Beyond the Veil C.16

Akina's POV

"Trust me, I've read a ton of magazines that said if you want to get over one emotion. You have to completely give yourself over to another" Saya promptly placed her laptop onto her desk, pulling a chair and seated herself between Kasume and I. Pulling her peanut brown hair in a lose pony tail she pull up the program on her laptop. I adored being in Saya's room.

The lime carpet felt soft against my feet, she had a sea of pillows with small plushies to drown in them. Animal plushies, Manga characters or Avenger ones. She adored Loki and Thor, even had a few posters up and about.  Her furniture were all bright and popping with a collage of photos on the wall behind of her mirror. Photos from family trips, fairy lights draped on her huge full length mirror, with beanie bags arranged around tables for sketches for different outfits for drama class on them.  

"What emotion is that exactly?" Kasume asked with a forced smile. 

"Nothing trumps Grief and sadness quite like fear" I agreed. "Remember last year for exams, when we all fell asleep during studying"

"You guys were all wasted, wasn't much studying done" Kasume giggled eating a cheesy french fry from her bowl. "Grief and booze aren't the same thing"

"Is in the morning" Saya joked. "Trust me"

Matching beanie hats, in blue, green and pink respectively, Kasume, Saya and I devoted Tuesday night to Fright night. Where we sat down and watched scary movies, played scary videos or listened to creepy audio books in the comfort of our home. Sporting large technacolored hipster glasses and treats all around.

With the accident, it was Operation Cheer up like it's never been done before. Operation Cheer up, rocked many names and sparked to life after the drama of last year since then it was made a duty that whenever one or many of us were sad, we'd split into groups and tackle the objective. Kasume hadn't spoken much, so Saya and I decided we'd handle her. Ria and Madana were left to Daichi, Yuiko and Kiseki who were hosting a movie icecream night at Uncle's place. Taro and Mai were probably burying their fists into some pour unsuspecting victim since Amaya and Aika thought it was a good idea to take them to a underground highschool fighting ring that Natsuko told Aika about.  Aika figured having them fight their issues out would be better medicine than any chocolate could provide though just in case, they were going to head to Uncle's for icecream if they weren't exhausted by the end. 

Jirou's memoryloss affected everyone but it was no secret that some friends needed more attention than others.  Kasume's eyes widened when Saya pulled up the game to screen.

"Slenderman?"

"Ria suggested it" Saya defended. "He said he's not touching that game again seems like a contender"

"Ria's scared of Taro and we all know Taro's really just a teddy bear in wolf's clothing how bad can the game be?" I asked.  Never regretted a decision quite like that one. If Fear was the objective, Saya succeeded in scarring all of us to the point of envying Jirou's memoryloss just a tad. Lords knows I'd love to wipe that fuzzy, white and black screen out of my mind and if Kasume and Saya's death grip on my arm and chattering teeth were any indication. The only thing their grief morphed into was regret. It was absolutely terrifying. At first the game hadn't looked so bad, holding a dimly lit flashlight through the forest even when Saya had opted to take off the lights it hadn't been too bad. Kasume was holding the mouse with Saya and I at her arms. It seemed to take her mind off situation for a while.

"Where's the first letter..I can't find this thing if my life depended on it..and it kinda does" She commented with a hopeless sigh until we all spotted a small bathroom as the forest opened up to a flat land. 

"A bathroom in the middle of a forest? might as well have a sign saying "Hey slendy come butcher me now' " I added.  "Go for it"

"Isn't the objective not to die?" Kasume blinked. "Every horror movie in the world would point out not to go in there and I quite like my virtual life"

"Not much a life being in a forest. How does one even end up in situations like that?" Saya shrugged. 

"Who knows but that's how you know there's definitely a note inside of it" Saya coached. "Go and check it out"  Kasume hesitantly looked at me taking a breath before maneuvering around the trees as her game self towards the bathroom. Instantly we were met with a tiled maze. Every wall, every corner looked exactly the same. It didn't help with such poor lightly either. The only indication the hallways differed was the chair that had been slanted on the floor in one corner, than completely faced up in the other. The slow thudding sound mimicked my heart. It only got louder and echoed through the hallways as we moved through it, scanning the walls for the slightest of shadows that could indicate something was there. Unfortunately Saya picked up a shadow and pointed it out then nothing stopped the shriek that escaped our lips.

In the shape of arm in a suit that blended with the shadows.  

Needless to say. Kasume tried backing out as quickly as possible when something caught my eye. 

"Look LOOK! A note!" 

"Where where?" Kasume asked , letting out another squeak when the echo of footsteps were heard. 

"On the wall look" She turned the first view player to the wall and found the small piece of paper that was close to it. She clicked it and the glorious 1/8 notes appeared. 

"T-hat wasn't so bad"  Kasume breathed. The door swung open and the lights flickered on. The sound that came out of our mouths had definitely waken up the neighbors. Saya's mother gave us an oblivious smile holding a plate of freshly baked sugar cookies, dressed in pajamas with a silk blue apron over her that matched her head tie.  

"Are you girls in the mood for more snacks? I had to bake some snacks for Ai Suki's school trip" And speak of the devil, the small cloud haired girl peep by her step mother's hips. Her long silky hair in two buns on the the top of her head that were as huge as the sugar cookies on the plate. She wore Pink short pajamas as sky blues looked curiously at the disaster of a battle field the game had left behind. "Are you girls alright?"

"Are you playing a game?" Ai Suki asked a grin spreading on her face. "Can I play!" Horror spread on our features as if somewhat like she had teleported, her hand was at the computer mouse ready to click play again. 

"NO!" 



