A/N: Did everyone enjoy their Spring Break? Sorry I couldn't get this chapter updated earlier! I actually went to China last week :P Was very fun, and when I had free time at the hotel, I pulled out my laptop and started working on it! Hopefully the jetlag didn't affect my writing! Enjoy and don't forget to review!
In a Fruits Basket - Chapter 14: Change
Recap:
"Just act natural, and stay beside me," I instructed.
That was the only thing I could say, really, before our guests walked in, and we had to introduce ourselves.
"Hi," I simply said, facing Mai's friends. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has been, Arya. I see you dyed your hair," one of them stated, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder.
She had light brown eyes and tanned skin. She was as tall as me, with a small waist and skinny arms. She looked like the type of girls to always wear skirts. Today, she wore a long one, that went a bit below her knees, with a loose top.
I still didn't know who was who. I shrugged. "Nah, I plan to take it out sooner or later."
"I like it," the other said softly, batting her thick eyelashes that were coated with mascara. On her eyelids, she had magenta eyeshadow that was lightly dusted at the creases.
Okay, that one's Sango.
Her dark brown hair was tied into a high pony-tail, slightly resembling Sango, from InuYasha. It was a big coincidence and Mai was a big fan of InuYasha, so it was easy to believe why she was good friends with her, too.
Sango wore a lavender sweater, with her sleeves rolled up to her elbow. She paired it with navy flats and skinny jeans. You could tell she had a curvy figure, even under the sweater. Overall, she was very pretty.
The girls' gaze fell on the two Sohma boys behind me.
"Sango, Reina," Mai began, clearing her throat, "you remember them, don't you? This is Yuki and Kyo Sohma."
Reina blushed. "Uh- who could forget the Prince of Kaibara High?"
Yuki's mouth was a few centimetres open. He managed a smile, and shook their hands.
"Sango Iwasaki."
"Reina Takenaka."
"Yuki Sohma. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Iwasaki, Miss Takenaka."
Reina questioned, "So how's Kaibara High for you? Are you President yet?"
"I've accepted Takei's nomination," he replied.
Kyo awkwardly extended a hand, not making eye contact. "Uh, yeah, hi. I'm Yuki's relative... Kyo."
Our guests simply said, "Hi." Sango's eyes widened, as she added, "Oh, aren't you the boy who jumped out the window on his first day?"
Kyo's face turned a bright red. "Uh- that's right. That was me." He grumbled, then walked off.
"Yes, I remember you." She smiled. It slowly faded as he walked farther away.
I stepped in, and took their bags. "I'll just bring your things to the room."
Mai's friends thanked me and both flashed me a dazzling smile. They looked so friendly. Maybe everything was going to be okay.
The door was kept open, letting the gentle breeze inside the room. Sango, Reina, and Yuki quietly sat down at the table, as Mai set down a platter of jelly rolls. Shigure was standing by them, with a goofy grin on his face.
"I went out and bought some before you came. They're really good," Mai smiled, tilting her head to the side.
Sango nodded excitedly, and took one. She bit into it and let out a pleased, "Mm!" She swallowed, "So, tell us a bit about yourself, Yuki."
"Oh, well, what do you want to know?" Yuki replied politely.
Reina finished eating her jelly filled pastry. "How are things with Mai and Arya around?"
Yuki raised his eyebrows and gave a warm smile. "They've been very helpful around the house. Mai's an amazing cook."
Mai blushed. Sango said in a high-pitched voice, "I'd love to see how Mai's cooking improved. The last time I had her cooking was a while back and I was sick."
"Right," Mai responded, smiling, "I remember."
Then that's when they noticed Kyo and I standing by the door. Mai gestured for us to move closer. We shuffled our feet a bit, so we were standing by the table.
"Yuki, what university do you plan to go to?" Reina questioned, continuing the conversation.
Yuki shrugged. "I'm still planning."
"With your grades, you'll get accepted - where ever you're going."
Mai interjected, "It was the same thing for you, Reina."
Yuki added, "I think I do remember you, Miss Takenaka. You won Highest Academic Achievement in your grade, right?"
She hunched over a bit and nodded modestly. "Yes, and she got a perfect score on her final exam," Sango said.
