Chapter 4 - Test days..are bad days

Kiaragurl03- um, can't say anymore then here is chapter 4.



-------------------------



As the weekend went on Chii and I began to notice how often Sora was around now. When she wasn't over our house she was constantly bumping into Chii and I in the town or in the stores. The more and more I watched how Yuki acted around this girl the more and more my heart pounded. How good it was to see him happy.



Chii has locked herself in her room as the week went by, but I hadn't really considered anything was wrong. Since midterms would be coming along soon I assumed she was studying. You see despite our different ages we all were in the same grade.



I suppose the moving had mostly to do with it. When it comes to school we aren't all that hooked up on it.



According to Yuki, he said our grandmother, the one we stayed with, held us each of us in her arms when we were born. She held Yuki and studied him, she said `Ah yes, Yuki, your going to be a great man when you get older. But study hard.'



She held Chii in her arms a year after and said `Chiyo your going to become a very beautiful girl with a great voice. Do well in school, don't let your carefree attitude get to you.'



A year after she held me in her arm I knew somewhere in my mind I had that memory even though I couldn't place it. Yuki said to me what she said to me, `Kiyara you are going to be a thinker. I can tell. You're going to daydream often, but your not going to be stupid. Your grades—your going to be fine in school, try to have fun.'



Of course Yuki heard this from mother before all the events happened. Sometimes when I was doing badly in our school and I was about in third grade Yuki would mutter under this breath.



Chii said he was often being stupid, but I tried to listen to him. We all tried hard, but in between the running away and such the information eventually didn't click into our heads. When I was younger and we were living in gas or bus stations I would slip out of sight and pick up a book and read it.



When Chii and Yuki use to work and I was too young for work, I use to take some of our savings and go rent a book. Eventually Chii would find out we made it a secret for not to tell Yuki. We would last merely about 2 hours before Chii ratted me out on the circumstance it slipped out.



When Yuki did find out he gave me a very cold shoulder no matter how many times I apologized. In time Yuki forgave me, but in turn he hid the money. I found the money.



-----------------------

--Flashback--

One time when I was around 9 I had stolen over 430,000 yen (roughly around 130$). I wanted this really expensive book along with some candy for my own pleasure. These books and small mangas I've been dying to have for over a year. Its not like I was trying to be selfish, but it had been around New Years and this was a way to treat myself to the holiday.



I decided not to tell Chii that time and kept it a secret hiding the book in the corner of the bus station. No one found it, since I had dug a hole that afternoon as Yuki and Chii worked in town and hid the book and candy in it.



I don't know how I was going to be as he found out the money was missing, but one thing was for sure I mustn't tell Chii. I had to keep it quiet till I figured out a plan. While the holiday came closer and closer Chii and Yuki got off from work. We lived in the large one room of the bus station paying the owner of the bus station 10,000 yen (20$) a month.



Yuki sat on the floor as Chii and I sat across from him on our knees. He said that if we had enough money we could buy some of the traditional food for New Years and some gifts.



He grabbed a shoebox that had many pictures in it of us, our mother, and the tiniest picture of our father. Also in it were seeds, flower seeds Chii said we would grow these when we got our house. In a small red bag was the money Chii and Yuki had been saving up.



My 9-year-old heart pounded as Yuki slipped out the money. Over the course of the year he and Chii had saved up over 75,000 yen (400$) but minus the 430,000 (130$) I took out, made us have roughly around 50,000 yen (300$) and minus the monthly rent and times that by 12 months of the year it minus 40,000 yen (200$) it resulted to leave only mere, 15,000 yen (30$). So right now all that hard work of 75,000 (yen) by the end of the year left us with 15,000 yen (30$) when in reality despite taken the money away for my book, we should have had at least 27,000 yen (70$)



Yuki looked confused as he counted up the moneymaking Chii and I count up the coins. He yelled in a panic and since he was only 11 at the time, his voice was higher then now. “No way!”Chii looked up and blinked, “What is it Yuki?”



