- A Beautiful Tomorrow - An Ambient Generation
. . . Camera Obscura . . .
Hey guys sorry for the long wait. So I counted the chapters I have left and its 10 more until this story is over. Yeah it's pretty long. I'm happy for the people that still read this though. Enjoy this chapter! You'll love the first few paragraphs, those that wanted to imagine some action. Heh.
His head was tilted slightly to one side, and hers the other. His lips delving deeply into hers. His arms lightly gripping her forearms gently and defiantly at the same time.
Alice didn't know how long they were standing there, lips locked, tongues colliding… but imagine, doing it all in front of somebody. Yuri's ex-girlfriend to be exact.
Her ears weren't working properly enough to hear what was issuing out of the cheerleader's horrified and stunned mouth. Her heart was hammering madly in her chest.
Alice was torn between panic and as scary as it may seem, enjoyment. Whatever ricocheted in her mind didn't prevent her from the relentless kissing.
Finally, Yuri slowly slid his tongue back into its proper place, gently biting down on the anxious girl's lower lip, he pulled away. Yuri raised his light amber eyes to meet the vibrant, shocked and astonished azure ones.
Alice's swollen, red lips parted as she stared at him in disbelief and astonishment. Oddly remembering the ice cream episode, Yuri placed his thumb under her chin and closed her mouth. She gently sighed and closed her eyes.
Suddenly a choked cry broke the mood and she immediately averted her eyes, face plummeting to a dark shade of magenta.
Yuri's attention was shifted away from the tiny blonde female before him and towards the sputtering and enraged red head. He raised an eyebrow, reality now coming back.
Karin's face was flushed as red as her hair and her mouth hung open as she practically panted for breath, her eyes wide with shock itself. He noticed how her fingers were now practically digging into her palm.
"T-this—you didn't—I cant… no… this isn't—" She spluttered, struggling to speak. "I don't believe this—you didn't—no… no this isn't happening to me. You don't mean to do this to me."
Her voice was now cracking along with her face, which was still steadily growing redder.
Guilt wrenched its way into Alice. She never felt more ashamed of herself as she watched Karin's speeding face from pale to blue. Even the cheerleaders' glossed lips, which had lost its shine, were violently trembling.
Alice suddenly wanted to be anywhere but there, watching Karin crack. Slowly she backed a few steps away before turning and abruptly running down the hall, ignoring Yuri's attempts to call her back.
"Don't you dare run after her!" Karin hissed, seizing his sleeve to hold him back. "Y-you have no right."
"I wasn't going to," Yuri muttered, immediately ceasing his attempts to yank his arm away from her.
"I gotta go." He tugged, but she kept gripping his arm.
"No!" she screeched, "You can't leave me here like this!"
Yuri finally looked at her. "Like what?" he spat.
"You don't love me anymore!" Karin exclaimed angrily, "You never loved me!"
He restrained from rolling his eyes. "Your point?"
Karin gasped. "You didn't? Y-you…" suddenly she burst into tears. Very noisy tears.
Yuri stared at her, a bit bewildered. "What the hell…"
"I HATE YOU!" she screamed through her misery. "GO! GO RUN AFTER THAT--THAT WENCH! We're through! I hate her!"
It was remarkable because with every word, she seemed to cry harder. "You hurt me! You actually HURT me! You're the first guy who ever hurt me! I--I hate you!"
"Karin," Yuri sighed wearily. "Listen,"
"NO!" Karin shouted before she ran past him, running lopsidedly on her stick heels.
Yuri wordlessly watched her, standing still in his spot. He stood there for quite some time, staring at the now closed school doors. Confused thoughts chased each other in his head. Only when a sudden crash of thunder was heard did he jump and move to leave.
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"This is so awful!" Mrs. Elliot exclaimed. "How can this happen? I don't believe this! Are you sure, dear? I--I don't understand this at all. How could this happen?" she repeated.
Alice silently shut the front door behind her and listened.
"I didn't do anything wrong did I, Mrs. Elliot?"
"No, of course not! This is absurd!"
"It's alright," the voice sighed. "I guess I better pack."
Alice heard her mother sigh also. "Ridiculous," she muttered. "Well… I… I guess," Mrs. Elliot halfheartedly agreed. "We'll go out tonight, alright darling? We'll have your last dinner together… we'll make it special, how's that, dear?"
