A/N: Hey chickadees! I am back with a longer upload this time because I got the job! But in return I am adding the story of how I am now the baking soda lady in the A/N afterwards so read it and sympathize with me lol. Also I fixed an inconsistency in chapter two where I said Wren had a job. She did but she was let go because the commute was too far from the school. The song to queue up today is Ignorance by Paramore, and this song is meant to be read as if Wren was just yelling the words, not singing them, so I got rid of a lot of the repetition. Enjoy~
I still don't own anything.
Previously: I walked into my apartment, hoping my mom was out. But of course she was on the battered old couch we have, sipping out of a cheap bottle of vodka.
"Ah there's the little bitch, I have a few questions for you." she slurred. This did not bode well for me.
I stayed silent and stared at her.
"What are you looking at." she stood up and slapped me, but I stay quiet.
"Hmm, what a pretty dress, was it a gift from those boys?" she smirked. My eyes widened in surprise.
"Boys, what do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb with me. I know you're in a host club. So you're running around with a group of manwhores you little slut." Something in me rose to defend the club members.
"They aren't manwhores. They just flirt with girls to raise their self-esteem."
"Yeah right. So you're getting it on with some rich guys and receiving pretty things. This wasn't part of the plan but we can work with it." Her eyes raked up the dress. "Dirty slut. I have someone I want you to meet. If you're going to do these things you might as well do it for money." I was horrified at what she was implying.
"No." I whispered. My mom's eyes flared.
"No? We'll see about that." She knocked me to the floor and held something close to my face. Only when I felt my flesh burning did I realize it was a lighter.
"Stop!" I yelled, trying to twist my face away, but she was sitting on me and holding my head to the ground.
"Will you do what mommy tells you?" I resisted but it soon became too much for me.
"Yes." I said, defeated.
"Good, I'll tell him." She got off me and I went to my room. I was relieved when I saw the burn was back towards my ear, so I could easily hide it with my hair. I grabbed some salve from my first aid kit and painstakingly placed it on all of my burns. I bandaged them and tried to start some homework, but my mind was in too many places. When is mom going to invite her little visitor? What am I going to do, should I fight? I moved away from those thoughts, wanting to avoid them at all costs. My thoughts drifted to the host club. Why were they so eager to help? What are they trying to obtain? Why did I feel the need to defend them? I can't get attached, that is dangerous. Secrets get out when you get attached and then they get spilled and I can't risk that. And why did I blush when Mori carried me? That one confused me the most. I slowly drifted to sleep pondering it and what disturbed me was I couldn't find an answer.
A couple days later and I had finally gotten used to the host club's antics. I cleaned up and brought tea to the hosts and customers. The host club finally stopped asking me if my legs were alright thankfully, and nobody noticed the burn on my face. Hunny insisted that I have cake with him everyday, and that's how I ended up wedged between Mori and Hunny again. Hunny was entertaining the guests, who occasionally glared at me, while I decided to poke Mori. I wanted to make fun of him being labeled the wild type, cause I just don't see it.
"Look, it's a wild Mori ninja, highly lethal and very fast. I'm going to poke it." I said with an australian accent as I proceeded to poke him. I looked back up at him to see he had a slight smile on his face. I jumped up and started to do my victory dance, while singing "I am the champion, I am the champion of the world!"
"Why are you the champion?" Hunny asked
"I have done the impossible and gotten Mori to smile!" I exclaimed happily.
"What? No way, really?" the twin asked, dumbfounded.
"Yes, I have and I know I am amazerific."
"Respect." they said, amazed. They reached up to give me a high-five and I automatically flinched. They didn't notice thankfully and I gave them both high-fives quickly, covering up my mistake with a fake sneeze. I went to sit back down and I noticed Mori had replaced his amused look with one of concern and questioning. Apparently he noticed my slip-up. Again I was saved, this time by Tamaki.
"Daughter, guess what! Daddy is going to take everybody on a trip! We are going to Mommy's companies resort a week from now!"
"O.k, first of all, YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER, and second of all, I'm not going."
