Chapter 4: Surprise Visit
„Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Takeshi asked probably for the millionth time while Michiru unlocked the car she drove – a small blue Mitsubishi Colt – and nodded at him, also for the millionth time. "Yes, Takeshi…Haruka should know that she isn't alone with her situation and that there are other people like her." "She will find out early enough on Friday." Takeshi pointed out, but Michiru just shook her head. "Experience showed me that the days before the first meeting are the hardest." She softly spoke. "Haruka has to stay sober until then, and she has to stay sober afterwards…but most people who want to be part of the program get drunk again before their first meeting and never join us. And I want to keep this from happening to Haruka. From what you told me about her, she really needs help, and I assume that she wants it…but she will need someone to guide her too, and that person will be me." Takeshi let out a sigh and finally nodded. "Fine…I guess I can't keep you from driving over to her anyway. But just let me warn you…her aggression potential is very high, so try not to anger her. She might hit you faster than you can blink." "I'll be careful." Michiru replied while opening her car door. "But I don't think that it will come to her hitting me. I'll call you, Takeshi." Takeshi agreed on that and watched how the aqua haired woman got into her car and drove off, into the direction where Harukas apartment was. He let out another heavy sigh, shook his head once more – still thinking that it wasn't a good idea – before he got into his own car and drove off, towards his own home.
Haruka sat in her living room, staring through the TV and trying to get her mind off the alcohol that she had gotten rid off. Her eyes kept wandering from the screen of her TV over to the shelf that had contained her bottles; now, it looked all empty and somehow…wrong. The stores are still open. The teenager voice of her own mind spoke, trying to sound convincing. Get moving and buy a bottle. Or, even better, buy ten. And then drink until you pass out. Fuck the meetings, and fuck Takeshi. If he kicks you out of the team, there are enough others who will be more than glad to let you drive for them. Haruka knew that she could do what her mind suggested; it was one of the easiest things in the world. She just had to get out of the apartment, walk not even two hundred meters to the next supermarket, and there she could buy all the alcohol she needed. Whiskey, wine, beer, brandy, gin, all kinds of booze…and then she could drink again. Wash the memories away and feel good…and tomorrow? Her own voice asked inside her head, this time not sounding like a teenager, but sounding like she did now, as an adult. And what will be tomorrow, Haruka? You will wake up with a hangover again, and will puke out your guts again. I thought we are through with that. "But I want it so badly…" Haruka weakly replied, leaning her head back and looking up at the ceiling. No one said that stopping it would be easy. Her own voice replied, sounding surprisingly gentle. You knew that it would be hard, but you shouldn't give up. If you give up and drink yourself to death before you turn forty, he won. "Don't mention him!" Haruka immediately snapped. She fought the male voice down before it could say too much and clenched her fists. "Don't mention him." She repeated, weaker and softer this time. Okay, I won't if it makes you happy. But please, Haruka…don't give up. You're killing yourself, and you know it. Finally, Haruka nodded, closing her eyes. "You're right." She softly spoke while she came to her feet. "I do need to go shopping…but I won't buy booze." Good. I'll believe that for now. But I swear, Haruka…if you only get too close to the booze aisle of the market, I will make sure that he comes up in your mind. You know I can do that. Harukas face paled visibly at the thought of what her own mind threatened to do to her. "Okay." She weakly spoke, her voice shaking as if she was close to crying again. This was another wonderful side effect of the withdrawal the blonde had to go through; to her, it seemed that it was enough to look at her angered to make her cry right now. Slowly, the blonde rose from her couch, forcing the tears away that stung in her eyes again, and walked over to the door. She just reached out to turn the knob and open it when suddenly the doorbell rang. Haruka could feel how her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach fell down to her knees. He's here! He's here!! Her mind screamed while a strange, small noise freed itself from her throat; it probably should have been a scream, but only came out as a desperate wheeze. To her own horror, Haruka grabbed the doorknob and turned it to open the door.
Michiru had to pull all of her strength together when the door opened and her eyes fell on the woman that stood in the doorframe. The blondes face was deadly pale, almost as white as a bed sheet; the only colour in her face came from her bloodshot eyes and the dark rings underneath them. She looks as if she's just seen a ghost. Or maybe still is seeing one. Michiru thought to herself while she forced a smile on her face that hopefully didn't look too faked. "Haruka, right?" she spoke, while the blonde just stared at her for a few moments until she slowly nodded. "Yes." She softly spoke, and her voice shocked Michiru even more than the way she looked. It was clear that she wasn't even thirty yet, probably something around 26, 27, but her voice…she sounded as if she would turn fifty the next week. "I'm Michiru Kaioh. We talked over the phone yesterday." Michiru now explained, hoping that this would calm the blonde down a little. For some reason, Haruka still looked scared; the hand that laid on the doorframe was shaking, and her eyes kept darting back and forth between Michirus face and the elevator behind the aqua haired woman. "Oh." Haruka now spoke, not sounding too intelligent. "I see. Well…you want to come in?" She stepped aside, and Michiru smiled at her and nodded before she entered the apartment. Haruka quickly closed the door behind her – not after looking one last time at the elevator though, Michiru noticed – and locked it. Then, the blonde turned to look at her surprise guest and asked: "What do you want?"