Thirty One Days
Chapter 5: Face Value
Fact: My best friend is like a million miles away from me when I need her the most.
-x-
July 6th, 2007
When all hell breaks lose, you'd think a person would be able to know…right? Well, I'm not so sure anymore. Because the only way that Matt Ishida would be calling for me is if the world has ended and we're all in some parallel universe where everything is its complete opposite.
"Are you gonna answer it?" My mom calls up the stairs.
Will I? Should I? I mean what could he possibly have to say to me? "Yeah" I should think more before I speak.
Regardless, I pick up the pink cordless phone and tell her she can hang up. "Hello?" I answer politely.
"How are you?" He asks, in that God like voice of his.
I cradle the phone between my shoulder and chin. "Good, you?" This is getting awkward fast.
"Same" He mumbles.
Is this going anywhere, "So, what's going on?" I hint desperately.
He sighs, "Do you want to meet up tonight?" Can I just say, What the Fuck? This can't be happening. I am so in a different place in a different time, either that or I'm dreaming because this can not be happening.
I gulp, "W-what?" See what I mean about the whole not being able to talk thing.
He's undeterred, "Hang out, get some take out? Catch a movie?" How can I just "catch a movie" with Matt Ishida. The guy is like untouchable around here.
But for some reason, he wants to "hang out" with me. "Uh, yeah" I fail horribly at keeping my voice cool.
He chuckles and god, is it sexy. "I can pick you up around seven, if you want?" This is so not the resident bad boy everyone talks in hushed, reverent tones about.
"Seven is fine" I'm getting better at the playing it cool.
"Great and is your mom okay with this…" He trails off.
And that's pretty cute, I have to say. "She'll be fine, its just hanging out right" I kink an eye brow even though he can't see it.
He seems hesitant, "Right"
"Okay, then I'll see you at seven?" Awkwardness is coming back steadily.
He shifts around, "Yeah…see you then" And all of a sudden, he doesn't sound so sure anymore.
Damn it, this boy's mood swings are giving me whiplash.
-x-
As if my dreamlike phone call with a certain blonde who will not be mentioned wasn't strange enough, my mom still hasn't said anything about it. This surprises me the most because she usually can't calm her enthusiasm down. I'm not complaining or anything but I'm just a little confused at the change of heart. Why now?
I can hear her singing along to an 80's country tune as she cleans the house. She isn't too bad.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket. "Sora?" I ask hopefully, anyone else can leave a message.
"Still psychic?" Awe, my best friend.
I squeal loudly, "I miss you" I whine.
She laughs, "Miss you too girlie, what's going on today?" She asks tactfully.
I sigh, "Nothing consequential" I assure her, after hearing my roophie story and the whole Matt thing, Sora' been on high alert.
"Thank God, I knew letting you go alone was a bad idea" She huffs into the phone, but she sounds relieved. "I almost hopped the next flight when you told me"
I smile, "I'm okay" I say.
"That guy Matt, well I like him a little better now" She says and I know why. He took care of me, Sora appreciates that.
As I would if something like that had happened to her. "He's so mysterious though" I tell her.
"That's hot though" She points out, "Besides, he won't be for too long, you won't let him" She knows me so well.
"Speaking of which…I do have kind of interesting news" More than kind of but I don't want to freak her out. Again. She was just getting over my last story.
She's a little hesitant, "Should I book a ticket now?" She asks tired.
I laugh, "Nothing like that" I clarify, "But I think Matt asked me out on a date" I brace myself for the commotion that will surely come after.
"What?!"
I pull the phone away from my ear in time, "Yeah, he asked me to "hang out" that's guy language for date though, isn't it?" I inquire.
Sora seems as stumped as me though, "I would think so, but he doesn't seem typical" Oh, believe me, Matt Ishida is as far from "typical" as a person could be.
"I dunno" I sigh in frustration. "This is so dumb! Sora, it isn't supposed to be like this!" I vent irrationally.
Sora laughs. "I dunno sweetie, two hot guys asking you out simultaneously? You're right…you've got it so bad" She sympathizes sarcastically.
I pout. "If he wasn't so aloof and hard to read, I'd be excited." I'm still excited, but I just wish I knew a little more about my mystery man. He's just o secretive. Like the CIA.
"And then there's Tai" Sora quips, "He was never one to hide his feelings." She points out the stark contrast between the two.
"Nope, he lays it all out on the table" I confirm.
Another small laugh. "Seems fun though" She says.
"Yeah, he really is" I assure her.
Sora sighs. "Okay babe, I gotta go—Yolie wants to go to the beach but keep me posted, kay?" She requests sternly.
