the actual chapter
**
The last time I had been held like this it was the day after my grandfather’s funeral. Mother had to work the day shift at the precinct and the students had all elected to spend a week out, in respect of both my grandfather and our family. We accepted this stoically, as was traditional, and because of this, I had nothing to occupy my mind during the day. Mayumi, bless her, had come over and tried to keep my spirits up, but in the end, we had done nothing but lay there on my futon cuddling together. “You,” she would whisper into my ear, “are not a monster. You loved him and the fact that no one knew he was dead that morning is not your fault.” That had been what I had dissolved into, near hysterical tears while blaming myself for oversleeping that morning and not checking on him before leaving for school. Mom had been working overnights at the precinct and would barely have enough energy when she came in to make it to her futon before crashing, and when his health had taken a bad turn after my grandmother’s death, it became my responsibility to check on him.
I couldn’t say that Mayumi didn’t understand, we all understood duty, it was something taught to us from before we could remember. Duty to family, to friends, to our school, duty was culturally ingrained into our minds and souls. Because of duty, I would return to school the next day and maintain a calm and bland face in front of all my classmates, perform my work as expected, and go about my life as if nothing bad had happened. Once I returned home, or went to Mayumi’s, then I would be able to break down into tears and self-recrimination. I would wear a mask for the public, and then in the privacy of what I considered my remaining family, break down and be consoled, wrapped in loving arms, and told that everything would be alright.
**Saotome Mayumi**
“Trust me handsome,” the person next to me said, practically cooing at the terrorist as the speaker stroked her hand up the man’s leg. “That one isn’t worth your time, I on the other hand, I can show you how much your hard work is appreciated. Just take me in the bathroom over there, and you will forget all your worries in a really short time.” To hear those words come out of anyone’s mouth sickened me, especially since they were referring to me. But to hear them out of the mouth of my best friend, my girlfriend, to one of the bastards that were keeping us at gunpoint. I felt my heart crack, falter, and then shatter as I watched her lead the smiling ass toward the aircraft’s bathroom.
Sometimes it would seem like the scream came an eternity later, sometimes almost as soon as the door to the bathroom closed, but sooner or later there was always a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream come from the bathroom. One of the other terrorists runs up the aisle to check, doing a quick look around and head count, before cursing as he realizes that he was both two bodies short, and what likely has occurred. Reaching the bathroom, he ripped the door open, only to fall backwards at the twin blasts that greeted him. Then Akane steps out over the top of him. She is covered from the neck down in blood, a pistol in one hand, and a bloody knife in the other. Her face was a rictus of cold fury as she shoved the pistol in her hand down the back of her skirt before pulling a similar weapon from the now dying terrorist’s hand. Sliding that one into her blazer pocket she searches him, quickly, for anything else of use before slitting his throat in a perfunctory manner.
Turning to the rest of us she points at people and starts snapping orders like a soldier, (or that idiot Sagara,) would, obviously expecting to be obeyed. Then, as the rest of the group starts to move themselves, she stalks over to me and pulls me to my feet. “Mayumi-chan, you’re having another nightmare sweetheart,” I hear someone say. Akane kisses me and I taste the coppery taste of blood. My response is to scream, and I wake up to find myself in my own bed, my mother standing there in the doorway, disheveled as I panted, trying to regain my breath.
“Not again,” I muttered rubbing my face as my mother entered my room and knelt down beside me. I had dreamed of that day almost nightly since it had occurred, and I needed to get over it, I had to push past it and move on with my life, move on from Akane.
“Mayumi,” my mother said pulling me into a hug, “I think you should talk to Akane about these dreams. Not on your life mom, I thought, I’m not saying so much as a word to her if I can help it ever again.
**
I awoke to the door’s warning buzzer, jerking into a near upright position where I had been leaning back against someone as I sat on the stool at the counter. Whoever it was, their arms were wrapped around me and they were curled protectively around me as we both had fallen asleep sitting up and leaning against the kitchen island. Taylor, my brain told me and then I remembered talking to Dean, and then Taylor holding me while I drifted off into some weird mixture of dream and memory. Wait, BUZZER, Damn it! I reached over to grab the domino mask that I had left on the island and found it not there. I half spun to look for it even as my left hand came up to shade my face, and then I felt it already in place.
I let out a sighing breath as I relaxed once again, the adrenaline having blasted the last of the cobwebs from my brain. I looked and found that Taylor also had a mask in place even as the door opened to let Chris and Dennis into the common room. “Mwahuh,” I heard Taylor mumble and blearily she raised her head from where it had been resting against my shoulder. “Sorry,” she said softly with a slight smile, “I must have dozed off myself, you obviously needed the sleep.”
