"Shinji, get over here. Shinji. Shinji!"
"What is it, woman?"
"I said get over here!"
"I heard you the first time!"
"Then why didn't you get your ass over here in the first place?"
"Because you were yelling at me!"
The woman exhaled a deep breath before speaking in an attempt to lose some of her stress.
"Just what is so important that you had to yell, anyway?" The blonde male asked as scratched his neck on the way there.
"I'm finding more clues but I still haven't checked this file cabinet," The female jerked a thumb behind her, "Do you mind?"
Shinji shrugged and proceeded to dig for any clues that could help with their investigation. Several minutes passed before the two of them spoke and by then, the male was starting to get a bit antsy from all of the silence.
"You find anything?"
"Nope. You?"
"Why would I be asking if I did?"
"Shut up and look," She mumbled as she moved some papers around on the desk; quickly, but carefully scanning the text that each had. It was all useless. It was just a bunch of notes and diagrams that were probably from college work.
"Isn't there an actual witness to help us instead?"
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked as he pulled out some old, dusty notebook from the cabinet and blew away the dust right at the woman's face, which made her cough.
"What's your problem?"
"Correction, problems," He said, enunciating the last letter, "One, this lousy-ass investigation that's getting us nowhere and two, you still won't go out on a simple date with yours truly."
"Well, if God's out there, he'll give us the answers we've been looking for all day."
"But what if he's not? What if I find it instead?"
"Then I can finally sleep."
"Then you can go out on a date with me," He grinned.
"Shinji, you know as well as I do that co-workers-"
"Oh, don't give me that speech," The blonde interrupted as he put his fingers on her lips, "You work too much. Consider this as a chance to…relax."
"I'll relax after I find some evidence that our man is innocent."
"Rangiku, get real. He's been in the situation he is now for over a month. What makes you think that something just out of the blue will pop up and save this crisis? Hmmm?"
"Hope."
"Excuse me?"
"I have hope. I believe that we'll find a way. Somehow. If we can just get someone to explain what happened…that's it!"
"What's it?"
"What about her? She can explain to everybody what happened! She was there that day! I remember her telling me!"
"But Ran-"
"And by then, our man will be fine and everything will be just fine and this whole case will be called off and-"
"Rangiku!"
"Lemme finish! We just need to find her and-"
"We can't find her!"
"And why the hell not?"
The blonde turned around and scratched the back of his head, not wanting to answer that question.
"Shinji, I know you heard me. Let me repeat myself. Why the hell can't you find her?"
He still didn't say anything.
"Answer me, damn-"
"She's dead."
Rangiku covered her gaping mouth with her hand and stared down at the ground, feeling so foolish to have such high expectations and stupid dreams. She felt as if she had just made a capital insult to her partner, but she had no idea why the guilt was hurting so much.
"I'm sorry," She bowed her head.
Shinji walked towards the window and stared out into the street, not making any eye-contact with the woman.
"It's okay, you didn't know. From what I heard, only I and a select few knew about it."
"But why?"
"King's orders."
"Who else knew?"
"I don't know. Strawberry told me personally so, yeah."
"Then why can't we just get the people who knew about it?"
"That's the thing. They don't know enough and people will get suspicious on how we knew he knew."
"Then…what's left?" Rangiku asked, not really finding anymore hope left.
"What's in this room. She said that this was his little own room whenever he need to get away from people."
"Well, he always did seem a bit uncomfortable around people."
"Mhmm, but you could never tell when he was grinning like the devil himself," Shinji chuckled as he opened the notebook that he had in hand and opened the cover, a bit surprised as to what it had written.
"'Therapeutic Datalog: To be used by and to be reviewed by Dr.. Well, that gives us loads of information," The blonde mumbled as he turned the page and quickly read through the notes, seeing pages and pages of words that seemed to go on forever and ever.
"Rangiku, take a look at this."
The woman walked over to her partner and took the journal, but found no interest in it.
"Junk."
"No, not junk! Do you know what this is?"
"The journal of an insane person?"
"Yes, but even better, this is the shit we've been looking for! See," He said as he flipped a couple of pages, "September 24th, 2009."
"Holy cow, that thing is old!" Rangiku exclaimed as she took a seat in the office chair across from Shinji.
"I know, but there's more than just the date so chill, kay?" He grinned at her as he continued to read on. Little did they know that they were about to discover the hidden truths of their close friend.
Datalog: Day 1
Well, I guess this is it. I have officially lost my mind. I am actually going to therapy. But the thing is, when I got there, they hand me this journal and tell me to write down all of my emotions and thoughts and shit of every day down. That makes no sense.
But this whole journal thing got me thinking about today. It was so bizarre in so many ways. There's this certain woman that just piques my curiosity. I had only known her for a day or so and I've opened up to her faster than it has taken some of my close friends. She…is a mystery. I haven't completely figured her out yet, but I'm starting to figure out bits and pieces of information with each minute I spend with her. But then again, she's in the same position as me. She doesn't know anything about me except for my name. It's kind of like a game, if you will. I cast the bait, real a bit, and then let it loose. Reel a bit closer this time, but I have to be careful not to make any drastic moves. Dear God…I'm comparing her to a fish. Maybe this whole therapeutic shit will be good in the long run after all. But I have nowhere to start other than the beginning, no?
We met a few days ago on the street by chance and now, we had just finished lockin' lips at a subway station and I remember everything.
But as I was saying, I had only met her and yet, it felt like I had known her for years. I guess that's why I felt so at ease with her. So, when my wound opened up that day, I felt no obligation to cover it up and act 'macho' and whatnot. I won't lie, that thing hurt like a thousand burning hells. However, it was raining that day so, it didn't sting as much but as much as I refused, she wrapped her scarf around the wound so it wouldn't bleed as much. By then, we had just gotten out of the rain and we had engaged in a conversation.
"So, John," She mumbled as she fidgeted with her hair, "How come it took you this long to finally tell me your name?"
"I dunno," I shrugged, but then I figured something. "Speaking of which, you still haven't told me your name and you don't see me interrogating you."
"Blame curiosity. And I should just make you wait as long because-"
"As I recall, I already did."
"Eh?"
"I asked you for your name before, but you only gave me your surname."
"Likewise."
"So, in all terms, I have waited just as much as you."
That was a lie. I have waited, no, yearned to know her name. That meeting on the street was just a coincidence. I had seen her before, but she just didn't know it. But it's not like I was stalking her or anything. Her friend Renji (who I was close friends with) brought up her name occasionally and at first, I thought they were dating because of how he made it sound but little did I know that I was way off. But I didn't want to seem a creep, so I didn't ask questions about her.
"Rukia."
"Rukia, I like the sound of that," I grinned as I took a step closer towards her, "But you're still my lutko."
She giggled as she pushed me away and then made her way to the ticket booth and talked to the server, but she glanced back at me with a puzzled look on her face as she walked back to me.
"Where we headed?" She asked.
"Hmmm…I got an idea. Hold on," I said as I got out a $20 out of my wallet and placed it her hand, "Ask for a guy named C.M. If they ask why, tell them Strawberry's here. He'll have short pink hair and really pale skin. There's also a crest tattoo smack dab in the middle of his neck and he'll have on grey glasses. He'll ask your business here and just say you're with me."
