin are about to hit the road. This is your last chance Jou- chan. You comin?"
"Nope."
"Busy right?"
"Right."
"Oh yeah, you look real busy."
"Sano." I said angrily. Is he implying that I'm staying behind because of Eduardo? I hope for his sake he's not.
"Whatever. It's you're life. I'm gonna go." He said turning to the door. Once out into my living room he yelled bye to me, ignored Eduardo, and left. I was pissed at Sano, but I also managed to miss him too. Talk about talent.
"Your friend doesn't like me much." Eduardo said.
"I don't like you much." I glared at him. What if Sano told Kenshin that Eduardo was here? Grrr, it was all Eduardo's fault. All of it.
"I suppose so." He smiled shrugging.
"You wanted to come inside, now you're inside. How do you know my name?"
"I found out."
"How?"
"Finding out is what I do."
"Why the hell do you even care who I really am?"
" It's not me, it's Big J."
"Big J?" My face paled. That's how Big J got my number. Eduardo. In an instant my sword was in my hand. There was fire in my eyes as I stared at Eduardo. I am not a person that is fond of being betrayed.
"Calm down Kaoru." He said backing up.
"Shut up." I said my voice trembling with anger. He had probably purposely kept me distracted at the club, it was also probably his fault why I couldn't find Big J, and then he has the audacity to come to my home and tell me that he's betrayed me. That idiot.
"It's not as it seems, let me explain."
"I said shut up."
"Kaoru."
"Do not say my name." I growled.
"Senorita, I haven't given him anything." He was backing up slowly.
"Then explain how he had my number."
"That I did give him, but I had to or he would have killed me. He likes to check out everyone around him; usually he gets me to do it, but I didn't want to hand you over to him. He said he'd slice my throat if I didn't give him a file on you. The next day I told him that all I could find was your phone number and name, and I gave it to him."
"The club, what the fuck was that? A set up?"
"He wanted me to take you there so he could question you. He wanted to see what you'd say, and then check it against the file he expected me to give him."
"So you haven't given him a file on me yet?"
"No."
"Are you planning on giving it to him?"
"No." I lowered my sword. So he wasn't too bad of a traitor in the end I guess.
"Thanks."
"Welcome." He smiled, "I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving."
"What? Why?"
"He will come after me, he has paid me in advanced, and I have not produced anything but your number and your name. I was hoping that you would have killed him by now, I had not expected him to depart from my club so early. He is impatient. He will also come for you soon. It won't take him long to get someone else to deliver a file on you. He has your name now, so he'll have everything soon enough. Nothing near what I have, but enough to get you killed. You realize the fact that you have no job, and yet you have money will raise suspicions in him?"
" Yes, I do." Eduardo shrugged, and even though it didn't really matter, I just had to ask, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because Senorita, because." He pulled a thick file out of his jacket, and placed it on my coffee table. He smiled a sad smile, and left. I had a feeling it would probably be the last time I'd see him again. Can't say I was sad, but then again, can't say I was happy either. I never did find out the mystery of Eduardo. Arturo. whoever he is.
~~~PREVIEW: Everything about me was sitting all nice and neat in a folder. I shuddered. It made me feel vulnerable for some reason. I hated it. Did I want to read it? No. Should I read it? Probably. Will I read it? Yes. Damn it.