I sighed my back hitting the sea of cotton plushies on Saya's bed, after Ai Suki went to bed after countless rounds of Monopoly to appease her for not playing slender man. It was edging close to 1 am and sleep looked like it was the last thing on anyone's mind. "Well since snoozing is out of the picture what do you guys want to do?" Kasume sat laying on the out stretched futon with her bag in hand. She took out a few marvel comics out and opened them up. Mostly Iron man and Avenger comics.  "I didn't know you liked marvel"

"Is there something wrong with it?" Saya said her eyes narrowing suspicious. She spun around on her computer chair letting her feet dangle. "Maybe Kasume finally joined the higher side, come Kasume. let me anoit you with Loki's helmet..or would you prefer my Captain America mask"

She smiled shaking her head. "No no, I'm still a slave to DC" Saya gave her a sad look shaking her head as if Kasume was a confused puppy. "These are Jirou's...He let me borrow them a few weeks ago since he was trying to convert me. We were hanging out and he asked me if I wanted to see Winter solider with him." She hugged her legs. "I told him I hadn't even watched any of the Avengers movies, or Captain Americas and the next day he came with boat loads of comics and movies..said we could watch them together with you guys..since Saya loves Marvel too" Saya who had been stuck on the idea of Kasume being a media dinosaur in regards to Marvel was frozen in shock. 

"Not even the first Iron man movie?"

"Nope"

"Well we just found what we're doing next tonight" 

"..I..don't know." She smiled weakly. "I brought them to take to the hospital. To give it back to him but..he looked terrified of me..barely spoke. I don't know what Kairi told him but..I was just hoping to maybe read them with him. I know he'd love it.." I crawled off Saya's bed and the both of us wrapped her arms around her. "I just read one his favorite books to him" she smiled a bit. "My Mom and Kai finally left too....I'm staying at Shisui's but..I miss them alot..yah know?"

"I almost thought for sure considering your knee, They wouldn't have gone at all" Saya reasoned.

"Surprisingly my knee healed pretty quickly.." Kasume perked up. "Even the doctor's amazed. Guess Jirou's healing hugs really did work." Forcing a smile she looked at the comics. 

"Well we'll give you all the hugs till then okay?" I smiled. "Trust me, Jirou's gonna go back to his clueless self in no time."

"I hope so." She smiled. "I really do"  

Aaya pushed herself off of her bag and ruffled through her school bag. "Now if Iron man is out of the question. Which do you guys want to watch next? Mama? or Insidious 2" 

We ended up watching both that night needless to say No one got any sleep. 

Amaya's POV

'You're so full of shit Inzuka" I grumbled facing the mirror wincing at the pulling from her combing out imagining knots . "Just because the truth hurts doesn't mean my roots have to suffer for It" Aika rolled her eyes taking my long locks into her hands and starting the braid.  "Are you even listening to me"

"Depends are you still talking?"

"Yes"

"Then no"

"Your birthday is in a few days and you're telling me you don't want a party this year? It's your big 17. Finally. You're practically the baby of the 11th graders. Rocking Lip piercings and taters but baby non the less, second to Kasume but still" Aika finished the braid and rested it off my shoulder.  Flopping onto my bed I spun on my chair to face her.

"Don't you think with everything going on with Jirou and Kairi . We got better priorities than a party? Like I don't know saving our friend from a lifetime of herpes shots? God just he'd need a fucking condom just holding hands" I almost chocked on the muffin,  Aika's stepdad Teshu had made us previously.   "You know it's true. We need to focus on how to get his memory back and what's the big woop about aging? Growing closer to death what the hell's the appeal?"

"Miss Body shots and hooks up doesn't want a party?  I call bullshit and this thing with Jirou is exactly why we should be having a party" Aika propped  herself up against the wall of her bed hugging one of my home made Zebra pattern cushions on my bed. My Mom was obsessed with them. Most angry Pregnant women liked to scream, curse and punch through walls while my mom did a lot of that mostly during her most steamy days she knitted. She knitted the days away to the point it quickly shifted from cute to terrifying. Seeing her hands move and the length of yawn slowly wind down as a pattern flowed down her bulging stomach like a river. Dad only left his peace offerings of food and flowers after she was finished since she wouldn’t touch them until she was.  During their fights Mom would make a dozen new pillows from all sorts of patterns and designs, cloth and stitching.  It got to the point we needed to take a lot of them off our hands before we drowned in them.

Uncle Itachi loved them and would take ten at a time and there was still enough to go around. Uncle Sasuke hated them but it didn't stop them from popping up in his living room courtesy of Aunt Sakura.   Pretty much if you owned one of these pillows, it meant you were family.

Blood or not.

"How does helping our friend equal to party and hook ups??? One hook up I only slept with Natsuko" She defended narrowing her eyes. She and Natsuko had a hook up the other night. 

"Host a pool party this year, Jirou adores swimming. Swimming, water, friends, Kasume in a bikini.  Done deal Kairi's done and we'll have our dorky friend back in his oblivious memory filled glory and you were eye humping Daichi just this morning"

"Eye Humping?" Her cheeks flushed but I ignored it. Daichi and Aika ship  has been a complicated ride all my life. Aika might want to deny it but it was true. Natsuko was her distraction, her vacation away from life and represented everything she didn't have to face. I still smelt the liquor on her breath while she was braiding my hair. She had gone partying last night. Again.  I swore even though I was the track star, Aika did a better job at running then I did.

 Daichi was  real.  A possibility. A risk. One she could screw up if not handled correctly and Aika doesn't handle failure well.

It was something we both had in common.

I decided not to push her on the decision but was the parrot to her ear to remind her she at least had to make one. Daichi wasn't a nun nor was he a psychic. He wouldn’t hang onto those feelings forever if he didn't think he had hope to latch onto. 

