Chapter 2: The Beginning of the Beginning
"Akane! We are going to be late if you don't wake up already!" my mother said through my door. She had the kindest voice, but she could somehow still manage to make demands just as well as someone with a harsh voice. All I wanted to do was turn over in bed and go back to sleep. I was still exhausted from yesterday, but I had agreed to go with her. Doe eyes or not, I should have said no.
"Akane! I don't hear any moving in there!" she yelled down the hallway. Cringing, I pulled myself out of the bed. When my feet touched the ground, I let out a small hiss. The floor was freezing. The whole house was cold actually. Fall was giving up its hold and winter had taken a firm grasp on the air. I made a mental note to grab an extra blanket for my bed and convince mom to turn on the heat. That was always a battle.
Standing up completely, I made my way over to my closet. There wasn't really a reason to look to fancy. Mom's friends knew me. I was really only going with her because she had asked me to. Something about everyone else in the house being gone and her not wanting to go along. But I was invested, so I had to go. Digging through the closet to find something wasn't that hard. Just a simple white button up which I thought was pretty comfy and jeans. A t-shirt would have been preferred, but I knew mom liked to always leave good impressions, friends or not.
Tripping over the multiple abandoned items on my floor in my groggy state, I eventually made it to the bathroom. The mirror only confirmed what I had been worried about. There were huge bags under my eyes, my hair was a disgusting mess of tangles, and I had a line of drool down my chin. It was disgusting.
After laying my clothes down on the counter and pulling my disgusting mouth guard out, which wasn't pretty or painless, I tried to shower quickly. It wouldn't have been such an issue if my hair hadn't been such a mess or so long. Throughout my adventure of trying to make my hair slightly manageable, I could hear my mother banging around loudly in the kitchen. She was singing to herself in possibly the cutest way possible. It was a love song that I had heard my entire life, but she still loved it. I didn't think it was possible for her to ever get tired of it. At least she had a reason to be singing it today.
Smiling due to my mother's obvious bliss, I scrubbed my skin until it was fresh and pink. Looking at my legs, I saw that they only had short hairs on them. Nothing too serious. It was getting colder so long pants would be more common. Waiting to shave for a few days wouldn't be too frowned upon. Just as long as no one stared too close for too long.
I cut the water off quickly as soon as I was done rinsing off. It had taken more time than I had expected to fix my hair. Hopping out as I dried myself at the same time, I tried to not lose my balance. No unnecessary bruises were needed this morning. With now dry skin, my clothes slipped on easily. On a whim, I tucked in my shirt. It would show off my waist as my mother always told me. I would always wonder what waist she was talking about. She knew I was practically a board.
Just as I was getting ready to blow dry my hair, I heard my mother's light knock on the door. "Yes, mom?" I said not very clearly as I tried to plug up the blow dryer with one hand and brush my teeth with the other. If I had another hand, I would have used it to grab my nearly forgotten chap stick on the counter and shove it into my pocket. I didn't want to leave it.
"I made some quick breakfast. Nothing special. Just something to hold us over before we get to the restaurant," she said pleasantly.
"Okay, I'll be out in a minute!" I replied a little too loudly in an attempt to be heard over the now powered on blow dryer. Her laughed trickled through the door as she walked away. God, she was so happy. Happier than usual that was, which I really hadn't known was possible.
I vaguely thought about putting a small amount of makeup for the day. A little mascara wasn't too pushing it too far. Just enough to look good, but not too flashy. And anyways, mascara made my eyes pop, which I did enjoy.
Deeming myself presentable for the public, I went to the kitchen to find my mother. Like I had assumed, she was sitting at the table drinking her coffee with a book in hand. It was a scene I had seen almost every morning of my life. When she heard my steps, she gently laid the ribbon bookmark into her page and stood. Her smile was contagious.
"You ready?" she asked kindly. I could see the excitement rolling off of her.
"Let me eat real quick." It took me no time to shovel down the deliciously salty rice she had made. I was a simple breakfast person. Nothing really caught my eyes. Plus, I had never liked the too full feeling you would get after eating a large breakfast. Small bars and snacks were my forte when it came to early morning meals. Nothing too heavy that would make me feel sluggish for the entirety of the morning. Yet, my mother always seemed to make something I loved. Rice with lots of salt was one of my favorites. There was no real nutritional value, but that didn't really matter.
