Hey, Nukia here!
This fanfiction is a side story to Beyond This Love.
I don't know if any of my old readers are reading my rewrites anymore, but I'm going to keep going. This is another random chapter, I keep getting ideas and I have to write them down. I'll get to the serious chapters very soon, but I hope you're enjoying my fanfiction so far.
But thank you for the reviews, favorites and the alerts! Also to the unknown people who read my fanfictions, I promise it will pick up at some point! If you don't like it, then don't read it.
Chapter 22!
It was coming to the end of September, A had been away for over 3 weeks now. He rang Backup a few days ago and spoke to him about the college he was attending in Japan, it sounds like he's really enjoying the criminal justice studies program from what Backup had told me. I'm happy he didn't ask to speak to me though, I've began to feel a bit awkward around him now since Nonie told me that he was crushing on me, but I don't think he's noticed just yet. I hate to confess that I kind of like him to, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I've said nothing to Nonie or Backup about it, they would just make fun of me if they knew. So I've decided to keep it to myself for now and get on with my day-to-day lessons at The Wammy House.
Today's lessons had already ended, I had an hour before dinner and decided to finish one of my sketches for forensic art class in my room. It was pretty easy to do, I had to follow facial descriptions from an instruction worksheet and draw the face from the instructions. I yawned as I grabbed one of my blue cushions from the end of my bed, I placed it in front of my sketchbook and leaned my elbow on it as I continued doing my homework. I heard a knock at my room's door, I glanced over at the door and put my pencil to my lips.
" Who is it?!" I called.
" It's me!" I heard a male's voice say from the other side of the door. " May I come in and socialize with you?"
" Go away Backup, I'm busy!" I sighed and turned my attention back to my sketchbook. " I don't need you pestering me right now, I'm doing my homework! Why don't you go and annoy Nonie or any of the other student in orphanage!"
" But I'm lonely!" He whined.
" Stop being a baby, I'm busy!" I said with a giggle. " I will socialize with you and Nonie in the dinner hall in an hours time, I will see you then!"
I heard my room's door creak as it was opened, I looked over at the door and sighed when Backup peeped his head around the door. Since A left to study in Japan for a month he's been constantly bugging me, he keeps whining about being lonely and having no one to talk to when he hangs around with Nonie most of the time. I watched him creep into my room, he closed the door quietly behind him and perched himself on the chair at my dressing table. I turned my attention back to my sketchbook, I read one of the description questions from my instruction worksheet and begin to draw in my book.
" May I inquire what are you doing?" I heard Backup ask." I could help you with your homework, my brain is quite knowledgeable..."
" I'm finishing one of my sketches for forensic art class, it as to be in by Friday..." I replied as I drew one of the eyes on the face of the person I was drawing. " I thought you would have been with Mr Ruvie and Nonie still, did you finish your studies early today?"
" Yes, I finished my studies early today because Mr Ruvie had something important he needed to attend to this evening..." He answered. " I'm grateful his study lesson came to an end quickly, his stupidity annoys me. May I inquire who the person is meant do be in your sketch?"
" I don't know, I think they just make facial descriptions up for the forensic art class..." I replied, I sat up of my bed and picked my pencil-case up from my bed. " So, what do you want?"
" Nothing, I'm extremely bored and in need of entertainment..." He answered with a sigh. " I hate to admit that I miss Alternative, but alas he will not be back for another week yet. How I miss him, I've got no one to annoy until his return.."
" I thought you were friends with Nonie, why don't you annoy her instead of me for a change..." I said as I put all of my pencils back in my pencil-case. " I don't think I'll provide you with any form of entertainment, I'm dull and boring after all. That's what I overheard Nonie telling one of the other students in one of our classes before, I'll have to get a personality transplant to fit in here..."
" Boring yes, but you're never dull in my eyes..." He chuckled. " I find you fascinating, your lifespan is my main interest. I need to work out why it's frozen, it must have a specific meaning behind it..."