“If we had 75,000 yen (400$) and we take away each month's rent which would add up to be around 40,000 yen (200$). We should have at least another 40,000 left, but we only have 15,000 yen (30$)”



Chii and I blinked and she looked at me, “Since when did he get so good at math?” I shrugged. Sometimes when it was important Yuki was very tact on money making and he tried very hard to work around it to save for our house. I tried to sound believing “We also used money for food remember?”



Again the money was counted and a third time till Yuki slammed his fist on the ground, “Damn!”



“So,” Chii stated “Assume we took around 200,00 yen (40$) for food. We should have at least 27,000 yen (70$) in there! Count it again.”



The yen dollar bills and the change again came out to only 30.00. This is very confusing I know; let me explain it to you in “American terms”. Say you had 400 dollars in your hand. Now you have to take 200 dollars away for rent leaving you with 200 dollars. Lets say you spent 130 dollars on your own leisure activity (my book) giving you 70 dollars. You take away 40 dollars for food over the year giving you 30 dollars. Which in terms is what was left in the little bag.



I stood up on my knees trying to convince my brother and sister I hadn't taken it, I hadn't done anything bad in awhile so I just assumed it would be okay. I don't think my acting skills were quite out to what they were supposed to be. “Maybe someone took 30 dollars out.”



Chii looked at me and leaned it and nodded, “Yeah, maybe someone took 30 dollars. Like Kyo.” Kyo was the bus station owner. Yuki shook his head trying to calm his nerves, “No, nobody but us know about this money pouch. Only two conclusions I can come up with are we have a liar in here or someone told Kyo where it was. So tell me where it is.”



“Maybe it was you! You can't assume it was us!” Chii stated feeling awfully offended.



The two of them bickered for quite a long time like they do now. I felt bad all the sudden, they were working hard to save money so we could grow up and have a good life and I was taking it like a spoiled brat.



As loud as my head was screaming in repeating the math over and over to see why I didn't realize it before, I hadn't notice I didn't say anything causing suspicions. Chii studied my eyes. “Kiyara, did someone come around here when we were at work? Did they threaten you and ask for the money?”



I looked at Chii and felt my face go white. Another lie, “Well someone might of come, I've been keeping a good eye on it, but when I went out the other day someone might of stopped by.”



Going off to another subject between one another Yuki watched us. Yuki at the time worked from 8 A.M. till 5 P.M. Chii being 10 at the time worked from 9 A.M.- 6. P.M. The only one at “home” was me and knowing my history of stealing money (even if it was only once) was backing up Yuki's suspicions. Yuki stood up and glared at me as he yelled, “Show me what you bought! Now!”



Chii and I looked at him, we couldn't decide who he was talking to. Yuki yelled again, “Do it now!” He specifically looked at me now making Chii get up quite interested. I got up and stared at him and Chii tugged on my arm. “Kiyara, you didn't steal again did you?”



My head went down and my eyes in a different direction, but I walked to where I hid the book and candy. I dug in the dirt and they stood up. In the hole the book and candy laid and Chii and Yuki stared at one another then down at it. Chii picked up the book trying to calm down and not get angry since she knew Yuki would cover that. “How much was all this Kiyara?”



I looked at Chii in her eyes and stated in a disappointed face, “Four-Hundred- and Thirty Yen.” (130$) She had her eyes widen a bit seeing that I not only lied to them, but I used our money. Yuki stood up all the sudden and his eyes covered with shadows.



Though I saw no movement in his legs his hands were lightning fast. A whimper escaped my lips as my cheek turned red. Yuki had slapped me and it had been the first time he ever actually meant it. He walked away leaving Chii and I standing there.



Chii put her hand on my cheek and I felt tears come to my eyes. Chii smiled encouragingly, “Kiyara he'll get over it in a couple of days. Your cheek okay?” I nodded as I put my head on her shoulder crying, Yuki hit hard. She patted me on the back of the head.



Moments later the two of us both stood there just sitting as we pulled out the candy and Chii started to read the book. When I grabbed the candy it was slapped out of my hands I met with the glaring and merciless eyes of Yuki. “Don't you touch that!” He shoved the candy and the book back in a plastic bag. Chii stood up, “Nii-chan! Don't be mean!”