An abrupt anger came over Alice. Her mother talked to Yoshiko as if she was her daughter. Bitterness overwhelmed her so, that the earlier incident slowly ebbed away from her mind.
She knew she shouldn't get angry, but her mother never really talked to her like that. She couldn't remember the last time her mother did. But no, not for darling Yoshiko.
Alice suddenly detested Yoshiko. She hoped the foreign girl was going to leave, and by the sound of their conversation, it sounded as if she was; and soon, too.
Grim satisfaction filled Alice as she stalked as silently as she could to the stairs before running up. She heard Yoshiko agree to her mother's proposition as she kicked her bedroom door open.
"Alice…? Is that you?" Yoshiko called while coming up the stairs.
An annoyed noise coming somewhere in her throat came out, but Alice plastered a phony smile and turned around.
"Yoshiko! What's up?" her false cheery voice seemed to be convincing and the Asian girl gave her a small rare smile.
"Not much… I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Oh no! Why?" Alice cried. "That's not good! Did the principal tell you this?"
Yes, the thought danced around her head.
"Yeah," Yoshiko shrugged. "I guess I sort of miss home anyway." She sighed. "But this was a definite interesting experience."
Alice faked another smile. "I guess so."
Yoshiko turned to leave, before stopping and turning to her again. Her mouth opened but Alice already knew what she was about to say.
"Oh, your mother said we're going out to eat tonight." She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "She said to wear a dress."
"Sure thing!" Alice chirped. "You wear a dress too, okay? A long one." She grinned. Yoshiko rolled her eyes but seemed to smile also.
When she left, Alice cursed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had grown some over the past months it was now some inches below her shoulders.
She quickly grabbed a pair of scissors and began pondering whether to chop it again or not... She sighed and put down the scissors deciding not to. But she didn't want it to grow, and she never wanted to be that Alice again.
She threw herself onto her neatly made bed. Her fingers clenched around the edge of one of her toss pillows, as she buried her face.
"Alice! Alice dear, be ready by 7!" Her mother's voice floated through her door.
Alice, The girl mimicked mentally. Alice dear.
The thunderous, roaring rain seemed to echo her thoughts.
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"You look marvelous, Yoshiko!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Elliot."
"Where did you get such a lovely thing? I love the material!"
"My Aunt bought it for me from a boutique back in Japan."
"Stunning! Alice? Alice are you ready?" Mrs. Elliot called up the stairs. "Come down dear, I'm sure my dress fits you."
The fair skinned girl stonily folded her arms and leaned against her bedroom doorway, clad in one of her mother's dresses. It had grown much too small for Mrs. Elliot, as she said, and would probably fit Alice.
It did fit, but Alice didn't want to go downstairs anymore because of Yoshiko's astounding dress from Japan. She silently grunted, fingers tugging a bit nervously at her dress.
"Alllice!" Mrs. Elliot called again. "Sweetie we're getting late! If we don't reach there by 7: 30 they'll cancel our reservation."
Reservation, Alice thought. The restaurant they were eating at must have been some spectacular formal place. Figures, she thought dully.
"Alice!" there was now a bite of impatience in her tone.
Alice pushed herself away from the wall and walked out her room, towards the stairs.
"All done!" she sang, smiling brightly. "Wow, Yoshiko! That dress is so salient! It's remarkable!"
Her eyes lingered at the clingy, lurid yellow long dress which sported two humongous slits at the sides. The top was all covered in pale pink-ish fur and looked as if it came from the scary Halloween costume
"Thanks," Yoshiko replied swiftly. "Your dress is very nice too."
Alice turned to her mother expectantly, waiting for her say. Mrs. Elliot bit her lower lip hesitantly. "It's a bit too fitting, dear."
Alice looked down at her white silky formal gown and threw her mother an angry look, then stared at Yoshiko's skintight dress.
"Oh well, it's just dinner!" Mrs. Elliot quickly said, beaming again. "Let's get going! Oh Michelle, we're going to be out for dinner tonight, alright?" She said, while pulling on a coat as she spoke to one of the "occupants" who wandered out of the living room.
"Sure," Michelle said listlessly. "Have fun." She went into the kitchen.
