Perpendicular

Chapter Three: Changes in Slopes

Today, hopefully will be a little brighter, I thought as I tried to untangle myself from my bed sheets. I looked at the clock at my end table that glared a bright blue across my room and it read four am. It was hard to keep asleep when I couldn't keep my mind off of the mess I found the people in my life throwing me into once more. However, all that could be left to do about my situation until Tsururi comes back home is to remain within my cage once more.

Standing up, I decided to look out into the backyard from my barricaded French doors. I longed a bit to walk out onto the balcony and admire the sun's rays tearing through the cool blue of dawn, but everything was filthy from years of being untouched. My woven swinging chairs had been demolished from the wear and tear of snow, and it reminded me of the winter I tried to throw my body down. In some way...I thought that the snow would break my fall. But then, I wanted to die and part from the excessive misery I was forced to bear with.

I had not noticed him appear from behind me until I heard keys jingling in front of my chest.

I refused to make eye contact with him; however he did not touch me. Like magic, the white doors opened and he pressed some codes in to release the bars. It left me so grateful for the sudden tranquility that I was unsure of whether or not this was a joke.

His hand darted out gentleman like, ushering me out onto the balcony. When the cold hit me as I stepped out, I was amazed at the actual refreshing view of the lushness within the yard. I was careful in an attempt to keep my gown clean as peered over the edge at the millions of flowers blooming through a maze of green. The light posts in the yard glittered like lightning bugs in the summertime. It was the first time I had breath fresh air since I last remembered. It was wonderful.

"How is he?" I tried to refrain from visibly cringing at the sound of his voice.

It sounded distant and smoky. I thought twice about believing he might have been heartbroken.

"...he's alright. He's very nice." I tried to be particular.

"Does he love you the way I do?"

I bit my lip closed my eyes.

'If I scream, will someone save me?'

"Kaneru. Does he?"

Genkei's arms wrapped around me gently and his long graying hair fell beside me, weaving in with my own whitish one.

"P-please stop," I half whispered when he tried to kiss me.

I wanted to run, but the urge to kill myself was not that great any longer. I wished that Takashi could be my savior. He was the only person who at least tried to care and mean it. He did not want anything of me. He did not want to use me. He was not hungry for this power Genkei and my mother tried to control me with. There was no rebuttal with them.

"If you have to go, won't you at least want something to remember me by?" His rough aging lips touched mine.

I tried to scream, but apparently everyone was fond of strangling me.

Jumping from the balcony was tempting again.

"Okay-listen...up...Kaneru." I sat in front of Tsururi and a few of her friends.

We were gathered to plan the wedding already. Tsururi's heart was set on becoming a June bride and going for a Western wedding, so we had to get moving because there was only two to three weeks left. However, enduring time with her was causing more pain than I could relent.

Firstly, I almost woke up late and spoiled her plans for sisterly bonding. Right, I completely understand the mild annoyance, but it was fine afterwards and I let her pick out whatever she wanted for me to wear and for her to wear. I had never been outside of home, so to see so many people was really frightening to say the least. I threw over some mannequins in the mall and Tsururi had to apologize to the store owner for the damage since they were porcelain.

The apology concerned me greatly because somewhere along the lines, mother implemented that mentally, I was an indolent. I still kept quiet as she spoke hoping the man would buy it. He did and then told me I could not return there until I managed to stabilize my condition and that was only IF it could be stabilized.

Secondly, I had made her out to be quite nice...yet, this was turning out to become quite wrong. Not entirely. But, now I'm forced to sit beside her and stick out the contract I unfortunately signed this morning legally stating I was engaged to Mori and I could not break this unless Tsururi and Mitsukuni were to break up or there were financial issues involved. Since most of the world around me is fairly cloudy, I can only hope there are no business bonds that everyone has no idea about. My father looked like a nice man. Could he abuse me this way too?

The abuse could not be as painful as listening to my so-called-sister, break down her speech so that I could understand her.

"Which...dress...do...you...like...BETTER?"

It was pitiful to watch the girls around me snort and I could only sit there in some kind of possessive catatonic state.

"Are you sure she just can't like...not understand Japanese or something?" A girl with honey brown hair pushed Tsururi aside and snapped and waved her fingers in my face.

I was tired and wanted nothing more to return to my violin. But I'm sure Genkei would find his way to torture me again.

"Oh please Renge. You should have seen what happened at dinner. Poor thing burned herself with tea and apologized in front of everyone for "ruining" dinner. It was sooo adorable."

"Then nothing's wrong with her. Perhaps her mouth just hurts maybe?" A darker haired girl with shiny dark brown eyes spoke bluntly. She rolled her eyes before sitting next to me.

"But she spoke so carefully!" Tsururi argued when Haruhi left her side.

"I'm sorry that your sister is an airhead. I'm Haruhi, and that's Renge."

A sane person. So there is a god.

"Kaneru." I slowly tried to smile.

She gave me a reassuring one and I blushed slightly at how cute she looked herself. Her brown hair curling around her shoulders made her more mature, but her big brown eyes were so innocent.

"So we're agreeing on the note that Ruri is a baka?" Tsururi glared at Renge tossing one of the sofa pillows at her.

She laughed like a maniac for a moment, "I could have three bowls of rice."

I giggled a bit before replying, "I'm okay. I'm just nervous about getting married."

Haruhi cocked her head to the side in confusion and I held my breath in giving a small smile.

Tsururi was quick to interrupt letting on a weak grin, "Well, no need to be nervous. You have lots of time to plan for yours, I have very little for mine. Shall we go cake tasting now? I've decided on the champagne ribbons."

I began to feel a little skeptical of her reaction. Was my marriage with Takashi that big of a deal?

Song Inspiration;

Only One- Yellowcard.

Surprisingly enough, I've had this chapter here for the longest. I couldn't quite figure out how to end it and I'm on a three-road path to deciding where it's going next :/

The story is still on hiatus, well until I plan it out.

But, I'm more willing to write my new story Devils Do Exist and it is primarily my concern as of now. As for updating this one, I can't promise anything (you can check my profile for additional info or PM with other questions). But I think for those who don't really know what's going on, this chapter is for you guys.

Thanks to: gaijin .sparrow, Random Reviewer, At the Heart of the Storm, Princess Of Souls Chishio chuudoku and Linda Chicana for the wonderful reviews and everyone else for reading!