Chapter 10
Kiba ran as fast as he could, aware that he was leaving poor Cheza behind. She had, like most nights, agreed to accompany him, and here he was being a jerk. He slowed his pace so she could catch up.
"Tsume's driving me crazy, he thinks he's the boss of everyone, and seriously? Blaming me for giving the boys a ride?" He had been talking about it for the past 30 minutes, and even to his ears, he sounded annoying. He was whining. That was usually Toboe's job.
"Yeah" Cheza agreed, trying to catch her breath. He was running faster than usual. "I understand that you're upset."
Well, there it was. She hadn't said he was right, or wrong, she was just there for him. She was understanding. How did he ever meet a girl like her in a city like this?
"I just... I think this isn't the place for me, y'know? Does that make sense?" He asked, stopping and sitting on the hood of his car. They had driven to the park, and had been running for an hour. It wasn't his favorite place to run, but when he was with Cheza, he preferred the safer parts of town.
She smiled and sat next to him. "What do you mean?"
"I..."
"Are you okay? You seem very worried Kiba, not just angry." She commented, as he shrugged, looked at her, and kissed her cheek.
"I want to leave, Cheza, I have for a while now-"
"Leave to where?"
"Anywhere! I don't want to live in the city where my parents died, where my grandmother died- this place...means death to me. I want to leave, and find out who I really am. I feel something calling me-" He admitted. It was a crazy thought, and he'd never leave his brothers, or Cheza, but... he also wasn't lying.
"You're a special man, Kiba" She whispered, which just made him blush and feel stupid. Of course Cheza was too nice to call him crazy. They had really bonded during their nightly runs though, and he thought she was a special kind of girl-destined for more than Freeze City could offer.
"..."
"Kiba?"
"..."
"When you leave, will you take this one?" She asked quietly, pointing, jokingly and sweetly to herself. He nodded, and kissed her.
"So, no little girl has come to claim her kitten, Hige" Blue accused, annoyed. Toboe and Hige had promised that she wouldn't have to take care of the beast forever, but Friday afternoon had come and gone, and the kitten was still hanging around her house.
"I know, Blue...I'm sorry." They were 'studying' on the floor of her bedroom, her father was working late, and so he'd decided it was safe enough. He hadn't expected that Toboe's little friend wouldn't show up to school though, and so now Blue was annoyed with him over the whole 'save the kitten' ordeal.
"She'll be back on Monday, I'm sure..."
"Or never, and I'll be stuck cat-sitting forever..." She knew she was exaggerating, but she was trying to make a point. A point he didn't seem to understand, because while she tried to stay angry and stern, he smiled at her, leaned in, and kissed her. She let him, and soon, the homework in front of them was forgotten, until...
"Ouch!"
"Stupid chair!"
"My hair!"
"Damn it, what the hell did I just touch?"
"Blue, can't we just get on the bed?"
"No! You are not getting on my bed unless you're my husband" She half joked, but really, all her talks with her father about modesty, self-respect and waiting were on her mind.
"Will you marry me?" Hige half joked back. He realized they were too young for a lot of things, but he did plan on making her his wife one day. She laughed at that, and he was back to kissing her gently.
The two teenagers were on the floor of the black haired girl's bedroom. Enjoying that for once, her father wasn't home, and she'd convinced him that she was staying at a friend's house- a girl friend.
"Don't be stupid, little kid" She laughed, it would always be a joke that he was 14 months younger than her, though admittedly, it was also a bit hadn't exactly meant to fall for him. It had happened without her being aware, but somehow, from the moment she'd met him, she had felt safe, and free all at the same time. It was at the beginning of the year. She had actually met his older brother, Kiba, first. They hadn't gotten along, but there had been this unfamiliar attraction. Maybe it was just the universe trying to tell her that she was close to meeting Hige.
The silly, kind, gross, carefree boy in the math class where she was a teacher's aide. He stole her heart right away, and there was no one else.
"Maybe after you get a job, and a driver's license." She rolled her eyes, and then rolled away from him, so they were both looking at the plastic, glowing stars of her ceiling. In a moment of bravery, and her body wanting to feel him, she put her hand on his thigh, and squeezed. She was horrified when he flinched and shuffled away from her.
"..."
"Hige...what's wrong? I'm sorry..."
"Nothing, nothing is wrong!" The boy tried to explain, a little too frantically, but when he held her hand, she relaxed.
"I just...I wanted to ask, Blue, will you...be my girlfriend?"
She tried not to seem too eager, but her smile widened,she was sure she'd never smiled wider.
"Duh!"
The young man sipped his soda slowly, looking around the Alta's Diner, it was a small, run down place, but they made the best fries, and it was the 12 year old's favorite place. He had been excited when his older brother told him how Tsume was working late-or something, and Hige was studying-or something, and if he'd like to get dinner.
"This is really great...thanks Kiba."
The older boy nodded, never one to waste words, but though Toboe was saying all the right things, his face revealed that he wasn't being completely honest. Kiba didn't pry, never. He was blunt and to the point, so when Toboe kept looking around the diner, not eating, he spoke up.
"You look like someone whose dog was just run over."
That made the boy's head shoot up, face flushed. "...Sorry. I...had a weird day."
"..."
"I mean, I guess not weird, weird...It's just that this girl, that I had expected to see at school, wasn't there, and well, this other girl wasn't there either. I think maybe...No, that couldn't be. I mean, do you think something could have happened to them? I know we don't live in the safest city, and they're young and... I don't know."
It was like word vomit with the kid, and it made Kiba grimace. It was a mystery how Toboe had managed to survive Junior High for as long as he had (6 months).
"You don't think I'm crazy do you? Maybe I am though, maybe I'm just super paranoid, and they'll be at school on Monday, but there was this thing with a cat, and-" Damn. It just kept going, and going. The older boy tried to follow along, but he was easily distracted by the french fries on his plate. He should have gotten onion rings.
"You talk so much."
"Oh!...Sorry." The younger boy blushed, Kiba was so cool, and he was annoying him! Toboe had the unfortunate habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve, he didn't like secrets, and he wanted, so badly, to communicate his thoughts and worries with someone who loved him. He wanted a mom. He wanted a granny. He was stuck with brothers.
Blue brushed off her hair as she leaned in to give Hige a quick kiss on the cheek. They had walked down to the living room after they'd become "official". They were both smiling, but both also nervous. Evening had snuck up on them, thought they were a bit oblivious to that. They had never been alone like this before, and now it was very obvious that they cared about each other deeply and in ways that maybe two young teenagers shouldn't, but it was what it was.
She was feeling overly romantic, so when the boy made his next comment, she immediately frowned.
"I gotta take a leak"
She rolled her eyes and got up. "You've ruined the moment-just go"
He smirked. "Okay...but,one more kiss" He whispered, leaning into her, and then on top of her. She returned the deep kiss, reaching underneath his shirt, as he reached into hers and caressed her gently.
It was a position that her father would find them in 10 seconds later.
"Blue!?" He roared, though his eyes were clearly more concentrated on the boy touching his baby. He was seeing black, and had to dig his fingernails into his palms, as to not lose it completely.
"Oh...shit" The teenagers managed to whisper, simultaneously.
To be Continued...
