Hey everyone,

I apologize for the late late update, but college is such a pain. Maybe if some nice rich person can drop a million dollars into my bank account I can just spend the days writing fanfiction and working on my novel ideas.

le sigh

RxExR

Chapter 9: Risk

It's been three days since we've moved in to our power-free apartment. I've bought candles so we don't have to eat in complete darkness. I can't get our power turned on until I can give Tsubasa the rent and deposit I still owe him. I thought about asking Hotaru for an advance, but I figure I look suspicious enough with my shifty answers about my family and the fact my little brother is surgically attached to my hip. My body has adjusted to running on five to six hours of sleep which is due in part to the fact that I started drinking coffee.

Kokoro, the guy at the gas station, was happy to see us in less bulky wear and without our bags. He was grinning from ear to ear when we walked in looking like regular customers. He looked eager to ask me about it, but he remembered our agreement and shut his mouth as quickly as he opened it and just continued to smile. I got myself a coffee from the machine while Youichi wandered the aisles of the store looking at nothing in particular. The invisible leash he made for himself that keeps him cemented to my side when I'm not working is slowly letting itself uncoil.

I feel a twinge of pride every time I notice little improvements in Youichi's behavior. When Anna gives him a piece of cake on my lunch break, he doesn't hesitate to dig right into it. He still doesn't speak to her, but her face lights up when he snatches up his fork and dives right into her sweets. She just sits there staring at him as he eats with this big stupid grin on her face like he's some super important food critic or something.

I spend a couple coins on coffee every few hours. Anna gave me this weird look when I first started, stating all these facts about coffee and oral hygiene. I tuned her out after the first hour, but Anna's like an infection. If not properly taken care of, she'll just keep coming back.

"Look Anna, I understand that you're concerned, but I have two jobs and a kid brother tailing after me. I need coffee." I explained to her before taking a big gulp of hot deliciousness.

"But Miiiiiikan there are so many healthy alternatives." She began.

"But none that is quick, easy and only cost a couple yen." I cut her off.

She pouted through the rest of our shift, but eventually got over it in her typical Anna way. She bounced around the room in her curly pink pigtails smiling every which way. I put the plate that I was serving down in front of the female customer. I was covering three of Misaki's tables on my own. She told me that I was a fast learner, but she didn't want to overwhelm me just yet. Nobara wounded my hair into a high bun. She has appointed herself my own personal hair stylist and claims that she has found her calling. Before I know it she'll be bringing scissors and a straightener with her to the break room.

My encounter with Natsume and the territorial Sumire hadn't crossed my mind until I saw him plopped on the couch next to Youichi. I didn't freak out like before because he was sitting down perfectly harmless in front of the television on the opposite end from Youichi. I swallowed deeply and took a step into the room, but I didn't get far before Ruka popped up behind me.

"Oh Mikan-chan Hello." He greeted me with a smile.

I still do not like this guy.

"Chan? Aren't you getting a little too familiar? You don't even know me."

Instead of getting insulted, like I wish he would, he just smiles some more and apologizes, "I guess you're right. What would you like to be called?" he asks with wide blue eyes.

Is he kidding me? I've honed my radiation of "I hate you, go away" vibes for years under Persona, but this guy just can't take a hint. He's just so. . . nice. It's nauseating. It would be nice if I wasn't so convinced that he's wearing a wire or something.

I really wish this Ruka guy would buzz off. Bad enough I'm mooching off of Tsubasa's sympathy for the next week and a half. I completely ignore his question and walk over to Youichi forgetting Natsume was less than three feet away.

I crouch down next to him, "You-chan, I'm done with my shift. What do you want for dinner?"

He continues to stare blankly at the television. He sighs after a moment and I just pet his head. I'm thinking that means noodles. He's really gotten to like Ramen and the only reason why I know is because on our second trip to the grocery store he put a bunch of them in my basket without a word.

"Shouldn't he be in school or something?" a voice asked.

It took me a moment to register that Natsume had actually spoken to me. He seemed more like a mute if anything. I just blinked at him for minute waiting to actually see his lips move. He just continued to stare at the television.

