OMG I'm back from the dead apparently. OO I doubt that now that I'm posting this months later, that anybody even cares about this. I wouldn't blame anyone. All I can say, if anyone who read this before, is….. gomen. Gomen nasai. When I started college, I went through some pretty bad times… from friends attempting suicide, to my own depression. This fic got lost somewhere in the void… only to be found again today while I was cleaning out my computer. I re-read it, and decided it wasn't so terrible, and remembered all the cool ideas I had for it. So I'm giving it another shot. :sigh:
Anyways, enough ranting. I hope this is ok….. Still does have much relevance to YYH, but, it should soon. Thank you. :bows:
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but Tokiko, Rinsha, and Yoshe are MINE. You can't have them. :glare:
Chapter Three: Bad day…
Tokiko startled awake at the sound of loud knocking on the front door. Still slightly shaken up from being so abruptly pulled out of the deepest sleep she'd had in a long time, she slowly rolled over to see what time it was. The bright red electronic numbers on her alarm clock made her squint slightly. 5:30. Another series of rapid pounds on the door sounded, echoing through the apartment and straight into Tokiko's room via opened door. Tokiko closed her eyes, a look of annoyance on her face. She was going to kill Yoshe for waking her up so early.
She slowly sat up and pulled her covers off, simultaneously swinging her feet over the edge to put on her slippers. A short walk down the unreasonably cold hallway brought her into the kitchen, where a blinking red light caught Tokiko's attention. There was a message on the answering machine. Tokiko was about to walk over and check it when the door was nearly thrown off it's hinged.
"KIKO! GET UP RIGHT NOW OR I'M DISOWNING YOU!" The banging continued with even more vigor if that was possible. Tokiko turned around abruptly and walked to the door.
"My God," she said as she undid the chain lock at the top of the door. "calm down you lunatic. My whole buildings probably awake now." She opened the door and was met the most unpleasant sight for sleep puffy eyes. Yoshe was wearing a bright yellow jogging sweat-jacket and pants covered in various pictures of tropical flowers. Not to mention her hair was dyed neon blue, pink, and orange. Tokiko winced as the assaulting colors got to her brain, and glared back at her with as much strength as she could muster this early.
"They should be awake anyways. Look at what time it is!" She thrust her wrist watch in front of Tokiko's face, in turn receiving a sharp swat to the arm. "OWW! What the hell! Jesus Kiko, you are NOT a morning person."
Tokiko clamped both of her hands over her ears at Yoshe's outburst. The door two apartments down from Tokiko's swung open, and a very irate looking old man stepped out. He scanned the hallway with weary, red-rimmed eyes until he spotted the multicolored Yoshe. His eyes narrowed, and he looked like he was about to say something, but Yoshe cut him off.
"What do you want? Maybe you should take a picture it lasts longer! Mind your own business! Don't make me come over the-"
"I'm so sorry Mr. Hirotaka." Tokiko quietly interjected, grabbing Yoshe's arm and forcing her through the door. Mr. Hirotaka just turned shaking his head, mumbling something about "kids having no respect…".
Tokiko turned at the doorway and closed the door. She leaned against it wearily. She did not want to start the morning like this. Behind her, Yoshe was busy in the kitchen, doing God knows what. At the sound of a pot crashing to the ground, Tokiko was roused from her daydream and turned around.
"Yoshe, please don't destroy my house." She slowly walked over the counter, running a hand through her shoulder length brown hair. She sat down at a kitchen stool and watched Yoshe crack an egg into a mixing bowl.
"What are you doing?" Yoshe jerked her head around so fast Tokiko jumped. Her plethora of braids swooshed around her neck.
"I'm making eggs! You like 'em scrambled?" Tokiko rolled her eyes. She asks me after she's already started making them.
"Sure. I guess. I don't usually eat American style breakfasts." Yoshe shrugged and turned back around, mixing the eggs with a fork. Tokiko yawned and put her head on her arms resting on the counter. This had not been her morning. She hadn't gotten to sleep last night until around two so she could finish a VERY late term paper. Her parents had been gone on a cruise to "relax their minds", leaving the poor cooking-challenged Tokiko to fend for herself. She hadn't eaten lunch or dinner the previous day, and her stomach was making it's disapproval of this quite clear. This morning had been one from hell. Yoshe was her only good friend, but her endless supply of energy and loud mouth made her the last person you wanted to see first thing in the morning.
The smell of the cooking eggs as Yoshe pored them into the frying pan reached Tokiko's nostrils, and her stomach groaned in longing. At least she was making breakfast.
