Dance But Never Forget
Chapter 2: The Stage Is Set
Disclaimer: ::Rolls eyes:: Can't you lazy bastards just read the first chapter? Fine! Be that way! I don't own Rurouni Kenshin!
Lexi: YAY I actually kept my promise to update! It's a miracle!! ::Mutters:: Well it counts anyway, the stupid site was down when I was ready to and then my computer died…XP
Sano: Can we have some saké to celebrate?
Lexi: Sur---no.
Sano: Aaaw…
Lexi: Ah well. Oh, yes, I left you all a nice little cliffy (sort of) didn't I? Well let's continue then…first though, another note. Megumi's younger too; I made her Misao's age. So sue me (again)(if you haven't already).
From Last Chapter:
Once he slipped through the door, he was surprised at what he saw. It was a large, airy room, all the walls covered with mirrors. There were two doors on one side of the room; one marked "Girls", the other "Boys". He slipped through the appropriate door and had to work very hard to keep an emotionless face.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AOSHI:
"Sanosuke?!" The familiar head whipped around.
"You tell noone." He hissed at Aoshi.
"As long as you don't either." Aoshi replied.
"Agreed," Sano said, suddenly congenial. "So, you doing it for a girl too?"
Aoshi was surprised, to say the least.
"I started to try to get together with Megumi, and, well, I got stuck. It's kinda fun once you get used to the whole tight pants thing."
The two of them prepared and entered the room. The girls, about six of them, were already stretching at the barre. Megumi came over, eyes shining.
"Sano-san! There you are! Who's this?"
Aoshi only glared. Megumi felt herself uneasy, despite her bubbly personality. Aoshi had his attention re-directed to a certain 16-year-old on the other side of the room. He had to exert all of his self control not to stare at her in a leotard and tights, showing off her well-toned muscle…no! No thoughts like that! Especially not in tight pants…
The teacher entered the room. "Hello class. Today we have a new student, Shinomori Aoshi."
Misao beaming at him almost made it all worthwhile.
At the end of class, Sanosuke was looking at Aoshi with new respect, as was most of the class.
"Aoshi, stay for a minute. I want to talk to you." The teacher said. He nervously stepped away from the door to the changing room. Sano winked at him but left him with the teacher.
"Have you ever had any dance before?"
"No, this is my first class."
The teacher's eyes registered shock and Aoshi could tell that she was impressed.
"Our yearly performance is coming up, and there's a duet of sorts. We need a talented male dancer, and Sanosuke is, well, not quite up to the task."
Emotionlessly, Aoshi replied, "Who is the other dancer?"
"Makimachi Misao, one of the most promising young dancers I've seen in years."
Aoshi's heart did a little flip, but he did not reveal this in his face. Years of pain had birthed this expression, for pain came when you showed what you felt…
--FLASHBACK--
"Stop crying, ya wimp, it's just a bruise."
"But daddy, it hurts!"
"Shut up and fight. But that's even a waste of time. You'll never amount to anything, Aoshi."
The tears came faster now, out of little 8-year-old Aoshi's eyes. "Yes…I…will."
His father hiccupped and dumped some more saké down his throat. "No you won't. You're a worthless little bastard and you'll meet the same end as your mother."
Aoshi could hardly see through the tears. "I will not be strangled and left to die in an alley. I'll be the best fighter the Shinomoris have ever seen!"
He held up his arms in a feeble attempt to protect himself from his father's blow. The face of the drunkard became redder and redder. "YOU…WILL…NOT…TALK…TO…ME…THAT…WAY!" He threw Aoshi across the room, where he lay, broken and sobbing, in the corner.
The next day, when the cops found Mr. Shinomori, they determined cause of death as suicide. Only Aoshi knew the truth.
--END FLASHBACK--
He came back to the present, realizing that the teacher was waiting for an answer. "I may do so. Allow me to think some more on it." He turned and walked into the changing room. Sano was waiting.
"What was it?"