"Done," I stated putting the now empty bowl on the table. "Let's get rolling."
The walk was a pleasant one. Yes, it was a bit nippy out when the wind blew towards us, but nothing a small coat couldn't handle. I couldn't keep myself from glancing over at my mother out of the corner of my eye. She was practically bouncing with joy. She may have been mistaken for a little girl as giddy as she was if it wasn't for her exquisite figure and the way her skirt hugged her hips like a glove. Even her heels shouted sexy woman. The way her dark hair naturally fell in a straight curtain with no work at all.
I envied her looks. She looked so feminine. Even more so standing next to me. Everything about her was curves and soft edges. I was the exact opposite. Hard lines, nothing soft, and just tall enough to be scared of getting any taller. I wasn't a giant or anything. I just didn't like being as tall as I was. It made me even more stick straight. Everything seemed to far spread, it there wasn't enough soft to cover all the hard there was to hide. Sighing, I knew there was no use in thinking about it. All the running I did, there was no way I would gain any 'soft' until I was done. Everything I ate was turned into fuel, burnt off before it could even think about hibernating away on my hips or chest.
Licking my lips as I was off in thought, I realized how dry my lips were. Digging in my pocket, I found the mint chap stick I had tucked there early. At a young age I had developed a horrible habit of using the stuff too often. I knew I used it too much and that they companies probably put things in it to dry out your lips, but I liked it. The tingle that it left on my lips was what had kept me using the stuff.
"…..heard it was going well. What do you think?"
Turning my head, I looked at my mother in confusion. "What? I was… thinking. Sorry."
"It's fine, sweetie. I was saying that I had heard from someone in the office that your track team was going very well. You never tell me much about it." I could tell she was upset. I honestly didn't tell her much about track. There never seemed to be a good time to bring it up. Plus, with this being my last year at school, there was really no reason to make a big deal about it now. My mother was usually quite busy with her job, so she had never been too involved in my activities after school. It didn't really bother me. Whenever I did think about telling her something about the team's progress, I would feel guilt flow through me. I didn't want to make her feel bad about not being able to come to the meets where she was so busy with work. Therefore, I tried to keep the talk to a minimum. Then there was the fact that track was nothing special. The season would start when spring rolled around, and that would be the end of it for me once the school year pulled itself to a finish. Maybe I could get a scholarship with it, but that wasn't very likely. I would have to work my ass off, literally, to make the cut for that. With that said, I didn't even know what I wanted to go to college for. I had never really put much thought into what I wanted to be these past few years. All my thoughts had been centered on beating the next goal I had set for myself and training until I couldn't take it anymore.
"It's going pretty well. Haku is finally ready to take over next year. He's only a sophomore, but he has the most potential. We can probably get pretty far this year. That is if everyone pulls their weight, doesn't slack off, and comes to practice." 'Which isn't likely to happen….' I added to myself.
"Well that sounds great, Akane. I'm sure your team will do great this year. Maybe I can even come watch you some this year," my mother said with the happiness still seeping into everything she said. It was like she was drunk on the stuff.
Before I could think of something else to say, we were already at the restaurant. You could smell something being cooked inside. Breathing in, I sighed.
"Don't stand there! Come on!" My mother was waving me over from within the door. Following the delicious smell, I looked around the small restaurant. Nothing had changed since I was a child. There was the counter top right in front of where Mr. Yuki cooked. The blue chairs at the counter which matched the blue chairs that sat with the other tables in the diner. The door on the left side going up to the top floor with the blue curtain. It smelled the same too. I could never imagine it smelling any other way.
"Rei! Girl, I'm so excited to see you!"
"Yuki! I missed you!"
The general conversation blurred as my mother was pulled away by Mrs. Yuki to who knows where upstairs. Taking my coat off and hanging it on the rack near the door I noticed that there was no one else in the diner today. Once every few months, the couple would take a day to rest and clean the finer parts of the diner that were sometimes overlooked as day to day work was carried out. That day must be today seeing the lack of customers milling around. That also meant Mr. Yuki cooked up a lot of food that he knew needed to be fixed. With that said, I was more than okay with sitting down here to… keep him company.
