"Thanks! Bye!" I said, and walked off, putting my new… things in my pocket and then ran off to my apartment, putting my things in on the couch before making my way down the way through the lobby.
"Where were you?" Tsukiko asked, walking in from the back room. I smiled nervously.
"My friend was a little under the weather, so I stayed over at his house last night." I said.
"Ooh… His?" Tsukiko said, walking over with a smirk on her face. I turned red.
"Not like that!" I said, receiving a few looks. "Not-nothing happened!"
"Whatever you say…" She said. "But if your parents are going to be in-laws or grandparents anytime soon let me kno- oh! Your mother called."
"Shoot! My phone died overnight." I said. "I haven't even called Miku to say I'd take over her shift."
"Ah... she called in sick today." Tsukiko said. I sighed.
"I'll tell you what. I'll take your phone and charge it, and you head off to work." Tsukiko offered. I smiled and hugged her.
"ARIGATOU!" I exclaimed, then backed up and handed her my phone before running off to work.
"Sorry I'm late! Friend was sick! Taking Miku's shift." I managed through breaths.
"Well it's about time you got here." Hojo said. I sighed. "Well suit up and let's get to work, with Miku sick and you late we're a little backed up. Today's really busy."
"Yes, yes!" I said and rushed off into the back room, putting on my apron and grabbing my nametag, heading out and serving the people that came in, rushing the whole way.
"Hurry guys, hurry! Being late and having a sugar stop has me hyper and ready! Let's go!" I said, grabbing a couple their coffee and rushing out.
I continued through, serving, taking orders, giving bills, grabbing money, enjoying larger tips, and resting in between orders. I walked over to a group by the window and began taking their orders. I walked off to get coffee for them.
"Hey." Risa said. I looked over. "I'll take some more tables. You have table 13."
"Um.. all right." I said. I handed the group their drinks then while flipping over the pad paper I walked over to table 13 and put a menu on the table. I began writing what needed on the pad. "Hello, welcome to Namiregawa's diner the beverages are on the inside cover of the menu and I'll be your server today, what would you like to drink?"
"How about… a coke?" Kyo said. I looked up at him and then smiled.
"You're feeling better!" I said. He nodded and I grinned, jotting down the drinks.
"Hey.. can I have more of that stuff from yesterday?" He asked. I smiled and wrote it down.
"Sure thing." I said. I rushed off, putting the order on the rack and going over to fix up a drink. I brought it over and Hojo gave me the 'keep moving' symbol. I nodded. "I got to keep on the move, sorry. This shift is a bit busier than mine."
"Sure, it's all right." Kyo said. "Just do whatever."
I rushed, off serving and serving until Kyo's was done and I rushed over to his and gave him the food. "Refill?" I took the glass and refilled it, giving it back to him and poking him teasingly in the shoulder.
"Just because I'm a waitress doesn't mean you work me to the bone." I said, grinning. He raised an eye brow.
"Aren't you… hyper." He said. I laughed a little and walked off to continue going through the shift.
When it was just about done, Hojo told me to finish up. Kyo was the last one left because he brought some lyrics with him to manage, so I took his main plate and took care of it before putting myself away and sat across from him. It was almost closing time, so we got up and left. We started to just randomly walking around, he had his lyric paper in his hand, thinking to himself, muttering things now and then while I walked alongside with my hands in my pockets. Kenzi and Hiroshi and the others didn't come today because they had a few errands to run.
"Look eh…" Kyo said, rushing to put his lyrics away in his pocket. I looked over at him. "I eh… I was wondering…"
"Yeah?"
"Well… we don't really play piano… or… violin… or… clarinet or anything like that… and there's some notes in the lyrics that Hiroshi put in that are too high for me… so… I… I mean… the guys and I were wondering if you'd want to join us on our next performance?" Kyo asked. He looked down, his hands deep in his pockets and his hair shading his eyes. I looked at him as his face was turning pink. He… just asked me to perform with him… right?
I smiled, awkwardly blushing. He stood there, tense now because I was silent. He gave a soft "ahem" and I grinned at him, before biting my lip and composing myself before looking at him sadly.
