A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks again for the reviews~~ You are all the most amazing peoples ever in the entire universe! ^_^ Anyway, here's the next chappie!
Artist's Alley
Chapter 15
My back against the door, I slid to the floor and buried my face in my knees, letting the tears come freely. I wanted to get it all out now. Maybe if I let all the tears out, the pain would go away sooner. I couldn't believe I was having to go through this again.
There wasn't very much time for me to cry though, because after only a few moments I heard footsteps running down the stairs and my mother's voice nearly shouting my name. My parents appeared in front of the door, and I knew I was done for. The look on my father's face, eyes hard, mouth thin, was one that I saw rarely, but one that I knew the instant I saw it. I was in deep shit.
I stood up to face them, and my mother threw her arms around my neck, hugging me so tightly I could barely breathe. Then she let go, and the next thing I knew her hand had slapped me across the cheek. It wasn't a hard slap, but enough to make the skin sting and tears form in my already teary eyes. Before I could react, she was hugging me again.
"Kaya! What were you thinking, running off again?" she said, still holding me as if I might disappear if she released me again.
"I'm sorry, Mom," I said, because there wasn't anything else to say. I couldn't tell them that I hadn't run away this time, even though I really wanted them to understand. But I knew that for Deidara's sake, I had to keep this quiet. Besides, even if I did tell them, there was no guarantee they would even believe me.
"Kaya." This was my father. "Are you alright? You aren't hurt?"
I shook my head as my mother finally released me. "No, I'm fine."
He let out a long sigh. "I think we need to have a talk."
I nodded silently, knowing my future was grim. Just as I was starting to follow him into the living room, the doorbell rang. We all turned around, wondering who it was. For a split second, I had a spark of hope that it might be Deidara, but that wasn't possible. Since my mother was nearest to the door, she opened it. And my eyes went wide, because actually, it really was Deidara. He was now wearing a suit jacket and tie over his white shirt and black pants, and his hair was pulled completely out of his face. It was the first time I had seen his entire face. Except for the bandage and the fact that his hair was still long, he almost looked professional. If he had looked like this the first time I met him, I might not have had such a hard time believing he was a teacher.
"Hello, can I help you?" my mother asked.
"Excuse me for intruding, but are you Nakashima-san's parents, un?" Deidara asked. My jaw could have dropped. He was being so formal. It was weird.
"Parents? You mean Kaya's?" my mother repeated. I noticed that her cheeks were a little pink. "I don't know if I would say I'm her parent or anything." She let out a girlish giggle.
What the heck? What did she mean by that? Wait a minute...pink cheeks, girlish giggle, lying about her age? I gaped at my mother.
My father must not have realized what was going on in my mother's head because he gave her a very confused look as he stepped forward to speak with Deidara. "We are her parents," he said. "Is anything wrong? My daughter just returned home. She hasn't gotten into any trouble has she?"
Deidara smiled. "No, quite the opposite, in fact, un," he said. "My name is Iwato Deidara from the Tokyo Academy for Young Artists."
Oh no. Why did he have to tell them who he was? My father's face changed completely, and I was suddenly scared that he might try to strangle Deidara right on the spot. I could have smacked myself right then because it was my fault that my father wanted Deidara dead. I was the idiot who had told my parents I was living with him. Although it seemed like an eternity ago, I guess the memory was still fresh in my father's memory.
"You're Iwato Deidara?" my father repeated, his hands clenching the doorframe. "How dare you show your face here, after what you did to my daughter? You set her on the wrong path, having a sixteen year old girl live with you. I should just kill you right now."
That's what I was afraid of. "Dad," I started to try to calm him down, but Deidara was too quick for me.
"Live with me?" Deidara repeated. He both looked and sounded genuinely surprised. "There must be some sort of misunderstanding. I would never let such a young girl live with me."
I couldn't help glaring at him a little. He was such a liar.
"Don't you dare lie to me. My daughter told me about you herself. Now get out of here!" my father growled.
My mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, let's hear him out. He doesn't look like a bad man." She tilted her head and cast a flirtatious smile in Deidara's direction.
