InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Autumn: Fairytale ❯ A Burden On My Mind ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"Did you know Kouga's whole family was wolf youkai?"
"Wolf youkai? Of course," Answered Ayame as she paid the cashier for the two black coffees. She handed a paper cup to Jubilee, who looked as confused as a lost child. "Why does it matter to you any ways?"
"It doesn't . . . I just didn't know." Jubilee took a few gulps and began walking down the busy street, next to her sister.
"Slow down tiger, I'm about to think something's wrong. First you looked a little too happy, now you're looking too depressed."
"I'm fine. I'm starting to think you have an old soul. You worry too much, I promise, if there was something to say, I'd tell you."
"Fine,"
"So . . . when do youkai die?"
"I think they can die like an ordinary human if they don't find a mate, but if they do, they have a really extended life. What's got you so worked up on youkais any way?"
"Just trying to catch up on my history is all." Jubilee lied. She gave Ayame a sort of sympathetic smile. It killed Ayame when she saw that smile. Jubilee had regretted even trying once Ayame's frown deepened. She looked down, not able to look up at her sister.
It had been a week since Minoru admitted to Jubilee about his youkai roots. The only time he called was to tell her he couldn't see her that day because the chief of surgery had offered to let him hold a heart while he operated. Apparently holding heart was special, though Jubilee didn't under stand it. Both Minoru and Jubilee agreed to keep their 'fling' a secret, but Jubilee had no idea why she felt bad. After all, she did nothing wrong right?
'Face it Jubilee you're doomed. For the first time in your life you're falling heels over head for someone,'
'Shut up me! It's supposed to be head over heals any way, right?'
'No, for you it's heels over head. Trust me. How does it feel to repel the first guy you might be falling for?'
'I feel horrible. I'd talked to Aya, but I promised him.'
"Earth to Jubilee," Ayame waved a hand in her face. "Are you trying to get yourself run over?"
"Sorry. You know what; I think this is your stop. I'm just going to go stop by the hospital."
"Why? Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry mom; I didn't know I had to tell you everything." Jubilee joked. "I'm fine! I just need to see my friend Tara, she just had her baby."
"Oh, okay, but I'll call you about dinner."
Jubilee nodded and headed toward the hospital. Whether he wanted to or not, Minoru was going to give her answers. The fact that he was ignoring her was what she found most rude. He probably thought she hated him because she found out he was of the wolf youkai blood line, but frankly . . . she didn't really care, he was good in bed and as far is it went, that's what really mattered to her at the moment . . . or was it?
She had spotted. There stood Minoru, at the front desk, looking through some papers on a clip board. He wrote something down and handed it back to the receptionist. Jubilee caught his elbow, causing him to turn and face her. "You're talking to me, now."
"Can't this wait, 'the Nazis' waiting for me?" He informed.
"No. I want to talk now. I promise it won't take long."
Minoru sighed in defeat. "Fine," They stepped aside from everyone else.
"What's wrong with you? I mean, I haven't talk to you all week. Did I do something to upset you?"
"No, I've just been busy here."
"That's bull Minoru, and you know it. Look, I really don't care if you're wolf youkai."
"What?"
"Well, that's what's bothering you, right? Ever sense the other morning, you've been doing a good job of keeping your distance. Frankly I'm--" Jubilee never got to finish her sentence.
"Minoru, who's the wife?" Teased Danny, Minoru's American friend. His Japanese had a small accent, but it was better than any other American.
Minoru coughed into his fist. "This is uh . . . Jubilee." He hesitated.
Danny offered his hand, and Jubilee took it. "Nice to meet you,"
"I'm his . . . tutor."
"Tutor? I never thought Minoru had the time."
"Oh, well, lately I feel the same." Jubilee smiled at Danny then looked at Minoru. "Remember your paper. I'm off. Nice to see you Danny," Jubilee wrapped her arms around her stomach and walked off in a hurry. She waved a cab down.