"I'm sorry I-"
"Don't apologize! I'm sorry for asking you…" He said, looking up and disappointedly folding his arms and looking to the side. "I shouldn't have bothered; you probably didn't want to do anything like that in the first pla-"
"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that I'm sorry I'm taking so long to reply. It's just that you were waiting so quietly." I said. "But either way, I would like to proudly say that my answer is 'of course I'd like to perform with you next time.' So you don't have to look upset. I accept."
He looked up at me shocked at first, before the shock wiped away and his face faded into a small smirk. I smiled.
"So, dear Kyo, should we go over everything after my shift for the rest of the week? I can take Sundays too you know." I said.
"Yeah I know." He snapped, only to quickly catch himself and apologize. "Eh- sorry! Uh… we could just go with Sunday, so that you won't get too sick of it, and you can have free time when you get home and stuff."
"Oh, I'll be fine. I might need a break here and there, but I'll be just fine." I said. He gave a small smile.
"All right."
So, after that, we parted. The next day, I was giving scores and lyrics, which Kenzi and Hiroshi joined us with because they were unfinished. They normally hung out on the seats while I leaned on the table or sat next to Kyo. Soon I had the lyrics memorized except for the chorus which was yet to be confirmed. I had some electric violin memorized, and every once and a while Kazuo and Nodoka would come with a keyboard and teach me a little bit of the piano score in the back room.
By Sunday, I learned from my past mistakes, and I was ready when Kyo came by to pick me up. He answered the door and I opened it. I smiled, popped a bagel in… his mouth, put the other in mine, then walked out with my things in a small folder, shutting and locking the door behind me before walking down the hall, being slowly followed by a stumbling and surprised Kyo, who wasn't ready for me to be ready or feed him a bagel.
"Hey! Wait up!" He called, swallowing his bite of the bagel and holding the rest in his hand, sprinting after me as I dashed off and ran inside the elevator. I sprinted inside, and he rammed into me, pushing us both into the wall and our faces to collide. Thankfully we didn't kiss, but our heads hit each other, and that gave us instant headaches.
"Ah… slow down will you? You didn't have to run that fast." Kyo said, pulling away his head and rubbing where it hurt. I did the same.
"Like you should be talking." I said. My head stopped hurting too bad and I looked up at him, rubbing his head. I smiled. He opened an eye.
"What?"
"Nothing." I replied.
"Hey, your head stopped hurting already?" He asked, as if loathing it.
"Uh-huh!" I said. "I don't get too bad of any headaches or anything."
"Damn… I guess it sucks for my head then. It just keeps hurting." He said. He leaned his head on the wall of the elevator, one hand holding his head, the other on the other side of my head, propping himself up by pressing on the wall.
"Come on…" I said. I put my hands on his head and rubbed lightly. "I'll drive if you'd like."
I hesitated, but then hit the 1 on the keypad. When the doors re-opened I helped him walk out to his car, a hand on his head the whole time. He cursed under his breath now and then, and I gently shut the door to the car when we got there. I sat there in the driver's seat, and I looked over at him.
"You okay?" I asked. He nodded. I thought a moment. "Where does it hurt, exactly? Where's the source of it?"
"Your head." He said, forcing a smirk. I smiled apologetically.
"And then… right he-" he began, pointing to a spot on his head. I cut him off, placing a quick kiss on the spot he pointed to without hesitation.
"There." I said. He looked at me like I was insane.
"What the?" He asked, his cheeks pink.
"It's an old fashioned superstitious remedy." I said, grinning. "Parents normally tell little kids that if you kiss anything that hurts, it'll make it all better. It's something quick and cute so little kids will feel better."
"Heh. It is… cute." He said. He put his hands down. "It's uh.. getting better now though. You can start driving."
"Hm? Oh! Oh sure!" I said, taking his keys from him and starting up the car, driving off down the road. "I'm sorry I have to drive your own car for you."
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well normally guys start feeling unmanly if a girl drives them places in their own car." I said. He shrugged and looked out the window. I sighed and soon we pulled up.
"You have a pretty good memory." He said. "I only drove there once and you know the way."
