Chapter 11 – Insomnia
Keiko thought about being a bunny waitress for a second, it seemed exciting and fun. Plus, she would be working at night and since she couldn't really sleep anymore it seemed perfect. Keiko couldn't sleep anymore unless she drank, otherwise she'd end up dreaming about the mansion in that town…
"What?" Redd asked Keiko sleepily, startling Keiko.
"Oh, nothing." She answered; surprised he had even woken up this early.
She opened his cupboard and found a blanket and wrapped it around herself. She felt awful, she had a headache and was starving. She huddled herself in the blanket and covered nearly all of her face with it and grunted.
"What are you doing?" Redd chuckled, sitting up in his bed.
Keiko giggled back and stomped around the room doing a funny walk. The sun was beaming into the room and gave it a lovely yellow glow. Suddenly, Keiko didn't feel so bad.
"I'm a blanket monster." she said, her voice muffled by the blanket.
Redd got out of bed and put on some pyjama bottoms which were a grey gingham print.
He actually looks quite good…
He picked up the card Keiko had tossed on the floor earlier, and looked at both sides and laughed.
"So this guy, wants you to be a bunny waitress?"
"It looks like it, yeah…"
"What a guy."
"Shut up you!"
Redd ran over to a blanket covered Keiko, grabbed her and picked her up and threw her onto the bed playfully.
"No! Redd don't" she laughed
"I'm gonna get ya…" he answered in a mock deep voice
He got onto the bed with her and started tickling her and she punched back playfully.
"You WHAT?!" Miya said excitedly.
"Yeah als…" Keiko began but was interrupted by Miya, "AGAIN?!" She asked.
"Yes, yes yesssss, I know" Keiko tried to change topic as Miya kept asking embarrassing questions.
"Oi ladies! This isn't some googoo café where you can just come to talk about boyfriends and cupcakes, it's a place of work!" Keiko's bossed yelled.
"Miya… I'll tell you about it later" She shoved the bunch of flowers into Miya's hands and ushered her out the flower shop.
Keiko thought about Redd a lot that day, it made her feel safe and secure. She thought about her other friends too; they were the only thing that stopped her feeling that awful darkness inside her. She just hated the thought of going home, because going home meant being alone. And also that she had to sleep alone, which she hated because she couldn't really sleep anymore, thoughts of the mansion would keep drifting through her mind… she gazed outside on the market street.
What the… she thought
She focused closer… there was that pink haired man again. He had a camera held up to his face; he seemed to be taking pictures of her. Click, click, click. She quickly grabbed a bunch of flowers and hid her face behind them.
"Keiko what the hell are ya doin'?" her boss barked.
"Just… smelling…" she answered, not paying attention to her bosses angry stare.
She peered over the bunch of flowers… he was gone.
She walked home the long way, anything to put off being home alone again. She felt bad going to her friend's houses all the time, she didn't want to intrude. Well, not every day anyway. She saw a small black poster on the wall; she gave it a quick glance and instantly recognised it as the sleek style that was the 'Bunny Restaurant'. She carried on home.
She entered her lonely home and felt a rustle under her feet, it was a letter…
"Dear Keiko,
You seem to have an interest in my new business venture, and I have an interest in you. I think you would fit in well with my current staff, and certainly with my customers. Come for a visit sometime.
T. R. Burton
P.S. Be sure to use the back entrance."
"Him again?!" she questioned to herself aloud.
She tossed the letter onto her couch and walked up her stairs towards her bedroom.
Later that night she laid awake in bed… she couldn't sleep. She couldn't ever sleep. She closed her eyes for a minute…
"Hello?" her voiced echoed into the darkness.
She felt cold, it didn't feel breezy though, and it felt sort of like coming out of a hot shower into a cold room.
"Hello?" she asked again, talking to nobody.
She opened her eyes and looked up at her ceiling. Why was she dreaming these stupid things?! Keiko stormed downstairs and grabbed the letter, opened the door and left. She scanned the letter for an address of the restaurant; it was scrawled on the back with fancy handwriting. She walked to the restaurant in the night air, casually slashing heartless as she went.