I moan in protest. "Sora! C'mon, I barely ever get to talk to you!" I whine.
I know she misses me. "I know and I'm so sorry about that. But Yolie's been honking for the past fifteen minutes" She confesses.
I giggle, that's kinda funny and God knows my purple haired best friend isn't the most patient person in the world. In fact, she's even worse than I am in that department. "In that case, I guess I'll let you" I concede.
"I'm sorry, but you'll call me? As soon as the date's over?" She bargains.
Oh I deff will, "As soon as its over" I promise.
"I'm talking one foot out of the car soon" She clarifies.
I laugh again. "You got it"
-x-
So my mom can be pretty nosy.
"Why'd he want to talk to you?" She asks casually, sitting next to me as I eat take out from a container.
I put my magazine down. "He wanted to hang out?" I answer with a mouth full of noodles. Not the prettiest picture.
She gives me a "You've got to be kidding me" look. "That's all?"
I shrug, "I mean okay, so he said and I quote "Do you want to meet up?" what does that mean?" Maybe my mom can shed some light onto this. God knows, she had men in her life after my father. And from the limited time I've spent here I've been able to tell she's pretty good with the opposite sex. Totally nonchalant, flips her hair at exactly the right moment, laughs at all his jokes kind of thing.
She sighs. "Ugh. Guys can be so vague right?" She sympathizes. "Meet up huh? Well I'd say keep it casual" She shrugs.
"Mom that still leaves me with nothing" I groan.
She laughs. "Okay, okay. What's the area you're having the most trouble with? Outfit?" She knows me so well.
I nod, "To say the least. I mean what does "let's meet up" mean? Jeans and my Avril Lavigne t-shirt? Or heels and a Chanel dress?" This is so frustrating.
My mom looks totally blown away, for some reason. "First of all, Avril Lavigne!? Mimi if I gave you anything it should've been my music taste!" She's totally missing the point. "And a Chanel dress for a boy?! What has your father done?!" She moans, dude…can we get back to the matter at hand please?
I roll my eyes impatiently, "The Clash and Metallica is hardly taste in music and I happen to enjoy Avril Lavigne" I say pointedly. "And Daddy? Well he does the best he can" I mumble, credit cards and apology jewelry is all the communication me and my dad have.
She looks regretful for a second. I hope she doesn't get all mushy with me, I don't think I'd be able to stomach it. "Okay, well I'd go with the t-shirt and jeans plan. Not that particular t-shirt; you're music taste might scare the poor boy away" She laughs.
"T-shirt and jeans…crazy enough to work" I grin.
She ruffles my hair. "There's hope for you yet missy" She teases. "Just wait, by the time I return you to your father, you'll be wearing sweat pants out of the house and waking up past noon"
I gasp dramatically, "You're evil" I play along. "Daddy'll have me committed" I can't hold a straight face for very long and neither can my mom.
Ultimately we double over in laughter, just imaging the look on my dad's face if he ever saw me wearing sweat pants out of the house.
-x-
I didn't follow my mom's advice exactly. I still have on jeans; they're the skinny dark wash ones though. I couldn't really find any t-shirts that were nice enough to wear out, so I ended up deciding on a tank. Just as casual though, in my opinion. I put my hair up in a loose pony tail, so my bangs could be brushed to the side. And over my mom's incessant nagging, I left the make up to a bare minimum. I'm talking just lip gloss and one coat of mascara. I feel naked.
"My pretty girl" She admires, running two soft fingers through my pony tail.
I smile, slightly embarrassed. "C'mon mom" I murmur, swatting her hand away.
She smiles. "Look at how amazing you look with out anything on that face sweetie" She turns me back to the mirror.
I grudgingly admit she's right, because I haven't felt this natural in a long time.
"You're totally into this hippie, let it all hang loose, peace love and happiness thing aren't you?" I poke fun at her. "Tell me you were at Woodstock" I grin.
"You're mocking me but if I was old enough to go, I would have" She says seriously.
"And did you smoke weed all the time? What about Dad? Is that how you guys met? Tell me he wasn't your dealer, that would way too 90210 for me to be perfectly—
My mom looks at me like I'm crazy. "Okay that whole ranting and rambling thing, you definitely got that from me" She interrupts. "And no I didn't smoke all the time, you know how your father and I met and he was absolutely not my dealer!"
I giggle; she actually took everything I said seriously. "So I look good?" I confirm, turning my back to the mirror.
She doesn't hesitate to nod. "Beautiful"
"Two dates in two days, dayum" I grin, "Am I player or what?" I joke.