“Shut up!”



Yuki began to walk away and yelled, “Follow me!” Half of me was afraid that if I didn't follow I would get a slap again and half of me just followed because I knew it was right. Yuki tried very hard not to be a violent person, though I could see it in his eyes, but when he snapped; he snapped. If anyone bothered us he snapped or he was angry enough with Chii and I he hit us.



All that New Year's Eve we went around returning the items I had bought and I had to say I'm sorry over 5 times before the store man was convinced. Each store was far apart so it took us over three hours to return and apologize.



We had no food, no presents, and not even a drink in a vending machine to celebrate. However our long journey did cause us to stop for a bathroom break where is I looked for some change, maybe I could buy at least something. Yuki leaned against the wall as we waited for Chiyo.



“What is it Kiyara? Don't you want a good life? Don't you want to grow up and live in a house? Do you like walking on the streets?” Yuki demanded questioning.



I looked at Yuki and shook my head, “That's not it. I wanted—to have something to do. Its boring, why can't I go to school?”



“Don't start that again. I told you, we don't have enough money for any of us going to school. Chii and I are working and when you're older you'll work too. Kiyara it's the way it works. I promise when you get older, you'll be able to live carefree, but right now we need to work for it. Taking our money is not how to solve it!”



His words echoed in my head that whole day, I was bored. I felt like he hadn't listen to a word I said. He was still angry and he didn't regret hitting me. Yuki had blisters on his hand and bruises on his legs to prove he worked hard for his money and I took no consideration into this. Yuki at the time worked as a field digger and in the winter helping moving boxes. Chii worked as a young woman's cleaner; sort of like a maid.



Why was it I couldn't think of no one but myself? Was I honestly that selfish? I mentioned what Yuki said to me as we got ready for bed, Yuki was already asleep seeing how this was the first time in months he got actual sleep. Chii looked at the endless darkness that invaded the small room. “But you know he's right, Kiyara. He should be angry. It wasn't right for you to take that money for your own pleasure.”



I closed my eyes, trying to repeat in my head what a terrible thing I did, she however continued which made me re-open my eyes. “He's wrong too though. You want a better life, but basically your life has always been on the run so to you this is normal. I bet you barely remember the orphanage or our grandma's house. To use our money was just a sign that you were use to this.”



Moments passed and silence now took over with the darkness. I muttered pulling up the futon to my face. “I'm sorry Chii that I lied.” She turned over on her side to start getting some sleep. “Its okay, I probably would of done the same thing, if I wasn't so busy.” She eventually faded off to sleep.



My new years resolution for that was never to steal our money and only use it with permission. Though at times I did sometimes steal a dollar or two, never as much as 5 dollars tops. I subconsciously found new ways to get in trouble.



I closed my eyes drifting off to count sheep. I yawned, “Happy New Year Onne-chan.” Her sleeping body laid, but I knew she wished me a happy one as well. Then I looked on the other side of the room with Yuki in small futon. I muttered as well, “Happy New Year Onii-chan.”



--End of Flashback--

--------------------------------



Throughout the whole week in school, I had repeadtly seen this memory in my head. Maybe it was like it was back then. Yuki works hard, Chii works hard, and I somehow screw it up. I was probably a bad seed or something.



When I mentioned this to Riko she laughed and shook her head `no'. “No way, Kiyara. You can't blame yourself of what happened in the past, you were nine. You all grew up since then. You can't be a bad seed, your were still just a kid remember.”



Still the memory implanted in my head and grew miraculously. The week was slower then ever and the schoolwork piled up. We too had been mentioned of the upcoming midterms. My mind quickly speed to the thought of Chii locking herself in her room.



She wasn't even going to work now and she asked Yuki if she could take time off when he asked her why, she said `I need to study.' I found Yuki up sometimes throughout the night. He hardly got any sleep and was always so busy to even say hello. When he wasn't on the phone talking about work he was reviewing for midterms.