Kyo suddenly spoke up. "No way, you received a perfect? What university do you go to anyway?" he said in disbelief. Sango's eyes lit up, as if it was the first time she heard him speak.
Reina replied modestly, "Well, once, and that was back at Kaibara."
"That's still very impressive, no wonder you won Highest Academic," Yuki commented, waving his hand.
"Reina... What an interesting name!" Shigure beamed.
This caused her to blush. "Oh, thank you."
"How about you, Sango? How's university going for you?" I asked, joining the conversation.
"I just made the swim team," she answered, beaming.
Mai raised a finger. "Oh, right! How was it?"
"Competition's tough. They're so fast," she replied, giggling. She took another jelly bun. Shigure crouched over to face Sango. "That's interesting. And what kind of swimsuits do you wear?"
She gave a confused look. "Oh, you mean what brand?" Kyo and Yuki shot Shigure a glare as a warning.
"Forget he asked that," Yuki said.
She nodded slightly. "Enough about us. Uh- Kyo?"
"Hm?" Kyo faced her.
"What do you enjoy doing? Any hobbies?" Sango asked.
"I... I do martial arts and stuff," he answered.
"That's cool. What belt?" said Reina.
"Black," he replied plainly. Sango mouthed out a "wow", before digging into another one of the jelly rolls.
"Oh, girls, did you know I'm a novelist?" Shigure suddenly cut in, straightening his back. The four of us dropped our heads, our expressions darkened.
"Not again," muttered Kyo under his breath.
"Really?" Our guests exclaimed in unison, their eyebrows lifting.
"Uh-" Mai choked out, raising a trembling finger, "actually-"
Shigure went on boastfully, placing a hand on his chest, "Ah, yes, they're quite popular with your age group."
"Shigure -" Mai tried again, her eyes twitching.
"Here's a copy..."
Yuki swatted the book before Reina and Sango got a glimpse. We all exchanged looks. Mai took the opportunity to get out. "Okay! We'll be eating out to catch up on a few things. We'll be back before dinner," Mai explained.
Shigure placed a hand on her head. "Oh but girls, just get back before it gets dark." Sango and Reina got up and bowed. "Thank you for having us."
Kyo exclaimed, "But wait! What about our lunch?"
Sango giggled at him. "Oh, Mai. It's so cute seeing how much they need you."
Mai smiled, "I have some leftovers in the fridge. Let Arya heat it up."
"In the microwave?" I asked stupidly.
She chuckled, grabbing her purse and leather jacket, "No, put it in a pot and boil it for a few minutes."
I put my hands up in defeat. "I can only do microwaves."
Reina laughed, "You haven't changed, Arya." They headed out the door. "We'll see you guys later!"
"Enjoy yourselves," Yuki called out to them, waving.
"Yeah, have fun, or whatever," Kyo mumbled.
Shigure clicked the door shut, and let out a long sigh, "Now it's boring without the girls."
Yuki muttered in disgust, "Is there anything else that entertains you other than women?"
Shigure chuckled, stroking his chin. Who knows what could be going on in his head now.
Kyo ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so what now?" I shrugged. "Let's see what she left for us."
The four of us walked into the kitchen and held our breaths as we opened the fridge, wondering what she made for us. A cold pot of lemongrass soup with shrimp sat on the top shelf.
"Looks good," commented Shigure and reached in to get it. "Alright! So who volunteers to boil it?" No one answered. I nervously shuffled my feet, my eyes following the motion. Yuki looked away, too. "Kyo!" Shigure sang in a high vibrato.
Kyo stomped his foot. "Why do I always gotta do it?" he snapped.
Shigure sighed dramatically, placing the back of his hand on his forehead, "Fine, Kyo, let's just let Yuki or Arya heat it up for us, and we'll watch the soup turn into charcoal."
Yuki mumbled, "If that's even possible."
"Ah, yes, we'll enjoy once again the burnt diet Yuki always prepared for us. Burnt miso, burnt rice, and now burnt soup. The possibilities are endless, like -"
"Okay, enough already!" Kyo shouted, "Shut the hell up, you noisy dog!" He grabbed the pot and placed it over the stove. He quietly turned the knob to start it. The soup began to bubble.
Yuki exhaled. "Nothing's going on. I'll wait in the living room." With that, he left.
