• CHAPTER 70 - RUNNING INTO TROUBLE...AGAIN

    Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble. Karma tends to be my middle name. It's either bad timing, or I just have a certain pull that danger and drama leads to.

    "Kai, I'm taking a shower," I told him lazily while exiting the bedroom and entering the bathroom.

    I was off to school today. I was so thankful to have the weekend to try and relax. I didn't get too much relaxation, but it was worth a shot. None of my peers had seen Kai yet since I returned back here. That's probably because I told Kai to drop me off at a bus stop so he wouldn't have to always be so chivalrous. I thought I might spice things up today and allow him to take me all the way to school. If only to spend more time with him...not that I live with him or anything.

    I hopped into the shower--half asleep--and was robotic enough to take a shower like I normally do, despite my tiredness. I hopped out of the shower and dried myself off and dressed myself, not bothering with drying my hair. I rebandaged my neck and headed downstairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruits Matsuda and Orihime kept and plopped myself on the chair. Kai followed me in soon afterwords and stood at the table right next to me.

    "Morning, sleepyhead," Kai smiled, rubbing my head.

    "Shut up," I groaned.

    I rose myself up from the chair with my uneaten apple in hand and started searching throughout the kitchen. Drawer after drawer and there was no luck. I searched the counter and just about slapped myself after seeing the elegant display right in front of me. I reached for the little display and out came a giant knife I had been looking for.

    "Uh," Kai was dumbstruck. "What are you doing?"

    "Cutting the apple, dumbass," I snorted. I was way too rude when I was so tired.

    When I swung the knife down halfway--closer to cutting my finger off rather than the apple--Kai gripped my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. He pried the knife out of my hand and sighed.

    "I don't trust you with knives," Kai chuckled. "And that's saying something...for a Vampire."

    "Fine," I sighed and put the knife back. I sat back down at the table. "You can have the other half, then."

    "You're not eating the whole thing?" Kai asked me, tilting his head a little.

    "No," I sighed. "I'm never hungry in the mornings. I'm just willing to start off by eating half an apple."

    "You sound frivolous," Kai chuckled again and grabbed the apple from me as I was about to take a bite.

    Kai set the apple down on the table after I attempted to complain to him about stealing it. Kai observed the apple for a moment and after another second, his fingers plunged into the center of the apple from the top. With a twist of his wrist as fast as lightning, he pulled his fingers back out and the core of the apple with it. He tossed the core into the trashcan and observed the apple again. In another flash, his hand seemed to swing above the apple, but two seconds after he swiped his hand, the apple fell in half in two different directions. That whole show took a mere three to five seconds to do.

    Kai handed me one half, "Here," he set down his half and licked his thumb.

    I took him upon his offer and took the apple half, "Thanks,"

    "With these talons," Kai looked down at his nails, "I could easily infiltrate you as I did that apple."

    "But you don't," I pointed out.

    "I'm managing to dictate that mistake," he smiled weakly.

    We took about ten minutes to eat and we took off, grabbing my bag and books along the way. Of course, the already perfect day couldn't start out any better than the traditional fall down the front steps to the house. I was quick enough to hold my hands out in front of me, but Kai wasn't outside yet to break my fall. I fell onto my stomach, scraping my hand up in the process.

    "Ow," I sighed, observing the damage.

    "Stupid klutz," Kai came out of the house with a light smile on his face.

    "It's the stairs' fault," I complained.

    Kai gently took my hand in his and started licking the blood that had trickled down my wrist. He got to where the wound was on my hand and started lightly sucking on it. I gasped sharply at the sting but it soon dissipated from the cold of Kai's lips. Kai took another two seconds before he was finished and he helped me up, brushing dirt off my clothes along the way. We hopped into his car and Kai reached into his glove box and of all things in the world to have in a car, a band-aid popped out.

    "Okay, since when did you have band-aids in your car?" I interrogated him while he stuck the band-aid on my hand. "You're a Vampire."

