DISCLAIMER -- I do not own Fruits Basket, or any of its characters. However, I do own this story and any original characters not from Fruits Basket
Any similarities between this story and others are purely coincidental and I apologize for the inconvenience.
Hello Hello! It's your not-so-faithful author here with the next installment of Je Pretend Que Tu Fais Bien! I hope ya'll aren't too mad at me. I've been really busy lately. I have made it to my computer every once in a while though, only to delete everything I wrote because it sucked. What a horrible job being a writer…
Anyway, on with the story!
P.s. I changed my name!
Title: Je Pretend Que Tu Fais Bien
Author: Madame Adieu
Chapter 8: Erroneous
"Miss Cohen! Will you please explain to me why you made fourteen mistakes on your essay! I've taught you better than this - I am sure!"
Odette sunk lower in her seat. She wished she could explain to Mrs. Washburn why she sucked at French. She was already tri-lingual - speaking English, Japanese, and Hebrew! Foreign languages had never posed a problem for her before.
"Are you paying attention Miss Cohen?" The middle-aged women surveyed the empty school room. It was already 6:00. Only the janitors would be left at this hour. Why had she agreed to teach this ignorant sophomore girl?
"Yes, Mrs. Washburn." Odette's eyes skimmed her essay that was covered in red ink. "I guess I'm not meant to speak French."
The teacher removed her maroon-framed glasses and scowled. "Obviously. You even wrote your title wrong! It doesn't make any sense!" A long, painted nail pressed against the paper on the desk.
Odette stared at her essay again. She had thought long and hard over that title, and knew the translation didn't make any grammatical sense. However, it was an exact reflection of how she felt. Je Pretend Que Tu Fais Bien. I Pretend Which You Make Well.
Maybe one day I won't have to pretend for you…maybe one day…
1:00 a.m.
Present Time
Odette quietly stirred her tea, eyes never leaving the kitchen counter that she leaned against. She felt tired, very tired, but her mind refused to rest. What would she do now that her mother was pregnant? Originally, she had planned on going to college – but now with the baby…
The warm, dark liquid swirled harshly, swelling over the cup's side to dribble onto the counter. Odette sighed and grabbed a napkin. She couldn't even stir right! Bringing the beige mug to her lips, she sipped. Mmmmm…mint.
: Bring : Bring :
The telephone? Odette left her tea on the counter and walked into the main room.
: Bring : Bring :
She hesitated for a moment, but decided to answer before anyone woke up. "Moshi, Moshi - Sohma residence."
"Odette? Is that you?"
The brunette's eyes widened. "Elinorah!" The sound of her voice reverberated off the thin walls of the Sohma's house. Hopefully no one heard. "What are you -Why are you calling me this late?" She asked, her voice changing to a whisper.
There was a feminine chuckle. "Why are you awake this late?"
Odette frowned. She was always up late and her sister knew that. "Couldn't sleep. How's mom?"
"I dunno…still a little delirious. She's been preparing for the baby all day."
Odette played with the telephone's long cord, twirling it between her fingers. "Does she know when it's due?"
"Due? That's an interesting way of saying it. The social worker says he should be with us in a day or two."
"What? How would a social worker know? Are we talking about the same thing?"
Elinorah was silent for a moment. "Odee…didn't mom tell you?"
"Yes she told me!" Odette rubbed the bridge of her nose. "She said, 'Odette – Odette – I'm having a baby!'. It's been driving me mad since!"
"Was… that all she said?"
Odette gripped the cord tighter between her fingers. She was starting to wonder if she had interpreted her mother's news correctly before the women blatantly hung-up. Having a baby did not necessarily mean pregnant – did it? Was that was Elinorah was trying to say? Odette could feel her stomach churn. At this rate she would be getting an ulcer for sure.
"Odee? You still there?"
"Yes." She leaned her forehead against the wall. "I think mom left out some very important details."
7:00 a.m.
Odette awoke, lazily rolling over onto her side. Snowflakes were falling outside the window as unfamiliar breakfast aromas made their way to her nose. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, hoping they weren't red and puffy. The poor brunette didn't exactly get the required nine hours of sleep she needed to function.
