enjoy my same boring chapter...if you don't like it, i'll just have to ignore the bad comments!
Takuya realized it was four thirty. Takuya fell asleep but when he woke up, there was a glass of water on his bedside table. He felt parched. He chugged it down, though it tasted funny from sitting stagnant all night.
He got up slowly, he was weak, and his mouth tasted horrible. He looked at his cock.
His twenty-four hours were up.
He didn't push it, eating nothing but saltine crackers for breakfast. Shinya looked relieved to see Takuya awake.
"Tired?" Shinya asked.
"Nope…not anymore," he stretched his arms.
As soon as he finished his breakfast, Shinya went at the living room to play video games. The phone was ringing, Shinya asked Takuya if he could answer the phone, but when he heard the greeting Takuya and Shinya knew it was a voicemail.
"Hello, boys," Claire's voice was broken, crackling.
"Oh, it's Mom," Takuya groaned sympathetically. "She sounds horrible." Takuya announced. He decided not to pick up the phone.
"I'm so sorry I left you. This sucks. Anyways, I called just to check if you boys are okay. Take good care of yourselves. I'll call you when I have time. I love you." and then hung up the phone.
"Okay, that was awkward," Takuya told Shinya.
"What's awkward?" Shinya kept his eyes on the game.
"Mom."
"She'll be back, won't she?"
"Of course, she promised."
Five days have passed and Claire didn't call.
The first time Takuya called, nobody's answered. Takuya got nosy.
Saturday, he decided to sit back and relax at home. Afternoon was long. By Night, he was sure something isn't right.
The doorbell rings and Takuya opens the door to a man in a police uniform. It was Nathan.
"Good evening, Takuya," Nathan greeted.
"Yes?" Takuya raised his eyebrows.
"Please, stay calm as possible," Nathan told him.
Takuya nodded.
"Your mother died on the car accident."
Takuya's in shock. "But…the…she…I…impossible!" Takuya spluttered.
"The Taxi's break she was riding to her work wasn't actually working. The truck accidently hit the Taxi causing it to explode," the officer explained. "I am sorry for your loss."
"Well…do you have any proof that it is my mother in that accident?" Takuya wondered. "She's not dead!"
"Please, son, calm down," Nathan politely replied. "I am quite positive that it is Claire Kanbara that was on the accident. Here's your mother's DNA Test," Nathan handed Takuya the result of Claire's DNA Test. Takuya took it rudely.
The DNA Test was affirmative. Takuya tear the piece of paper into pieces aggressively.
"I'm sorry, Takuya," Nathan apologized, and Takuya wondered if Shinya were listening; Nathan sounded sad. "There's nothing we can do. You're mother is gone."
Takuya took him a second to reply. "This cannot be happening."
"Things happen for a reason, kid," Nathan hesitated for an instant too long. "Don't let it affect your life."
"So…where is she?"
"She's at the Hospital—you can visit her starting tomorrow."
"Things just don't happen like this." His voice sounded horribly phony as he babbled on.
Takuya felt worse, but not worse enough to cry. Takuya shut the door close without saying a goodbye to Nathan. He sat on the couch, missing Claire more every hour. He was lonely, worried, confused…perforated—and now also desolate as he realized that Shinya's gonna figured out quickly.
"Is there something wrong?" Shinya asked politely when he came downstairs.
Takuya didn't reply. So affected on Claire's death. First his beloved Father now his Mother.
"Well, you gotta tell me," Shinya sat beside Takuya.
"Mom's gone," Takuya replied, but Shinya already knew what it is.
"No…that's not true," Shinya stood for a moment. "She promised she'd some back." Shinya was already crying.
Just like Takuya feared. Claire won't come back just like their father did. Takuya felt the blood run out of his face.
"She's gone, Shinya," Takuya repeated.
"NO! YOU DON'T SAY THAT!" Shinya yelled and hit Takuya on his shoulder but Takuya was too numb to feel Shinya's punch.
"She's gone," Takuya snorted.
Shinya stopped punching Takuya and squeezed Takuya. Takuya hugged back.
During lunch at Shibuya National High School, Takuya was obviously absent.
"I feel so sorry for Takuya and Shinya," Zoe grunted. "I wish there's something I can do."
Her eyes slowly focused on Koji's face, and then, as she could read his expression, they filled with sadness.
"We all feel sorry for Takuya and Shinya," Koji moaned.
