Track #5. ^-^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || Shuichi POV||

I woke up in the morning at 6:00 to go to school. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. It was to early for that time of morning. I walked out of my room to go to the bathroom to see that noyone was up. Where was everybody? Nobody. And Maiko was usually up, dressed, and bugging me to get ready by this time.

Then I opened up Maiko's door she was still in her bed sleeping. What was going on? She, of all people, should be up.

"Maiko," I said as I shook her a bit. She groaned at me and pulled the covers over her head. "Hey, why aren't you up yet? Are you sick or something? Do you want to be late for school or what?"

"Didn't you know..." She said quietly. She uncovered her head and finished "School is canceled. There was a fire that started and it burnt down the whole thing. Luckily, noyone was in there. So we won't have school for a very long time. Now leave me alone and go back to sleep."

"How did it start?" I asked her, ignoring her order.

"I don't know. Go away," Maiko replied as she drifted off into sleep once again.

"Damn it. Oh well. I'll get to see Yuki early!" I announced.

Right away, Maiko sat straight up. She really wanted to go see Yuki. No matter what time of day, night, or morning it was! I knew that it would get her up right away so that's why I said it. Maybe I would go see Yuki later. But right now I was to tired to go see him, but, if she wanted to go I couldn't let her go by herself. I know that she would. I couldn't call myself her big brother if I let her go by herself. That part of the neighborhood wasn't exactly good.

"When are we going big brother?!" Maiko asked excitedly over my shoulder as I brushed my teeth in the bathroom. I sighed. She wouldn't shut up on how cool Eiri Yuki is. "He's sooo cool! I can't wait to see him again! I HAVE to get his autograph, then I'll bring it to school, the girls in my class will be so jealous! I just know that I'll be so popular when I say that my big brother is in a relationship with the romance novelist Eiri Yuki-sama!"

"You can shutup now Maiko," I told her. I spit out the toothpaste and washed it down the drain. "What makes you think it's going to be any better this time? You couldn't even talk last time."

"I-I was just nervous! I know that I'll be able to talk this time! Don't you worry, I'll get an autograph!" Maiko shouted, waving her arms. Then she quietly said "But if I DO happen to stutter....could you ask him for the autograph for me?"

"Sure. Why not," I replied. Wasn't in the mood for a rumble this morning. "So? When do you want to go?"

"NOW! NOW!" Maiko screamed in excitement.

"It's only six thirty sis. I don't think Yuki will be so pleased if we came that early."

"But you went there that early yesterday morning!"

"That was different!" I argued.

Maiko crossed her arms. "Whatever. Eight o' clock we'll leave. Does that sound reasonable enough?"

"Nine. Yuki would like that better."

She seemed a little annoyed with the suggestion but she nodded. I pushed her out of the bathroom and shut the door. I turned on the shower head.

"Hey! I always take a shower first Shuichi!" Maiko yelled.

I smirked at the door. "To bad, so sad little sister. Now go with you 'Master Yuki' and leave ME alone."

"You big jerk! When you come out here I'm gonna' kick your ass!" Maiko shouted and stormed down the hall.

I stepped into the shower. Comfort of warm water.....

Finally, some peace and quiet. I hope that Yuki is doing okay with Haru. I guess I worry to much. But there was reason to worry. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad had happened to Haru and it still is following her. Then Yuki might be yelling at her for something stupid again. That was just him though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || AT YUKI'S.....Yuki POV||

"You little brat! Come back here with that!" I shouted at Haru as she ran around with my manuscript. She was angry at me because I wouldn't tell her what that 'game' was that me and Shuichi 'play'. "When I get my hands on you I'm going to-"

"Do what Yuki-san?" Haru asked me as she stopped. She handed it to me. "I was only playing with you, Yuki-san. No harm done. I'm sorry."

"Hmph," was all I could say in reply as I snatched it back. I waved my finger at her and said "This is not a play toy, young lady! It's a manuscript for one of my new books! You can't just play with this valuable stuff! I don't know what I would have done if you tripped and ripped pages. Or they got mixed up. You got lucky this time."

"Oh, sorry," she replied. "Are Shuichi-kun and Tatsuha-kun come over today?! Huh? Huh? Could they Yuki-san! We could all play together! That would be fun! Wouldn't it?"

"You know what, why don't we go back to sleep?" I suggested.

This kid was way hyper. Fun, but not this early in the morning. I looked at the ceiling. Oh man. A kid was two much for this twenty two year old to bare. Maybe if it was a little boy but not a little girl. But I promised Mika and Tohma that I could do this! I can!

"Do we have to?" complained little Haru with a pout. "If that's what you want....."

"Okay then!" So I picked her up and took her upstairs and put her in her room.

It wasn't that small. It had a bed and some toys. She had brought over some of her toys. I'm also intending to take her out today for some new clothes, she can't keep wearing the same old one's every day. But atleast they were clean. I turned around as she changed back into her nightie which was that old shirt that I gave her. For some reason she loved that thing to death and had dragged it around downstairs until I asked her this morning to put it back. We woke up at four after going to bed at ten. I was pooped.

The ten year old said it was okay to turn back around. When I did she was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for me to tuck her in. I walked over and she laid down and I pulled the cover over her little body. She smiled up at me with that cute smirk of hers.

"Night, night," I told her.