Why did life have to suck? She angrily pilled her hair into a messy bun and pulled a dark green, zip-up hoody over her Kiss Me I'm Irish pajamas, trying to squelch the nervousness in her stomach. You can do this…you have to do this. The worst thing he could say is 'no'…
And kick you out.
Odette frowned, an expression that was becoming quite permanent at this point, and slipped on her glasses. Normally she could have gone without them, but this morning she was feeling a bit disoriented. Stupid family…stupid mother…stupid baby…stupid will…
Odette quietly made her way down the stairs, which was a complete waste of energy, considering the all the noise that was being emitted from the floor below. She could have stomped all the way down and no one would have heard her.
"YOU STUPID RAT! YOU KNOW I HATE MISO!"
"All the more reason for me to give it to you."
"YOU WANNA FIGHT? BECAUSE YOU KNOW I'LL-"
There was a loud crash, like the sound of breaking wood. Odette assumed it was a wall or a door. When she entered the main room, her suspicions were confirmed. It was a wall and a door.
"Ah Odee-chan! You're up!" Shigure acknowledged her presence without looking away from the pile of papers he was reading. It was a fairly thick stack, neatly piled, with one of the pages in his hand. He seemed to be in deep thought, so Odette decided not to bother him.
"Good morning." She said simply, walking past him to find Tohru, unaware that the older man was more concentrated on her then his manuscript.
Shigure smirked slightly. High school girls…all for me…High school girls…
7:30 a.m.
"Hey Tohru?"
The house was quiet. Shigure had left mysteriously only moments before and never voiced where he was heading off to. Kyo went to visit a man named Kazuma, and Yuki had "other business" to attend to…whatever that was. He had been giving the same excuse since the day after Odette arrived. Obviously it wasn't normal behavior because Tohru seemed worried.
"Yes Odee-chan? Are you still hungry? You didn't eat much at breakfast."
Odette's stomach grumbled, but not loud enough for Tohru to hear. "No, don't worry about it. I just wanted to ask you a question."
Tohru paused, and then set the last of the dishes in the cupboard. Turning around, she motioned for Odette to grab a cup of tea and follow her to the dining table. "Is something wrong?"
Odette shook her head, tracing the lip of her cup with her forefinger. "Not really. It's just…" How was she going to say this? "Is Shigure…is he the type to agree to favors? Because, I need to ask him for one."
Tohru was silent. Her friend needed a favor? She didn't want to appear nosy, or pry into someone else's business, but she truly wished to know if something was amiss. She'll tell me when it's most comfortable for her. I guess for now I'll have to wait. "Hmmm…Shigure? Yes. He does agree, sometimes quite easily." Tohru smiled, remembering the day she encountered his house, and found the little zodiac animals he had made sitting on the porch. "He's very kind."
Odette wanted to sigh in relief, but something told her she wasn't exactly "home free" just yet. Plus, she hated keeping another secret from Tohru. They were friends after all. "I do have…something else to tell you." She flexed her fingers. "But, will you come shopping with me today? We haven't been able to spend much time together. I still have to see what you want for Christmas."
Tohru was quick to refuse. "Oh! You don't have to buy me anything! I don't need anything, really!"
Odette smiled a bit. "Yes well, I'm going to get you something anyway. So, will you come?"
"Yes…" Tohru matched Odette's smile with one of her own. "I would like to get a present for you as well."
8:00 a.m.
Shigure pulled his hands from his pockets as he approached a small, homey café. Through the foggy windows he could almost spot Hatori and Ayame sitting at their usual spot in a booth in the corner. He pushed the door open and the little bell above chimed.
"Gure - you made it!" Ayame bellowed, making everyone else in the café either spit out their coffee or drop their bagel. "Here we ordered you some coffee." The flamboyant platinum blonde set down his mug of cocoa, and patted the seat next to him.
Shigure sat down and gripped the cup, warming his hands. "Yes, well… I was a little detained. Yuki and Kyon-Kyon have once again ruined my house, and Odee-chan woke up as I was leaving."
