Chapter Twenty-Six

-Gumi-

"Mm-kay," I say, looking at my wrist as if I'm wearing a watch, "Where are those two?" I ask, rolling my eyes to the clear blue sky. "It's been like, three years since they left with that gift bag!"

"Hey, calm down, Gumi," Luka says with a wave of her hand. "Can't you put two and two together? Gift bag equals gift. Gift equals time," she says slowly, shaking her head with raised eyebrows. However, her eyes twinkle with laughter that tells me another story.

"Okay, so even if he is just giving her a gift, aren't you the least bit suspicious? I mean like, it's been ten minutes!" I say, leaning against the polished mahogany counter of the smoothie shop.

"I thought it's been three years," Luka points out, twisting her straw between her fingers.

"Oh, shut up!" I sneer, slamming my mango smoothie on the counter. Why did I even order this rubbish?

"Hey, Gumi," Kaito chuckles, placing a hand on the table in front of me, "I know you're jealous, but they'll be back in a minute," he sings. What the-

"Idiot!" I gasp, "I thought you were on my side!" He rolls his eyes with a playful grin. "Plus, aren't you jealous too? Admit it!" I cackle. He shakes his head, leaning back in his barstool carelessly. Luka just rolls her eyes in bewilderment, twirling a strand of her long faded pink hair.

"You two are killing me," Luka groans, pushing herself off the seat in annoyance. She balances herself, walking away with her head held high. "I'm going to go tan. Gumi, if you finally come to your senses, you can join me. 'Kay?" she says with a quizzical raise of her sharp eyebrows. I just spin back around in my seat and shove the straw back in my mouth.

"Enjoying that smoothie?" Kaito laughs.

"Oh, shut up," I retort, facing the other way.

"What's gotten you so… blech?" he asks, his tone somewhat more serious. "I've never actually seen you like this to anyone other than Rin," he says, "What's up?"

"I'm just…" I start, searching for the right words. He sticks his neck out impatiently, waiting for me to continue. "Don't you kinda wish you were the one giving Miku that birthday present right now?" I ask, keeping my voice low.

"Gumi, you get jealous way too easily," Kaito says sadly, shaking his head. I clench a fistful of my bright green shoulder-length hair, tugging it from my scalp in frustration. "Although…" he starts. I slowly let go of my hair and look up in anticipation. "It would be nice," he shrugs nonchalantly.

"That's it?" I ask. "Nothing else?" I narrow my eyes. "Nothing?"

"Come on," he tells me, "You need to be more open to these kinds of things. It's just a birthday present and nothing more. What's the big deal anyway?"

"Of all people… wouldn't you understand?" I ask. "You mean… you're not even the slightest bit suspicious? I mean-"

"Hey," he says, patting my shoulder suddenly. "You know what you need? You need to get your mind off of this whole gift thing!" he grins. I raise an eyebrow suspiciously.

"What are you saying?"

"Come on, let's go watch a movie!" he says, raising his glass. He then brings it back down the counter and takes a sip, finishing the remains.

"A movie?" I repeat dumbly, my bottom eyelids rising. What about Miku, Luka, Len and Rin… What about Piko? "Won't they notice when we're gone?" I ask hesitantly. Kaito's eyes flicker with mischief.

"Ah, but see…" he chuckles, "That's the fun of it." What the heck is that supposed to mean? I open my mouth to object, but he beats me to it. "Come on! Don't be such a stinker!" he laughs. I narrow my eyebrows as he throws me a wink. I reach to drink the last of my smoothie, only to find it in Kaito's hands.

"Hey!" I shout, "Give me my smoothie back, idiot!" He laughs, yet the playful joking edge loosens me up a little. "Fine, you know what? I didn't want it much anyway," I say, smoothing down the frilly ruffles on my green and white striped bikini. He twirls the straw in between his fingers and takes a slow, savory sip.

"At least it wasn't a waste," he chuckles lowly. I narrow my eyebrows. Come, on! Don't be such a stinker… His words circle around my head, repeating themselves over and over and over again.

"Fine. Let's go watch your stupid movie," I give in with a roll of my eyes.

"Giving up so easily?" he laughs, pushing himself off the chair. "Alright, your choice. What movie?" I bite my lip softly, taking a moment to think. He waits patiently as I press my finger onto my chin.

"Um…" I start, "Can I have a little time to think?" I ask enthusiastically, raising a finger. His expression falls.

"Seriously? Come on," he says, "If you don't decide now, it's gonna be a horror movie? I mean, what's better mental rest than Insidious?"

"No! That movie sucks!" I say, shuddering at the recollections from the time that Rin dragged me into the theater three years ago when we were fresh into thirteen- just old enough to watch it. "Can't we watch something like… like…?" I pause, making pointless hand motions just to stall my thinking, "Like…"

"Alright, Insidious it is. In fact, we're gonna go home and watch every single horror movie I've got!" Kaito chuckles, tugging on my hand like a kid. I roll my eyes, trying to pull away from his grasp, only to be tugged out onto the sand and away from the shore. There is no way that this can possibly even attempt to end up well.

Suddenly, as the young girl- it's a shame, she's only eight years old- walks forward slowly, the camera pans to her blank face. However, her one missing eye shines bright, white nothing seeping out of it. Static resounds as she continues walking, her once cute and innocent brown pigtails now ragged and falling apart. Her once white dress is now dyed completely in red, masked in horrid bloodstains.