"I think Hotaru said something about home schooling." Ruka interjected.

"How can he be homeschooled when he's always here?" Natsume said.

"Well nice to see you all have had a fascinating time deconstructing my life. Come on Youichi." I say taking his hand and easing him off the couch.

"Sakura-san it's nothing like that." Ruka said quickly.

"Deconstruct? Don't be stupid." Natsume scoffed.

"Well you seem to know enough. And all this time I thought you were just here to have your mouth readjusted by Sumire's tongue." I retort.

"You couldn't stop staring. Probably wish it was your tongue." He said not missing a beat.

My cheeks got hot, which is a sensation I'm not familiar with and I couldn't say anything other than, "Yeah right!"

I stormed passed Ruka who looked embarrassed and surprised all at once. I don't have time to decipher his facial expressions as I storm out of Imai's. An unpleasant encounter in my mind, but at the same time I'm furious that my body has betrayed me with red cheeks and a twisted tongue that only let me utter a retort that Youichi could have bested.

He's definitely a jerk who is full of himself, but his comment about Youichi bothered me more than the disgusting mental image of us kissing. Youichi should be in school and I have no idea on how to get him there. I can tell lies with ease, but I can't forge paperwork to get him into school. I'm not a criminal.

"Sakura-saaaaaaaaan!" a voice yelled out behind me.

I only turned half way before rolling my eyes as Ruka bounded towards us. I try to get a lid on my annoyance, but this kid is seriously getting under my skin. He stopped about two feet from us and caught his breath before flashing his grin.

"Great, you didn't get too far. Hotaru wants to talk to you." He says.

I'm so dead-on with my lapdog theory.

I march past him with Youichi tow and reluctantly began the short walk back to Imai's. Youichi goes back to sitting in front of the television where Natsume is still perched, much to my disdain, but I have no time to dwell on it or perform an exorcism to ward off his evil. I tap lightly on Hotaru's door and wait for the signal to enter.

My suede work boots click on the floor as I enter and the door closes with a clack. Instead of tapping away at her keyboard in her perfectly pressed suit, she is standing at her bookshelf with an open file and is wearing a school uniform: a red plaid skirt against her pale thighs, a black button down and a red blazer with a school crest on the breast. Her hair and expression are the same as always, but in a school uniform she didn't seem as intimidating or as old.

"Sit." She said in her usual way.

I straightened my skirt and sank into one of the two chairs facing her desk. It was silent for a moment as she continued reading. I looked around her office and it reminded me of the staleness of Persona's OCD, but it was warmer. I know warm seems like the wrong adjective to associate with Hotaru, but she had a vase of wild flowers on the corner of her desk and a picture frame facing away from me so I couldn't see the photo. There are lots of little things I never notice before due to the fact I always want to hightail it out of here.

She closed the file and tossed it on the desk and sighed. I'm beginning to feel a bit nervous. She didn't seem her usual stale self. She seemed to be –dare I say it –uncomfortable. Not constipated, awkward, tense or even noticeably uncomfortable, but just a subtle hint of it. Being around Youichi and observing him wordlessly has made me sensitive to the silent type or maybe I'm just over thinking it. I haven't been around her long enough to know anything about her really.

"You're a liar." She said suddenly.

My heart sank like a stone, "Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf too? What else have you been keeping a secret?" she said sitting in her chair.

I struggle to find words, but she opened the file she had and started to read.

"No permanent residence, no alleged grandparent guardianship, and no record in the home-schooling database. Shall I continue or do you want to weave me another story?"

I take a deep breath and look her straight in the eyes as I speak, "I'm not going to weave you a story Ms. Imai. I'm not going to paint you a picture of what the last week of my life has actually consisted of. I'm not going to sit here and look you straight in the eye and lie to your face because I'm not that kind of person. I'll weave a story every now and again to avoid awkward situations, but since you're confronting me like this I have no choice. On the other hand I'm not going to sit here and tell you the fascinating page turner that is my life story. If you want to fire me for lying, then go ahead because I'm not sorry and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

She narrowed her eyes at me, "If it's one thing I believe in without a doubt, it's that money can do anything and I have a lot of it Ms. Sakura. If that even is your real name. With the money that I have I don't need you to tell me your life story. I can hire the best detectives in the world and have them in Japan in a few hours. They would pick you apart and find everything from where you came from to the type of shampoo you use in your hair. Do not test me."