“You too,” I replied softly, taking a finger and pushing a lock of hair back up out of her face, “Rough night?” I asked.
“Nightmare about the fashion show,” she said running her fingers through her hair and stretching, Don’t watch Akane, I thought. And then her back arched and I found myself spinning away, DAMN IT AKANE, I said don’t watch! “Ugah,” she groaned. “I don’t even own a set of heels, let alone know how to walk in a pair.”
“We can fix that though,” I answered twisting and popping my neck while pulling my phone out of my pocket. “In fact, I can think of someone who would probably love to help on both counts, and has a sister who needs to decompress some.”
**Amy**
“You were at the hospital all night again weren’t you,” Vicky’s voice blasted through my sleeping brain causing me to sit up and allow the blankets to fall from over my head. “What time did you finally drag yourself home?”
I glowered at my sister as she stood in the doorway to my room, “Yes I spent all night at the hospital again,” I growled out as I glanced around to see what time it was. Finally, I found my alarm clock on the floor where I had apparently knocked it at some point this morning. “I got home about 5:30,” I answered as I set the clock back on my bedside table, noting the time as a quarter of noon. “Met mom as she was heading out to work. She said that someone called and asked her to step in on the Canary case, so she is having to run to Boston to pick up the case file and meet with her new client.”
Vicky nodded at that and smiled, “Do you have anything planned for the rest of your day?” she asked. I shook my head no and she smiled. I felt my stomach drop when she did, she had something planned, and I doubted I would like it. “Then get up and get a shower,” she said bouncing up on her toes. “Taylor and Akane need our help, and their buying lunch and the snacks.”
I was about to ask what they needed help with, but Vicky turned and dashed off to her room, obviously planning something. I just collapsed back into my bed. I don’t know how much time passed between her running off and her coming back but I doubt it was very long before she was bouncing my bed to get me up. “Come on Amy, get up, we need to do this together.”
I rolled my eyes at that and groaned. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t stay angry with Vicky, she was just too enjoyable a person to be around. The energy she brought to everything was like a young puppy that just wanted to play with everyone, and you couldn’t help but find it infectious. “Alright I’m up, I’m up.” I grumped as I rolled back upright and then out of the bed. “I’ll grab a quick shower and then we’ll go?”
“It’s a surprise,” Vicky giggled, “just trust me, you’ll have fun.” I groaned at that as I trudged off to the bathroom. Vicky’s idea of fun, and mine usually didn’t match, so I doubted I would end up enjoying this. Still, it would be spent with two of our newest friends, at least one of whom understood the want and desire to stay out of the public eye.
**
“I truly hate you at times,” I grumbled at Vicky as we set down outside Weymouth Mall. The two-story shopping monstrosity had already eaten up the better portion of an afternoon on Tuesday, and now we were back for the sole reason of finding some specific shoes for Taylor and Akane. All Akane needed was a pair of two-inch black pumps, something that I was sure we could easily find. Taylor though, she needed both those same black pumps, and a set of wedge heeled sandals with a three-inch lift. According to Vicky someone had talked the two of them into modeling for a fashion show a week from Sunday and neither of them owned, nor had ever worn heels before.
“Get over it,” Vicky said as she started walking toward the food court doors. I hurried to catch up with her longer stride and was quickly walking beside her. “Besides,” she continued. “You’re going to get to watch both of them show off their legs and totter around on heels until they learn to walk in them.” I lifted an eyebrow at my sister causing her to snicker. “I caught both you and Akane trying so very hard not to look at Taylor’s legs in those dresses I had her try on Tuesday.” She shook her head and smiled before reaching over and pulling me into a one-armed hug. “Ames, you should have said something long ago, I’d have found girls to set you up with on those double dates, not Dean’s guy friends.”
If it wasn’t for Vicky’s arm around me, I would have stopped dead in my tracks and probably collapsed right then and there. “How? Why?” I sputtered. No, not how, she said she caught me looking at Taylor’s legs Tuesday, I thought.
“Amy, you’re my sister,” Vicky continued heedless of my own thoughts, “and like I said, I caught you looking, but if you think that just because you like girls like I like guys, that I’m going to disown you or something, well think again.” Vicky’s face looked a little hurt at the thought and I felt bad for it. But then she smiled and waved down the food court with her free hand causing me to follow her gaze and spot Taylor standing over the crowd. I smiled and she glanced down at me and grinned, “Is that what you like Ames, long legged brunettes? Cause let me tell you, if I swung that way, I’d be chasing Taylor myself.”
“Huh?” I asked looking at Vicky.
“I’m Hetero little sis,” she answered smiling and waving again while dragging me forward, “I’m neither blind nor dead.”