Shigure nodded his head. "Then I'll be in my office. Tell me when you're done."
Kyo waited until Shigure left the room. "How long is Mai going to be gone?" he asked.
I replied, "I'm really not sure. They might even go out shopping, so..." I trailed off. An awkward silence filled the air.
He broke the silence. "What do we do while we're waiting for them?"
I exhaled. "I don't know. Want to go out?" The angry blush spreading on his face told me he thought I was serious.
"So the four of us will be going where?" Shigure asked, after we ate lunch. He changed into a long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants, with his hair slicked back with gel. I threw on my light brown trench coat, replying, "I need a hair cut."
"Oh, just keep it long. You look prettier with this length."
I tilted my head to the side, letting my bangs fall over my face. "You think so?" I asked sweetly - too sweetly.
He chuckled nervously, "Never mind."
"Mai keeps making fun of my short hair, saying I look like a boy." I admitted, "But I like my hair short."
"Let's just go already." Kyo rolled his eyes, obviously not wanting to hear anymore.
"How about I drive us all there?" Shigure offered.
Yuki muttered, "The last time you suggested that, Hatori ended up doing the driving."
"Never mind!" Shigure chuckled again.
When we arrived in the salon, we immediately got some stares. Either it was because I was with the Sohmas, or... No, it was because I was with the Sohmas. The girls whispered to each other, probably gossiping about how good-looking they were, and wondering what I was doing with them.
My barber was Eriko, a bubbly woman with bright pink hair that was fixed into curly pigtails. She had deep, purple eyes. I always wondered if pink was her natural colour. It was anime, after all. Even green hair was normal here.
She sat me down and spun me around in the chair to get a good look at me. She pursed her lips that were glossed with pastel pink. "What do you want today, darling?"
I answered, "My hair used to be just below my ear, by my jaw. Could you cut it to that length?" I added, "And make it jagged."
She nodded her head. "I see you dyed it, too. But it's starting to fade. I could add more colour, if you want." I shook my head, and told her, "Nah, just wash it all out."
She gave me a cute smile, "Change is good."
She leaned my chair back so I was in a lying position, then began to rinse my hair with warm water. I closed my eyes, feeling her hands massage the shampoo into my scalp, her fingers stroking my roots. When she finally dried it and lifted me back up, she made me face the mirror. My hair was back to its natural black colour. No more blue, or green.
"Alright, let's get started."
I hesitated, as she raised her scissors to begin to cut. "Actually," I spoke out, causing her to freeze, "just a small trim. Cut my bangs, though. And don't make the cut too short, please."
She smiled again. "Sure thing."
She spun the chair around, so my back was to the mirror. Her eyebrows knitted together, as she began to snip at my hair. I watched the concentration on her face, the sound of the scissors cutting my hair and her breathing made things awkward.
She finally spoke up, "So, Arya, which of the three is him?"
"Pardon?" I questioned, as she cut off my bangs. They fell on my lap, which was protected by the plastic poncho. She answered as she swept them away, "Who's your boyfriend? Hopefully one of the younger ones."
I blushed a bright pink. "No, they're all just close friends."
She nodded, and giggled, "They're handsome."
"Yeah," I said awkwardly.
She sighed, "The way they look at you just makes me jealous!"
"The way... They look at me?" I asked.
She smiled, "You haven't left their sight since." I fixed my gaze on the Sohmas, and surely enough, they were watching me.
How long were they watching me?
The second they realized I was staring back, the three of them looked away in unison. Finally, Eriko grinned, "And, we're done, darling."
She spun my chair around, and I saw another girl in the mirror. She had jet black hair, that was styled into jagged layers. Her hair was shoulder-length, and had fringed that shaped and kissed her jaws. Her bangs were just above her eyebrows. Eriko smoothed out her hair, blow-dried it, then brushed it out. It fell down the girl's shoulders like a glossy curtain. It was me. It looked better than I expected it to look.
"Oh, wow." I gasped, "Thanks so much, Eriko."
"Do you love it?"
"Yes, I do!" I let out a small giggle.
She helped me out of my seat, then whispered, "And oh yeah, your friend, the one in the white shirt, paid for you already."
My eyes lit up, and I rushed to Shigure. "You didn't have to!"