" There you go with the lifespan stuff again, I truly don't understand what you're on about..." I sighed as I zipped my pencil-case up and closed my sketchbook." Come on, let's go and met Nonie in the dinner hall. Apparently they have something new on the menu, something called creamy tomato pasta with prawns and garlic roots. I'm interested in trying it, how about you?"
" That sounds disgusting, I've got a dislike to prawns..." He answered, he stepped down from my chair at my dressing table and put his finger tip to his lips. " They remind me of maggots, fat juicy maggots with their gooey insides and crunch spines!"
" Backup, you've just put me of prawns for life!" I sighed with a smile and hung my legs over the edge of my bed. " Maybe I'll skip dinner now and live on gummi bears instead until breakfast, you're truly a disgusting human being at times!"
" Disgusting yes, human no..." He chuckled as he opened my room's door. " I'm hungry, I need my daily dose of my delicious strawberry jam. Will you be accompanying me to the dinner hall this evening or shall I go ahead and leave you to your feast of gummi bears?"
" I'll accompany you then, just give me one moment!" I answered.
I slid from my bed, I picked my cardigan up from my bed and walked over to my dressing table. I put my cardigan on, I quickly brushed my hair with my hairbrush and sprayed myself with some of my favorite vanilla scented perfume. I took hold of Backup's arm, I led him out of my room and let go of his arm as closed my room's door behind me. We walked along the corridor together, I listened to Backup telling me about a frog he dissected this morning in biology and how he discovered that the frog as a three-chambered heart unlike the human heart which as only four chambers.
" That's interesting fact to know I guess, thank you for sharing that bit of information with me..." I said as I walked with him down the two flights of stairs to the ground floor of the orphanage. " So, have you heard from A this week?"
" I've not heard from Alternative since last week, but he did mention that he would be taking exams the following week which would be this week now..." He replied. " So that would explain why he's not been in touch, but let me ask you something. Did you make a decision about Oxford yet? Seeing as it's been over a month now and you're still here you must have declined your Mother's friend's invite, am I correct?"
" I've haven't decided anything yet, I asked if I could extend my decision for another 3 weeks because I needed more time to think about it..." I replied and jumped from the last step of the stairs. " Watari and Bella were fine about it, they both understand it's a hard decision for me to make. If I left The Wammy House then it would feel like I've betrayed my Aunt's wishes, she's planned my future for me and I don't want to seen ungrateful for all the things she did for me..."
" I see, but how would it be ungrateful?" He asked. " Your Aunt is deceased, I believe that the dead cannot hurt the living and your choices wouldn't affect her because she's dead. Only the living can be betrayed, your actions wouldn't bother your Aunt at all..."
" Maybe so, but it would still feel like I'm going against her wishes..." I replied. " My Aunt Thora did a lot for me, she took me in when I was 8 years old and brought me up. She didn't have to do that, she took me in because she felt like it was her duty as my only living blood relative!"
" It seems that your decision is quite easy to decide, I believe you have made your decision already..." He smirked as he walked a head of me and took a strawberry jam sachet from his jean pocket. " I think your future belongs here with us, you're one of us now..."
" One of you?" I asked. " Do you mean an orphan?"
" No, what I meant was a freak..." He chuckled. " Once you enter The Wammy House you're branded a freak from the outside world, no one here is normal. Especially me and a few other children, I would go as far as saying Nonie is at the same freak level as me. We're both unstable, we're both watching and waiting to unlock your secrets..."
" What's that meant to mean?" I asked.
" It's not important, let's get something disgusting to eat..." He replied.
I followed Backup into the dinner hall, he can be very confusing at times. But some of what he says can make sense on the odd occasion, I do agree with him about my Oxford decision though. I have more pros than cons at this very moment, one of the pros being my friends. I stopped with Backup at the tray holder, we both took a tray and walked along the deli counters to choose our dinner.
