Xx Day 7 xX
"Misao sweetie, may I come in?" I woke to the sound of my mother knocking lightly on my door. I heard it open and then close again and felt the pressure of her sitting on my bed. I opened my eyes and looked over at her and then she spoke.
"About what your father said Swee-"
"Spare me the whole lecture mother! Look, I know I can't get out of this and if I run away I will dishonour the family, blah, blah, blah…So just tell me what time its on and where it is going to be." I spoke defeated. I saw the happy smile on my mother's face but I buried myself deeper into my blankets and listened to what she said.
"Well I've spoken to your future in-laws and we decided to have it here in the backyard since their place isn't quite ready yet. Oh Misao it will be so beautiful. I can just see you no-"
"Whatever mother…just let me pick the dress by myself…" I spoke to her quietly and then looked over to see her nodding her head.
"Does the guy know? I mean about getting married next week?" I watched her nod her head and her smile broadened thinking I was actually liking this.
"Wh-what's his name?" I spoke quietly while sitting up looking at her.
"Aoshi Shinomori sweetie, why?" A rugged sob escaped my throat and I placed my face into my pillow to muffle the others that followed.
"Honey, what's wrong?" I gathered myself together and spoke normally to my mother even though my head was still placed into the pillow.
"Nothing, I just need some more sleep that's all." Except for the fact that he's a big, mean and stupid jerk, I yelled in my head. I noticed there was complete silence in the room and sat up as I saw my mothers retreating back leaving the room closing the door behind her. I threw the sheets away and stood up walking to the closet and found some baggy jeans and placed them on. They hung on my hips loosely and I placed on a black tank top, which had a silver glitter dragon on it, that wasn't so tight but it still was small and showed off my belly button. I picked up a long sleeve thin black shirt and tied it around my hips, placed my sneakers on, grabbed my sling bag and opened my bedroom window. I jumped to the tree easily and descended to the ground taking off over the back wall.
xxxxxxx
I had been walking around the main mall of the city for hours, casually looking in different shops. Believe it or not I actually went into one of the more exquisite shops and asked if they had any magazines on wedding dresses. The woman looked at me rather funny and I lied telling her it was for my elder sister but she was working today and couldn't come in to get it herself. I said my thanks and left walking back down the mall to where some cabs were parked. I froze in my walking when I saw a handsome and tall man coming my way. My eyes widened when I realised it was Aoshi, who was aimlessly looking in the shop windows to his left, and on his right side was none other then Sano. I quickly turned around trying to loose myself in the crowd but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard Sano call out my name.
"Hey Misao! Over here?" I took a deep breath and turned back around and found Sano and Aoshi walking closer to me. I diverted my eyes over to Aoshi and found his face set in an unreadable display of emotions. I gulped down the lump that was stuck in my throat and watched as he quietly excused himself and kept walking.
"Ah don't worry about Aoshi there. He's just a little cut up about his parents that's all." Sano spoke absently.
"I can imagine…" I mumbled and turned my face back to Sano who had a confused look on his face. I cleared my throat and spoke again curiously.
"About what?"
"Oh his parents are making him get married. I feel sorry for the chick whose gotta take care of him…" My eyes frowned at what Sano had said but he kept laughing not registering the fact yet. Seconds later his laughing stopped and he looked questioningly at me. I ruffled through the shopping bag I had and brought out the wedding magazine I had gotten and thrust it into his hands. I heard more laughing and narrowed my eyes in annoyance snatching the book away from his hands and placing it back in the bag. I began to walk off and heard Sano's hurried footsteps catch up to me.
"Hey weasel I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! You just got to get used to the fact that-"
"He's a big, mean and stupid jerk!" I cut him off telling him what I thought of his friend. Sano's hands halted me as he placed them on my shoulders and turned me around to face him. He lifted up my chin so he could look into my eyes and he frowned when he noticed mine were filled with unshed tears. He wrapped me up in his hug and spoke quietly into my ear.