"Could you tell me a story? Please?" She begged me. "Sissy always used to tell me stories before I went to bed. And you didn't tell me one last night either...."

"I'm not really good with children stories," I explained. I wasn't good with children stories at all. I was an adult writer, not Dr. Suess! "I could try...."

"Please?" She asked. "I like one's with dinosaurs in them! I love dinosaurs!"

"Uhh...okay..." I sat down next to her bed(which was just a mattress, I had to get a frame and stuff for that too. Oy vey.) "Let us see. Okay. I got one. My mom used to tell this one to me all the time. Do you like penguins? Because that's what it has in it."

"Okay!"

"This is called Grumble, Grumble. There once was this little penguin swimming under water when he suddenly heard Grumble, Grumble! He looked around and it happened again. He said 'Oh my. That's my stomach growling at me. I'm hungry!' He swam up out of a hole and then saw something white."

"Does this have a good ending?" Haru asked.

"Yes, it does. Now, as I was saying, the little penguin saw something white. He walked up to it and Chomp, Chomp, Chomp. He bit it! It was nice and fluffy. It wasn't something to eat, it was a polar bear! Before he was chomped, he ran and the polar bear went back to sleep. Then the penguin saw something brown. He went Chomp, Chomp, Chomp! It was hard and rough. It was a walrus basking in the sun. Before he was Chomped, the little penguin waddled off once again. Still, he was hungry. Grumble, grumble, went his stomach."

"Oh.....that poor penguin!" Haru said. "I thought you said this was a good story Yuki-san. Not a sad one."

"Just listen. Would you?"

"Fine than."

"The little penguin found an orange thing. Before he could chomp he found it was a flipper to a daddy penguin! He told the daddy penguin that he was hungry and the daddy penguin told him that penguins eat fish. Not polar bears, walrus's, or other penguins. So the little penguin dove into the water and chased after the little fish. After eating some, he was full. And there was no more grumble, grumble in his stomach."

She smiled at me. "That did have a good ending. Thank you so much! I'll tell you a story later. Okay?"

"That sounds like fun. Now, if you do happen to need something, you can wake me up. Don't go in the kitchen or turn on the TV while I'm sleeping. That sounds fair. Doesn't it?" I suggested as I stood up. As she nodded I walked over to the back of the room and shut her window, then locked it. For a moment I looked out to see if anyone was out there. Sometimes we had the occasional weirdo or alcoholic prowling around. I guess that I should warn her not to leave the window up or she'll catch a cold or someone could break in.. "Haru?"

The little girl was tuckered out and was already fast asleep. I shut off the light and left the door light on for her, leaving the door cracked a bit. I guess that I am turning into a big softy for the kid. It was hard to act tough with a little girl though. I smiled. Guess that I never thought about raising a kid anyway. Never thought that they could be so much fun to talk to or raise. My look on kids is that they were all spoiled little brats who starve for attention and toys. But Haru wasn't like that. She, all her life, experienced hardship. Knew that everything in life is precious. There are some other kids like that too.

I shut off my light off and laid in my bed. Hmmm...maybe I should adopt Haru. No. I couldn't. She still did have a sister so she should go with that sister? Right? Before I worried myself to death, I drifted off into a sleep. Dreaming about.....Shuichi... and me...together....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || Narrator POV||

At eight, Haru was awoken to a strange noise outside her window. She rubbed her eyes and got up. It was still dark outside but the words on the window was bright and clear in neon red. It looked like blood. That's when she looked around her. Haru screamed.

That's when Yuki woke up to her scream. He shook his head. He didn't dream that? Did he?

"Yuki-san!!!" screamed Haru as she ran down the hall. Yuki ran out of his room and caught the hysterical girl. They fell to the floor. Haru onto Yuki's lap and Yuki on his bottom. Tears filled her eyes. "T-They're back! They're back! Don't let them hurt me again! Please! I don't want to be back in that crusty old chamber and locked up in a cage like an animal again!"

"Who's here? Calm down Haru. Tell me what's going on!" Yuki said as he rubbed her back. "Don't freak out on me. At this rate you'll hyper ventilate again. Take slow and deep breaths."

She ignored what Yuki said and continued. "It's the Itani's! They must have came in the room when I was sleeping! They're after me again Yuki-san. And now you'll be involved too. I'm so sorry. The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt. They'll kill you, Shuichi. Everyone!"

"Do you mean the Itani's from the yazuka of the area? THOSE were your foster parents?"

"Y-Y-Yes."

"Did they hurt you when they came?" Yuki calmly questioned her. She started to listen to him and calm down.

"No. But your room. It's splattered with human blood. And on t-the window it says to die!" Haru cried and hugged Yuki.

Yuki couldn't believe it. The Itani's? They were infamous in this area as cold bastards that will do anything for a bit of money. Or to keep where their hiding out safe and quiet. And the state handed Haru over to them?! What the hell was the state thinking?! Poor kid....

"It's okay. I'm going to call the police and we'll get this settled."

"No. The police won't do anything! They're to afraid!"

"Damn....." Yuki swore under his breath. What could he do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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My wise words for today-

Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes, and then when you say something bad about him, you'll be a mile away and with free shoes.

o) - Silly face for today

:D How I feel right now

Sincerely,

&*(SamanthaSagara)*&