She laughs. "The utmost meaning of the word, obviously" Awe Mommy, you're catching on.
-x-
His car is much nicer than Tai's. It's nothing special but it's a lot cleaner and in better shape too, I don't really have to fear for my life. Well, when he's driving at the speed limit I don't, but he tends to forget that from time to time. He hasn't said a word to me since I got in except for a perfunctory "Hello" and a polite "How are you?", then Nothing.
This is the most awkward situation I've been in, ever.
The silence is driving me crazy and I haven't perked up the courage to ask him where we're going yet. For all I know, he could be taking me to a deserted alley so he could murder me. Why he'd want to do that, I'm not really sure. But my and me were watching an episode of Law and Order: SVU earlier, so it's probably just a side effect from that. I'm very susceptible to t.v.
Finally he glances at me. "You look nice" His voice is so pretty.
"Thanks" No stuttering this time, I'm impressed with myself.
He looks effortlessly sexy. From his gelled into casual disarray hair to the light blue button down (That he has rolled up to his elbows…drool) to the dark wash jeans. He looks like something out of a catalog.
"I was thinking a movie" He starts; I don't think we're doing that anymore though because we passed the movie theater a while back. "But, I thought that that was a little common" He shrugs.
Common? Dude…I really wouldn't have cared. "Right" I agree anyway. "So uh, what now?" I'm still not entirely comfortable with him. It isn't like hanging out with Tai, where he can make a funny joke or tell a quaint anecdote that completely eases the tension, Matt isn't really like that.
Another glance in my direction. "A place I like to think" He says, a small smile on his face. If it didn't look so god damn beautiful, I'd be mad at him for being so cryptic.
"Like where?" I'm starting to feel like this may have been a mistake. We aren't supposed to be together, me and him. He was supposed to accept my undying gratitude for everything he did for me and we were supposed to move on.
But he didn't see it like that. "We're almost there" He assures me.
I sigh. "Fine, fine" I'm not going to force him to tell me. Even though I hate surprises.
What I hate more, though? Are awkward silences and once again we are consumed in one.
Fuck.
"So you and Kamiya?" What is he talking about?
I look up at him, "Who?" I ask as he turns on to an unfamiliar street.
"Your next door neighbor, kid that plays soccer…" He trails off.
Well duh, he's talking about Tai. "Oh, you mean Tai? What about him?" I don't get where he's going with this.
He stares out of the windshield. "Would he care that you're out with me?" He asks with a shrug.
Oh God. So that's what he means. "Well no because me and Tai have nothing going on but if we did—"I stop for a second. "Would it matter?" I need to know what his thoughts are on this. What is this, exactly? I still have no idea what possessed him to ask me out but I'm getting impatient.
Once again, he's pensive. Is there a time when this guy isn't brooding? And god if it wasn't so sexy…I'd probably complain. "Should it matter? I don't think so. Would it? To him, I'm sure" Well, that still leaves me in the same place I was before he answered. This boy just loves to run me in circles.
I pull down the passenger side mirror, "You look fine" He says, pulling into a dark parking lot.
I push it back up, "Where are we?" I ask tiredly, he's beginning to get on my nerves.
"The lake" He grins.
I take in a sharp breath because he looks so good. If he wasn't so amazingly good looking, I know I wouldn't be here in the first place. "Why?" I squeak as the car turns off.
He gives a small chuckle. "You'll see" He winks.
-x-
I'm glad I listened to him. I'm glad he didn't tell me what he had planned and I'm glad I came. Because I have never been in a more perfect moment than the one I'm in now. "There are so many stars" I whisper to him, turning my face to look at him.
He keeps his gaze on the sky. "You can't see these from town, but there are no lights here or even people. It's so natural" Laying in the grass, watching the twinkling stars—I would've never been able to guess Matt Ishida was capable of something like this.
But then again, I don't really know him do I? "Yeah" I agree.
He puts his arms behind his head. "Did you think it was weird when I called you?" He asks.
"More caught off guard than weird, it surprised me" I answer him honestly, "I wasn't expecting it at all" I turn my eyes back to the ebony sky.
"I don't know why I did" He admits.
Boy, don't I feel special now. "Oh" What else can I say?
"But you left an impression" he continues. "I—I don't what it was but the second that I, I mean when I knocked into you, I just there was something different about you. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it right" He sighs.
For some reason, it makes me feel good. "Really?" I'm back to looking at the side of his perfect face.
His eye brows rise slightly, "You're happy with that?" He turns to look at me.
I nod. "It means a lot" I smile.
He shakes his head. "What am I getting myself into?" The question seems directed more to himself than me.