"It's fool proof plan okay? It’s your party and if you don't want Kairi's bitchy ass there then she can't show up"

"She can and will"

"Well then I'll just kick her ass in the pool again or maybe put Nair in her shampoo, she'll never go outside"  Aika snorted and munched on her muffin eating the bottom first as she usually did. "Was really hoping she would have melt the first time but oh well"  Aika then pulled a book from her TARDIS shaped book shelf and laid on her back while I stayed silently using her computer. It felt good just to hang out like this.  We had spent the better half of two days, letting Taro and Yuiko punch their frustrations away in some street fighting. Doc wouldn't have approved, considering how it was both against school rules and pretty bad of me as Mai's senior to lead her in that position in the first place but the chick was a time bomb.

Her entire form was tense, her hands balled into fists at the slightest sound of Kairi or Harumi's voice and she carried the constant look that if not helped she was about to do something both incredibly impulsive and equally stupid if I hadn't taken her by the hand and led her off to the bathroom to cool down.  If some she-witch had her claws in my brother I would be hostile too.

It was why I had taken her to the Underground fighting club with Taro. I knew they would underestimate her and equally knew it was fire her up to prove them wrong.  It felt good doing some actual helping that week. Being a prefect was like being the gate keeper to hell.  The other prefects made it their life's mission curtsy of Kairi, to stir all of the freshmen into recruits for Kairi's little cult.

Earlier that week I had been running late for Track practice and had shuffled through the crowd ignoring the blatant PDA of those seemingly persistent in getting to fourth base in the hallways. I had accidentally ran into one of my freshmen charges. Her name was Miho, a shy looking one who had less boobs than Aika or I did.  Her bubblegum pink hair almost reminded me of my cousin Saki, the only difference was she had a rounder face, with blue hair ends and equally bright blue eyes. She didn't seem to take the run in well. She groaned on the floor and twisted in pain.

"Shit shit, I'm so so sorry" I helped her onto her feet and picked up the remaining of her books.  There was no saving the spilled coffee and unfortunately I was too much in a rush to worry about cleaning that up. "Are you okay?"  Her  widened as her face went pale staring at the spilled river of life on the floor.

"Oh my god, she's going to kill me" She whimpered out. 

"Whose going to kill you?" I asked frowning.  "It's just coffee, if they needed it so bad tell them to get it themselves"  Her hair was cropped in a pixie cut, pair that with her cute nose and pouty lips. She almost looked like a fairy.  She spoke not another word before took her books from my hand s and ran down the hallway to the coffee machine in the break room.

They followed her everywhere, didn't listen to a word I said. They were her mini servants and I hadn't the slightest clue whether I wanted to stop it or not.  I  couldn't force anyone to do anything they didn't want to do, even if did mean I was saving their soul.

A knock echoed through the room as the door swung open.  

"You girls in the mood for some pizza?" Teshu came in wearing a frilly white apron with pink pokadots over his black shirt and jeans as Tekkin, Aika's four year old step brother and love of her life sat on his shoulder playing with his father's Cedar messy brown hair. 

"I helped" The adorable tyke beamed waving a blue toy rolling pin in his hand. Lipstick marks smeared on his cheeks from Emiko no doubt.  He was practically a carbon copy of his dad, only with shorter hair and jet black eyes rather than hazel ones.   Aika grinned.

"You did, did you? Keep this up buddy and you'll be better at cooking than I am"

"A playtpus with no limbs is better at cooking than you are" I said nonchalantly playing temple run on my phone after shutting down the laptop.  "That I'd trust not to give me food poisoning"

"In your case it'd be intentional"

"I love you too"

Tekkin blinked in confusion. Teshu gave his confused son a smile. "What did we say about girls buddy?"

"They speak their own language?"

"That' a boy" He smiled ruffling the top of his hair.

"Oh really" Came the provoked voice of his wife behind of him.  He froze and turned around to face her, her hair was neatly tucked under light  pink hair wrap with daisy flower pattern.  Her arms folded across her chest before she took Tekkin into her arms. "Ai, do me a favor and translate this for him.  One week"

"You don't really need me to spell it out for you do you?" Aika deadpanned facing her pale faced step father as her lips tugged to a clever smile.   We relocated to the kitchen to feast on the pie. Teshu started making some strawberry treats to apologize to his wife, while she sat at the counter between Aika and I while Tekkin sat happily in Aika's lap.  Suddenly an idea sparked in my mind.

"Hey Tekkin…" His curious eyes met mine. "You like pools right?" Aika whipped around to face me. Her eyes narrowing sending a message I could only decript as 'Don't you fucking dare'

"I Love pools! Kaede and I went to the pool with her Dad last week, it was so much fun! It was a Go away party for Kai!" He grinned. "I wore blue and brown colour floaters!  For Ravenclaw! Big sister sorted everyone there! Kaede's  and Aiko are slytherins and Kai and Kaiya are hufflepuffs. "

"Sis's been reading her bible to you again hasn't she?"  He giggled while I moved the knife set away from his sister's reach. Least she get any ideas.

"Every night she's been reading it to me"

"I'm not surprised but that does bring up the perfect idea for her birthday don't you think. If only.." I winced from the sudden kick to the knee cap. Tekkin tilted his head.

"If only what?"

"Aika doesn't want a party this year"  Had to hand it to the kid, the look of heartbreak he put on could be a dangerous weapon. Good thing he wasn't sorted into Slytherin.

"What why not? " He looked up at her. "Are you sick? I love your parties. I was going to help Mommy make the cake too!" Aika took a deep breath forcing a genuine smile to suppress the urge to strangle me to death.

"No buddy, it's just that one of our friends is really hurt" She spoke softly with him rocking him by swaying her knees.  "I just don't feel like celebrating when someone I care about is hurt yah know?"

"Oh,  hurt how? Which one? It's not Ria-nii is it?" He asked completely worried. "I haven't seen him in forever please tell me he's alright" Aika ruffled his hair.

