The next morning I awoke and drifted up to my room and closed the door softly. Once inside I sat down on my bed and took a look around. A lot of stuff presented itself to me. My whole life was in this room. And aside from my sister, my whole family was in this house. It was going to be hard to leave them. Once again I was being forced to leave my life behind and start again. But until I walked out the door, I had a mask to wear, and I needed to wear it well. So after inhaling a deep, calming breath, I stood and went to my dresser to retrieve some fresh clothes so I could shower and greet the day.
After I was clean, I got dressed and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. It seemed I was the first one awake. I started the coffee pot and sat down pulling yesterdays newspaper out of a pile of papers. I opened it and found a random article to read as someone came into the room. It was Omi. "Good morning Aya, how long have you been awake?" he asked. I looked up from my paper to see the boy set a cup of coffee in front of me, then pick up his own. I swallowed hard barely believing what I was hearing. He was talking….TO ME! "Um…about a half hour I guess." Omi nodded and walked out of the room with his mug.
Once Yohji and Ken were awake, Omi left for school and the three of us moved into the flower shop to open up. Our morning rush came to see Omi, and once they found out that he had already left, they all ran off to go find him.
At lunch we got the second rush for the day. One lady wanted 15 different bouquets of at least 50 different flowers. Yohji ken and I divided up the work five bouquets each. We finished in record time and then helped the other lunch rush customers. After they were taken care of, we closed so we could go get something to eat. Yohji decided he would go to the local Chinese place and get us some eats. Ken and I each gave him some money and Yohji left.
While he was gone, we swept the floors and watered the plants. No one had spoken to me directly since Omi left and I was beginning to get a little depressed. For a moment my heart had begun to hope that my curse had been lifted and I had my friends back. It seems I was wrong. When I looked up I realized Ken had been staring at me. He smiled and kept sweeping.
Just as I was about to ask Ken what he was smiling about, Yohji came through the back door with two bags full of enough Chinese to last us 4 weeks. Big surprise….I had given him a $10. I sighed at the thought of not getting any change and walked up to the counter where Yohji had set the bags of food.
Ken and I each grabbed our little containers of grub and wandered into the kitchen with Yohji following close behind.
After we ate, Omi came home, bringing with him the late afternoon group of customers/drooling fan girls. The four of us filled orders and made bouquets for the ladies until the magical closing time rolled around. Yohji shooed everyone out and closed the metal gate behind them while Omi let down the blinds and turned off the lights in the coolers. Ken took the window display apart and I did the bookkeeping. When we were all done, we shed our aprons and went upstairs. Before I had even reached my room, I was almost floored with depression and utter sadness. I didn't want to go in my room and start packing. I didn't! I hadn't even started and it was already unbearable to think about.
When the four of us hit the top of the stairs, my teammates began to head for their respective rooms. I however, couldn't seem to make myself walk towards mine. I swallowed and felt the tears welling up until I couldn't see, and sniffled. Blinking, the tears fell as I wrapped my arms around myself and collapsed against the wall. Now I could see and I noticed that Ken had stopped to look at me. It surprised me when I saw worry evident on his face. That just made me cry harder. I squeezed my eyes shut and let loose. I slid slowly down the wall until my knees were up against my chest and I cried into them. Loud cries came from my lips before every hiccup inward.
That's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It began rubbing back and fourth comfortingly. After a moment I looked up and Yohji was sitting at my side facing me. Ken was crouching in front of me with his arms wrapped around his knees, and Omi was on my other side. Omi was crying also. That was when I realized that Ken and Yohji had pools of tears in THEIR eyes too.
But why would they cry? If they were so happy, why would they care if I had an emotional breakdown right in front of them.
"Aya…we do care…. We would never try to hurt you intentionally."
"We didn't think you would be interested in being with us. It takes an hour of begging just to get you to come to the mall with us. And you STILL don't go after all that…"
"We didn't know…please forgive us."