"What, but you must come, it will be family bonding time!" I shot him a glare and he stopped, instead deciding to go sulk in his corner. The twins then decided to pop up OUT OF NOWHERE! I'm serious, I gotta learn how to do that, it be great for pranks. That reminds me, I still owe the twins a prank for calling me their toy.
"Why aren't you going?" they asked in, what else, unison.
"Don't wanna, got stuff planned." Really it was because my mom would never let me, but I wasn't about to tell them that. The club members do seem nice enough, but I don't trust anybody. I learned that the hard way. Plus, they are just asking to be polite, they don't really want me to come. I would just ruin their reputation some more. I am only allowed to be in the club because they need someone to clean up after them.
"But Wren you have to come! It won't be as fun without you!" Hunny said, giving me the killer combo, teary puppy dog eyes.
"Okay guys, cut the act, it's not like you actually want me to come. Thanks for being polite though. I'd just be a bother if I came." I said, the my eyes burning with tears. I never cry in public so this is really weird. I usually have better control over this. These guys are breaking down my defenses and it is going to get me hurt in the end. I heard the whispers of the guests, mostly stuff like 'good, she knows her place' and 'they really are being too kind to such a worthless person.' I felt the tears come again and I was about to run out of there when Mori said something that stopped me in my tracks.
"It's not like that" he said, surprising everyone.
"Everybody that is not part of the host club staff please leave." Kyoya said. When everyone else was out I finally found my voice.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not a bother to anyone Wren, what would lead you to believe that?" Tamaki said seriously.
"Don't you hear the girls whisper? I'm ruining your reputation. I don't understand why you let me hang around here. I can pay off my debt while staying in the back." I said, not believing that they could actually want me here.
"Wren, you're really fun to be with and you're really nice too. I like being around you!" Hunny said. I looked closely at him and it seemed like he was telling the truth.
"Ya, who else could we have battles of wit with? Or could go up against Kyoya?" the twins supplied.
"You are not just here because we want more profit, you fit in well with this group." Kyoya said, actually showing emotion on his face.
"You shouldn't listen to what the girls say, we invite you here because we want you here, not because of pity or anything." Haruhi said, crouching on the floor so she was on my level, I had sunken down while they were talking, and hugged me. I was so touched that I couldn't keep the tears in and started sobbing. Mori reached down and patted my head, giving me a strange comfort.
"You're our friend."
"T-that is the f-first t-t-time anyone has genuinely h-hugged me or c-called me their f-friend," I gasped in between sobs, "Do you r-really mean it?" I was being strangely vulnerable.
I peered up at their faces through a layer of tears and saw they all shared the same look of sadness and concern. Suddenly, everyone except Kyoya and Mori all hugged me, while Mori patted my head and Spooky stood off to the side with soft eyes.
"Yes." They all said at the same time. I smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.
"Thank you, I'm honored to be your friend." I said, as they helped me off the floor.
"So, will you go to the resort with us?" Hunny pleaded, back with the killer combo.
"Sure, I'd love to." Screw my mom, yolo right?
"Yay!" he yelled, squeezing his bunny tight.
"We have some new swimsuits we can have you try on and no, you don't have a choice." Hikaru said. So he is the more evil twin, good to know.
"Whatever." But then it hit me bruises+swimsuit=nothing good! Panic flashed over my eyes but I squished it before anyone, except the ever observant Mori, could see it. When Mori looked over at me I swear I could see a question mark over his head. I just smiled, not about to give anything away.
"Tomorrow we need to discuss cosplay ideas. Let's meet at lunch okay! That means you too Wren." Tamaki exclaimed. Okay, I don't see a way out of this without offending them. Darn, I will just have to think of something during lunch as to why I won't have food. The host club has been a blessing because I can eat cake and finger sandwiches and drink tea. I haven't been this full in ages.