    "I got the concept after you came into the house," Kai mocked me.

    "Oh, funny," I grumbled at him.

    "You look as though you've reappeared from a brawl," Kai pointed out, touching the band-aid on my hand and the bandages on my neck.

    "If you include me slapping you yesterday for touching my butt, then yes, I did," I rolled my eyes.

    "Good too see you're awake," Kai stated sarcastically.

    "I'm sorry," I sighed. "I just hardly got any sleep over the weekend."

    "Nonsense," Kai protested. "You slept next to me."

    "It's hard to sleep when your neck is stiff and there's a frozen hand up your shirt," I frowned at him and then blushed at the thought.

    "Whatever," Kai rolled his eyes and took off out of the garage.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Will you survive a whole school day?" Kai cocked an eyebrow at me as I struggled pathetically with my seatbelt.

    "Yeah," I grumbled. "I'm a little more awake."

    Kai reached over and unbuckled my seatbelt. After I reached to the back seat and grabbed my bag and books, I could feel the gazes of my peers burning into my back. We were sitting in the parking lot, trying not to draw too many eyes near. I sighed and fixed my hair again.

    "I'm staying after for a little while to get help from a teacher," I turned and told Kai, "so you can come later."

    "You're kidding, right?" Kai chuckled. "You still aren't aware. Ever since I first escorted you to school, I've settled at the corner of the block."

    I felt as though I had been slapped, "Doing what?"

    "Waiting for you,"

    Hearing him say that made my heart flip madly, "Even when we first met? When we didn't like each other?"

    "When you didn't like me," Kai emphasized.

    "Oh," my face fell. "You don't have to wait there."

    "I savor waiting for you," he smiled lightly. "It grants me something to look forward to."

    "Oh," I said again, at a loss of words. I felt guilty for making him wait and wait for hours while I'm at school. "Just head home this time. You need more sleep."

    "I'm fine," he shrugged. "But I might run a couple of errands."

    "Well, don't be so freaky and stalkish," I teased with a cute smile. "I'm off now."

    I opened the door and was about halfway out when Kai grabbed my bicep and pulled me back into the car and instantly attacked my lips with his. I froze for a second and my mind went blank. My body went back to normal as soon as I realized Kai was only kissing me, but it's totally excusable to lose concentration and control when you're kissing someone like Kai.

    The kiss was long and still and heartfelt. Kai pulled away and smiled lightly, "You never give me a goodbye kiss,"

    "Um," I bit my lip. "Goodbye...?"

    Kai pecked my lips again, "Good day, mademoiselle,"

    I blushed again and hopped out of the car, bringing my bag and textbooks with me. Kai gave me a light smile once more and pulled out of the parking lot as soon as I reached the front doors of the school. I could still feel the stares in my conscience but I managed to ignore them for a while. After that kiss, I was more awake and even more energetic. Maybe that's all I've been needing to start a good day at school. I smiled lightly to myself and stepped into the school, almost prepared to take on the jocks and preps who spotted me with Kai once more.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "He's back?" a blond stepped up to me while I was in my desk. It was passing time between third and fourth period and we were waiting for the teacher to arrive. "Your boy toy?"

    I put on my confident face and confronted her, prepared, "I don't know who you mean by 'boy toy', but if you're talking about my boyfriend, then yes," I sneered.

    "Yeah right," she scoffed. "How many times have you slept with him?"

    "Well..." I looked up and started counting on my fingers, "I've slept next to him a few times."

    "Oh, funny," she huffed.

    "You seem to be a little too confident," a jock leaned against my desk with his arms crossed.

    "Yes," I sneered again, "because I have him back."

    "I can't wait until you come back from the doctor someday and you're either pregnant or infested with diseases," she laughed.

    Hearing "pregnant" immediately brought my freakish dream back to thought. I quickly exiled the dream from my head in the off chance that Kai would be listening in on our conversation and my head. The bell rang and I subtly slid my hand down to my lower tummy. Pregnant...it would kill me, apparently. But that's not something that will happen for a long, long time...if even ever.

