Bittersweet Melody
Second Arc: Act Twenty Two
"Yes!"
Cat flinched beneath her sister. Her voice vibrated through her ears and caused her to tremble. After barging into her room, Jam had created a list of demands for her. The older sister paced back in forth in the small bedroom while she explained herself while she stayed seated on her twin-sized bed with her head tucked between her shoulders.
"You need to spend time doing things you would be doing if you hadn't lost your memory." She said in a firm voice.
"But I don't want to." Cat was quick to counter with a whine.
Jam paused mid-step to turn around to face her younger sister. "Why not?" She asked as her eyebrows lowered on her face. "You want to get your memories back, right?"
She sighed aloud. She dipped her head downward before groaning. Again with the planned dates? Hadn't her sister gotten her full the last time she scheduled a play date? Takao had swooped in and kidnapped her from her date with Max and made a fool out of her. Wasn't that enough? Why did Jam care anyway? She grumbled to herself, what was her sister getting out of this that made her push so hard?
"Yes but…"
"But what?" Jam asked with a tilt of her head.
"This is stupid!" She shut her eyes tight and shouted. "Last week when I went out, it was ruined! Remember?"
Jam paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, I remember." She then crossed her arms over her large bust.
"And you remember how he ruined it all?"
"He didn't ruin anything." She sighed. "You're being over-dramatic as usual."
"Not to mention all of his friends, including the girls, followed and spied on us!" Cat growled as her face grew red with embarrassment.
Jam let out a loud groan. She unfolded her arms from her chest and threw them up into the air. She then turned her back to Cat; she had to come up with a crafty excuse and fast. A few silent moments passed before Jam whirled around to face her younger sister.
"Just let it go," Jam said. "The old you would have done the same."
"Would not!" She jumped from her seat on the bed.
"Would to." She assured her younger sister.
"You're wrong! I would not!"
Jam's eyes bounced to the ceiling before she attached her hands to her hips. "And how would you know?" She said in a taunting manner, leaning in toward her sister. "You don't remember anything."
"I…"
A sly smirk spread across the oldest girl's cheeks. She lifted a single brow to her sister and cocked her head to one side. She watched as Cat was forced back down into sitting just by of her eyes. "Listen," Jam began speaking in her softest tone. "They'll be here soon, just get used to the idea that they'll be here all night."
"But isn't it wrong?!" She jerked her head up to look at her sister. "Boys and girls having a sleepover together?"
"Hmm," Jam lifted her curled knuckle to her chin. "Yeah, but this is a special occasion." She explained with a smile. "Besides, you used to do it all the time."
"That's hard to believe." Cat muttered to herself.
"Well it's true." Jam said in a blunt tone. "You used to travel around with these boys for months at a time." She removed her finger from her chin and began counting on them. "Hotels, sleepovers, just for the hell of it! It wasn't unnatural for you at all."
"Ugh," She felt a droplet of sweat trickle down her face.
The sound of the door swinging open alerted both of the girls. The two brunette females turned to the bedroom doorway to see Giancarlo. The blond male was halfway into the bedroom with both of his hands shaking at chest-level. He had a look of frustration on his face and sweat began to build on his forehead.
"How come I can come to this sleepover of yours?" He asked with a frown.
Jam gave an exaggerated sigh before answering. "Because, Cat needs to be around the former BBA, you know that."
"But it isn't fair!" He pouted before wrapping his arms over his chest. "I can help with Cat's memories too, you know."
The older woman lifted a brow and smiled, how intriguing. "Oh? How so?"
Giancarlo paused. He then lifted his chin into the air and scanned his thoughts for an answer. After a minute or two of prolonged thought, he began to laugh. He then unfolded his arms from his chest and shrugged. Jam rolled her eyes for the second time before groaning. Typical. Giancarlo presented no challenge for her older sibling, not like Ralf or Johnny.
"Argh! Never mind." Giancarlo swirled around and gave his back to the two females.
Jam shook her head back and forth and began to walk forward. She pushed Giancarlo to one side and made her way to the living area. Not wanting to be left behind, Cat jumped to her feet and scuttled after her older sister. The Italian male hot on her trail.