"Okay, see you then!" I said as I walked out. I headed for the bathrooms, positive that my face would be a mess. I set my stuff down and splashed my face with water, hoping to get rid of some of the splotchiness. When I finished I looked up, only to be pushed to the ground. Whoever did it ran out before I could see her. I sighed and went to pick up my stuff, only to find that it wasn't there. It wasn't the first time this had happened to me, but is was the first time it had happened at this school. I walked out into the hallway and began searching. I totally zoned out, solely focused on finding my stuff. Maybe I get too out of it sometimes and that is why I'm so clumsy I mused. My thoughts were answered when I ran into something hard. 'Yep...that is why I'm so clumsy' I thought, still lying on the ground. I glanced up to find the hard thing I ran into was, wait for it, Mori's abs! Woo, go awkward situations!
"Hey, how's the weather up there Ninja Buddy?" I called from the floor, unwilling to waste the energy it takes to get up.
"Why are you waving your arms and legs?" he answered.
"I'm making dirt angels, duh." I gave him my 'What else would I be doing' face, which he responded to with a 'you crazy lady' face. I grinned and he reached his arm down to help me up. When I got up I noticed something strange. There was a Mori, but there was not a Hunny.
"Hey, where's Hunny?"
"He is waiting in the limo, I came to see if you needed a ride home..." as he said this I was staring at him, amazement written all over my face. I saw the question mark over his head again, the end of his sentence trailing off.
"You have exceeded your word count. My mind is blown." I made little explosion noises and Mori chuckled. It sounded warm and inviting, and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it.
"Anyways, thank you for the offer, but I have some stuff I need to do..." This time I trailed off, because I had looked outside the window and found my stuff, in a fountain. Mori noticed it too and his eyes held a strange emotion. It was a cross between anger and something else. We hurried outside. When we got to the fountain Mori rolled up his sleeves and the ends of his pants while I just jumped in and grabbed at my things. Together we got everything quickly. I got out, soaking wet.
"Why didn't you roll up your sleeves?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
"I didn't think of it until I was already in." I lied, the real reason being my bruises. He obviously didn't believe me, but he didn't say anything.
"Sorry for all that, I'm sure it was just an accident." He seemed to be thinking about something, pausing before replying.
"If anything like this happens again, come and get me." I was about to fight with him over it, but something in his tone made me stop. It sounded like worry, so I just nodded. We walked over to his car and I apologized for making him late. I told him that I had some stops to make before I went home. I didn't want him to drive me to my house in case my mom was home. That wouldn't be good. When I did get home, my mom was waiting for me.
"You're going to meet my friend in an hour, look presentable." Dread filled me. I was hoping she would forget or something. What am I going to do?
"No." I said resolutely. This is one thing I could not go through with.
"Why, you do it with those manwhores."
"There not manwhores, there my friends!" I shouted. She began laughing.
"Friends, what twisted reality do you live in? They have nothing to gain from you. You are just their plaything, but they will soon get bored of you." She bitterly growled. Doubt's clouded my mind, but the scene from the clubroom came to my mind. They all had honestly called me their friend, and Mori helped me out when my things had gotten thrown in a fountain.
"They are my friends and nothing is going to change that. I'm tired of you dictating my life." She moved to punch me but I blocked it. Anger rose through my body and I pushed her away. She was shocked to say the least.
If I'm a bad person, you don't like me
Well I guess I'll make my own way
It's a circle
A mean cycle
I can't excite you anymore
Where's your gavel? Your jury?
What's my offense this time?
You're not a judge but if you're gonna judge me
Well sentence me to another life
I'm done. I am not going to deal with her anymore. She continued to try and hit me, but I blocked her every attempt.
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same
Yeah the friends who stuck together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good
It's good
I really hope I'm not wrong about the host club. I don't know if I could handle it if I was.
Well you treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out
I'm serious too, I will not stay in this house any longer.
Ignorance is your new best friend
This is the best thing that could've happened
Any longer and I wouldn't have made it
It's not a war no, it's not a rapture
I'm just a person but you can't take it
The same tricks that, that once fooled me
They won't get you anywhere
I'm not the same kid from your memory
Well now I can fend for myself
I have been on my own for so long now that living without my mom will be a great relief. I never depended on her, she depended on me.
