[Fanfic] Love Hurts Chapter 6
Chapter 6
"That was so much fun!" Kyoko sang as she and Ashley walked down the sidewalk. Ashley grinned. She did have fun; maybe minus Daiki, but everything else was perfect, wasn't it? She hung out with Jun, she waked alongside Jun without having to stalk him, and she talked with Jun. What more could she ask for?
SHE HAS TWO ARMS TO HOLD ME, FOUR LEGS TO WRAP AROUND ME, SHE'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL GIRLFRIED, SHE'S MY ALIEN...
"Moshi moshi?"
"Hey!"
"Ryo-chan!"
"So how was your day? Sorry I couldn't be there, something just came up..." Ashley giggled.
"It's okay, my day turned out to be awesome! Yours?" She head a pause and Ryosuke sounded like he was talking to someone else.
"Sorry, what was that?" Ashley laughed. Ryosuke worked too much.
"I said, how was your day?"
"Oh! Yeah, it was good."
"Cool! So what did you do?" Ashley head shuffling and the rustle of papers on the other end.
"Hey, Ashley, domen, demo, I have to go back to work. I promise I'll call you back!" Ashley sighed.
"Un, talk to you then. Ja--" But the line was already dead. Ashley was a bit confused and she couldn't help but to feel a little abandonned.
"Ne, he'll call back, jeez stop worrying!" Kyoko gave her a playful punch and she perked right up.
"You lose--"
HELLO HELLO, IS ANYONE HOME? HELLO HELLO...
"Yo...Oh..." Kyoko answered her phone.
"But kaa-san! I told you--" Ashley watched helplessly as Kyoko's bright aura trickled away.
"H-Hai, Ok--Yes--Ok--Fine--I will--I just said I will! Bye..." Kyoko hung up and put the phone back into her jacket pocket.
"Hey, who was that?"
"Uh, no one..."
"Oh c'mon Kyoko..."
"It was my mother..." Kyoko spat out the last word like it was something disgusting.
"You're not going with me tonight are you?" Ashley asked. Kyoko shook her head solemnly. Ashley draped her arm around her friend and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Don't worry! I'll always be here ne. You want me to come with you?" Kyoko was sorely tempted to say yes; A little backup would have been nice. But she knew that she had to go it alone. So she shook her head again.
"It's okay, I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow!" Ashley watched sadly as Kyoko slouched away.
Kyoko...
Kyoko was trembling. Not with cold or fear, but anger. Anger? She didn't know why but she felt angry. She knew that she was going to get it. She was all too familiar with the shouting. Yet, she was angry, not scared. She was angered by it all. She was never happy at home, if she could ever call it 'home.' Ashley's house has been more like a home then anything else, heck, Ashley herself was hom. Maybe Keito will soon be home too...
All too soon, she was at the front step of her house. Strange, it was quiet. A bit too quiet. She unlocked the front door and the small 'click' of the lock sounded unnaturally loud.
"Tadaima." She spoke into the silence.
"Kyoko? Is that you?"
"Hai, kaa-san."
"Come here, I'm in the kitchen." Kyoko walked tentively into the kitchen and saw her mother surrounded by papers.
"So you take your work back home with you? Can't get enough of it, huh?" Kyoko's voice was low and quiet as she struggled to keep it steady. Her mother looked at her with blank eyes.
"No, it's...paperwork."
"What difference does it make? It's still work."
"But it's different..."
"What is it for anyway?" Kyoko asked cautiously.
"Kyoko, you father and I...we have, a few differences....and...we're...we've....we've decided to...separate." Kyoko couldn't take it.
"Hmm, should I be sad and miserable that you're divorcing, or should I be happy that you guys finally agreed on something?"
"Look Kyoko, I unders--"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT! I DON'T GIVE A DONKEY'S BEEP-HIND! I'M DONE!" Kyoko didn't stay to hear her mother splutter, but she bolted out of the door. She had to get away, faraway. To anywhere but here.
Ashley...
"Hey, Ashley, Kyoko's mom is asking if you've seen Kyoko." Uh oh.
"No, last I saw her was on our way home, then we split up."
