I know it's been a really long time! Well, at least it feels like it. I've been busy…as always. And things are just starting to get interesting. I'm sorry this chapter feels a bit like a filler (or at least to me, since I'm writing it and some exciting stuff is about to happen…) but some of it really needed to be done/said before the more intricate stuff gets in the way.
Oh and the song featured later in the fic is called "Love Left for Me" by M2M (it's a very good song, especially for a piano/guitar duet of girls)
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Baskets or it's characters, only Akemi. Paris Rose has full ownership over Amaya and a box of crayons that I just bought her for her birthday. (Happy birthday Rose Bane)
MUCH LOVE! (Enjoy the fic!)
Chapter 14- Guitar Strings and Heartaches
As much as she didn't want to, Akemi spent lots of her time thinking about what Yuki had said. There was going to be a school dance coming up. She had never been to a co-ed dance in her life. That was the problem with her last school. All girl schools had not been much fun.
Ever time Akemi thought of going, dancing, her stomach twisted into knots. Amaya simply laughed at her.
"So what's the big deal? You dance with some people and have a fun time."
"You've forgotten I can't dance," Akemi said.
Ignoring her sister, Amaya continued, "are you going to ask someone?"
"Like who?"
"Like Hatsuharu."
Akemi was extremely lucky she was talking to her sister over the phone, because her bright blush would have been a dead giveaway. But instead, she used her acting.
"I hadn't thought of it," She said simply.
"Yeah, right."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
" Come on 'kemi, you're not fooling anyone. You were blushing like mad the other day," Amaya said coyly. "Tell me what you want, but I don't believe you."
"Well anyway, I'm going to hang out with them today," Akemi said, changing the subject.
"Who's they?"
"Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Momiji and Haru," Akemi said, "wish you could come."
"Yeah yeah. College sucks, I know. Have fun today. I'll see you later tonight."
"Alright. Did you get a set list ready?" Akemi asked.
"well…not exactly…" Amaya said quietly.
"Amaya! What are we supposed to do without a set list?" Akemi asked irritably.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll get it by tonight. And even if I don't, it doesn't matter. You know every song we play like the back of your hand."
"That doesn't matter. Just try to have it by tonight, ok?"
"Alright little sister, I will, I promise. See you tonight." She hung up.
Akemi sighed. She was stressed. Hopefully, this afternoon (and evening) would take her mind off of things. What she needed was a well-deserved vacation from herself.
"Hey guys!" Akemi said, running up to the rest of her friends, sitting idly at a table in the coffee shop.
"Hey Akemi, how's it going?" Tohru asked.
"Pretty good. Sorry Amaya couldn't make it. She says hi."
"Tell her we say hi back," Yuki said with a smile.
"And tell her she's a crazy bitch," Kyo said with a scowl. "That'll make her blood boil."
"Akemi!" Momiji went running towards her. Akemi spread her arms ready to hug him.
"Momiji!" Tohru yelled alarmingly. He stopped and looked at her sadly. "Uh, don't run when you have that cocoa in your hands. You might spill it all over yourself."
"Yeah, I know," He said, sitting down on the couch next to Yuki. Akemi looked around.
"Where's Haru?" She asked.
"Not here yet," Yuki shrugged. "He could be lost."
"He told me he had to go someplace first," Momiji said thoughtfully, sipping the hot chocolate.
"Where'd he go?" Akemi asked, "I can go find him and see if he's lost."
"Well, I think he said he had to go stop by the park we were at last weekend," Momiji said, "he said he had to check something there for class on Monday."
"I'll be right back," Akemi said, standing up, "don't worry, I've got my bike, so I'll be quick."
Akemi's heart quickened when she saw Haru's bike leaned up against a tree. She put hers on the other side of the tree and scanned the park for anyone else. The spring breeze brought scents of newly budding flowers to her nose. She walked over to the park pavilion and upon getting closer, heard voices. She recognized one immediately as Haru's.
The other voice she did not recognize.
Akemi tiptoed around the outside of the pavilion, knowing they were on the other side. She did not want to intrude on their conversation. But she could hear it all the same.
"Haru, this is a waste of my time. Why are we here?" The other voice spoke. It was a woman's. Akemi felt a sting of jealousy and curiosity, listening to this woman speak. Her voice was low and melodic, yet it sounded ugly so irritable.
"I had to tell you something Rin. It's important," Haru said, very calmly.
"Well, what is it?"
"I want you to reconsider what you did last week. I want you to reconsider us."
Us? Akemi frowned. No, it couldn't be…
"Haru, you know why things didn't work. There is nothing to discuss," she said sharply.