"It's your fault we are like this Wren, you killed her!"
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same
Yeah we used to stick together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good
I was just about to leave when I felt a sharp pain across my face and everything went black.
I woke up very discombobulated. I saw a flash of red when I sat up, the left side of my head hurting like hell. I found a mirror and the saw the whole left of my face was caked in blood. Gingerly I wipe it off with a rag and some soapy water, cringing at the feel. I finally managed to find the main causes of the red liquid, a gash in my temple and a cut across my cheek. The temple could be hidden by my hair but I'll need an excuse for the cheek. I bandaged both of them and finally noticed my surroundings. A beer bottle was shattered across the floor and all of my mother's (if you could even call her that) stuff was gone. She had probably used the bottle to knock me out when I wasn't looking and then left. Good, I'm glad I never have to deal with her again. A whoop of excitement escaped from my mouth. God, I'm just so relieved I won't have to always be afraid of coming home, of staying after school. I am finally free. But of course there was a price. Rent was overdue and I was out of a job. I would have to be careful that I don't get turned into the CPS but that was okay, I could deal with that.
I ducked my head as I walked into homeroom, not wanting Tamaki and Kyoya to pester me about how I look. I sat down at the back of the room and pulled out a book, covering my face.
"How are you today Wren!" Tamaki said while coming to sit next to me.
"I'm good." I said from behind the book.
"Why are you hiding your face?"
"No reason."
"Then put it down."
"No." All of a sudden my book was ripped from my grasp. I glared at Kyoya, who was the one to take my cover, while Tamaki freaked out.
"My daughter, what happened to your lovely face?!"
"Nothing much, just a bad run in with a tree." I shrugged. Hopefully that was believable enough, I am in trees a lot.
"Did you see a doctor?" Spooky questioned, inspecting my face.
"It isn't a go the the hospital kind of injury." I defend, covering my cheek with my hand. The teacher walked in so they were forced to drop it, and for the first time in my life I thanked god for school.
Tamaki led me to the lunchroom with Kyoya following behind, writing in his little black book AGAIN, that creeper. Everyone else was at the table already, the twins harassing poor Haruhi and Hunny, amazingly, eating actual food and not cake. I looked at Mori's smug face and Hunny's pout and realized that he wasn't eating his soup willingly. I sat down next to Mori and he instantly noticed my haggard face. His own face was now lined with worry.
"Yo Wren, what happened?" Hikaru asked, gesturing to my face. All the host except Tamaki and Kyoya were now waiting for an answer, staring at me intently. It was weird, I felt like a bug that some crazy little kid was standing over, just observing. And when he gets bored he smashes poor little bug me to the ground. I quickly shake that image away, confused as why that picture formed.
"I just got whacked by a tree branch, that's all."
"Are you okay?" Hunny cried, jumping up to hug me. I think he was really just trying to observe my wound to see if it was really something a tree could do. Sneaky bastard.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore." *A slight lie among many others. With that Tamaki started the meeting, but Mori ignored him.
"Where is your lunch?" he asked, determination to get some answers in his voice. For a second
I panicked. I had forgotten to make up an excuse, but then I remembered some lyrics to a superchick song.
I know the right words to say
like I don't feel well
I ate before I came
" I don't feel very well, I wouldn't be able to hold anything down" I said, relieved. But Mori wasn't believing it. "You didn't have any yesterday either..."
"Waah, you don't feel good? Do ya wanna go to the infirmary?" Saved by Hunny.
"No it's not that bad, I will be fine Hunny." I smiled at him, but it fell right off my face when I looked into his eyes. There was a message there that said ' I saved you this time, but you have to tell him'. Whoa, what does that suddenly mature teen know?
"Daughter, are you sure you're alright? You don't look very good. Mommy, come look at her." Tamaki said as he glomped me, making me wince once again.
"Kyoya, I'm fine." I insisted to the approaching teen, "And Tamaki...GET OFF!" I exploded, but smiling all the while. I was right, they do make me feel better.