"I'm not testing you and if you want to dig up my past go ahead, but you should spare yourself the disappointment. I'm not running away from the mob-"

"What are you running away from?" she jumped in.

"Nothing," I say too quickly and she actually raises an eyebrow at me, "I'll be gone before you have a chance to find out and what would be the point then?"

"One phone call. One phone call and you won't be able to get a job anywhere. A legal one anyway." She threatened.

"Then you're sentencing me to a life of crime and a little boy to a life without the only person he knows."

"Did you kidnap him? Are you a criminal already?" She asked.

I didn't answer. How can I? I don't know if Persona has the whole S.W.A.T. team looking for us. I don't know if the cops are going to show up at my door with handcuffs. I don't know anything. I'm taking everything one day at a time and if something does happen, I'll deal with it. What other choice do I have? Hotaru looked frustrated which is the most expression I've ever seen her show. My guilt over this whole thing is mounting because I could cause more trouble than I'm willing to admit, but I don't have options. I never did.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm putting your business in jeopardy and like I said I'll leave if that's what you want, but that's all you'll get from me."

"I can call the police. My father is good friends with the District Attorney as well."

"Call whoever you want, but I won't be sticking around." I reply.

"You-"

But I cut her off, "Do you have dreams Hotaru? I envy you. You probably have doting parents and you have a booming business with lots of money and security. You can be anything you want to be. You're smart and beautiful, probably first in your class as well. You can put all the top colleges in Japan in a hat and just pick one, but what for? You already have a lucrative career, but do you have a dream? A crazy one, like to be a world famous pastry chef or discover the cure for cancer? Maybe your dream is to jet-set around the world and enjoy exquisite gourmet meals. I don't have a dream because even when I'm sleeping I am awake. I'm not telling you my life story not because I don't want to or because I'm embarrassed, but because in the scope of your reality I don't even exist. I am a bug on the windshield of your life. A small, insignificant being not worth anything to anyone. I don't want your pity or your judgment. All I want is to be left alone."

She just looked at me for a moment as if she was having a hard time processing what I've said. We sat there in silence just looking at one another. I remember crawling into my parents' bed on early Sunday mornings. I would lie between them and stare at the ceiling until they woke up. I would make up stories in my head as I lay there about dragons and princesses and other ridiculous things until I fell asleep only to be woken up by my dad singing the 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' song and tickling my stomach, such a weird time to remember something like that, but I can't help it. I think there's a safety zone in my head I go to when bad things are happening. If I was happy once, I will be again.

That's what I want to believe.

She spun her chair so that she was no longer facing me. I stood up to leave, but I felt there was more I had to say.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, but like I said before I would do it again. I only have one person I owe anything to and he's sitting in the lounge waiting for me. My promise to him means more to me than the type of person you think I am."

I walked to the door and twisted the knob, but made another attempt, "There are lots of things you don't know about me Hotaru. Even if you hired Sherlock Holmes and Watson, you won't know everything about me. You can learn about where I come from and my family and my school, but you will never know me. I'm not a file in your precious cabinet or a link on your computer screen. Maybe, if you actually talked to people, instead of at them you will know more about people than what a folder can tell you. And maybe someone can get to know you too, the real you."

I pulled the door open and took a step out when Hotaru finally spoke, "I need you to work tonight. Six o'clock don't be late or I'm docking you."

I smile to myself and close the door, "Yes boss-lady." I say to myself.

