Serenity's mom'll freak if she sees who her daughter's dating....or,er used to date......are they back together? Tea wondered, darting a glance at the two of them. It seemed so; they were both watching the door anxiously. They were standing side by side, and Kaiba had said, 'I'm staying, like I should have done in the first place.' Tea was afraid that a screaming match like before would happen. He and Mrs. W were both pretty hot tempered. And both were equally determined.
"Make sure you call Bertio and cancel my appointment. Reschedule it for Friday," Mrs. W was saying, as she bustled in through the door, gripping her keys and purse in one hand and her cell phone in the other. "No..no...um hmm...." She didn't look up or seem to notice them.
Unable to stand the tension any longer, Serenity rushed up to greet her. "Hi, Mom! Let me help you with those packages," she offered, taking them. It was obvious her hands were shaking horribly. I hope Mom had a good day at work today!
"Thank you, sweetheart," her mother murmured, then finally hung up. "I had such a horrible day! Mind if you put some water in the kettle?"
Your day is just about to become worse, Mrs. W, Tea thought, sweating. She took a look over at Kaiba, who was looking dangerous and intimidating. Uh oh....
"Um, Mom, I want you to meet someone," Serenity began, trying to keep her tone smooth and as un-panicky as possible so her mom will think eyerthing's perfectly alright. Though I feel like I'm going to faint from an anxiety attack...! "This is....." but Mrs. W had already noticed him.
"What? What is going on here?" her mother gaped. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. There was look of disbelief and shocked surprise. Tea watched as the woman's gaze kept darting over from Serenity to Kaiba, back and forth. They did look like total opposites; Serenity with her sweetness and innocent look and basically wholesome figure. Meanwhile, Kaiba had an air of danger and mystery, right down to his steely glare fixed on Serenity's mom. It was obvious he saw her as the enemy. He looked like he wanted to annihilate her.
Since her mother wasn't listening, Serenity went over to him and planted herself by his side, then looked over her shoulder at her mother. Realization dawned in Mrs. W's eyes, and Tea, watching, knew that she understood. Then again, seeing the horrified look in the woman's eyes, maybe she didn't.
Still, Mrs. W tried to deny it. "S-serenity?! W-what--! You and-and the Seto Kaiba?!" The words were hardly more than a whisper. Her face was clear: And she disobeyed me?! Her own mother?! ...........She began in to sway, like a cobra in a snake basket.
"Mrs. W!" Tea shouted, catching her as the woman fell over towards her in a dead faint. . What else can go wrong?! Well, Joey could come in now.....The front door behind her clicked open as if on cue. Tea grimaced and rubbed her temples. I just HAD to say it.....didn't I?
the next morning, at the hospital
The next morning, Tea, Serenity and Joey went to visit Mai in the Domino hospital. They found her physician, a nice old man. "Temporary memory loss." The snow haired doctor rubbed his face in exhaustion. "It could have been worse......."
" 'Memory loss?!' How could she have gotten dat?! An' how could anythin' be worse?!" Joey demanded, shaking the doctor so hard, his glasses slipped.
"Big brother, please," Serenity said as he calmed down. She was worried. Since last night he hadn't been acting like his self.
When he entered in the middle of something, everybody expected him to blow up, but he just had stared down at his collasped mother in silence, with this bleak look she had never seen before before brushing by all of them to go to his room upstairs. It was like his best friend had died. What happened......?
After making sure her mother was okay,(which she was, sort of) she had gone to see what was wrong. Her problem could wait; she had never seen her brother look so sad. But he had been silent...and moody.....until this morning, when he finally revealed that Mai had had an accident and was in the hospital. Then she'd understood.
Now he was staring angrily at the poor doctor who had done nothing except his job. Joey's usually not this angry unless he's feeling guilty about something! I know him too well......
"It could have been worse, young man," the doctor said seriously, scanning the clipboard in his arm. "Ms. Valentine's condition could very well have led to blindness, loss of hearing, even a coma! She is relatively fortunate." He continued in the shocked silence, "Her parents haven't arrived yet; I'm told they're out of town. You may have a short visit; Rm 116. But try not to tire her out."