"And if he doesn't believe me?"
"Don't worry about that," I said as I messed with her hair, "He has a knack for telling when people are telling the truth and when they aren't. Now go, go," I mumbled as I pushed her towards the booth, but she didn't look so confident, judging by the look on her face. When she was out of hearing distance, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Goddammit, I was in the middle of a nap," A man on the other line grumbled, "Yeah, whaddaya want?"
"I see you're busy watching over the place, Bear."
"It's not my fault this place is like a ghost town during the day."
"And it better stay that way. After all, I am trusting you with watching over the place."
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to tell me twice," He yawned, "So, why'd you call anyways?"
"I'm just callin' to letcha know that I'm bringing in a 'guest'. Thought I'd show her what happens behind the scenes of all the light and glamour."
"You know I'm going to be investigating the chick like a fuckin' copper."
"Now, don't go overboard like last time."
"It's not my fault. They shouldn't have pissed me off."
"You made her cry so bad that she ran out of tears."
"Then they need to get some medication for that shit."
"Just please, promise me you won't scare this one."
There was a brief silence on the line, which made me a bit nervous.
"I'll try."
"Alright then. Try to make the place tidy, would ya?"
"Fine."
I pushed the 'End' button and stuck the phone in my pocket before Rukia could see me.
"He said the next ride would be here any second now."
And right then, a subway pulled up right in front of us. How weird. But then again, I couldn't even try to imagine how confused Rukia was. Overall, I thought she was handling the situation pretty well (aside from flipping out every now and then). But I wanted to tell her everything; I honestly did. But I knew I couldn't There was too much at stake. The only way she could find out was if she met the 'Boss', but it was far too early for that. I wanted to see if she could handle constantly being under pressure.
"Hell-o?"
Her voice brought me back to reality, but left me a bit confused.
"Huh?" I ask.
"You're getting old, gramps."
"I'm not that old."
"Really? Just how old are you?"
"I am of 24 years of age."
"Really? Because you don't act like it."
"What do you mean?" I asked as we got into the doors of subway and took our seats right next to the exit, but across from each other. I quickly glance around and notice nobody's on, like expected.
"Like, sometimes, you act like a teenager, but when you're really serious, you act like you're 30 or something."
"Oh, gee, thanks," I grumbled. Age was one of my biggest pet peeves.
"Now don't get all bent out of shape about it," Rukia giggled, "Honestly, I thought you were older."
"Not helping," I glared.
"I mean, at times, you act mature for your age. That's a good thing, right?"
"I suppose," I grumbled, "But how old are you?"
"I'm not telling."
"I told you mine, so tell me yours."
"Didn't we have this conversation before?" She asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, but it's getting interesting," I grinned.
"Oh really? And why is that?" She asked as she rested the side of her head on the steel pole that people used to hold on to.
"Is one needed?"
"I guess not. But I'll throw you a bone. I'm in my early twenties."
"Now, that's a lie," I chuckled.
"Is not!" She stood up. "Why do you think I'm lying?"
"Well, for one, you're short. Two, you don't act like it. And three, that's way too young."
"What is with you and my shortness? And I'm not too young!"
"Nothing. But if you really are in your early twenties, then…" I stopped.
"Then what?"
"Then I feel older than I already am."
"Oh, shut up," She giggled as she threw a piece of nearby newspaper at me. I caught it with one hand and put it to the side, and saw that Rukia had taken the other seat next to me. She leaned on my side and then let out a yawn as she rubbed her eye.
"So, how come you don't believe me?"
"Because there's no way in hell you're near my age."
"Again, why so skeptical?"
"Because you don't act like it."
"I could say the same for you, buddy."
"But then again, age is just a number," I said as I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. I could see that she was starting to get drowsy because she started to yawn more and more.
A few minutes passed and by then, Rukia was knocked out. I was a bit uneasy at the time because I knew we weren't the only people on the train.
I carefully slip off my jacket and cover her with it, seeing as how she was shivering slightly. I put my polo back on and see that there was a slight blood stain at the bottom, but I didn't give a shit. I would've gone shirtless, but I didn't want to get any more weird looks than I already did. I walked on ahead and when I got to car before the conductor's, the door opened to reveal a small room in front of me. There was another door straight ahead of me and to my left and right was a row of smooth seats on each side. I glance to the side, seeing a well-dressed woman that I knew. She had smooth caramel skin but her hair was literally (and naturally) as yellow as a dandelion. On the top of it was a knit ebony cap that kept her bangs in place and hovered over her solid black rectangular glasses. In her hands was today's newspapers which rested on her crossed knew and right then, she folded it in half and stared up at me, which made me freeze in my tracks but I kept my cool and just smiled.
She opened up her newspaper and after a moment or so of silence, she said, "Are you just going to stand there?"
"Uhm, no. I was just thinking about something."
"Something's that's troubling you."
"Nah," I said with a plastered smile as I took the seat across from her, "It's nothing, Tia."
"Suit yourself," She said as she adjusted her frames as then flipped the page. Back to stage 1. Great.
I released a deep sigh as I stared out the window and see the lights rush right past me. To be honest (and I'll prob'ly regret writing this down), it made me think. At the time, I was really anxious to get off of that subway and just take Rukia with me so I could tell her everything. To just run away from everybody and everything; To escape all the violence and bloodshed. But then again, I'm not God. I honestly wonder how society came to this because I can tell you right now, I haven't a damned clue.
All that thinking about society brought me back to the memories of my past, which (more or less) made me think even more than I should have.
I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia (it's in Europe) on December 21st, 1985. I was half of that and half-Japanese (father's side). And, yes, I know that's an odd mix. That's why I got picked on a lot when I was a kid because I didn't 'fit in'.
When I was about five, Dad all wanted us to go to his home country so we packed our bags and flew ourselves to Japan. However, I wasn't the only one who got picked on. My sisters, especially the youngest one, Yuzu, were made fun of as well. She was younger than me by about five years while my other sister, Karin, was three years younger than me. They were like complete opposites. Yuzu had fair skin and had short wheat-colored hair while Karin wasn't as pale and had long black hair. Yuzu was really shy and quiet while her sister was really social. But somehow, we all pissed off our dad because we didn't look 'Japanese'. We all looked like our Mom and we were kinda glad that we didn't look like the clones that were surrounding us. But we didn't give two shits. Well, at least I didn't.
He wanted to mold us and even dye our hair to 'fit in with society' but he was too blind in his selfishness to see just how hard it was for us, including our mother. She tried to reason, which led to them arguing, which made Yuzu cry, which led to me and Karin trying to calm her down for an hour and a half and lemme tell you, it's hard calming down a ten-year-old Autistic child. God, the very thought of him makes me want to punch someone. But it's not our mom was any better. She'd always get high on some shit that come out every two weeks or so and so I had to be the 'Mom' of the house since the two of them were always passed out or clubbing. But there were rare occasions when she was sober and when she was, she'd always take me and my sisters out to who knows where. She'd get us a little trinket so we could remember it because we never visited the same place twice…except for that one day.
