Chapter Twenty-Eight
-Luka-
Gumi. Why is she so… Gumi sometimes? I swear, if she- Ouch. I look up in front of me through my cloudy thoughts to see someone- woah, he's not bad- standing baffled in front of me.
"Woah, watch where yo-" he starts with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, that was… that was uh, my fault," he says, placing a hand to his chest after running his gaze up and down me.
"Sorry," I say, my hands finding my way to my hair to pull it back in front of my shoulder. "I should really start watching out," I admit with a light giggle. I walk past him with my gaze toward the sky, only for my shoulder to be tugged back around. "Wh-" I start, my eyebrows furrowing.
"N-No, I mean, I kind of owe you," he cuts me off, his hazel eyes fiery and fierce. What the-
"N-No, please don't! You really don't!" I counter, shaking my head and forcing my feet hurriedly away from him. Again, my shoulder is pulled back, this time with stronger force. What is up with him? "What?" I ask, my tone mirroring the intensity of his eyes.
"Come on," he says, tilting his head, "I know there's something you want. Money?" he offers, holding out his hands amusingly. "Let's see, what do girls like…" he mumbles to himself. "Clothes?" he finally says, raising his eyebrows. I simply narrow my eyes. "I mean… you're just fine without 'em," he chuckles.
"You know what? I'll pass," I say rudely, spinning around as my long pink hair flies behind my back. Gross. Pervert. And this bikini is just fine, thank you. "Although…" I sing, turning back around and running my fingers through my hair for effect. Oh god, what on earth made me think this was good idea? "There is one thing I would like…" I continue with a huff. Here it goes. "Since you are oh so eager to pay me back for whatever the heck I did," I throw in a fake laugh, "There is this friend I'd like to get back at," I wink. Sometimes my mouth really hates me.
"Ah, I knew it," he laughs. "So, tell me about this… friend," he chuckles, his blazing copper eyes glowing even brighter. Is that even possible?
"Well… How about we talk over smoothies?" I ask. I don't even know this guy. What am I doing?
"Sounds good," he smirks, his feet dragging over the white sand. "I was just about to go surf, but I mean… this sounds fine too," he shrugs. Okay, now he's just bragging.
"You know," I say, tossing my hair behind my back elegantly, "I surf too."
"Do you really?" he asks, turning to face me and stopping midstride, his pink hair shaking across his head.
"Pfft… no!" I giggle, "I can't play a sport to save my life," I admit, my eyes racing up to the sky.
"Well, at least you know that surfing is a sport," he shrugs, "A lot of girls don't."
"Who said I was-" I start. Nope, that's a comeback reserved for only Rin, Miku, and Gumi. Ah, Gumi. "Nevermind," I shake it off, "But anyway," I say, facing the smoothie shop. However, Gumi and Kaito are nowhere to be seen. "Hold on," I whisper, craning my neck. Nope. Where are they?
Gumi seemed pretty mad just a few minutes ago when I was with her… Kaito seemed to be in a joking mood… But where are they now? Suddenly, suspicious theories begin flooding into my head. Maybe they're hanging out without me! That's just another reason to get back at Gumi. Maybe they found Miku and Piko and are giving Miku even more birthday presents. I thought I told Gumi that we were all going to give Miku her present together. Maybe they're doing something stupid… like making out in a cl- Y'know what? Relax, Luka…
Gumi probably just went to go find Miku and Piko herself… and Kaito, well, Kaito probably just wants ice-cream. I'm sure nobody's in any closets.
"You okay?" I hear a voice, derailing my train of thought. Oh right, lover-boy is here.
"Yeah, yeah," I sigh with a shake of my head. However, the blinding image of Kaito and Gumi together still lingers in my thoughts. How is it that she has a boyfriend and I don't? Instantaneously, I find my head facing the boy next to me. He gives me a short smile, acknowledging me kindly. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're not going to even think about asking out some random guy you just met at the beach. And everybody knows that vacation-dates are a don't.
Then why is Miku so happy with Piko?
Oh, there's no way she'll be happy by the time that these remaining five days are over… Oh gosh… I have to talk her out of this… now!
"Alright… whatever-your-name-is," I stammer, "I really have to go find someone. Bye," I add quickly, rushing off in a hurry. Oh, I don't even know where the girl is. Where exactly did Piko lead her with that perfectly-matching gift bag and that wholehearted smile? What was even in that perfectly-matching gift bag? Come on, you're getting so off topic right now. I just have to find M-
"Can I go with you?" he asks. I roll my eyes. Won't he give up?
"Nope," I sigh, not even bothering to look at him.
"I'll pay for your smoothie," he offers.
"Forget it," I sing, quickening my pace.
"I'll pay for your clothes," he says in between suppressed snickering. I turn around, biting my lip furiously.
"You know what," I say slowly and dreadfully, each word gaining more and more rage. "Just leave me alone, okay? You're really starting to bother me!" I say, pointing out the oh-so obvious. "Just let me find my friend alone," I say, stretching out the word alone. I watch as his eyes fall and his smirk drops. Only the faint sounds of waves lapping onto the shore fill the air as I hold his stare.
"Alright, fine," he shrugs after a while, though his voice isn't as… edgy as it was before. Nice one, Luka. You should really start working on your people skills again. Not just with professional business people… but with idiots like him, too.
"Good," I mumble under my breath, walking off into who-knows-where. I seem to be simply leading myself up a hill filled with a grove of trees lining a human-made path. That's strange… I don't remember seeing this when we drove up here… This is lovely though… the perfect secret place for two romantics to spend time toge- Oh my gosh, they're up here!