Jam was quick to stand beside the red couch, where Ralf, Johnny and Oliver sat; all with looks of aggravation on their faces. On a Friday night evening, this was the last thing they wanted to be stuck doing, waiting up for their only female's sister's slumber party to start. Cat sighed, what a way to start this party with a guilt trip.
"What are we doing here anyway?" Johnny was first out of the three to ask. "I can think of a lot better things I could be doing with my time."
"I agree," Oliver was quick to add. "Why do we have to be here when they arrive?"
Jam chewed on the inside of her cheek and shot a glare in the two boy's direction, "I just want to make sure they get here, all right?"
"I don't care!" Johnny protested, now with his right hand fisted. "Not to mention, when I do finally get back to my apartment, I have to share it with four losers."
"Johnny," Jam spoke with a sigh and shake of her head. "Don't call The Saint Shields losers."
"Fine," Johnny released his gripped fist and folded his arms over his chest. "Riffraff."
Jam released a second long sigh before shutting her eyes. How had she put up with his attitude for so long? It was one of the great mysteries of her life. Johnny was arrogant, loud, selfish and most of all stubborn; so why did she continue to tolerate it? That being the keyword: tolerate. Like a bad pain in her side, she could tolerate it but only for so long.
"Don't call them that either." She hissed.
"Why? It's true." Johnny said in an arrogant tone with a smirk to match.
"They are below our standards." Oliver was quick to agree with his overconfident teammate. "It could tarnish our reputation."
Jam slapped her right cheek with her open palm. There was just no getting to these boys. She groaned aloud and allowed her palm to slowly drape down her face. They had, again, forgotten the point of moving to Japan. To live a simple life with simple things and yet, they treated it as if it were a 'rough' camping trip. Or so that's what Cat was told; seeing as she had little to no memory of Team Euro beforehand.
Ralf moved his fist to his lips and proceeded to clear his throat. The sound caught the attention of his teammates. They looked to the older man with brows raised. He then pushed his body out of his seat and stood beside Jam. He looked at the younger female with kind eyes and warm smile.
"It's just for one night." Ralf said with pride, as he eyed the lone female Euro member.
"Yeah because planning this visit to exceed one stay is something I will not agree to." Johnny threw his nose into the air and huffed.
"Don't worry about it!" Jam was quick to snap at the younger boy.
"Having poor people eat and drink from our plates and cups." He replied as he cringed.
That was enough! She couldn't handle it anymore!
"Hey!"
The five turned to the sound of her voice. The young female stood with both hands clenched in front of her chest and her brows tilted downward on her forehead. They watched as she inhaled a breath through her nose and her chest rise.
"Don't talk about them that way!" She yelped. "They're my only friends right now!"
The room fell silent. Johnny was first to make a sound; a small 'humph' left his nose as he turned his head away from the group's eyes. A few more silent moments passed before a knocking at the door alerted Jam. She jumped while standing and turned to face the large front door. She lifted her index finger into the air as a wide smile spread across her cheeks. She hummed as she walked over to the front door and placed her fingers around the cold metal doorknob.
"That must be them!" She purred to herself.
She twisted the knob and a small clicking sound echoed through the room. The door began to sway open and Jam moved her body to the right. With wide, curious eyes Cat watched as the figures in the doorway began to take shape. Familiar shapes formed before her, it was Takao and his nosey friends.
She had yet to hear an apology from the boys so she had yet to forgive them for their wrongdoing. And still, with all the nonsense running through her mind, she couldn't help but feel something. A warmth in her heart, an ache in her tummy, it was something indeed. It had to be her nerves, yes that was it surely there was no other emotion to be had. She couldn't be excited could she?
"And on time too," Jam's voice brought Cat out of her thought. "I'm impressed."
She moved to one side and allowed her guests to enter the apartment. Takao entered first with a large green duffle bag over his shoulder. Kyoujyu, Max, and Rei followed soon after, with their own bags in hand.
