Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Fire or Ice? ❯ Please Stay ( Chapter 4 )

OK, I'm already done with this story, but I'm not gonna put it all up at once. Unfortunately, I will be leaving tomorrow, so I thought i'd go ahead and put up two or three chapters for ya. So, sorry about all of this. Oh, and you pronounce Arc like ARK.

 

Later,

Kaiya

 

Chapter four

Please Stay

 

Arc stayed out all day, and most of the night. When she came back that night, she was sweaty, and rather dirty. She had apparently fallen back in the water, seeing as how she was slightly wet again.

 

She walked inside the crowded living room, and asked where the washroom was. Keiko showed her down the hallway, and told her where the towels were.

 

Arc stripped out of her clothes, and got into the steaming hot water. (I don't actually know how these things work, so um... yeah.)

 

She stayed in there for about and hour and a half, and than went straight to her room when she came out. She changed into some borrowed clothes of Keiko's. She really didn't like wearing dresses and skirts, but, she didn't have much of a choice.

 

She decided that she was going to go back home the next day, and would tell the others tonight.

 

She walked back out into the living room, wearing a long sleeved white button down shirt, and a long, blue plaided skirt. It wasn't sexy to her, but, to the guys, at least Kuwabara and Yusuke, it was.

 

“How come you never wear that in front of me Keiko”, Yusuke asked in dissapointment.

 

“Shut up, Yusuke”, she said, her head down, and eyes closed. She was getting tired of hitting, and arguing with him, so she just sat there.

 

Yusuke flinched when she got off the couch to go to the kitchen.

 

Arc was hungry from not eating at all that day, and followed her in the kitchen. When she walked in, she noticed a young, pretty girl with green hair making dinner.

 

“Yukina, Keiko started, this is Archer. Arc, this is Yukina.”

 

“Hello Archer. It's very nice to meet you”, she said with a small bow.

 

“Hi”, Arc said, and than waved.

 

“I'm sorry that I wasn't here earlier. I was with Botan”, she said with a pleasant smile on her face.

 

“Oh yeah, the overly cheerful grim reaper lady”, she said under her breath. She really hoped that she wouldn't have to meet her. She didn't like it when people were excited, and happy all the time. It just seemed wrong, especially for someone who brings death to people.

 

“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, I hope you're staying.”

 

“Yes, I won't be leaving until tomorrow morning”, she said.

 

“Arc, where are you going”, Keiko asked.

 

“As much as I, uh... like your clothes, I need to get back home and get my stuff. Plus, I need to talk to my mother.”

 

“Oh, well, good luck telling the others”, she said, and than walked back into the living room.

 

Arc sighed, and than followed her.

 

They all looked her way as she cleared her throat, or at least, Kurama did.

 

“Um, I need to go home tomorrow and get some of my stuff, and talk to my mom”, she said in a hurried manner.

 

“Someone should go with you”, Kurama said.

 

“No, I'll be fine. It won't take me long. My dad will be away at work when I go see her.”

 

“Fine. When do you think you will come back”, he asked, slight concern laced in his voice.

 

“Um, probably some time around lunch.”

 

“All right”, Kurama said, seeing as he was the only one who seemed concerned.

 

Yusuke and Kuwabara were to into their game to even notice her in the room. Hiei pretended not to care, as he watched the two idiots beat up each others characters on the game.

 

“Dinner's ready”, Yukina called from the kitchen.

 

Yusuke and Kuwabara couldn't help but hear that, as they ran into the kitchen. Everyone else began to file in to the kitchen, and than dug in.

 

After dinner, everyone went home, except for Hiei and Arc. They both went to sleep in their rooms. Arc fell asleep almost instantly.

 

 

XXXXXX

 

The next morning, Arc woke up to the sun light seeping in through her opened curtains.

 

She sat up, yawned, and than her eyes widened as she saw a familiar, little, darkly dressed boy in the corner of her room.

 

“Hurry up and get ready. Botan is about to open a portal for you that leads straight to your house.”

 

'What... the happy lady? Great, and here I was hoping that I didn't have to meet her.'