"Ah yeah." I said. "I have that kind of… ability. I never have to study or anything like that, I was never in pre-k either."
"Well then…." He said, amused. I smiled and got out of the car, and he did too. I put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's hope it goes away before the two idiots decide to pound on drums and blare amps." I said. As if on cue, Kenzi and Hiroshi rushed out of the house and tackled me onto the pavement.
"Andrea!" They cheered. "You've agreed to join us!"
I smiled.
"Yeah, yeah. Now can you get off please?" I asked. They got off, and Hiroshi, being the less wild of the two, and being the more composed brother figure, helped me up. "Let's get Kyo in… he needs an aspirin."
"No I don't." Kyo said, making his best 'I have no pain' face, even though his eyes shown otherwise. I smiled and dragged him in by the arm.
"Andrea, Kyo, hello." Kazuo said.
"Hi Kazuo, do you have any aspirin for Kyo? He kind of… head butted me on the way into elevator." I said. Nodoka, who had been sitting there playing with a doll, put the doll down and ran off and came back with a bottle of aspirin. I got down to her level and retrieved the bottle. "Why thank you my dear Nodoka."
She giggled and hugged me, and once again I fell back and we laughed as I returned the hug. I stood up, attempting to avoid Kyo's smile he had on once I let go of Nodoka. I got a glass of water and handed the two to Kyo, who halfheartedly took them and had some aspirin.
"So I guess that since we're going to have to wait for Kyo to get his head back in shape, we could go over piano scores?" Kazuo suggested. I nodded and we all filed into the rehearsal room. I took a seat at the keyboard and tuned it to be a piano, and Kazuo sat next to me, putting up the music scores. Kyo sat in the bean bag chair and brought it closer, while Hiroshi and Kenzi sat on the couch.
"Let's try it from…right here." Kazuo said, pointing. I nodded and aligned my hands, then began to play.
"Good. Now sing along." He said. I nodded and began.
"I was so happy when you smiled,
Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey,
Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep.
Waiting with patience for the spring,
When the flowers will bloom renewed again,
Knowing there's more beyond the pain… of today.
And all of the scars of yesterday remain.
But you can go on living as much as your heart believes.
You can be born again although you can change…" I sang. Kazuo prepared my violin. "Let's stay together… always."
I grabbed the violin and walked away from the keyboard, waiting a measure before playing, jamming onto the pedal for the electric to turn on then I began, playing hard and playing loud.
"The rain will beat down on me for who knows how long,
And my nights will be without my stars
Though without you it makes the world feel bitter
And the beating of my heart just throbs my soul
But the way I feel out of your arms is painful
And all over my memory it leaves me scars
Your sweet voice as a whisper entices me so
But as the saying goes sweetie
Life is a BITCH but it makes me want your lips to be mine!
Though I still wait here for you and my thin patience runs up on clashing heart wars."
"Etcetera, etcetera." Kenzi said, giving a golf clap. I smiled and put the violin on its case and the guys started talking about mindless things I cared nothing for, like sports. Average American-like ones, anyways. I put my hands behind my back and walked off to look out the window. Then I saw… it.
I screamed and backed away, falling onto the floor and backing up slightly crabwalk style. Everyone stood up, with the exception of Nodoka who left for her room after I finished.
"What is it?" Kyo said, clearly feeling better. I pointed at the window. Kyo walked over and looked outside. "There's no one out there."
"Not a someone… it's a something…" I said, grimacing. "Sp… spider…"
"What? That's it?" Kyo asked. I nodded, clinging onto a leg to a stool. "Um… all right."
Kyo grabbed a gum wrapper from his pocket and killed the spider on the window sill, walking passed me towards the garbage. I winced and moved away as he did, and when he noticed, he quickened his pace to the garage to just come over to me and sit cross legged on the floor. I turned and clung to his arm, giving menacing glances towards the garbage.
"Sorry, I just have… arachnophobia really bad." I said. I let go and stood up giving everyone a nervous laugh before smiling and twirling around behind me and holding out a hand to Kyo. "No worries, as long as I don't see them or know where they are."