"Hey, Akane, your mother seems happier than usual today. Have anything to do with last weekend's dealings?" Mr. Yuki said to me with a huge smile. His black hair was starting to get grey around the edges. The usual dad look.
"Maybe. I mean, her and dad have been together for years. I guess now finally getting around to marriage is nothing surprising, but it is nice to see her happy," I said with a smile. After being together for years, the two had finally gotten married. It had been a very sudden thing. They had come home one evening declaring that the next weekend. The ceremony had been simple yet breathtaking. Mother had been gorgeous in a simple beige dress with father in a casual suit. It had suited them well. Ever since, both of them had been the epitome of joy.
I had never really understood why they had put it off for so long. I didn't really know or care. The marriage really wouldn't change anything. They already acted like a married couple without the legal bonding behind it. Yet, the change had made my mother very happy. So I wasn't complaining.
"I would say! I've always seen your parents together. I even forgot they weren't married already until the wife told me about it," he said with a sly grin. Rummaging around behind the counter for a few minutes, he seemed to straighten things up while making odd faces. "Well," he said after one rather distasteful glance under the counter, "I've got to run and get some things from the store. Everything should be fine here. There's some food behind the counter, help yourself." With that said, he pulled off his hat and apron and left. The sudden quiet of the shop was calming. I could hear the coffee pot making a fresh batch of coffee and smell the delightfully seasoned food that was sitting on the counter.
Sighing, I decided that I would take a cup of coffee. Going behind the counter, I slowly made my coffee meet my standards. As I stirred cream into the dark liquid, I could hear the giggles of the two women upstairs. In the back of my mind, I wondered where the daughter of my mother's friend was. I knew she was out of high school. Definitely in college, but wouldn't she come back for the weekend on occasion? Maybe she was working on a project. Finally focusing back on my coffee, I took a test sip. I almost gagged at the bitter flavor. I had forgotten the sugar. After fixing my horrible mistake, I stood there for a moment.
There were pictures taped to the wall beside of the coffee pot. There was the couple in their younger days, their small daughter, what looked like a picture of the day they bought the two floor building that they now lived and worked from. It brought a smile to my face. I could only hope that one day I would find the happiness they had.
I must have not heard the door open as I was engrossed in the photos. Was Mr. Yuki back that early? It didn't matter. I continued to look at the pictures. That was until I heard more than one pair of feet….
The diner was closed today. There was even a sign on the door that stated that.
"Hey, Kurama, the hell are you doing here? Better not be trying to get some moves in on Keiko!" a masculine voice said from behind me with a laugh. 'Kurama? Who the heck is that?' I thought to myself. Had someone else slipped in before I had heard these extra pair of feet that now paced towards me? "Kurama? You hard of hearing or something? Koenma has been looking for you. Something about a few lower levels roaming the forest." 'What the hell does that mean?' I wondered.
Before I could think of an answer, a hand landed on my shoulder. "Hey, Kurama?" the voice said. Turning quickly, I looked at the person who had touched me. He had black hair that was greased back and his fashion sense was awful. Green with plaid… and orange? No. Absolutely not. "Who the hell are you?" he asked looking at me. That was when I recognized him from one of the photos. He was Keiko's boyfriend or was it fiancé? I wasn't entirely sure.
"Hanamura…" I said slowly. Looking behind him, I saw a taller man with orange hair. He was dressed rather well. Jeans and a black t-shirt. Better than Keiko's… thing was.
"Urameshi," the taller man said, "he sure does look a lot like Kurama. That's super weird, man." He was looking me up and down. I gaped at his comment. He. He? I was definitely not a HE. I was a SHE, which was certain.
"I'm a girl, thank you very much," I spit back to the taller man rather sourly. I couldn't help it being as offended as I was. Great blow to the self-esteem too.
"Oh… OH. I'm sorry, Hanamura, was it? I'm Kuwabara, Kazuma, a friend of Keiko's," he said with clear guilt in his voice.
"Kuwabara, don't go around telling people things they don't need to know," the man I assumed who was named Urameshi said with a tinge of anger in his voice.
"It's just my name, Urameshi, god. What do you think she is going to do? Tell people my name? Jeez," Kuwabara said while rolling his eyes. "Anyways," he said turning back to me. "Do you know where Keiko is?"