It was in the June of 2004, and that day…changed a lot of things. Ever since that day, I have seen the world from a different perspective and I have only trusted a few people that I was very close with.
I was 15 at the time and somehow, I remember everything perfectly. From the scents and sounds of the deserted town we were visiting to the sights of torn down buildings. There was something about that place that sent shivers down my spine because it was so somber, yet, it felt as if I had been there before.
We (Me, my mom, and my two sisters) were riding a taxi from a nearby city and it pulled up in front of this little shrine/temple all by itself on this giant hill. Behind it was an endless stretch of woods and there was a little creek to its side. I had no idea where the hell this was, but I didn't like it.
When we got out, we saw that there was an old woman with a wheelbarrow selling flowers, incenses, and candles that looked like they'd be used in some kind of funeral or something. I went over to Karin to ask her about the situation. I tugged on her hair to get her attention, which only made her upset.
"Ow! What's your problem?" She hissed.
"I have a question."
"And you had to pull on my hair for that?"
"Yes, because any other way would be boring."
"Well, you have my attention. What's so important that you had to pull a couple of my hairs?"
I bent down and whispered, "Just where the hell are we?"
She back up and looked up me with a look that read, 'You've got to be joking'.
"We're at the temple," She said in a melancholic tone.
"The temple?"
"It…doesn't ring any bells?"
"Not that I can think of."
She sighed and then started to make her way up to the temple but she stopped halfway until she turned her head back and said to me, "We went here…when she died."
"Who died? What are you-"
"Karin, you said too much."
I turn around and see the not so cheery woman that my dad married right behind me with burning incense in one hand and a bundle of flowers in the other.
"Watch where you're going, you idiot," She grumbled as she fidgeted with her tangled-up brown mess that she calls her hair. God, how she pissed me off. Something told me that there was no way in Hell I could be related to her.
And I was right.
So, we make our way up to the very top of the temple and it's nothing more than a round balcony. There were marble pillars with the names of the deceased engraved on it along with their last day. Our mom knelt down and placed the burning incense at the foot of the pillar in the center before saying a silent prayer or two before getting up.
"Girls, could you give me and your brother a minute? We need to have a little 'chat'."
They both shrugged as they went down the stone steps and I was as confused as ever. What 'chat' was she talking about? From the way she said it, she made it seem like I did something wrong.
"Gah, this is gonna be hard to break to ya."
"Since when have you given a shit about me?"
"Boy, I'm not in the mood to argue. Not today…"
"Jeez, you're out of it today. I guess that's what happens if you're sober."
"Shut up or I won't tell you what I need to," She growled as she lit up her cigarette on the burning ember of the incense, "I'm pretty sure you have some questions about this weird place, right?"
"A couple," I admitted.
"Well, it might help if you remember what happened during the 'incident'."
"And why would I do that?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.
"Just do it."
"Well, uhm, it was on a rainy night and I was in the car and I was about 10 or so and I remember Dad driving drunk but there was some woman in the seat next to him and-"
"Do you remember anything about her?"
"Why are you asking about her?"
"Just tell me what you remember about her."
"Bossy. Well, she had pale skin, kind face, wavy hair that was brownish but this is useless. I can't remember anything except for her face. But why are you asking, Mom?"
"Boy, don't call me that anymore," She mumbled as she took in her cigarette.
"And why the hell not?"
"Because she isn't your mother."
My eyes widen and my mouth dropped as I turned around to see my father standing at the edge of the steps with a cigar in his mouth and his eyes locked on me.
"Boy, you better wipe that retarded ass look off your face 'fore I beat your ass 'til it's red as a goddamned tomato," He hissed.
"Isshin!"
"Bitch, don't think for a second I won't hesitate to beat your ass too."
"…You're drunk again, aren't you?"
"Like I give a rat's ass."
"This is a new low, even for you. Do you even know what day it is?"
"Hell no. And I don't give two shits becau-"
"It's June 15th."
Everything was silent then. Only the sounds of the wind and the rustling of the leaves nearby were the only things making noise. It was so creepy, I couldn't tell what the hell my psychotic dad was thinking.
"Well?" She asked.
He said nothing. Instead, he just walked right past her and knelt down for a silent, but ominous prayer. Once he got up, he proceed to head down the stairs but stopped at where my mom was standing and said, "You remember what she said. Don't you forget it."
She looked down as he continued to walk down the stony steps and leave me as confused as ever. I really didn't know what to say. I felt as if I was in a dark room full of mines and if I made one false move, it'd be adios for yours truly.
"I guess I have no choice then," The woman sighed. She turned her eyes to me and then motioned with a hand for me to come over, but I only did by a few inches.
"Son…it's time to tell you…the truth."
"About what?" I asked as I watched her closely, seeing that she was tapping her foot rapidly and there was a slight twitch in her hands but she still hadn't said anything.
"Well?" I asked again.
"I need to tell you the truth about what really happened at the incident…and about your mom."
"What're you talking about? You're my mom, aren't you?"
Dad's words echoed in my ears, but I refused to listen to them. But it was getting harder to with each passing second. My refusal was starting to lessen, and in the end, I was left with more questions than answers.
Why'd you hide it from me all these year?
Do Karin and Yuzu know?
If you're not my mother, then who is?
"She died…before you woke up…by that same creek over there," She said quietly as she pointed to the trail of trickling water behind me, but I didn't bother to look at it. It would only make me even more upset. I felt like someone has put a gun against the side of my head and pulled the trigger.
"She got killed while you were still in a coma from the car wreck. I'm sorr-"
"When?"
"I said she died before you wok-"
"I heard what you said. And you said she got killed. I'm asking when she for got killed, as in, what year?"
"1993. You were only eight at the time and I and your dad were-"
"Whoa, wait a minute. I didn't even know you when I was eight. How did you know my father back then?"
I could tell that I hit bull's eye because her face made the 'oh shit' look.
"W-What the hell you blabbin' about, boy?"
"I'm blabbin' about how the hell you knew my dad when you two only met each other 2 years ago."
"Don't you dare speak to me in that kind of tone! I am your mother!"
I stood up and yelled, "You just said you weren't a minute ago! And I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want, and however the fuck I want!"
I have never seen eyes widen like hers. I got so creeped out that I thought she might be related to Chuckie himself.
I started walking away, but suddenly, I felt a sharp pain sink into the skin of my wrist. I turn around and see one psychotically deranged woman piercing through my flesh with her nails. I try to buck her off, but she just laughed like a maniac.
"Leaving so soon? I'd thought we'd have a bit of a 'Mother-Son' bonding time."
"The only things that'll be bonding is your mouth to my ass and you better kiss it good because that is this is the last time you'll see it."
"Oh really? And what makes you thin-"
And right then, I punched her right in the side of her ugly ass face and I made a run for it. It was like watching Humpty Dumpty fall over again. So, I used that chance to go find my sisters and to get as far away from this maniac as possible.
"You little piece of shit! Wait 'til I tell you father about this!"
"Tell him! It's not like I give two shits!" I hollered back as I ran down those steps as fast as I could and swooped up Yuzu in one swift move while Karin ran behind me.