"Thank you, doctor," Tea said to his retreating figure as they start to walk down the hall. Serenity bit her lip.
"Do you.....think she'll remember me, Tea?" she asked. "I just met her recently, in the past year or so....." she went on. "But she's become like a older sister to me in that short while....."
Tea smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure she does. And anyway, the doctor said it's only temporary!"
"Seems like times like this I appreciate our friendship more," Serenity murmured, half to herself. Tea nodded in agreement as all three walked in the room.
"M-Mai?" Serenity stammered timidly when no one said anything. She looks so pale and fragile in there! Her heart started hammering nervously in her chest as she remembered another day just like this. They all remembered.
Slowly, Mai turned slightly and saw a young girl looking nervously down at her. "Hello.....?" Immediately, she was sorry to say that because the girl's pretty features turned even sadder.
She doesn't remember Serenity....?! Tea jaw dropped in shock. How could she not recognize her....? Beside her, Joey hissed softly under his breath as he watched. Perhaps that sound, caused Mai to look over at him. Tea saw her face light up.
"Hi, Tea, Joseph!" she said, smiling and sitting up in the bed. "You've come to visit." Tea smiled back, but she saw her eyebrows arch. "What?" She saw Joey avert his gaze. "What are you all so doom and gloom about?" she demanded, looking from face to face, not liking this strange prickly feeling.
Tea smiled quickly. "Nothing! It's great to see you, we were just worried about you." she said to reassure the anxious look from Mai's face. The doctor had said not to distress her, or her condition might return with worse results. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay.....refreshed, actually." she answered, relaxing. Somehow Tea's sementality doesn't make me feel all mushy like before....weird. "In fact, I feel much better than before!" she said with a wink, sititng up stiffly.
Tea hesistated, then pushed on. "Did....did the doctor tell you about your memory loss?"
"Yeah. At first, I couldn't believe I'd lost a year, but then I looked at a calendar to see, and I was like, wow! It's like being pushed into the future in a time machine or something." she said with a toss of her hair. "Anyway---" she stopped short. "Joseph! What are you doing in the all the way over there in the corner?!" she shouted. "Are you gonna come over to talk or not?!"
He slowly did so and Serenity tugged on Tea's hand, walking towards the door. "Come on Tea," she said. "We'd better let them talk a while alone." Tea nodded, and they waved and left them.
"Who was that young girl anyway?" Mai asked. "I forgot to get her name..." Why is he looking at me all strange like that.....?!?!?!
It was a long time before he answered, shuffling his feet slightly on the floor. "Dat was.....my little sister, Serenity....."
"Oh!" she grinned delightedly. "Then.....then her procedure.....her procedure went well?! That's fabulous! I'm glad everything went well." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He must be in one of those teenage moods..... she figured.
"Um.....so....da doctor told ya ya can't rememba last year? At all?" he said. At her nod, he felt his stomach sink. That means.....the trip to Spain.....everything that happened.....gone....!
"Yeah......" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why? What...happened? Something did, didn't it?" she asked, looking anxious again. "I mean, I remember only in fragments and pieces.....all jumbled up and don't make sense." Whisper faint images, like the static on a broken movie player surrounded an incoming fuzzy memory at the moment. But the voices were very clear.....
flashback
"You did? How come you didn't say somethin' first?"
"Sorta, kinda....Oh great, now I'm talking like you!"
end flashback
"Mai? Whatsa matter? Are ya rememberin'?" he said, sitting down, brown eyes studying her violet-colored ones.
"It seemed so unreal, like recollection from a dream..." she thought aloud to herself.
"What is? C'mon, tell me it."
"Well, we're on, uh somewhere high in the air......" A golden orange sky. "....in the early morning, I think...." She looked helplessly at him; he had a look of complete puzzlement. "I'm trying!"