"Ria's alright bud, don't worry. It's Jirou whose hurt, he can't remember anything buddy." Tekkin was such a curious kid. It was no wonder Aika knew what words were going to come out next. "He has amnesia, It means that he hit his head really bad and now has a hard time remembering everything. You know how sometimes you walk into a room and completely forget what you wanted? That blank feeling of being completely clueless?  He nodded. "It's sorta like that except no matter what room he walks in he's going to feel that way.  He can't recall anything. Not his name, his friends nothing buddy."

"That's horrible" His mouth hung open. "I never want that to happen to me, or you. His  family must be so sad. I don't wanna think about you or Mommy or Daddy or anyone forgetting me or me forgetting them" He said closing his mouth his eyes looking down sadly. "Forgetting people you care about hurts.." Aika picked up on the drop in his voice.

"Buddy?"

"I can't remember my Mommy, my..real mommy's face anymore"  He buried his face into her shirt. Tekkin's Mother died a year back, Tekkin had a drunk one night stand with her a few years ago and when she died in a car accident. Tekkin's Aunt who was on death row herself from Cancer. Tracked Teshu down and  now they've been insperable ever since. Aika's been in love with Tekkin since he first arrived at their doorstep. Frightened and confused as to why he couldn't just stay with his Aunt.

Why he had to stay with a bunch of people he didn't even know while Aika was just excited that she wasn't an only child anymore.  She would give and arm and leg for that boy and I had no doubt I was about to lose a limb for opening a door to a topic that made him cry.  Amazing how terribly bad my ideas failed.

"How about tomorrow we take a walk to all the places your Mom and you used to go? There's a park in Suna you guys loved wasn't there?" He sniffled and nodded. "Well we'll go together buddy. Memories keep those we love alive even after they've become angels."

"So mommy is an angel?"

"Of course" She smiled. "Your Auntie too...they're all watching over you" Tekkin erupted in fits of giggles when she started tickling him. Glaring at me all the while too.

Luckily my savior arrived in the form of Daichi. Who I waved over to sit next to me between Aika and her death glare. He greeted Aika's folks. Teshu glared at him from behind the counter. You know a crush is obvious when even the father picks it up. In their minds no guy was good enough for their little girl.  Daichi of course, didn't catch any of that and just figured Teshu didn't like the guy. Pale faced and stuttering he said a hello to them once more.

"Dad" Aika whined.

"Teshu" His wife warned.

"But Em" He whined. "It's my fatherly duty to be a boy block" He gestured to Daichi. "Boy"

"You can stick with your fatherly duty" she suggested "And spend an extra week on the couch if you want. I hope your 'duty' keeps you warm at night'

"Alright Alright" He said defeated resting the strawberry treats in front of his beloved. "Hello  Daichi" 

"H-hey"  He took a deep breath. His pony tail swaying off his shoulders. He smiled at Tekkin who pouted at his wave , tightening his grip on Aika.  When even the little kid could see what was going on, I was about to give up at this point at those two ever figuring it out.  I remembered when Aika complained to me about it a few months back.

"I just don't know why he doesn't like Daichi" She sighed. "Every time he shows me, He never says anything, just hugs me and glares daggers at Daichi"

"He's jealous"

"He's four Amaya"

"What makes you think a four year old can't get jealous? When I was eight. I was jealous of My dad for getting all of Akina's attention."

"You're the poster child for abnormal behaviors in kids"

"Says the chick who bit her nanny's finger off as a toddler"

As usual my hard headed friend didn't listen and now she was stuck with the most important love in her life hating the most important guy friend in her life.    Tekkin got carried into the living room for his evening show marathon with his parents while Daichi turned to me.

"How did it go?"

"Brilliant" Aika smiled. "Mai pounded into guys twice her size, I think imagining they were Kairi worked really well for her"  Daichi smiled. He wasn't usually an advocate for violence as a matter of fact had I said that he would have scolded me and said something pantsy like "violence is not the answer"

"It's been a stressful few weeks" He smiled at her "Glad she's getting it out somehow"  I rolled my eyes. Biased love sick moron.   "Kiseki and I went through some of Uncle's tapes but we didn't find any of the ones we were hoping for. Like anything with Jirou on tape confessing his like for Kasume or his  non-existent positive feelings towards Kairi."

"Never thought we'd need to film that. Didn't think I'd ever have to worried about Jirou falling for Kairi, god what if he sleeps with her?" Aika gagged at the thought. "No serious that's what she's wanted this  entire time isn't it? God, what is with Uchiha and it's hold on woman. I'm half Uchiha I don't see this much action"

"ugh, hello Tall dark haired handsome. Did you forget about your boyfriend?" Daichi mused.

"Riko's out of town, so no action from him"

"And It doesn't work with all Uchihas. Mom confessed to Dad not the other way around"

"Uncle Itachi is single, by choice has to be no way I'd accept any other reason. I think he might be Demisexual or Asexual or something." I reasoned. " Your Dad's such a whimp but Kairi's Mom was obsessed with him and Harumi's obsessed with you  Daichi, Taro has a mob of people to tear his pants off even Mai has her own little crowd that drools when she passes" I saw that twitch of jealousy pass Aika's features at the mention of Harumi. Her lips settled to a frown.  "It's like Madana and Kiseki are the odd branches of the Uchiha tree. No fan girls to speak off, unless you count Ria"

"Ria's obsessed with Kiseki?" Aika mused.

"No dumbass Tar-Madana" I corrected quickly.

"Harumi isn't really obsessed with me. She's never as bad as Kairi"  Daichi reasoned.

"Not as bad? Are you kidding me" Daichi held up his hands in defence, his skin resembling the white counter as he stuttered. "You're defending her?" Aika said. "After all she did?"