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Alice pulled one of her mother's never worn short leather jacket on and waited a bit impatiently as Yoshiko pulled around herself some bizarre, furry over coat. She restrained herself from sighing and walked over to the front door. Pulling it open, she was greeted by a flash of lightening and continuous raining.
"It's raining." She stated flatly.
Mrs. Elliot didn't appear bothered. "Umbrellas!" she said brightly, rummaging around the front hall closet.
Alice stepped out onto the porch, waiting for her mother and Yoshiko to hurry up. Her eyes studied the dark, gray sky and rainy scenery. A soft, glum sigh escaped from her lips and she quickly turned back to the house.
"Can we go?"
Mrs. Elliot and Yoshiko hurried out. She handed her daughter an umbrella and told her to open it to share with Yoshiko as she locked the door.
Alice fiddled idly with the umbrella, trying to remember how to use it again.
"Careful, careful!" Mrs. Elliot said. "We don't want you to accidentally open it in Yoshiko's face now!"
What about my face? Alice thought, fingers wrenching around to figure a way to get it open. She glowered at Yoshiko when her back was turned.
She decided to open the umbrella once Yoshiko turned to face her, so the umbrella would expand in her face.
"Dear," Mrs. Elliot said, sighing. "Why don't you give it to Yoshiko? Maybe she can try," she gestured for the Asian to take it, completely ruining Alice's plan.
Yoshiko slid her fingers carefully beneath the flap. Alice heard a soft click and the umbrella expanded.
"See?" Alice's mother said, "Simple really, thank you dear."
"No problem, Mrs. Elliot." Came the automatic reply. Alice grinded her teeth and followed Miss Perfect.
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Dinner was terrible. Alice couldn't stand how her mother and Yoshiko talked spiritedly about almost anything. She also despised how they didn't even bother to ask her to join their conversation.
Mrs. Elliot would of course, glance in her direction and ask her a few small questions but that was before she and Yoshiko were lost discussing stupid kimonos and other such.
Alice spent most of her time slumped in her seat and watching the pair of them through narrowed eyes while irate thoughts whirred around in her head.
Finally, when they were leaving Alice was first out of the restaurant; she didn't even bother to wait for Yoshiko and snatched up their umbrella, stalking to the car.
Alice climbed into the passenger side and locker the door after her. Let Yoshiko sit in the back.
On the way there, Alice sat back there and had to go through the pains of listening to her mother bond with an almost complete stranger. Alice tightened her grip around the armrest.
Fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Elliot and Yoshiko were walking out the restaurant, sharing an umbrella, talking and laughing. As if they weren't even aware that Alice was waiting for them or stole the other umbrella.
Like mother and daughter, Alice thought sullenly.
"Did you wait too long?" Mrs. Elliot asked a bit anxiously when they had climbed in.
"Yes."
"Oh dear." Mrs. Elliot started the car. "You see I didn't want to just leave the money on the table, so Yoshiko had to go over and," She started laughing, "It was so funny. She didn't know where to go and--"
"Very funny." Alice said through gritted teeth. "I'm tired, mom. I want to go home. Now."
"We are going home," Yoshiko said from the back.
"But I thought you wanted to go driving around to see the city at night!" Mrs. Elliot said, "Alice, come on, only this once. Yoshiko's leaving in the morning and she told me you never took her."
"Fine."
Mrs. Elliot bit her lip before forcing a smile and nodded cheerily back to Yoshiko. "Alright then. It looks beautiful at night," she said.
"I can't wait to see it!" Yoshiko practically squealed. "I've always wanted to see these places in America. I didn't want to ask Alice because I thought she might be too busy and…"
Alice shut her eyes. "I left my jacket."
"…I didn't ask her. I was planning to just go by myself, actually… but unfortunately…"
"Oh how terrible!" Mrs. Elliot cried. "You should have told me earlier! I could have taken all of us together!"
"I left my jacket."
"No, it's fine. At least I'll get to see it tonight."
"Yes, thank goodness we'll manage to see it the night before you leave, what's that, Alice?"
"Nothing." Alice shifted her weight and looked out the window. Rain pounded down from the sky and every now and then, a flash of lightening would streak the sky. She sighed inaudibly and slightly slumped in her seat.
They came across a red light and Mrs. Elliot stopped. "Oh if only we went earlier, we could have gone up the revolving restaurant! In fact, we should have eaten there instead!"