Suddenly, I can feel verve hastening through my legs as I break out into a run, continuing up the path. I can practically hear the laughter from the two. Miku's going to hate me when I break them up… But I guess it's for her own good. I wouldn't want him breaking up with her, now would I? No way… She'd take it harder that way. It's her birthday. The last thing we want is for her to fall into sadness like she did when Kaito stopped talking to her…
Why can't she realize that Kaito-
As my eyelashes begin to untangle from my eyes, one by one, I begin to regain my blurry vision. Where… What just-
"She's awake," I hear an unfamiliar voice circling above my head. I blink a couple times, trying to focus my vision on the looming figure in front of me. Cloudy shapes and hazy colors begin to clear up one at a time, creating what I think is… Piko?
"What happened to me?" I ask, suddenly jerking up as my hands clench onto the soft blades of sandy grass below.
"You're… hurt…" Piko starts. Suddenly, I can see Miku standing by my side as well with a troubled countenance, fingering her strands of teal hair in worry. I notice her other hand is… linked with Piko's arm…
"Where… Where am I?" I stammer as my vision fully returns to normal, though my eyes still hurt. I blink a couple more times to loosen up the feeling. "What happened to me?" I repeat frantically.
"We heard you fall on the hill back there and we got really worried and we just want to know if you're okay! What were you even doing back there anyway? Were you looking for us? W-We weren't doing anything!" Miku splutters suddenly, her expression collapsing in angst.
"I told you, I'm fine," I say, pushing my arms up off the ground and trying to stand up, only to be warned by a searing pain in my right knee and calf. I let out a wail as I am immersed in the horrifying pain that I begin to fall into. "M-Mi… AHH!" I scream out, trying to revert to my previous position, only to feel the same aching pain swallowing up my body.
"Oh my gosh, Luka!" Miku squeals, "Don't try to stand up! Don't you know that's bad for you?!" she asks, clinging to Piko as her uneasiness deepens. I look down to see open scars scratching up my legs, mostly on my right. How did this happen so fast? I guess it's funny how you only feel the pain that you see. Only now does it begin to really hurt. I cling to my leg in desperation.
"Can't any of you get anything to stop this bleeding?" I wail, as discomfort rushes through my entire body down to the tips of my toes. Miku, letting go of Piko, rushes off in a hurry down the hill, being careful not to trip and fall where I did. In no time, I am left with Piko.
"Just sit tight," he says softly, kneeling down next to me, "She'll be back in a second, okay?" I swallow down the burning pain through my dry throat and let out a sharp gasp from the pain. "Don't move," he reminds me. I freeze where I am.
"It hurts," I whine, clenching my teeth. I must have cut my leg on one of those trees or something. I've only ever fallen once in my life before… I guess I've never felt real pain like this. "Piko…" I mumble his name through excruciating breaths.
"Just… whatever you do, don't try and stop the bleeding with the grass. The sand might get in your cuts and hurt you even more," he advises me, his hand prolonged in front of him. I nod quickly. Oh, this is uncomfortable…
"I-It hurts a bit less…" I start, turning my neck in an angle where I can get a better look at my injury. He sighs a heavy breath of relief. Suddenly, a shadow comes across his widening eyes.
"L-Luka, you told me you were a model, right?" he asks frantically. I nod my head quickly, my long strands of chrysanthemum pink hair bouncing around me as pieces of mud and sand fall lay tangled in. "Do you have any upcoming shows or anything here?" he asks. Holy crap… he's right… I won't be able to- No, there's no way. NO! "Luka, are you okay?"
"No! I'm not okay!" I gasp, my shoulders rising, "My show is tomorrow, Piko," I inform him, my tone dropping darkly. "I can't do it. I have to drop out."
"B-But… what about the money? Didn't you guys have to make up the stolen money?" he reminds me, "Weren't the earnings from your modeling part of your plan?" I smack my head on my forehead. He's right. If I drop out of modeling, I won't make the show. If I'm not in the show, I'm not getting paid. If I'm not paid, I'm not going to be able to pay for-
"Ugh!" I cry out, "We're never going to make it back home!" Piko's eyebrows furrow in helpless worry.
"Then, don't drop out," he says. I throw him a look like he has three heads. "Find a replacement," he adds. Find… a replacement?
"Piko Utatane! You're a genius!" I shriek, a huge smile spreading across my cheeks. I almost rush up to him, only for my leg to pull me back down again. "Oh…" I moan, cringing at the feeling as little droplets of red begin to trickle down my knee again.
"Luka!" I hear Miku's voice, "Luka! Don't move your leg!" she shouts as her voice crescendos, ascending up the hill. It isn't long before she's at my side, wrapping my long, bloody leg in clean, white bandages. "I think we should go home now…" she says quietly, her expression falling as she glances at Piko.
"But, Luka can't model tomorrow," he tells Miku. I don't even bother to watch Miku's reaction.
"But you have to!" she practically shouts, "Isn't that why we came up here?"
"We came for you too," I remind her, tapping her shoulder, "And as long as you're happy, we're fine," I sigh.
"That's so sweet of you," Miku sighs, "But…" she falters, "WAIT! THE MONEY!" she cries, clinging to her pigtails, "How are we-"
"Exactly," I quiet her, "Which is why I want you… to take my place."
Alright. This just intense. Sort of. So, I'm in a hurry... and well, yeah... gotta go! Enjoy and review! :)