I however was taking the time to study every now and then, but really not make as much of a big deal. I knew I would probably cram it all in at a cram session the night before. Riko seriously had some high standards for herself and constantly asked me to help her with something, which made me study.



Sora would be over our house after school for a few hours each night to study with Yuki. I usually just waved and went into the living room. Sometimes I heard laughing coming from the dining room. Studying was that funny?



Before I knew it the tests were finally here the Monday after. I was right, I crammed it all in the night before so I retained the information, and I do better under pressure though I don't handle it well.



That morning a knock came on the door and I answered it. It was Sora. I smiled, “Hi there. Yuki isn't done getting dressed, I think. Would you like to come in any way?” She smiled nodding her head as I saw her walk in.



She rubbed her arms, “Its so cold out today.”



I didn't say anything as I grabbed a cup and put water in it. I cocked my head, “So I haven't seen you since Saturday, where have you been?”



“Oh I've been cramming. I heard you went back to work?”



“Yeah, Chii has been taking off so I have to do her shifts too or we might loose our jobs.”



She blinked, “Why is she taking off?”



I shrugged and saw Sora look down at the ground with great agony. “Watsup?” I asked her curious of why she all the sudden looked so sad. She just shook her head and smiled. Another knock was heard at the door and I began to walk to it yelling to Sora, “Feel free to help yourself.”



The door opened bringing the cold air into the house. A boy stood there. He had short hair that was black and hung down the back of his neck nicely. He had brown eyes as well. On his nose he had black-framed glasses and he was a few inches taller then I. I never ever have seen this boy. I blinked, “Um hi?”



“Hey, is Chii around?”



“Who wants to know?”



“Oh sorry,” he laughed, “My name is Keegan Yokoso. I'm in Chii's class, I'm here to pick her up for school.”



Curious as I was about whom the heck this guy was I didn't say anything as I expected him to follow me to where I left Sora. I didn't know what to do with them, they looked like two helpless children and I'm the adult wondering what to do with them.



I yelled down the hall as I heard the rain pour outside. It started raining? “Chii! Yuki! Um—Sora and Keegan are here.” The darkness outside only added to the thickened darkness in our house. However the both of them walked out of their rooms.



Chii looked much different then normal, though wearing her uniform her hair was up when I was use to having it normally down. I blinked, “Chii?” She smiled and walked over to Keegan. “Thanks Kiyara for letting Keegan in.”



Yuki was the last one to come out of his room, desperately trying to get his shoe on and has a cell phone between his shoulder and ear. “Yeah, yeah Jiro! Just get the papers in!” He hung up the phone and finally getting his shoe on as Sora laughed.



Sora smiled, “Good Morning.”



“Morning,” he smiled back taking her books and she blushed furiously. They've been going out for two weeks and still she blushes. I found that funny. However Yuki didn't see me as he looked at Keegan. Yuki reminded me of a dog who marked his territory. This guy was defiantly not supposed to be in his territory.



He raised an eyebrow, “Who are you?” Keegan opened his mouth to say anything moving a piece of hair out of his eyes. Chii blushed a bit and laughed, “This is Keegan Yokoso. He's in my class.”



I nodded confirming it, but I don't think anyone saw. Yuki didn't say anything after that to Keegan, “I see.” We all decided to walk to school together since it would be pointless to leave separately.



Chii and Keegan took an umbrella, as did Sora and Yuki, and I took the last one. I walked next to Yuki and Sora who somewhere over the walk joined hands. Yuki had his eyes on Chii and Keegan as if deciphering why they're so close.



Like Chii is with most people she was very kind and very funny to Keegan who laughed at each of her jokes. Sora giggled at this constantly and Yuki switched his eye motion constantly from Sora to Chii. He finally urged me to yell something to Chii and Keegan as Keegan put his arm around Chii. Yuki pushed me as I recited what he told me to say.



“Chii-chan!”



“Hm?” She looked back as if she hadn't known we were there she turned even more pink.