"Good, our toy has to be completely healthy so we can play with it properly." The twins said, wrapping their arms around me.
"Holy pink buffalos...If I have to tell you one more time I will go all spider ninja on you're skinny white arses...I AM NOT YOUR TOY AND I AM NOT AN IT!" I screamed in their ears.
"Aaahhhh" Hehehe, they both fell to the ground screaming and holding their ears. Point one for the Wrenalator, zero for the Twin Monstrosities.
"Oh, and guys, another thing. I have this thing called personal space. You get in my bubble, I will kill you with a spork. Also, I have a limited edition extra large bubble... so be careful." I say as I hold up a spork (even I don't know where it came from) and laughed evilly. Everyone, except Mori, took a huge step back. I faced Mori and pouted, but he just half-smiled. The rest of the day went by quickly, and I had almost completely forgotten my situation, until I walked outside after host club. I had to find a job and I had to find it now. I decided to walk around town, searching for a help wanted sign. Eventually I came across a dojo requesting help. I am awesomely amazing at kendo and karate, so I figured that this will be the perfect job. I walked in and smiled as I smelt the sweat and heard the yells, pure bliss. I awkwardly walked into the matted area, I never liked the feeling of everybody staring at me. It was like they all noticed me at the same time, being all like, I feel a disturbance in the force, someone is disrupting the peace. I walked over to the person in charge, who was resting near a corner, and noticed he looked remarkably like Mori. Writing it off as just a coincidence, I began to speak to him.
"Hello sir, I'm Wren and I came to inquire about the help wanted sign."
"Do you have experience?" he asked, his voice as low as Mori's.
"Yes sir, I have been doing kendo and karate since I was 5." and my mother never knew, it was quite an amazing feat to keep it from her. My father set it up without her knowing.
"Alright, let's see how good you are, there is some extra gi over there. You will be sparring with my son." he said, gesturing over to the other side of the room. I quickly got changed and stretched, hoping my skill hadn't gone down. I hadn't practiced since I came to Ouran High. I padded back to the mat. My opponent turned around and I gaped at him. It was Mori. He didn't seem fazed, but his eyes betrayed his shock.
"So this is your family's dojo Mori?" I asked, wondering why he never mentioned it.
"Yes, you do kendo?" he answered, probably wondering why I was there.
"Yeppers. Ever since I was 5."
"I take it you already know each other then?" Mori's father asked. No wonder they looked so alike.
"Yes, we go to the same school and I'm also in the host club. I serve tea and clean up." I supplied, saving Mori from using up his word count for the day.
"Good. Takashi, you will be testing Wren's abilities to see if she is suitable to work here. We are only doing karate today. Step up onto the mat and we will begin."
We both made our way to the center mat and got into ready positions, legs shoulder-width apart and knees bent. I looked at where Mori was putting his hands, hoping that he made the common mistake of not completely defending his body, but, of course, his stance was flawless.
"Begin" Mori's father announced after all of the other students in the class settled on the sides of the mat. We began circling each other, waiting for the other to start. I feinted towards him, hoping he would make the mistake of retaliation, but he stayed as calm and cool as ever. I began to get restless when I saw him fasten up his circling. I stood still, waiting for him to make a move and he lunged. I was expecting him to go for my core so I covered my stomach area, but he rolled on the ground at the last second and went for my knees. I backflipped away, and right after I landed I rolled behind Mori and pretended to lunge at his feet, but instead jumped up high and kicked him in the chest. I hit him, but just barely as he jumped back when he saw me jump. We continued like this for about half an hour, both of us hardly hitting the other, until we were huffing and puffing.
"Stop" Mori's father said.
I just about fell to the floor I was so tired, but I stepped back and we bowed to the other.
"Well Wren, it seems like you and Takashi are equal in skill, we would be delighted to have you work here."
"Thank you so much, I can't wait to begin." I smiled back to him.
"Good job." Mori said when his dad went to get the paperwork. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, I guess the fight wore him out too.
