Identity Lost
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters, I do not own.
Four – Connor Striker
Sometimes you just gotta play the hand you're dealt.
The last string of customers made their way to the exit and they finally closed down for the night. Time had crawled to 4am. Mima didn't understand the customers' passion for the drinks but she served them regardless. She remembered trying a couple of sips a few years back when some aggressive customers insisted on buying her a drink and she remembered Jezzie giving her such a threatening stare that said she had better not refuse a drink from a customer.
The churning feeling in her stomach began almost as soon as she swallowed that first sip, which made her run to the bathroom to release all contents in her stomach. She remembered how they all barked with laughter at her reaction. That was the day she learned that she couldn't consume anything with alcohol. Ironic wasn't it, how a waitress in a pub couldn't withstand even the smallest amounts of the beverage they offered.
Once the tables were wiped down, floors mopped, and bags of garbage taken to the dumpster, Mima locked down the joint and headed home.
"Jezzie? I'm home." Mima greeted the dark entrance of their shared apartment. Three months ago, they both moved out of their parents' home, thinking they would have more freedom.
"What took you so long?" She scolded angrily from the doorway of her bedroom. Jezzie, two years her senior, constantly talked down to her as if Mima were dim-witted.
"It took longer to close down than usual." Mima replied quietly as she locked the door. "I'm going to turn in for the night. I feel exhausted."
"Oh, you feel exhausted? You were moving at a snail's pace tonight. Mom spent the entire night complaining behind your back, I was getting so sick of hearing it." Jezzie countered angrily.
"Look, I don't want to fight right now. We'll talk tomorrow." With that said, Mima closed her room door and slowly changed out of her work clothes. For some reason, Jezzie always picked a fight with her. Whenever they had visitors while living with their parents, Jezzie always fought for attention and Mima willingly gave in. She was indifferent for such trivial actions. However, despite her efforts, everyone crowded around her instead of Jezzie, firing hundreds of questions. That just made her sister even more furious with her.
Some even admitted that Mima looked a lot like Jezzie. They shared the same cheekbones and heart-shaped face. Jezzie hated it when people called them twins but neither of them could deny the similarities of their facial features and body type. Mima even went to great lengths of looking completely different from Jezzie in order to appease her by dying her hair and wearing plain clothes to hide her figure.
Slipping into her pj's, she didn't want to give their little tirade another thought. Mima briefly touched her necklace to calm herself then tucked it under her shirt and went to sleep.
A loud sounding knock on the door stirred her awake from her dreamless state. Knowing all too well how deeply Jezzie sleeps, she pulled on a robe and went to answer before the banging roused Jezzie up. That was the last thing she needed: a sleep deprived, grumpy older sibling yelling at her…
"I'm coming!" Mima announced as the incessant knocking continued. She wondered who on earth would be at their doorstep at eight in the morning.
She groaned inwardly when she looked through the peephole and discovered who was standing on the other side. "Connor, it's too early. What do you need?" Mima said by way of greeting the second they came face to face.
Connor Striker was as confident as any top executive in the business community. Looking much younger than his 32 years, he was dressed in a dark suit, carrying a black leather-covered suitcase. His shoulder length hair, the color of black coffee beans, kept part of his face hidden behind smooth tendrils of hair and enhanced his seductive demeanour. He knew he looked good and that made Mima more irritated to see him in the middle of her much needed rest.
"Morning, Mima. I just came to see if you made it back home alright." Connor said as he shrugged his shoulders and offered her the usual smirk that she loathed. Ever since he met her ten years ago, he had been infatuated with her and hadn't even hidden his intentions. When his family moved into their neighbourhood all those years ago, he often made excuses to stop by their home to speak to her.
Looking anywhere but his face, she replied, "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. You do this every week! You know what time I get home from work. Why do you torment me like this?"
Taken aback, he simply answered, "I care about you. Why do you think I stop by before running to work to check up on you?"
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm a grown woman now. I can take care of myself. Now please, go to work. I don't want you to be late." She said as she slowly closed the door behind her.
"See? You do care about me! You don't want me to be late." He said triumphantly. "I'll catch you later, Mima! Sweet dreams."
She rolled her eyes as she locked the door once again. One thing was for certain, she couldn't deny his good looks and charming personality but she was never really interested in getting into a serious relationship with anyone. He also had the prestigious background that most young girls in the neighbourhood would be dying to be a part of. The Striker family was renowned for their 'old money' – assets and property that switched hands through inheritance and Connor was the next in line to claim it all. Nevertheless, Connor felt more like a brother figure than anything else, no matter how much money they possessed.
"Who was that?" Jezzie asked as she walked into the kitchen for coffee. Their two-bedroom apartment wasn't much of anything aside from their meagre rooms, a small-sized kitchen, dust covered living room that would also count as a dining room, and an antique bathroom where the sink leaked 24/7.
"Huh? Oh, it was just Connor again."
"Connor! Why didn't you wake me? Was he looking for me?" Jezzie asked, suddenly excited. Apparently, Jezzie was among the hundreds of girls with Connor Striker in their eyesight.
"Um…He just stopped by to say hi." Mima replied, hoping she wouldn't pry.
"You should've woken me up, Mima! Geez…I don't even know why I put up with you."
"Hey, I'm sorry. I'll wake you next time ok? Let's just drop it." She said, sounding tired. Mima walked back to her room to avoid yet another confrontation.
"Don't turn away when I'm talking to you dammit! You know how much I like him and you still try to seduce him." Jezzie accused as she followed Mima.
Mima was simply shocked at the accusation. "What are you talking about? I don't even care about him. Have him for all I care."
"Oh, sure. So you're just going to give him up!" Jezzie shouted, exasperated.
"Jezzie, I never had him in the first place. Please, I'm really tired. Can we argue later?"
"Fine! You always do this to me, you know." She muttered and went back to making that cup of coffee.
Mima didn't understand what she did to ever deserve such a cold, calculating sister. All her life, or the years she remembered at least, she was nothing but kind to her family especially Jezzie and she never understood why it was so difficult to fit in.
TBC
AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! It's been a while since I wrote and I'm kinda slow haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and trust me, it's going to get a lot better!