 

“All right”, she said as she climbed out of bed. She moved her bangs out of her eyes, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

 

They walked out of her room and down the hallway. In the living room, a tall, blue haired girl jumped up from the couch, and ran over to Arc.

 

“How are you? I'm Botan. Did you meet Yukina? I see you've met Hiei, quite a loner isn't he? Do you like it here? So, are you ready”, she asked hurriedly, and bubbly.

 

“Um, yeah”, the confused, short blue haired girl said with less enthusiasm.

 

“OK, here we go.”

 

Arc followed her outside, and through a small portal, that lead straight to an ally by her house.

 

“See you in a few hours”, Botan called out happily, as she waved and than disappeared into the now closing portal.

 

“Um, yeah. Bye”, she said to the now gone girl.

 

She walked up the stairs, and opened the door. The house seemed unchanged since the last time she had been there. She looked around for her mom, but didn't see her.

 

'She really needs to lock the doors when she leaves', she thought, as she made her way upstairs to her room.

 

Everything in there was the way she had left it. The burn marks and everything.

 

She walked in and grabbed her book bag off of the floor, and started throwing some stuff in there. She than grabbed another bag, and placed some more things; like her clothes, tooth brush, her necessities... and all of her books in it. It took her quite awhile to get all of her crap together, and try to pack it all in just two bags.

 

After packing up, she looked around her room to see if their was anything else, when she heard the door downstairs open, and than close.

 

She walked calmly down the stairs, and into the kitchen, where he mom was now emptying groceries.

 

“Mom”, she called out quietly.

 

The woman had her back to her, and jumped when she heard Arc.

 

She turned around, and stared in shock at her.

 

Arc noticed the dark circle around her eye, and on her cheek, no matter how much make up she used to cover it.

 

“Archer?”

 

Her mother ran towards her, and hugged her tightly.

 

“Oh sweetie, we've been so worried about you. Where have you been?”

 

Arc was silent for a few moments before she answered.

 

“I'm fine, don't worry. I've been staying with some friends.”

 

“I'm so glad that your all right”, she said as she kissed her on the forehead. She pulled back, and Arc noticed the tears in her eyes.

 

“Why don't you leave him”, Arc whispered in the silent air around them.

 

Her mother pulled out of her grasp, and turned back to the groceries.

 

“Would you like something to eat, sweetheart”, she asked, her back to her again.

 

“Mom”, Arc started, not really sure how to respond to her actions.

 

“How about I make you some rice and gravy, your favorite.”

 

“MOM”, she yelled in dissapointment.

 

'How can she act like this?'

 

She turned to her, and stopped putting the food away.

 

“I... just can't”, she answered quietly, turning back to the groceries.

 

“Why?”

 

“I don't have a choice. I have no where else to go. I have no job, no means to support myself, or you.”

 

“That's not a good enough excuse to stay and let him do this to you”, Arc stated, trying to keep back the tears.

 

“He doesn't mean it. He just gets angry at me, and at you. He always apologizes afterwards. He loves me. I can't leave him, and neither should you”, she stated, as she finished putting up the groceries.

 

“He doesn't mean it? I shouldn't leave him? He kicked me out, I don't have a choice! But... but, you do”, she said as she calmed herself down a little.

 

“... and I can't believe that you would pick the one you've chosen. I thought you were stronger than that, but, I guess I was wrong”, she said as she walked back to her room to get her things.

 

She grabbed her bags and went back down the stairs, and headed for the door. Her mom was in the living room, waiting for her.

 

“Please Archer, don't go. I'll talk to him... and he'll let you stay. Please... he doesn't mean it... he's sorry for what he did... let's wait until he gets home so we can all talk-”

 

“I have to go. I'm sorry. I'll come by and see how you're doing later. Bye”, she said as she walked out of the door.

 

“Archer”, her mother called out in vain.

 

Arc pretended not to hear her, as she sniffed back a sob, and walked in the direction of the ally.

 

She went back down through the ally, and waited, and waited. She hated to just leave her mom like that, she felt like she was abandoning her. But, she really couldn't do anything about it, at least for right now.

 

The portal opened, and she was greeted by Botan again, who smiled happily at her. Arc didn't even bother to try and look cheerful. That was the last thing she was.

 

XXXXXX