I guess this morning could have been a lot worse Tokiko thought. She could be awake right now.
"Why, Kiko. Why? Tell me why this loudmouth in here this early?"
Tokiko popped her head up and rubbed her eyes with a sigh. Speak of the devil… Rinsha was awake. And she did NOT sound happy. She was a demon who prized her sleep very much, and Yoshe's rude awakening would probably put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
"Getting a taste of your own medicine Rinsha? Or have you forgotten that it's usually you who wakes me up early every day, making me cranky and tired?"
Rinsha didn't answer, but Tokiko could feel her displeasure at being back talked when she had no comebacks of her own this early. It was a small victory, but Tokiko couldn't help but smiling at Rinsha's humiliation.
"Here you go Kiki! The toast will be ready in a second." Yoshe said, setting the plate of eggs in front of Tokiko and spinning away back into the kitchen. Tokiko picked up the fork that had been provided and happily took her first bite. Not bad. she thought as she loaded her fork up again.
"Hey Kik, you got a message ya know. Wanna hear it?" Tokiko looked over at the answering machine, the obnoxious little red light still blinking.
"It's just my parents probably." she said, returning to her plate. "But sure, go ahead and play it." Yoshe practically skipped over to the machine and pressed the button with some much ferocity that Tokiko wouldn't have been surprised if it had broken it. A loud beep resounded, followed by a monotonous mechanical voice.
"You have one new message. Saturday, April 18, 4:59 a.m." Just missed it. Tokiko thought, shoveling another forkful into her mouth. Her mother's overly loud voice cam blaring out of the speaker, making Tokiko wince.
"Hi sweetie! It's mommy! Well duh, right? Hahaha! Anyways, your father and I just wanted to make sure you were ok, and see how your term paper came out. We both have our cells off, so we'll just call you back later, 'kay? Bye bye sweetie! Kisses!" The machine beeped, signaling the messages end. Yoshe convulsed dramatically.
"Geez, what's she so happy at four in the morning for?" Tokiko looked up at her friend and rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile slightly at her friends obliviousness. She was about to take another bite when something dawned on her.
"Hey Yoshe, that message said that it was Saturday right?" Yoshe looked thoughtful, then shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, I guess. Why?" Tokiko's eye twitched involuntarily, and she pushed her half finished breakfast away from her. She crossed her arms over her chest and took in a deep breath, preparing for the verbal onslaught she was about to deliver.
"You mean she got us up early this morning for NOTHING?" Rinsha seethed in her head. Tokiko sighed mentally. This really was going to be one of those days…
Later that day
Tokiko dodged another puddle in the street, the two heavy grocery bags she held threatening to knock her off balance at her jerky movements. After Yoshe's "mistake" this morning, Tokiko had decided to make the most of the day and do some much needed shopping. Her fridge was practically void of food, and she would be damned before she could stand to have Yoshe cook for her again, whether the food had been good or not.
Rinsha had thankfully been quiet most of the day, which Tokiko took to be her catching up on missed sleep. Lucky… she thought a little bitterly as she turned the corner and made her way to the rail station. There were no stores close to her house, so Tokiko had to take a train to get to the nearest one.
Inwardly cursing the genius who had decided not to build a grocery store in her neighborhood, Tokiko climbed the short flight of stairs onto the outdoor platform. She was so lost in thought when she got to the top that she didn't notice that the person in front of her had suddenly stopped. She plowed straight into a man wearing a dark business suit, losing her grip on the bags of groceries and falling backwards onto her rear. She winced as a sharp pain rippled up her spine, and blushed a bright red when she realized everyone around her was looking at her.
The man she had bumped into barely looked back at her before continuing down the platform, rudely not offering her hand up. Tears threatened as she noticed the carton of milk she had bought laying on the ground wit a large white puddle forming around it, and a group of schoolgirls nearby giggled nastily at her.
Damn it! And here I was beginning to think this day might not turn out so bad. Why can't anything, even going to and from the store, just go easily for me?
"Excuse me, do you need a hand up?"
Tokiko suddenly froze as the warm, friendly voice registered in her mind. It can't... be... Blushing even deeper, she began to raise her head... It can't...slowly she lifted her glossy eyes up…. That would just be too… cruel……and found a pair of emerald ones looking back at her. Oh my god…
"Are you… alright?"
Guess who this is? heart I wanted again to thank the people who read this fic months ago, as well as any people who read it now. I'm still figuring myself out as a writer, so bear with me. Sayonara!