“Um—this umbrella is to big for me, come and share it with me!” That's what Yuki told me to say right? Right?



She laughed and waved her hand, “Come now Kiyara, you're a big girl. Besides the bigger umbrella the better you'll stay dry.”



Yuki backed me up, “Yeah well you know Kiyara—come and stand by her. Let Keegan have that umbrella.”



Chii turned even more crimson; I didn't think it was possible to blush so much. What the heck was she blushing about? Sora muttered to Yuki in a joking way, “Don't be a nag. Let her be.” He grumbled something, but I couldn't make it out.



Honestly, I don't get what the heck is going on. Whatever was going on just went past my head, but the umbrella did keep me dry like Chii said and sooner or later we made it to school.

-----------------------------------





Why must their be a thing called test? Why? Is it a law? Why would anyone make a law about cramming your brain about information and then giving us like a 20 page packet on what we learned? Must be up there with the man who created homework. How I wish I could go back in time and behead them both.



I sat in the hall as I ate the bread from lunch. My eyes looked sunk, I was so tired my head clearly somewhere else. Kids talked about all sort of stuff that day as the rain trickled down the hallway windows.



Footsteps of all sounds went past me back and fourth as I closed my eyes and I think I fell asleep. I woke up only 10 minutes later to find Yuki's hand on my head; he arched an eyebrow and grinned, “Y'okay there? One test too much for you?”



“Just tired, I suppose” I yawned rubbing my eye. He smiled and looked around as if someone should be with me. “Where is Chii?”



“Huh? I don't know, I saw Keegan before he was looking for her. He said something about showing Chii the copy room for like student council and stuff.”



Immediately Yuki yelled, “What?” He sounded more defensive then anything I again yawned and nodded my head to give him the hint what I meant was true. He looked in all directions frantically. “What? Why? Where? Who? How?”



I wonder what I got on the test, must have been something terrible. I didn't know answer 1. My eyelids felt heavy and I began to count sheep. 1,2,3—



“Hey focus here!”



My eyes shot open to see Yuki was still over me looking around and he asked a teacher where the copy room was. The teacher said `First story, down the hall and to your left.' Yuki growled under his breathe, “Where no one can see them.”



“Yuki what are you tal--”



“ Promise me! Promise me if you have a guy friend you will tell me.”



“I don't get the pro--”



“Promise me!”



“Yeah, okay.”



Yuki ran off down the hall like a crazy maniac. My head went down, but Chiyo's laughter came behind me from inside the classroom. “Thanks Kiyara. It threw him off completely!” I looked up and smiled, “You owe me 5 bucks.”



Chii smiled back and I rested my head back. Suddenly I heard Chii curse under her breath, “shoot.” She shut the door going back into the classroom and left me in the hall. When I opened my eyes I looked to see a group of three girls and six boys go by laughing and talking.



One girl laughed rather loudly it made my head hurt, “I heard she's been crying.” I now was interested though my head still hurt. Another girl chimed in, “Well then she better stay the hell away.”



I blinked, what was going on? Those girls walk down the hall and I sat there, trying to get more sleep. The next time I heard those girls come down the hall was only about 10 minutes later. Chii was still in the classroom and Yuki still had not come back from his runaway adventure to the copy room.



This time the girls were saying words about a girl rather angrily. Though there were three girls the six boys out numbered them. They walked down the hall talking about whomever they were talking about. One of the boys caught a glance at me he narrowed his eyes bitterly. When the footsteps of the three girls and six boys left the hall the classroom door, where Chii went into, opened.



She ran out of the classroom putting her hands up to her face and running down the opposite end of the hall the boys and girls went. Keegan flashed a very small smile at me and ran after Chii.



I stood up suddenly feeling like all the noises and chatter didn't matter. I could only hear Chii's crying, it sounded like moms. Two hands grabbed my shoulders and I looked back in fear since it scared the crap out of me. Yuki sighed, “Good she's not in the copy room.”



Her cries sounded so much like moms. I didn't like those cries I hated them. They were like peroxide on a flesh new cut or like burning shower water on your scalp. The sounded terrible in my ears. I didn't want to hear them. I looked back at Yuki getting his shoulders off mine.