"I know, I know! I didn't say anything!" But his expectant look made her feel pressured and stress. She closed her eyes again and concentrated.
More and more memories, all unconnected, all broken, jumbled inside her head. Mai remembered the ground being tipsy. "We're on a cliff, maybe....?"
"Yes!" He said so loud that she nearly jumped out of her skin. "We were on a cliff!"
"Don't yell like that; my head's killing me." Suddenly, she fell back into the pillow and shut her eyes tiredly. "I want to go to sleep now, Joseph......you'd better go now."
He was reluctant to leave, now that she was beginning to recall. "I'll stay in this empty bed next to yours; I promise I won't make a sound. Okay?" he said, going over there and drawing back the blanket.
She opened one suspicious eye. "Oh, fine......but not one sound! Turn off the lights," she mumbled sleepily, rolling over on her side, so long blond curls fell against her back. She was asleep not a minute later.....
dream
'Where is HE?' Mai thought frustratedly, sitting on the grass in her bathing suit. 'How long does it take to get me some medicine?! Grr.......grr......grr...... Oh, that's it. I'll just head back! Probably saw some hot dish.....and I'm NOT talking about a girl! That's the first time I mean a food!'
Grumbling, she made her way back, weaving her way around the trees and bushes. The headache was tolerable now, though unpredictable. It could strike any moment again.
Footsteps. 'Looks like Joey wasn't wrong when he'd heard something in the woods.....' "Who's there?" she called irritably, her headache driving any caution away. "You're trespassing!"
Am I? Ku ku ku ku....
Birds flew away, cawing loudly with a frantic beat of wings. Mai felt a shiver run down her spine at the grinning, mocking voice. A silky voice that caressed her skin as if it were solid fingers. A musky, metallic smell filled the air as he got closer.....and closer.....
Long time no see, he screeched. Oh.....! Get away from me! But her legs were paralyzed in fear. A tall, hooded masculine figure came into view, but her vision was so blurry with horrified tears it was hard to see. This has to be a dream! No, a nightmare!
It is.....Suddenly an arm shot out. The headache hit her with bruising force again. She sank to her knees and gagged, trying not to pass out. But it was so hard not to; blackness enveloped her like a curtain being drawn shut. Then she was running, on all fours, scrambling to get away. Stupid! Why did I call out?! She shouted for help in hysteria. I'll make you wish you never remembered anything again....he laughed.......
"Get away......get away.....please......get away......get away....." Tears squeezed out from her clenched lids, holding the thin hospital blanket over her head.
A distant-sounding voice called her name. "Wake up! It's only a nightmare!"
Her eyes flew open and a split second before toppling over, she found out she'd been standing up. A cold breeze flew over her bare arms and legs. W-why am I wearing a hospital gown....?
Slowly she recalled why. "W-what happened?" she asked shakily, running a hand through her long curls. "Why am I standing......?"
"You were sleepwalking. Jeez, you nearly scared da wits out of me! If I didn't stay ya would of jumped right out da window!" Joey said, pointing outside to the open window. It was nighttime, about three or two in the morning, pitch dark. She could barely see his silhouette but surely recognized his voice.
"Let go of me!" Their arguing was going to wake the other patients. "That's impossible.....I've never sleepwalked in my life!"
"Well, what do ya think, that I carried ya out of bed an was about to throw ya over?!" he snapped, angry for have being scared so bad. She flashed him an angry glare and stalked back to her bed. Laying back down, she turned away, her back to him with a harrumph. Silence.
He longed to take one of those silvery blond curls and wrapped them around one finger, like he did when he'd held her on the cliff. "Mai....." he ordered gruffly. "Look at me."
She shook her head and didn't answer, just buried her face in the cool pillow some more, continuing to shake and shiver. So he came around the other side. But then she quickly rolled over to the other way again. Sheesh......and she tells me I act like a baby? he thought, taking her shoulder and pushing her back to face him. "What was yer nightmare about? Sometimes it helps to talk 'bout it."