"No! What do you mean the cake is late? This is not right! Look, I’m only telling you once, unless you don't want that job of yours you get me that cake." Ayame scoffed and hung up the phone. It was her first day on the job and she pummeled with work. The cater brought the wrong cake, not only that it was an hour late for the wedding party, and the groom was drunk off his ass. It was too late to cancel the wedding party, so everything had to continue as if nothing happened.
"Is the cake here yet?" Whined Sukie, Ayame's partner.
"Are you kidding me, unless this is also Rhoda's Birthday, no, it's not here yet." Ayame dialed numbers on the cordless phone, waiting for a line to be open. "Not only that but I can't get a hold of the catering company. They probably blocked me, damn it."
"Well, the groom made a pass at me, and then asked me if I was lesbian. I'll take it it's not going very well. Okay well, I'm going to supervise out there, stay in here and try and get a hold of the caterers." Sukie pushed the back curtain aside and stepped out the room.
Ayame began punching numbers and murmuring curses to herself. She turned around to run to Sukie for help until she ran into someone. "Ow," She whined. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too." Kouga teased.
She sighed. "Sorry, it's just hectic. Any ways, what are you doing here?"
"Jubilee called and said you'd be out of a car for a while, and she couldn't pick you up. So I'm doing you a favor."
"The bitch," She muttered under her breath. Ayame turned around when she felt a tap on her back. The bride stood behind her with a not so pleased or pleasant look.
"It's been an hour," She began with a bit of an accent. "We're all waiting for the cake, where is it? Not out there!"
"Uh . . . well, it's here! It just got in! Didn't you see it?" Ayame fibbed.
"Wha--"
"Yeah, so you should like go out there. Like now!" Ayame began pushing the American blonde bride out the curtained door way. She watched as the clueless girl searched around helplessly for the cake. She sighed in relief and turned to face Kouga. "You know what; can you do something for me?"
He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets. The keys jingled. "Name it."
Ayame grabbed his hand and dragged him out into the party room. She grabbed a glass of wine while rushing to the stage. She began whispering. "Make a toast and distract them. I need time to get the cake."
"What, No, I don't even know them."
"Trust me, pretend to be the groom's friend. He's to drunk to even remember it's his wedding day!"
"No,"
"Please," She pleaded, giving him a puppy face.
Kouga couldn't say no to the puppy face . . . anyone's puppy face for the matter. He sighed in defeat. "Fine," He snatched the glass from Ayame and walked up the stage, just as the band finished their song. He cleared his throat into the microphone and everyone turned their attention to him. "Uh . . . wow. I've known . . ."
"Ichiro," Ayame whispered and ran into the back room.
"Ichiro since . . . forever. I remember I tried to give him things and see if he'd eat them." He cleared his throat again. Kouga had no idea what to say, but he was a lawyer, why not wing it? "And he did." He chuckled as the crowd laughed quietly. "You know, it's surprising how two people can just stop talking for a while, which is what happened to us. We were like brothers, you know. It was hard, but we went our separate ways. Hey, Ich . . . do you remember when we played that prank on the crossing guard, and she hit you with, uh, her sign thing? Good times."
In the back, Ayame laughed as she signaled the caterer's paper. She could hear every word Kouga blurted out. "Sukie," She hissed. "It's here." With a wave of her hand two guys tiptoed out with the cake. Ayame stepped out and made a hand motion, signaling for Kouga to cut the act.
“. . . uh, and now look at you buddy. You're married." He held his glass to everyone and drank with all of them. They all cheered and gasped at the cake. They returned to their old conversations. "You owe me Ayame!" Kouga warned.
"You're right, thank you."
Ayame dragged her heel against the cement side walk, making a scraping noise.
"Well, I just found out Ichiro's mother remembers baking cookies with us. Funny thing is . . . I don't."
Ayame bit back laughter. "Alright I'm sorry. I owe you . . . so what do you want?"
"It's two a.m. I want what any man wants . . .”
She gave him a curious glance. What exactly was he hinting for?
"Breakfast,"
After they had their 'breakfast', they weren't really tired so Kouga suggested they'd do something since he obviously wouldn't be able to sleep. Ayame how ever was the one who suggested the roof. They began playing truth.