Akemi could no longer stand her curiosity and allowed herself to peer around the corner and see this woman.
She immediately felt her stomach twinge in jealousy as she saw her. Her hair was long and dark as a raven's wing. Her skin looked like porcelain- white and fragile. Her eyes were dark, mysterious.
Haru grabbed her hands. "Rin, please don't do this. Can't you see I love you?"
Akemi could feel her heart break inside of her. Love her?
As she saw Haru lean in to kiss her, Akemi could bear no more. She turned her heel and ran back to her bike. She stopped as she reached it, heart beating painfully in her chest.
'How could I?' she thought to herself. 'How could I have been so stupid?'
"Did you find him?" Momiji asked.
"By the looks of it, no," Kyo said dryly.
Akemi faked a smile. "He wasn't there. I gave up. I'm killing for a frozen coffee," she said. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go stand in line."
She walked away, feeling awful. It was all she could do in her power not to let the tears fall from her eyes right then and there.
'No,' she thought to herself, 'I won't do this. Not here, not now.'
"You aren't fooling anyone you know."
"huh?" Akemi turned to see Kyo standing behind her.
"You found him."
"Why do you say that?" Akemi asked.
"I can see it in your eyes. You found him with her," Kyo said simply. The words stung and Akemi flinched. "Am I right?"
Akemi nodded. "Yeah, you're right."
"Don't worry," he said, "I lied. I doubt either Momiji or Tohru will catch that. Yuki, I'm not so sure. I think he's too stupid to notice."
"How did you?"
"Because you looked like you were going to cry," Kyo shrugged. Akemi looked at him incredulously. How did he know?
Almost knowing what she was thinking, he said quietly, "my mother…she used to have that look all the time. You'd know she'd be trying to hold it in by smiling all the time…but you could see the tears right through her. Or at least I could. She had that look almost every time I looked at her."
Akemi felt her heart fill with sympathy. "Oh Kyo, I'm sorry. That isn't something you should ever have to see-"
"Don't try protecting me," he said suddenly.
"It wasn't a protection, it was a well wish," Akemi informed him.
"Well whatever it is, I don't want it!" He snapped.
"I'm sorry," Akemi said quietly. There was silence.
"No," he said, "I'm sorry. I need to stop snapping at people like that."
The two ordered and went back to where everyone was sitting.
"Miss Honda, I have a large favor to ask of you," Yuki said.
"What is it?"
"Well, you know with the school dance coming up and everything…"
"Yes?"
"Well, I'm afraid of hurting people's feelings…I've received a lot of notes from girls lately…and I was wondering if perhaps you would…well…"
"You want me to go with you?" Tohru asked incredulously.
"Well, yes. I feel simply awful making it sound like I'm using you. I really do want to go with you, if you are willing-"
"Of course I'll go with you!" Tohru said delightedly. Her face suddenly fell. "Although, I don't have anything to wear."
"Oh don't worry about that," Yuki said, "Unfortunately, Ayame has been prodding around where he doesn't belong and found out about the dance. I'm sure he's making you something as we speak."
"Oh dear! Tell him he doesn't need to! That's really too much work for him to do and if he does I'll feel awful! Oh, do you suppose he's started? I don't want him to have to do that, I would make something myself! Oh dear, I'll have to pay him for it!" Tohru clasped her hands to her mouth and began to panic.
Yuki laughed, "Actually I'm sure he's probably done with it now. Shigure said he was very excited about making you something. And don't worry. Ayame would never dream of making you pay for something like that. Consider it as a way of expressing my gratitude for saving me."
Tohru smiled, "well, if you put it that way…"
"Tohru and Yuki are going to the dance together! That's really cute! Akemi, who are you going with?" Momiji asked her eagerly.
"At the moment, no one," she said thoughtfully. She looked over at Kyo, who looked incredibly irritable. She nudged him playfully. "Unless Kyo here wants to go with me."
"What?" he said, looking at her.
"How about it," she said with a shrug, "you aren't going with anyone and neither am I. You've got nearly as many fan girls as Yuki. Consider it a favor repaid."
He shrugged. "Yeah yeah. Fine, I'll go with you if It'll make you happy." Akemi smiled at him. "Just don't tell Kagura."
"Oh I won't, I promise," She said, pretending to lock her mouth with a key. She turned to him quietly. "I just figured that you'd want the company, since Tohru's going with Yuki."
He glared at her. "But I- uh- what?"
"You're not fooling me," she winked. "But don't worry, it's our secret."