"It......it was so horrible!" she whispered, continuing to tremble violently. He waited for her to go on, and when she didn't, he took her ice cold hand to both of his to warm it. She looked up at him; it was still dark, except for the moonlight coming in from the open blinds. This feels familair.... Her shaking ceased as another flash of memory, just their voices, but with a faint picture in her mental eye filled her head.
flashback
"Could I--?"
"Oh of course." He handed her his jacket. She felt it rather than saw it. His voice again: "I think ......I'm fallin' in love wit you....." A pause, then her voice: "I know....and it's not unreturned....."
end flashback
Is it real? Could it be true? Did we--? The memory was far too fuzzy to be sure. Back in the hospital, he was staring at her anxiously. The hopeful look in his eyes was killing her. I just can't be sure that that happened! But what else could it have been? I just can't remember.....! Only more and questions.....that I can't voice. "It's like something's .......blocking me from remembering...." she thought aloud. "My headache keeps returning every time I try....." she said apologetically, with a little shrug.
He sighed in disappointment and patted her hand. "Well, try not ta strain yourself........we'll talk some more in da morning." He patted her hand again and released it, getting up. I really wish she could remember......but her health comes first and she needs her rest. It's best not to push her too hard.
Impulsively, she grabbed at the back of his shirt as he was leaving and tugged a little too sharply. He lost his balance and fell half on top of her, half on the bed. Putting his arms out so not to hurt her as he fell, he ducked his head so not to meet her big, wide eyes. "Mai!! What are ya doin'!"
"Joseph?" she wondered, ignoring his question. "Are you blushing.....?"
"No!" He struggled to get up unsuccessfully. She caught a glimpse of his expression as someone down the hall turned on a light. His face was beet red, not from anger, she realized, but embarassment. So it's possible, then! Won't hurt to ask....
"I need to ask you something......I keep getting flashbacks of us holding hands......and kissing......" She said bluntly. "Did something happen between us? No lie?"
He held her gaze and gave a single nod. "No lie." There was a short pause.
Strange, but i'm not very surprised....that must mean it is true.... "......Then, why do you look so sad? It coming in pieces, but ...... it's coming back....."
"We-ell.......I should've gotten your medicine sooner, then none of dis would've happened... It's all my fault."
"Oh yes, I remember waiting and waiting... But don't beat yourself over it.......what took you so long?"
Silence. He licked his lips nervously. I can't tell her that I was looking through her journal! She'll hate me! But I have to...... "Well....uh.....I.....caught-someone-readin'-your-diary!" Oy vey.....
"Who was what?"
"You er, invited him to your party las' night. And I, er, was busy stopping him......and I kinda fergot you were waitin' for me."
Mai took his downcast gaze as a sign that he was really sorry. But really he was chasting himself for being a coward.
"Joseph." Her tone was stern. She touched the top of his head so he'd look up at her. "Look at me."
"Hm?"
"Why aren't you telling me the whole truth? You read it, too, didn't you." He didn't answer; he didn't have to, guilt was written all over on his face. In reponse, she sighed loudly and raggedly in disappointment, in effort to control her incoming temper. "Which Entry."
"The....last one.." he said meekly. He stole a glance at up her face and saw her frown. Not a good sign. "It was da one right after Duelist Kingdom....." At the flash of thunderclouds across her face, he continued quickly, "I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry fer not readin' it.......wait, dat didn't come out right....."
"How could you go through my private stuff?!" she asked painfully, whispering because her headache was coming back. Her jaw started to ache from clenching her teeth. Her large crystallized eyes were glazed with tears from it.
"Let me finish! I'm not sorry 'cause.....it showed me what you really felt about me. The real deal. Even back then. And I'm glad, because it was the same way for me, too." He saw her mouth tighten, but her eyes softened. He was still half lying on the bed, they were close, and he didn't care he was putting himself on the line. I'll take that as a good sign.... "And it still is. I---" he stopped when the room was suddenly flooded with fluorescent light.