He just grinned, "I wanted to."
"Miss Nadeshiko, the haircut suits you. It looks very nice," Yuki complimented.
I beamed. "Thanks. This is a first for me. I'm glad it turned out okay."
Mai and her friends returned after their afternoon out, and I already was complimented on my new hairstyle. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea after all...
Since it was Mai's friends over, Yuki and I got stuck loading the dishwasher, while Kyo cleaned up the tables. When we finished, we watched television, this anime called, "Mogeta." It was pretty stupid and I just slept through the whole thing. I woke up finding Kyo and Yuki still watching it. I grumbled, "Turn the damn thing off already." The boys jumped back in surprise.
"You're awake?" Kyo questioned.
"You're awake!" Yuki smiled.
"Yeah. What time is it?"
"It's already ten in the evening. You could get ready for bed, if you wish," Yuki suggested. I nodded, and stretched. "Good night."
"Yeah." Kyo replied and left to probably hang out on the roof.
Yuki and I were heading upstairs, when I heard giggling.
"He's actually kind of cute," I heard Reina say softly.
Even more laughter. "No, no, there's this guy back at university- he's cute." Sango added, "I met him at the swimming team meet. He was the lifeguard!"
I didn't hear Mai's voice throughout the conversation. Yuki and I exchanged looks.
"That all sounds... fun," she finally said.
Reina paused. "Mai... Sango and I were thinking that you should go back with us."
Sango exclaimed, "Yeah, you'd easily get in! They're accepting next month, maybe you could register."
"Uh-" Mai began. Yuki and I exchanged looks again, our jaws gaped open. "I would love to..." Mai replied.
After Yuki heard this, his head dropped, and he raced to his room. "Yuki?" I called after him.
Click!
He locked his room.
"Did you hear something?" Reina asked.
"I think it's just Yuki going to his room." Silence. "Anyways, I can't just enter university like that!" Mai went on, "It wouldn't be right, anyway. There's some people I just don't want to leave behind." That's when I entered the room.
"Hey," I said. They were sitting in a circle, on Mai's bed. "I'm going to sleep, so keep it down," I warned them, then hid under the covers.
The room was empty when I woke up. It might've been because I woke up late again. I heard our guests saying farewells and thank you's. I rushed downstairs.
"You're leaving already?" I panted, as I reached the floor.
Reina and Sango held me in a tight hug. "We've got a train to catch," they answered. They faced the Sohmas and bowed. "Again, thank you so much for having us over. We can see Mai and Arya are in good hands."
Kyo grumbled, "Yeah, it was nice meeting you."
Shigure had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, girls, please come visit Mai again soon!" He waved in a dramatic way.
Mai smiled. "I'll see you later. Call when you arrive, okay?" There was a different sound to the tone she used. As if she was holding in her anger. I know Mai. I've heard that voice multiple times. I could tell she was going to shout at someone the second they left.
As Reina and Sango drove off in a taxi, Mai stormed into the house, and grabbed Yuki by the collar.
Was she mad at him?
"What's wrong with you, huh?" she hissed at him. The rest of the Sohmas looked just as surprised and perplexed as me.
Yuki choked out, "Mai - I can explain."
"Go on. I'd love to hear what you have to say," she sneered. He stayed silent and gently pushed her away.
"Never mind," he murmured.
"You-!" She grunted, "I can't believe you!"
Kyo pointed at Yuki. "Okay, what the hell is going on-"
Yuki suddenly took Kyo and flipped him over, slamming him on the floor. He walked off. I could almost see the steam come out of his ears. It was unlike him to storm off like that.
"I- I'm going out!" Mai snapped and got her things. I questioned, "No, seriously, what's happening?"
"I'm not sure! Yuki's acting up all of a sudden!" she hollered furiously, and slammed the door behind her.
Kyo groaned and rubbed his head. "Hell... Why did it have to be my head?"
"Are you alright?" I asked, helping him to his feet.
He replied, "Yeah, but Yuki and Mai must be in a really bad mood today."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Nah."
"Shigure?" I asked, facing where he was standing. Again, was standing. He was gone! Hiding in his office! I sighed in frustration and went upstairs to talk to Yuki. Luckily, the door was open. His room was a mess. The rat was siting in his bed, running his hands through his dark hair.