"What are you doi-"
"Just run!" I yell, which nearly made the two piss their pants. I didn't know whether or not that lunatic was still after me, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I figured that I hit her pretty hard so that we'd could get a good enough head start, but she was targeting me, which only put my sisters in jeopardy and as much as I hated to admit it, there was only one choice.
I led them to the entrance of the woods behind the temple and put Yuzu down and knelt down so I could get their full attention.
"Karin, Yuzu, can you both do me a favor?"
They both nod slowly, but eagerly.
"I need you two to run. Just run as far away from here as you can and never look back."
"But why? What's happening?" Karin asked with tears at the edge of her eyelids.
"I'll explain everything later. Just bring Yuzu and meet me back here in exactly one week from today at midnight."
"But where do we go? And where are you going?"
"Don't worry about me, I got that planned out. Just run into the city and go to the kafana and ask the people working there to see the owner. If they ask why, tell them Strawberry sent you. Once he comes out, just explain everything that happened and he'll let you stay. If anything bad happens, just go to him. I promise, everything will work itself out eventually."
I could see little trails of water trickling down the sides of their faces, so I pulled both of them in for a bear hug and kissed them on the top of their foreheads.
"C'mon now, big girls don't cry," I whispered.
"But I don't want you to go," Yuzu sniffled.
"I'm only going away for a couple of days. But you have to promise me you'll listen to your sister, okay?"
She nodded a multitude of times before wiping her tears away. But just then, we heard the yells of something that sounded like the child of a pig and a bear.
We all turn around and see the all too familiar face of that kook. That was my cue to get going.
I gave the girls another quick hug before leaving but I stopped after a couple of steps and turned around to look at them one last time before I go and I take off my leather jacket and throw it to them so they would have something to remember me by if something 'unfortunate' came up. I start walking again, but I halted once I heard a 'Wait!'
I only turn my head around this time and see Yuzu with eyes as big as moon, just begging me not to go.
"What about you?" She asks, "Where are you going?"
"I told you not to worry about me," I said in almost a growl that made her back up in apprehension.
"And besides," I grinned,
"It's showtime."
And so, I guess that's when my 'life' really began. That was the last time I saw that old bat (and hopefully the last). Just the very thought of her makes my blood pressure rise. Crap, I forgot what I was talking about in the first place.
Anyways, that was a glimpse of my oh-so-wonderful past and that's all you're gonna get for a while. But as I was saying, I was on the subway and yadda-yadda-yadda.
It was then that I had realized I was dreaming because I saw a small puddle of drool on my shoulder. I heard the flapping of papers and looked straight ahead, seeing Tia with her eyebrows raised, but her mouth and nose were covered by her newspaper. A couple of seconds later, her amber eyes returned to the print and she acted like she did before (as in, like I didn't exist).
"I didn't know you talked in your sleep."
And I didn't know how to respond to that.
"Mind if I ask question?" She asked.
I shrugged in response.
"You kept on mentioning your mother. I know it's not my place to ask, but what happened to her?"
"…She got raped and killed."
At that moment, she put down her newspaper and took off her glasses and stared directly at me.
"I'm…sorry to hear that."
"Its fine, but I'd rather talk about another subject, if you don't mind," I sighed.
"…Why'd you bring the girl?"
"I think I have the right to make my own decisions, no?"
"And I never said you made a mistake in doing that. It just piques my curiosity as to why you're bringing a complete stranger into a place that's supposed to stay covert. What if she-"
"She won't," I grinned, "I trust her."
She (and this is only once on a blue moon) smiled.
"Well, if she is capable of gaining your trust, then I suppose there's no reason to doubt her in the first place, right?"
I chuckled and said, "My point exactly."
"So, what about the others?"
"What about them?"
"You know they're going to talk. Especially Princess her little faction of minions."
"She will most likely not care about them anyway. She is not their 'type', if that makes any sense. As for Princess…" I muttered, "If things get out-of-hand, I expect for Bear to be on top of things."
"You really believe the whole 'get it done yourself' deal, don't you?" She asked sarcastically.
"Imagine if you were me. What would you do in my shoes?"
She thought about it for a moment and then said, "I'd stop imagining. I couldn't even begin to imagine what your shoes go through each day."
"Heh, you don't even know the half of it."
Right then, the door opened only to reveal a sleepy Rukia. She walked like a zombie and right as she got halfway across the room, she threw my jacket in my face and took a seat next to Tia, who had put up her 'paper shield'.
"When are we finally gonna get to wherever the hell we going anyway?" Rukia whined.
"I'd say about five minutes," I said as I checked my watch.
"Bear's all set," Tia stated, which got the attention of the other female.
"Excuse me, but do you know him?" The raven-haired female asked as she jerked her thumb in my direction. She then turned to me and asked, "Do you know her?"
"Yes, I know him," Tia butted before I could reply, "But how do you know him?"
"Wha…that's what I'm supposed to be asking you!"
"I work at the same place as you do, darling. And he," She said as she quickly glanced at me, "Just stops by."
Rukia raises an eyebrow in skepticism and then looks at me.
"Is that true?"
"'Course it's true! Ms. Halibel never lies!"
A 'hmph' escaped from the older woman's mouth as she flipped another page and all of the sudden, we heard a 'ding-dong' from the speakers.
"The subway has now stopped. You have five minutes to depart until the subway start moving again."
"You heard the lady, Let's go," I said as I got up along with the two. I waited until Tia got ahead of us so I could talk to Rukia in private.
"Where are we going?" She whispered.
"Why, darling, don't you remember?" The blonde asked as she turned around.
"No…should I?"
"Yes, if you still want to keep your job."
"What are you talking about?"
"You honestly are clueless, aren't you?" She chuckled, "This is the way to The Rendezvous."
"But…I came in through a different way with an elevator and two macho guys and-"
"Ah, you came in through the north entrance," I pointed out.
"So, there's more than one way to get in?"
I nodded as we got off the train and watched it whiz right past us. Tia walked on ahead and made her way into the pitch-black area of the station (as in, there weren't any lights and you couldn't see a damned thing) and all we heard were the 'clicks' and 'clacks' of her heels going down some steps.
"Where's she going?"
"Same place as we are."
"I suggest you get going before Boss gets impatient. You know he's anxious to meet your friend," Tia's voice echoed.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. I start walking a couple of steps when I realize, nobody's following me.
I turn around and see Rukia just standing there, as stubborn and as clueless as ever.
"Don't you wanna go somewhere that isn't pitch-black and freezing?"
"Why'd you bring me here?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked why you brought me here. As far as I know, you could lead me down those dark stairs so I could be drugged and raped and be put in a pile of dead girls that never see the light of day again…or something like that."
"So, let me get this straight. You think that I'm some sex-crazed, bloodthirsty maniac that going around the city tracking young attractive women down so I can screw them and then kill them?"
"Well, when you put it like that…but I do think you're screwing me over."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"'Hun, I've kissed countless women'," She mocked.
"So I get out a bit."
"And you pursue a woman after only knowing her for a day and you just come out of nowhere and in the end, you'll just treat me like any other chick and…and…"
Her voice was starting to lessen as I started to walk closer and closer towards her until I finally lead her into a wall and she has no way out. She looks up at me with an expression that even to this day, I can't quite figure out. I didn't know what was going through that hard head of hers, but the more I think about it, the more I wanted to know.