"So is this what you do with every girl Kouga-san. You lure girls to the roof of your house at three a.m." Ayame teased. She could see the city lights from their house roof.
Kouga smirked. "I might,"
She sighed. "Now honestly, how many notches do you have on your head board?"
"I don't know."
"Yes you do. I can't believe the man whore doesn't keep count."
"I never claimed to be a man whore."
"No, but your brother did, no changing subjects. Answer my question."
Kouga sighed in defeat and looked at his feet. "A good amount over 50,"
"How much over--"
"My turn, how many notches are on your head board princess?"
Ayame sighed and thought for a moment. "One, I've had one lover. I'm sure it's nothing compared to your 'over fifty' though." She bit into a sugar cookie. "Who was the last girl in your bed?"
Kouga's face formed into a serious one. He couldn't tell Ayame who it was. There was a long moment of silence; he could feel her eyes on him.
"I'm guessing she broke your heart or something?"
"Or something,"
It was the fifth time the phone had ringed. Ayame had taken enough. She switched the small desk light on and grabbed the phone as the cord slapped against her bed side. "Speak," She grumbled.
"We have a problem," Sukie began. "The flowers are delayed."
"Sukie, honestly what kind of human works at this time," Ayame yawned and turned her clock toward her. She'd only gotten an hour sleep. "What about flowers?"
"They're late princess. They aren’t here now, and the company called with the delay."
Ayame rush to sit up. "No, Sukie, this can't be happening! Do you know how long they kept me on that line? What did you tell them?"
"I never got a chance to yell at them, it was on the office answering machine. Takahasi-Sensei is going to have our heads. Look, I've been on hold for a few minutes and finally got a hold of their manager. But it's going to take a days delay and the wedding is this afternoon. You need to come to office now."
"No, Sukie, I have a writing deadline. And I got out of work like three hours ago!"
"No can do princess, we have at least to days worth of work to do in hours. You have to come in. Takahasi-Sensei even requested you come in. I didn't get a chance to tell her about the flowers. Just come now or your ass is on the job."
"This has got to be illegal, I've only worked there days--" Ayame was cut off by Sukies hang up. She growled at the phone and slammed it down onto the receiver. She rubbed her face and stumbled to her closet looking for something decent. She slipped into her working skirt and jacket. She dressed in black and white, from head to toe.
She stomped down the stairs toward the instant coffee maker. She didn't have time for coffee. She'd have to do without it for a while. The sun wasn't even out yet when she closed the door behind her. She looked in front of her only to slam into Sakura's car. 'What's Sakura's car doing here?' But Ayame had no time to think, Sukie would break her if she took any longer.
Ayame slammed the door behind her.
Sakura turned her head to look at her sister. She closed the file she had been reading on Ayame's laptop and shut it. "Hey, what's got you so crappy?"
"I think this is like the worst job I've ever had. You'd think with a few best sellers I'd be pretty good, but books can't always pay for a living." Ayame complained setting her hand 'beget' on the table nest to her Dell. "Not only did I spend our locating a flower shop open at 5 a.m. and willing to send tons of flowers in hours to church, but I discovered the bride is having an affair with the groom’s brother. And I'm not sure what to do about that loose my job or do the right thing."
"Save the drama and get your pay check." Sakura put in her two cents. "By the way I got caught up on your chapters. I know you hate letting me read unfinished products, but it's good."
"Oh you reminded me, to put the cherry on my fabulous day; I have writers block and a deadline in two days. They had me write a chapter for every day last week and when they give me time Sukie and Takahasi-sensei are putting everything on me." Ayame pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes as she breathed in and out calmly. "I'm sorry, so how was your day."
"Not as peachy as your but okay." Sakura answered eyeing her sister. "Alright shoot. you're looking at me like I did something odd."
"Were you here this morning at like 5 a.m.?" Ayame finally blurted.
"Um . . . no,"
"Funny, I could have sworn I bumped into your car."