"Yuki, what's wrong? You can tell me."
"Your sister... I made a fool out of myself," he murmured.
I sat beside him. "She's pretty mad."
"I know she is," he replied. "I don't think I can face her anymore."
"Lucky for you, she left. She's probably doing the groceries, or something to let off some steam." He didn't reply. I asked, "What happened?"
"I can't say," he answered.
"I didn't want to hear that." I sighed.
"Miss Nadeshiko... I care a lot about Mai," he blurted out. Suddenly, a feeling swept over me. The same, empty, aching feeling I had before. The one Kisa had just healed. It was like the wound was opening again.
"Yuki..." I want to show you that I can move on. "Then go after her." I want to be strong. He looked at me in surprise, his face a faint pink. "Go after her before she gets too far," I told him. It sounded more like an order.
"Miss Nadeshiko," he reached for my face, catching a tear, "why are you-?"
"Because I loved you, Yuki," I burst out. "I love you so much." The weight on my chest finally lifted. I felt lighter, and free.
"I love you t-"
"But not the same way I did," I added, sniffling. I turned away.
"Miss Nadeshiko, thank you." He cupped my tear streaked face in his hands. "I care about you, you know that."
It wasn't the same. If he told that to Mai, it wouldn't be the same. But, it was still love. It was enough for me. I could accept it. I nodded, then, he left to see Mai. I went downstairs and wiped my face with my sleeves.
"The damn rat left pretty quickly." Kyo said, "What did you do?"
I moved on. I showed him I was strong.
"Hey... Hey! I'm talking to you!"
I could feel the aching sensation start to fade. I walked towards the kitchen, preparing the table. I felt so light. Like my toes would lift from the floor any moment. I smiled a bit at my accomplishment.
Accomplishments? What accomplishments? Just when I thought my problems were over for a long time, another came up. And this time, it had something to do with my grades.
"Damn it all," I cursed, burying my face into my arms.
I felt a hand rub my back soothingly. "Aw, Arya, don't tell me you failed a test," said Arisa. I groaned in reply. "How many?" she asked.
"One stupid math test," I answered. I had no strength to lift my face.
Another hand placed itself on my head. "It's alright, Arya, compared to me, you did well. Whereas I failed all my tests," a cold, female voice told me.
I tilted my chin up to see Saki's face, smiling sweetly at me. I sweatdropped.
"You say it like you're proud of it," Arisa commented under her breath.
I moaned, "I can't tell Mai." I couldn't show my face to her. She'd probably laugh at me, or scold me. She'd tell me to work harder. Like I don't work enough already.
"Miss Nadeshiko, what's wrong?" Yuki asked, walking up to me, "Is it re-tests?"
Don't tell Mai! Please don't! I let out a yelp, and fell out of my chair in shock. Everyone around me sweatdropped. I felt like such an idiot. "I'm sorry..." I choked out, getting up in a sitting position.
Yuki crouched down beside me, balancing on his toes. "Don't be so stressed out. There's always the re-tests and the questions are easier."
"Hey, Yuki, you coming or what?" a boy asked impatiently, but with a gentle tone.
"Ah," he gasped. "Right. Miss Nadeshiko," he began, "do you want me to walk you home?"
I waved a feeble hand. I whispered, "No... Just go to your meeting. Don't worry about it."
He gave me a pat on the back before leaving the room. But I felt another body approach me.
"Arya, are you crying?" the person said.
I snapped, "I'm not." I turned my face and met eyes with Riku's. I haven't spoken with him in a while.
"R-Right, sorry," he replied, apologizing again.
I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. "It's okay. My fault."
"Can I walk you home?" he asked suddenly.
I blushed a bright red. I stammered, twiddling my thumbs, "Uh- well- Sure, Ku-kun... I mean, you don't even know where I live. So that might be a problem, and..." I rambled on and began to mumble.
"It's fine," Kyo said, walking in, "'cause I'll be going home, soon. She'll go with me."
Saki and Arisa faced him, giving him a look.
"Well, well, if it isn't Kyon-Kyon," said Arisa with a smirk.
Kyo snapped, "Don't call me that!"
"I see you've gotten out of detention," she added.
Kyo replied again angrily, "I didn't have detention!"