"I'm not defending her. I'm just saying she's not on the level of crazy Kairi is in terms of how she is with me. She doesn't really terrify me is what I mean" I snickered at the two.  "Jirou had nightmares about Kairi, I didn't. " Aika looked off to the side. "She's still horrible with the way she treats you of course, but I mean" Poor kid was stumbling over his words.

"I know what you mean  Daichi" Aika sighed. "Sorry, just thinking of her sometimes pissed me off"

"Understandably"

"Next time she pulls a stunt like that again I'm breaking her face against the water fountain"

"Okay, psycho path on other news." I said trying to dispel anger growing with my tiny friend. "Jirou's discharging from the hospital day after tomorrow, after the Track preliminaries.  Taro says Jirou says he's fine with going to school again maybe on Friday. Any plans?"

"How are you with training for that anyway" Aika asked. 

"Non-existent, the biking looking for the idiot is about it." I sighed not wanting to think of the impending doom that was Track meet. I was not fit emotionally or physically but there was no choice in the matter.  I couldn't skip.  "I'm thinking of asking the swim team to help, yah know Jirou's their  teammate and he has a lot of friends there , those who know he's terrified of Kairi.  Seniors at that too, who can watch him during his classes that they have together when we don’t"

"Sounds like a plan.." Daichi nodded. "Mai and Yuiko have dance in the afternoon, Dance isn't too far from the pool. I'll just let them go on Kairi and see what happens"

"Wow Daichi busting out the big guns" He smiled.

"What dot hey say about desperate measures?" Aika giggled and bumped his shoulder. "Besides, I know we've been doing a pretty sucky job at winning him back so far and I want to change that"

"We'll get him back Daichi, I know we will"  Aika smiled. The two locked eyes before prink rose up their necks. For Pete's sake would these idiots just kiss already? It was getting a bit annoying seeing history repeat itself. Though I didn't want to think of what I'd do if Daichi was a blank slate mind controlled by Harumi. Jirou was my cousin too of course, but second or third or something. Hell if I know but I grew up with Daichi. The last thing I wanted to see was him being like that.

"And hopefully keep Taro out of prison. If Kairi takes the idiot's V card. I don't think Taro'll take that lightly"

"That's a bit of an understatement" Daichi said. 

HARUMI'S POV

"Easy for you to say, dudes and chicks are tripping over themselves just to get with you while I have the appeal of moldy cheese" I sulked sinking into the covers. Laughter wasn't the response I had hoped. I didn't call my older brother from his apartment to get laughed at, I would have settled for a skype call for that. Matsuda sat at the edge of the bed, dressed in a long white sleeved shirt and dark pants with silver chain designs hanging from the pockets. 

"What makes you think the guys or girls aren't tripping themselves over for you too dove?" He mused throwing the ball against the wall, the ball bouncing back to his hands in a steady rhythm. 

"Not the ones I want" I sighed.

"This about Daichi again?" He gave me a playful smile. Matsuda almost looked exactly with my dad with the playboy charms of my mother, along with her sky blue eyes and golden skin tone. Only thing he inherited was my father's bluntness and dark hair that he kept in a pony tail.  "Maybe showing him the video of those sappy love letters you recite infront of the mirror would do the trick" I tossed a pillow to him that broke his rhythm with the ball. 

"Shut up" I said rolling onto my back. He patted my knee and propped himself up against the side of the wall of the corner my bed was jammed up against. "It's not about Daichi, well..sorta..it's mostly about Kairi.."  His brow arched in curiosity but he stayed quiet waiting for me to say something. "She's getting herself in a bit of a ditch...I mean..she's happy, I should be happy about that but.." I muttered "Would you do horrible things if it meant keeping the people you love safe? or happy?"

"Of course" He said without a shred of hesitation. "More so safe than happy because sometimes  happiness conflicts with wanting to keep them safe. Sometimes being miserable keeps them out of harms way" I gave him a face. "Yah life sucks I know"

"That's comforting.." I said picking up the copy of the Game of thrones Kairi had left on my bed after our last sleep over. She spent hours talking about the texts Jirou had sent her from the hospital. My heart sang at the excitement in her voice, the blush on her cheeks and the bounce in her step. I hadn't seen Kairi this happy since the 70% off one day sale at one of her favorite stores. Yet...Jirou didn't have his memory. That could put a dent in his school life, his home life and just who he was as a person.

Was I really okay with that?"

"You asked sis, you didn't drag me all the way over here just to lie to yah" He looked thoughtfully at my ceiling. "Think Mom's gonna make crab dumplings tonight" 

"Doesn't matter, you won't live to see it" I said standing up . "Mom warned you about your gas spendage"

"Hey you called me over here, you're being my shield by will or force" I smiled sneaking a look of admirable over to my brother. There was no closer person in my life than him, not even with my parents. He was only two years older than I was a grade above since he got held back for one class due to skipping school one too many times.   He was the best friend away from my best friends. The guy I could sit down with and play video games, lose terribly and being reminded about it every second of the day.  The guy who kept me from burning the house down with my fail attempts of cooking. 

The only person besides my parents who thought I was pretty and meant it and ever since our younger brother Kira ran away it was almost as if we were scared of letting the other slip by like we'd both done with Kira without realizing it. I still remembered the night after Kairi tried the locator spell for the first time. I rummaged through the boxes in Kira's old room, trying to find an item of his that meant something to him.  The first few months after he left was the hardest for everyone, Mom barely was able to look into his room without sobbing. Matsuda packed some of kira's stuff into boxes to save Mom the pain but the silence and emptiness of the room kept picking at the wound in our hearts. I even sobbed seeing a few of the things I gave him. His first drawing books, a couple CD's of the gothic music he loved and a couple punk shirts. My heart threatened to jump out of my mouth. I kept myself sane and steady by shutting my eyes and letting my hands do the feeling for me. I had been through his box dozens of times, that I knew an item just by grazing it. Trying to let the items speak for his stead. To Understand why he left us. Naturally they stayed as silent as the room was without him. I kept my mind focused on the task. 