"Dammit, I don't know whether to be joyful or devastated."
"Why would you be happy?"
"I might get to dance a duet with Misao."
"She the one you like?"
"Yeah."
"Great! Cool! And why sad?"
"Apparently I'm good enough at ballet to possibly get to dance a duet in the annual performance."
"Poor Shinomori…"
"Don't call me that." He automatically snapped.
"Poor Aoshi, facing a choice like that. At least I suck at ballet."
"…"
"Let's go get some saké for celebration slash mourning."
"NO."
"What, ya don't drink?"
"No."
"Oh I get it, can't hold your saké."
Aoshi jumped at this easy excuse. "Er, kinda…"
MISAO:
She tuned out the sound of Megumi's endless chattering, choosing instead to think of Aoshi. Who knew that he was such a good dancer? Maybe she wouldn't have to dance that duet with Sano after all. Thank Kami times a million. Sagara Sanosuke was officially the biggest klutz she had ever seen.
"Don't you?" She was snapped out of her reverie by the sudden question.
"Er, don't I what?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Have you heard a single word I've said?"
"Er, no, not really."
"Don't you think the new guy is hot? I mean, Sano is my man but if I were still single…phew!"
"Yeah, yeah, he's really hot…"
"He seems familiar though, I could swear that I knew him from somewhere…does he go to our school?"
Misao pretended to frown in concentration. She bit her lower lip, appearing to be thinking hard. "I dunno, I think I've seen him around."
"Well I, for one, will not rest until I find out who he is. Wanna help?"
"Nah, that's ok. I'll leave the mystery of the mysterious loner to you."
Megumi snapped her fingers. "Mysterious loner! That's it!! He's that weird guy at our school with the hidden kodachis. Everyone but the teachers knows he has them. I knew his name was familiar! Aoshi...wasn't he your friend way back, like in first grade?"
"Not really…"
--FLASHBACK--
"Why are you sitting alone?" A concerned little 5-year-old Misao asked the silent boy in the corner.
"'Cause noone likes me."
"I like you. Will you be my friend?"
His face broke into a cute little smile. "I've never had a friend before."
"It's fun! We can do everything together!" She beamed at him, making his smile broader. He remembered something and his face fell.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"My daddy won't let me have friends."
Her young mind couldn't get around that. "Can I be your secret friend then?"
"No. My daddy'll find out and then he'll hurt me worse."
"OK then." She thought no more of it and went off to color with her friend Megumi, leaving little Aoshi alone in the corner, trying hard not to cry.
--END FLASHBACK--
"No. He was never my friend."
"Oh…"
They came to Megumi's house and walked in the open door.
"You wanna sleep over? My little brother's at a friends house so he won't bug us."
"Nah, that's ok. I think I'll go home for once. See ya, Megumi." She cheerfully waved and left to walk home. The autumn leaves blew about her black sweatshirt and the wind played with her hair. She involuntarily shivered and walked more quickly. Arriving at her house, she saw Kaoru waiting on the front step.
"Hey brat."
"Hey baka."
Kaoru hugged her and brought her inside. "I think it's time we had some girl time. We're going to sit down and talk 'till we're blue in the face."
"Can I start?" Misao asked.
"Sure," Kaoru said.
"Are you going out with that guy yet, K-something? The red haired dude."
"Kenshin? Not only that, we're as good as engaged!"
Misao squealed in delight. "Really? Awesome! Kenshin's the coolest!"
"Glad you feel that way. What about you?"
"Well…it's a long story."
"Spill all."
And she did.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lexi: Kind of a bad ending, but I like shorter chapters.
Sano: ::Fuming in corner::
Lexi: Oh come on. Lighten up Sano!
Sano: YOU MADE ME DO BALLET. THAT IS UNFORGIVABLE!!!
Lexi: ::Sweat drop:: At least you get Megumi!
Sano: That doesn't matter! ::Returns to fuming::
Lexi: We'll just leave him, shall we? Anywho, review please (as per usual)!!