I arrived for my shift a half an hour early after taking Youichi out to a Ramen shop that has the most amazing noodles. Youichi went through two bowls like it was nothing at all and he even belched afterwards. The old man in charge of the shop even gave him a coupon for the next time we came. I asked Youichi on the way back if he would want to come back the next day, he just stuffed his coupon in his pocket and grabbed my hand. I couldn't help but smile and give his hand a little squeeze as we went.

When I went into the employee bathroom to change into my uniform Youichi was alone on the couch watching the television. When I came out fully dressed trying to make my hair behave, Natsume Hyuuga was sitting next to him again showing him a book. Terrified it might be porn or something I practically sprinted over to Youichi and snatched it from his hands.

"What are you doing?" I ask trying not to raise my voice.

"Oi baka what are you doing?" He said raising an elegant eyebrow at me.

"That was my line." I say glancing down at the book.

It was just a manga. The first volume of 'Full Metal Alchemist' and several other similar graphic novels stacked on the couch between them.

"All he does is sit here and watch television every day." Natsume said turning to the television.

"And comic books are a good alternative." I mock.

"At least it's something different to do." He shrugged.

I felt a tad bit guilty upon realizing that he was right. I reluctantly handed the book back to Youichi and Natsume had the nerve to smirk at me. I kissed the top of Youichi's head, ruffled his hair a bit and went to work, throwing a glare over my shoulder at Natsume as I went.

An hour into my shift Natsume came in through the 'employee only' door and sat at the bar to get a drink. Sumire was delighted and sat on top of the bar in front of him. I shake my head in disgust and go about my business being extra careful not to stare at them.

"Oi little girl," He called out to me as I was heading to the dishwashing room. He was shaking his empty glass in my direction and Sumire was staring daggers at me.

I rolled my eyes. Is this guy serious? Do I have a servant girl sign plastered on my forehead? I wanted to turn on my heel and go on ignoring him, but that stupid smirk on his face made my blood boil. I marched over to him completely ignoring Sumire.

I took the glass from him and placed it in my bucket.

"You can just leave the glass on the bar and I'm not a little girl." I told him.

"Well you responded and came over, so clearly you are a little girl." He responded.

"I only responded so I can come over here and say my peace." I said.

"So you just wanted a reason to come over?" He said.

"No!" I replied too quickly.

He chuckled at my flustered expression which just made my cheeks burn even more.

"Don't you have a table to wipe?" Sumire interjected.

"Don't you have legs to close?" I said instinctively. The girl serving drinks behind the bar laughed and Sumire shot her a look and I used the distraction to slip away. I have no idea where that snappy retort came from, but I'll more than likely be paying for it later.

Working at Imai's is like working in some parallel universe where there are no adults. Since Hotaru runs the place the legal drinking age is not enforced, but Hotaru does employ a certain level of class and precautions. If you look around it's hard to distinguish the high school seniors from the people in their mid-twenties. The older guys in suits were easy to distinguish because they always seem to be the rowdiest.

All the women high school or not seemed to be covered in make-up and wearing glamorous clothes I've only seen in magazines. Their hair swayed with their every word and they sipped their drinks through straws and giggled when they made eye contact with a good looking guy. You can see the occasional drunk couple making out in dark corners and the mating rituals called dancing near the D.J. booth. I prefer the rock genre myself, but I can understand the appeal of a dim lit place and losing yourself in the music.

I snap myself out of my random thoughts and clean off a table that is covered in lime wedges and overturned glasses. When I get into the dishwashing room Sumire is leaning against one of the machines. The look on her face tells me two things: I need to stay out of arm's length and there will probably be yelling. I open the adjacent machine and start loading it up. Sumire closes the room door and leans against the wall with arms folded.

"I don't know what your game is, but listen here Natsume isn't interested in you-"

"Thank God." I say rolling my eyes.

"You don't know anything about him, the real him. So stay away."

I turned to look at her but the expression on her face wasn't a sneer or a dirty, mean girl 'stay away from my man' kind of look, it's a cross between warning and a hint of fear in her eyes. I clear my throat and try reanalyzing the look on her face.

"It's a little hard to intimidate me when you're shoving your tongue down his throat ninety nine point nine percent of the time."