    ~*~*~*~*~

    When I came out after my hour-long tutoring with my chemistry teacher I was surprised to see Kai standing at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall. Every girl that walked by him would stare and then snicker with glee after they passed. I approached Kai after tripping and almost falling down a couple of stairs and I looked up at him.

    "Why are you standing here? Where's your car?" I asked him.

    "Um..." Kai looked down, guilty and somewhat embarrassed, "my brakes are shot again."

    I held my hand over my mouth to keep in my laughter, "From what?"

    "Speeding,"

    That's when my laughter exploded, "I knew that would happen! I knew it!" I laughed at him while pointing at him with an accusing finger.

    "Knock it off," Kai frowned, grabbing my hand.

    "So what will we do?" I asked him, still giggling.

    "I'll escort you to the coffee shop," Kai suggested. "You should eat."

    "I already had lunch,"

    "Inexcusable," Kai pressed his finger against my lips. "You're eating more."

    "I'm not even hungry!" I complained.

    "Oh, look! He is back!" I heard the same prep laugh with a few other preps and a couple of jocks.

    I sighed and leaned my head against Kai's chest, "They're even willing to confront me while you're right here," I grumbled under my breath.

    "I've got this," Kai whispered back.

    "Kai--" I was about to step back and confront him but he gripped my biceps and pulled me close to him so I was facing him.

    "You must be the boy toy, right?" a prep asked innocently.

    "I'm not the kind of sick b*****d whom of which uses women for pleasure,"

    "Whoever said it was for pleasure?" the prep laughed. "You use her just to break her in and leave her without her virginity."

    I pushed myself off of Kai to face them but Kai held me back right away. I continued to glare at the group of preps and jocks and Kai stroked his thumb against my arm, It's okay, just let them say what they want.

    But Kai, if we don't respond to their bullshit then they will believe what they're saying is true,     I argued with him.

    But they will believe it more if we argue,     Kai sighed, just let them get it out.

    "So, Mr. Man, why did you ditch poor Arisa?" a brunette prep sneered. "You got fed up with the sex, didn't you?"

    I looked down and clenched my fists and Kai continued to rub my arm with his thumb. The group of preps and jocks kept eying us for another minute, waiting for either Kai or me to shoot a comeback. One of the blond preps sighed and dug out her car keys.

    "Come on, they're being wimps," she started walking away. "We could get them to crack some other time."

    They left as easily as Kai said they would. I turned around after Kai released me and I stared at him in confusion, "You were right?"

    "I can apprehend their minds," Kai reminded me. "Those kinds are not difficult to figure out."

    "Well, thank you," I looked down.

    "Come on," Kai grabbed my hand. "Let's get you something to eat."

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "So will you be able to help me with my homework tonight?" I asked Kai. "I could really use your help."

    "So you're only using me for my intellect?" Kai teased.

    "Damn right I am," I teased back, leaning against his side as we walked hand-in-hand. "When will you get your brakes fixed?"

    "I will start on them tonight," Kai sighed.

    "No," I protested. "You need more sleep."

    "I'm fine," Kai scoffed.

    Kai perked up and seemed as though he were faintly sniffing the air. I looked up at him in confusion, "What's wrong?" I whispered.

    Kai waited another moment and we continued walking, "Nothing. A disturbance."

    We continued to walk and the sky was darkening a little. I noticed that I was trailing behind Kai because he seemed to be walking a little faster. I almost had to jog to keep up with him. I pulled the hood of my jacket up as soon as I could feel the first few sprinkles fall from the sky. I looked up at Kai, wondering why he was suddenly rushing.

    "Kai?"

    Kai stopped where he was and the rain was starting to fall a little heavier, "s**t," he whispered under his breath.

    "Kai, what distur--"

    I heard a click and my body froze. I peeked around Kai and he was looking down the barrel of Akatsuki's violent and threatening anti-Vampire gun.