I shook my head a little nervously. These two were making me nervous. Sure they didn't seem like trouble. They knew Keiko anyways. But why had Urameshi been so uneasy around me? Kuwabara had just told me his name that wasn't a crime.
"See, there's your answer Urameshi. Let's just get a roll on," Kuwabara said with a grunt at the end. Urameshi narrowed his eyes. I could tell he was watching me intently. So much so that it was like I could feel the skin on my neck crawling with electricity.
"No. We can wait here. She said she would be home later today. I'm sure she won't be long," he replied narrowing his eyes even more as he continued to look at me. Then, it vanished. "Plus the old man has a ton of food made. No need to let that go to waste."
Before I knew what was happening, Urameshi was right beside of me grabbing a plate. As he was piling it full of food, I couldn't help but be horribly confused. Who was the Kurama they kept talking about? Why had they thought I was him? They had said we looked alike…
I jumped as I felt a warm hand hit my shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry about him. He's just a grumpy jerk," Kuwabara said quietly to me. He seemed like such a nice person. Why was he hanging out with, as he had put it, such a jerk as Urameshi? I couldn't help but watch as he ate gluttonously with no manners at all at the counter, spreading crumbs everywhere. Then another thought hit me.
"What did he mean by apparition?" I wondered. As soon as I thought it, I realized that it hadn't been a thought. It had come out of my mouth. I practically heard the snaps as Urameshi and Kuwabara jerked their heads up to look at me. I instantly regretted my big mouth.
A sly grin practically cracked across Urameshi's face. Shit. I had messed up really bad. "Now now now. Look what we have here," he said with an insane grin. He suddenly looked very predatory. "We can't have such things… getting around now, can we?"
"Urameshi, stop. You said it. Don't go on blaming her," Kuwabara said in a rather defensive tone.
"Kuwabara, we can't just let her go on," he snapped.
"Being cruel is the shrimp's job. Just cut it out. You're being an ass."
"Well he's not here right now, so I might as well take up his role."
"But you started this. She hasn't done a thing to either of us! She was just standing there! You had to open your stupid mouth!"
The two argued back and forth about what to do. I felt trapped like an animal in a corner. There was no way around Kuwabara. He seemed to take up all the space behind the counter. The other side went straight to the wall. I couldn't jump it, the counter was too tall for that. There was no way out. I was at their mercy. My mother and Mrs. Yuki weren't coming downstairs for what would be a long time and who knew how long Mr. Yuki would be gone.
I was in the middle of trying to make a plan when my thoughts were penetrated by my name being spoken. "Okay, Hanamura. How does this sound? You, my friend, and I all go on a nice pleasant walk. Maybe meet up with another one of my friends. Then, we come right back here." Urameshi said.
This did not sound good at all. Not a bit. If I went with them, I knew there was no definite reassurance that I would actually come back here. Yes, it was light outside and I might be able to outrun them and there were bound to be other people outside, but there was still fear buried deep in my chest.
"You got an answer?" he said with distaste coming from his words.
I didn't know my saving grace had arrived until I heard a throat being cleared behind Urameshi's back.
"Yusuke Urameshi, what do you think you are doing?" a feminine voice said in a scolding manner. Also as if talking to a child. All violence drained from Urameshi's face.
Turning around, he actually looked rather sheepish. "Hey, Keiko. Good to see you got home safe, babe."
Keiko. She had arrived right on time. I was saved. She must have saw me at the same time as I saw her. "Yusuke! That is a family friend! How dare you act so rude to her!" Pushing past Urameshi with what looked like a simple shove, Keiko came over to me. Kuwabara moved out of her way no questions asked. Relief washed over me as she laid a hand gently on my shoulder, leading me around the counter to a chair. "Now, Akane," she said soothingly, "Tell me what these rude boys have done to you."
Okay, that's the end of this chapter. I am pretty proud of the length. I would like most chapters to be this length. The first chapter was very short compared to this, but it was supposed to be like that. It will eventually tie in. Why Akane calls them the Yuki instead of Yukimura will also be explained.
On another note, I am looking for anyone who is willing to be a beta reader for me. It would be delightful to find someone to help me. Hopefully I can get a new chapter up with a week or so. School is starting back, I can't be sure.
Please review and tell me your thoughts!