"Misao…he's not really that bad. I mean he does have his off days but you just need to get used to his, I don't know, deep side I guess."
"Deep side Sano?" I spoke sarcastically while pulling away from him and raising my right eyebrow.
"Well yeah, everyone's got two sides to them, he just doesn't show his second one, his real side in fact. He'll need to get used to the idea of you being around before he'll trust you or become your friend, he's just weird like that."
"We have a week Sano! ONE WEEK! To trust and get to know each other and then we are stuck with each other forever! He knows its me Sano…and he hates me…"
"I'm sure he doesn't weasel, 'sides he won't dishonour his family by backing out or running away and neither will you. Am I right?" I nodded my head and spoke up again.
"What about his life? I mean what would his girlfriend think about all of this?" I looked confusedly at Sano who was laughing his ass off at that question.
"What! Shinomori doesn't have a girlfriend! He just got back here!" He had spoken in between laughing but finally got his laughter under control.
"Oh come off it Sano! Get serious, a guy as gorgeous as him doesn't go around single for long! He would have been attached to someone!" I watched Sano's expression as his eyes were wide and his mouth was parted, but that was after what I had said. I heard a deep voice speak behind me.
"Sano, I found the store." I closed my eyes mortified and slapped my hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp as he had heard everything I said. I looked at Sano who was trying to control himself but he burst out laughing and I pushed past him walking away.
"WAIT WEASEL! COME BACK! LOOK I'M SORRY OKAY?" I could still hear his soft cackles and I raced off to get to that cab. I jumped into one and spoke my destination. The morning has come to a bitter end and I decided to spend the rest of it locked in my room.
xxxxxxx
"Misao are you coming down for tea?" I jolted awake as I had fallen asleep on my bed.
"N-no I've eaten already." I spoke to my mother and soon heard her footsteps go back down the hall.
I grabbed the shopping bag that was sitting at the end of the bed and found the dreaded magazine. I took it out and opened it up. I flipped through the book looking at all the gross designs of dresses. They all had frilly bits hanging off or had a zillion bows or even both! I flipped to the back and noticed an article about designing your own, well looking at different designs, choosing your own material and how you want it to be done. I ripped the article out placing it into my sling bag wanting to check the place out tomorrow. It needed to be rushed. In six days I was to be married to that jerk! I dumped the magazine in the trash and walked downstairs and out into the backyard.
I stepped into the training hall that dad had gotten built when my brothers and I were smaller. I threw my long sleeved shirt on the wooden floor and opened the back doors up. I lay down, placing my head in my folded arms behind my neck looking up at the stars. The cool breeze swept through the hall caressing my bare skin.
"I remember you sneaking out of the house to look up at the stars every night." I lifted my head a bit to see my father walking over towards me. I placed my head in my arms not acknowledging he was here.
"Your brothers did it before you as well." I felt him sit near me and I moved my head to the side not looking at him and spoke.
"I remember too. They were so sneaky I just wanted to be like them and so I decided I wanted to try as well. I never went down the stairs though because they creaked a bit. Instead I would jump out the window to the tree and go from there. Some nights I nearly lost my footing but I never screamed for help though…Sano was on the ground…waiting to catch me if I fell."
"How is Sano these days Misao? I don't see him much." My father asked curiously.
"He's good…met some real nice people who have become real good friends with him. We actually went out the night you told me about getting married." Silence filled the area and I sat up looking my father right in the eyes and spoke how I felt.
"I don't like this at all dad. I mean I haven't even finished school and you expect me to get used to the idea of getting married. To a complete stranger for that matter! All my hopes and dreams have just been tossed aside so you and mum can fulfil some stupid promise! I'm trying not to dishonour the family, so I won't run away, but know this we are not on speaking terms after the wedding. I don't know if I'll ever forgive the two of you for doing this." I got up picking my shirt up on the way and walked out of the hall leaving him alone.
Xxx to be continued xxX