I froze. Had I said that OUTLOUD?? I sat and looked At Omi. Then Ken, than at Yohji. Yohji smiled at me and before I knew it our lips touched, closing the space between us. A surge of electric heat pulsed through my body and I moaned opening my mouth. Immediately I wanted more. Little did I know I was about to get it…
After I was clean, I got dressed and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. It seemed I was the first one awake. I started the coffee pot and sat down pulling yesterdays newspaper out of a pile of papers. I opened it and found a random article to read as someone came into the room. It was Omi. "Good morning Aya, how long have you been awake?" he asked. I looked up from my paper to see the boy set a cup of coffee in front of me, then pick up his own. I swallowed hard barely believing what I was hearing. He was talking….TO ME! "Um…about a half hour I guess." Omi nodded and walked out of the room with his mug.
Once Yohji and Ken were awake, Omi left for school and the three of us moved into the flower shop to open up. Our morning rush came to see Omi, and once they found out that he had already left, they all ran off to go find him.
At lunch we got the second rush for the day. One lady wanted 15 different bouquets of at least 50 different flowers. Yohji ken and I divided up the work five bouquets each. We finished in record time and then helped the other lunch rush customers. After they were taken care of, we closed so we could go get something to eat. Yohji decided he would go to the local Chinese place and get us some eats. Ken and I each gave him some money and Yohji left.
While he was gone, we swept the floors and watered the plants. No one had spoken to me directly since Omi left and I was beginning to get a little depressed. For a moment my heart had begun to hope that my curse had been lifted and I had my friends back. It seems I was wrong. When I looked up I realized Ken had been staring at me. He smiled and kept sweeping.
Just as I was about to ask Ken what he was smiling about, Yohji came through the back door with two bags full of enough Chinese to last us 4 weeks. Big surprise….I had given him a $10. I sighed at the thought of not getting any change and walked up to the counter where Yohji had set the bags of food.
Ken and I each grabbed our little containers of grub and wandered into the kitchen with Yohji following close behind.
After we ate, Omi came home, bringing with him the late afternoon group of customers/drooling fan girls. The four of us filled orders and made bouquets for the ladies until the magical closing time rolled around. Yohji shooed everyone out and closed the metal gate behind them while Omi let down the blinds and turned off the lights in the coolers. Ken took the window display apart and I did the bookkeeping. When we were all done, we shed our aprons and went upstairs. Before I had even reached my room, I was almost floored with depression and utter sadness. I didn't want to go in my room and start packing. I didn't! I hadn't even started and it was already unbearable to think about.
When the four of us hit the top of the stairs, my teammates began to head for their respective rooms. I however, couldn't seem to make myself walk towards mine. I swallowed and felt the tears welling up until I couldn't see, and sniffled. Blinking, the tears fell as I wrapped my arms around myself and collapsed against the wall. Now I could see and I noticed that Ken had stopped to look at me. It surprised me when I saw worry evident on his face. That just made me cry harder. I squeezed my eyes shut and let loose. I slid slowly down the wall until my knees were up against my chest and I cried into them. Loud cries came from my lips before every hiccup inward.
That's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It began rubbing back and fourth comfortingly. After a moment I looked up and Yohji was sitting at my side facing me. Ken was crouching in front of me with his arms wrapped around his knees, and Omi was on my other side. Omi was crying also. That was when I realized that Ken and Yohji had pools of tears in THEIR eyes too.
But why would they cry? If they were so happy, why would they care if I had an emotional breakdown right in front of them.
"Aya…we do care…. We would never try to hurt you intentionally."
"We didn't think you would be interested in being with us. It takes an hour of begging just to get you to come to the mall with us. And you STILL don't go after all that…"
"We didn't know…please forgive us."
I froze. Had I said that OUTLOUD?? I sat and looked At Omi. Then Ken, than at Yohji. Yohji smiled at me and before I knew it our lips touched, closing the space between us. A surge of electric heat pulsed through my body and I moaned opening my mouth. Immediately I wanted more. Little did I know I was about to get it…