The stronger the connection to the object. The better the signal. He left with most of the items he cared about, his sketch pad, his copic markers, camera, gameboy and two of his favorite books. I was almost about to give up hope when I found a pocky keychain. Packed tightly at the bottom beneath a few books, his old toys and his old CD's. Yuiko gave him that keychain, he had a huge crush on her in middle school. They were in the same class after all. Yuiko gave it to him after he complained about Matsuda eating all of his Pocky.

"Sucker can't eat this now can he?" It shocked me that he had left it behind. He must not had been able to find it. Never the less, I took the charm and did the spell. My heart swelling with anticipation that quickly floored when the silver fog faded away without revealing my brother's whereabouts.

I did it again and again until I was blinded by tears and did the spell out of muscle memory. It couldn't find my brother. I didn't want to think of the implications and with Dad arriving home earlier than usual. I had to bury my feelings and carry on with the rest of the night.

 I don't know what I would do without Matsuda. Sure he annoyed the hell out of me sometimes, teased me beyond end and ate all of my food when he was by.
I wouldn't trade him for the world. 

"So by piecing together your broken information, Kairi's happy from something that's making someone else sad?" I nodded. "Well, the way I see it, making someone you love happy isn't just about wanting them to be happy. You also got decide whether or not you could  live with the cost but at the same time, you gotta be mindful of others too yah know?  We have to live with it no matter what so always makes sure the decision you make in the end is the one you really want and are comfortable with....mind telling me exactly what this is about ?" 

"Not yet, maybe it'll work itself out I don't know yet. Thanks, what would I do without you"

"Crash and Burn little dove, crash and burn"

"Say Bro" He turned his head to face me. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Course"

"You do?" I Blinked

"How else can you explain the dark arts of this world, bigfoot, chupacabras, yeti, lockness monster, math" He shuddered. "Unnatural forces always have unnatural sources" He laughed when I started hitting him with the pillow again until he had feathers in his mouth. "Come on i'm starving let's head out for some food. When I get back in school got club practice, if the next time we meet I have gills don't be surprised. Coach is making us spend more time in the water than on land I swear"  

"Mutation's only way to get your lazy ass winning anything"

"Please, Principal Gaara practically begged me to transfer over."  It was hard imagining the principal of Suna begging for anything. Or smiling for that matter. He and our Principal Naruto always had bets running with the clubs in the school and Suna academy had several scouts with connections to the schools to national swimming teams and offered alot of the swimmers in Konoha a chance to join.  Matsuda was one of them, The captain of the Konoha swimming team, Jirou and a few others had the offer. Only about less than half actually took it. Bro wanted to shave off as much financial burden for our folks as possible. 

"Or Naruto just wanted to be rid of you" Cringing my nose patting my shorts down I smirked. "Who can blame him"

"We'll see how quickly that attitude changes,after all I'm paying"


We walked to the barbaque place to save gas but definetely not time. It gave us time to catch up on the latest gossip from either schools. Middle school, everyone for the most part attended the same school and it seemed right after everyone entered highschool we split into groups of two.

Kairi's older sister Haruka, my brother, Aika's cousin Takuto and a few others migrated Suna while everyone else stayed. I had thoughts of following Matsuda to Suna. No one for the most part besides those few knew who I was. It was the appealing idea of a fresh start that sunk it's hooks into me but whether it be cowardice or love I stayed for Kairi.

We got to one of the small diners that was a good hour walk from our place. Matsuda hadn't broken a sweat while I sweated through my shirt trying to catch my breath holding onto his arm. He held me up with his hand. "Woah sis, don't die on me. Come on i'll buy you a bottle of water."  Knotting my hair in a quick side braid I nodded taking a seat.

Good thing we had, the rain suddenly began pouring buckets. The wind wiped the streets signs and neighboring trees ferociously. The sunny atmosphere had melted away into a mini hurricane. The clear blue skies were raided by the sudden grey that shallowed the peace with it's presence. 

I sighed instantly regretting our decision to walk over here. Kairi's place wasn't that far it meant I could walk and spend the night over by her than asking Mom to pick us up.  Matsuda spent a while at the counter, flirting with the cashier. A lanky girl with buck teeth, greasy  strawberry blonde hair in a limp pony tail and freckles . I wrinkled my nose. My brother really needed to get his eyes check.

And what's so special about you?   

I shook my head and focused my thoughts on something else. Anything else. The mouth watering smell of barbqued meats, the dewy freshness of wet stoney grounds and damp air from the opened window to the side. The people chattering in their booths. I tried to ignore the voice that appeared since I tried locating Kira. I tried to ignore the possibility the voice was there because I had used a spell. 

It took me by surprise. I hadn't heard Kairi complain of anything and she had been spamming those spells like they were effortless. I had done a few measly ones and now I was going mad.

"The cute waitress gave me her number" Matsuda announced taking a seat facing me. He handed me my share of the food. Barbecued sticky short ribs with sweet and sour sauce with a side of fries, a bottle of water for me and a juice for him. 

I frowned pointing a fry in his direction. "You're not actually gonna call her are you?"

"Why not?" He asked as if not noticing the obvious. 

"Well, maybe her rabbit teeth weren't as apparent to you as they were to me"

"Her teeth are fine" He rolled his eyes. "She's a really sweet girl. She helped me a few nights ago. Didn't think she worked here. I was out of gas after heading home from a party and you know I'd sooner dig out my grave then call mom or dad about it so I was stuck contemplating to either ditch the car and walk or sleep in the car till morning then call a friend to pick me up. If i called a tow truck, Mom would know and then make me wish I had dug that grave. So I chose the latter and she drove by and stopped like a winged angel, having extra gas in her trunk"

"Wow" 

"Not that I needed that reason to be nice to her" He said. "But she's pretty cool. You shouldn't be so judgmental all the time" He poked my forehead. "Think less with your head and more with your heart sometimes."