Sakura shook her head. "'Must have been Kouga's. I was at home."
Ayame sighed and slumped onto a chair next to her sister. "Have you seen Jubilee? She made Kouga come get me when I had that wedding party, then my car was here this morning."
Sakura shrugged. "She hasn't called me. She probably found some new boy toy to play with. Well, I'm leaving; I have a meeting with Ookami-Sempai." She grabbed her bag off the table. "Why do you call your boss Takahasi-sensei anyway?"
"Probably makes her feel young or something. Who knows with all that botax that bitch used." Ayame joked. She gave Sakura a weak good-bye smile. She opened her laptop and opened the latest chapter file. She took a look at her writing, she had only written three sentences, and they were about hermit crabs. The book was about a girl who made her away around poverty, and owned everything . . . not hermit crabs.
Ayame pounded the backspace button a few times till the file was clear. She typed 'hello' and then erased it, sighing heavily. She broke into a loud gasp as her eyes widened and her body shot up stiff. "NO!" She cried. She began clicking buttons, but nothing seemed to help her laptop. The screen went black and a bomb showed up on the screen, its eyes were crossed as if it were dead and its tongue hung to the side. Horror took over her. "No, no, no, NO! Stop,"
Kouga rushed down the steps in his demon speed. "What is it? What's the matter?"
"My--it--and then--wham! it's just gone--gone! No!"
"Come again? I though you were dieing down here."
Ayame pointed to her desktop screen. "It's gone! My work, my life, my everything! It's just gone! And there this mean man on the screen--and boom. It's all gone. It's just not there and nothing's happening. And now I'm might loose all of my book work and my corrections. Not only that, but Sukie's been up my ass about all this shit expecting me to do it while her fat ass sits on a chair. And the bride is cheating on the groom with his brother, and I caught her having sex, not only that but on my desk, with him. And it's disgusting because it's a new desk, and if I tell Sukie about it she'll just blame it on me, and--"
"Alright, just calm down, you lost me at 'it's gone'." Kouga watched as Ayame punched buttons, and still nothing had changed. But that hadn't stopped her. She cried and slammed a fist on the damned computer. "I'm almost afraid to let you drive to the technology repair place so I'll drive you, okay."
Ayame sighed, desperate to get her whole life back. "Fine," She agreed.
"I'm telling you, I have nothing to hide, beside the fact that I don't own a pair of underwear."
"That's just disgusting,"
"That's just me. Any ways, why'd you call, did you decide it was important to talk to your sister already?"
"Very funny, but we both know what day it is . . ."
"Right, does she know?"
"I know Ayame knows, but she probably refuses to remember it. She did have a sucky day after all." Sakura finished the rest of her wine and looked back and Jubilee who seemed distracted. "Jubie . . . now I know something's wrong. Will you just tell me? I sense it. I'm your sister after all."
"Then act like it and leave me the fuck out of your psychology fest." Jubilee snapped sarcastically.
"But it's my job, I'm good at it."
"I frankly think you suck." Jubilee sniffed the air. "Now I know I don't have the scent of a dog, but smell like sex, and trust me I know that smell."
"I know it better."
"Don't fuck with me. Who are you doing and where can I find him?" Jubilee teased. "Who's your mystery man?"
"Who's yours?""I asked first."
"I asked second."
"Fuck you, Sakura. Spill, now." Jubilee leaned in over the dinner table of the fancy restaurant. "I'll guess, then. He's married? And . . . he's your dream guy. He's smart right? Am I close? Kami, I'm good at this. Okay, he's that dark and mysterious type?"
"Four out of four," Sakura agreed. 'I can't tell her, I can’t. She would never forgive and then tell Ayame. I just need patience; it'll work out soon enough with Kouga and me. It has to.' "I'm still not saying anything else though."
"Let's see, there are like two million men in Tokyo, and you've dated about . . . a million of them. Gosh that leaves so little people."
"If you’re done harassing, could you try and figure out where our little Ayame is?"
"Number 362" Called the man.