Cat's eyes landed on Takao. She felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of him. Responding to the heat on her cheeks, she slapped her hands over her face and turned to the side. What was wrong with her? Blushing at the sight of Takao?! She must have lost her mind. Takao was arrogant, stupid and reckless there was no reason to blush with him in her sights. She should be blushing at the image of Max coming into her apartment, not him.
"It always pays to be punctual." Kyoujyu pointed out with his index finger lifted.
"It is for a good cause anyhow." Rei smiled as he walked further into the living area.
Jam's eyes scanned the group as they entered further into the small apartment's living room. Wait wasn't someone missing? That 'Kai' guy?
"Where's grumpy?" She asked with an irritated tone.
Rei began to chuckle, "You know him," He said while trying his best to contain the laughter that crept up his throat. "He always has something better to do."
"Typical." Jam gave a simple response before sighing. "Oh well, we don't need him anyway."
"You should have heard the fit Daichi had when I left the house," Max said with a smile tugging at his lips.
"Oh I can imagine." Takao replied with a groan as the thought crossed his mind.
"You think it was the end of the world." The American explained as he dropped his bag from his shoulders.
"Well, it's not like we're leaving him out on purpose," Rei pointed out as he followed Max's lead and dropped his overnight bag onto the carpet. "It's just to help Cat out with her memory."
"Can we go now?"
The group fell silent after the sound of Johnny's voice. His nagging voice caused all in the room to stop and turn his way. Jam shut her eyes tight, placed her hand over her face and sighed. "Fine," She finally answered Johnny with a grunt. "Ralf," She replied after opening her eyes and turning to the older male. "Let's head out."
"What?!" Cat squeaked. "So soon?!"
"Yeah," She began, "I think so." Jam turned her attention to the four boys. "Now, Adof is in the other room to supervise you all but if you need anything else, our apartment isn't too far from here, so don't hesitate."
"Are you done?" Johnny asked with a single eye open and staring at the female.
"Yes, your majesty." She smirked at the younger boy and gave him a sarcastic gesture.
"Good."
Johnny placed his hands to his sides and began to push his body off the arched her brows, sighed and shook her head as the shorter boy passed her on his way to the exit. Her eyes then bounced over to the boy who stood beside her. Ralf stood strong with his chest pushed outward, like always, and kept a stern expression on his face. Jam watched as Ralf glanced over toward Giancarlo and Oliver. He gave one firm nod of his head, commanding the two younger men to follow Johnny's actions. She had to smile at her 'boys', how malleable they were when it came to Ralf's word. His wish was their command, apparently.
"Come on then," Ralf commanded as he passed by the girl and walked to the exit. "We should get going."
"Yeah," Jam threw her right arm into the air and cheered, "I'm ordering Chinese!"
Johnny stopped mid-step to spin around and confront the newest member on her suggestion. "What? Not again!"
Jam began to step forward as she spoke in a calm tone, "Don't like it? I'm not asking you to eat it with me."
He puffed up both of his cheeks and gripped his fists. "I'm not eating Chinese again!"
"Too bad."
Johnny threw both muscular arms over his chest and swerved his face away from Jam. He began to mutter something under his breath that no one could fully understand. Cat watched as the boy descended the stairwell, mumbling to himself.
Jam turned her attention to Ralf. The older couple locked eyes for a moment or two. Her older sister began to tilt her head to the left as her eyes sunk into a deeper gaze. Teasing Johnny wasn't the only reason Jam loved being on this team so much. She managed to let her eyes dart to right, breaking their short connection.
"Well," She spoke out, her eyes landing on her younger sister. "We'll see you guys later."
"But!" Cat blurted out, her right arm extended in an effort to stop her sister.
She reached out to Ralf, grabbing him by his arm. She then began to tug him along to the exit. In the doorway Oliver and Giancarlo waited for the couple, another moment and they would be down the stairs with Johnny. Jam released a set of girlish giggles as she approached the doorway. Once standing halfway out the door, Jam released Ralf's arm and darted back behind him and placed both open palms flat on his back. She then began to push Ralf out the door and before leaving, she sent a final wink in her younger sister's direction.