I can't help but smile at that, "You're a lot different than I thought you'd be" I figure, since we're being honest I might as well.
He laughs. "How?"
"I just. Okay I've heard things and they just don't seem very accurate anymore"
"Well rumors hardly ever are" He shrugs a shoulder.
I'll give him that much. "Yeah. But you don't seem like a womanizing bad boy with ill intentions." That probably should've stayed in my head.
Damn it.
He grins. "I don't believe I am"
I feel my face burn, I'm glad its dark out. "Just one of the rumors" I try to play it off.
He laughs again, "People will honestly say anything, won't they?" He marvels.
That's true. "But you're not like that" I notice.
"Nope"
"That's good"
"Sure, morals and ethics are always good" He's humoring me.
I roll my eyes. "Just that they were wrong, I mean" Kari seemed so sure.
"Is it?" He's serious all of a sudden.
I blink up at him. "I, I think so…" What does he want?
He seems a little irritated. I can not deal with him. "This is wrong" He mutters.
What is wrong? What is he even talking about? I bet he's crazy. It's always the perfect looking boys that end up being crazy. "Can you tell me about your girlfriend" Leave it to me to change the subject to an even more awkward one.
He looks surprised. "No girlfriend" He assures me.
"But Kari told me you have an on again off again girlfriend" I insist.
Matt takes a second to think. "Oh, Hana" he snaps his fingers in recollection. "Yeah kinda, but its not really like that" He says seriously. "I'm done with her. She just won't leave me alone" He sighs.
He even has his own personal stalker. What a guy. "She pretty?" I'm sure she is, I mean he's gorgeous, but maybe he'll placate me and say no.
Matt chuckles softly. "Sure" It doesn't sound sarcastic.
I nod. "So she's still in love with you?"
"You could put it like that"
"How would you put it?"
"That she's obsessed with me"
"My, my quite an ego" I wink.
"I can't disagree" At least he can admit it.
-x-
"I actually had fun" I smile as he walks me to the door, so gentlemanly of him.
Matt laughs. "You sound surprised" He stuffs his hands in his pockets.
I shrug, "You have kind of a rep" He should know, I mean most of the town talks about him. How him and his family are so mysterious and how he's supposedly the "bad boy", but in the time I've spent with him. He's seemed like anything but.
"So you've said" He seems amused. "But I think you've spent enough time with me to make form your own opinion" He smiles and when he does, I lose my train of thought. Words don't come so easy and I don't really think I can say anything.
I'm sure I'll be stuttering soon.
I swallow, slightly nervous. "Um yeah" I say looking towards the door.
I can practically feel my mom peeking through the curtains. "I want to take you out again" He says quietly.
My head snaps up to look into those gorgeous cobalt eyes. "Yeah?"
He nods, brushing a cool finger across my cheek. "Yeah" He says, with a hint of a smirk on his beautiful face.
I wasn't expecting this. "I'd like that too" I manage to say.
"Good"
I don't know what I'm getting myself into. And I'm not really sure where this could go. I don't think I know how I feel about him and I doubt he feels anything for me, except that he's somewhat intrigued by me, but I do know that this isn't over. We started something tonight, I don't know what to call it, and I can't put a label on it. But I know that things, as of tonight, are going to be different. Very different.
And I don't really even know how to feel about that.
But I don't think I care. "Good" I say firmly.
He leans down and for a second I think he's going to kiss me. But he doesn't.
"I'm gonna look forward to seeing you around, Mimi Tachikawa" He whispers into my ear.
Blush creeps up on my cheeks as he pulls away. "Bye" He takes out a hand to raise it.
"Bye" I squeak, why am I such an idiot?
I hear him chuckle as he walks back.
-x-
I barely make it up two steps when my mom ambushes me. "Tell me everything!" She demands in a high pitched squeal.
She's becoming more and more like a girlfriend every day. I swear, I must be her best friend or something. "Mommy" I whine.
She lightly grips my wrist. "No way! You are so not going to hold out on me" She says sternly, pulling me towards the living room. "And in return, I'll keep the lecture about how I uncomfortable you being out with him makes me to a minimum" She bargains.
Well, I kind of have to take that deal now don't I? "Promise?" I ask suspiciously.
She puts up to fingers. "Swear" She says firmly.
I raise an eye brow. "Okay" Truth be told, I kind of looked forward to telling her about it. I mean I know I promised Sora that I would tell her the second I got home but there's nothing like face time. And my mom has been pretty helpful lately.
Maybe she isn't as uncool as I thought. "Well, he took me to this lake front—
"Excuse me?" Ugh. She's totally gone into "mom mode" again.