My mouth stretches to reveal my teeth in a wide grin which makes the girl raise her eyebrows.
"And…what?" I ask.
"And…I just can't figure you out."
"Funny, same here," I chuckled, "So, I want to know, why'd you think I'd do you wrong?"
"Because men use a woman's emotions to their advantage and they toy with us until we're at our crumbling point and by then, we're rendered useless and they go off, finding another toy to play with. But in the end, they're all boys."
"But that doesn't answer my question. I asked why did you think I would do you wrong?"
"Because I don't trust you. As far as I know, this is just a hook-up and nothing more."
That just killed the mood and I backed off of her and walked down the stairs, which led to a set of double doors that opened up to an elevator in front of it. But in front of it were a card reader and a handprint scanner and to the side, is a keypad in which I enter in my code, put my hand on the pad and swipe the card, and the elevator opened its doors to us and I pushed the broken button all the way at the bottom. The doors close and neither of us had said a word since and I just wanted to get a few drinks so I could get my mind off of it.
Luckily, I got a call right then and it was none other than Bear himself.
"Where the hell are y'all? I swear to God, if you don't get your asses over here, Imma shoot someone. You know I hate waiting!"
"I'm sorry, I really am. And I hate to say this, but you're going to have to wait just a bit more because the elevator just stopped working.
"Huh? What are yo-"
And I hung up on his ass as I punch the 'Emergency' button to stop the elevator, which made both of us shake.
"What did you do that for?" Rukia hissed.
"Because we need to talk," I said as I stared right at her, which made her quickly glance away.
"Nonsense. Everything is fine," She muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and started to make her way to the door to hit a button, but I blocked her path.
"'Nonsense' my ass. Don't you dare try to avoid the subject because you know I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
"I have no clue what you're talking about," She mumbled as she turned her back towards me, which only fueled my anger, but then I finally figured it out.
"You're afraid, aren't you?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" She glowered at me, "You're just sputtering hot air."
"You are afraid! You're afraid that I'll screw you over, like you said!"
She said nothing. Instead, she just looked away from me. I could see that she was hurt, but surely, it wasn't because of what I said. It couldn't have been.
"Just understand that I'm under a lot of pressure now. Don't take it the wrong way."
Oh, I can understand. Saying that we were just a 'hook-up' is just some more of that nonsense you mentioned earlier. Makes perfect sense to me.
"Just tell me what's wrong. I won't get mad, I promise," I said as I held up a hand.
"John," She said as she walked around for a bit and then stopped, looking up at the ceiling as she exhaled a deep sigh, "I can't do this. I can't pretend I'm 'in love' with a person when I have only known them for a day and a half. I just can't."
I walk behind her and wrap my arms around her hips and pull her towards me. I placed my head on her shoulder and whispered, "Then don't pretend."
She looks up at me with her big green eyes and then looks back, only showing an expression of false happiness. I figured that if I can't get her to tell me what's wrong, then that was it.
Boy, was I wrong.
Suddenly, the elevator started moving again but surprisingly, Rukia wasn't startled. She just stayed there with my hands crossed over her chest and didn't say a single thing. I was kinda hoping that Bear wouldn't get someone to 'fix' the elevator because I wanted to stay there a bit longer, but he could only wait for so long (five minutes).
The doors opened and I let go and walk on ahead, waiting a bit for Rukia to catch up. Right as I was about to open the next door, it opens for me and at it's edge, was an all too familiar girl.
"Well, well. If it ain't Strawberry!" She exclaimed as she gave me a hug. "And oh? Who's this little cutie?" She asked as she looked over my shoulder.
"That's Rukia," I said with a cough, "Nel, do you mind telling me where's Bear?"
"He's in his office discussing something with Ms. Halibel but she told me he was a bit on edge so I'd be careful if I were you."
"Will do."
"And tell your girl to come see me sometime. I want to show her 'round."
"Sure thing."
"Is that another 'friend' you see?" Rukia said as she came up from behind.
"Nope. She's one of my close friends, mind you. I've known her since I was a kid. And don't even think like that because she has a boyfriend, who, I should mention, is one of my best friends."
"Who's that?" She inquired.
"I think you met him last night. Do you remember Blueberry?"
"He's dating her?" She said in barely a whisper, but I didn't see what the big deal was.
"Uh…yeah?"
"I mean, I just never would've imagined them two having a 'thing'. He seemed so short-tempered and she's…not."
"Well, I'm happy for them," I said as I scratched the back of my head, "But enough of them. There's a certain someone who wants to meet you," I said as I grabbed her wrist and led her to were we, er, she needed to go. We walked across the entire place, and there weren't many people there. It was kinda like a ghost town compared to last night.
We got to an office door and I knew that Bear was eagerly waiting behind it, but before we could open it, we heard a glass being thrown against that door which made Rukia shriek in fright.
"Oh, shit, he's really mad," I muttered.
"John, I'm not going inside. There is a lunatic in there!"
"Don't worry, he's just be mad at me. And I need you to make me a promise."
"Hmm?" She asks.
"Promise me that you'll tell me what's wrong. I understand that you don't want to talk about it now but eventually and-"
"JOHNATHAN ANDREW COLLINS! GET YOUR WHITE ASS IN HERE!"
Before I knew it, the door opened and a hand grabbed the back of my collar and dragged me into the room and the last thing I saw was Rukia with her eyes wide open.
"Promise!" I yelled as the door closed and tumbled into the desk, which hit my head pretty hard.
"It's about time," Bear grumbled.
"Well, there were some things that couldn't be rushed just because you needed to me with me," I glared as I got up from the floor and took a seat across from the maple desk. To my right, I noticed Tia leaning against the wall with her foot crossed over the other and her arms over her chest with eyes occasionally glancing at me, and then back to her boss. She let out a nonchalant 'hmph' as she nodded at me, which meant she needed to talk to me later.
"I don't give a shit if your great granny died, I expect you to be here when I say so!"
"Who made you dictator of this joint?" I complained as I rest my elbow on the armchair and held my chin in the base of my palm.
"I did. Now, I called you here for a reason. Like I said, I wanted to meet your girl."
"Yeah, well, good luck with that because you already scared her half to death."
"Oh, the glass? That was just an 'accident'."
"An accident?"
"Well, I was trying to kill a wasp."
"Really?" I ask in a sarcastic tone.
"No. I totally did that on purpose and without a reason. But never mind that," He said as he spun in his chair, "Tell me more about this girl of yours."
"Instead of asking, why don't you ask her all of the questions you have instead of interrogating me?"
"Because that would be boring and dull," He said in a nonchalant tone. "Now, I'll ask an easy question. Why were you late?"
"Elevator broke," I shrugged.
"Or maybe you just pushed the emergency button so it would stop and then I would have to wake up from my nap and bitch at someone to fix the goddamn elevator and then my blood pressure rises and-"
"Boss," Tia butted in. He turned his head to the right, losing all previous tension and answered with a calm 'Yes?'