Hatori looked up and adjusted his glasses. "What did you tell them?"
"Nothing." Shigure shrugged. "Other then that I was leaving. They weren't too inquisitive - though Odette seemed more interested. We'll have to watch that one."
Ayame nodded, making origami cranes out of his and the other's napkins. "Yes, I wish we knew more about her. Sometimes she seems so mysterious-- and what about yesterday? With her mother?"
Steam rose from Hatori's cup as he inhaled the rich aroma. "I don't believe anyone knows, even Tohru, but that's not really what we came here to talk about, now is it?"
Shigure pouted. "C'mon Ha-san! We know you like her…at least a little bit. I'm sure your curious."
The seahorse raised an eyebrow and set down his coffee. "Whether I like her or not has nothing to do with our meeting here today."
"So you do like her?"
Hatori frowned, he hated being caught. "She's…agreeable."
8:30 a.m.
The girls had been shopping for some time. Tohru, although quite curious and shocked, never once asked why Odette was buying motherhood books. The American brunette had never revealed her secret, and Tohru was beginning to suspect the worst. Was she pregnant?
Odette tried being discreet about browsing the maternity section of the bookstore, but Tohru had refused to leave her and search for books on her own. Odette felt a small blush creeping to her cheeks, she wasn't sure if she was going to cry or spill her secret in the middle of the store. At the moment, it hard enough just to breath. She probably thinks I'm pregnant.
After Tohru had decided to buy an American cookbook, both girls headed to the check-out.
"Odee-chan, let's go to that coffee shop over there, if you don't mind of course. Shigure-san said it is really good!"
Odette glanced in the direction her friend was pointing. It seemed…cozy. It looked more like a place Hatori would go. She had always figured Shigure would be the person looking for coffee in a night club. "Sure. I could use a caffeine binge right now." Considering what she was about to ask of the family that kindly offered her their home, free of charge, getting loopy on coffee seemed like a good idea.
The windows of the establishment were really foggy, Odette noticed as she pushed against the cold glass door. The bell above chimed and the girls quickly sat down at the nearest table and dropped their bags next to their legs.
"May I get you something to drink?"
Odette looked up quickly, her glasses falling from her head to the tip of her nose. She adjusted them. "Yes, I would like a mocha frappachino, please." She turned to Tohru.
"Just a cup of green tea is fine, thank you."
The waitress nodded and said she would be back. In the mean time, Odette pulled off her black pea coat and gloves. She was quite a contrast to Tohru, who wore a beige coat and tan leather gloves, the pair Yuki had given her last Christmas. The girl blushed the every time she told that story.
"So…what did you want to tell me Onee-chan?" Tohru asked shyly, folding her hands together on the table.
Odette couldn't help but giggle. "Onee-chan? You're too cute. I thought you stopped calling me that once my mom corrected you? I apologize for that, by the way, if I hadn't before. I know she can be rude sometimes, but you were only seven for crying-out-loud!"
Tohru giggled herself. "Yes, but it doesn't bother me. And yes, you have apologized before, fifteen times." They giggled together, acting like grade-school girls. Odette thought it was a nice change, considering all the drama that they had both been through.
"Here you go." The waitress was back and set their drinks down on the mahogany table.
Odette smiled politely again. "Thanks." She said, taking a sip, failing to notice the three men that were watching her.
"Well speak of the devil." Shigure said as Odette and Tohru entered and found a seat at an empty table, their cheeks flushed from the cool air. He had not expected either of them to wander into the city alone, without Yuki or Kyo, and from the look of things, neither did Hatori. The doctor's jaw clenched and unclenched, completely in sync with his long fingers that clasped around his coffee cup. Out of the three, Ayame seemed to be the only one excited.
"Our princesses are here! They should come and sit with us, right Gure?" He flipped his long, white hair and smiled. "It would be very impolite of us not to invite them."
Shigure smirked. This would be interesting. "What do you think Ha-san?"