Saki added in her monotone voice, "Arya is getting impatient. Just bring her home already."
My eyes twitched. "Huh?" Did she read my heart or something?
Saki gave me a smile. "It would be better if the both of them just came, right?"
"Be careful with those two, got it?" Arisa muttered, her eyes narrowing at me.
I let out a nervous moan, "Okay, then."
"Hello there!" exclaimed Momiji, sticking a hand in the air and waving it excitedly, as we walked down the hall.
Kyo mumbled sarcastically, "Great. More people."
Momiji and Hatsuharu walked up to us and raised their eyebrows in unison.
"Arya," The rabbit gasped, "your hair!"
I blushed and took a few strands. "What about it?"
"It's different," Haru stated plainly.
"It's cute!" Momiji commented.
I smiled, "Thanks!"
"Can we just go already?" Kyo grumbled, his patience growing thin.
"I wanna talk to Arya!" Momiji whined.
Kyo drilled his fist into his head. "I swear, your voice just pisses me off every time!"
The young blond wailed and cried out, "Someone! Kyo's hitting me!"
"Even more annoying when you cry like that, you little wuss!" Kyo taunted.
Riku muttered in my ear, "And these are the other Sohmas?"
"Uh, yeah." I giggled gently, "Sorry, I should introduce you."
"No, it's fine."
Haru stated, "Hey, you even grew taller."
I raised an eyebrow. Even I didn't notice that. "Really?"
"About an inch... Maybe more? You're not as cute anymore, Arya," Haru added, ignoring the situation.
"I disagree, Haru, Arya is still very cute!" Momiji interjected and found Kyo's fist hit his head again.
"Like I said, every time you open your mouth!" Kyo said through clenched teeth.
"Wah!"
I replied, facing Haru and whined dramatically, "That's not very nice to say!" I repeatedly hit him on the arm.
He suddenly lifted me up from my underarms, my toes dangling inches from the ground. I felt the blush spread on my face as I noticed his eyes scanning me from head to toe.
"Haru!" I exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
He chuckled. "Okay, you're still pretty cute," he admitted, and set me down.
I sighed and straightened my shirt. "Kyo, quit beating up Momiji. I wanna go home."
Haru placed a hand on my head. "Take care of yourself. You're looking a bit pale."
"Yeah."
"Bye, Arya!" Momiji grinned, then let out a giggle, "You're so sweet, even Kyo listens to you!"
Kyo massaged his temples, twitching as he tried to control himself. "Every time he opens his mouth..."
Riku and I sweatdropped.
I felt light-headed while I was walking. I couldn't bare to see Mai's reaction.
"So why are you so down?" Riku asked, leaning in as we walked.
I didn't answer. I frowned, looking down.
"Is it about the failed test?" Kyo guessed. I gasped and turned away, moaning softly. "Hell, I was just asking," he grumbled and continued to walk.
Riku threw a supportive arm around my shoulder. "You'll be fine, Arya. Don't be so sad." He released me and nodded his head.
I returned a feeble smile, but I didn't feel any better. I actually felt worse. Like I wanted to throw up. I clutched my stomach, and groaned.
"What's wrong?" Riku asked.
My head spun, as I fell forward. I told myself to move, but my body didn't react. Luckily, my head hit Kyo's backpack, stopping me from going any farther. Then Riku pulled me back up.
"Hey, stop stressing yourself out," Kyo snapped, turning around. "You'll give yourself a fever." I coughed and turned away.
"Arya, your face is so flushed," Riku stated, shocked.
Kyo agreed, "Yeah, you look like a tomato."
I staggered forward again and grabbed the thing closest to me - a fence to someone's yard - and crouched over. Riku placed a hand on my shoulder. "Arya, you should see a doctor."
"No..." I murmured.
"Just go, I'll take her," Kyo commanded.
"No, I'll -" Riku argued.
Kyo snapped, "She lives with me, doesn't she? Don't worry, Yamamoto. I got her."
I felt Riku's lips only a few inches away from my ear. "Get better, Arya." Then he left.
"Okay, come on, let's go home before you get any worse," Kyo said. Suddenly, I felt weak and I lost my grip on the metal. I fell towards the pavement.
"Hey!" he exclaimed and grabbed me, breaking my fall.