Ayame gasped and rush to him, Kouga slowly following behind.
"What's the problem?"
"My computer just spared. It won't turn on now." Ayame explained, trying to tame her voice.
He took her laptop. "When was the last time you backed up?"
"Back up? Now is when someone mentions backing up?"
"I take it you haven't." He began typing. "Alright, we'll call you if we find anything."
"Wait, there was this mean man!"
"Mean man?"
"Yes, he popped up and he had x's over his eyes and his tongue stuck out. that's when everything went blank."
"You should have told us this before."
She gasped. "Why, what's wrong?"
"For now we can't tell you. We'll call you if we find anything."
"If, What do you mean if?" Ayame felt Kouga grab her arm as she was dragged out of the place. Her life was on that laptop, and if anything happened to it, she was literally erased.
"I said I was sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it Aya. You know just as well as us what day it is."
"I know.""Well, come on. You missed dinner; we can't miss her . . . anniversary." Sakura pushed the door gently open.Inside the building was lines of stones, with names on them. A few people set flowers for their perished loved ones. The three sisters walked down the shiny stone hall and stopped at one stone.
"I'll go first; you guys can go after me." Sakura suggested.
Jubilee and Ayame nodded and walked away. Ayame looked back at Sakura who was crouched down, touching their mother's stone. Ayame never wanted to face the fact her mother was gone and wasn't coming back. She was 16. And to put the cherry on top of the perfect year, some how her mother managed to add to her will that Ayame was to wed Kouga when she reached the marrying age. But she managed to hold it off another year. She remember when she first saw Kouga, he looked stuck up and like he was born with a gold spoon in his mouth.Ayame, to this day, never figured out why both their mother requested they wed. It was just another burden on her pretty little mind. She hadn't realized she'd been staring at Jubilee while in thought. "Sorry.""For what,""For looking at you, for missing our traditional mother dinner, for everything,""It's fine; your computer had a melt down, no biggie.""But it is to me. I was hoping I’d forget . . . I’d forget everything about this one day. but I realized I never can." Ayame stared at her feet.Jubilee sighed. "I've tried that once or twice. Every time I wake up . . . I still expect her to barge in my room and tell me breakfast is ready. Then I look around and it's not my old room anymore. I always used to wait for her to interrogate me every time I come home."Ayame stayed silent, listening to Jubilee go one about what her mother did for and to her.Sakura walked over to her sisters, nodding at Jubilee to take her turn. "Listen Hun, I have a meeting to get to, can you hail a taxi?""I left Kouga outside." Ayame informed."Okay. You sure you're okay?""I promise."Sakura kissed Ayame's forehead. "Don't you crazy kids have too much fun tonight.""I'll try to resist." Ayame sassed."I'm done." Jubilee came in."That fast? She's your mother; don't you have anything else to say?""Aya, she's in my heart . . . she knows what I'm thinking." Jubilee flashed her sister a smile. "I have to get to work, but I can be late if you need a ride.""It's okay, you can go. I'll be here for a while I think."Jubilee nodded and walked out of the building, taking a last look at her Ayame, who knelt down at their mother's resting area.Ayame sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Sometime I don't even remember how you looked. I get disgusted with my self," She admitted. "I wish you were here. Right now I'd hope you hold me tight to your chest like you did when I was younger. I'm so sorry to disappoint you mommy . . . my marriage is failing. I still don't under stand what you meant by having me and Kouga wed. Frankly you broke my heart." . . . You made me marry a man I didn't even love, it's not a true marriage, and I am ashamed of it." Ayame wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Why'd you have to leave me? I wasn't old enough to loose you. You haven't seen how I'm doing here." She sniffled. "I didn't naturally come here to complain. I came here to show you some respect."Kouga walked in, and caught Ayame with his eyes. He watched her as she took her locket off and placed it on a flower. He remember that specific locket it. Since the day he met Ayame, she'd never taken it off. He never bothered to ask why. He bit his lip and tip toed outside.Ayame let out a deep sigh, taking one last look at her mother's locket as it swung on the flower.