Everybody nodded slowly, their expression hard with grief. Zoe remembered when she went to Takuya's before she went straight to school. The pain made Takuya's face suddenly childlike—it looked odd.
Koichi was right beside JP. Takuya's friends' normal composure was absent from their agonized faces.
"Mrs. Kanbara was like a mother to us," Koichi whispered.
JP nodded. "It's gonna be hard all around."
"I wonder where Takuya and Shinya would be," Zoe wondered.
"Didn't Takuya tell you?" Koji asked.
"Nope…he was too depressed to talk much," Zoe replied.
"Probably Takuya's at the hospital with Shinya," JP answered Zoe's question.
"There are a lot of…arrangements to be made."
Zoe swallowed hard.
"We'd better visit Takuya and Shinya," Koji mumbled, and he finished his soda.
Takuya's friends visited him after school. Shinya was the one who answered the door.
"Where's Takuya?" Koji asked.
"He's at the Living Room, mocking all day," Shinya pointed out.
The boys came in and went to the living room while Zoe hugged Shinya.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Shinya rubbed of the tears in his face.
"It's going to be okay, don't worry," Zoe comforted him.
"I don't know if Takuya's going to let go easily," Shinya half smiled.
"I wish I could think of anything to say to your brother," Zoe said.
Zoe followed the boys. Takuya's face was in his hands while his on the floor instead of the couch. Zoe rubbed his shoulder.
After a long moment, Takuya caught her hand and held it to his face.
"How are you feeling?" Zoe sighed.
"Don't worry about me," Takuya croaked.
He twisted his head to look at Zoe. His eyes were rimmed in red. "You don't look so good." Koji commented.
"I don't feel so good, either, I guess." Takuya responded. "Go home—you probably ought to be there."
"What about you?" JP asked.
"We're not going to live you and Shinya here lonely," Koichi said.
"We'll be fine."
Zoe lay listlessly on the sofa. Takuya was silent. Takuya felt like peeping tom, peering through the cracks at a private sorrow.
It didn't take long. Koji, JP and Koichi decided to go home and left Zoe with Takuya. Shinya stayed in his room while Zoe was comforting Takuya.
"Zoe put her arms around Takuya's shoulder.
"Things happen for a reason Takuya," Zoe sighed.
"That's the same thing your father told me," Takuya sniffed. "Like father like daughter, huh?"
Zoe let Takuya talk.
"You know, the last time she called to us. I didn't pick up the phone. How stupid of am I!" he scolded himself. "Ever since Dad died, I never say I love you to Mom, anymore. Except before she goes to Los Angeles."
"Don't blame yourself," Zoe said.
"First, Dad and now Mom, who's next? Shinya?" Takuya continued.
"If you don't snap out of it, nothing will happen. You will be completely lost again," Zoe explained. "It's time for you to move on."
It was quiet after that. Zoe's mind was alert, and it was working very hard and very fast.
Takuya couldn't imagine his life without Zoe now—somehow, she'd become essential to his survival. But to leave things the way they were…was that cruel?
Zoe remembered wishing that there's something she could do or saying something to Takuya. She realized now that all she really wanted was Takuya. Takuya hugged her so tight. It just felt nice—warm and comforting and familiar.
Zoe threw her other arm around Takuya, crying as well. Again, she felt nice.
Zoe then realized that Takuya was slowly beginning to cry.
Takuya stopped crying after fifteen minutes.
"Sorry. I know you're thinking that I could be melodramatic, Zoe," Takuya rubbed the tears off of his face.
"I swear I don't mind. I'm just so glad you're okay." Takuya laughed his throaty laugh in her ear.
Zoe kicked her smile out, happy to see Takuya smile again.
Takuya pressed his warm cheek against the top of her hair.
Zoe turned her face to side—she pressed her lips against his bare shoulder…she knew without any doubt exactly what would follow. It was very easy.
Butterflies assaulted her stomach.
And then, Takuya's velvet voice whispered in her ear.
"Thank you," he told her.
Zoe froze.
"For what?" She said. "I didn't do much of a thing." Zoe was locked in Takuya's embrace, listening to the beat of Takuya's heart
"You didn't give up on me," the breath whooshed out of Takuya. "Even though it's getting dark."
Zoe snapped her eyes on her watch. It was already six-thirty.
"I hope dad's in a good mood," Zoe hoped.
"I'm sorry for keeping you this late," Takuya apologized.
"I gotta go." Zoe kissed him on the cheek.