"Revolving?" Yoshiko echoed, sounding ecstatic. "You mean turning?"
"Yes! It turns while you're dining, and its way up in the air. It's so wonderful!" Mrs. Elliot sighed regrettably. "I am so sorry for not thinking of it earlier. Alice you should have told me about it. Why it's your favorite place to eat when--"
"How is it my fault?" Alice snapped, temper flaring.
"I--I was just saying," Mrs. Elliot's voice faltered. "Dear, you shouldn't lose your temper--"
"Lose my temper?" Alice sat up, voice rising. "This whole evening you and Yoshiko have been ignoring me as if I wasn't even there! And now we're practically next to each other and you're still ignoring me."
"Ignoring you? How could you say such a thing? I would never ignore you!"
"You were doing it just now."
"Sweetie, you don't seem to want to talk to Yoshiko, so I'm trying to make her feel a bit more welcome and comforted before she leaves for Japan! You don't have to be so worked up about it!"
Alice was so angry she could have jumped out of the car. And after a few times the thought raced through her head, she did just that. Alice pushed her passenger side door open and stepped out into the middle of the stopped traffic.
"Alice!" Mrs. Elliot shouted. "What are you doing!? Get back in here! It's pouring out there!"
"I think I can feel it." Alice ignored the onlookers staring out their car windows. "I'm walking home," she said shortly. "You go with Yoshiko to look around the city"
With that she turned her heel and zigzagged through the cars and the pounding rain.
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Alice wanted to drop to the ground and stay there. Her soaked white evening gown felt much heavier than it did before she started out. Her platinum hair was splattered to her head, and she was shivering like mad.
She dragged her feet and forced herself to keep walking. She must have been crazy to decide to walk home in the rain. Home felt so far away and she was only at a nearby shop which was probably five or ten miles away from her house. And that was only if you were driving.
Alice wrapped her arms around herself. Why on earth had she left the stupid restaurant without grabbing her jacket? She felt sick and cold. Alice sneezed and bent her head down trying to block the rain from beating itself upon her face.
Her feet grew heavier with every step and she finally rested beneath a large oak tree when she reached the nearest neighborhood. She didn't linger long however, in fear that someone would come out of the house behind her and yell at her to get off their property.
"I am going to die," She sighed as she limped down the street. The wet material uncomfortable clung to her body. Alice pushed away wet strands that stuck to her face and let out a bitter gasp.
Reaching the end of the street, Alice paused to rest for a second. She pulled herself onto the sidewalk and sat down. A car past by and Alice tried ignoring the fact that the driver was staring at her. She turned her head and looked up at the two story house behind her.
It oddly looked pleasant and inviting. Up in one of the windows Alice could see a young girl in her early teens move around in her room. Safe, dry, warm, and definitely out of the rain.
There was no car in the driveway and Alice guessed more like hoped, that the girl was home alone and she could ring the doorbell and ask to use her phone to call for a cab.
She had taken a few mere steps up the driveway when she felt headlights flash across her back. She stiffened and could hear a car slow down behind her, obviously attempting to drive up.
Mortify mounted inside of her. Alice was caught between running off the driveway and just continuing up. Her paralyzed form didn't allow her to do any and finally, the car behind her turned off.
Alice slowly turned around and saw an indigo colored Honda behind her. The parents, She freaked. She whipped her head back to the front when she saw the drivers' side opening.
"Can I help you?" The driver sounded a bit perplexed.
Okay… not the parents. Alice closed her eyes before slowly turning around. "Um, I'd just like to use your phone, sir." She said meekly.
"You do realize it's raining?" The voice sounded dubious and as if straining from laughter.
"Yes..."
"Get off the driveway and let me park," The person gestured towards the front door. "Go wait under on the porch."
Alice managed a nod and headed up to the front door, jumping at the sound of roaring thunder. Shivering, she tried her best to wipe off the water from her bare, freezing arms as she waited.
The night was utterly dark and Alice wondered why they didn't have the porch light on. She watched as the person got back into the car, and drive up before carefully parking.
For some reason they sounded strangely familiar.
So who is the person? It could be one of many. I'll let you take a guess. I'll try to update more often too so I can finish this once and for all. Thanks for being patient for the most part.