These kinds of things… do not sit with me well. "Kaito…" I whisper, my eyes cemented to the TV screen. After countless seconds of not answering me, I tug on his sleeve and try again. "Kaito…" I shriek in between clenched teeth.

"What?" he asks, tearing his graze abruptly from the movie.

"C-Can we watch something else?" I ask, swallowing down the fear and shoving the image away from my mind. I watch uncomfortably as his lips pull up into a smirk. It's always the smirk that kills…

"You're scared, aren't you?" he asks. Is my trembling body not enough evidence? Is my stuttering not a dead giveaway? What about the fact that I haven't touched my popcorn since we finished Friday the 13th? "Come on," he teases, "What's even there to be afraid of, anyway?" I gasp at the audacity of the question as he leans back on the couch arm in contentment.

"Everything!" I shout, shoving a finger in his face. He crosses his eyes in toward his nose, though I'm too flabbered to laugh. "I mean what if Jason actually comes after me?! A-And that other movie! I will never look at trees in the winter the same way ever again, thanks to you!" I screech. He gently pushes my finger away from his face.

"It's just a movie, Gumi," he reminds me. I open my mouth to say something, but something about the soft look in his eyes tells me that… I shouldn't. Instead, I kick my feet up against his coffee table and cross my arms stubbornly.

"I swear…" I mumble under my breath, letting out a heavy breath that sends my bangs flying away from my face.

"Girls can be so stupid sometimes," he finishes with a chuckle. Hah, he didn't actually just say that… right? Right?!

Faster than either of us can process, I reach over and fling my palm across his cheek. Radiating with anger, I watch as his cheek fills with red. However, it's only his left cheek that turns red… I didn't actually just slap him that hard… right? Right?!

"Hey!" he yelps, grabbing his left cheek with his hands, "What was that for?"

"Eh, just something I've been wanting to do for a while," I shrug, playing it further, only to earn a flick in the face from Kaito. Much to his dismay, I simply flash a cute innocent smile along with a bouncy giggle. "It's a shame that that little girl's about to go on a killing spree," I shrug, directing his eyes back to the screen.

"Just waiting to pick up that knife…" Kaito says, his expression suddenly falling to one of fear. "This next part always takes me by surprise," he says, shifting slightly closer to me. What next part-

Suddenly, screams fill the heavy air as the girl yanks her fingers off the knife in shock- yet her expression remains blank. Does she not have emotions? Is it all in her head…? I gasp in revulsion as the white mist of a ghost flies out of the knife, choking the girl in-

"Hey, Gumi…" Kaito starts. I look up in confusion at his red cheeks. I don't recall slapping him in the right one too… "You can let go of me now," he says, with a pointed raise of his eyebrows. I draw in a silent breath as I take in my current stance- my fingers are wrapped around Kaito's shoulder, my knees resting on his lap as I tightly clutch the fabric of his shirt. Quicker than lighting, I feel heat soaring to my cheeks as I position myself off him.

"Sorry," I start, brushing off the imaginary dust on my neckline. He chuckles, playing it off as if the whole thing hadn't even bothered him.

"I guess I can't help being so cool that I've got girls clinging to me left and right," he says, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

"Oh, so you want pain in your right cheek, too?" I ask, offering my hand.

"N-No," he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Like, seriously? I can't possibly be the only one who notices that every guy does that!

"Plus, come on!" I say, starting my rage, "I mean… Miku doesn't even like you like that!" I shriek, making pointless crazy hand motions, "Can't you see she's totally into Piko?" I ask, rolling my eyes up to the ceiling.

"Hey, Gumi…" Kaito trails off. Crap. I just said something really, really bad, didn't I?

"Sorry, never mind. I-I didn't mean it…" I trail off awkwardly, sinking down into the couch. "I-I… yeah…" I sigh. Way to go, Gumi.

"Mm," he nods. Suddenly, we exchange a glance as I watch a small glimmer of spirit rise within his expression. "But, I mean," he shrugs, "It's not like you've got a chance with shota boy or anything." He watches with a smug look on his face as my jaw drops.

"That's it! You earned it!" I shout, bringing all my force upon his right cheek. Kaito reels back in pain, clutching it tightly from the sudden outbreak. "But I've gotta hand it to you," I giggle haughtily, "That was good."

Suddenly, I feel something on my right cheek- something soft and damp brushing across- yet the force is so… delicate. Almost hesitantly, I shift my eyes to see Kaito pulling away from me. I as put the pieces together, I am left with these words- "Kaito! What was that for?"

"Eh," he replies with a laugh, "Just something I've been wanting to do for a while."

Kaito Shion just… kissed me. Was that his plan all along? To bring me into fear by watching horror movies, and then cling to him… on accident? A-And then flirt with me unknowingly? A-And then… kiss me?! Maybe when winter comes, I won't be afraid of the bare trees reaching out their scrawny branches to try to kill me…

…But the past ten seconds will no doubt flood my nightmares instead.

Ahh! Forgive me! I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this... but isn't it fun? :D

Eating: Waffles
Drinking: Chocolate Milk
Doing: Publishing, eating breakfast
Homework: Done. *insert serious face*
Listening to: Nothing :(
Quote time: "...But the past ten seconds will no doubt flood my nightmares instead." - Gumi

Haha! Rinny-chan is coming up! :)