I hurried up a flight of stairs that led to the third floor, I've just heard from Nonie that A had arrived back at The Wammy House over three hours ago. I couldn't wait to see him, but I was also dreading it at the same time since I learnt that he was crushing on me. But for now I'm pushing those thoughts aside, I just can't wait to see my best friend. I ran along the corridor on the third floor, I stopped outside of A's room and knocked on the door. I tucked some of my hair behind my ear as I heard the door unlock, I cupped my hands behind my back and smiled when I saw A peep his head around the door. His blonde shaggy hair was sticking up all over the place, he looked so tired and had dark circles under his bright blue eyes. He opened the door wide as he yawned and rubbed at his right eye, he must have jet lag.
" Welcome home!" I smiled.
" Hey..." He said in a sleepy tone. " What are you doing here?"
" I'm here to welcome you home, did I wake you?" I asked. " I'm sorry, Nonie told me you were awake about 10 minutes ago when I saw her in the dinner hall. But seeing how you arrived back at the orphanage over three hours ago then I'm not surprise that you were sleeping. I shall come back later after you've had a rest, I'm sorry if I disturbed you..."
" No, it's alright..." He yawned and stepped away from the doorway. " You can come in, I was only power napping. You'd have known if I was asleep, I wouldn't have answered the door and you would have been standing in the corridor for a very long time..."
" Are you sure?" I asked. " I can come back in a few hours if you like, I don't mind visiting you later after you've slept for a while..."
" It's fine, you can come in..." He replied and ran his fingers through his hair as he yawned. " I'll say sorry about the mess in my room now before you enter my domain, I've not finished unpacking yet and there is a pile of dirty laundry in the middle of my room. Also Backup as a bunch of empty jam jars by his bed, so don't mess with them or he'll know..."
" It's okay, I know boys can be messy even if they're geniuses..." I smiled.
I walked past A into his room, his room was dimly lit and he right about the mess. There were clothes scattered across the floor of the room, I stopped by A's bedside table and picked a photo frame up from it. It was a photograph of his Mum, Sister and himself with his German Shepherd dog Maxwell. They looked so happy in the photo, it's not fair what happened to his family. I heard the room's door close, I placed the photo frame down on the bedside table and sat down on A's bed. I watched him grabbed his white hoody from the floor, he quickly put it on and crouched down in front of his opened suitcase near his bed.
" How was your flight from Tokyo back to England?" I asked.
" It was alright I guess, but being trapped on a plane for over 11 hours with the panda detective wasn't fun. That guy is a jerk, all he cares about his is precious sweets and bringing Justice to the guilty..." He answered as he rummaged around in his suitcase. " The way he treats people though, I mean can't he show some kind of sympathy towards victims and innocent people. Anyway, how have you been?"
" I've been good, how about you?" I asked.
" I can't complain, I enjoyed the criminal justice studies program and learned a lot from it..." He replied and threw one of his t-shirts over his shoulder. " The students were nice, the tourist attractions were amazing and the Japanese cuisine was fantastic. I've seen so many wonderful things well I was there, it will be hard to describe them all to you..."
" I'm glad you enjoyed it, did you take any photographs?" I asked.
" No, but I've brought a few postcards back with me to show the other students..." He answered as he took a white paper bag from his suitcase and got up from the floor. " If I ever go to Japan again I'll remember to take a camera with me, I actually never thought of taking one with me. But I don't think Watari would allow it, I'm meant to be unknown to the world after all.."
" I see, can I ask you something?" I asked.
" Sure, what's up?" He asked.
" Have you gotten taller or is it just me?" I asked as I looked him up and down well I twirled a piece of my hair around my finger. " What were they feeding you in Japan? You must have grown at least 3 inches in a month, am I correct?"
" All kinds of different foods, the cuisine in Japan was delicious and adventurous or sometimes just weird!" He replied. " I loved Tempura and Yakitori though, I could have easily lived over there. The life style was awesome, I really want to go back there again one day if I ever get the chance..."
" That sounds great, did you use chopsticks when you ate your food in Japan? I asked. " I remember using chopsticks once when I went to a Chinese restaurant with my Aunt and Rose, I accidentally flicked a prawn from my plate when I was trying to pick it up with chopsticks. It hit a woman on the back of her head and got stuck in her hair, she didn't notice though..."
