Abi
There are some things in life I don't fully, and doubt I ever will, understand. One that really struck me…death. It seems to be brought up casually when it hasn't occurred around you or whomever you're talking with, but it seems so…sudden, maybe unnatural.
One minute you're breathing and alive, ill or well, and then you just stop. I knew Kikyou's father was never really happy with her mother, he was happier with his first was who I found altogether more respectable. Kamiko, Kikyou's mother, struck her more than once and now without the protection of her father, I did worry for her.
Then fathers. If you were the mother of a child you most likely raised it, willingly or not. To me, men seemed to have the option. My father left during my mother's pregnancy, but she never told me anything other than that about him. I asked a lot, mostly when I was younger, but the last thing my mother wanted to deal with was feelings and emotions. She claimed to be independent, but she was always marrying or divorcing, then repeating that cycle. There was a time I wondered about my father everyday. Now, my life keeping me generally busy, I realize I hardly even think about it. I'm not even sure if I want to really meet him, if given the opportunity.
Part of me thinks it'd be good, but then I wonder what kind of person could leave a woman and his unborn child. From what I know, my father hasn't bothered to look or gain contact with me, but things like that my mother would keep from me.
Kikyou's father, however, I knew well. When I was a child he always seemed to be there when I did need to talk. He was a good person, and Kikyou adored him. They seemed to have an inseparable bond…so I still don't understand why he'd commit suicide so unexpectedly. I'm sure there was more to it and either Kikyou wasn't telling me or she didn't know herself.
I watch her groggily come down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She was never an early riser. Her face seems so saddened. Her eyes are red and her face pale, hair a mess and just blank eyes. I offer a plate to her and she shakes her head.
"You have to eat, Kikyou." I whisper and she shrugs.
"…I'm just gunna go home I guess…gunna have to face her eventually." Her monotone voice worried me.
"Will you be alright?" I ask and she nods slowly. "Call if you need anything." I hug her and she lightly pats my back. She pulls away almost a second later and I walk her to the front door, frowning and waving from the porch as she drives off.
-
Sesshomaru.
The sun's just setting and I quickly feel around my pocket for my keys as I walk from the side door to my car. My mother's had enough alcohol for me to leave the house unnoticed and it's frankly better than listening to her cry about how miserable her life is…again. I find the key and blink when I lift my head and see Abi on her porch.
She sitting with her elbows on her knees, holding her chin up, though her expression is bored. I hesitantly walk up to her and she jumps a bit and looks over to me, obviously taken off guard in her trance.
"What are you doing?" I whisper.
"Oh…nothing, my mother and her boyfriend came back early because of some 'misunderstanding' so…they're at it inside." She points to the door and I glance at it before nodding.
"Wanna go for a ride?"
"Where?" She blinks questionably and I rub the back of my neck, not sure why I'm nervous.
"Anywhere but here…just forget…our lives for a bit…things aren't so great over at my house, either." I thought she would want some kind of explanation, even a brief one like she had given me, but instead she just nodded, giving me a knowing look, and stood up, brushing her skirt off.
I lead her across the yard and into mine, genuinely opening the passenger door for her. I get in the driver's and drive in any direction. The sun's almost down by now and she stares out the window, I notice the ends of her ruby lips twisted into a small smile. For some reason, that made me smile to myself as I averted all my attention back to the road. Everything that was going on at home was put to rest in the back of my mind.
"The beach!" She almost squealed and I blinked. "Can we go there?" She eagerly pointed out the window and I nodded. She had a child's cuteness in her excitement.
Abi.
He u-turned to the parking lot of the beach and I felt myself grinning. I hadn't been to the beach in a while now and the breeze tonight seemed perfect. He got out of the car himself and then helped me out. I took my flip-flops off and stepped over the wooden railing that separated the sand from the tar.
He followed quickly behind me and walked alongside me on the beach. I scrunch my nose at the scent of beer and look up to see the two boys that had been at Sesshomaru's just yesterday; the tanned and braided ones. There's Kikyou with her head on the one with red eyes lap, he's petting her with one hand and sipping from his bottle with the other. The other tanned one, with the blue eyes, is kissing up to the girl that's unfamiliar to me. Maybe it's his girlfriend…looks as though he's in trouble with her either way.
"Well hello there, Sesshomaru." The blue-eyed-boy winks and Sesshomaru twists his face into disgust.
"You remember Bankotsu and Hiten…and that's Kagura." He points out. "Oh and Kikyou." I nod and sit beside the only girl I really have a bond with. I frown when I smell the liquor on her; she seems out of it already and was never good at coping with sudden emotions.
"Hey." Hiten looks to me and I blink and wave. "What's your name again?" He asks casually, taking another sip from his Budweiser bottle.
"Abi." I whisper and he nods.
"Miss me?" Bankotsu scoots nearer and I subconsciously scoot away.
"Leave the poor girl alone." Sesshomaru rolls his eyes and I play with the end of Kikyou's bangs inattentively.
"Like he has the decency to leave anyone alone." Kagura grumbles, glaring directly at her boyfriend. I feel awkward and out of place now.
"Tch…you love me." He argued and they bickered but I managed to block it out once he moved away from me. Sesshomaru was back to being quiet and mellow, as he always appeared.
"Who you dating?" Hiten asked again and I looked over.
"It's…complicated." I sighed as I told him the same thing I told Sesshomaru.
"So…you're single?" He gives off a cocky smile and I shrug, playing with the ends of my layered hair now. He leans closer and I can smell the alcohol on his breath.
"How about you sit on my lap right now and we can…talk about the first thing that pops up?" His mischievous grin irks me and I feel my brows knot together.
"I don't think it'd be a very long conversation." I growl a bit and notice some anger flare in his eyes. Good, he deserves it.
"I'm going to give Kikyou a ride home, are you ready or should I come get you later?" Sesshomaru offers.
"No…I think I'm all set now." I whisper and give Hiten back one harsh look before following Sesshomaru, who's carrying Kikyou to his car now.
"Oh come on." He mutters the rest of what he has to say and I ignore it, sitting in the back with Kikyou.
And the worst part is there's still something about him that attracts me to him.