Akemi returned home that afternoon feeling tired and weary. She was happy that she had saved Kyo from anguish (or momentarily at least) but her own heart still ached. She found it funny that she had worried all week as to what would be suitable to wear and how to go about asking people, but now she was numb to the whole thing. Somehow asking Kyo was not a big deal, since they were friends, and the words had just come out so easily.
She felt her stomach turn uneasily as she thought of Haru and that girl she had seen today. What was her name again? She didn't care.
What mattered was that Haru's heart was occupied- and somehow it hurt Akemi to see.
"Why should I care?" She laughed outloud to herself, lying alone on her bed, "It's not like I'm in love with him or anything. I don't like him. He's just my friend. Just like Kyo and Yuki and Momiji…" She frowned. How easy it would be if she could lie and believe herself.
"Akemi…are you ok? You look like you ate a bad egg salad sandwhich."
"I'm fine, Amaya," Akemi said with a smile. "I am just ready to do this show and go home to get some sleep."
"Bad day?"
"No, not particularly."
"Liar."
"Really," Akemi insisted, "I hung out with my friends, I got a date to the school dance, what else do I need?"
"You got a date? You mean you asked Hatsuharu?" Amaya asked excitedly.
Akemi raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said I was going with him?"
Amaya raised her eyes. "You mean you're going with someone else?"
"Yeah, I'm going with Kyo."
"Kagura's gonna kill you."
"No. She's not gonna find out," Akemi said, "and even so, I'd explain the circumstances to her. She'd understand."
"I certainly hope so," Amaya said, shaking her head. "Oh, hey! I have the set list!" She handed to her sister proudly. Akemi looked it over.
"Hey sis," Akemi said, looking at it.
"What's wrong, you don't like it?"
"I do, but I was wondering if we could add that new song we've been working on."
"But 'Kemi, we've only gotten through the entire thing three times!" Amaya objected.
"So? We open with it and if it sounds bad, we stop and say 'I think we should tune now'. It'll be fine," Akemi said waving her hand.
"um…are you sure?" Amaya said.
"Please 'maya? I have a feeling about this one? It'll be really good, I promise!" Akemi protested. Amaya shrugged.
"Fine, but if they fire us, I'm blaming it on you."
The light went up and Akemi cleared her throat.
Amaya began to play the guitar, the piano beneath it playing softly. Akemi took a sharp breath and began to pour her frustration through the microphone.
You just said the worst thingYou could ever say
Well I
Don't understand why
It just can't be this wayI'm crying because of you
The two broke out into harmonic bliss, Akemi covering melody, Amaya on the higher descant harmony. Just as she had promised, the chords fit together perfectly.
Oh I hate, yes I hate all your lies
I'm so scared
And I fear what I see in your eyes
But I hope, and I dream, and in search, and I pray
That you have some love left for me
Do you have some love left for me?
Amaya took the second verse, still strumming along on her guitar as she sang.
You just did the worst thing you could ever do to me
Well, I don't understand why and I cannot see
That it's hurting because of you
The two continued trading the intricate melodic line and adding harmony until the reached the end, slowing to a pause.
The crowed erupted in ecstatic clapping.
Akemi looked at her sister, a large grin on her face. Amaya gave her thumbs up and went to the microphone. "Hello everyone! We are the Kamikara sisters! Thank you so very much for joining us here tonight at the New Tomorrow!"
"The show went well tonight, don't you think?" Akemi said as they drove home. Amaya nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, I do. I'm glad you convinced me to open with that song- the crowd loved it," Amaya said, then looked at her sister curiously. "Any particular reason as to why?"
"No, not really."
"Oh come on Akemi, you can't lie to me, I can read you like a book. Why did you want to do that song so badly."
Akemi shrugged. "I don't know…I just sort of felt it. You know what I mean? It had been playing through my head all day and I just really felt like we needed to perform it." This was only half true. Earlier that day when she had returned home, Akemi had felt the song welling up inside her. She knew the only way to relax herself again would be performing it that evening.
"Well whatever the reason, I thank you for being so enthusiastic about it." They pulled in the driveway.
"Uh oh."
"What?"
"Mom and Dad's lights are still on. I guess you're spending the night," Akemi said pointing.
"Eh, so what? I don't mind being home. I don't want you getting caught. Although all my stuff is away at my new apartment…"
"Don't worry. How about we have a sleepover on the floor?" Akemi suggested. Amaya shrugged.
"We haven't done that in a long time. Sounds like fun." Her sister grinned at her.
That night the two girls hardly slept, but instead giggled and talked into the early morning.
Like I said, the next chapter is funny/scary/amusing/exciting/emo
All my love! Mwah! Don't forget to review!
Lola