"Have fun."
The door slammed shut with an eerie echo.
Cat slowly dropped her arm from the air. She then let her head droop, allowing the hair on her face to create a shadow to hide her expression. A tiny droplet of sweat dripped down her forehead and over her cheek. She was alone with them, alone with him now. Why did her sister have to set up something so stupid?! Why couldn't she keep her nose out of her business?
Cat inhaled through her nose just before lifting her head to look at the boys. She allowed the air to escape through her mouth, creating a sigh. She watched as the four boys chatted amongst each other as they proceeded to lay out their sleeping bags. That wasn't a bad idea! She began to sneak her way over toward the red couch. Her eyes landed on the small mountain of folded blankets that rested at the end of the couch. Jam had placed them there for her, two of her most favorite blankets.
Maybe in some strange way Jam was looking out for her? She sure had an odd way of showing it.
Cat kept her eyes on the boys as she lifted one leg over the rest of the couch. She pushed her body forward and lifted her left leg to accompany the right. Seated on the couch she hung her torso over the side and looked down at the blankets below. With both arms extended, she silently reached down and plucked the blankets from the floor. Maybe if she were quiet enough, they would ignore her. It would be like she was never there! The night would go a lot smoother if they just ignored her!
Making sure to keep the sound of her breathing at its lowest; she began to anchor her most beloved blankets up the side of the couch. She quickly shifted her attention back to the boys; they were still busy as bees, getting their things together. She began to chew on her bottom lip and began to position herself in a laying position. She then lifted the fleece blankets up her body in an effort to hide her body.
"What are you doing?"
Cat froze. She could feel her limps go numb. There was no way someone could be talking to her! She was hidden; they couldn't have caught on so soon! She gulped and moved her fingers to the top of her blanket. She pulled down the blanket from her face just enough to expose her eyes. She looked up to see Rei staring down at her, both hands attached to his hips. She yipped before forcing the blanket back over her face.
Max's voice entered her ears, he was giggling. "Cat?"
"Neh!"
The boys had gathered around her, they're curiosity aroused by the sight on the red couch. They watched as the lone female hid herself away beneath the comfort of her blankets. It was a silly sight to behold. With the addition of her making defensive noises, it was something they all had to laugh at.
"Come out of there," Kyoujyu managed to say between his chuckles. "It's not time to sleep yet."
"Neh!" She repeated as she turned on her side, facing away from the group of boys.
"All right, stay under there."
Cat felt her eyebrows dip down on her eyes. It was him, he was talking to her. How dare he?! He had no right to come into her home and begin to tell her what to do! Her cheeks began to twitch and her frustration level rise. He wouldn't get the better of her, not tonight.
She forced her body upward. She sat up on the couch, her fleece blankets falling down from her face. She had a look of anger on her face that caused Kyoujyu to flinch in fear. Only if her looks could kill.
"Don't tell me what to do!" She fought back at Takao's previous comment.
Refusing to answer her, Takao lifted both shoulders up then down to create a shrug. He was wearing that cocky smile. Oh how, in the few days, she had grown to hate that confident smile of his. It was arrogant! And…cute. Oh, why did he have to be so cute when he was cocky? It made it that much harder to stay angry.
"Come on," He turned away from her. "Let's go raid Cat's kitchen, see if there's anything in there worth eating."
"Sounds good to me." Max was quick to agree with a charming smile.
The boys began to follow in Takao's footsteps. They marched their way into the small apartment's kitchen. Cat rolled her eyes as the boys vanished from her sight. Her ear twitched to the sound of the refrigerator door opening. So they were going to play that game, were they? Two could play at that game.
"All I see is fruit!"
She groaned. So Takao didn't approve of The Saint Shield's choice of foods? Why did she assume this was a trait typical of Takao? The sound of rustling plastic rumbled through her ears. She could guess that the boys were now rummaging through the cabinets to find something good. She had to giggle to herself. They would never find her hidden stash of sweets; no one could ever find her hidden treasures.
"I found the cookies!"