"May I remind you that the elevator hadn't been inspected in over a decade and it isn't much of a surprise if it halts every now and then. After all, you do only take the north entrance nowadays."
"Hmmm," He said as he spun to face her, "I suppose that's a possibility but let's not rule out the utter and sheer laziness of Strawberry boy over here," Bear grumbled as he gave me a slight glower but then shrugged it off.
"But now, it doesn't matter because that was two minutes ago and we don't need to be dwelling on the past," The blonde said as he tapped his fingers rhythmically on his desk. "So, when do I get to meet your little lady?"
"When I say so. I don't think she's ready to meet you yet."
"What are you, her father? She can decide for her own damn self."
"You do have a point there but what if-"
"What happens, happens. If I don't like her, it's tough shit but you'll just have to deal with it. Anyways, it's not like she'll be here for long."
"Don't get so cocky," I said with a mile-wide grin and cocked eyebrows, "Boss hired her."
"HE WHAAAAAT? Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Do you know what this means?"
"That we have a new bartender?" I guessed.
"It means that Princess is gonna attack her like a fuckin' pit bull! You remember what happened to the female dealer? That bitch was gone in less than 24 hours and I haven't heard a word of her since."
"You over-exaggerate stuff. That dealer was just intimidated by everybody and besides, she just got out of therapy for being anti-social."
"Well, whatever. Princess is going to assault her either way."
"Don't you worry about Princess, I'll talk to her personally."
"But enough about her. She gets enough notoriety as is. Tia, do you mind stepping out for a minute?"
"No problem," She said as she opened the door and closed it tightly. After a moment of silence, the blonde-haired man looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Tell me the truth. Now. About the girl."
"There really isn't anything to tell," I said as I scratched the back of my head.
"Well, tell me anyway."
"Jeez, you don't give up," I sighed, "Uhm, we met on the street, and no, not like that. She was with Pineapple-"
"Why?"
"They're best friends."
"Hmph…" He said, almost as if those words had triggered a flashback.
"So, as I was saying, me and Princess had some issues we had to discuss and we just so happened to see them there and-"
"Whoa, whoa whoa, you…were with your ex while your girlfriend was there?"
"First of all, I didn't know her at that time and second, she's not my girlfriend."
"Oh, so she's your friend?"
"Uh, kinda."
"Oh, I get it! So she's a hoe?"
"No," I growled.
"Whore?"
"No."
"Fucktoy?"
"Bear!"
"What? If she isn't your friend then I don't know what the hell she is to you! And you're not being helpful either!"
"She's a friend…with benefits. I suppose. I guess that's the simplest way of putting it."
"Ah. But what kind of benefits?"
"I'm so not having this discussion with you," I said as I got up from my seat.
"SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN!"
And so I did.
"You're not going anywhere. Not until I get some more answers outta you," He growled.
"I give up. What do you want from me?"
"Damn, you make it seem like I'm torturing you."
"Ha-ha."
"Well, if you want this over, you might as well answer them and-"
"I'm waiting."
"Fine. So, how long have y'all known each other?"
"Y'all?"
"Answer the question being asked and don't pick on my accent!"
"Heh, uhm, we met I think…yesterday?"
"Love at first sight?"
"Hell no."
"Well, onto the next one," Bear said as he cleared his throat, "Does Princess know about her?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"She didn't take it too well."
"How?"
I lifted up my shirt to show him the bandaged wound and I got an 'Ouch' in response and then lifted it back down.
"Has she met her in person?"
"Dunno. But if they do, I want you to separate them immediately. God knows what would come outta her mouth."
"Other than a dick?"
I had to restrain myself from bursting out like a complete idiot and cover my mouth, only letting a chuckle or two escape from my mouth.
"Oh come on, it's the truth!"
"No comment," I said as I let out another chuckle, which then turned into a flood of laughter.
"Ah, jeez, I haven't had a good laugh in a while," I said, exhaling a satisfied sigh with a slight grin.
"So, when are you gonna tell her?"
"Tell her what?"
"Don't bullshit me, Strawberry."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Goddammit," He mumbled as he opened a drawer on his desk and got out a dark brown cigar and lit it up, "You're gonna be the death of me, I swear to God."
"And I'll be sure to say a couple of words at your funeral," I smirked.
"Gah, get out of here. I've had enough of you. Do me a favor and go get your girl."
"Gladly," I said as I got up and right as I was about to pass the door, I heard him call my name. I poke my head back in and say, "Yes?"
"Lemma ask one more question."
"Shoot."
"Did you screw her yet?"
I flipped him off as I slammed the door and I heard a sea of snorts and his boisterous mirth behind me. I look around and see that club has at least doubled in size and the crowdedness made it hard for me to find Rukia but all of the sudden, I hear her laughter and I follow it, which led me to a table near the side of the bar and I saw her with a female I recognized.
She was rather short and had fair girl had short, lime green hair that hovered right over her shoulders and she had a light blue miniskirt with a horde of white ruffles underneath and hooked to its sides were solid black suspenders that she fidgeted with. On top of the frilly skirt was a plain white tee that had a sketch of the Eiffel tower in its center. She was giggling and laughing with the other girl and she was moving around so much that her sunglasses fell off the top of her head.
I reach down to get the sky blue frames and I notice that on the inside there was writing in a black cursive ink that read, 'With love,' and there was another word written after that, but the girl snatched them before I could finish reading.
"I know my sunglasses are pretty and all," She smirked, "But that's no reason for you to be ogling them for five minutes."
"I was just admiring their beauty," I smiled.
"Well, where have you been all this time? It's impolite to keep guests waiting you know?" Another voice said.
I turn around and see a woman with long dirty blonde hair that was up in a ponytail. She walked over and gave me a tight hug while she rubbed my back and gave it a few pats.
"Ah, I missed my little Strawberry! I haven't seen you in forever!" She squealed as she let go.
"Come, let's take a seat," I said as I motioned to a vacant table. She took the seat across from me and undid her ponytail and her hair nearly fell to her elbows and crossed her arms as she adjusted her watch.
"So, where'd you go anyway?" I ask.
"Oh, you know, just out and about. I went with Joker and a few of his friends. We had a fun time," She grinned.
"Oh, I bet you did. I bet you had lots and lots of fun," I winked, but she didn't get it. It took her a minute or so before it finally clicked in her brain.
"You jerk!" She hissed as she hit my back, "It's nothing like that!"
"Mhmm, whatever you say, Essence."
"But anyways, on my trip, I met up with Tia and Bear along the way on the east coast."
"Really?"
"Mhmm. They were all the way down in North Carolina and we stayed at Bear's beach house for a couple of days and then I went to Cali to visit my family and then I came home."
"Well, that sounded fun."
"Ohmigod, it was. You should've been there!"
"I was busy this summer," I said nonchalantly.
"Ah, what were you doing?"
"Now, that's classified," I grinned, "Although, it is the time of the year again for Boss' jobs to start back up again. Are you gonna take on any?"
"Hell no. I figured I'd just stick with my day job and any offers from Bear if he has any."
"Speaking of jobs," She said, tapping her fingers together, "Joker didn't get any job offers, did he?"