"All… all right." Kyo said and took my hand, standing up.
Soon we finished, and we'd only have one last practice after work on Thursday because we'd be performing them at the club for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, we also had a different gig booked over at a place Kazuo recommended us.
"We… are…. PERFORMING ON FRIDAY!" I cheered in English. Kyo gave me a look and I translated it. "Also… NOT ONLY, are we performing from Friday to Sunday, but school will start up… and I won't have to work all day in that boring diner with those boring people!"
"I see that you're excited." Kyo said. "I'd rather not go to school. I never liked it."
"But college is so much BETTER than high school!" I said. "Instead of going to school from seven thirty to two fifteen, you have one hour classes whenever you want them."
"I see. I guess that would be an up side." Kyo said.
There was a silence for a while, and then I turned on the radio, and I absent mindedly mutter-sang to songs.
When we got to my apartment we stopped outside. I turned when I got outside my door and faced Kyo, who was still a ways down the hall. I stood there and smiled as he made his way towards me, yawning frequently.
"Are you tired?" I asked. He nodded.
"Just a little." He replied. I got a little concerned.
"You should spend the night. I wouldn't forgive myself if you fell asleep at the wheel and crashed." I said. He jumped slightly.
"No… I'll be fine going home." He said. He yawned again and I grabbed his wrist. He turned and looked at me.
"I won't be the one to deal with the pain of being the one that didn't stop you from crashing your car. You're spending the night and that's final." I said seriously. He looked at me shocked, looking as if he was trying to manage a stuttered sentence at least by the looks of it.
"But…" He began. I opened the door and swung him inside, walking in behind him as he stumbled and shut the door. I looked down as I leaned against the door.
"It's final. You're not going home tonight. For your life's sake. I won't… I won't be blamed for something again." I said. He looked over at me. I clenched my teeth as I started to look up at him from the floor.
"And-"
"I was always being accused of something as I grew up. I was always being accused of being a crybaby, or being wimpy, or someone who sticks to bad habits, someone who's a daughter of people that are stubborn and spoiled, someone who will never listen to those around her, someone who will never be the best at anything she does no matter how hard she tried." I said. I looked up him sternly. "Well now I can show them up. I'll make it as high as I can go and as far as I can reach until I've met my match and I've found where I belong. My singing, instrument playing, drawing, writing, organization, driving, first impression, and any other abilities I'm being told I have isn't anything that has to deal with who I really am and what I want to do instead of what standards I have to reach."
My eyes started watering and I began mellowing. I didn't really notice Kyo as he made his way closer.
"I hate being put up on a pedestal and given the bar I have to climb up to. It just makes everyone; including me feel so inferio-"
Kyo wrapped his arms around me, one hand resting on my back, the other on the back of my head. His head rested against mine, and we were both backed up against the door.
"You didn't have to say that." He whispered. "Everyone feels the same way. Maybe not in the same circumstances, but comparing people and putting up standards for people makes everyone including the person feel worthless."
My eyes widened.
"So if there's someone there… that can understand what you're going through, then maybe the feeling won't be so bad." He whispered. My hands reached up and clasped onto his shirt. My lip quivered and I put my face into his chest. I cried. He pulled me closer and lifted me up slightly into the air, moving one of his arms to my thighs and lifting me up that way. I moved my hands and moved my arms around his neck.
He crawled up to the middle of the head of the bed and flipped us around so he sat in front of the pillows, his legs spread out, me in between, grasping onto him around his waist now. I felt him hold on tighter and pet my hair slightly. I calmed down a little and bit my lip. I opened my eyes slightly and looked up at him, to see him looking down at me with a small encouraging smile. I laid my head back onto his chest.
He listened to me as I yawned, and he began moving down lower on the bed. I moved over so I was next to him rather than in front of him, and he laid his head down on the pillow. I laid down next to him and put my head on his chest. I closed my eyes, slightly wiping my cheeks. I felt my cheeks redden as I breathed wispily from crying.
I pursed my lips together and opened my eyes.
"Ky…Kyo?" I asked. He gave a 'hm' sound. "Thank you."
"Sure thing." He said.