I closed the machine and pressed the start button. I pick up my bucket and start to leave, but she pushed me back. Not hard enough to start a cat fight but enough to make me take a step back.

"Do you wonder why an eighteen year old guy can just walk into a bar and drink whatever he wants? Why everyone seems to hold their breath when he walks by? He's a Hyuuga and you have no idea what that means around here."

"Sumire I really don't care. I have no intention of getting involved with Natsume Hyuuga. Quite frankly I can't stand the guy so get over-"

I stopped talking immediately as my eyes landed on something that made my stomach churn. My mother's diamond necklace from Persona hung around Sumire's pale, dainty neck. I feel like I'm going to puke. What the hell is Sumire doing with that necklace? It's too similar to be coincidence. She gives me a weird look and says something, but I don't hear her over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I babble some incoherent sentence about having to get back to work and rush past her.

I pawned off my mother's necklace for food, so why would her necklace show up around Sumire's neck? I suppose it could be coincidental, but what are the odds? Pretty small either way you look at it. I'm just a little sensitive right now I think. I just need to lose myself in my work before I start getting worked up about jewelry and uncanny coincidences.

"Oi little girl." A familiar voice calls out.

I forget all about the necklace and roll my eyes. Sitting on a couch in the corner of the bar is none other than Natsume Hyuuga—again.

I decide ignoring him is the best way out of the entire ordeal that is bound to ensue if I engage in conversation with him. How did I even hear him over the thumping base is beyond me. He wasn't far, but there is quite a distance between us, which means he would have had to be yelling for me to hear him. Looking at him, he didn't seem like the type to raise his voice. A dark look and a hollow whisper would be enough to silence any room.

The simple fact that he kept conversing with me is beginning to draw attention. The girl who heard me insult Sumire at the bar already spread it to everyone else working in the bar which spread upstairs to the restaurant. Sumire is still glowering at me from her resumed perch on the bar. I don't know what she's so sour about tons of guys are hitting on her and buying her drinks so what if Nats-

"Are you deaf now too?" a voice said right by my ear.

I nearly leap out of my skin, but upon realizing that it was just Natsume I felt my cheeks grow warm with frustration—again.

"What are you? My babysitter? Go away. I'm already in enough trouble because of you." I say.

"Because of me?" He scoffed shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yes. Sumire is all pissy for no reason." I hiss picking up cups from an empty table.

"It might have something to do with the fact that you called her a slut." He mocked.

"Well. . . That's. . . God you're annoying." I said furiously cleaning a tabletop.

He made a sound that was caught between a scoff and a laugh and walked off. I was glad that he was gone and pondered why the hell he was even there in the first place. I unconsciously watched him exit the club just to make sure he actually left and wouldn't sneak up behind me again. He left through the main entrance so hopefully he won't be spending anymore couch sitting time with Youichi. I have no idea what that guy's deal is but according to the gossip I've heard in the lounge he's not someone you want to get mixed up with.

Though his intentions are unclear, Natsume Hyuuga is no virgin and quite the womanizer. According to Hoshio, Natsume is like a skilled hunter and once he sets his eyes on the prize: the chase is on. I pray this sudden start of conversation isn't the initiation of some cat and mouse game that I am bound to lose.

"Don't be ridiculous Mikan." Anna says when she visits me on my break after I confide my worries to her.

"Because there's no way Natsume is interested in me like that right?" I say hopefully.

"No," my heart sank, "It's just ridiculous to worry about it. I mean it's not like he's going to shoot you or anything."

"That's comforting." I pout.

"Besides as far as I can tell Natsume likes the easy kill. Like a wounded zebra. You are a graceful gazelle and you're quick witted and stubborn. He'll leave you alone to frolic when the next sleazy thing walks through the door."

I sigh. She is right after all. Natsume's reputation did stem from the fact that girls just seemed to fall around him and their clothes seemed to want to bust right off of them. I have nothing to worry about. My worries about Natsume melted away as I went about my work. Sumire was being a major pain in the butt, by spilling things on purpose and making me get down to wipe it up. I swallowed my pride and bit my tongue. The sooner she got back to feeling like she was on top, the sooner I can go back to being anonymous.