Poof!
There was a small, soft paw, stroking my forehead. It pulled away. I heard Kyo's voice hiss, "Hell! You really do have a fever! We gotta get you home!" I stirred, not wanting to get up. "Just don't panic! Don't panic!" he yelled, then let out a frantic shout.
Poof!
I heard him get dressed and pick me up carefully. He had his hands on my backpack and dragged me back home.
"You've got a fever!" Shigure cried.
I groaned, "I still have work, too."
"Just stay home," Shigure replied.
I can't let Mai find out. "No, I can't."
Kyo snapped, "Yes, you can! It's so annoying! You're so stubborn and you think you can do everything by yourself! You're just a girl!"
"Harsh words to say to someone with a fever," I murmured.
Shigure knelt beside me and chuckled, "Do us all a favour and get some rest, okay?"
"Okay. But if anyone asks, just say I- I was tired after a long day," I replied.
"And why would we say that? You really are sick, Arya," Shigure said, a bit concerned.
"Just don't tell Mai anything," I said a bit loudly.
He stepped back. "Don't worry, Arya. Don't stress yourself out."
"Okay, but -"
"You're not listening." He placed his finger on the top of his nose and smiled. "Please, trust us."
I sighed, "Yes, Shigure."
I changed into my pajamas. It was made out of thick cotton fabric and was very warm. Shigure gave me a wet cloth to put on my forehead, as I stayed in bed.
I drifted off to sleep for about an hour, when I heard the sound of feet stomping up the stairs. I bolted up, so I was sitting on my bed. I hesitated, before I crept off my bed, and tip-toed towards the door. I was just reaching for the handle, when a foot kicked the door open with incredible force. It knocked me right on the forehead, sending me back, and landing on my bottom.
I groaned and clutched my forehead, squeezing my eyes shut.
"What the hell? Arya?" Kyo asked, walking in.
"Idiot..." I sniffled, "did you kick down that door? What kind of person goes around kicking down doors?"
"I- I didn't see you there," he replied, and set down a bowl on the desk in my room. "You okay?"
"No, I'm not," I said curtly, with tears dribbled down my face. I winced as he took the cloth and began to wipe my forehead. I murmured, "What's that?"
"What's what?"
"What's in the bowl?"
He answered, "Oh... some leek soup to make you feel better."
"Leek?"
"Just try it," he snapped and passed it to me. I took the spoon and stared at the soup. Huh. Leeks. I brought the spoon up to my mouth and tried it. It wasn't that bad, actually. A bit salty, but other than that, it was really good.
"Wow, this is nice." I said, "Thank you so much, Kyo."
"Yeah, whatever. Just leave the bowls and plate outside when you're done." He was heading for the door.
"Wait, Kyo?" I called out.
He froze. "What now?"
"C-Can you cook for me again, until I get better?" I asked.
He gave me a weird look. "Why? Mai's coming home soon."
"That's the thing..." I murmured and sniffled. I began to cry a bit, as the emotions inside of me stirred at the very thought of Mai.
His face twitched, obviously annoyed by me. He fell to his knees. "Okay... what's wrong. You can tell me," he said in a depressed tone.
"I'm sorry," I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "I'm such an idiot."
"Why?" he asked in the same tone.
"It's because- because I failed," I cried softly. "I can't show my face to Mai. She passed all her tests. She works so hard all the time. She didn't even get any help from Yuki. I did, and yet, I still failed. And now... I'm sick!"
"Yeah?"
I knew he wasn't really listening. But I might as well get it off my chest. I went on, feeling the tears land on my hand. "Her grades are amazing. And because I'm her sister, people expect so much from me. Mai can cook and all I do is burn the food. She's outgoing and I'm shy and awkward... I get teased for sometimes looking like a boy with my haircut."
"Well, that's why you grew out your hair, right?"
"I know, but that doesn't change how I act, does it?" I replied, "I'm still as stupid as ever. And that's why I don't want to see her. It'll make me feel even worse." I clenched my fists together, tightly gripping the spoon. "I'm not like Mai." I paused and bit my lip.
"W-Why can't I be like that?" My voice came out hoarse and weak. The words formed in my mouth so perfectly, but I hesitated. "I... I want to be her."
I want to be Mai.