I didn't want to upset her by telling her the truth, but lying to her would only make things worse. So, I thought of another way and got out my phone and place it in her palm.
"Why don't you call and ask him yourself?"
Essence shook her head and gave the phone back to me.
"I would want him to tell me in person," She said, biting her bottom lip. I pat her on the shoulder to reassure her that everything would be alright, but she still looked a bit sad, despite my attempt to cheer her up. But, she shook it off, regardless of her uneasiness.
"I guess it'll have to wait," She sighed, "I'll be at the bar if you need me.
And so she left. But at that moment, I found out that I was all by myself and that I had managed to lose Rukia again. I was tired of playing hide-and-seek and the fact that Bear had a strong urge to meet the girl only made me more nervous. I had no options and so I went in the direction of the office and right as I was about to turn the handle to the door, a hand grabbed me on my wrist and stopped me. I glare up and realize that it was Tia who prevented me from going into the room.
"Where are you going off in such a hurry?" She inquired.
"I dunno what that crazy psychopath is doing to her in there. I have to-"
"Quit being such a hero," She hissed as she pushed me to the floor and stepped on my chest with her stilettos.
"There's no reason to make a scene," She said as she lowered her eyes and bent down with an arm slung over the edge of her knee.
"What if he tells her-"
"That you're hiding secrets from her? That you might be seeing another woman? That you're leading her into a web of lies that'll cause her to-"
"That's enough," I glared. She didn't say anything, but her face didn't falter either. She quickly took her heel off my chest and let out a sigh.
"I really wonder what's going on in that skull of yours," Tia mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. I got up and dusted the dirt off of my legs and said, "You aren't the only lost one here."
"But neither of us are as lost as the girl. I pity her…and you."
"Why" I ask as I leaned against the wall.
"She has no idea what she's getting into and you dragged her into this mess. I worry if she's strong enough to handle it. However, my question for you would be how long would it take before you crack like an egg and burn on the frying pan?"
"I won't crack because," I paused, waiting for her to direct her attention at me, "Boss will tell her."
Her amber eyes widened as her mouth slightly dropped and boy, I wished I took a picture because that face was priceless.
"You've got to be joking."
"For once, I'm not. So, what I don't tell her won't hurt her. So, she can't blame me for not saying what shouldn't be said."
"I dunno. It sounds kinda risky," She mumbled as she stood next to me.
"Trust me, everything will work itself out, so stop being such a worrywart," I patted her shoulder.
"But how will you pull it off?"
"Hey, hey, a magician never tells his secrets," I grinned.
"And I'll suppose you'll be wanting to get into the room, no?"
"And if I do?"
"You can't get in. It's locked. And if you even try to open it, Bear won't hesitate to tell a secret or two to your girl."
"That filthy bastard," I growled.
"But," She said as she rummaged through her coat pocket and pulled out a few small black devices that kinda of looked like headphones, "I have a magic trick of my own," She smirked.
"What are they?" I ask as I picked one up and examined it.
"Portable speakers. I hooked them up to a secret microphone in Bear's office."
"Uh, why?"
"Why not?"
"Fair enough. So, uh, where do I put these?"
"Up your ass," She said as she put them in her ears.
"You don't have to be a bitch about it," I mumbled as I did the same.
"Shhh…it's picking up the frequency. Be quiet."
The sound of static came on, followed by a long, monotonous 'beep'. Then, we heard mumbling that started to get louder and louder until we could hear it clearly.
"So, I take it John's been good to you?" A recognizable voice asked.
My lip curls in agitation and right as I was about to yell, I get pinched by the female next to me.
"If you don't hush, they'll hear us," She hissed.
"That's fine with me because I'll beat his ass before he gets a chance to say anything."
"Listen. I have known this guy long enough to know when he's up to something and trust me, this isn't one of those times. He, in his own little way, is merely just getting to know her. He has his own way of doing stuff like that."
I let out a 'tch' as I lit up a cigarette and listened to the conversation.
"Uh…" Rukia said.
"Oh, I apologize. It isn't my place to ask," Bear responded.
"Damn right it isn't his place," I growled, but I only got shh'd at by Tia.
"I mean, I don't know what you think of me and him, but I can guarantee they're completely different."
"Well, lemme ask another question. Are you in a serious relationship with Strawberry?"
"To be honest, I'm not so sure-"
"Not sure about what?"
"Well, I'm really sure if me and him are on the same page, you know? I don't wanna chance anything, you know?"
"I see where you're coming from, but I want to know…how do you feel about him?"
There was a dead silence, but all I could do was stay quiet and listen.
"I can't answer that question at this time. I just can't."
"Very well. Well, ," He said, followed by the sound of a chair moving, "It was a pleasure to met you and I hope you enjoy working over here."
"It was nice to meet you too."
I took out the earphones and gave them back to Tia and she carefully tucked them away back into her pocket.
"Heard enough?" She asks.
"Actually, it's the opposite. I just realized that I know nothing about her."
"Now I guess you can see how it is for her."
"I suppose so."
All of the sudden, I felt my phone go off when I pulled it out, my mouth dropped once I read the screen.
From: Princess
Date Received: September 24th, 2009
Time Received: 2:25
Message:
You can't keep this up for long, darling. You know that very well. See me in the main office. I have something for you.
I let out a deep sigh as I made my way for the double doors at the end. I opened them and found myself in lobby, being greeted by a blonde female worker that was definitely barking up the wrong tree.
"Hello there, are you lost?" She asked as she quickly checked me out and licked her lips.
"No. Has a woman with long orange hair walked into the main office?"
"Uh, as a matter of fact, there was a female that fits that description. Did she have really big boobs?"
I shrugged.
"In that case, yes, she passed by. But she had verification. May I see yours?"
"Uh, sure," I said as I dig in my pockets for my wallet.
"So, how often do you come here, big boy?"
I wanted to puke the instead I heard that.
"Honey, listen, I'm not intere-"
And right then, she yanked my collar and slammed her lips onto mine, but I tried to move my face the opposite way and pushed her away so I could get some distance between us. She started chuckling and all of a sudden, she started stripping and I put my hands over my face in objection.
"Look lady, you need some help and-"
"Oh shut up, Strawberry. It's me."
My eyes grew wide at the sound of the voice, but I refused to believe it was who I thought it was.
She unbuttoned both her burgundy jacket and skirt, only to show a white sweater dress underneath. Then, she took off her cap and bent over, unclipping something in her hair and when she flipped her hair back; the blonde hair fell off and revealed her real, orange mane.
"You always have to make an entrance, don't you?" I ask.
"Someone isn't happy to see me," She pouted.
"Princess, you-"
"Come with me," She said as she grabbed my wrist and led me to the door behind the counter and up the sets of stairs to the 'Main Office'.
Once we got to the room, I shook off her hand.
"So, tell me," She says as she takes a seat in the big office chair behind the desk, "How's that cut of yours?"
"You find it entertaining to see me in pain, don't you?"
The woman cackled with glee and said, "You know me so well, 'John'," She cracked up even more.
"You know about that?" I ask with a glare.
"Why, of course dear. What? You really didn't expect that everyone would keep it a secret. Especially from your new whore."