"Did you get that from a fortune cookie"

"Astrology actually." He snickered. "Zodiac phrase of the day" 

"Whatever" I started eating the rib.

"Point is sister. Beauty is just tangible. Not gonna last not physical beauty anyway. If a person's beautiful on the inside who cares what they look like that makes them beautiful just the same"

"Now I see why people throw their panties off to you. You're a line reusing pantsy" I joked. "You're worse than a fortune cookie, least they're profitable" 

"Eat your food smart ass" Retreating to the mental bliss of enjoying one of my favorite treats when something caught my eye at the end of the room. Coming out from one of the private rooms to the back that were often on reservation was one of the last faces I wanted to meet.  Kasume smiled to the book keeper in the front who gave her a nod as she waved off. She limped in her walk a bit carrying two duffle bags over her shoulder.  

Why was she limping? Her knee brace had been removed days ago. Super quickly if you had asked me but I guess that was all a facade for school. I had hoped she could walk on by without noticing Matsuda or vice versa but I couldn't have simple things in this universe.

"Little blonde!" Matsuda said with a cheesy grin. Mouth full of beef ribs and fries before he swallowed them. Kasume couldn't even blink before his arms had swung around her in a tight her. She squealed and promptly hugged back while I sat wishing I could disappear into the chair.

"Matsuda! I didn't know you were in town" she grinned. "How are you?" Matsuda sat her down in the booth near him. Kasume looked at me, sitting there with fries in my mouth and waved. "Hey"

I rolled my eyes and didn't bother returning the gesture. I knew Matsuda wouldn't appreciate it but I wasn't going to act any different just because the setting changed. Lines had been drawn and I was staying with my position. Kasume's shoulders dropped slightly but Matsuda stole her attention away from me. "I've been perfect,  little blonde. It's been ages since we last spoke how are you?"

"Been better" she admitted.

"How's your Mom and Kai doing? He still sends me little drawings sometimes and asks if i can do better. Sadly he's bested me" Kasume giggled and I felt like gagging. Not alot of people might remember this, but there was a period where Jirou wasn't always front and center. Kasume had a mild crush on my brother at the beginning of highschool freshmen year. He and Jirou were both taking the same classes, even on the swim team, only Jirou always had to head home early for some reason so alot of the times they were hanging out together.   It didn't help that Kasume's Mom was practically in love with him too. She was the boy who helped out with Kai or the babysitter when Kasume was away. That was Matsuda. He had the power to slither into people's hearts.

"They're actually in America now. Mom's doing some business for a few months."

"Does that mean you" She shook her head. 

"No, I'm staying at my Godfather's place. I couldn't possibly go to America not with everything's that's going on here" Matsuda looked puzzled.

"What's going on here? Everything okay?" My heart did a somersault in my chest. Considering the conversation I had with Matsuda earlier, he'd make the connection if Kasume explained. He wasn't an idiot nor was he gullible.  Kasume glanced at me. I guess the panic I was feeling was radiating. "Yuiko's okay right?"  She jumped when phone vibrated in her pocket.  Looking at the screen she eased out of the seat and stoof. 

"Yui's fine, she's alright. Just a stressful time right now. Exams coming up and stuff" She smiled. "I hope we can meet up soon again, I gotta head home for a few things. I'll skype you later"   He smiled. I couldn't believe Kasume hadn't blown my cover. Jirou was Matsuda's friend too. I didn't know her reasons for not telling him. 

"There's a storm outside seeingly though you're not going in there"

"My godmother's picking me up." She nodded. "She's outside now. I'll skype you later I promise!" They waved off each other and Matsuda snickered a bit.

"Man all these years and Jirou still hasn't manned up and told him he liked her" He shook his head and sighed.

"How could you possibly know that" He stuck his tongue at me

"I just know" He said smoothly. "Love has a way of showing itself even if you don't realize it"   

"God make him stop" I prayed and he tossed a fry into my hair then took several of mine to replace it. 

"I should make you walk home"

"We did walk here"

"Times like this I wish I brought my car"


After food. Matsuda went to visit Ria's place to pop a surprise visit to Yuiko. I headed straight to Kairi's place and told her everything that happened. Took a while to even get a chance to talk to her. She laid upside down in her bed. Legs kicking in the air as she stayed on the phone with Jirou. He was wishing her good luck for cheer leading at Track preliminaries or whatever I couldn't remember. Sports and their divisions felt all the same to me. 

Kairi started painting her nails after to her color of the day for tomorrow. Lime green with glitter.  It shimmered and she held out her toes as she applied to to them. "Maybe it would be good for Kasume to keep having a crush on your brother. Let her forget about Jirou alot faster" Kairi snickered. I turned sharply giving her a look. "What? I'm not heartless. It's not like I don't want her to end up with nobody just Jirou"

"Easy for you to say he's not your brother"

"Well i don't have a brother but if Kasume wanted any of my sisters I wouldn't disagree"

"What have you been smoking lately?" Kairi rolled on her stomach sticking her tongue out keeping her toes in the air.  

"Love" she sang. "It's true what all those cheesy romance books and movies say. Feeling someone who totally and utterly loves you is just.." she smiled and hugged her phone.

"Jirou just doesn't remember he's scared of you"

"But doesn't the fact he trusts me make it better right? I mean it means had he given me a chance we could have worked out!"

"Or the spell is making him loyal" Kairi frowned.

"Well sorry I'm so unwantable in your eyes" She spat. 

