Chapter 9

Believe it or not, I developed a fever from worrying over my life that night. I had to stay home, it was that bad. To make things worse, Tohru Honda also was still here. "You should get to school, I already called for a substitute to come to class."

"No, you won't be able to take care of yourself!" She sure was going to be a crazy girl when she grew up, or that's probably what I think of if I was in her position right now. I gave in for now, considering I didn't want my heart to lose itself and have to have Toki around again. For now, I didn't want to stress my heart too much. "Besides, I can make Miso soup for you to get better." Her smile, I couldn't smile in front of her. I felt so weak in front of her, the lucky person who could make Uotani smile, and me feel weaker than I made my mask look. It was then I could not stop myself from tugging her body close to me, and crying.

"Why… do you make someone smile and others feel guilty? I don't understand. I don't understand why I feel weak around you, I don't have the strength to tell you anything, why!" I was surprised she didn't push me away, and she was still smiling, it felt so unnerving. By the time I broke away, my borrowed pajama top was soaked, and she sat placing a hand to my forehead.

"Your temperature is still rising, relax a little Yasu-san." Her smile…it's so unnerving! When she left the room, I looked at the collection of books below or on my nightstand; it depends. I picked one from the shelf, reading where I had left off it.

As she clutched her side, she reached for the sword again. She wanted to be ready just in case he had decided to go ahead and kill her. His form came from a shadow, pushing the sword away from her hands. He smiled, clutching her body close to his. "You know, it doesn't have to be this way."

"I don't care, get away from me." She struggled against his grip, hoping it would let go. It just made it go tighter, I could feel his smile growing more maniacal, pulling a rope from his waist. He pulled her tighter to his body, the pushed her into a guard. Her dress, dirty from her running from the guards, tripped and she fell into the guard. The guard had clutched her even tighter, and she could feel her rich hands being bound tightly behind her back. She could then feel her ankles, as she fell back into his arms.

"Now, my beautiful princess, I won't do anything to soil you. I just need you to be a good wife." She relaxed, knowing that she had to go with him for now.

I shut the book, finding it was the end already, the sequel was the next book in my nightstand pile, and I hated it. I always loved to read books that had helpless people, always stuck and unable to struggle away from their captors. I just placed my book in a pile of finished books, when I heard her enter again. She looked at me with that unnerving smile again, which annoyed me for now. Lunchtime; which is what it looked like and what time it was. 'I wonder if Uotani is worried about me, I mean…and Tohru as well.' "-san? Asu-san? Yasu-san?" I looked up at Tohru, finally facing up at her face from my thoughts.

"Oh, Honda-san." I nodded a little, and she placed a tray of miso soup over my lap, I ate it slightly, as she looked at me.

"You know, you shouldn't be so afraid of Uo-chan."

"I'm not afraid of her."

"I don't think you're afraid, not like what you think. I think you are afraid as in, disappointment. You don't want to disappoint Uo-chan, so you try your hardest not to be assertive in your emotions. It's almost as if you think you're a burden to most everyone that you are friends to. Don't you see? Everyone wants you around Yasu-san." Her words, I couldn't accept them, no matter how much I wanted to say she was right. I turned away, slipping my spoon in the empty soup bowl in front of me. She must have known I wanted to be alone, because she sat her chair while doing a list of groceries quietly, I didn't know…but I heard writing. Maybe it was homework. I remember feeling suddenly drowsy, and then hearing her voice softly humming. I felt something cool on my head, and then I feel asleep. After a few hours, I heard a small knock, and I shifted a little as I heard her talk again. "Yasu-san, it's okay, just relax." I heard a few footsteps going to the door, and then loud noises.

"I told you she was here damn rat!"

"So, she could have been anywhere, this was the last place I thought she'd be."

"Kyo-kun! Yuki-kun! Stop it please! Yasu-san is sick right now!" She was yelling, maybe it was to her two friends that seemed to have fought too much. Then I could hear another new voice, one that sounded…it was Uotani's!

"Tsukiko-chan is sick?" I couldn't help but look as I saw the usual group that hung around Uotani in the room, looking at me with worried looks. The prince and that Kyo Sohma were looking at Tohru more worried though, which relieved me completely. "Tsukiko-chan! I was so worried about you!" She was holding me, catching me completely off guard, and I couldn't struggle that much when I felt so drowsy. I seemed to have fallen asleep again, because the next thing I knew, everything was black and warm. 'I wonder how this will change my relationship with Uotani…'

TBC…