“Yuki, Chii-chan was just crying she ran off that way. Is something wrong?”



This got Yuki's attention he focused his eyes on down the hall, “Are you sure she was crying?”



“Yeah.”



He muttered the f' word irritably he shoved his books at me, “Hold my books. I'm going to check on her.”



“Can I come?”



“No stay here.”



“But Keegan went.”



This got Yuki's attention even more, he ran off leaving me holding his books. I wonder why she was crying? Is it the same reason she's been locking herself up in her room? Who was Keegan, was he really just a friend? Why did Yuki go in such a rush when I told him that Chii was in the copy room?



I pondered on these questions for about 20 minutes, but no results came out of it. I heard Yuki pounding footsteps come into the hall and Keegan's after it. I looked up from sitting on the heating vent. I jumped in front of Yuki and Keegan. “How is Chii? What's wrong with her?”



Neither of the boys answered me right away, Keegan started too and Yuki raised his hand and flashed him a look I couldn't see. Yuki turned around and put a hand on my shoulder, “Thanks for holding my books Kiyara. Take Chiyo (her full name) home, okay? Tell her I'll be home soon. Don't ask her questions, just be quiet and leave her alone, okay?”



“Yeah but where are you going?”



“Lets just say I'm going to be with some friends.”



“Keegan is going too?”



“Well I realized I have a lot in common with Keegan so he's going to hang with my friends for awhile. Anyway, go home before it starts thundering and lightning.”



“Okay,” I said obediently still quiet confused on what was going on. Both of them passed me and in the processes Yuki ruffled my hair. Keegan had a pissed off face on and Yuki had an even more pissed off face on.



Whatever happened, those two were defiantly not happy about it.



--------------------------





Whatever was going on Yuki sent Sora with us because she joined me outside of the girl's bathroom? Sora smiled weakly at me and her cheeks looked stain tears. I knocked on the door, “Chiyo? Onne-chan? C'mon were going home.”



She screamed at me, “Go the hell away!” I defiantly heard sobbing in the process. Sora opened the door and put a finger up telling me to wait a second. Noises muttered from the bathroom and several `Shh's' came within it and after it.



The door opened and Chii walked out with a large sweatshirt over her, it looked to be like Keegan's cause it was not Yuki's. Chii put the hood up and didn't even look at me and I didn't get any chance to look at her. Her hand covered her mouth and Sora followed next to her.



I walked behind them as our umbrellas came out; we began to walk out of the school courtyard. Splashing mud from our shoes and getting up onto our school uniforms. Sora put her hand on Chii's back. I'm her sister, why can't I do that?



Screams were heard and Chii and Sora stopped walking, I stopped too getting a look at where screams were heard. Eight boys stood in the mud, drenched, and blood coming off their face, arms, and legs.



I recognized them immediately, those six boys the boys with those three girls and Yuki and Keegan. The three girls yelled and squealed but the fight between the six boys, Yuki, and Keegan went on. Yuki looked as if he could charge an oncoming train and I couldn't see Keegan due to his back was to me.



While we were hearing screams of the boys and pounding of fists I looked up at Chii's face. Her face had running mascara coming off; she had swelled up red eyes, her face looked pale. She had red ears from the cold and her teeth chattered. She kept sniffing.



My eyes led off hers and to where Yuki was. He looked dirty and the fearless face of his was scary as hell. He growled and kept screaming, “Bother my sister again, I'll hunt you down and kill you!”



Before I knew it Chii, Sora, and I kept walking. Sora kept her head down, as Chii seemed to be talking and I couldn't make out what it said cause the rain overpowered it.



No one ever said test days were good days, right?

------------------------------------



Kiaragurl03- yes ma'm the newest chapter is up! ^-^ I'm quiet proud of it, but the money ordeal confused the heck out of me. I had to look it up several times. I like the whole brother protective thing; I think it's cute. Yep, well peace. Look for Chappie 5 soon!

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment