Hey everyone...how are you all doing? Sorry for the long wait between chapters...school...need I say more? Well here it is! Thank you to Tallulahmy beta, please stand up and takea bow! She has had to overcome my awful punctuation time and time again!

Thank you yet again Tallulah for being the ONLY one to review!

I dedicate this chapter to Tallulah!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 6

(Masago)

Yawning, I stretched and sat up, squinting around the room blearily. It was Saturday and I had absolutely nothing to do; I could lie in bed all day and there was no one to stop me. Flopping backwards, I lay there sleepily, tracing cracks and water stains on the ceiling until I began to fade back into the void of sleep. My limbs grew heavy and I felt myself begin to drift, it was like floating in a sea of blackness where nothing could touch you.

"UP! UP! UP! UP!" Yuki bellowed before he booted me clear out of my bed and onto the floor. "Embrace the day, young one!" Sprawled out on the floor I vaguely wondered why I hadn't killed him yet. Groaning softly, I pulled my pillow off the mattress and clamped it over my head.

"Go 'way," I slurred out. "'s Saturday."

"Revenge is such a sweet thing!" Yuki ripped my pillow off my head and stuck his smiling face right up into mine. "Hello it's ten-o-clock, do you know where your brain is?"

"No!" I felt my grasp on sleep slipping, if I fully lost it I wouldn't be able to sleep until tonight.

"Well you have a visitor!" Yuki hauled me up and patted me on my cheeks.

"They can go screw themselves," I snarled narrowing my eyes at him.

"Now why do I have a feeling you're talking to me and not your visitor?" he questioned raising his eyebrows and trying to look cute and innocent.

"Do you know what happens to smart asses?" I growled.

"You might want to clean up before you go and see your little friend!" Yuki told me before he let go and left my partitioned off part of the apartment, considered my room. Without anyone supporting me, I dropped like a rock, right onto the cold hard floor. Standing up, I ran a hand through my hair and stumbled into the living area of our humble abode and spotted Kiriya.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Uh, I came to see how you were doing, when you collapsed the other day I wasn't able to come and see you," he replied smiling at me kind of sheepishly. "Your brothers said you were alright but I just wanted to make sure."

"Ickle little Kiri-kun even brought you flowers!" Yuki sang, sailing by on his way to the door, the comic book I threw at him missing by a centimeter. "Don't forget, Kiriya, I have a metal pipe and a pass to the dump and I know how to use them!" Rolling my eyes at the threat he had just made, I grabbed the bucket of oil he had brought up the other night and dragged it over to the window. With a little bit of difficulty I shoved the window sash up and hoisted the bucket onto the sill and waited. When I saw his silver haired head come into sight, I tipped the bucket and watched in satisfaction as the second-hand oil hit its target, soaking my brother utterly and completely.

"Love you honey! Have a nice day!" I called after him as he cursed me a couple times over.

"Your brother loves you a lot," Kiriya said when I turned around, a slight smile lingering about his mouth. I got the impression from him that he didn't smile too much and laughed even less.

"Of course he loves me," I told him digging into a pile of rags that had the potential to be what I would wear today. "I'm the best thing that ever happened to him! He worships the very ground I walk on."

"I see, do you dump oil on him every day?" Kiriya asked as I yanked out one of my favorite shirts.

"Nah, not everyday." I turned to look at him, "Why don't we try this: you go out in the hall, wait ten minutes and then knock on the door and we'll start again, but this time I'll look half way human."

"Sounds fine to me." Kiriya stood up and walked out the door. Immediately I shed my pajamas and climbed into a pair of raggedy old jeans along with a black tank top. Next I tamed my hair and put it in a tight braid. Hearing a knock on the door, I went over to it and wrenched it open.

"Hello," I greeted him, leaning against the doorjamb and looked at him taking in the fact that his hair was pulled back into a tiny ponytail and he held a little potted plant.

"I hope you're feeling better," he began, holding out the small plant. "I thought you might like a plant for your windowsill, it's a Jasmine Tobacco plant, it only blooms at night."

"Thanks." I took the plant and set it on the nearby table; what the hell was I going to do with a potted plant? "Would you like to come in?"

"No, I was wondering if you'd like to go do something together?" He shrugged slightly and I couldn't help it; my brain went into full out perversion mode. What did he consider something? Groping at a local bar? Swapping spit? Molesting me?

"What exactly is 'something'?" I tried to keep my tone light and not give him a good glare, but I don't think I succeeded because he hung his head and chuckled a little.

"Something: an activity that is fun and allows me to enjoy your presence," Kiriya defined his term, but I was still skeptical. "Like basketball, a walk, swapping bike stories, playing arcade games…the list goes on." He watched me as I contemplated whether or not I wanted to do this. I could go and have a good time, but what if he was just trying to get me alone? "If it helps you make your decision you can choose what we do and who we bring." Chewing on my bottom lip I looked at all my options; go out and have some fun with a cute guy, or hang around my home until I got totally and completely bored.

"Why don't we go play some basket ball," I suggested grabbing my jacket.

"Sounds good." Kiriya stepped back and allowed me to lock the door to the apartment.

(time elapse)

A few games of basketball later, the both of us were sweating and cursing with a passion as we blocked each other and stayed tied. Kiriya had abandoned his shirt at the end of the first game and his upper torso glistened with sweat. A lazy grin was slapped across his face as he watched me dribble the ball languidly back and forth. I was in no better shape. My tank top was soaked through and most of my hair had escaped from my braid to plaster itself against my flushed face and neck. Above us the sun was beating fiercely down on our poor bodies, slowly frying any brain cells we had left.