"Oh, okay. It's just Her mother doesn't seem too happy--" Ashley sighed.
"Mom, her mother is NEVER happy." Ashley's mom looked at her with sympathy.
"Yeah, but even if that's the case, she probably WOULD have come here..." Ashley started to get worried as she watched her mom leave. Where is Kyoko? She would've called by now if something happened. She would come automatically to this house! Then, Ashley had a stroke of inspirationg. She grabbed her phone and began punching in numbers.
"Hello? Ryo-chan! I need Keito's number...Please, I need it now! Thanks so much! Call you later." She hung up and began dialing again.
"Come on pick up...pick up....Hello?!"
"Uh, who is this?"
"Keito! It's me, Ashley!"
"Oh! Ashley-chan! Gomen, but I don't remember giving you my number--"
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is, have you seen Kyoko?"
"No, why?" Ashley burst.
"She's not home and normally she'd call me if anything was wrong and I have a hunch that something horrible has happened because I have NO idea where she is because normally she'd come over to my house and spend the night! And I'm worried sick!"
"It's okay Ashley-chan. She'll turn up!"
"I don't know! It's pouring rain outside! My idiot of a friend never checks the weather much less carries an umbrella around with her all the time!"
"It's okay, just be calm and-- Oh, gomen, there's someone at the door." Ashley sighed.
"Okay, I'll go, but if she turns up PLEASE give me a call!"
"Hai! Jaa." That was her last hope. Kyoko could be anywhere and for the first time in living memory, she had no idea where she was.
Keito...
DING DONG!
"I'm coming!" Keito ran down the stairs after talking to Ashley on the phone. Now he was beginning to get worried. He unlocked the door and to his surprise...
"Gomen if I'm intruding." There stood Kyoko, drenched to the skin and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He could see her shivering.
"K-Kyoko! You must be freezing! Come in..." She stepped inside and Keito closed the door behind her.
"I'll get you towels, and I'll make some tea, I'll probably get some blankets too. I'll see if I can find something of my mom's for you to wear..." Kyoko burst into fresh tears.
"S-Sorry Keito-kun, I j-just...I d-don't know anymore. I-I couldn't go to A-Ashley's, it f-felt like I was a b-bother or something... Y-You were the f-first person I-I thought of a-and--" Keito wrapped his arms around her and he could feel her shaking with sobs. They stayed like this for a while and Kyoko whispered into his ear.
"Keito-kun, can you make me two promises?"
"Hmm?"
"One, please just call me Kyoko and I'll call you Keito..."
"Eh, I could do that..."
"Haha, and two, please don't call Ashley. She probably magically got your number from Yama-chan and told you to call her back if you found me."
"How'd you know?"
"I know her all too well. But please promise me! I'll call her myself, when I'm ready."
"H-Hai, I promise."
Jun & Daiki...
"Jheez, you were so embarrassing!" Jun gently pushed Daiki.
"What?! I saw the penguin first!"
"For goodness' sake Dai-chan! The kid was probably five-yrs old! You're SEVENTEEN!" Daiki gave a little pout.
"But I like penguins..." Jun ruffled his hair.
"Once a kid, always a kid!"
OMOIDE ZUTTO ZUTTO...
"You still have that as your ringtone?" Jun chuckled.
"Yeah, so?! You know what, you should be happy I'm using one of your songs." Daiki scoffed.
"Moshi moshi...Hai...Un...Eh?! Okay...Yeah, I'll let you know if I do...okay, Jaa." Daiki looked up at Jun.
"Kyoko's missing."
"You mean that girl who held back Ashley and looked comfortable with Keito?" Daiki nodded.
"Where is she?"
"Beats me, Yama-chan just called and told me that Ashley was worried sick about her." Jun looked at Daiki curiously.
"Are you worried because Ashley's worried?" Daiki's cheeks turned pink.
"No! I'm worried because Kyoko's missing!" He said indignantly.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say."
"Oh shut up and just be on the look out please!" Jun patted Daiki's back and nodded.
"Okie dokie, anything to help things move along..."
"What was that?" Jun giggled.
"Nothing, nothing."
END