I give her a hard look. "Mom…"
"Okay, okay. Sorry. Go" She apologizes.
I sigh. "All right so, he takes me to this amazing lake front and we just lay there and look at the stars and we didn't talk much—
"I don't like the sound of this" She interrupts again.
"Mom!"
She nods again. "All right, sorry" She puts up her hands as a sign of surrendering.
I run a hand through my hair. "As I was saying" I roll my eyes. "We didn't talk much coz I did most of the talking" I clarify.
She's working hard to keep quiet. I am so my mother's daughter.
"Well yeah, he's kind of quiet and broody. He likes to think a lot and he tends to be kind of well bi polar. He listen to me though, he gets it. And I never know what he's thinking because he never lets anything slip. But when he does say something. When he actually opens up. It's something I can't really explain" I'm gushing, I know. I sound like a crushed out pre-teen and if I was talking to anyone else, I probably wouldn't have admitted all that. But it's my mom—I think its pretty much in the parent hand book for her to be completely impartial and totally nonjudgmental.
She doesn't look happy though. "You like him?" She asks cautiously.
"I don't really know" I answer honestly. "I don't think I've spent enough time with him"
She isn't convinced, I can see the skeptical look in her eyes. "It kinda sounds like you do, baby" And she isn't comfortable with that.
"No, I don't think so." I mean, not yet anyway.
She lets out a sigh. "I trust you Mimi, I love you and I want you to be happy" She says in one breath.
"Okay…"
She looks at the floor before glancing back at me. "That said, I need you to be careful" She stresses. "I don't know much about this boy, no one does. And if he's anything like they say—
"He isn't, Mom he's so different from what they say" I insist.
No one knows him here.
"He's in a band Mimi." My mom says.
"So? What does that have to do with anything?" I don't understand why she thinks that's important.
She looks so worried. "I mean, drugs? Girls? He got in trouble with the law a year ago. Him and his friends—I knew that letting you go out was going to be a mistake but I didn't want to smother you and I—
I can't listen to this anymore. "Mom, stop. You're seriously starting to bother me now" I'm beginning to feel angry. "He isn't like that, at all. You don't know him" I hiss.
"And you do?"
"I know him better than most of the gossips in this town! He's a nice guy!"
"Right" She says sarcastically.
"Why'd you act so excited when I told you, huh?" I demand, she had sounded so supportive when I was leaving. Helping me pick out an outfit, telling me what to do with my hair and how much makeup I should wear.
She shakes her head. "I was trying to be your friend. I wanted you to feel like you could come to me for anything" She laughs bitterly. "I thought that once you went out with him, you'd get over this "crush" or whatever it was and—
"You hoped things would go bad" I accuse.
"No, no" This obviously isn't going how she thought it would. "Mimi, it's just that first and foremost I'm your mother—
"Thanks for the biology lesson" I snort, making to get off the couch.
She ignores my interruption. "I worry. It's part of who I am and I'm trying to work on it." She says. "But I just need you to be careful" She settles.
I look at her. "But you'll let me keep seeing him?" I ask carefully.
She doesn't answer right away. "If that's what you want" She answers quietly.
"You won't be happy about it, though." I don't want my mom to be worried sick every time I'm out with him.
She shakes her head slowly. "No, but I'll deal" She says honestly. "You need to promise me that you're gonna be—
"Careful, yeah. Got it" I finish.
She smiles. "I trust you Mimi, I just love you too much to let you get hurt" She pulls me in for a hug.
Reluctantly, I give in. "I love you too, Mom" I mumble. "You just need to stop being so dramatic" I tease.
She pulls out of the hug and takes me by the shoulders. "Oh yeah, I'm dramatic" She laughs, rolling her eyes.
"I'll be fine" I assure her. "You don't need to worry"
"I'm your mom. Worrying comes with the job description"
I can understand that, I guess. "Okay, if we're done with this verbal sparring match, I think I'm gonna go to sleep" I grin.
She runs a hand through my hair. "You mean way too much to me kiddo, I can't stand to see you hurting"
Ugh, we're getting too mushy again. "I can take care of myself mom" I mutter.
She smiles. "Don't grow up too fast, Hm?" I know there's a hidden meaning in there. What she really means is "please don't have sex?", parents are so easy to read.
I nod anyway, just to avoid the conversation. "Sure mom"
-x-
Fact: Two guys and one girl, always equals major drama.
-x-
A/n: We waited until Friday to update, the system was way too out of whack. Hopefully, if everything goes well, we'll be updating every Friday.
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