" Remind me not to sit near you then when you're eating food with chopstick, you sound dangerous well using them!" He chuckled, he walked over to his bed and sat down next to me. " I've brought you a present, it's nothing much or even expensive for that matter. I've got Nonie the same thing, but I've brought Backup some Japanese strawberry jam. I'm not sure if he'll eat it, but the strawberry jam from Japan tastes really good with shrimp sushi..."
" You didn't have to buy me anything, but I thank you for your present..." I smiled.
" It's alright, I wanted to buy you and the guys something from Japan..." He said with a smile and held the white paper bag towards me. " Go on, open it!"
I took the paper bag from A's hand, I opened it and took two packets of Japanese sweets from bag. The sweets were called Puccho and Mizoredama, I'm not really sure what flavours they were or what they tasted like. I thanked him again and put them back into the paper bag. I placed the bag down on the bed next to me, I felt someone gently take hold of my right arm and pull something over my hand. I looked down at my hand and saw pretty pale pink beaded bracelet on my wrist. I looked up at A from my wrist, I felt myself blush slightly and pulled my arm away from his hand.
" What is it?" I asked.
" It's a friendship bracelet, don't you like it?" He asked, he showed me a black beaded bracelet on his left wrist and pointed to it with his finger. " I've got one too, but mines all manly and not girly. I've not brought Nonie or Backup one, they don't like accessorizing..."
" Of course I do, it's pretty!" I replied and ran my fingers over the pale pink beads. " Thank you, but you've brought me to much. I'll have to make you some homemade toffee for a thank you, I'll ask Watari if I can use the kitchen one evening this week to make you some..."
" You don't have to that even if I'm temped to let you make me some because toffee is my favorite treat, but it's perfectly fine..." He smiled. " So, what's been going on around here for the last month? I've missed out on all the excitement The Wammy House as to offer, who's been up to what?"
" Nothing exciting as happened, it's been pretty quiet and normal around here for once..." I replied.
" How about Nonie, I hope she's been nice to you well I was gone..." He said as he crawled onto his bed and lay down on his stomach. " That goes for Backup too, he's not been creepy or stalkerish as he? I know he creeps you out sometimes, but he also creeps me out as well with all this talk about lifespans and homicide. I've got no idea what's wrong with that guy sometimes, he's off his rocker!"
" They have both been nice to me, well over-nice sometimes which I personally find creepy anyway. Backup was annoying me a fair bit over the month, he kept complaining about being bored and feeling lonely. I think he's missed you, but Nonie as been fine with me. We've even started hangout in the television room three times a week well you were in Japan, she's kind of growing on me now..." I replied and looked at A over my shoulder as I heard him yawn loudly. " Would you like me to leave now so you can sleep?"
" No, you can stay..." He answered as he wrapped his arms around his pillow and snuggled his face into it. " Keep talking, I'm listening with my eyes closed. What else as been going on around here? How have the classes been without me in them? Anything new with you or anyone else in the orphanage?"
" Well I got a C in DNA biometrics, I've also got a little cleaning job in the kitchen to earn some pocket-money..." I answered. " I've been allowed to extend my decision about Oxford for a while, it seems that I have more pros than cons now..."
" That's good..." He mumbled sleepily. " How much money will you be earning?"
" £6 a week, I know it not much. But it will do for buying little things that I may need and I'm going to save some of the money for a rainy day..." I replied. " I'm going to go now, you're falling asleep on me and I need to get ready for after lunch lessons. I'll come by later when you're more awake, sweet dreams until then..."
" Sure, I'll just have a little nap..." He said as he pulled one of his blankets over his head. " I'll see you in the dinner hall at 5pm, I will tell you more about Japan later and if you see Backup tell him to be quiet when he comes back to our room..."
" Okay, I'll see you at dinner..." I smiled.
I got up from A's bed, I switched his bedside table's lamp off and picked the white paper bag up from the bed. I walked over to the room's door, I opened it quietly and looked over at him sleeping in his bed. I watched him roll over onto his side as he let out a loud snore, I'm glad I don't have a roommate. I smiled to myself as I rolled my eyes and closed the door quietly behind me, I'm glad A is back.