Zoe slid across the front door.
"Bye, Zoe," Takuya called back over her shoulder. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She sprinted into the darkness. Zoe disappeared before Takuya could open his mouth to call her back.
"Big Brother, oh, big brother!" Shinya cried, as he slammed into Takuya.
"Shinya?" There was a strange mingling of relief and confusion in his voice.
Shinya locked his arms around him, gasping to inhale.
He rubbed Shinya's back in a gentle rhythm, waiting for him to control himself.
"I'm…sorry," Shinya blubbered. "I'm just…so happy…to see my big brother back to normal again!"
"It's okay, Shinya. Everything's okay."
"Yes," Shinya bawled. "And it's all thanks to Zoe."
Takuya sighed. "Yeah—hey! What do you mean back to normal?" he asked, and his tone was disapproving.
Shinya looked up at him through his streaming eyes. Takuya's neck was tight; straining away from her, his lips was pressed together firmly. His eyes were brown as chocolate.
"Oh," Shinya puffed. "You were like a zombie you know? You suck being empty! I hate it when you are mocking!"
"It's my own fault—hey! As if that you weren't mocking also!"
Shinya swallowed loudly. "At least I'm doing something unlike you."
"You got a point," he agreed, his eyes narrowing. "I was dead."
After two days
At Claire's funeral, everyone was there –everyone: Takuya's aunts and uncles, cousins, Claire's friends. Takuya stepped forward.
"Mom, always saw the bright side of things. She could see the bright side of a black hole. I'll miss that. She'll find Dad, now. She's happier where she is. Mom died human," Takuya said. "None of us can ask for more than that.
"Mom was good through and through. Mot one of us is equal. She was brave," Takuya continued. "She wasn't afraid to die, she wasn't afraid to live, and…she wasn't afraid to believe. She made her own decisions, and she made good ones." Takuya threw a red rose into the darkness.
Shinya began speaking. "Mom was the best and the brightest Mother I've ever had," Shinya said. "There was no hatred in his heart. She will never be replaced. Nobody's taking her place. I hope her fairytales came true. I hope you find Dad."
Shinya let the red rose trickle through her fingers and waited until he heard them fall with a soft patted onto Claire, obscured in the deep, dark grave. Then slowly everyone dropped their roses onto Claire's grave.
Takuya started to work as soon as Shinya took the first step back, shoveling from a mound of pale, dusty earth that was piled a few feet farther into the grotto. The shovel load hit with a thump rather than a whisper. The sound made the others cringed.
Koji stepped past Zoe with another shovel. Zoe turned slowly. The heavy thuds of falling dirt echoed behind her. Low voices began to murmur. She heard footsteps as people milled and huddle to discuss the funeral.
Zoe really looked at Takuya as he walked back to her—Takuya's face was streaked with pale dust, his expression weary. She'd seen his face like that before. She couldn't pinpoint the memory, she was distracted. What was she supposed to do? Nothing? Shinya and the rest were right behind them.
"How are you feeling?" Zoe asked, already prodding at Takuya's side.
"Shinya and I will be fine…" Takuya looked at the sun setting down.
"No need to push it. Let's give you a rest and piece for a few days, okay?" Koji punched Takuya's shoulder playfully, Takuya was absentminded. Zoe's hand on Takuya's shoulder didn't flinch. That surprised him.
"Hmm. That won't help, will it?" JP asked.
"Give me a week," Takuya decided, before he got pushy.
"A week would be generous," Koji commented.
"How does your head feel?" JP asked.
"A little dizzy. I think for staying late these past few days. I don't like it—I'd rather feel the pain, I think."
Zoe grimaced. So did Shinya.
"What?" Takuya demanded.
An icy air blow through them. Zoe curled her arms around her to keep warm.
"Cold?" Takuya asked, putting his arm around her before she could answer.
"You're not?"
He shook his head.
"We gotta get home now, Shinya," Takuya snapped.
"Call me!" Zoe yelled when Takuya and Shinya were walking away from them.
"At least, Takuya and Shinya got a place to live. One house and lot and a one hundred thousand dollars," Koji announced.
"Whoa, that's big!" JP said.
"They'll be fine." Koichi shrugged. "Fit as a fiddle."
Zoe frowned.
"You better get home as well Zoe," Koji snapped. "Your hands are like ice," Koji complained as he rubbed Zoe's palm.
"But I think you might be right. I'm starting to feel a little…cold."
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