**
next one by the end of the weekend, probably
**
The last time I had been held like this it was the day after my grandfather’s funeral. Mother had to work the day shift at the precinct and the students had all elected to spend a week out, in respect of both my grandfather and our family. We accepted this stoically, as was traditional, and because of this, I had nothing to occupy my mind during the day. Mayumi, bless her, had come over and tried to keep my spirits up, but in the end, we had done nothing but lay there on my futon cuddling together. “You,” she would whisper into my ear, “are not a monster. You loved him and the fact that no one knew he was dead that morning is not your fault.” That had been what I had dissolved into, near hysterical tears while blaming myself for oversleeping that morning and not checking on him before leaving for school. Mom had been working overnights at the precinct and would barely have enough energy when she came in to make it to her futon before crashing, and when his health had taken a bad turn after my grandmother’s death, it became my responsibility to check on him.
I couldn’t say that Mayumi didn’t understand, we all understood duty, it was something taught to us from before we could remember. Duty to family, to friends, to our school, duty was culturally ingrained into our minds and souls. Because of duty, I would return to school the next day and maintain a calm and bland face in front of all my classmates, perform my work as expected, and go about my life as if nothing bad had happened. Once I returned home, or went to Mayumi’s, then I would be able to break down into tears and self-recrimination. I would wear a mask for the public, and then in the privacy of what I considered my remaining family, break down and be consoled, wrapped in loving arms, and told that everything would be alright.
**Saotome Mayumi**
“Trust me handsome,” the person next to me said, practically cooing at the terrorist as the speaker stroked her hand up the man’s leg. “That one isn’t worth your time, I on the other hand, I can show you how much your hard work is appreciated. Just take me in the bathroom over there, and you will forget all your worries in a really short time.” To hear those words come out of anyone’s mouth sickened me, especially since they were referring to me. But to hear them out of the mouth of my best friend, my girlfriend, to one of the bastards that were keeping us at gunpoint. I felt my heart crack, falter, and then shatter as I watched her lead the smiling ass toward the aircraft’s bathroom.
Sometimes it would seem like the scream came an eternity later, sometimes almost as soon as the door to the bathroom closed, but sooner or later there was always a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream come from the bathroom. One of the other terrorists runs up the aisle to check, doing a quick look around and head count, before cursing as he realizes that he was both two bodies short, and what likely has occurred. Reaching the bathroom, he ripped the door open, only to fall backwards at the twin blasts that greeted him. Then Akane steps out over the top of him. She is covered from the neck down in blood, a pistol in one hand, and a bloody knife in the other. Her face was a rictus of cold fury as she shoved the pistol in her hand down the back of her skirt before pulling a similar weapon from the now dying terrorist’s hand. Sliding that one into her blazer pocket she searches him, quickly, for anything else of use before slitting his throat in a perfunctory manner.
Turning to the rest of us she points at people and starts snapping orders like a soldier, (or that idiot Sagara,) would, obviously expecting to be obeyed. Then, as the rest of the group starts to move themselves, she stalks over to me and pulls me to my feet. “Mayumi-chan, you’re having another nightmare sweetheart,” I hear someone say. Akane kisses me and I taste the coppery taste of blood. My response is to scream, and I wake up to find myself in my own bed, my mother standing there in the doorway, disheveled as I panted, trying to regain my breath.
“Not again,” I muttered rubbing my face as my mother entered my room and knelt down beside me. I had dreamed of that day almost nightly since it had occurred, and I needed to get over it, I had to push past it and move on with my life, move on from Akane.
“Mayumi,” my mother said pulling me into a hug, “I think you should talk to Akane about these dreams. Not on your life mom, I thought, I’m not saying so much as a word to her if I can help it ever again.
**
I awoke to the door’s warning buzzer, jerking into a near upright position where I had been leaning back against someone as I sat on the stool at the counter. Whoever it was, their arms were wrapped around me and they were curled protectively around me as we both had fallen asleep sitting up and leaning against the kitchen island. Taylor, my brain told me and then I remembered talking to Dean, and then Taylor holding me while I drifted off into some weird mixture of dream and memory. Wait, BUZZER, Damn it! I reached over to grab the domino mask that I had left on the island and found it not there. I half spun to look for it even as my left hand came up to shade my face, and then I felt it already in place.
I let out a sighing breath as I relaxed once again, the adrenaline having blasted the last of the cobwebs from my brain. I looked and found that Taylor also had a mask in place even as the door opened to let Chris and Dennis into the common room. “Mwahuh,” I heard Taylor mumble and blearily she raised her head from where it had been resting against my shoulder. “Sorry,” she said softly with a slight smile, “I must have dozed off myself, you obviously needed the sleep.”
“You too,” I replied softly, taking a finger and pushing a lock of hair back up out of her face, “Rough night?” I asked.