The dragon suddenly became aware of their seating arrangements, and that the only open seats would be next to him or Shigure. Since they were in a circular booth, the only way to make more room would be to scoot closer to Ayame. Even now, with just the three of them, the seating was close, a little too close. His stomach clenched, remembering the incident before, when Odette accidentally bumped into him on their way to visit Akito. She's scared of me.
The light sound of girlish laughter made its way to their table, and each man gave his own version of a smile.
"Odette's giggling…that's a change." Shigure noted, informing the other two of how solemn the girl had been since the mysterious phone call.
Ayame nodded. "It's settled then."
Before Hatori or Shigure could even ask "What is?" Ayame was already calling out to the girls lost in friendly chatter. "Odee-chan, Tohru-chan over here!"
Odette heard her name, and looked up. She spotted a man with long hair, flailing about like a fish…or a snake. Oooooh crap… Why were they here? Her heart sped up and she suddenly wanted to see if her hair looked decent. She had neglected to put on any makeup that morning, and although she wore little anyway, Odette wished she had piled it on. Hot guys only liked the ugly girl in movies after her makeover. Well, except in Shrek, but I don't think that counts-
"Look! It's Ayame-san, Shigure-san, and Hatori-san!"
Odette lifted a shaky hand and put her glasses on her head while getting up from her chair. "So it is."
Tohru was quickly grabbing her bags and heading over to their table. Odette decided to follow her. She had to tell Shigure sometime. Glancing down at her mug, she took a big swig.
"What a coincidence you're here!" Tohru smiled cheerfully as Shigure moved to make room for her at the table. She blushed a bit, but sat down anyway.
"Not coincidence my dear. Fate." He leaned closer to her, but Hatori kicked his leg beneath the table.
Ow!" Shigure glared at the doctor, who closed his eyes while taking a sip of his coffee, pretending nothing happened.
Tohru was cheerfully oblivious, but Odette had seen the entire thing. She felt laughter tickling her throat, but quickly quieted herself and looked away, trying to appear as oblivious as Tohru. It wasn't working.
"It's wonderful you're here Odee-chan! I have so many questions for you!" Ayame said enthusiastically, pushing his long hair over on shoulder. "Sit down, sit down. Tori-san won't bite. Though, I can't say the same for Gure or myself." He winked at her, glancing at Hatori to see his reaction. Judging by the large vein that pulsated in the doctor's forehead, he had done his job well.
Odette smiled awkwardly, not sure what to say as she stood in front of the booth. She tried to keep the blush that rose to her cheeks at bay. The only open seat was next to Hatori, and she wasn't sure if he would want to sit next to her.
"Go on, go on. Unless you don't feel comfortable, I understand. Hatori tends to frighten young, innocent girls like yourself. If you would prefer it, there's always room next to Gure-kun or myself."
Odette knew she shouldn't have been surprised at Ayame's nerve, but still had to keep her jaw from dropping open. If anyone was scared of Hatori, it would be due to his intimidating nature…not that he would molest them. "Uhm…" She watched the mischievous look that passed between Ayame and Shigure. "Thanks, but if those are my only options, I think I'll take my chances with Hatori-san."
Ayame's eyes widened, and if it were possibly, so did his smile. Quickly, he moved closer to Shigure so Hatori could in turn make room for the girl. Odette wasn't sure what the amazingly annoying but at times delightfully charming duo were planning, but it seemed to involve her and the doctor. At the moment she was more worried about her quickening heartbeat.
Slowly, Odette lowered herself to the seat that was still warm with Hatori's body heat. Their size difference was quite noticeable, more so than Shigure and Tohru's, who were right across from them. She was amazed at the broadness of his shoulders and wondered how tall he was. She always felt so small next to him. Just as his hands were clasped around his mug, so were hers, and his fingers could almost wrap all the way around and touch his thumb, whereas hers only went a little more then half way. She had noticed his fingers before, that day when she went to meet Akito, but now, close up, they seemed more tapered and slender, but masculine at the same time. Odette wondered if she was loosing her mind. She couldn't fall for Hatori! Freakin' get a grip Odee!