"I'm sorry Kairi but if you wanted someone who'd never lie to you you would have kept one of those freshmen you're brainwashing here with you not me. I'm telling you the truth and the truth is Jirou's love for you right now may not be real"

"But it feels real" She grinned. "That's what matters."

"Kairi.."

"Harumi, you don't get it. Okay? Everyone around me is hanging around me for something. They're scared of me, they're jealous of my status something but when all of that melts away" She frowned "And it will. Sis warned me as much. Senior year chances are I won't be as influential as I was. Someone else would raise into power and that's fine but they'd be taking everyone with them. Sooner or later everyone leaves. That's what I've realized about life. They leave when it's no longer convenient or when there's something bigger and better out there.   The idea of having someone by me for me." I frowned. What was I chopped liver? "Someone wants me. Actually me. Not sex or favors me!  That's addicting!

"I guess I don't want you then?" I huffed.

She frowned then roll her eyes "You know what I mean. It doesn't matter if Jirou doesn't really feel that way..I could show him who I am until he does then it won't matter if he gets his memory back or not he'll care"

"You never told me why you liked him so much anyway" I picked at her covers. "I told you about the whole hanging out at the hospital thing with Daichi but. Why do you always fixate on Jirou so much"

She grinned turning on her back once again. "When I was in elementary school. It was the third week of school. You remember that right?"

"Oh, i had applied to the wrong school and Mom said it would have taken a year before I could re transfer"

"Well, yeah and without you there I was getting lonely. I wasn't making any friends, people picked on me and even worse I forgot my lunch money." She sighed. "It was dreadful pathetic time of my life, I had a hard time applying what sis had taught me. The whole mind over matter, dominate school, be assertive thing. Well yeah I was miserable, lonely and one lunch I was absolutely starving and in swoops in this savior, with a tray of food he had paid for me in his own money with everything I wanted from the lunch line. You see, I had picked up everything on my tray andt hen when it came time to pay I realized my wallet was gone. Jirou did that for me, he spent his money and talked to me a bit  encouraged me saying school was always bad everyone's first few weeks and that he had forgotten his wallet too. I didn't even know what to say so I didn't say anything but thank you but he gave me the biggest smile I had seen in a while told me no problem then ran over to Kasume to hang out. He might not remember. I was pretty forgettable but" She smiled and tugged her sheets. "He was the first person who hadn't grown up with me or was related to me that..thought I mattered enough to talk to me"

I blinked, I did not expect such a story. I was thinking it would have been more along the lines of 'I saw him swim and loved his ass, gotta tap that' sort of deal. She looked happy talking about it. "Really? That's why you've been so persistent?"

"It's why I even bothered with Sis's rules. I thought if i became popular or smart or in the spotlight. He would have noticed me again maybe cared enough to hang out. In elementary school, I had the shittest confidence. It took years before I could speak as easily as I do. I'd call myself an idiot after every conversation I thought these things ' Shit Kairi, you messed that up' 'great kairi now they'll never want to speak with you again' 'how does one do conversation without slipping over themselves or crying whenever someone raised their voice' 'Kairi still can't call and make her own appointments over the phone sis did this at 8"  She smiled. "It wasn't until the two years of Middle school that I got my act together. He didn't notice me at all then the next year he was in Highschool and thus the story continues." She shrugged. "I guess part of me always believed if I tried hard enough. He'd just start one conversation with me. Just one that didn't involve him running and screaming but then again I wasn't even worth remembering that one lunch time in elementary school. " She had a sad smile to her as she looked to the sky. "That's why I hate Kasume so much. She gets the results I've wanted in half the time and the effort.  Teachers love her, she does great in school and guys notice her and want to date her. It sucks when people work so little for things you've spent your whole world creating"

"Guys want to date you too" I countered. 

"No they want to fuck me. Highschool is built on guys claiming to give you the best two minutes of your life."

"They probably want to fuck her too" I shrugged.  "What guy doesn't think with his dick nowdays?"

"Maybe but that's the thing. Jirou doesn't care about sex, he just liked her. I tried all that effort just to try to be in a position I could be memorable to him. All I ever did was scare him and everything's just handed to her. She has such a great person in her life and she doesn't even make use of it. Well you know what the saying is. If you don't use it, you'll lose it"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were"

"If you say Jealous the next thing that'll be lime green is your hair" 

I snickered and bumped her shoulder. "Whatever denial-pants." I sighed. "That's an awfully lot of effort for one guy isn't it?"

"Well, Mom used to say the best things are worth fighting for and I always fight dirty"

"Well Kasume can't fight with a busted knee" Kairi shrugged her shoulders and finished painting the rest of her names.

"Kasume's knee's healed up already anyhow" I shook my head.

"No, I saw her limping earlier today."

"I saw Risuko trip her in the hallway, she got up like it was nothing. Trust me, Kasume's knee is fine"

"Why would Risuko trip her?"

"Someone might have told her, that Kasume kissed her boyfriend Ren." She smirked. "Risuko's a gullible idiot who'd believe the sky was purple if you told her so" Kairi snickered. "To quote the words of a my bookish husband "I'm always right even if I say the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs"

"Which bookish husband is that one?"

"You'll find out later, anyway.Two I need my game of thrones book back and three her knee's fine"

"Well guess she must have reshattered it" I shrugged. "Besides I doubt her Mom would leave her in the country alone if she had a broken knee"

"It takes alot of force to shatter a kneecap. Kasume's a klutz but she's not that much of a klutz."  Kairi reasoned. "Leaving the country..where?"

"America"

"Hmm" She looked thoughtfully at the desk with the bowl and the supplies. "I've never spied on Kasume in her natural habitat let's see what we could find out" Kairi in a blink of an eye practically flew over to the her desk and starting putting together the mirror bowl again. She had a mysterious look in her eye.  One that had me worried but when she put her arm around my neck. All worries faded away. "Let's see what the birdie's up too shall we?"