"Thanks, you too, I've never had such a great fight!" I half-way yelled, punching my fist into the air. Mori's lips lifted up, but he quickly put them back down, but it was too late, I saw it.
"Mori smiled, Mori smiled." I sang childishly, while I skipped circles around him. All of a sudden I stopped and poked him in the belly.
"HA! I WIN!" Mori's eyes got a sly gleam in them and I started to run away, but he caught me and lifted me up.
"Put me down! Put me down" I cried, uselessly hitting him on the back. Man, this guy is like a boulder.
"Okay." he stated simply, then he put me on the mat and proceeded to tickle me. I was a bit shocked, this was so out of character for him, but I didn't get much time to ponder as
I was trying to escape. I laughed til I couldn't breathe, all the while pleading with him to stop. Finally he did and I flopped on the floor, trying to fill my lungs up again.
"You...asked...for..it...I'll get...you!" I wheezed and Mori laughed... MORI, mister no emotion, ACTUALLY LAUGHED! I jumped up and hid behind the couch, covering my head.
"What are you doing?" Mori asked as he came over.
"You laughed, the end of the world shouldn't be too far away." Mori laughed again and I glared at him.
"You're not improving our chances of living at all." Mori stopped smiling suddenly. I looked around and saw that his dad was walking in. I wonder why he won't smile in front of him.
"Don't even try that Takashi, I saw the whole thing. Wren, you are a remarkable young woman, not only did you tie with Takashi, you made him laugh. He hasn't laughed that hard in a long time." He stated. I saw Mori's cheeks heat up a little. Now I understand why he stopped smiling, he was embarrassed. Hhmm, I wonder what would happen if...
"Ah, don't be so Bashful Takashi, you're definitely not a dwarf." Ha, I thought that would work, when I said Takashi his cheeks flared red. Deciding to give Takashi (I'm going to keep calling him that) a break I got down to business.
"Alright, can I see the paperwork?" We hashed out the details while Takashi worked with the little ninjas.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then! Bye!" I yelled over my shoulder.
"Wait." I turned around and saw Takashi approaching. "Let me walk you home."
"Okaaaay..." I drew the word out, thinking it over. As long as the landlady hasn't kicked me out while I was out it should be fine. I skipped out of the dojo calling out behind me "Hurry up slowpoke! You're a ninja, you have to be fast."
"I'm not a ninja."
"Yes, you are and there is no denying it. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, now come on and say it with me. I am too ninjaish."
"Why is that a bad thing?" He actually seemed curious.
"Because it is not fair to the rest of the world that you can sneak around and they can't, it is dishonorable." I state while shaking my head and tsk tsking. His lips lifted and that made me smile too. Then his eyes flashed as if he just realized something.
"You're wondering why I haven't made a joke about how much you're speaking, aren't you." he looked surprised.
"Ah."
"I'm too tired to right now, mind doesn't work right this late." really it was only around 8-9ish but I haven't had enough sleep in a long time. The next thing I knew I was being picked up bridal style by Takashi.
"Waah! I can still walk, plus you don't know the way!" I protested, but he wasn't having any of it.
"Where do you live?"
"Not telling!" Suddenly he stopped.
"Tell me where you live."
"Put me down."
"No." I glared at him and he stared back. I blinked and finally consented.
"Okay, take a left on the next street and I live in the apartment building." he smirked and I stuck my tongue out at him. Walking up to the building I noticed a white sheet of paper on my door. Damn it I thought, wishing that this had happened any night other than this one.
"Okay, I can go from here, thank you for walking...carrying me back home!" I said nervously. Takashi looked at me strangely, knowing something was up.
"Let me walk you to your door."
"No, no, you should hurry back to your house, it's getting late." he put me down and I sighed in relief, thinking that he was giving in. I was horribly wrong. I began walking back and he followed. I stopped and turned back around.
"You're house is in the other direction mister."
" I am going to walk you to your door." Seeing no way out of this, I hung my head and trudged my way to my door. When we reached it I snatched the paper when he wasn't looking.