I could have gagged. I could not believe my own mother was acting like this. My father grimaced, but he seemed willing to listen to my mother's words. "Alright," he said. "Why did my daughter say she was living with you if she wasn't?" I wondered if he would have been so willing to talk if he had realized that my mother was flirting with Deidara.
"You see, I'm in charge of a training program for aspiring artists who were unable to pass the entrance exam. Since your daughter failed," he glanced at me and I saw the slightest smirk on his face. I could not believe it. He was making fun of me! Had I seriously been upset at the thought of never seeing him again? It didn't seem like such a terrible thing now. "she was participating in the program. Of course, as soon as I found out that she was there without the permission of her parents, I had no choice but to send her home straightaway, un."
I was surprised. The story actually sounded plausible, and it made Deidara seem like a mature, responsible adult. He was a pretty good liar. Unfortunately my father still looked skeptical, but my mother seemed to be buying it.
"Kaya never was very good at explaining things," she pointed out.
My father seemed to take this into consideration. He turned to me. "Kaya, is this true?"
"Um, uh, y-yes, th-that's what happened," I said. Crap, there's no way my parents wouldn't see right through that.
My father turned back to Deidara. "I see," he said. "In that case, allow me to apologize for my daughter's unruly behavior." I blinked at him. Seriously? He was going for it?
"No, no, please. I am the one who should apologize, un," Deidara said. "If I had done a more thorough check of her background, I'm certain it would have saved you a lot of grief."
"I would say so," my father agreed bitterly.
"I humbly beg your forgiveness," Deidara said. I still couldn't quite believe this was really the Deidara I knew, but whatever.
Now my mother cut in. "Oh, you don't have to worry about a little thing like that. There's nothing to forgive at all," she gushed.
Well, it's good to know my mother cares so much about me. Not.
"Actually, there is one more thing. It seems that your daughter recently snuck away to go on the week long retreat our class is holding."
My father glanced at me. "So, that's where she was."
I glared at Deidara. Why couldn't he come up with a lie that didn't get me in trouble? He ignored me of course and kept talking.
"I would have contacted you as soon as I found out, but I'm afraid we were in the mountains and the phone lines were out. I left the retreat to bring her back home, but it seems you still spent several days worrying, un. I am very sorry."
"Kaya," my mother said, "how could you do such a thing? You've caused so much trouble for this poor man."
I groaned inwardly. "Sorry, Mom," I muttered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Deidara was smirking again. He was really enjoying this, wasn't he?
"Thank you for going out of your away to bring her home," my father said. "We are very sorry for her behavior. I don't know what's come over her recently."
Deidara nodded. "Yes, your daughter seems to be very passionate. Actually, despite her behavior, I have a request."
"Of course, what is it?" my mother asked.
"I would like you to consider allowing your daughter to return to the training program, un."
My parents looked as shocked as I was at that, although probably for different reasons. I blinked at him. Did this mean he wanted me to come back? I stared at him, trying to catch his eye so I could figure out what he was thinking, but he didn't even glance at me.
"I'm sorry, I don't think that will be possible," my father said.
"After all the trouble she's caused you, we couldn't possibly force her on you again," my mother agreed. 'Force' me on him? Seriously, wasn't she taking this a little far?
"I believe your daughter has a lot of potential. Although her behavior so far has been deplorable, I do think it would be for the best if she has the opportunity to return, un," Deidara told my parents. Did he really think I had a lot of potential?
Both of my parents hesitated, not quite sure what to say. My father spoke first. "I suppose we could consider it," he said. "She needs to be punished though, or she won't ever learn."
"Of course," Deidara agreed. "If she does return, she'll be on probation for six months, during which time she'll have to clean the classrooms every day, as well as being given extra assignments, and if she breaks even a small rule, she will be immediately expelled."
"Isn't that a bit harsh?" my mother asked. "Will she be able to keep up with her studies?" Hey, she was actually defending me now!
"If she is really serious about art, then yes, and if not, then she has no business studying at our school in the first place."
My mother looked a bit taken aback at his sudden cold words, but I think my father liked it. "That's how it should be," my father said. "Fine."
I blinked. Fine? Did that mean...?
"We'll allow her to return as a probationary student on the condition that she swears to behave herself," my father finished.