Ch. 3 An Inversion of me and my Room

Ugh. Sorry, so sorry, about my crappy updating lately. Second semester of senior year…having to do this "schoolwork" thing. Ugh. Anyways, yes, all the duelists will show up, but a few of them won't be very story-important. Also, please don't email me asking for "the down low" (as someone put it) on what's going to happen. In all honesty, I don't know any more than you do. I'm totally making this up as I go. I never plan any of my fics; they're all ad-libbed.

"Shiori, at first, thought I was only friends with her because I was looking down on her. She thought I kept her around to spite her because she wasn't as 'great' as I was. Whatever that's supposed to mean."

"…."

She sat across the broken down "coffee table", stirring her tea in the chipped measuring cup, listening to my rant without complaint. Without saying anything, actually. This was the fourth time I'd shown up like that – just coming by to talk, that is. I knew eventually she would ask just why I was showing up and how I even knew where to find her in the first place, but for some reason she wasn't asking. She wasn't even hinting. She just listened.

"That wasn't the case though, far from it. I'm not a 'great' person. I never was. I kept Shiori around because…"

I stole a glance at her and found her looking at me intently, the expression behind that impossible to read. I wasn't used to being taken for anything beyond face value. It took a little getting used to.

"I kept her around because I loved who she was. I loved her shyness and her innocence. I couldn't get enough of her. I suppose I became…obsessed. It was impossible not to think of her. She was everything to me. I thought I meant something to her, too. It seemed that way. But in the end I guess not. She was so self-conscious. I wasn't using her. Even though in a way I needed her it wasn't manipulation. I wanted her around to make me a better person."

I don't really remember how I was expecting her to react, or even if I was expecting her to react at all. Really, I'd never spoken to anyone besides Miki about Shiori, and even then I was a lot more selective about what I mentioned (it was Miki, after all).

"I understand how you feel" she said, grinning to herself like a child who'd just heard something they're not supposed to find funny. "I understand. You felt like you couldn't be the person you wanted unless you had her with you, right? Like she was your…reason? Inspiration? Something like that. Sorry, I have no idea what I'm saying anymore. I can relate though."

She went back to looking down in her undisturbed tea, grinning like a kid.

"…."

I bet she could relate. Himemiya was probably her "ticket" to that whole prince façade she was aiming for. That wasn't really something I could understand. From what I knew, I was the first person she'd told the whole prince story to besides Himemiya. Right person at the right time I guess. But really, the "prince" was an image not easily escaped from. How was that working out for her, who'd lost her ticket for reasons unknown? I wanted to know. I needed to know.

But why I didn't know.

"I don't understand you" I blurted, trying to lure her in with my gaze, "I never did, even then –"

"I don't understand myself much either" she said quietly, "but then again I don't really need to. There's someone out there who knows me well enough."

Honestly, her optimism was almost sickening. How could she think like that?

"You know why I'm here right?"

"To deepen the bonds of friendship?"

"…."

"I know, I know…but really, you're the one who's going to have to deal with me. So far I haven't asked just why on Earth you want to talk to me now, and how you even knew where I lived, right?"

"True."

She laughed a bit, apparently forgetting she was twirling her tea around and spilled it in her lap.

"Huh – whoops. I spilled."

"I can see that."

"Do you still talk to Miki-kun?'

"What?"

"Miki-kun. Do you still talk to him?"

I shrugged, leaning back against the couch that probably doubled as her bed, seeing as how there were only two rooms and I doubted she slept in the bathroom.

"I suppose. We still spar, and he does visit from time to time."

"Time to time?"

"He goes to an all boys school. And apparently Kozue monopolizes whatever time he has left."

Another small smile graced her lips, making me wonder if the subject change was made to put me off. The tea was still soaking into her lap.

"I never understood why you two were friends" Utena murmured, putting her "cup" down on the table. "Miki-kun's such a proper and nice person. N-not to say that you aren't – it's just…"

"I'm a 'scary' person?"

"…No…"

"Liar."

Our eyes met above the table and she burst out laughing, flopping down on the floor and rolling around like an idiot. "I can't tell if you're trying to be funny or not! You're a hoot!"

'She's going to bother the people who live downstairs' I thought nervously as she kicked her feet and openly pondered my dry humor.

'And it's not dry…'

"You're always so serious! You act like such an egoist! Ha ha!"

"I'm right here you know. Plus, your shorts still have tea on the crotch. You look like you peed yourself."

"Jury-sempai, why are you looking at my crotch?"

"….I'm going home."

"Wait, I was joking! I kid, I kid!"

The commotion ensued, she changed her shorts and made more (strong) tea (she wasn't very good at it). We talked about what my new school was like and her part-time job as one of those people who went door-to-door selling bibles. "I'm not so much into the religion, but it's salary pay, you know? Plus, I get a lot of garden gnomes for it."

"…You're stealing garden gnomes?"

"Only from the houses of nonbelievers."

"…."

For the first time in a long time I spent the whole day smiling.

When the phone rang my face was plastered to my computer desk with drool. I ended up swinging my head up too fast and hurt it, then fell over while trying to stand up and get the phone. "Damn it! Who the heck calls someone at…Oh God, it's 3:15? Jeez…I shouldn't have stolen those gnomes…is this karma? I need to return them…ah, shut up, shut up, shut up, phone!"

Really, why did I even bother with the phone? It wasn't like anyone ever called me anyways, so –

"Hello? What?" I snapped, forgetting it wasn't really the phone's fault (my grip was a little too rough).

"Utena?"

"Jury-sempai?" I asked, my tone softening (a little). "Why are you calling me at the Devil's hour? That really creeped me out. I thought it was 'cause I watched that one movie, you know; where you die in seven –"

"I have someone on the other line for you, okay? Don't hang up, okay?"

"…Uh?" My bad mood returned instantly – why was she setting people up to prank call me at three A.M. for?

'I'm not in the mood for this…' I had to work the early shift the next day, and on top of that do math classes. Math was my worst subject. 'Does anyone like math? No. What a dumb subject…I don't need to know the quadratic equation to get by in life –'

"Utena Tenjou?"

I was so surprised I almost dropped the phone. I hadn't heard that voice in so long, I really didn't think I'd ever hear from him again. Not at 3:15 – I mean 3:17 in the morning.

"Miki-kun?"

"Uh, yes."

"Why are you calling me? Where's Jury-sempai? What's going on? Are you still in Ohtori? How'd you get my number -?"

"Utena, we're on three-way. And stop talking so much; he can barely speak" Jury-sempai sighed, sounding just as tired as I felt. I probably was going off too much but still…it was Miki-kun! Why was he calling me?

"Utena?" he started again hesitantly, as if prepared for another outbreak.

"Yeah, I'm here! What's up, Miki-kun?"

"You guys, I'm going to bed. I have school tomorrow" was all sempai said before hanging up. I was going to complain that I was tired too (I think that's why she hung up so fast) but didn't get the chance.

"What's wrong with her?"

"We've been on the phone since ten."

"Huh?"

It was past three twenty. I was tired and would be busy all the next day. Seeing as how I'd be exhausted from school and work I wouldn't have time to look for Himemiya. 'Hm…'

"Utena? I don't mean to sound like a snoop or like I was going behind your back but when Jury-san and I were talking Himemiya came up and –"

Mind lapse.

"I think I could help you."

"What?"

I'd just been given a reason to talk to Miki-kun for the next few hours.

ugh. well, that only took a few months. sorry im so slow...im failing algebra...i thought i was doing good in algebra...oh noes...

anywho, nanami will show up soon...eventually...before saiyonji does anyway