I don't know how many times I had tackled him in order to try and gain possession of the ball. It didn't always work. It was our fifth game; I had won two, as had he, and this was the determining game. On the sidelines a small crowd had formed and were alternating between cheering and jeering at us. Right now, as I contemplated my options and tried to devise a plan to win, they were trying to convince me to do what they wanted. Some of their ideas weren't half bad while others were utterly ridiculous.

"Do you know what time it is?" Kiriya questioned me, and I casually glanced at my watch. Taking a moment to remind my half dead brain which hand was which, I figured out what time it was and looked up to tell him what it was, only to find I had been tricked. The ball was ripped from my grip and tossed through the hoop, leaving me glaring at my opponent.

"Just so you know, it's one-thirty," I coolly informed him, disdain dripping off every word.

"Crap…" he huffed, mopping his face up with his shirt. "I promised my cousins that I would have lunch with 'em. How about I make up for my cheating ways by treating you to a free home cooked meal."

"Sounds good to me." I shrugged as he nodded and grabbed his ball. "Where does your cousin live, because I don't think my legs are going to hold me up much longer."

"Just down the road," he responded. "I know what you mean, you're a nasty enemy on the court. There were a few times when I was fearing for my life!" Humor laced his voice as he slung an arm around my shoulders and instantly I went to shrug it off, but he stopped me. "Please allow this poor defeated soul some support, I'm about to fall over." Rolling my eyes I allowed him to keep his arm there, but if he did anything funny I was going to pound his butt into the ground real fast. About two or three blocks later he steered me through the main doors of a halfway decent-looking apartment building.

"Now just as a warning, my cousins can be a little strange." Kiriya pulled a face as he said this and led me up four flights of stairs to stop in front of a light blue door. Grasping the doorknob, he opened the door and we stepped into a small apartment that was brimming with light and happiness.

"Ha! I told you he was going to bring a guest!" a female voice crowed from somewhere out of my line of vision. "You owe me a foot massage!"

"That's not very fair to Takashi, Kiyo; I mean, you are clairvoyant." a male voice replied.

"Well it's his own fault, he's the one who keeps betting against me," Kiyo returned. "Come on in Kira! We're having your favorite!" Pulling off our shoes, the two of us ventured further into the apartment to meet Kiriya's cousins. They were in the living area of their home, two guys and a girl.

"Masago, may I introduce you to my cousin Kiyoko." Kiriya swept an arm out to indicate the female who was grinning broadly and I instantly drew the connection to the two. She had long auburn hair that hung in shinning waves down to her hips, and sparkling brown eyes that laughed at me silently. Grasping the wheels of her wheelchair, she moved closer to me and offered her hand.

"Hello Masago, you can call me Kiyo, everyone does." Reaching out, I clasped her hand and smiled at her softly, not too sure how to act. I wasn't very good around people. I could handle the in-your-face bikers I hung around but other than that I wasn't much of a social person.

"It's nice to meet you." I released her hand and Kiriya moved on to introduce the other two.

"This is Masaru, Kiyoko's twin." A black haired, black-eyed man nodded at me; he was a little heftier than his twin.

"And Kiyo's boyfriend," Kiriya told me, motioning to the last person in the room. "His name is Takashi."

"Hello!" He shook my hand as well and I felt myself relaxing; these were good people, and there was no reason to be uptight.

"So how did you meet my cousin?" Kiyo asked as Kiriya offered me a place next to him on a loveseat. The irony didn't escape me.

"At the auto shop, I was there with my brother and I collapsed," I explained.

"I see." Kiyo was watching me a little strangely as she listened.

"You said you had lunch…" Kiriya trailed off hopefully.

"You're such a little beggar," Kiyo chuckled. "The food's in the other room, let's go in there." As Takashi passed me, pushing Kiyo, I caught the tail end of a thought from him. …she knows? I knew they were talking about me, but what was I supposed to or not supposed to know? Concentrating a little harder, I succeeded in picking up the rest of the conversation.

She might, I don't know. The wall she has naturally around her mind is amazing, Kiyo answered, not pausing in what she was doing, which was ordering Kiriya around.

Do you think she's the one? Takashi asked as I slipped into the chair he had pulled out for me, smiling nicely at him.

I can't read her future, her path is still very uncertain. I want her to be the one, but I don't want him burdened, he is so happy. Kiyo sounded sad even though she was laughing on the outside with her brother over a fond memory.

She is very strong, even more than Tetsuo ever was. Gasping loudly, I snapped out of their conversation and found everyone staring at me. How could these two know Tetsuo? He had been my father's friend, that would make them extremely old, and they didn't look it! Breathing slowly I tried to pull myself under control to think it out. Tetsuo was dead, at least that's what Kai had said…no, wait…he had said Tetsuo was gone, not dead. What if he was still alive and out there?

"Masago?" Looking at Kiriya, I noted the worried expression on his face, and I shoved all of my questions to the back of my mind.

"Sorry, I just had a disturbing thought." I shrugged it off and turned my attention to the food on my plate, it looked delicious. "How old are you Kiyo?"

"Twenty-five," she said and I knew she spoke the truth. "And you?"

"I'm eighteen years old." I began to eat, and found the food to be even better than it looked. "This is wonderful! Did you make it all by yourself, Kiyo?"

"Actually Masaru made it." Kiyo laughed at the look on my face. "Surprising, huh? Masaru has always been a whiz in the kitchen while I couldn't boil water to save my life! Do you like to cook?"

"No; my sister does, though, her name's Uta." I didn't know why I was talking so much.

"Hey! How are you guys doing?" A guy who looked strikingly familiar sauntered into the room. "I got off of work early so I thought I'd stop by." Then it hit me who it was. Black spiky hair. Black eyes. The voice. It could only be one person.

Tetsuo.

Dun dun dunnnnnnnn...cliffie! REVIEW and I MIGHT consider updating...yes that is a threat