"Princess, what-"
"I'm pretty sure nobody can hear us up here. You can relax."
I sighed and said, "Orihime, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Well, first I came to get a couple of stuff for work tonight but then I got this package for you so I thought I'd be nice and deliver it for you," She said as she dug in her purse that looked like it was made from ostrich feathers.
"And said package would be?" I ask with a hint of curiosity.
"A letter. From Dragon," She says, handing me a slightly bent beige letter.
"He told me not to read it so I dunno what it says," She shrugged.
I tuck it in my coat pocket and said, "How did you get it?"
"Because I visited him in the hospital, duh!"
"How do I know this isn't forged? After all, this could just be another one of your scams to get my money. But never mind that, did you hear what happened to his sister?"
She looked away as if she didn't hear anything.
"Tell me, how was the facility? Because I'd hate to see him in a crappy-ass hospital. Oh, and what about the doctor? Did they say anything about when they might let him out?"
Nothing.
"Tell me, did you really go visit him? Or are you lying? No, wait, that can't be right because one wouldn't dare to lie to the one who saved them from-"
"Don't say it!" She shrieked as she covered her ears.
"Tell me why you lied!" I roared.
"Because it was the only way!" Orihime yelled back as tears started to fall down the sides of her face, "It was the only damn way!"
"That doesn't answer my question!"
Three knocks rapped on the door, followed by a male voice.
"Yo, Strawberry? You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec."
"Kay, I'll be in the lobby."
Once the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard, I went over to the female that was all curled up in that tiny chair and I put both of my hands on the sides of the chair, leaving her no way to get out. There was less than a foot of space between us and I told tell she was nervous as hell just by glancing at her. Her whole body was trembling as if she had just gone through an earthquake.
"I'll ask you one more time," I said, looking her directly in the eyes, "Why'd you lie?"
"Because…I was afraid," She admitted.
"Of what?"
"Of what'd you say. Our relationship is so strained that," She sighed, "We don't even know each other like we used to. Now, we almost consider each other as an enemy."
"Well, of course, when you're always lying to me."
"But that was the past," She said, putting a hand on the side of my face, "We've learned from our mistakes. We need to forgive and forget," She mumbled.
I place my hand on the one that was on my face and said, "You think you can fool me again?"
She looked at me with a confused look and then shook her head.
"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. That's irrelevant. What matters are the choices you make. But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?"
"I honestly wonder how we got like this," I said as I bent down and ran my thumb over her long, delicate fingers before letting go of it. At that point, I had blown off some steam and something in me wanted Orihime back, but I knew it was only going to end like it always did.
"I've got something to say."
"Hmm?"
"I really do miss you. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, I know," I muttered as I fidgeted with her hands nervously, since I knew where this conversation was going.
"So…do you miss me?" She asked sheepishly.
This was the moment of truth and I knew she wasn't going to like the words that were gonna come out of my mouth.
"As a friend, yeah."
She jerked her hands from mine and slapped me across the face and I felt her long nails digging into the skin of my neck.
"Say that one more time," She hissed, "And see what happens."
"Actually, I take that back," I said, seeing her wear a satisfied grin…but not for long.
"What I meant to say," I said as I stood up, "I missed you as my fucktoy."
"You bastard." She hissed as she tries to claw at my chest where my wound was, but I grabbed her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.
"Miss me now?" I ask as I flashed my teeth, seeing that she had totally and utterly lost her focus.
"Glad to know I'm not the only insane one here," She chuckled.
"Yeah, it's funny how we're both fucked up, ha-ha," I rumbled as scratched the side of my face.
"You know," She said, looking down at the floor, "There's something else I've been itching to say."
"Well, you'll never get it off your chest if you keep beating around the bush."
"Look," Orihime sighed, "No matter how many times we fight or how long we don't talk to each other, I still have feelings for you. Yes, I know you moved on, but that just won't click in my mind. I-"
And I kissed her so she would stop talking. I didn't want to hear any more. It had taken me months to get over her and I sure as hell wasn't going to take her back, if that was what she was getting at.
I pulled away and looked at her, seeing that her cheeks had flushed a rosy shade. I could tell she was surprised by my move, but I knew that she secretly liked it.
"Sorry for interrupting," I grinned, flashing all of my teeth.
"I-Its' fine," She muttered.
"What's wrong now?"
"I think…someone was listening."
As soon as she said that, we heard heavy footsteps pound away from us and I made no hesitation to go see who it was. I got up from the chair and opened the door, but I felt a light tug stop me…just like 9 years ago.
I turn back and see her worried face, but what I really saw was Yuzu's face that day.
"Don't go," She pleaded, "For all we know, that could be some assassin or something!"
"Don't worry, I'm just going to see who that was, that's all," I said as I closed the door, but she stopped it with her foot and looked at me with the same expression.
"I'm not letting you go-"
"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I put a finger on her lips, "What'd I say?"
"That doesn't matter. What if you get hurt?"
"You kiddin' me, right?"
She only responded with a raised eyebrow.
"C'mon! I'm Strawberry, man! They'd have to be dumb as hell to mess with me," I grin as I take my head out of the doorway and make my way down the stairs, but I heard light footsteps follow me, seeing that it was the one and only Princess at the edge of the stairs and if I didn't something, she'd follow me around like a newborn pup.
"Strawberry?"
"Hmm?"
"…Promise me that you won't get hurt. For me."
"Don't you worry about me. You just need to keep two words in mind and everything will be alright."
"And just what are they?"
"It's showtime."
"I told you this journal wasn't junk," Shinji muttered.
"Well, for once, you're right."
He chuckled and then closed the notebook and set it to the side on the desk. Something went off in the blonde's mind, which instantly made him smirk.
"And you know what this means," He said as he took put on his sunglass and put them on the top of his head.
"No...what does it mean?" The blonde turned around as she started packing up.
"It means I'm going to take you out on a date, whether you like it or not. And you will like it because no can resist this," He said, motioning to himself.
"Except for me," Rangiku giggled.
"And you're lying."
"Am not," She giggled even more as she took a seat on the floor to pick up her stuff.
"So why are you laughing?"
"Because I can," Rangiku grinned as she hid her face from the curious male.
"Really?" He asked as he bent down and peeked so he could get a look at her face, "I think it's because you're lying and you do want to go on that date with yours truly."
"Well, I'm still not entirely cool with the whole 'co-workers dating thing'."
"Don't think of it as a 'thing', think of it as a chance to really get to know your working partner."
"I guess there's nothing against that," She smiled.
"Good. Then it's settled. I'll pick you up around…seven-ish?" He asks, as he gets his suitcase and stops at the door.
"Sounds good. But you're forgetting something."
"Hmm?" Shinji poked his head back in the doorway.
"We need to read the rest of this journal," She said, picking it up from the desk, "Despite it being 'evidence' and all, it's quite interesting learning a bit about Strawberry, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose our one and only piece of evidence," He said as he closed the door. Rangiku was all by herself and quickly got her stuff and right as she was about to close her suitcase, she looked back at the navy blue notebook and tucked it in her coat pocket.
"No, not evidence," The blonde muttered.
"Hope."