Shigure rubbed his fingers against the smooth ceramic cup. He noticed Hatori's left knee jittering under the table – a habit of the doctor's when he became nervous. If you were to look closer, you might even detect a hint of a blush across his cheeks. Was his friend really that uncomfortable around girls? Hatori had always been shy and withdrawn, the perfect opposite and complement to Ayame and himself. With the vibrant Kana, the doctor opened up a bit. She had been good for him. Shigure only wished it would have lasted.
Tohru, still smiling brightly, was aware of Hatori's discomfort, but didn't let that on to the others. Odette seemed nervous as well. She wondered if something was going on between the two of them. Tohru could help but giggle, gaining an endearing smile from Shigure. They did look cute together!
Odette was getting uneasy. She had to tell Shigure. It wasn't an option. Boy, did she feel like puking. "Um, Shigure-san?"
Shigure looked her way. "What is it Odee-chan? You look a little pale. Are you running a fever?"
"No, no…I'm fine. I just need to ask you a favor, if I may impose on your already abundant hospitality." Odette wasn't certain when her generous vocabulary decided to help her out, but she was grateful.
Shigure shrugged, dropping his chin into his palm and throwing her a sneaky smile. "What sort of favor?"
Odette wished Hatori would kick him again, but he didn't. "Uhm…do you like babies?" She had practiced lines all morning, but for some reason that one popped out of her mouth.
Shigure, who had decided to take a sip of his coffee, almost spit it all over his shirt. "What!"
Hatori couldn't hide the slight raise in his eyebrows. What sort of question was that? He studied the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was completely serious.
"I know it sounds ridiculous." Odette blushed, her fingers tapping against the side of her mug. "I didn't know how to approach you about it. You see…" She trailed off when she noticed that Tohru had tears in her eyes.
"Oh Onee-chan! I knew it! You are pregnant! That's why you've been saving your money! For the baby! If you need anything, I mean anything! Don't even think of hesitating to ask me for a favor! I have money saved up for college-"
Odette frantically waved her hands in front of her face. "No, no! I'm not! You have the wrong idea! It's not my baby!"
Tohru quieted, embarrassed at her outburst. Not her baby? "Odee-san…"
Shigure strummed his fingers against the table, eyes lowered as if in deep thought. "What do you mean?"
Odette sighed. Hopefully she wouldn't mess the story up too. "My sister called last night, and evidently my second cousin and her husband were in an accident. It happened last week, but no one informed my family of it until two days ago. They lived just outside Jerusalem, so news doesn't travel fast."
The way she said lived; Shigure suddenly understood why the girl had been so upset.
"There have been many problems over there lately, with gangs and such. The coroner said my cousin and her husband were killed in the crossfire after a fight broke out on a street corner. They were leaving work."
Tohru began to cry again. "Onee-chan…that's…horrible. Are you okay?"
Odette smiled her usual smile, the one that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, mom took it the hardest. She was closer to Maria then I ever was."
Hatori was silent. So this was the burden she carried? The fact that she had yet to shed a tear for her cousin had worried him. Maybe, she only cries when she's alone. That though worried him more.
"At any rate," Odette started again. "They left behind a twelve-month-old. Evidently, it was in their will that my mother be the caretaker. You don't know this Tohru, I hope you're not upset that I didn't tell you, but mom's been mentally unstable for a few years now. Maria and John knew, but for some reason kept her in the will. It says that, if for any reason, my mother cannot take care of the child; he goes to the next of her kin."
Shigure understood now, as did Hatori and Ayame. "You. It's you, isn't it?"
Odette nodded.
"Aren't you a little young?"
The brunette shook her head, causing strands of her hair to fall over one shoulder. "I just turned nineteen a few months ago. I'm a legal adult, and I'm still under my mother's roof. The only thing keeping me from taking the child is my refusal."
"And you won't refuse?"
Odette turned to Hatori, from whom the question came. "I feel responsible. We share the same blood, and to leave him…I don't think I could live with that. So no, I won't"
Dun dun dun! Gotta love stories with twists!
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