“Nightmare about the fashion show,” she said running her fingers through her hair and stretching, Don’t watch Akane, I thought. And then her back arched and I found myself spinning away, DAMN IT AKANE, I said don’t watch! “Ugah,” she groaned. “I don’t even own a set of heels, let alone know how to walk in a pair.”
“We can fix that though,” I answered twisting and popping my neck while pulling my phone out of my pocket. “In fact, I can think of someone who would probably love to help on both counts, and has a sister who needs to decompress some.”
**Amy**
“You were at the hospital all night again weren’t you,” Vicky’s voice blasted through my sleeping brain causing me to sit up and allow the blankets to fall from over my head. “What time did you finally drag yourself home?”
I glowered at my sister as she stood in the doorway to my room, “Yes I spent all night at the hospital again,” I growled out as I glanced around to see what time it was. Finally, I found my alarm clock on the floor where I had apparently knocked it at some point this morning. “I got home about 5:30,” I answered as I set the clock back on my bedside table, noting the time as a quarter of noon. “Met mom as she was heading out to work. She said that someone called and asked her to step in on the Canary case, so she is having to run to Boston to pick up the case file and meet with her new client.”
Vicky nodded at that and smiled, “Do you have anything planned for the rest of your day?” she asked. I shook my head no and she smiled. I felt my stomach drop when she did, she had something planned, and I doubted I would like it. “Then get up and get a shower,” she said bouncing up on her toes. “Taylor and Akane need our help, and their buying lunch and the snacks.”
I was about to ask what they needed help with, but Vicky turned and dashed off to her room, obviously planning something. I just collapsed back into my bed. I don’t know how much time passed between her running off and her coming back but I doubt it was very long before she was bouncing my bed to get me up. “Come on Amy, get up, we need to do this together.”
I rolled my eyes at that and groaned. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t stay angry with Vicky, she was just too enjoyable a person to be around. The energy she brought to everything was like a young puppy that just wanted to play with everyone, and you couldn’t help but find it infectious. “Alright I’m up, I’m up.” I grumped as I rolled back upright and then out of the bed. “I’ll grab a quick shower and then we’ll go?”
“It’s a surprise,” Vicky giggled, “just trust me, you’ll have fun.” I groaned at that as I trudged off to the bathroom. Vicky’s idea of fun, and mine usually didn’t match, so I doubted I would end up enjoying this. Still, it would be spent with two of our newest friends, at least one of whom understood the want and desire to stay out of the public eye.
**
“I truly hate you at times,” I grumbled at Vicky as we set down outside Weymouth Mall. The two-story shopping monstrosity had already eaten up the better portion of an afternoon on Tuesday, and now we were back for the sole reason of finding some specific shoes for Taylor and Akane. All Akane needed was a pair of two-inch black pumps, something that I was sure we could easily find. Taylor though, she needed both those same black pumps, and a set of wedge heeled sandals with a three-inch lift. According to Vicky someone had talked the two of them into modeling for a fashion show a week from Sunday and neither of them owned, nor had ever worn heels before.
“Get over it,” Vicky said as she started walking toward the food court doors. I hurried to catch up with her longer stride and was quickly walking beside her. “Besides,” she continued. “You’re going to get to watch both of them show off their legs and totter around on heels until they learn to walk in them.” I lifted an eyebrow at my sister causing her to snicker. “I caught both you and Akane trying so very hard not to look at Taylor’s legs in those dresses I had her try on Tuesday.” She shook her head and smiled before reaching over and pulling me into a one-armed hug. “Ames, you should have said something long ago, I’d have found girls to set you up with on those double dates, not Dean’s guy friends.”
If it wasn’t for Vicky’s arm around me, I would have stopped dead in my tracks and probably collapsed right then and there. “How? Why?” I sputtered. No, not how, she said she caught me looking at Taylor’s legs Tuesday, I thought.
“Amy, you’re my sister,” Vicky continued heedless of my own thoughts, “and like I said, I caught you looking, but if you think that just because you like girls like I like guys, that I’m going to disown you or something, well think again.” Vicky’s face looked a little hurt at the thought and I felt bad for it. But then she smiled and waved down the food court with her free hand causing me to follow her gaze and spot Taylor standing over the crowd. I smiled and she glanced down at me and grinned, “Is that what you like Ames, long legged brunettes? Cause let me tell you, if I swung that way, I’d be chasing Taylor myself.”
“Huh?” I asked looking at Vicky.
“I’m Hetero little sis,” she answered smiling and waving again while dragging me forward, “I’m neither blind nor dead.”
**
next one by the end of the weekend, probably
Wolf wins every fight but the one where he dies, fangs locked around the throat of his opponent.
Currently writing BROBd
Currently writing BROBd