Her mouth dropped open. It was if the life was drained out of her. How of all people could Takao find her buried treasures? It was impossible! He wasn't that clever, by any means. So why was he able to find her sweets without so much of a try? Since moving in together, no one, not even Dunga, had found her sweets.
Cat propelled her body from her seat on the couch. Her feet landed on the soft surfaces of the sleeping bags on the ground. She growled aloud before sprinting toward the kitchen. Her socked feet slid across the wooden floor in the dining room. Slipping and sliding on the floor, she entered the kitchen with a scowl on her face. She focused her vision on Takao first. The arrogant male stood with a bag of cookies in one hand, a cookie in the other. He had a dusting of crumbs on face that added gasoline to her fire.
"PUT THOSE BACK!" She shouted.
"I found 'em," Takao began as he placed a cookie into his mouth. "Finders keepers."
She curled her lip. "How did you know where those were?!"
He chewed and chewed until he had enough room his mouth to speak. "You always keep your treats in the same place. It was easy." He then jerked his hand to his lips and wiped away the crumbs there. "In the refrigerator, second drawer, the one marked: vegetables."
Cat felt her brow twitch. Clever, very clever. She proceeded to poke out her bottom lip; she puffed up both cheeks with air before spinning away from the boys. She gripped her fists and stomped her way back into the living room. She was so flustered to come up with any combats worthwhile.
The boys paused for a moment before looking at one another. Takao had secured their findings; now that it was plain to see she had given up. Each male began to help himself to whatever sweet he could find. Cupcakes, cookies, candy; it was all there for the taking. After gathering together their desired sweet, the boys trotted back to the living area. Cat was seated on the couch, her arms crossed over her chest and a pink blush on her cheeks.
"So Cat,"
Said girl lifted her head to sound of her name. She watched the boys as they entered the room, treats in hand. Rei smiled at her and took a seat on his sleeping bag. He then tore open his bag of caramel popcorn with ease, his eyes fixated on her.
"How's the singing going?"
She paused a moment before answering. "Fine." She gave a quick, simple answer.
"Have any performances coming up?" Kyoujyu asked with a smile.
Cat felt her heart begin to beat faster. "Yes, actually." The blush on her face began to run deeper as she continued to speak. "Tomorrow."
"Really?" Max presented Cat with a wide grin.
"I uh…" Cat hesitated to speak for a moment. "I spent a lot of time writing the lyrics."
"I didn't know you wrote your own lyrics!" Kyoujyu stopped eating to gawk at her.
"I have help most of the time." Cat dipped her head downward as a small smile grew on her lips. "But this one, I wrote on my own." Her voice entered the room softly. "Actually, I started writing it before the accident. Before I lost my memories." A small giggle entered the air. "In all honesty, I didn't think I'd ever finish it."
The sounds of chewing and munching began to die down. Each of the boys slowly lowered their hands from their faces. They waited for her to continue. She looked to the ceiling before shutting her eyes. A song, how could something so simple could bring her so much joy?
"For a while," Cat's voice broke the silence. "I lost sight of what I was writing about. But then, I started to watch Jam with Ralf and the others. And somehow, I remembered what gave me so much strength before." Her eyes fluttered open. "The bond they share, it was special. It's what I'm missing in my life."
"What…" Takao muttered under his breath. "You're missing?"
"Somehow, someway, I know what it's like to have that invincible bond with someone or a group like that." She spoke again. "I just wish," Cat dropped her head and stared at the floor. "I could find it again."
The boys remained silent. A bond, an invincible bond, one that could withstand any storm. Where had she felt it before? Why was this huge hole in her heart, something no one person could fill? Cat felt her smile grow as the hole in her heart throbbed in pain. It was more than just a single puzzle piece; it was three or four missing pieces. She had seen it happen with Jam, that loving family-like aurora. She had a group of boys to call her own. No matter how different they were from her, they were hers. It was something Cat would be forever jealous of. She had felt this bond with someone before, only if she could remember whom.
"Are you going to come?"
"Of course," Rei was first to answer. "We wouldn't miss it."
Act End.