The next morning when I walked into the gas station Kokoro wasn't behind the counter. It was empty and I wondered if it was closed and I just missed the sign, but before I walked back out to check for a 'Closed' sign, Kokoro came out of the back room carrying a box.

"Morning Mikan-chan!" He greeted enthusiastically.

"Morning." I replied with not even a fraction of his enthusiasm.

"You're looking good these days." He said restocking the candy display.

"You mean less homeless?" I said inserting my coins in the coffee machine.

"Something like that." He said not pressing it.

I watched as the cup dropped from the machine and the hot brown liquid poured out into it. I pulled out the lid and some sugar packets. Something is bothering me, but I didn't know which is worse: asking or not asking. Kokoro seemed harmless enough just standing there stocking candy in a black t-shirt and an employee smock.

To hell with it.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"You just did." He said teasingly.

I gave him a look and he just smiled and retracted with, "Only if I can ask you one."

"Fine. Remember that necklace I gave to you? Where is it now? Did you pawn it?" I asked.

"That was three questions," He said, "Yes. I don't know. No."

"If you didn't pawn it then where is?" I asked trying not to panic.

"That's another one. I gave it to someone." He said dismissively.

"A girl?" I asked.

"I think your quota for questions has been filled. It's my turn to ask one."

I suppress my irritated sigh, "What?"

"Do you like pancakes?" he asked with that big goofy grin.

"I give you an opportunity to ask me anything you want and you ask me if I like pancakes?" I ask him in disbelief.

He just shrugs his shoulders.

"I hate pancakes." I take Youichi's hand and leave the gas station.

I don't really hate pancakes. I actually quite like them especially drowned in strawberry syrup, but I wasn't going to let him know that. I'm weary of unpredictable people. I find comfort in being able to read people: their moods, expressions, body movement and be able to use that to predict their next move, but everyone in this town has thrown me off somehow. Well except Sumire, that girl is something right out of a shoujo manga. She radiates perfection at all the right moments and the minute you step into her territory she goes all homicidal kitten. Point being, she's predictable and therefore, can't scare me. Kokoro, Hotaru, Ruka, Natsume are just a hand full of people I cannot trust, simply because they're all so random and out of place yet they all occupy the same space. A genius entrepreneur that still in her teens, her blonde boy lap dog, the Lolita girly staff, the mysterious bad boy lurking in and out, the elegant restaurant and the underground bar; everything is just so. . . random. And me and my little brother, practically runaway fugitives, caught up in the middle.

Yeah that's random.

"What's wrong with these people?" Youichi asked in a monotone voice.

I sigh before responding, "I have no idea."

Maybe they're all insane or maybe there's something in the water in this town. What I know for sure is that I have to get rid of that necklace. I'm more than confident that it would be just my luck that every person I run into in this town probably knows everyone else. I've fallen smack dab onto the set of some narcissistic wanna-be novelist's creative playground. My thoughts wander into the dimension of frivolity where I imagine my perfect life in a posh loft, modern-Victorian contrast decorated, with beautiful paintings hung and maybe a dog. I want a view as well. For three years my only view has been my own little box. Seeing people walk back and forth at school and on the street, as oblivious of me as I am of them. I want to see the world, really see it: the people, the scenery, no metaphorical bars on the windows and no blanket over my eyes that prevent me from seeing the beauty in life and in people. I want to see something.

Every event since our escape has been like a spark, little sparks that haven't ignited anything big yet. The only problem is I can see the main sparks, but not the small ones. Usually these mini sparks are no problem, they fade out easily and don't burn too hot, but they still hold potential. That tiny spark can ignite something huge. I don't know if that's good or bad.

When that time comes, I hope I find the spark before I see the smoke.

Tell me what you think about the chapter.

I'm writing Chapter 10 right now. Building ever so slowly to epic climaxes and dramatic conclusions.

Lots of Love

Chi-chan