"What's that?" Well, I thought he wasn't looking.
"Just an ad." I lied, not meeting his eyes. All of a sudden he grabbed the paper from my hands.
"They're kicking you out of your house?" Dang it, just lie girl, you can do it! Don't look into his gorgeous eyes...Wait what?
"Yes." I sighed in defeat.
"Why?"
"Can't pay the bill anymore."
"So that's why you applied for the job. What about your mom and dad? Are they job hunting too?" All I could do was stutter, trying to think of a reason, but I had already given myself away.
"Wren," he whispered gently, "where is your mom and dad?"
"I don't know." I said hollowly, my voice breaking. Suddenly I just couldn't take it anymore and I fell to my knees, sobbing. Then the thing I least expected happened, Takashi pulled me into his arms. I cried into his shoulder, but felt calmer. My tears ceased slowly, until I was merely sniffling.
"Wren," Takashi began carefully, "do you have a place to stay?"
"Yeah, that bench." I pointed to a bench near a park across the street. He simply looked appalled at the idea.
"No." he stated firmly.
"Takashi, I don't have anywhere else to go, I'll be fine, it's nothing I haven't done before." My mom used to kick me out of the house so I would just crash on a bench nearby.
"Come on." He said as he helped me up.
"Come on?" I questioned, not sure where this was going.
"You are going to stay at my house." I was shocked.
"No, I am not going to burden you with my problems, I told you, I will be perfectly fine." To prove my point I went over to the bench and laid down on it.
"See? Perfectly fine." To my shock, Takashi sat on the ground next to my bench. "What are you doing?!"
"I will stay with you."
"No, you're parents will be worried and I can't let you stay!"
"Then come with me." I had a great inner struggle, not liking either choices, but I couldn't let Takashi suffer.
"Fine, I'll come with you." I grumbled. His lips lifted and he picked me up.
"I can walk you know!" I didn't sound very convincing though, that whole ordeal had left me quite fatigued.
"Sure you can." he said, but didn't put me down. My eyes drooped as I listened to the steady beating of his heart and smelt his intoxicating aroma, a musky, foresty smell. It was wonderful and soon I had fallen asleep in his arms. The last thing I saw was Takashi with a gentle smile on his face.
A/N
Another chapter in the books and the beginning of Wren and Mori's romance. I wonder what will happen now that Wren has nowhere to go. Guess we'll have to wait and see ;). So, I am baking soda lady because I have been helping my mom clean the carpet and the grout and she has been using homemade cleaning supplies made out of baking soda. So, she's been needing a lot of baking soda and has been sending me to get it. The first time I went I got 4 big boxes from Walmart, a total of 16 pounds, and I thought that would be enough. And I had to stand on my cart to get the last box because it was tucked into the back and people literally laughed at me. So I go home and thirty minutes later I have to go get more. So I go to Target and get all of there baking soda too, another 16 pounds, and that is just barely enough. Now, about a week later she is cleaning the grout (the previous run was for the carpet) and I had to go get more baking soda. I go to Walmart and I see that there is an overstock of baking soda, instead of just four boxes there are ten. I'm not trying to go back for more so I grabbed nine boxes, which is 36 pounds of baking soda. Thankfully I had my sister with me this time so I lifted her up to get the far back boxes and people just commented on our great teamwork instead of laughing (okay they were laughing a little bit). I also had to get four bottles of hydrogen peroxide so that is all I had in my cart. I was tempted to get bleach and trash bags so it really looked like I was about to hide a body but I resisted. Now these were the first things that I got so I went around getting stuff for dinner with all of it in the cart already and the looks I got were amazing. I was literally the person in those math problems, 'if you have nine boxes of baking soda and you drop one what do you have' a huge fucking mess I'll tell you that much. Anyways that is why I am the baking soda lady, and I really hope someone remembers me just for that because why not be known as the crazy lady who buys suspicious amounts of cleaning supplies. Thank you for listening to my rant and thank you for reading the story, I love you all.
-Ptera